Alton Towers, Sir Francis Bacon and the Rosicrucians
Laura recently suggested within another thread Death of Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh at 99 years of age. that I should set up a separate thread for ‘Alton Towers’. So here it is.
I have set out below for everyone’s benefit all the relevant quotes in the transcripts I could find relating to Alton Towers and Sir Francis Bacon:
Session June 7, 1997
Q: Now, I notice that the Celtic name for the town of St. Albans is Verulamium, and that is where Henry Percy, son of Hotspur, was killed in battle. I also notice that Sir Francis Bacon was Lord Verulam, and he was thought to be not only a Rosicrucian, but also the author of the Shakespearean plays, as well as some of the Rosicrucian manifestos...
A: Check out Alton Towers, for clues.
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Q: You guys are TOO MUCH! Next: Cayce remarked in one of his vague dissertations - and for those who accuse the C's of being vague, they ought to read Cayce, since he was a MASTER of vague! He could talk for pages and say NOTHING! - anyway he said that there were a lot of Atlanteans incarnating between the years 1909 and 1930. He described them as having strong minds and emotions as well as an 'engorgement' of carnal influences, self-indulgence and high technical ability. He also warned that there was the possibility repeating the errors of the past. Now, these are the people who have set up the world as we have it today. My question is: are we facing a replay of the Atlantean situation, in karmic terms?
A: Well, these cycles do replay from an energy standpoint, but there is always the opportunity to learn and thusly, to advance. Was not his proclamation for those born between 1909 and 1930?? And, if so, what is the significance of when it was delivered, if the orientation was one of the "present" tense?
Q: So, it was possible that he was referring to the Hitler, WWII situation.
A: Or just not referring to those of a later "date" because it was not germaine? {Seems to be a deliberate misspelling of “germane”)
Q: Okay. Who are the 'philosophers of Dancar?'
A: Philosophers who ride around in Dan's car.
Q: That was a serious question! Where and what is Dancar?
A: Why do you suppose the response was light hearted?
Q: Well, come on! What is Dan's car?
A: We ask you to define as best you can.
Q: A 'car' belonging to Dan. The subject was talked about in the 18th century.
A: Yes.
Q: To what place were they referring when they talked about Dancar?
A: British.
Q: Why would they call it Dancar?
A: Locator.
Q: There is no place called Dancar.
A: No?
Q: Supposedly, Christian Rosencruetz was initiated by the 'philosophers of Dancar.' I want to know where this blasted place is! Okay, skip it. One of the Rosicrucian manifestos said: 'God has sent messengers and signs in the heavens, namely the new stars in Serpentarius and Cygnus, to show that a great council of the elect is to take place.' What do they mean by a 'great council of the elect?'
A: Pyrenees.
Q: Okay, the purported enclave of the alchemists... Why was it signified by new stars in Serpentarius and Cygnus? What do they represent?
A: Novae.
Session 28 June 1997:
Q: Okay, you also suggested that I research Alton Towers. I did. All I could find was that Alton Towers is, for God's sake, an amusement park! It is the DisneyWorld of England! What am I gonna find at Alton Towers?
A: Look into this
********************************
Q: Well, Cecil was the fellow who kidnapped me. And, when he was arrested, the Navy came and took him away saying he was "incompetent to stand trial" because he had "escaped from a Navy hospital." And that essentially ended any hope of finding out where I was taken or why. I just don't see. How does this relate to St. Augustine, the Canaries, to Oak Island - all of this? What are we doing here?
A: St. Albans.
Q: And there is more! My God! We aren't happy with Mary Magdalene and St. Augustine, and St. Anthony! Now we also have St. Albans! Of course I know that it is the place where there was a battle and one of the Percy's was killed there. It was also called Verulamian in the Celtic days, and Francis Bacon was Lord Verulam and some suspect that he was the son of Elizabeth I. But, there are only so many hours in the day, guys! I need some help here! I was hoping that I would be getting some help with the research...
Session 12 July 1997:
A: Well? And crop circles? Amazing connections... And what of "The Rosy Cross?"
Q: Well, this is what we are looking at! I have even discovered that Sir Francis Bacon's name is even derived from "beech," and that his Latin signature has the gematria number of 17 - and January 17 is the feast day of St. Anthony, who replaced St. Augustine in this affair somewhat... and I have connected the Rosicrucians all over the blasted planet, for crying out loud! And, who is who here? Just who are the good guys?
Session 19 July 1997:
Q: Well, no. Well, is this reference to Alton Towers that Ark found on the internet, about psychic projectors. That was the only unusual thing we have found about this. Are we talking about some sort of place where they have rotating shifts of psychic projectors?
A: As you know... fiction is often the guise for the deliverance of the deepest of truths. And, on that note, good night.
