Bacon, Francis

Bacon, Francis Baron Verulam of Verulam, Viscount St. Albans (1561-1626), statesman, writer, b. London.

Francis Bacon grew up at the court of Queen Elizabeth I, his father being one of her officials.

He studied at Cambridge University and became a lawyer and a Member of Parliament.

King James I made him Lord Chancellor of England but he lost the job for taking bribes. Afterwards he spent his life studying and writing essays. People still read these essays today.

Bacon wrote about the importance of science in a book called The Advancement of Learning.

One winter's day he went out to stuff a dead chicken with snow to see if this would keep the meat from going bad. He caught a chill and died of pneumonia.

See BENJAMIN FARRINGTON Francis Bacon: pioneer of planned science