| Robert Catesby: 31 years old. Robert
Catesby came from an old midlands family. His ancestors had been famous
as politicians. Due to his father's strong Catholic loyalties the family
suffered greatly. Robert was born in 1573 and it seems conformed to the
state religion. He studied at Gloucester Hall, Oxford in 1586 and married
Catherine Leigh-a wealthy Protestant girl (a protestant related to the
important Spenser family) when he was nineteen (1593). His wife Catherine
Leigh and their oldest son (William) died a few years after their marriage
in 1598. His Second son Robert survived. Catesby's house Morecrofts in
Uxbridge became a haven for priests. His father also died in 1598. It is
believed that his grief turned him into a stronger supporter of the Catholic
faith. Catesby already suspect by the government was imprisoned in 1596
as a possible suspect in action leading to the illness of the queen. Involvement
in the Essex rebellion (Feb. 8 1601) cost him a fine of 3,000 pounds. Later
Catesby joined other Catholics such as Henry Garnet in the Spanish Treason.
Catesby possessed a wild and reckless nature and was a popular man. He
was known as a good swordsman and was a part of elite court circles. Father
Tesimond described him as being over six feet tall with noble and expressive
countenance and manners and with an impressive dignity. He traveled the
countryside as did many Catholics protecting priests as they traveled from
safe house to safe house. Catesby's house in Lambeth was first headquarters
of the plot and was used for the initial storage of powder. He was the
originator of plot. His mother's 1st cousin (Elizabeth) was
wife of Sir Walter Raleigh. Robert Catesby was killed at the shoot out at Holbeach House Nov. 8 1605 along with Thomas Percy (with the same bullet) While professing dedication to God and Church to the end Catesby was primarily a leader of a Catholic political elite which was equally dedicated to obtaining wealth and power through the defeat of the King, the Government and the State Church. (His body was buried at Holbeach but was later dug up and his head brought to Westminster for display) To Return to the Cast of Characters Page for more fun...Click it right here!
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