**********************************
On the surface these clues seem very cryptic indeed. However, when you start to drill deeper, clues do start to emerge.
If you do a Google search you will find that ‘Alton Towers’ is a modern day theme park located near the village of Alton in the English county of Staffordshire. The estate that would become Alton Towers was first developed by John Talbot, the 16th Earl of Shrewsbury in 1801. It did not become a theme park until the 1950’s.
John Talbot, 16th Earl of Shrewsbury - Wikipedia
History of Alton Towers - Wikipedia
Hence, Alton Towers itself is probably not the place that the C’s suggested was linked with Sir Francis Bacon and the Philosphers of Dancar, as it did not exist in either the 17th or 18th centuries.
However, the land on which Aton Towers now stands was formerly part of the grounds of Alton Castle and here things start to warm up.
en.wikipedia.org
From 1442, the castle had been in the possession of the Earls of Shrewsbury, who from the beginning of the 19th-century made their home at nearby Alton Towers. It is with the Earls of Shrewsbury that the links with Sir Francis Bacon and Rosicrucianism start to appear.
The original Norman castle at Alton was destroyed during the English Civil War (1642-51). In the 17th century, the former castle was redeveloped as a hunting lodge known as Alerton (or Alverton), which is the ancient name for Alton. The three-storey structure reused one of the castle's former towers, which remains part of the present-day building. The lodge was split into two properties, one of which was rented by a tenant. The other half was used by the Talbots (the Earls of Shrewsbury) as a summer residence.
The Earls of Shrewsbury were very influential and powerful personages throughout the 16th to the 18th centuries and held many high offices of state during this period. For example, the Sixth Earl was entrusted with the custody of Mary Queen of Scots and also served as Earl Marshal of England from 1572 to 1590. However, it is with Gilbert Talbot, his son from his first marriage to Lady Gertrude Manners who succeeded him as the 7th Earl of Shrewsbury, where the links with Sir Francis Bacon start.
Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury - Wikipedia
In 1592, he was created a Knight of the Garter, but feuded with his former friend John Stanhope when John's brother got the post of Earl Marshal of England, which Gilbert had assumed would be his.
In 1568, Gilbert married Mary Cavendish, daughter of his stepmother, Bess of Hardwick. He appears to have been a highly quarrelsome individual, feuding with not only his stepmother but his brother and other family members, his tenants, and even Queen Elizabeth I herself. He was overshadowed by his formidable wife. It appears that Sir Francis Bacon did not have a high opinion of him because he once remarked that “while Lord Shrewsbury was no doubt a great man, there was one greater than he, his wife.”
As well as bringing up their three daughters, Gilbert and Mary Talbot spent a good deal of time with their orphaned niece, Arbella Stuart. The downfall of Arbella, who as the closest relative of King James I had greatly offended him by marrying her cousin William Seymour without his consent, had serious consequences for Gilbert and Mary: Mary, who had aided the marriage, went to the Tower of London as a result, and Gilbert lost his seat on the Privy Council.
However, it is through Gilbert and Mary’s youngest daughter, Alethea (1585-1654), that Bacon’s links become more apparent.
Alethea Howard, Countess of Arundel - Wikipedia
In September, 1606, she married Thomas Howard, the 14th Earl of Arundel with whom she had six children. Alethea was a famous patron and art collector and one of England's first published female scientists*, which fact might be significant given the Rosicrucian influence within the ‘Invisible College’ that would lead eventually to the establishment of the Royal Society under King Charles II. Also of note in her biography is the fact that she and her husband accompanied the Elector Palatine Frederick V and his bride Princess Elizabeth Stuart to Heidelberg on their marriage in 1613.
* Gilbert Talbot was also a noted patron of early science, and Alethea was the author of one of the earliest printed books of technical and scientific material in England to be attributed to a woman.
Frederick V of the Palatinate - Wikipedia
The marriage was celebrated in John Donne's poetic masterpiece Epithalamion, or Mariage Song on the Lady Elizabeth, and Count Palatine being married on St. Valentines Day. Shortly before the ceremony, Frederick was inducted into the order of the Garter and he wore the Order's chain during the wedding ceremony. Elaborate celebrations, organised by Sir Francis Bacon, followed the ceremony; these included a performance of The Masque of the Inner Temple and Gray's Inn by Francis Beaumont and The Memorable Masque of the Middle Temple and Lincoln's Inn by George Chapman. I suspect many of these writers were part of Bacon’s circle and may have been fellow Rosicrucians.
