Bacon Family 1066 - 1702

Bacon is the name of an ancient seigniory in Normandy, and from this place the Norman ancestors in England took their name nearly a thousand years ago.

1. Grimaldus m. Unknown.  According to the genealogy of the Suffolk family of Bacon, one Grimald, or Grimaldus, a relative of the Norman chieftain, William de Warrenne, came to England in 1066 at the time of the Conquest and settled near Holt, in County Suffolk. His son, or Great Grandson Robert, took the surname Bacon, or rather assumed the use of the place-name as a surname. In the north of France the surname Bacon is still in use. William Bacon in 1082 endowed the Abbey of Holy Trinity at Caen. The surname Bacon is found in the Battle Rolls in England in the eleventh century and in the Hundred Rolls in the thirteenth. There are occasional variations in spelling, such as Bacun and Bachun, and in some instances the surname Bacon may have been corrupted from Beacon. Some derive the surname from the Saxon baccen or baccen, a beech tree.

Much of the source data for the early Bacon ancestry is taken from "The Bacon Genealogy" by Thomas W. Baldwin (1915) as quoted from "The Baronetage of England" by Kimber and Johnson published in 1801. Also from the "Cleveland Genealogy" by Edmund James Cleveland and Horace Gillette Cleveland. The direct line which follows is based on a chart by Mrs Eliza Buckingham Bacon of New Haven which is taken from the Bacon Genealogy by Thomas W. Baldwin, 1915. It differs somewhat from that contained in the grant of a coat of arms made to Sir Nicholas Bacon in 1568, however, in the same book from which an extract of the grant was taken is a table of the family of Bacon from Grimbaldus to Robert, father of Sir Nicholas which with the exception of one or two of the earlier generations is in accord with this line.

Children:
2. i Ranulph "Ralph".
ii Rudolf. Rudolf became the Lord of Letheringsete and was known as Rudolf de Letheringsete.
iii Edmund. Rector of Church of Letheringsete founded by his father.

Second Generation

2. Ranulph "Ralph" m. Unknown. Resided at Thorpe, County Norfolk, called Baconsthorpe by distinction. Cutter says he was known as Ralph de Bacons-Thorpe (thorp means village). In Colonial Families of the United States, Ralph is called "Ran(d)ulf." There were several places called Thorp in Norfolk and he added this name to distinguish him from other lords of Thorp.
Children:
3. i George Bacon.
4. ii Roger Bacon.
iii Agnes Bacon.
iv Gilbert Bacon. Gilbert's direct line extends only five generation to Jordan, Adam, Peter and ends with Batrianus Yorkshire Bacon.

Third Generation

3. George Bacon m. Unknown. Gave and released to his sister Agnes, widow of Sir Roger DeHalis all the lands belonging to his family in Normandy. (Reg. Abbot De Langley, fol. 90).
Children:
i Roger Bacon b. EST 1165, m. Unknown. Roger, son of George sued by his sister-in-law Agnes, widow of his brother Thomas, for distaining her tenants in Baconsthorpe and Lodue and breaking her park. He raised arms with the barons against the King and had his estates confiscated. His lands were returned by favor of Henry III in 1216. Roger's direct line extends to Robert, Reginald, Richard, Sir Robert, Sir Thomas to John, alias Roger (Friar Bacon) where it ends in 1546. Roger was the progenitor of Bacons of Drinkston and Hessett, Suffolk England.

4. Roger Bacon m. Unknown.
Children:
5. i Robert Bacon b. EST 1195.
ii William Bacon.

Fourth Generation

5. Robert Bacon b. EST 1195, Of Hesset, Suffolk, England, m. Alice Burgate, b. EST 1195.
Children:
6. i John Bacon b. EST 1225.
ii William Bacon. William had a son Adam who in turn had sons Henry and Robert Bacon.

Fifth Generation

6. John Bacon b. EST 1225, Of Hesset and Bradford, England, m. Alice Bacon*.
Children:
7. i John Bacon b. ABT 1255.

Sixth Generation

7. John Bacon b. ABT 1255, Hesset, Suffolk, England, m. Cecily Hoo/How, b. ABT 1259, England.
Children:
8. i John Bacon b. ABT 1285.

Seventh Generation

8. John Bacon b. ABT 1285, Bradford, York, England, m. Helena Gedding, b. ABT 1333, Hesset, Suffolk, England. Called Sir John Bacon.
Children:
9. i John Bacon b. ABT 1359.

