How many days of torture did Guy Fawkes endure?

The answer previously provided details the death by hanging, drawin, and quartering of the convicted Guy (Guido) Fawkes.

Fawkes had somewhat cooperated with his captors after having been arrested in the cellars below Parliament's chambers at Westminister Hall. Fawkes gave a partial list of co-conspirators, His Majesty, King James, who was to have been the primary victim of the Gunpowder Plot, was not satisfied that Guy Fawkes had fully confessed and cooperated with authorities. The King, therefore, wrote out a detailed set of tortures, becoming progressively more intense and maiming and painful. This writing was communicated to the Lord Lieutentant of the Tower and still exists.

Formally, the King's letter indicated that His Majesty desired that Guy Fawkes be "put to the question" because Fawkes was bound over to the civil law and the legal process could not further proceed until Fawkes had properly pleaded his crime.

Generally, Fawkes would have been asked again to detail his confession. If not inclusive of further parties to the Plot against the King's person, he would have been roughed up--usually, slapped and/or punched in the face with a gloved head. (The accused still had to appear in court.) More sturdy men could have withstood this abuse. The next step, after a brief rest period was to choke the victim with a cloth to the point passing out, release the cloth and let the victim revive. This was mostly a terror technique. The next step was to use thumbscrews on the non-writing hand of a man who could read and write. This vice-like device was placed on either side of the thumb and slowly tightened to the point of either breaking the thumb or dislocating the first joint. This torture was quite painful and caused the victim to pass out. This torture could be repeated on the other fingers, again non-writing hand first.

If this got no answer to the question, the boot could be used. A wooden vice-like device that resembled a wooden half boot that was slipped over the barefoot of the victim. As with the thumbscrews, the boot was tightened until the foot was either dislocated, broken, or the ankle severely compressed. This particular torture could only be used once since it was maiming. Remember, the victim had to appear in court after the confession, under the question, was obtained.

Less often, the English used the strappado--looks like two hoops, but the victim was doubled over into the device, with the hoops being drawn tighter. Generally, the victim was left horribly contorted in this device for a period of time as gravity and lack of movement took their toll. Most victims fainted from the pain and numbness this torture caused. It could take a victim two days to finally regain feeling and movement after being placed in the strappado. This device left no marks.

Pincers, look like tongs for removing nails from horseshoes, could be heated or used cold on the victim's bare skin; face, neck, hands, wrists, and sometimes forearms excepted--the victim had to appear in court. As one might expect, pincers, literally, a pinching device, raised a very tender, red welt and, if heated, a third degree burn. This torture was the first of the life-threatening tortures and was closely supervised so the victim was not killed.

The rack was available and this deviced had the victim lying on his back on what look liked a bedstead without the mattress and a winch at one end. Ropes were looped on the victim's wrists and ankles. The crank was turned was turned a quarter to a full crank--at first, to cause general aching in the limbs. If the victim did not comply, the limbs were pulled until the arms were dislocated from the shoulder sockets as were legs from the hip sockets. A victim of this torture could take several days to revive.

If the warden was really trying to prove his point on the victim, he might use one torture that was common to the battlefield which was the use of a heated metal rod. The victim's trousers and drawers were lowered, he was bent over a table or sawhorse, and the metal rod applied against the victim's anus. This torture was meant to humilate, disorient, cause intense discomfort, and a near immediate response to the question. This torture was considered extreme and could only be used once because it could put the victim into shock and potentially kill.

All the while, the victim was given only bread and water since it was thought that refusing sustenance was inhuman.

Very clearly, Guy Fawkes was put to the question; tortured, first by beating, then by thumbscrews. The boot was probably not employed because he jumped to his death. He was probably placed in the strappado and then racked. His signature on the confession of 9 November has a barely readable signature.