Frederick V reigned as King of Bohemia from 1619 to 1620. He was forced to abdicate both roles, and the brevity of his reign in Bohemia earned him the derisive sobriquet "the Winter King". His daughter Princess Sophia was eventually named heiress presumptive to the British Throne, and is the founder of the Hanoverian line of kings. This fact, therefore, has huge significance to the fate of the Stuart dynasty and the eventual usurpation of the throne by the Hanoverians and shall also be linked with the events surrounding the life of the 1st Duke of Shrewsbury, who would play a major role in helping to bring the Hanoverian dynasty to power (see more on him below). It should also be pointed out that Bohemia was a hot bed of hermeticism and it drew many alchemists to it over the years, including Dr. John Dee, the Elizabethan magus and courtier. This fact has major significance for Bacon and the Rosicrucians, given that Dee was one of Bacon’s mentors at Elizabeth I’s court.
Thomas Howard (7 July 1585 – 4 October 1646), Mary’s husband also rose to great prominence in the 17th century. Arundel was an effective diplomat during the reign of James I. After coming to court, he travelled abroad, acquiring his taste for art.
Thomas Howard, 14th Earl of Arundel - Wikipedia
He was created Knight of the Garter in 1611. He supported Sir Walter Raleigh's expedition to Guiana in 1617 and became a member of the New England Plantations Committee in 1620. This fact may be significant when one considers Bacon’s book ‘The New Atlantis’, which may have served as an inspiration or blueprint for the eventual creation of what would become the United States of America.
Arundel presided over the House of Lords Committee in April 1621 for investigating the corruption charges against Sir Francis Bacon, whom he defended from degradation from the peerage, and at whose fall he was appointed a Commissioner of the Great Seal.
Arundel was appointed Lord Steward of the royal household in April 1640. On 29 August 1621 Arundel was appointed Earl Marshal and in 1623 became Constable of England. Thus, he was unquestionably a heavy hitter in the High Society of 17th century England.
One should also note that Sir Francis Bacon died of pneumonia on the 9 April 1626 (Easter Sunday) while at the Earl of Arundel's house in Highgate, near London. William Rawley, Bacon's personal secretary and chaplain wrote of his demise: “Being unwittingly on his deathbed, the philosopher dictated his last letter to his absent host and friend Lord Arundel.
I can find no evidence that Bacon ever visited Alton Castle, It is not beyond the realms of possibility but his relationship with Alethea Howard seems to have been a lot closer than his relationship with her father, Gilbert Talbot.
Bacon was buried in St Michael's church in St Albans.
****************************************
Bacon died well before the start of the 18th century. Hence, the quote the C’s made about:
Q: A 'car' belonging to Dan. The subject was talked about in the 18th century,
could not apply directly to Bacon. However, I have found a link with the Talbots, the Earls of Shrewsbury, which may be useful here, particularly in connection with the usurpation of the royal bloodlines and the possible role the English Freemasons and Rosicrucians played in this coup d’etat.
Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury (24 July 1660 – 1 February 1718)
Charles Talbot, was an English politician who was part of the Immortal Seven group that invited William III, Prince of Orange, to depose James II as English monarch during the so called ‘Glorious Revolution’. As the Duke of Shrewsbury, he was one of the greatest noblemen of the reign of Queen Anne.
With the accession in 1685 of James II, Shrewsbury was appointed a captain in order to defeat the Monmouth rebellion, although he resigned his commission in 1687 after refusing to bow to pressure from James to convert back to the Catholic faith. Making contact with William of Orange, Shrewsbury's home* became a meeting place for the opposition to James II and Shrewsbury was one of seven English statesmen to sign the invitation to William to invade England in June 1688. Shrewsbury was influential in the making of the Revolution Settlement, arguing strongly in favour of recognising William and Mary as sovereigns.
*Though the Talbot family still owned Alton Castle, it had by this time become a ruin due to its destruction in the English Civil War. It would only be rebuilt in the early 19th century. Hence, I don’t think it could have been the meeting place of the ‘Philosophers of Dancar’. But then, who knows?
Shrewsbury became Secretary of State for the Southern Department in the first administration of William and Mary, succeeding his uncle the Earl of Middleton, but resigned from William's government in 1690 due to ill-health and his opposition to the dissolution of Parliament and the dropping of the Bill that would have required an oath abjuring James as King.
There is evidence that as early as 1690, when Shrewsbury had resigned, he had made overtures to the Jacobites and was in correspondence with James II at his court in exile at Saint Germains* in France as a prelude to a possible Stuart restoration, though it has been stated on the other hand that these relations were entered upon with William's full connivance, for reasons of policy. Others aver that Shrewsbury himself was unaware of the King's knowledge and toleration, which would explain the terrified letters he was in the habit of penning to him.
*I wonder if this explains the cryptic remark the C’s made in the session of 7 June 1997:
“A: Or just not referring to those of a later "date" because it was not germaine.”
Saint-Germain-en-Laye - Wikipedia
Whether this was because Talbot had had second thoughts about William III does not really come out but it strikes me as very strange that this man should suddenly do a ‘flip flop’ over the Stuarts, when he more than anyone seems to have been the major force in driving James Stuart from his throne.
