Guy Fawkes used the alias John Johnson when he was arrested after the 1605 Gunpowder Plot.
When royal officials searched the cellars beneath the House of Lords in the early hours of 5 November 1605, Fawkes initially gave his name as John Johnson. He was carrying a lantern and was found near the gunpowder intended for the planned attack on Parliament.
The alias was part of his effort to conceal his identity and role. Under interrogation and torture, he eventually revealed his real name and the extent of the conspiracy. His first interrogation records describe him as “John Johnson,” a servant of Thomas Percy.
Modern celebrations usually use “Guy Fawkes,” but that was not the name he first gave officials. Fawkes was born in York and had also served as a soldier in the Spanish Netherlands before joining the plot.