Sixteenth Generation

46148. Hieronimo "Jeronimo" BASSANO was born in 1460 in Bassano Del Grappa, Italy. He died in 1545 in Bassano Del Grappa, Italy?. BIOGRAPHY: Jeronimo was a well-known sack but player to the Doge of Venice. He had five sons, all who were Venetian musicians and instrument makers of Europe and England from 1531 to 1665. There five emigrant brothers from Venice, Italy were known as sons of their father, de Jeronomo while living in Italy, only acquiring the surname of Bassano after the village where they were born, when they arrived in England. Henry VIII and his daughter, Elizabeth, both love to have music played at their courts. Music was also needed for all kinds of ceremonial occasions, and foreign musicians were very popular and fashionable, especially Italian. Where before the majority of musicians had been English, now the Venetians dominated. The sound, tone and tempo were all new and very exciting in the last half of the 16th century.

BIOGRAPHY: Eleanor Selfridge-Field quotes Izon in his article, "Italian Musicians", p. 332, as believing as fact that four of our early Venetian musicians were in the service of the Doge of Venice up to 1539." Anthony is excluded as he is already a well established maker of instruments in England.

BIOGRAPHY: Many writers and researchers claim that this Bassano family were of Hebrew origin and present circumstantial evidence to support that claim. However, there are others who dispute this claim.

BIOGRAPHY: It is difficult to judge the exact year that the five Bassano brothers first arrived in London. It seems they would go and then return to Italy, finally settling in England. This travelling back and forth seems to occur from 1531 to 1539.

BIOGRAPHY: The brothers were born in Bassano del Grappa, just about 35 miles northwest of Venice. A sixth brother, Jacomo or Jacopo as he was sometimes called were in English records of 1538 and 1542; however Jacomo finally remained in Venice.

BIOGRAPHY: Henry VIII had an entry in a Sept. 30, 1531concerning his expenses, showing a payment to two members of his shawn and sack but consort plus "Loyes de Jeronom and Jasper and John de Jeronimo." Another entry of Oct. 1531 shows "money paid to four new minstrels for their costs going to Southampton to fetch their stuff". The four musician's names were found on a bill from a catalog of documents belonging to Henry's chancellor, Thomas Cromwell, listing a debt to "Lewes de Jeronyme, Antony De Jeronime, Jasper De Jeronime and John De Jeronimo". This shows that these brothers all returned to Venice at different times.

BIOGRAPHY: Anthony returned in 1536 to Italy and married Elina de Nazzi, daughter of Beneditto de Nazzi. Their first child, Angelica, was born in Venice in 1537. Anthony returned to England by the next year as a warrant dated Oct. 30, 1538 appoints him as "maker of divers instruments of music to the Court of Henry VIII."

BIOGRAPHY: April 14, 1539 there is a grant to brothers Alinxus, John, Anthony, Jasper and Baptiste de Bassam, musicians. A pension of 50 lbs. 2s 4d for Alinxus and John, 20d for Antony, Jasper and Baptist. In the Letters and Papers of Henry III, Vol. 16, 1540/1, it lists board and wages of John Bassani, Anthony, Jasper and John, "the King's minstrels" by the King's commandment, certified by Master Charles Howarde

BIOGRAPHY: In February 1539 and February 1542 grants were given to "Jacopo de Bassyano and his brother Anthony, servants of the King, license to import 300 tuns of Gascon wine to Westminster Palace". In Vol. 20 of the Letters and Papers of Henry VIII for 1545 it lists "Alinxus Bassani, Anthony, Gasper, John and John Baptist, brothers, Kings Musicians. Augustine, Julius, Lour and Zacharias, legitimate sons of said Alenxius and Paul, son of Gasper, natives of Venice."

BIOGRAPHY: *Note: In 1515 Ser Alvise de Hieronimo da Bassan was listed in a procession of the Scoula de San Marco under trumpets and shawms. (Alvise & Hieronimo are different spellings for Alinxus and Jeronimo). References: Music at the Venetian Scuole Grandi, J.E. Glixon, Vol. 1, p. 104, 1979, Princeton University Dissertation.

46149. UNKNOWN.Children were:

23074	i.	Anthony BASSANO.
	ii.	Alvise BASSANO was born in 1490.
	iii.	Jacomo BASSANO.
	iv.	John BASSANO.
	v.	Jasper BASSANO.
	vi.	Giambattista John Partista BASSANO.