However this may be, William affected to have no suspicion of Shrewsbury's loyalty, although often presented with evidence against him. On 30 April 1694, Shrewsbury was created Marquess of Alton and Duke of Shrewsbury, and he acted as one of the regents during the King's absence from England in the two following years.
On the accession of Queen Anne, the Whig leaders made an ineffectual attempt to persuade Shrewsbury to return to office. He returned at last to England on 30 December 1705, and took his seat in the House of Lord in January 1706. He gradually became alienated from his old political associates, and in 1710 he accepted the post of Lord Chamberlain in the Tory administration, to which the Queen appointed him without the knowledge of Sidney Godolphin and the Duke of Marlborough; his wife was at the same time made a Lady of the Queen’s Bedchamber.
On 29 July 1714, when Queen Anne was dying, the Earl of Oxford received his long-delayed dismissal from the office of Lord Treasurer. On 30 July, Shrewsbury and other ministers assembled at Kensington Palace and, being admitted to the queen's bedchamber, Viscount Bolingbroke (who would subsequently support the Jacobite rebellion of 1715) recommended the appointment of Shrewsbury to the vacant treasurership; Anne at once placed the staff of that high office in the Duke's hands.
Thus, when the Queen died on 1 August 1714, Shrewsbury was in a position of supreme power with reference to the momentous question of the succession to the crown. He threw his influence into the scale in favour of the Elector of Hanover, and was powerfully influential in bringing about the peaceful accession of George I, and in defeating the design of the Jacobites to place the son of James II (the ‘Old Pretender’) on the throne.
Shrewsbury left no children, and at his death the dukedom became extinct, the earldom of Shrewsbury passing to his cousin Gilbert Talbot. Gilbert was a Roman Catholic priest living abroad and on his death in 1744 the titles and estates devolved on his brother George.
This will then bring us back full circle to Charles Talbot, the 15th Earl of Shrewsbury, who started the development that became Alton Towers in the early 19th century.
John Talbot, 16th Earl of Shrewsbury
After the 15th Earl of Shrewsbury died in 1827, he was succeeded by his nephew John Talbot, 16th Earl of Shrewsbury, who completed the gardens and house started by his uncle.
In addition to the building work at Alton Towers, John set about rebuilding nearby Alton Castle. The castle occupies a rocky precipice above the River Churnet on the outskirts of the village of Alton in Staffordshire. John had most of the ruins demolished, engaging the celebrated architect Augustus Pugin to design a new gothic-revival castle, which was designed to look like a medieval castle built by English crusaders of the Knights of the Teutonic Order in Germany. Towards the end of the castle's construction, the earl suggested the castle could be a home for priests, but Pugin was "vehemently against the idea.
Most of the 12th-century ruins were demolished to make way for the new building Adjacent to Alton Castle, John had a new church constructed alongside a "replica of a medieval hospital, a guildhall and presbytery"; this was again to the designs of Augustus Pugin. The Earl's friend, Ambrose Philips, convinced him to construct a monastery: this idea developed into the hospital complex that was built, as John felt it "could do more good for the community" than a monastery. The "hospital" served as a "humanitarian almshouse", providing for the poor and elderly of the parish. The buildings also provided lodgings for poor and elderly priests, with an attached library and dining room. The church, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, was also used as a school for local poor children.
You will see that I have highlighted certain sections above. I have done this in order to suggest that John Talbot may have been influenced by Knights Templar or Knights Hospitaller principles. St. John the Baptist was certainly a saint the Knights Templar revered and both these religious military orders were required to practice charity as part of their rule, hence perhaps the reason for the almshouse. It was a tenet of Rosicrucianism, as extolled by Bacon, to practice charity, as do the Freemasons. I have not been able to establish though whether John Talbot was a Rosicrucian or a Freemason.
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Although this account does not solve all the clues given to us by the C’s, it does establish links, I think, with some of the matters that were discussed in the relevant sessions I quoted at the start of this thread.
Much of what was said in those sessions seems to link with the Rosicrucians and Freemasons for whom Sir Francis Bacon was a major player. Hence, I aim to add further material on him and his associates when time permits.
In the meantime, the quote the C’s made in the following extract from the 19 July 1997 session makes more sense to me now:
Q: Well, no. Well, is this reference to Alton Towers that Ark found on the internet, about psychic projectors. That was the only unusual thing we have found about this. Are we talking about some sort of place where they have rotating shifts of psychic projectors?
A: As you know... fiction is often the guise for the deliverance of the deepest of truths. And, on that note, good night.
It has always been the practice of the Rosicrucians to disclose deep truths through literature and plays. Francis Bacon was a master of this. This practice or tradition has been carried on by later generations of Rosicrucians such as Lewis Carroll and Edward Bulwer-Lytton, who I have previously written about in the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers thread.