Eighth Generation

9. John Bacon b. ABT 1359, Hesset, Suffolk, England, m. (1) Helena Tillot, b. ABT 1364, Of Rougham, Suffolk, England, (daughter of Sir George Tillot) m. (2) Julia Bradwell.
Children by Helena Tillot:
10. i John Bacon b. ABT 1385.

Ninth Generation

10. John Bacon b. ABT 1385, Bradford, Suffolk, England, m. in Suffolk Cty, England, Margery Thorpe, b. ABT 1392, (of) Drinkstone, Suffolk, England, (daughter of John Thorpe). John died 1453, Suffolk Cty, England. A line to Margery from Grimbaldus: 1 Grimbaldus, 2 Ralph, 3 George, 4 Roger, 5 Robert, 6 Reginald, 7 Richard, 8 Reginald, 9 Richard, 10 Sir Henry m. Margaret Ludham, 11 Sir Henry, 12 Sir Roger, 13 Beatrix Bacon wife of Sir William Thorpe, 14 William Thorpe by wife Margaret Quapladde, 15 John Thorpe, 16 Margery Thorpe. This is extracted from a genealogy of the Cleveland family compiled by Edmund James Cleveland and Horace Gillette Cleveland and taken from a notice of the Bacon ancestry.
Children:
11. i Sir Edmund Bacon b. ABT 1400.

Tenth Generation

11. Sir Edmund Bacon b. ABT 1400, Drinkston, Suffolk, England, m. Elizabeth Crofts, b. ABT 1425, Drinkston, Suffolk, England, (daughter of Thomas Crofts and Susan Polley) d. 1470. Sir died 1453, Drinkston, Suffolk, England.
Children:
12. i John Bacon b. ABT 1430.

Eleventh Generation

12. John Bacon b. ABT 1430, Drinkston, Suffolk, England, m. Agnes Cockfield, b. ABT 1430, (of) Drinkstone, Suffolk, England, (daughter of Sir Thomas Cockfield). His will was proved at Helmingham 25 Feb 1535.
Children:
i Robert Bacon b. Drinkston, Suffolk, England. m. Isabella Cage, daughter of John Cage of Perkenham, suffolk, England. Had three sons; Thomas Bacon, James Bacon an alderman of London and Sir Nicholas Bacon who in the reigh of Queen Elizabeth was lord keeper of the great seal. He was the first person to be created a baronet by James I. Francis Bacon, Nathaniel Bacon of the Virginia Rebellion and the Bacons who settled on Cape Cod and Hingham, MA are descendants of Robert.
ii John Bacon b. Drinkston, Suffolk, England. His will was proved June 1518.
13. iii Thomas Bacon b. ABT 1475.
iv Henry Bacon b. England.
v William Bacon b. England.

Twelfth Generation

13. Thomas Bacon b. ABT 1475, (of) Drinkstone, Suffolk, England, m. Joan/Johanna Wade, b. ABT 1484, Helmingham, Suffolk, England, d. Jun-Dec 1540, Helmingham, Suffolk, England, bd: Helmingham, Suffolk, England. Thomas died Feb 1535, Helmingham, Suffolk, England. "Of Helmingham." His Will, dated 31 Jul 1535 and proved 27 Feb 1535-6, gives to wife Joane, for life, estates in Helmingham, Otley, Winston, and Pethaw, with reversion at her death to son John, except tenements in Helmingham, called Julkins and Stoldyngs, to son Thomas, and mentions youngest daughter Elizabeth. Joane's Will, dated 30 Jul 1540 and proved 12 Dec 1540, mentions daughters Elizabeth Bacon and Anne Dow. Joan/Johanna: Data from Automated Archives calls her Joane Wade, however, it is thought that the researcher mixed up this Joane with the daughter Joane of her son Thomas who did marry a Wade. Of course, the possibility exists that there were two Joane Wades from the two generations.
Children:
i Anne Bacon b. Helmingham, Suffolk, England. Living 30 July 1540; married before 30 July 1540, _____ Dow.
14. ii John Bacon b. ABT 1505.
iii Elizabeth Bacon b. Helmingham, Suffolk, England. Living unmarried, 30 July 1540.
iv Thomas Bacon b. ABT 1510, d. 1557. Married Agnes _____ and had five children. His Will dated 21 Oct 1556 and proved 16 Dec 1557, mentions wife Agnes, sons Richard and Thomas, under 30, and daughters Elizabeth and Edith, both unmarried and under 30. Agnes' Will dated 5 Sep 1575 and proved 18 Jan 1579-80, mentions sons Richard and Thomas Bacon, daughter Elizabeth Bacon and daughter Joane Wade.

