The Alchemical Patronage of Sir William Cecil, Lord Burghley

Image 3:
An Elizabethan Map of the north Anglesey coast, showing the distance to Medley‘s
copper works, entitled ‗A ploote of the woorkes and havens now fit for that purpose‘
139
Source: Anon., undated, TNA, SP 45/36 MPF11.
The renewed project attracted a far wider range of patronage than Medley‘s earlier
scheme. The copper samples dispatched to various members of the nobility created the
most enthusiasm among Leicester‘s followers: his brother, the Earl of Warwick, Sir Henry
Sidney, and Edward Dyer all investing heavily in the project. 114 Others such as Leicester‘s
friend Sir John Perrot, an influential courtier who had temporarily retired to his Welsh
family home, certainly took an interest in the scheme. 115 Leicester showed his personal
support by appointing his retainer Sir John Hubaud to assess and supervise the works. 116
Despite his sometimes rivalry with Leicester, Cecil had a good relationship with many of
these men. Cecil particularly favoured Dyer, whose alchemical interests were already well
known.
Cecil, prudent as ever and likely stung by the failure of the previous venture, chose
William Humfrey, the assay master of the Royal Mint and Cecil‘s foremost metallurgical
expert, as his assessor. 117 While little is known of Humfrey‘s background or training, his
position at the Mint was prestigious. 118 Cecil had previously used Humfrey to assay the
114 Ibid; Thomas Smith and Leicester to Cecil, 7 March 1575, Lansdowne Vol. 19, No. 84.
115 The catalogue‘s misdating of this manuscript to 1579 has been the cause of a great deal of confusion
amongst historians over the chronology of the project; Thomas Smith to Cecil, 8 March 1575, Lansdowne
Vol. 29, No. 619.
116 Ibid.
117 William Humfrey to Cecil, 9 December 1574, BL, Lansdowne Vol. 18, No. 47.
118 Ash, Power, Knowledge and Expertise, pp. 34-35.