Sir John Catesby

Sir John Catesby (1433-1486) was the son of Edward Catesby and grandson of John Catesby of Ashby St Leger. In1481 he was made Third Justice of the Court of Common Pleas. He served continuously from the reign of Edward IV to that of Henry VII, although the latter delayed his appointment for a month because he was first cousin of William Catesby, principal councillor of Richard III.  On the death of Richard Neele in 1486, Sir John he became Second Justice of the Common Pleas but died later that year.

William Catesby was executed after the Battle of Bosworth field and his estates, including Ashby St Leger, were confiscated. Ashby St. Leger was later restored to William's son, George, and remained in the Catesby family until 1605, when it was again confiscated by the crown because Robert Catesby, son of the then-owner, was the leader of the Gunpowder Plot to kill James I, and it was at Ashby St. Leger that much of the plot was hatched. The Catesby’s were deeply involved in the plot. Wilburga Catesby, wife of Sir Richard Weston, was the great aunt of Francis Tresham, another central member of the plot. (see The Caves for the complicated family connections