Laura recently suggested within another thread Death of Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh at 99 years of age. that I should set up a separate thread for ‘Alton Towers’. So here it is.
I have set out below for everyone’s benefit all the relevant quotes in the transcripts I could find relating to Alton Towers and Sir Francis Bacon:
Session June 7, 1997
Q: Now, I notice that the Celtic name for the town of St. Albans is Verulamium, and that is where Henry Percy, son of Hotspur, was killed in battle. I also notice that Sir Francis Bacon was Lord Verulam, and he was thought to be not only a Rosicrucian, but also the author of the Shakespearean plays, as well as some of the Rosicrucian manifestos...
A: Check out Alton Towers, for clues.
****************************
Q: You guys are TOO MUCH! Next: Cayce remarked in one of his vague dissertations - and for those who accuse the C's of being vague, they ought to read Cayce, since he was a MASTER of vague! He could talk for pages and say NOTHING! - anyway he said that there were a lot of Atlanteans incarnating between the years 1909 and 1930. He described them as having strong minds and emotions as well as an 'engorgement' of carnal influences, self-indulgence and high technical ability. He also warned that there was the possibility repeating the errors of the past. Now, these are the people who have set up the world as we have it today. My question is: are we facing a replay of the Atlantean situation, in karmic terms?
A: Well, these cycles do replay from an energy standpoint, but there is always the opportunity to learn and thusly, to advance. Was not his proclamation for those born between 1909 and 1930?? And, if so, what is the significance of when it was delivered, if the orientation was one of the "present" tense?
Q: So, it was possible that he was referring to the Hitler, WWII situation.
A: Or just not referring to those of a later "date" because it was not germaine? {Seems to be a deliberate misspelling of “germane”)
Q: Okay. Who are the 'philosophers of Dancar?'
A: Philosophers who ride around in Dan's car.
Q: That was a serious question! Where and what is Dancar?
A: Why do you suppose the response was light hearted?
Q: Well, come on! What is Dan's car?
A: We ask you to define as best you can.
Q: A 'car' belonging to Dan. The subject was talked about in the 18th century.
A: Yes.
Q: To what place were they referring when they talked about Dancar?
A: British.
Q: Why would they call it Dancar?
A: Locator.
Q: There is no place called Dancar.
A: No?
Q: Supposedly, Christian Rosencruetz was initiated by the 'philosophers of Dancar.' I want to know where this blasted place is! Okay, skip it. One of the Rosicrucian manifestos said: 'God has sent messengers and signs in the heavens, namely the new stars in Serpentarius and Cygnus, to show that a great council of the elect is to take place.' What do they mean by a 'great council of the elect?'
A: Pyrenees.
Q: Okay, the purported enclave of the alchemists... Why was it signified by new stars in Serpentarius and Cygnus? What do they represent?
A: Novae.
Session 28 June 1997:
Q: Okay, you also suggested that I research Alton Towers. I did. All I could find was that Alton Towers is, for God's sake, an amusement park! It is the DisneyWorld of England! What am I gonna find at Alton Towers?
A: Look into this
********************************
Q: Well, Cecil was the fellow who kidnapped me. And, when he was arrested, the Navy came and took him away saying he was "incompetent to stand trial" because he had "escaped from a Navy hospital." And that essentially ended any hope of finding out where I was taken or why. I just don't see. How does this relate to St. Augustine, the Canaries, to Oak Island - all of this? What are we doing here?
A: St. Albans.
Q: And there is more! My God! We aren't happy with Mary Magdalene and St. Augustine, and St. Anthony! Now we also have St. Albans! Of course I know that it is the place where there was a battle and one of the Percy's was killed there. It was also called Verulamian in the Celtic days, and Francis Bacon was Lord Verulam and some suspect that he was the son of Elizabeth I. But, there are only so many hours in the day, guys! I need some help here! I was hoping that I would be getting some help with the research...
Session 12 July 1997:
A: Well? And crop circles? Amazing connections... And what of "The Rosy Cross?"
Q: Well, this is what we are looking at! I have even discovered that Sir Francis Bacon's name is even derived from "beech," and that his Latin signature has the gematria number of 17 - and January 17 is the feast day of St. Anthony, who replaced St. Augustine in this affair somewhat... and I have connected the Rosicrucians all over the blasted planet, for crying out loud! And, who is who here? Just who are the good guys?
Session 19 July 1997:
Q: Well, no. Well, is this reference to Alton Towers that Ark found on the internet, about psychic projectors. That was the only unusual thing we have found about this. Are we talking about some sort of place where they have rotating shifts of psychic projectors?
A: As you know... fiction is often the guise for the deliverance of the deepest of truths. And, on that note, good night.
**********************************
On the surface these clues seem very cryptic indeed. However, when you start to drill deeper, clues do start to emerge.