Thirteenth Generation

14. John Bacon b. ABT 1505, Helmingham, Suffolk, England, m. Margaret Bacon*, b. ABT 1512, Helmingham, Suffolk, England. John died 19 Mar 1557, Helmingham, Suffolk, England. John's Will, dated 4 Sept 1557 and proved 19 Mar 1557-8, mentions wife Margaret, eldest son William Bacon, son Michael Bacon to whom was given lands in Winston, sons Thomas and Richard, both under 21, daughters Barbara and Rose, both under 21, and youngest son, William Bacon who was to have the reversion of a meadow in Ashe Barkinge after the death of wife Margaret. John was called "of Helmingham."
Children:
i William Bacon b. ABT 1533, Helmingham, Suffolk, England, d. 1610. William was "of Coddington or Coddenham." He was married and had a daughter, Rose Bacon who married John Ballet. William's Will mentions daughter Rose, wife of John Ballet, granddaughter Rose Ballet, under 20, Michael Bacon, son of brother Richard Bacon, William Bacon, son of brother Michael Bacon, Michael and Susan Bacon, children of brother Thomas Bacon, and Joane Wade, daughter of Thomas Bacon of Helmingham.
15. ii Michael Bacon b. ABT 1544.
iii Barbara Bacon b. AFT 1537, Helmingham, Suffolk, England.
iv Rose Bacon b. AFT 1537, Helmingham, Suffolk, England.
v Thomas Bacon b. AFT 1537, Helmingham, Suffolk, England. Married at Winston, Suffolk, England in 1572, Mary Ebinger.
vi Richard Bacon b. AFT 1537, Helmingham, Suffolk, England. Married and had at least one son named Michael.
vii William Bacon b. ABT 1545, Helmingham, Suffolk, England, d. 13 Oct 1574. Died unmarried. His will, dated 12 Oct 1574 and proved 6 Dec 1575 mentions brothers William, Thomas and Richard Bacon, and sister Rose Bacon and gives to "brother Michael Bacon a meadow in Ashe Barkinge given to me by will of my father John Bacon of Helmingham."

Fourteenth Generation

15. Michael Bacon b. ABT 1544, Winston, Suffolk, England, m. (1) 16 Aug 1565, in Helmingham, Suffolk, England, Elizabeth Wylie, b. ABT 1542, (of) Helmingham, Suffolk, England, d. Winston, Suffolk, England, m. (2) 20 Sep 1607, in Suffolk, England, Grace Blowerses. Michael died Mar 1615, bd: 25 Mar 1615, Winston, Suffolk, England. Michael was "of Winston, Suffolk, England." His will dated 24 Oct 1614 and proved 20 Apr 1615, mentions wife Grace, and several children and grand children. Among bequests to his son Michael Bacon were "A pott Tipped with silver and Six silver spones marked with M and B." Grace: Grace Blowerses was a widow when she married Michael. She survived Michael.
Children by Elizabeth Wylie:
i John Bacon b. bp 31 May 1566, Helmingham, Suffolk, England. living in 1615. Married about 1590 Mary _____ and had 3 children; John, Elizabeth and Michael. His son Michael was born about 1598 and married 31 Aug 1624, Marie Jobo.
ii Joanna Bacon b. 1567. Not mentioned in her father's Will.
iii Mary Bacon b. 1569. Not mentioned in her father's Will.
iv Thomas Bacon b. 1572, Helmingham, Suffolk, England. Thomas was living in 1614.
v Sarah Bacon b. ABT 1575, Suffolk Cty, England. Married in 1601, Daniel York.
vi William Bacon b. 1577, Helmingham, Suffolk, England, d. 1653, Salem, MA. William was of Dublin, Ireland in 1639 and of Salem, MA in 1640. He married Rebecca Potter, daughter of Thomas Potter, mayor of Coventry County, Warwick, England.
16. vii Michael Bacon b. 06 Dec 1579.
viii Elizabeth Bacon b. bp 03 Sep 1584, Suffolk Cty, England. Married _____ Bacon and had a least a daughter, Katherine Bacon, living in 1614.

