When you hear the name Bacon, you probably think of Sir Francis Bacon — philosopher, scientist, genius.

But behind him stood an equally remarkable woman: his mother, Lady Anne Bacon (née Cooke). Born in the 1520s, Anne was one of the famous Cooke sisters of Gidea Hall, all of them classically educated at a level most Tudor men could only dream of. She mastered Latin, Greek, and even Italian, and grew up immersed in humanist thought.

In 1553, Anne married Sir Nicholas Bacon, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal. Together they raised Anthony (the Tudor spy) and Francis (the great thinker), but Anne wasn’t simply a background figure in their lives. She was a scholar, translator, and moral force in her own right.

In this podcast, I explore:

- Anne Bacon’s extraordinary education and family background

- Her marriage and role in one of Tudor England’s most influential households

- Her translation of John Jewel’s Apologie, a landmark defence of Protestantism

- Her surviving letters — over 90 — which reveal her piety, intellect, and maternal guidance

- Why she deserves to be remembered as more than just “Francis Bacon’s mother”

Do you think women like Anne Bacon get enough credit in Tudor history? Let me know in the comments.

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