The Digital Ark: Early Modern Collections of Curiosities in England and Scotland, 1580-1700
Thomas Bushell (before 1600 - c. 1674)
Mining entrepreneur, mint-master, and merchant. She was a servant of Francis Bacon and his protégé in metallurgy. After Bacon's fall in 1626, Bushell lived a hermetic life on the Isle of Calf for a few years before returning to London, where he entered the silk and soap businesses and marry an heiress. He developed a mine producing lead-silver ore in Cardiganshire and a mint in Aberystwyth. According to Leith-Ross,while work was being undertaken on his estate at Enstone, just north of Oxford, stone-cutters had exposed a rock of unusual shape. Bushell decided to build some curious and splendid waterworks around it and laid down pipes and cisterns for this purpose. There were fountains that played organ tunes and bird-songs while others produced artificial thunder and lightning. He added a banqueting house and a garden laid out with fruit trees and entertained the King and Queen there, who thought it all enormous fun. To mark the occasion the Queen presented him with an Egyptian mummy which he put on display. Evelyn noted it on a later visit when he seemed rather shocked to find Bushell in 'a Grott where he lay in an hamac like an Indian' (176).He is named as a benefactor in Musaeum Tradescantianum
Dictionary of National Biography entry: https://doi-org.cyber.usask.ca/10.1093/ref:odnb/4163 Other biography: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Bushell_(mining_engineer) Relevant locations: Lived at or near London, England
Lived at or near Enstone, Oxfordshire
Workplace or place of business Cardiganshire , Wales
Workplace or place of business Aberystwyth, Wales
Relationships: Thomas Bushell was a employed by Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
Thomas Bushell was a associate or acquaintance (general) of John Evelyn (1620-1706)
Thomas Bushell was a recipient of object(s) from Henrietta Maria (1609-1669)
Thomas Bushell was a source of object(s) for Tradescanti (-)
Owefield (-) was a associate or acquaintance (general) of Thomas Bushell
Linked print sources: as Mentioned or referenced by - The John Tradescants: Gardeners to the Rose and Lily Queen .
References in Documents:
Musaeum Tradescantianum (1656)
- Principall Benefactors
{King Charles.}{Queen Mary.}GeorgeDuke ofBuckingham.Lady KatharineDutchess ofBuck:William LaudArchbishop ofCant:RobertEarle ofSalisbury.WilliamEarle ofSalisbury.Earle of Carlisle.Lord Viscount Dorchester.Lord Viscount Faulkland.Lord Strange.Lord Goring.Lord Cambden.Countesse of Arundell.Lady Matrevers.Lady Denbeigh.Lady Wootton.Lady Mary Villers.Lady Goring.Lady Killegray.Lady Christian Leviston.Sir Thomas Roe.Sir Christopher Hatton.Sir Henry.VVooton Wooton Sir Kenelme Digby.Sir Nathanael Bacon.Sir Butts Bacon.Sir Dudly Diggs.Sir Henry Vane.Sir Henry Palmer.Sir Robert Heath.Sir Peter Manwood.Sir John Trever.Sir William Boswell.Sir Clipsby Crew.Sir Alexander Gourdon.Sir James Bagg.Sir David Kirke.Sir Richard Wiseman.Sir John Smith.Sir John Wieldes.Sir Henry Meldree.Sir John Aemoote.Lady Roe.Lady Graimes.Doctor Owin.Doctor John Hill.Doctor Thomas Wharton.Doctor William Broad.Doctor Bugg.William MurrayEsq.William CurteeneEsq.Elias AshmoleEsq.Captain Weddell.Captain Plumbey.Captain Ireland.Captain Cleborne.Captain Prim.Captain Wood.Captain West.Captain Swanley.Captain Adam Denton.Captain Trenchfield.Captain David Atchinson.Mr. Nicolas, Secretary to the Navy.Mr. John SlanyMerchant.Mr. CharletonMerchant.Mr. James BoovyMerchant.Mr. John Millen.Mr. Thomas Howard.Mr. WhiteofBurntwood.Mr. Ofield.Mr. Ofley.Mr. Greene.Mr. Munke.Mr. Sadler.Mr. Bushell.Mr. Liggon.Mr. George Tomasin.In EEBO copy: Scratched out in original document and has "Thomason" written beside it in ink. Mr. Dells.Mr. Gage.Mr. Pergins.Mr. Robert Martyn.Mr. Trion.Mr. Woolfe.Mr. Browne.Mr. Martin Masters.Mr. Butler.Mr. Phillips.Mr. Harison.Mr. Pette.Mr. Short.Mr. Bound.Mr. Stone.Mr. Bartholomew Hagatt.Mr. Reeve.Mr. Francis Cline.Mr. Thomas Herbert.Mr. Rowland Bucket.Mr. Snelling.Mr. Rowe.Mr. Smith.Mr. Butterworth.Mr. le Goulz.Mr. William Martyn.Mr. Lanyon.Mr. Gasper Calthoofe.Mr. William Lambert.Mr. John Benson.
to the precedent
Collection.