Fifteenth Generation

16. Michael Bacon b. 06 Dec 1579, Winston, Suffolk, England, m. 15 Feb 1607, in England, Alice Bacon*, d. 02 Apr 1648, Dedham, MA. Michael died 18 Apr 1648, Dedham, MA. Date baptized in Winston England. He went to North Ireland in 1633 and 7 years later came to New England with Samuel Cooke and John Smyth also from Ulster, Ireland. They were proposed as proprietors of the town of Dedham, Ma. 23 May 1640 and the records show that it was "agreed upon that the Towne of Dedham shall entertain Mr. Saml Cooke, together with his estate, and also Mr. Smith and Mr. Bacon, all from Ireland, and afford them such acccomdation of upland as their estates shall require." His wife may have preceded him to America.
Children:
17. i Michael Bacon b. 1608.
ii Daniel Bacon b. ABT 1615, England, d. 07 Sep 1691, Newton, MA. Was of Woburn in 1640, later Bridgewater and in 1669, Newton, MA. Married Mary Reed and had 9 children.
iii John Bacon b. ABT 1620, England, d. 17 Jun 1683, Dedham, MA. Admitted freeman at Dedham 1647. Married 17 Feb 1651, Rebecca Hall of Dedham, MA and had 9 children.
iv Alice Bacon b. England, d. 29 Mar 1648, Dedham, MA. m. 31 Mar 1647, Thomas Bancroft of Dedham, MA.
v Sarah Bacon b. England, d. 1652. Married 14 April 1648, Anthony Hubbard of Dedham, MA.

Sixteenth Generation

17. Michael Bacon b. 1608, Winston, Suffolk, England, m. (1) 03 Aug 1634, in Woburn, Middlesex, MA, Mary Jobo, b. ABT 1617, (of) Winston, Suffolk, England, d. 26 Aug 1655, Woburn, Middlesex, MA, m. (2) 26 Oct 1655, in Woburn, Middlesex, MA, Mary Baldwin, d. 19 May 1670, m. (3) 28 Nov 1670, in Woburn, Middlesex, MA, Mary Noyes. Michael died 04 Jul 1688, Woburn, Middlesex, MA. Born in England, Michael went to Ireland with his father and came to America with him. He was one of the proprietors of Woburn in 1640, chosen surveyor of highways in Woburn in 1644. In August 1675, the town of Billerica in providing defense against the Indians in King Philip's war, assigned Michael Bacon to garrison No. 10 under Timothy Brooks. In 1648, he bought a farm in Cambridge, now a part of Bedford, on which Bacon is said to have built a mill before 1675 which was lately standing. Mary Baldwin was the widow of Thomas Richardson.
Children by Mary Jobo:
i Mary Bacon. According to Automated Archives Inc., Mary was christened in Winston, England 18 Feb 1640 and married Sgt. John Lakin. Lakin descendants are included on AAI CD-Rom 100.
18. ii Michael Bacon Jr. b. 26 Feb 1639.
iii Elizabeth Bacon b. 04 Jan 1642, Woburn, Middlesex, MA. m. John Richardson.
iv Sarah Bacon b. 24 Aug 1644, Woburn, Middlesex, MA. m. 25 Sep 1677, Caleb Simonds.

Seventeenth Generation

18. Michael Bacon Jr. b. 26 Feb 1639, Winston, Suffolk, England, occ: Shoemaker, m. 22 Mar 1660, in Woburn, Middlesex, MA, Sarah Richardson, b. 22 Nov 1640, (daughter of Thomas Richardson and Mary Baldwin) d. 15 Aug 1694. Michael died 13 Aug 1707, Bedford, Middlesex, MA. Michael was born in England. He was of Billerica, MA in 1666 and of Bedford, MA in 1682. Above date is date he was baptized. His home, at Bedford, MA was built before 1700. Of the twenty-six minute men from Bedford in the Concord fight, six were Bacons, all of this family and two others were in the company of militia in that engagement. Nine Bacons were reported as liable for military duty in the town of Bedford, May 15, 1775. Sarah: Birth date is actually baptized date.
Children:
i Mary Bacon b. 01 Mar 1661, Woburn, Middlesex, MA.
ii Sarah Bacon b. 24 Aug 1663, Woburn, Middlesex, MA.
iii Abigail Bacon b. 05 Mar 1666-7, Woburn, Middlesex, MA.
19. iv Jonathan Bacon b. 14 Jul 1672.
v Nathaniel Bacon b. 18 Sep 1675, Billerica, Middlesex, MA. m. Judith Wyman of Woburn, daughter of Francis Wyman. Served under Capt. Thomas Prentice in the Mount Hope Campaign, 1675-1676. Had 10 childrem.
vi Josiah Bacon b. 20 Aug 1678, Billerica, Middlesex, MA, d. 14 Oct 1723. m. Mary _____ and had 6 children. He was a lieutenant in the Indian Wars with "Major Lane."
vii Ruth Bacon b. 24 Jul 1681, Billerica, Middlesex, MA.
viii Benjamin Bacon b. 1683, Bedford, Middlesex, MA, d. 19 Nov 1747. m. Abigail Taylor of Concord and had 5 children. He was the son to remain in the homestead in Bedford, known as the "Bacon house." He served in Capt. John Lane's Company 1703-1713 and was in the Billerica Troop of Horse, in Queen Anne's War, for the relief of Dunstable, MA in 1706.
ix Joseph Bacon b. 08 Mar 1685, Bedford, Middlesex, MA, d. 29 Nov 1747. m. Rebecca Taylor and had 4 children born in Bedford.

