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suits for property owned by her late father. In 1631, she and her husband both filed suit against
Nicholas Bacon, of Gray's Inn, their former friend, who had married Sir John Underhill's niece, and gotten Underhill to sign an agreement for a large dowry and extensive property, including some property of Alice that Sir John did not have rights to, and could only inherit after her death. Their petition to court stated that Bacon had tricked Underhill
389:, when she was only eleven. They were engaged three years, and married 10 May 1606, before Alice turned fourteen, at St Marylebone's Chapel, a suburb to the North of London, with the reception at the Strand estate. She brought an income of ÂŖ220 a year from her father's estate, and expected more after the death of her mother.
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In 1639, Viscountess St Albans and Sir John
Underhill became estranged, and began to live separately. In a later lawsuit, after her death, Underhill blamed Robert Tyrrell, or Turrell, their manservant, for this alienation of affections. In her will of 1642, she left half her property to Turrell, and
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Alice Bacon and her mother
Dorothy were both reported by contemporaries as having extravagant tastes, and being interested in wealth and power. However, early in the marriage, Bacon had money to spare, "pouring jewels in her lap", and spending large sums on decorations. Power was also available, as
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Reports of increasing friction in the marriage appeared, with speculation that some of this may have also been due to financial resources not being as abundantly available to Alice as she was accustomed to in the past. Alice was reportedly interested in fame and fortune, and when reserves of money
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proceedings, lawsuits over property. The first year was over her former husband's estate, trying to get what was left of Bacon's property, without his much greater debts. She was opposed in this by Sir John
Constable, her brother in law, who had held some of the estate in trust. In 1628 she filed
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There is no doubt that Bacon was homosexual. The marriage he contracted at the age of forty-five to Alice, a rich alderman's hatchet-faced daughter, was for transparently mercenary purposes. The marriage was never consummated, and Alice was driven to a life of constant
299:. Alice was the second of a family of daughters, her sisters being Elizabeth, Dorothy, and Bridget; a fifth, Benedicta, died at the age of 16 days. Her father died 4 April 1598, when Alice was not even six, but Alice was apparently a favourite, as his will said:
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The Bacons' early married life was disturbed several times by quarrels between Sir John
Pakington and Dorothy, when Dorothy would appeal to her powerful son-in-law, and Francis Bacon would try to stay out from between them. Once Bacon was even a judge on the
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Their marriage led to no children, and scholars exist who believe it was not even consummated due to Bacon's well-documented homosexuality. In 1620, she met Mr. John
Underhill, and Mr. Nicholas Bacon,
534:"who was an almost totally deaf man, and by reason of the weakness of his eyes and the infirmity in his head, could not read writings of that nature without much pain,"
408:. He was now going to open the door to State offices by his marriage to the "handsome wench" of thirteen, according to his bargain with the King and Cecil.
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for
Yarmouth. His father had been Sheriff before him. Her mother, Dorothy, or Dorothea (d. 1639), was the daughter of Humphrey Ambrose Smith, an important
445:, Bacon's London property. She was rumoured to have had an ongoing affair with Underhill. Underhill was a cousin of the William Underhill who sold
346:, who would become infamous for his depravity. The third sister married Sir John Constable, a friend of Bacon's, and the fourth married Sir
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with
Underhill. He rewrote his will, which had been quite generous to her, leaving her lands, goods, and income, to revoke it all:
460:, was accused of taking bribes, heavily fined, and removed from Parliament and all offices. Lady Bacon personally pleaded with the
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315:. And if it happen that the same Alice doe die and unmarried then I give the same lease to Elizabeth my eldest daughter, etc.
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for the restoration of some of Bacon's salary and pensions, to no effect. They lost York House and left the city in 1622.
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What so ever I have given, granted, conferred, or appointed to my wife in the former part of this my Will, I do now for
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altogether from the public service by his readiness for an engagement with a child of eleven years (Alice
Barnham), a
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The
Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant
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After her father's death, Alice was brought up in the family of Sir John Pakington, who was a great favourite of
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631:, vol. XI (reprint in 6 volumes ed.), Gloucester, UK: Alan Sutton Publishing, pp. 284â285
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The Viscountess St Albans, as she still preferred to be called, spent much of her marriage in
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were no longer available, there was constant complaining about where all the money was going.
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Her mother was also left well off, with legacies of land and plate, and quickly remarried, to
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There is some confusion over the spelling of the title, with the form "St Alban" also used.
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other property to her nephew, Stephen Soames. She was buried in the old Parish Church of
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256:(14 May 1592 â 1650) was the wife of English scientific philosopher and statesman
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For the subject of the painting "Alice Barnham and her sons ..." (c. 1557), see
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In 1625, Bacon became estranged from his wife, apparently believing her of
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I give to my daughter, Alice Barneham, my lease of certain lands at
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in March 1617, along with Francis Bacon being made temporary
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Bacon's letters begin mention of Alice Barnham, 3 July 1603,
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Life of Alice Barnham (1592â1650), Wife of Sir Francis Bacon
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Bacon had saved himself three years previously from being
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on 9 April 1626, Alice, Lady St Albans, married courtier
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an Alderman's daughter, an handsome maiden to my liking
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Her older sister Elizabeth Barnham (1591â1623) married
508:, London, 20 April 1626. Soon after, on 12 July 1626,
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of England, a document was drawn up making Lady Bacon
295:and the official purveyor of silks and velvets to
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378:in 1603. The family's favourite home was in the
132:1650 (aged 57–58); buried 9 July 1650
536:to sign a paper not knowing what it contained.
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584:Mendeleyev's Dream: The Quest for the Elements
622:, London and Edinburgh: Oliphants, Ltd., 1928
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78:Learn how and when to remove this message
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41:This article includes a list of general
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344:Mervyn Tuchet, 2nd Earl of Castlehaven
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366:that hosted royalty, including King
254:Alice Barnham, Viscountess St Albans
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394:Francis Bacon's Personal Life-Story
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47:it lacks sufficient corresponding
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506:Church of St Martin in the Fields
456:In 1621, Bacon, by now styled as
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284:(1591â1592), and Member of the
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268:She was born 14 May 1592, to
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354:Courtship and first marriage
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645:Barnum Family Genealogy
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62:more precise citations.
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432:first lady in the land
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663:English viscountesses
649:Notes and family tree
481:just and great causes
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140:Old Parish Church of
518:Old Gorhambury House
510:Charles I of England
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451:William Shakespeare
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443:York House, Strand
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124:14 May 1592
60:introducing
657:Categories
568:References
309:Chelmsford
120:1592-05-14
43:references
522:St Albans
504:, at the
498:pneumonia
494:fortnight
453:in 1597.
447:New Place
290:Cheapside
238:Parent(s)
529:Chancery
514:Oatlands
473:adultery
406:commoner
372:Scotland
305:Moulsham
278:Alderman
542:Eyworth
364:estates
311:in the
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