If you do a Google search you will find that ‘Alton Towers’ is a modern day theme park located near the village of Alton in the English county of Staffordshire. The estate that would become Alton Towers was first developed by John Talbot, the 16th Earl of Shrewsbury in 1801. It did not become a theme park until the 1950’s.
John Talbot, 16th Earl of Shrewsbury - Wikipedia
History of Alton Towers - Wikipedia
Hence, Alton Towers itself is probably not the place that the C’s suggested was linked with Sir Francis Bacon and the Philosphers of Dancar, as it did not exist in either the 17th or 18th centuries.
However, the land on which Aton Towers now stands was formerly part of the grounds of Alton Castle and here things start to warm up.
Alton Castle - Wikipedia
From 1442, the castle had been in the possession of the Earls of Shrewsbury, who from the beginning of the 19th-century made their home at nearby Alton Towers. It is with the Earls of Shrewsbury that the links with Sir Francis Bacon and Rosicrucianism start to appear.
The original Norman castle at Alton was destroyed during the English Civil War (1642-51). In the 17th century, the former castle was redeveloped as a hunting lodge known as Alerton (or Alverton), which is the ancient name for Alton. The three-storey structure reused one of the castle's former towers, which remains part of the present-day building. The lodge was split into two properties, one of which was rented by a tenant. The other half was used by the Talbots (the Earls of Shrewsbury) as a summer residence.
The Earls of Shrewsbury were very influential and powerful personages throughout the 16th to the 18th centuries and held many high offices of state during this period. For example, the Sixth Earl was entrusted with the custody of Mary Queen of Scots and also served as Earl Marshal of England from 1572 to 1590. However, it is with Gilbert Talbot, his son from his first marriage to Lady Gertrude Manners who succeeded him as the 7th Earl of Shrewsbury, where the links with Sir Francis Bacon start.
Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury - Wikipedia
In 1592, he was created a Knight of the Garter, but feuded with his former friend John Stanhope when John's brother got the post of Earl Marshal of England, which Gilbert had assumed would be his.
In 1568, Gilbert married Mary Cavendish, daughter of his stepmother, Bess of Hardwick. He appears to have been a highly quarrelsome individual, feuding with not only his stepmother but his brother and other family members, his tenants, and even Queen Elizabeth I herself. He was overshadowed by his formidable wife. It appears that Sir Francis Bacon did not have a high opinion of him because he once remarked that “while Lord Shrewsbury was no doubt a great man, there was one greater than he, his wife.”
As well as bringing up their three daughters, Gilbert and Mary Talbot spent a good deal of time with their orphaned niece, Arbella Stuart. The downfall of Arbella, who as the closest relative of King James I had greatly offended him by marrying her cousin William Seymour without his consent, had serious consequences for Gilbert and Mary: Mary, who had aided the marriage, went to the Tower of London as a result, and Gilbert lost his seat on the Privy Council.
However, it is through Gilbert and Mary’s youngest daughter, Alethea (1585-1654), that Bacon’s links become more apparent.
Alethea Howard, Countess of Arundel - Wikipedia
In September, 1606, she married Thomas Howard, the 14th Earl of Arundel with whom she had six children. Alethea was a famous patron and art collector and one of England's first published female scientists*, which fact might be significant given the Rosicrucian influence within the ‘Invisible College’ that would lead eventually to the establishment of the Royal Society under King Charles II. Also of note in her biography is the fact that she and her husband accompanied the Elector Palatine Frederick V and his bride Princess Elizabeth Stuart to Heidelberg on their marriage in 1613.
* Gilbert Talbot was also a noted patron of early science, and Alethea was the author of one of the earliest printed books of technical and scientific material in England to be attributed to a woman.
Frederick V of the Palatinate - Wikipedia
The marriage was celebrated in John Donne's poetic masterpiece Epithalamion, or Mariage Song on the Lady Elizabeth, and Count Palatine being married on St. Valentines Day. Shortly before the ceremony, Frederick was inducted into the order of the Garter and he wore the Order's chain during the wedding ceremony. Elaborate celebrations, organised by Sir Francis Bacon, followed the ceremony; these included a performance of The Masque of the Inner Temple and Gray's Inn by Francis Beaumont and The Memorable Masque of the Middle Temple and Lincoln's Inn by George Chapman. I suspect many of these writers were part of Bacon’s circle and may have been fellow Rosicrucians.
