Guy Fawkes, one of English history’s most celebrated conspirators, was born and educated in York during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Guy (or Guido) Fawkes was born in a house on Low Petergate – now a (highly recommended) pub and hotel – on 13 April 1570 during a time of religious turmoil across Europe. He was baptised across the street at St Michael le Belfry church three days later and educated at St Peter’s School, now to be found on Bootham but then probably located in the Minster Precinct.

During Elizabeth’s reign Catholics like Fawkes’s family were persecuted and frequently accused of being in league to overthrow the Protestant monarch. Such fears weren’t too far of the mark in Guy Fawkes’ case: after fighting for the side of Catholicism in Europe’s Wars of Religion he came back to England and became involved in a plot to blow up King James I, Elizabeth’s successor, and the English Houses of Parliament.

The plot was discovered on 5 November 1605, before it could be carried out, and the public were encouraged to celebrate with the lighting of bonfires across the country – a tradition that has been continued ever since. A “guy” – an effigy of Fawkes – is traditionally placed on top of the fire and fireworks are let off to symbolise the wasted gunpowder.

St Peter’s School avoided celebrating “Bonfire Night” for 400 years, claiming that it was school policy not to burn ex-pupils, even in effigy. Recently though, and with great irony, the school has staged York’s official fireworks displays.

The school has a reputation for being “a bit posh” and the local joke is that the police knew Fawkes was in the Houses of Parliament because his Ferrari was parked outside.