SESSION 1891-92. xxvii 



of severall stately trees of the like groweth and height, viz. elme, chesnut, beach, 

 hornbeame, Spanish ash, cervice tree, &c., whose topps doe attord from the walke 

 on the house the finest sliew that I have seen, and I sawe it about Michaelmas, 

 at which time of the yeare the colours of leaves are most varied." 



This house, according to Aubrey, " did cost nine or ten thousand 

 the building, and was sold about 1665 or 1666 by Sir Harbottle 

 Grimston, liaronet ... to two carpenters for fower hundred 

 poundes ; of which they made eight hundred poundes." 



The cottage close to the Pond-yards on the north is evidently 

 part of what was once a large house, possibly existing in Bacon's 

 time and referred to by him when he says : " In y*^ middle of the 

 laque where the howse now stands to make an Hand," that on 

 which he built his banqueting-house. 



Eetuniing to Maynes, after thanking Mr. and Mrs. Purrott for 

 their hospitality, the party dispersed, some walking to St. Albans 

 past the site of Pre Mill, where the final illustration of Prancis 

 Bacon's connection with Gorhambury was given by the Director. 



In 1556 Sir Nicholas Bacon erected here a "force" to supply 

 water to Gorhambury House, which he was then building. After 

 his death, in 1579, his widow, Lady Anne, "not finding much 

 need of that water," probably because the water from the Pre 

 "Wood reservoirs afforded a sufficient supply, removed the " force," 

 and erected in its place a flour- mill. This action gave rise to a 

 law-suit, the lessee of "the Abbey Mylle," then a "water corn- 

 mill," claiming exclusive right to grind corn for "the inhabitants 

 of St. Albones towne." The result of this suit is vmknown, for 

 the only order in it on record is one dated 1 July, 1601, which 

 " states that on motion made that day ' by Mr. Bacon,' who in- 

 formed the Court that the cause was ready for hearing, it was 

 ordered that the same ' shall be heard in the Exchequer Chamber 

 next term.' " * 



But the chief interest of this in connection with " Mr. Bacon" 

 lies in the probability that the conversion by his mother of a force 

 to supply water to Gorhambury House, into a flour-mill, led him 

 to build Verulam House, for i)r. Rawley, his chaplain, gives the 

 following anecdote as one of his " Additional Apophegms." f 



" When Sir Nicholas Bacon the Lord Keeper lived, every room in Gorhambury 

 was served with a pipe of water from the ponds distant about a mile off. In the 

 lifetime of Mr. Anthony Bacon the water ceased. After whose death, his Lord- 

 ship coming to the inheritance, could not recover the water without infinite 

 charge. When he was Lord Chancellor he built Yerulam House, close by the 

 pond-yard, for a place of privacy when he was called upon to despatch any 

 urgent business. And being asked why he built that house there, his Lordship 

 answered that Since he could not carry the water to his house, he would carry his 

 house to the water.'" 



Pre MiU was used as a flour-mill for nearly three centuries, 

 having been pulled down less than twenty years ago. 



* W. J. Hardy, in 'Trans. St. Albans Arch. Soc.,' 1892, p. 17. 

 t Spedding's ' Works of Francis Bacon,' Vol. ^ii, p. 169. 



