A discussion on what to do next saw the group leave for sources of weapons and a secure area: Catesby was convinced they could still stir the Catholics into an uprising. However, they haemorrhaged numbers as they travelled, the less implicated men growing dispirited by what they found: scores of Catholics horrified at them, with few offering aid. They were less than forty by the day's end.
Back in London, Guy Fawkes had refused to speak about his companions. This staunch demeanour impressed the King, but he ordered Fawkes to be tortured on November 6th, and Fawkes was broken by November 7th. During the same period Sir John Popham, the Lord Chief Justice, raided the homes of every Catholic known to have suddenly left, including that of Ambrose Rookwood. He soon identified Catesby, Rookwood, and the Wright and Wintour brothers as suspects; Francis Tresham was also arrested.
On Thursday 7th the fleeing plotters reached Holbeach House in Staffordshire, home of Stephen Littleton. Having discovering that an armed government force was close behind, they prepared for battle, but not before sending Littleton and Thomas Wintour to seek help from a neighbouring Catholic relative; they were refused. Hearing this, Robert Wintour and Stephen Littleton fled together and Digby fled with a few servants. Meanwhile Catesby tried to dry gunpowder in front of the fire; a stray spark caused an explosion which badly injured both him and John Wright.
The government stormed the house later that day. Kit Wright, John Wright, Robert Catesby and Thomas Percy were all killed, while Thomas Wintour and Ambrose Rookwood were injured and captured. Digby was caught soon after. Robert Wintour and Littleton remained at large for several weeks, but were eventually caught too. The captives were taken to the Tower of London and their houses were searched and plundered.
The government inquiry soon spread to the arrest and questioning of many more suspects, including the plotters families', friends and even distant acquaintances: simply having met the conspirators at an unfortunate time or place led to interrogation. Lord Mordant, who had employed Robert Keyes and planned to be absent from Parliament, Lord Montague, who had employed Guy Fawkes over a decade before, and The Earl of Northumberland - Percy's employer and patron - found themselves in the Tower.
The trial of the main plotters began on January 6th 1606, by which time Francis Tresham had already died in prison; all were found guilty (they were guilty, but these were show trials and the result was never in doubt). Digby, Grant, Robert Wintour, and Bates were hung, drawn and quartered on January 29th at St. Paul's Churchyard, while Thomas Wintour, Robert Keyes, Guy Fawkes and Ambrose Rookwood were similarly executed on January 30th at the Old Palace Yard Westminster. These were far from the only executions, as investigators slowly worked their way down through the tiers of supporters, men who had promised aid to the rebellion such as Stephen Littleton. Men with no real connections also suffered: Lord Mordant was fined £6,666 and died in Fleet debtors’ prison in 1609, while the Earl of Northumberland was fined the colossal sum of £30,000 and imprisoning him at the king’s leisure. He was freed in 1621.
The plot provoked strong feelings and the majority of the nation reacted with horror at the sheer indiscriminate killing planned but, despite the fears of Francis Tresham and others, the Gunpowder Plot was not followed by a violent attack on the Catholics, from the government or the people; James even acknowledged that a few fanatics had been responsible. Admittedly Parliament – which finally met in 1606 – did introduce more laws against recusants, and the plot contributed to another Oath of Allegiance. But these actions were motivated as much by an existing need to appease England's anti-Catholic majority and keep Catholic numbers low than revenge for the plot, and the laws were poorly enforced amongst Catholics loyal to the crown. Instead, the government used the trial to vilify the already illegal Jesuits.
On January 21st 1606, a Bill for an annual public thanksgiving was introduced into Parliament. It remained in force until 1859.