Frederick V reigned as King of Bohemia from 1619 to 1620. He was forced to abdicate both roles, and the brevity of his reign in Bohemia earned him the derisive sobriquet "the Winter King". His daughter Princess Sophia was eventually named heiress presumptive to the British Throne, and is the founder of the Hanoverian line of kings. This fact, therefore, has huge significance to the fate of the Stuart dynasty and the eventual usurpation of the throne by the Hanoverians and shall also be linked with the events surrounding the life of the 1st Duke of Shrewsbury, who would play a major role in helping to bring the Hanoverian dynasty to power (see more on him below). It should also be pointed out that Bohemia was a hot bed of hermeticism and it drew many alchemists to it over the years, including Dr. John Dee, the Elizabethan magus and courtier. This fact has major significance for Bacon and the Rosicrucians, given that Dee was one of Bacon’s mentors at Elizabeth I’s court.
Thomas Howard (7 July 1585 – 4 October 1646), Mary’s husband also rose to great prominence in the 17th century. Arundel was an effective diplomat during the reign of James I. After coming to court, he travelled abroad, acquiring his taste for art.
Thomas Howard, 14th Earl of Arundel - Wikipedia
He was created Knight of the Garter in 1611. He supported Sir Walter Raleigh's expedition to Guiana in 1617 and became a member of the New England Plantations Committee in 1620. This fact may be significant when one considers Bacon’s book ‘The New Atlantis’, which may have served as an inspiration or blueprint for the eventual creation of what would become the United States of America.
Arundel presided over the House of Lords Committee in April 1621 for investigating the corruption charges against Sir Francis Bacon, whom he defended from degradation from the peerage, and at whose fall he was appointed a Commissioner of the Great Seal.
Arundel was appointed Lord Steward of the royal household in April 1640. On 29 August 1621 Arundel was appointed Earl Marshal and in 1623 became Constable of England. Thus, he was unquestionably a heavy hitter in the High Society of 17th century England.
One should also note that Sir Francis Bacon died of pneumonia on the 9 April 1626 (Easter Sunday) while at the Earl of Arundel's house in Highgate, near London. William Rawley, Bacon's personal secretary and chaplain wrote of his demise: “Being unwittingly on his deathbed, the philosopher dictated his last letter to his absent host and friend Lord Arundel.
I can find no evidence that Bacon ever visited Alton Castle, It is not beyond the realms of possibility but his relationship with Alethea Howard seems to have been a lot closer than his relationship with her father, Gilbert Talbot.
Bacon was buried in St Michael's church in St Albans.
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Bacon died well before the start of the 18th century. Hence, the quote the C’s made about:
Q: A 'car' belonging to Dan. The subject was talked about in the 18th century,
could not apply directly to Bacon. However, I have found a link with the Talbots, the Earls of Shrewsbury, which may be useful here, particularly in connection with the usurpation of the royal bloodlines and the possible role the English Freemasons and Rosicrucians played in this coup d’etat.
Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury (24 July 1660 – 1 February 1718)
Charles Talbot, was an English politician who was part of the Immortal Seven group that invited William III, Prince of Orange, to depose James II as English monarch during the so called ‘Glorious Revolution’. As the Duke of Shrewsbury, he was one of the greatest noblemen of the reign of Queen Anne.
With the accession in 1685 of James II, Shrewsbury was appointed a captain in order to defeat the Monmouth rebellion, although he resigned his commission in 1687 after refusing to bow to pressure from James to convert back to the Catholic faith. Making contact with William of Orange, Shrewsbury's home* became a meeting place for the opposition to James II and Shrewsbury was one of seven English statesmen to sign the invitation to William to invade England in June 1688. Shrewsbury was influential in the making of the Revolution Settlement, arguing strongly in favour of recognising William and Mary as sovereigns.
*Though the Talbot family still owned Alton Castle, it had by this time become a ruin due to its destruction in the English Civil War. It would only be rebuilt in the early 19th century. Hence, I don’t think it could have been the meeting place of the ‘Philosophers of Dancar’. But then, who knows?
Shrewsbury became Secretary of State for the Southern Department in the first administration of William and Mary, succeeding his uncle the Earl of Middleton, but resigned from William's government in 1690 due to ill-health and his opposition to the dissolution of Parliament and the dropping of the Bill that would have required an oath abjuring James as King.
There is evidence that as early as 1690, when Shrewsbury had resigned, he had made overtures to the Jacobites and was in correspondence with James II at his court in exile at Saint Germains* in France as a prelude to a possible Stuart restoration, though it has been stated on the other hand that these relations were entered upon with William's full connivance, for reasons of policy. Others aver that Shrewsbury himself was unaware of the King's knowledge and toleration, which would explain the terrified letters he was in the habit of penning to him.
*I wonder if this explains the cryptic remark the C’s made in the session of 7 June 1997:
“A: Or just not referring to those of a later "date" because it was not germaine.”
Saint-Germain-en-Laye - Wikipedia
Whether this was because Talbot had had second thoughts about William III does not really come out but it strikes me as very strange that this man should suddenly do a ‘flip flop’ over the Stuarts, when he more than anyone seems to have been the major force in driving James Stuart from his throne.
