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Sir Hickman Bacon
Premier Baronet of
England
1855 – 1945 Bachelor
Sir Hickman was a direct descendant of Sir Nicholas Bacon,
Lord Keeper to Queen Elizabeth 1. The Lord Keepers son, also Nicholas was in
1611 made a baronet, the first ever created and so became the Premier Baronet of
England
, as his direct descendent still is today. At the age of seven Sir Hickman moved
with his family to Thonock Hall and estate just outside Gainsborough,
Lincolnshire
, the family also owned Gainsborough Old Hall.
Sir Hickman Bacon was a founder member of the Lincolnshire
Automobile Club and became its President in 1902 a position he held until his
death in 1945, although he did take over the role as Chairman during the First
World War.
With the dawn of the Automobile in the early 1900’s Sir
Hickman became immersed in everything to do with motoring. He was one of the
first people in Gainsborough to own a car, a Panhard Levassor. It made so much
noise it became affectionately known as “The Dustbin”. With the Motor Car
Act of 1903 which required all cars to be registered and taxed, Sir Hickman and
his neighbour John Sandars both wanted the first number locally and legend has
it that they tossed for it in a Lincoln hotel. Sir Hickman lost the toss and so
his Panhard became BE2 and his Wolseley BE3.
His private Secretary Robert Connell shared with Sir
Hickman an interest in motoring and he invented a tyre lever which was taken up
by the Dunlop Company and was universally used, Sir Hickman invented a brass
carburettor.
In 1908 Sir Hickman purchased from his friend Herbert
Austin an Austin Grand Prix Racer. It was one of the three
Austin
cars to have competed in the 1908 Grand Prix at
Dieppe
. These were the only motors
Austin
ever built for the Grand Prix Circuit and they were then converted to tourers.
Sir Hickman had much enjoyment from his
Austin
tourer, he tarmacodamed the surface of his extensive drive to test drive his
Austin Racer. He used it to compete in hill climbs locally and it was reported
that the roads of
Thonock
Park
often echoed with the roar of a racing car and famous racing drivers were
frequent visitors to the hall. Legend also has it that by posting men with flags
along the
Ermine Street
he could go flat out from Caenby Corner to
Lincoln
and even claimed a speed of 100mph. He owned the
Austin
tourer until the early 1940’s when he was eighty five. Eventually he missed
the corner by Somerby and overturned the car. He gave the tourer back to Austin
Motors after that accident.
Lincolnshire
motorists owe a great debt to Sir Hickman who from the start of motoring in the
county devoted much of his time and energy to ensuring that the county would
always be second to none in providing the best possible facilities for the
motoring public. In his capacity as President and for a time as Chairman he
maintained harmonious relations with local authorities and national bodies, all
of whom respected him for his efforts to improve motoring conditions. In 1908
the club ahead of any other initiated a scheme, which became a national one,
under which cars and their drivers were registered for use by the Territorial
Army in the event of mobilisation.
Over the years Sir Hickman owned three other Austins, an
Austin
12, an 18 and a 24, which was known as the “Old Grey Mare”. In his later
years he became an eccentric and him and his car were well known locally around
Gainsborough. He used to drive to the Post Office every day and a crowd of
children usually awaited him shouting “Give us a ride Hick”, they were not
frightened of this imposing old man and sometimes they would already be in the
back of his car when he emerged. He would drive them to Thonock and they would
walk back. Other eccentricities he was always to be seen carrying his car’s
crank handle with him around the town because once it had been stolen. He always
left his engine running outside the Post Office and when a young policeman was
foolish enough to caution him Sir Hickman drove the young man straight to the
police station where he was told never to caution Sir Hickman again.
Not content with motoring, Sir Hickman also owned a motor
bicycle and learnt to ride it.
Sir Hickman died on the eve of his 90th Birthday
on the 13th April 1945, not only will he be remembered as an early
motoring enthusiast, but he was also an avid collector of art and many notable
water colours and drawings (400) such as J.M.W. Turner & Peter De Wint to
name but two were discovered rolled up in his wardrobes and around the house.
The Hickman Bacon Collection today is considered the most important collection
of British Watercolours in private hands. Sir Hickman Bacon is still remembered
in Gainsborough and in fact has become a legend,
Sir Hickman Bacon an
Edward Eccentric.
Extracts taken from Uncle Hicky: an Edwardian eccentric by
Lavinia Gibbs. Well worth a read, ISBN 0 9541851 0 2 or available on loan from
Lincolnshire Library services.
Sir Hickman Bacon Day is now commemorated at Gainsborough
Old Hall by The Llincolnshire Louth Motor Club in honor of our former President.
Sir Hickman Bacon in his
Austin
tourer. The car is the sole surviving
Austin
to have raced in the Grand Prix at
Dieppe
in 1908