Father Oswald Tesimond claimed that Keyes had "tasted persecution himself, having lost his goods because of it" while historian and author Cyril Northcote Parkinson's image of him was of a "desperate man, ruined and indebted". Tall, with a red beard, despite his relative poverty Catesby declared him "a trusty honest man", and may have paid him for his services.
Father Oswald Tesimond stated that Keyes had "suffered persecution personally, losing his belongings because of it" while historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson's image of him was of a "desperate man, financially ruined and in debt". Catesby, despite poverty, considered him "a trustworthy honest person", possibly even paying him for his services.