However this may be, William affected to have no suspicion of Shrewsbury's loyalty, although often presented with evidence against him. On 30 April 1694, Shrewsbury was created Marquess of Alton and Duke of Shrewsbury, and he acted as one of the regents during the King's absence from England in the two following years.
On the accession of Queen Anne, the Whig leaders made an ineffectual attempt to persuade Shrewsbury to return to office. He returned at last to England on 30 December 1705, and took his seat in the House of Lord in January 1706. He gradually became alienated from his old political associates, and in 1710 he accepted the post of Lord Chamberlain in the Tory administration, to which the Queen appointed him without the knowledge of Sidney Godolphin and the Duke of Marlborough; his wife was at the same time made a Lady of the Queen’s Bedchamber.
On 29 July 1714, when Queen Anne was dying, the Earl of Oxford received his long-delayed dismissal from the office of Lord Treasurer. On 30 July, Shrewsbury and other ministers assembled at Kensington Palace and, being admitted to the queen's bedchamber, Viscount Bolingbroke (who would subsequently support the Jacobite rebellion of 1715) recommended the appointment of Shrewsbury to the vacant treasurership; Anne at once placed the staff of that high office in the Duke's hands.
Thus, when the Queen died on 1 August 1714, Shrewsbury was in a position of supreme power with reference to the momentous question of the succession to the crown. He threw his influence into the scale in favour of the Elector of Hanover, and was powerfully influential in bringing about the peaceful accession of George I, and in defeating the design of the Jacobites to place the son of James II (the ‘Old Pretender’) on the throne.
Shrewsbury left no children, and at his death the dukedom became extinct, the earldom of Shrewsbury passing to his cousin Gilbert Talbot. Gilbert was a Roman Catholic priest living abroad and on his death in 1744 the titles and estates devolved on his brother George.
This will then bring us back full circle to Charles Talbot, the 15th Earl of Shrewsbury, who started the development that became Alton Towers in the early 19th century.
John Talbot, 16th Earl of Shrewsbury
After the 15th Earl of Shrewsbury died in 1827, he was succeeded by his nephew John Talbot, 16th Earl of Shrewsbury, who completed the gardens and house started by his uncle.
In addition to the building work at Alton Towers, John set about rebuilding nearby Alton Castle. The castle occupies a rocky precipice above the River Churnet on the outskirts of the village of Alton in Staffordshire. John had most of the ruins demolished, engaging the celebrated architect Augustus Pugin to design a new gothic-revival castle, which was designed to look like a medieval castle built by English crusaders of the Knights of the Teutonic Order in Germany. Towards the end of the castle's construction, the earl suggested the castle could be a home for priests, but Pugin was "vehemently against the idea.
Most of the 12th-century ruins were demolished to make way for the new building Adjacent to Alton Castle, John had a new church constructed alongside a "replica of a medieval hospital, a guildhall and presbytery"; this was again to the designs of Augustus Pugin. The Earl's friend, Ambrose Philips, convinced him to construct a monastery: this idea developed into the hospital complex that was built, as John felt it "could do more good for the community" than a monastery. The "hospital" served as a "humanitarian almshouse", providing for the poor and elderly of the parish. The buildings also provided lodgings for poor and elderly priests, with an attached library and dining room. The church, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, was also used as a school for local poor children.
You will see that I have highlighted certain sections above. I have done this in order to suggest that John Talbot may have been influenced by Knights Templar or Knights Hospitaller principles. St. John the Baptist was certainly a saint the Knights Templar revered and both these religious military orders were required to practice charity as part of their rule, hence perhaps the reason for the almshouse. It was a tenet of Rosicrucianism, as extolled by Bacon, to practice charity, as do the Freemasons. I have not been able to establish though whether John Talbot was a Rosicrucian or a Freemason.
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Although this account does not solve all the clues given to us by the C’s, it does establish links, I think, with some of the matters that were discussed in the relevant sessions I quoted at the start of this thread.
Much of what was said in those sessions seems to link with the Rosicrucians and Freemasons for whom Sir Francis Bacon was a major player. Hence, I aim to add further material on him and his associates when time permits.
In the meantime, the quote the C’s made in the following extract from the 19 July 1997 session makes more sense to me now:
Q: Well, no. Well, is this reference to Alton Towers that Ark found on the internet, about psychic projectors. That was the only unusual thing we have found about this. Are we talking about some sort of place where they have rotating shifts of psychic projectors?
A: As you know... fiction is often the guise for the deliverance of the deepest of truths. And, on that note, good night.
It has always been the practice of the Rosicrucians to disclose deep truths through literature and plays. Francis Bacon was a master of this. This practice or tradition has been carried on by later generations of Rosicrucians such as Lewis Carroll and Edward Bulwer-Lytton, who I have previously written about in the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers thread.
