William Backhouse

This relationship flourished in an intense exchange of alchemical documents and information, unaffected by Backhouse's poor health and fear of identification in Ashmole's publications.

But the few contemporary sources that remain give a picture of Backhouse that shows him to be a "respected figure in a network of people involved in occult and philosophical studies" according to Jennifer Speake;[2] a "most renown'd chymist, Rosicrucian, and a great encourager of those that studied chymistry and astrology" according to Anthony à Wood;[4] and a "quiet, secretive man of an inventive mind [...] combining a gift for languages with a graceful poetic vein" according to C. H.

This grant makes note that Backhouses "lange tyme past did come out of Lancashere where they were of worshippful degree & did beare these tokens of honor".

William's father and Nicholas' son, Samuel Backhouse (1532–1626) had a similar social standing; he was High Sheriff of Berkshire in 1598 and 1601, met Elizabeth I in 1601, and became the member for Windsor from 1604 to 1611, and Aylesbury in 1614.

[8] Further, Mordechai Feingold has speculated Backhouse formed a bond with Robert Payne over their common Berkshire heritage, college, and scientific interests.

Anthony à Wood asserts Backhouse was "a great Rosy Crucian",[12] perhaps working off of a testament of Ashmole, though Josten has doubted he was a member of any real Rosicrucian fraternity.

Their first child, Samuel, died young; their second, John, was born on 6 November 1640 and was healthier than his sibling, but did not outlive his father; their third, Flower lived on to become Backhouse's sole heir, and the last of his line.

for I begin to finde, Your Auncestors large thoughts grow in my minde: I feele yt noble Blood spring in my Heart, Which does intytle me to some small parte Of grand sire Hermes wealth; & hope to have Interest in all the Legacies he gave, To his successive children; from whoome too I must derive what is confer'd by you.

C. H. Josten has interpreted this ode as signifying Ashmole's link, through Backhouse, to "a long chain of alchemical ancestry, who, from Hermes onwards, transmitted their secrets only by oral tradition to their spiritual sons".

[22] Backhouse took Ashmole into the acquaintances of chemists Lord Ruthven (25 April) and John Goodyer (9 October), while engaging in an intense exchange of alchemical MSS.

[23][24] On 13 May 1653, Ashmole records in his diary that Backhouse was "lying sick in Fleetestreete over at: St Dunstans Church, & not knowing whether he should live or dye".

Faced with his mortality, Ashmole records that Backhouse was motivated to reveal to him "in Silables the true Matter of the Philosophers Stone", as his "Legacy" if he should die.

Taylor bases this on some circumstantial evidence of Plot's association with Ashmole and his attribution of some secrets to "our English Anonymus", possibly referring to Backhouse.

Ashmole records the many 'old deedes' in his possession, and John Aubrey, a strange curative visitation to ancient buildings, suggesting an antiquarian interest.

[35][36] The final entries of Ashmole's diary mentioning Backhouse record his death on 30 May 1662, having suffered from a wasting fever, and his burial in Swallowfield Church on 17 June.

Coat of arms of William Backhouse, 1658. From William Dugdale 's The History of St. Pauls Cathedral in London . Backhouse is celebrated as a benefactor of the cathedral in this book. Both the depicted motto, " scache cache " (in modern French: " sache cacher " or, in English: "know to hide"), and the crest of an eagle clutching a serpent, have a distinctly alchemical flavor. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ a ]
Swallowfield Park , the Backhouse family estate and home of William Backhouse for all of his life.
Elias Ashmole, 1656, by William Faithorne . William Backhouse is best remembered today for his mentorship of Elias Ashmole from 1651 to 1662.
The Backhouse family monument in All Saints' parish church, Swallowfield. Erected by Flower Backhouse in 1670, to the memory of all the Backhouses who had resided in Swallowfield. [ 25 ]