wˈɪljəmz fˈɑːðɚ ænd hɪz ˈʌŋkəl, tʃˈɑːɹlz pˈæɡɪt wɜː bˈoʊθ dɪvˈaʊt kˈæθlɪks, ænd wʊd nˌɑːt kənfˈɔːɹm tə ðə pɹˈɑːɾɪstənt ɹᵻlˈɪdʒən ʌv kwˈiːn ᵻlˈɪzəbəθ ˈaɪ. tˈɑːməs pˈæɡɪt flˈɛd tə pˈæɹɪs ɔnðɪ ʌŋkˈʌvɚɹɪŋ ʌvðə θɹˈɑːkmɔːɹtən plˈɑːt ɪn noʊvˈɛmbɚ wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd fˈaɪvhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi θɹˈiː, dʒˈɔɪnɪŋ hɪz bɹˈʌðɚ hˌuː hɐdbɪn ɪn ˈɛɡzaɪl ðɛɹ sˈɪns wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd fˈaɪvhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi wˈʌn.
William's father and his uncle, Charles Paget were both devout Catholics, and would not conform to the Protestant religion of Queen Elizabeth I. Thomas Paget fled to Paris on the uncovering of the Throckmorton Plot in November 1583, joining his brother who had been in exile there since 1581.