x 
Mrs. Clutterbuck says, “The house formerly had sunk into the 
name of Saintbury, but it has gone by the original name of St. 
Mary’s for more than forty years. The account handed down to 
her thirty years ago, was, that Friar Bacon’s room was the one 
which she made the nursery, and that that room and the closet 
adjoining, said to be his cell, has always borne the name of Friar 
Bacon’s study. She also perfectly remembers that she was told, 
there had been a flight of steps, which communicated with the top 
of the house, but which were taken down when the house was 
altered, where there is still remaining a walk on the leads with a 
stone balustrade, which tradition said was that he made use of as 
a place for his astronomical observations.” 
It may be remarked that Sir Robert Atkyns makes Friar 
Bacon’s death to have taken place .p. 1284, which corresponds 
to the date given by some foreign writers, but our historians place 
the event eight years later. 
The above communication I deem sufficiently curious to be 
preserved in the archives of our Club. iS 
