Robert Catesby

Robert Catesby was an English Catholic conspirator known for leading the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, an attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament and kill King James I. Frustrated by the persecution of Catholics, Catesby and his group aimed to restore Catholic rule in England. They secretly filled the basement of Parliament with explosives but were betrayed before they could carry out their plan. The plot ultimately failed, leading to severe reprisals against Catholics. Catesby was killed in a standoff with authorities, and the plot remains a significant event in British history, remembered each year on Bonfire Night.