Robert Keyes | |
|---|---|
_by_Claes_(Nicolaes)_Jansz_Visscher.jpg) Print of the execution of the conspirators in January 1606 | |
| Born | c. 1565 |
| Died | 31 January 1606 (aged 40–41) |
| Spouse | Christina |
| Motive | Gunpowder plot, a conspiracy to assassinate King James VI & I and members of the Houses of Parliament |
| Conviction(s) | High treason |
| Criminal penalty | Hanged, drawn and quartered |
| Role | Guarding the explosives |
| Enlisted | October 1604 |
Robert Keyes (1565–1606) was a member of the group of provincial English Catholics who planned the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605, a conspiracy to assassinate King James I by blowing up the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament on 5 November 1605. He was the sixth man to join the plot.
Unlike several other conspirators Keyes was not a particularly wealthy man. He was trusted by Robert Catesby, the plot's author, with guarding the explosives stored at the latter's lodgings in London. When the plot was uncovered he fled the city, and was captured several days later in Warwickshire. He was tried with his co-conspirators, found guilty, and in January 1606 hanged, drawn and quartered.