Arthur / Arturo Bassano

In 1584 n 1584, Arthur, Edward I and Jeronimo II were arrested by the City of London authorities. The Bassanos were watching the 'murring up of a gate lately forced out of the place called Christchurch pretended to be privileged and to be made a harbour for strangers, artificers and other foreigners, to the great hindrance of citizens, especially the poorer sort'.

The Bassanos' misdemeanour was trivial in itself; loitering when asked by the City's officers to move on. They compounded it by talking to the officers 'in a despiteful manner' telling John Spencer (the former sheriff), 'We have as good friends in the Court as thou hast, and better too', and violently resisting arrest. When the brothers were finally apprehended and taken to a compter rather than to Newgate (where the officers had been ordered to take them), Arthur 'very disdainfully with his fingers blotted out their names and scornfully took exception to the prison' The City's officers suspected that the bystanders would 'devise means to destroy the work as had been performed not long before'. They were probably right to be suspicious of the Bassanos, who as sons of foreigners themselves, may have had some empathy with the 'strangers, artificers and other foreigners' seeking refuge at Christchurch. The Bassanos for their part, knew that, as servants of the Court, they were immune from arrest. The officers did not know who they were and insisted on arresting them. This incident has been interpreted as showing the Bassano's arrogance, but surely the overzealousness and ignorance of the officers also played a part.

The reports of the incident give us some salty examples of the Bassanos' direct speech. One of them said to Spencer 'Send us to ward? Thou wert as good….(be the words with reverence named) kiss our etc' Although Spencer sought to excuse himself 'with reverence' from writing the offending word in the speech, he could not in fact bring himself to write it, putting 'etc' instead. Another reporter of the incident less bashful did write the word - 'arse'. Later Arthur told the Recorder of London, 'You were as good eat the sole of my boot as send us to Newgate'.

The incident also provides us with some physical descriptions of the family. One of the brothers was described as 'a little black man who was booted' and another as 'a tall black man'. Another witness in discussing 'the chief resister and peacebreaker' says that he was 'booted - for, the men being unknown, I know not better how to distinguish him from the residue'. As the arrest was written up as being of 'Arthur Bassano and others his bretheren', it seems likely that Arthur was the ringleader and thus the short one. 'Black' here must refer to their dark complection and black hair, typical of Italians but rare in England at that time.

The street attack on their eldest brother Mark Anthony, the following year shows him to have been a man of peace, or a least capable of diplomacy. A citizen heard him speaking Italian to some glassmakers and reported to some passing soldiers, on their way to the war against Spain, that Mark Anthony had insulted them. One of the soldiers demanded 'Sir, what say you of soldiers?" He answered, 'Why, nothing; but God bless you'. When the soldier struck him, Mark Anthony replied 'I thank you; I must take it in good part, but you will not answer it'. Another witness reported that Mark Anthony then stood up for himself, telling the soldier that 'if he had a weapon about him…the soldier would not so have misused him'. In any case, four or five soldiers drew their swords on him and bystanders helped him to flee for his life. Mark Anthony was presumably suspected of being a Spaniard partly because of his language but also partly because of his dark complection.

From the book:

The Bassanos

David Lasocki/Roger Prior 1995

Arthur & Margaret had : Nine Children

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1/M Andrea BASSANO

Birth* 02 Jun 1576

Death* 11 Jun 1576

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2/F Camilla BASSANO

Birth* 06 Dec 1577 England.

Death* 11 May 1622 England.

Burial* 14 May 1622 England.

Marriage* __ ___ ____ Henry WHITTON

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3/M Anthony BASSANO

Birth* 15 Oct 1579 London, England.

Marriage* __ ___ 1604 Dorothy HIND(E) (1581-1649), daughter of John HIND(E)

Son: 21 Jan 1604 Arthur BASSANO; England.

Son: 31 Jan 1605 Richard BASSANO; Staffordshire, England.

Son: 29 Oct 1608 John BASSANO; London, England.

Daughter: 12 Oct 1610 Jane BASSANO; England.

Son: 17 Nov 1611 Henry BASSANO; England.

Son: 01 Apr 1613 William BASSANO

Son: 25 Apr 1615 Henry BASSANO

Daughter: 05 Jan 1617 Anne (twin) BASSANO; England.

Daughter: 05 Jan 1617 Margaret (twin) BASSANO; England.

Daughter: 30 Apr 1618 Joan BASSANO; England.

Son: 09 Sep 1619 Allen BASSANO; England.

Daughter: 08 Oct 1620 Elizabeth BASSANO; England.

Daughter: 02 Dec 1621 Mary BASSANO; England.

Son: 11 Jun 1623 Daniel BASSANO; England.

Death* __ ___ 1658 England.

Burial* 22 Apr 1658 England.

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4/M Joseph BASSANO

Birth* 28 Jun 1581

Death* 06 Oct 1596 England.

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5/F Lenore BASSANO

Birth* 27 Feb 1584

Death* 02 Apr 1585 England.

Burial* 03 Apr 1585 England.

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6/M Paul BASSANO

Birth* 25 Mar 1588

Marriage* 23 Sep 1614 Elizabeth GOSSON, daughter of Stephen GOSSON; London, England.

Daughter: cir __ ___ 1616 Elizabeth BASSANO; London, England.

Daughter: cir __ ___ 1617 Anne BASSANO; London, England.

Death* __ ___ 1618

_______________________________________________7/M Andrea BASSANO

Birth* __ ___ 1589 London, England.

Death* __ ___ 1638

Marriage* __ ___ ____ Ann MORICE, daughter of Francis MORICE Esq

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8/F Elizabeth BASSANO

Birth* 14 Oct 1594

Marriage* __ ___ ____ (--?--) ASHE

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9/F Mary BASSANO

Birth* 10 Apr 1600 England.

Marriage* __ ___ ____ Henry WHITTON; England.

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