Eighteenth Generation

19. Jonathan Bacon b. 14 Jul 1672, Billerica, Middlesex, MA, m. (1) 03 Jun 1694, in Woburn, Middlesex, MA, Elizabeth Giles, b. ABT 1671, Of Billerica, Middlesex, MA, (daughter of John Giles and Elizabeth Giles*) d. 16 Dec 1738, Bedford, Middlesex, MA, m. (2) 22 Sep 1739, Elizabeth Hancock. Jonathan died 12 Jan 1754, Bedford, Middlesex, MA. A leading citizen of Billerica, MA. He and two of his brothers were in the Indian War in 1706. He was a Deputy to the General Court from Billerica in 1726, and selectman in 1719 and 1727. He was one of the petitioners for the formation of the town of Bedford, and as a principal inhabitant was appointed to assemble the first town meeting, October 6, 1729, when he was chosen one of the selectman. Bedford records show him to be age 82 at death. Elizabeth: Daughter of John and Elizabeth Giles. Bedford records say she was age 67 at death. Elizabeth: Widow of Benjamin Wyman of Woburn, MA.
Children by Elizabeth Giles:
i Elizabeth Bacon b. 26 Nov 1695, Billerica, Middlesex, MA, m. (1) 8 Jun 1715, Tarrant Putnam, m. (2) 21 May 1733, Ebenezer Richardson. Elizabeth died 23 Aug 1761, Danvers, Essex, MA. m. 8 Jun 1715, Salem, Essex, MA, Tarrant Putnam. Tarrant: Administration granted on his estate 10 Mar 1732.
ii Sarah Bacon b. 25 Dec 1696, Billerica, Middlesex, MA, m. Israel Putnam, b. 22 Aug 1699, Salem, Essex, MA. Sarah died 12 Nov 1760, Bedford, Middlesex, MA.
iii Anna Bacon b. 28 Apr 1698, Billerica, Middlesex, MA, d. 8 Oct 1698, Billerica, Middlesex, MA.
iv Jonathan Bacon b. 18 Dec 1700, Billerica, Middlesex, MA, d. BEF 1764. Lived in Bedford, MA but Cutter says he went to Uxbridge, MA in 1733 and owned the water power at what is now Whitinsville. m. Ruth _____ and had son William who died young.
20. v Mary Bacon b. 18 Sep 1702.
vi Bridget Bacon b. 5 Jan 1706-7, Billerica, Middlesex, MA.
vii Anna Bacon b. 19 Aug 1709, Billerica, Middlesex, MA, m. Samuel Cummings.

Nineteenth Generation

20. Mary Bacon b. 18 Sep 1702, Billerica, Middlesex, MA, m. Cornet Stephen Blood, b. 22 Feb 1703/4, Concord, Middlesex, MA, (son of Josiah Blood and Mary Torrey). Cornet: From a part of Concord which became Carlisle, MA.

Sources:
>Colonial Families of the United States, pp 49-51.
>Massachusetts by Cutter, 1910, Vol I, pp 408-410.
>Woburn (MA) Marriages from 1640-1873, Edward F. Johnson, 1890, p 14 & 15.
>English Origins of New England Families, Second Series, Vol I, pp 58-60 and 933-935.
>Bacon and Allied Families, A Family Directory, by John Bacon, 1958 which contains source data from the Bacon Genealogy by Thomas W. Baldwin, The Cleveland Genealogy by Edmund J. Cleveland and other sources of Bacon Ancestry.
>NEHGR, Vol 90, July 1936, pp 300-301.
>NEHGR, Vol 56, October 1902, pp 364-374.
>History of the Town of Bedford, by Abram English Brown, Bedford, Published by the Author, 1891.
>Bacon Genealogy, Michael Bacon of Dedham, 1640 and his descendants by Thomas W. Baldwin, 1915.
>Cleveland Genealogy compiled by Edmund James Cleveland and Horace Gillette Cleveland.
>Michail Bacon and his descendants, by Leon Brooks Bacon, L.B., 1902.
>Automated Archives Inc., CD-Rom 100 & 102.