Robert Catesby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Catesby
|
|
|---|---|
Robert Catesby, unknown artist, 1794
|
|
| Born | circa 1572 or later Bushwood Hall, Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire, England
|
| Died | 8 November 1605 (aged 32–33) Holbeche House, Staffordshire, England
|
| Cause of death | Gunshot wound |
| Other names | Mr Roberts, Robin Catesby |
| Spouse(s) | Catherine Leigh |
| Children | William and Robert |
| Parent(s) | William and Anne (née Throckmorton) Catesby |
| Motive | Gunpowder plot, a conspiracy to assassinate King James VI & I and members of the Houses of Parliament |
| Role | Leader |
Robert Catesby (born around 1572 – died 8 November 1605) was the main leader of a group of English Catholics. They planned the famous Gunpowder Plot in 1605, which failed.
Catesby was born in Warwickshire, England, and studied in Oxford. His family were strong Catholics who refused to join the King's church. To avoid making a special promise to the King about religion, he left college early. In 1593, he married a Protestant woman and had two children.
In 1601, Catesby joined a rebellion led by the Earl of Essex. He was caught and had to pay a very large fine. After this, he sold his family estate.
When James I became King of England in 1603, many Catholics hoped he would be more accepting of their faith. However, King James was not as friendly to Catholics as they had wished. Because of this, Catesby decided to plan something drastic.
He planned to kill the King and members of Parliament by blowing up the House of Lords with gunpowder. This was meant to start an uprising and put a Catholic ruler back on the English throne. In early 1604, he began to gather other Catholics to help him. These included Thomas Wintour, John Wright, Thomas Percy, and Guy Fawkes.
Over the next few months, more people joined the plot. They planned to carry it out on 5 November 1605. However, a secret letter was sent to a nobleman named Lord Monteagle. This letter warned the authorities. The night before the planned explosion, Guy Fawkes was found guarding the gunpowder barrels in Parliament.
When news of Fawkes's arrest spread, the other plotters fled London. They warned Catesby along the way. With only a small group of friends left, Catesby made a stand at Holbeche House in Staffordshire. He was shot and died there.
Contents
Robert Catesby's Early Life
Family Background
Robert Catesby was born after 1572. He was the only son of Sir William Catesby and Anne Throckmorton. His family had a long history, including an ancestor named William Catesby who was an important advisor to King Richard III.
Robert's parents were known for being strong Catholics who did not follow the King's church. His father had even been jailed for his faith. Other family members also faced trouble for their Catholic beliefs. For example, his relative Sir Francis Throckmorton was executed in 1584 for being part of a plot to free Mary, Queen of Scots.
His Education
In 1586, Robert Catesby went to Gloucester Hall in Oxford. This college was known for having many Catholic students. At that time, anyone studying at university or working for the government had to take a special promise called the Oath of Supremacy. This promise meant they accepted the King as the head of the church.
Catesby, being a devout Catholic, would not take this oath. So, he left the university without finishing his degree. He might have then gone to a Catholic seminary college in Douai, France.
Becoming an Adult
In 1593, Robert Catesby married Catherine Leigh. She came from a wealthy Protestant family. Her family's religion offered Catesby some protection from the strict laws against Catholics. The next year, he inherited a property in Oxfordshire.
Their first son, William, died as a baby. But their second son, Robert, survived and was baptized in a Protestant church in 1595. When Catesby's father died in 1598, his estates went to his wife. Catesby and his family stayed at Chastleton. After his wife died later that year, Catesby became even more devoted to his Catholic faith.
In 1601, Catesby got involved in the Essex's Rebellion. The leader, the Earl of Essex, might have been trying to gain more power for himself. But Catesby hoped that if Essex succeeded, a Catholic ruler might return to the throne. The rebellion failed, and Catesby was captured and fined a huge amount of money. He had to sell his estate to help pay the fine.
Catesby also helped Jesuit priests, who were Catholic priests in hiding. He sometimes used the fake name Mr. Roberts when visiting them.
The Gunpowder Plot
Why the Plot Started
When King James I took the throne in 1603, Catholics hoped that the harsh treatment they faced would end. King James's mother, Mary, Queen of Scots, had been a strong Catholic. At first, King James seemed open to Catholics.
However, many Protestant rulers in Europe had been attacked. King James soon became less tolerant. He sent away all Jesuit and Catholic priests and started collecting fines from Catholics again. Catesby quickly became frustrated with the new King.
Historians describe Catesby as someone who believed strongly in his cause. He felt that using force was sometimes necessary for his spiritual beliefs. His friends described him as noble, charming, and a strong leader.
How the Plot Began
It's often forgotten that Robert Catesby, not Guy Fawkes, was the one who first thought of the Gunpowder Plot. He likely came up with the idea in early 1604. Around June 1603, his friend Thomas Percy visited him. Percy was angry about King James's actions and even threatened to kill him.
Catesby told Percy that if he was going to be a "traitor," it should be for a big reason. He said he was thinking of a sure way to make a difference. In October, Catesby sent for his cousin Thomas Wintour. Wintour was a lawyer who had fought for England and later became Catholic.
In February 1604, Wintour met Catesby and John Wright. Catesby told them his plan: to kill the King and his government by blowing up "the Parliament House with Gunpowder." He believed that Parliament was where all the harm to Catholics had been done.
