He was a descendant of another infamous Catesby, Sir John, the
well-known Minister of Richard the Third, satirised in the distich--
"The _Cat_, the Bat, and Lovel the Dog,
Govern all England under the Hog."
This gentleman fought with his master at Bosworth, and was beheaded
three days after the battle. His son George, who died in 1495-6, was
father of Sir Richard, who died in 1552, and who was succeeded by his
grandson Sir William, then aged six years, having been born at
Barcheston in 1546. He was perverted by Campion in 1580, and developed
into a famous recusant; was cited before the Star Chamber in 1581,
chiefly on the confession of Campion, for being a harbourer of Jesuits
and a hearer of mass; married at Ashby, 9th June 1566, Anne, daughter of
Sir Robert Throckmorton of Coughton, Warwickshire; and died in 1598.
The eldest of his children (four sons and two daughters) was Robert
Catesby, the conspirator, born at Lapworth, Warwickshire, in 1573. At
the age of thirteen--for boys went up to college then at a much earlier
age than now--he matriculated, October 27th, 1586, at Gloucester Hall
(now Worcester College), Oxford, a house "much suspected," many of its
undergraduates being privately Roman Catholics. It was probably during
his residence in Oxford that he became a Protestant; and his change of
religion being evidently of no moral value, he also led a dissipated and
extravagant life. In 1592 he married a Protestant wife, Katherine,
daughter of Sir Thomas Leigh of Stoneleigh Abbey, Warwickshire; she died
before 1602. His talents were considerable, his will inflexible, and he
possessed that singular power of attraction inherent in some persons. A
portrait reputed to be his exists at Brockhall, near Ashby. "He was
very wise," writes Gerard, "and of great judgment, though his utterance
not so good. Besides, he was so liberal and apt to help all sorts, as
it got him much love. He was of person above two yards high, and though
slender, yet as well-proportioned to his height as any man one should
see." Greenway adds that "his countenance was singularly noble and
expressive, his power of influencing others very great."
In 1593, on the death of his grandmother, he came into possession of
Chastleton, near Chipping Norton, county Oxford, where he resided until
1602, when, in consequence of foolishly joining (like many other
Romanists) the insurrection of Lord Essex, he sold Chastleton for 4000
pounds to pay the fine of 3000 pounds imposed on him for treason. He
had in 1598 returned to his original faith, in defence of which he was
thenceforward very zealous. Nine days before the death of Queen
Elizabeth, Catesby, undeterred by his past experiences, and
"hunger-starved for innovations," joined Sir Edward Baynham and the
Wrights in a second plot, for which he suffered imprisonment. The
Gunpowder Plot was his third treasonable venture; and to him principally
is due the inception of this fearful project, though John Wright, and
afterwards Thomas Winter, joined him at a very early stage. Until
Easter, 1605, Catesby himself "bore all the charge" of the mine. During
the summer, he was very busy gathering volunteers, arms, and ammunition,
in the country, ostensibly for the service of the Archduke Albrecht in
Flanders, but in reality for the purpose of creating a general commotion
at the time of the intended explosion. About September, 1605, he met
Percy at Bath, when they agreed to take into the plot two or three
moneyed men, as their own means were fast failing. These were Digby and
Tresham; Robert Winter, Rookwood, and Grant followed a little later.
Catesby, however, never ceased to regret the admission of Tresham. (See
Tresham.) In London he had three lodgings: a chamber in Percy's house
in Holborn; apartments in the house of William Patrick, tailor, at the
"Herishe Boy" in the Strand; and also "in the house of one Powell, at
Paddle Wharf."
On the 26th of October, Catesby dined at the "Mighter" in Bread Street,
with Lord Mordaunt, Sir Josceline Percy, and others; the last-named was
a brother of Lord Northumberland, and a frequent visitor of Catesby.
After this he met his servant William Pettye, "in a field called the
common garden in London, by druerye lane." The story of the flight to
Holbeach is given in the tale, and embraces many little details not
before in print. Catesby was only thirty-three years of age at death.
He left two sons, William and Robert, the latter of whom was with his
father in London when the plot was discovered; they were subsequently
sent in Mrs Rookwood's coach, under charge of a lady not named, to
their grandmother at Ashby. Robert alone lived to grow up, and married
one of Percy's daughters; but he left _no_ issue. "His posterity was
cut off; and in the generation following, their name was blotted out."