Baptista Bassano

Baptista did not become a denizen like his brothers, but remained a native of Venice.

The Bassanos, were court musicians who had come to England from Venice at the end of Henry VIII's reign. It has been argued that they were converted Jews (Lasocki and Prior; Rowse, "Revealed at Last," and ensuing correspondence; Greer et al., s.v. "Aemilia Lanyer"), but Ruffatti has argued persuasively that the family was Christian.

Baptista seems to have been the youngest of the six brothers. He did not come to England with the other four around 1531, is usually last in the listings of the five in Court records, did not own a share of the family house in Bassano, and unlike the three middle brothers, was not a witness to Alvise's will. Moreover he describes himself in his will as 'native in Venice', which if taken literally implies that he was born after the family moved there from Bassano.

Image - Musical Instruments family Timeline Over the 1530s five of the six sons of Hieronymous (also "Jeronimo"), emigrated to England to work as musicians in the Court of Henry VIII. They played many instruments including the cornett, sackbutt, and curtal.

In order of birth, Jacomo (who traveled to England but eventually returned to Venice), Alvise, Jasper, John, Anthony, and Baptista may have been responsible for introducing the curtal to England