She was the daughter of Isabel and Anthony Catesby of Whiston where her father had paid for the local church.

[1] The Eythorpe mansion was extended in 1610 by Dorothy Pelham, (One source says Sir William Dormer[2]) this was her house from her first marriage.

Her second husband William Pelham styled himself as "from Eythorpe", but this was more true of Dorothy who had her own financial independence.

[1] The burial register records her death of 30 September 1613 where she is described as "The Good Lady Dame Dorothe Pelham".

She left money to repair the roads not just on her home estate but in the nearby towns of Aylesbury, Leighton Buzzard, High Wycombe and in nearly every parish where she owned the manor.