Wintour was unsure at first, but Catesby convinced him. Catesby said the situation needed such a strong solution. Wintour then traveled to Europe to seek support for English Catholics. He met Guy Fawkes, a devout English Catholic who had fought for Spain. Wintour told Fawkes about their plan, and in April 1604, they both returned to England.
On Sunday, May 20, 1604, Catesby, Thomas Wintour, John Wright, Thomas Percy, and Guy Fawkes met in London. They swore an oath of secrecy on a prayer book. Then, a Jesuit priest, John Gerard, held a Mass for them.
Later, Robert Keyes joined the group. He was in charge of Catesby's house in Lambeth, where the gunpowder would be stored. Catesby also brought in his servant, Thomas Bates, and later, Thomas Wintour's brother Robert, John Grant, and John Wright's brother Christopher.
More People Join
The opening of Parliament was delayed several times due to the plague. It was finally set for November 5, 1605. Catesby had paid for much of the plot himself and was running out of money.
In August 1605, the plotters decided that Catesby could bring in more people. He soon added Ambrose Rookwood, a wealthy Catholic who owned many fine horses. Rookwood's horses were important for their escape plan. Catesby convinced him to rent a house near the other plotters.
Francis Tresham, Catesby's cousin, joined the plot on October 14. Tresham asked Catesby what support Catholics would get after the King was killed. Catesby firmly replied that it "must needs be done" because of the great need of Catholics. The last person to join was Everard Digby on October 21. Digby was also young and wealthy, with horses. Catesby told him to rent a house near Alcester to help with their plan to kidnap Princess Elizabeth.
The plotters met in London to finalize their plans. Fawkes would light the fuse and escape by boat. An uprising would begin in the Midlands, where Princess Elizabeth would be captured. Fawkes would then go to Europe to explain what had happened to Catholic leaders there.
The Monteagle Letter
Some of the plotters worried about other Catholics who might be hurt in the explosion. On October 26, Lord Monteagle, who was Tresham's brother-in-law, received a secret letter. It warned him not to go to Parliament and said there would be a "terrible blow."
Unsure what it meant, Lord Monteagle gave the letter to the King's chief minister, Robert Cecil. Catesby had planned to go hunting with the King, but Monteagle's servant warned him about the letter. Catesby immediately suspected Tresham. He and Thomas Wintour confronted Tresham, but Tresham convinced them he hadn't written it. The next day, Tresham urged them to stop the plot.
Catesby decided to continue, believing the letter was too vague to be a real threat. As Fawkes made a final check on the gunpowder, other plotters took their positions in the Midlands. Robert Cecil, who already knew something was wrong, waited to see what would happen.
On November 3, Catesby met with Wintour and Percy in London. They might have changed their plan to kidnap Princess Elizabeth. Some accounts say Percy was seen asking about the King's daughter's movements.
Catesby's Death
Late on Monday, November 4, Catesby, John Wright, and Bates left for the Midlands to prepare for the uprising. That night, Guy Fawkes was found guarding the gunpowder in Parliament and arrested.
As news of Fawkes's arrest spread, most of the plotters still in London fled. Catesby's group, not knowing what had happened, stopped when Catesby's horse lost a shoe. When Rookwood caught up and told them about Fawkes's arrest, the group rode toward Dunchurch. They met Digby and his hunting party there and convinced them to continue by saying the King and Robert Cecil were dead.
On November 6, they raided Warwick Castle for supplies and horses. They then went to collect more weapons. Catesby sent Bates with a letter to Father Garnet and other priests, asking for help to raise an army in Wales. The priest begged Catesby and his followers to stop their "wicked actions."
Catesby and the others arrived at Huddington, where they met Thomas Wintour. Their families and friends were scared and did not want to help them.
Back in London, Fawkes began to reveal what he knew. On November 7, the government declared Catesby a wanted man. Early that morning at Huddington, the remaining plotters went to confession, believing they did not have long to live. The group, now only thirty-six people, continued in the rain to Hewell Grange. They took more weapons, ammunition, and money. The local people did not support them.
The group reached Holbeche House around 10:00 p.m. Tired and desperate, they tried to dry some wet gunpowder by the fire. A spark landed on the powder, causing flames that burned Catesby, Rookwood, Grant, and another man.
Catesby was burned but survived. Digby and John Wintour left to surrender. Thomas Bates and Robert Wintour also fled. Only Catesby, Rookwood, the Wright brothers, Percy, and John Grant (who was badly injured) remained. They decided to stay and wait for the King's men. Catesby, feeling close to death, kissed his gold crucifix and said he had given everything for his faith. He refused to be captured and said he would fight with his sword.
On November 8, around 11:00 a.m., the Sheriff of Worcester, Richard Walsh, and 200 men surrounded Holbeche House. Thomas Wintour was shot in the shoulder. John Wright was shot, then his brother, and then Rookwood. Catesby and Percy were both hit by a single shot while standing near the door. Catesby managed to crawl inside the house, where his body was later found holding a picture of the Virgin Mary. These religious items were sent to London to show what had inspired the plotters.
The survivors were arrested. Catesby and Percy's bodies were later dug up and beheaded.
Notable Relatives
The modern actor and producer Kit Harington is a distant relative of Robert Catesby. Kit Harington, along with Ronan Bennett and Daniel West, created a three-part TV show called Gunpowder for the BBC. The show explored his ancestor's role as the leader of the Gunpowder Plot, with Harington playing Catesby himself.
See also
In Spanish: Robert Catesby para niños
