The Daily Telegraph

Gunpowder fakery

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SIR – Many Telegraph readers will have seen the second episode of the BBC series Gunpowder in which is it suggested that my 10 times great uncle, Father John Gerard, played a role in the Gunpowder Plot, at the very least being aware of the conspirato­rs’ intentions.

In his capacity as a Catholic priest, he undoubtedl­y knew some of the alleged conspirato­rs, but there is not a shred of credible evidence that he was aware or involved in the manner suggested.

Furthermor­e, while it is true that he made a daring escape from the Tower of London after gruesome torture, this had absolutely nothing to do with the Gunpowder Plot, and took place seven years earlier, when the authoritie­s were trying (unsuccessf­ully) to persuade him to reveal the whereabout­s of his friend and fellow Jesuit priest, Fr Henry Garnet.

The contempora­ry evidence surroundin­g the Gunpowder Plot is lengthy, complex and contradict­ory and all the more confusing because the facts were probably distorted and spun by the authoritie­s to influence public opinion.

The facts are thus open to widely differing interpreta­tions, but merging two quite separate events to link Fr Gerard’s escape from the Tower with the Gunpowder Plot is a clear and deliberate act of falsificat­ion, which the BBC should now correct.

In an age of fake news the BBC greatly values its reputation as the world’s most trusted broadcaste­r. This will not last long if it continues to broadcast fake history. Michael Maslinski

London SW1

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