Everybody celebrates on this day widely known as Bonfire night which is held on 5th November, and everybody knows the story of Guy Fawkes the man who tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament, but a man by

       the name of Robert Parsons a Jesuit priest born on 24th June 1546 the son of a blacksmith in Nether Stowey, just a few miles from Bridgwater was, one of the brains behind the gunpowder plot. At the time who

       Guy Fawkes, Catesby and three others carried the blame, Parsons who was never held to account kept well out of the way. Parsons made his way to Rome where he was rector of the English college whilst serving the Pope.

       He died on 15th April 1610.Because of the failure of the gunpowder plot people celebrated with bonfires, and the practice of throwing 'guys' on the bonfire was a simple variation of the old practice of burning effigies.

       Perhaps because of the close relationship between Parsons and Fawkes, and Parsons being a local man, the tradition of bonfires and fireworks are probably celebrated more in Bridgwater than any other place in the UK.

       Bridgwater  celebrates Guy Fawkes day with a night time illuminated carnival which it is claimed to be the biggest illuminated carnival in the World, this can be traced back to 1605, the date of the ill fated attempt to blow

       up the House of Parliament, by Guy Fawkes.

It was intended to be the beginning of a great uprising of English Catholics, who were distressed by the increased severity of penal laws against the practice of their religion. The conspirators, who began plotting early in 1604,

expanded their number to a point where secrecy was impossible. The group included Robert Catesby, John Wright, and Thomas Winter, the originators, Christopher Wright, Robert Winter, Robert Keyes, Guy Fawkes, a soldier

who had been serving in Flanders, Thomas Percy, John Grant, Sir Everard Digby, Francis Tresham, Ambrose Rookwood, and Thomas Bates. Percy hired a cellar under the House of Lords, in which 36 barrels of gunpowder,

overlaid with iron bars and firewood, were secretly stored. The conspiracy was brought to light through a mysterious letter received by Lord Monteagle, a brother-in-law of Tresham, on October 26, urging him not to attend

Parliament on the opening day. The 1st earl of Salisbury and others, to whom the plot was made known, took steps leading to the discovery of the materials and the arrest of Fawkes as he entered the cellar. Other conspirators,

overtaken in flight or seized afterward, were killed outright, imprisoned, or executed.

Today, one of the ceremonies which accompanies the opening of a new session of Parliament is a traditional searching of the basement by the Yeoman of the Guard. It has been said that for superstitious reasons,

no State Opening of Parliament has or ever will be held again on November 5th. This, however, is a fallacy since on at least one occasion (in 1957), Parliament did indeed open on November 5th. The actual

cellar employed for the storage of the gunpowder in 1605 by the conspirators was damaged by fire in 1834 and totally destroyed during the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster in the Nineteenth Century.

Also known as "Firework Night" and "Bonfire Night," November 5th was designated by King James I (via an Act of Parliament) as a day of thanksgiving for "the joyful day of deliverance." This Act remained in force until

1859. On the very night of the thwarted Gunpowder Plot, it is said that the populace of London celebrated the defeat by lighting fires and engaging in street festivities. It would appear that similar celebrations took place

on each anniversary and, over the years, became a tradition. In many areas, a holiday was observed, although it is not celebrated in Northern Ireland.

Guy Fawkes Night is not solely a British celebration. The tradition was also established in the British colonies by the early American settlers and actively pursued in the New England States under the name of "Pope Day" 

as late as the Eighteenth Century. Today, the celebration of Guy Fawkes and his failed plot remains a tradition in such places as Newfoundland (Canada) and some areas of New Zealand, in addition to the British Isles.

1697::

Following the popular hysteria provoked by the Titus Oats revelations Pope burning processions were witnessed in London and in Lewes. No evidence survives to indicate whether such

processions were annual occurrence in Lewes, but it seems certain that some form of regular celebration was taking place probably involving street bonfires and squabbling.

1831::

In an effort to stop dangerous practices the magistrates issued cautions but the "Boys" displayed even greater energy.

