THEORY OF RELATEEVEETY - THE BUTLER AND THE BURGLAR

"Out of the night comes a man who saves lives at the risk of his own. 

Once a circus performer, an aerialist who refused the net. 

Once a cat burglar, a master among jewel thieves. 

Now a professional bodyguard. 

Primitive... savage... in love with danger. 

The Cat!"

From Wikipedia:

This was the intro of a series that was, for a variety of reasons, truly ahead of its time. It had a hero who was a reformed thief, having spent an unspecified term in prison, and of Gypsy heritage. In the mold of famed private-eye Peter Gunn and the waterfront bar 'Mother's', Cat operated out of the 'Casa Del Gato' (House Of The Cat) in San Francisco, of which he was part owner.

Thomas Hewitt Edward Cat may have had gypsy blood, but not all of his ancestors were Romani.  On his mother's side T.H.E. Cat was descended from an English valet named Edward Hewitt.  

In the late 1870s, Hewitt found himself in California where he amassed a staggering gambling debt.  This brought him into contact with Victoria Barkley and after the advenure which brought them together, she invited him to be her guest on the ranch.  (It was suggested that eventually Mr. Hewitt would start a new career in the culinary arts.)

Although it looked as though Victoria and Hewitt might one day become more than friends, I think the old reprobate from England instead fell for a woman many years his junior.  And she gave birth to the children who would continue his family tree.

And I think a grand-daughter or great grand-daughter would be the one to have married a Romany traveler (and was probably shunned by her family because of it.)  She may have married the grandson of big game hunter, criminal, and circus owner Warren Trevor. (I would think "Warren Trevor" to be an obvious alias - to hide his Romani orgins, perhaps?  His son may have changed the family name back to Gato, hence the "Cat" of future generations.....)

But this great grand-daughter would have kept her connection to her family alive with the naming of her own son - Thomas Hewitt Edward.  And Edward Hewitt would have been the lad's great-great-grandfather.....

So endeth another theory of relateeveety.

SHOWS CITED: 

'T.H.E. Cat'
'The Big Valley' - "Danger Road"
'The Wild, Wild West' - "The Night Of Sudden Death"

BCnU!