At the opposite side of the country in the South West, instead of bonfire societies, Guy Fawkes Carnivals are held in November, with giant illuminated floats dome carrying 32,000 light bulbs powered by their own

mobile generating plant towed behind the entry, tour seven towns in Somerset. This circuit since the 1950's has been known as the Somerset County Guy Fawkes Carnivals Association. Each of these large entries

some seventy in total measure 100' long, 17' 6" high and 11'. 6" wide. The oldest recorded Guy Fawkes Carnival is that of Bridgwater in 1861, however it is recognised that celebrations were in fact taking

place even before that. The largest Carnival website in the world devoted to Somerset Guy Fawkes Carnivals is also based here in Bridgwater, and is called The Carnival Times. Other Guy Fawkes Carnivals are 

held in Burnham-on-Sea, Glastonbury, Midsomer Norton, North Petherton, Shepton Mallet, Wells City and Weston-super-Mare, all with the exception of Midsomer Norton are affiliated to the

Somerset County Guy Fawkes Carnivals Association. These spectacular carnivals attracted anything up to 150,000 spectators at the larger events, even the smaller carnivals attract in excess of

80,000 visitors, come along there is no entrance fee all they ask is for a donation of £3.00 per head to the street collectors, for 3 hours of superb entertainment that passes your position on the route.

A SELECTION OF THE FAMOUS CARNIVAL CARTS THAT TOUR THE SOUTH WEST OF ENGLAND FROM SEPTEMBER TO MID-NOVEMBER .MORE CAN BE FOUND AT THE CARNIVAL TIMES ALONG WITH RESULTS AND OTHER INFORMATION.

      The bonfire on the Cornhill in Bridgwater, was the biggest bonfire to be built in Bridgwater for carnival night, it was at least 24 feet across the base and towering to its apex were tar barrels and a boat. The fire was lit at 7pm and

        was fed more timber, boxes and even an old piano, which went on way past midnight. Around the Cornhill shops were barricaded and covered with large wet canvas sheets to stop the heat breaking the shop windows.

          The bonfire must have been a magnificent site to see. On 28th August 1925 the carnival committee held a meeting at the Golden Ball in the High Street, where it was decided that because of the new road surface laid

         by Tarmacaddam on the Cornhill would melt, should the bonfire be lit on this new surface.  So 6th November 1924 the people of Bridgwater saw the last bonfire lit on the Cornhill. In charge was Mr Edwin Scribbens who

           had been a bonfire boy for a record 61 years along with other bonfire boys made ready the last bonfire. Mr Harry Burge led a large number of children from the Cornhill Exchange to the bonfire where they marched

        round and round holding a lighted taper. At a signal the fire was lit with a dramatic whoosh and loud cheers from the crowd. Those young children who lit the last bonfire in 1924 were. Ena Randell, Alma Howell, Vera Howell,

               Mary Cook, Kathleen Ridgment, Ethel Mouncher, Hilda Mouncher, Irene Hill, Hilda Smith, Hilda Palmer, Mary Smith, Gladys Walters, Edna White, Lena Hubbard, Doris Hubbard, Linda Hill, Frances Hill, Cynthia Nichols,

            Irene Browning, Joan Harvey, Mary Jennings, Clara Jennings, Olive Fowler, Lily Gillingham, Beatrice Hoyal, May Hoyal, Doris Cook, Ivy Hubbard, Edna White, Eileen Jennings, Irene Jennings, Harry Scrbbens, Jack Drew,

            Donald Palfrey, Harry Cooze, Ray Seymour, Joey Cooze, Reg Palmer, Doris Cummings, Billie Walters, Harry Burge, Jack Burge, Jack Seymour, Frank Seymour, Frank Hubbard, Jack Jarvis, Stanley Ferris, Ivor Smith,

             Ted Lockyer, Billie Harvey, Ernest Bright, Dick Vearncombe, Harold White, Vincent Jennings, Donald Toby, Ernest Cornish, Edward Parker, Doris Cave, John Collard, Norman Collard, Lionel Burge and Albert Parsons.

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