Grimbaldus of Lethringsett

The ancient and noble family of BACON is first identified in Normandy. Lowers' Patronymica Britannica says, "Bacon, a seignory in Normandy."

"According to the genealogy of the great Suffolk family of Bacon, one GRIMBALD, a relative of the Norman chieftain William de Warrenne, came into England at the time of the Conquest and settled near Holt Hundred. His great-grandson is stated to have taken the name BACON. However, this was only an assumption of the ancient Norman surname which is still existing in the north of France. Wlliam Bacon, in 1082 endowed the Abbey of the Holy Trinity at Caen."

In "Family Names and their Story", published by S. Baring Gould, he says that BACON comes from Bascoin, the family name of the Seigneurs of Molai. He speaks of William Bacon who founded the Abbey of the Holy Trinity as being Lord of Molai [Bacon and Allied Families, p. 15].

Coat of arms - Bars of Six...

Came to England with William de Warrene, a relative. Granted lands at Letheringsett, Norfolk - "Leather Settlement" - may have been tanners.

As has been said, one Grimbald came from Normandy at the time of the conquest and settled at Letheringsete near Holt in the county of Norfolk where he had grants of land. He had three sons: Rudolf, who became the Lord of Letheringsete; Ranulf, and Edmund. The latter was appointed rector of the Church of Letheringsete, which was founded by his father. The son Ranulf, or Reynolds, resided at Thorp, Norfolk. It has been stated that he was the one who assumed the name Bacon or Bacon-Thorpe, but some authorities attribute this name to his son Roger. There were several places called Thorp in Norfolk, and he added this name to distinguish him from other lords of Thorp. The name Bacon having been said to have been taken from the word buchen or beechen, meaning beech tree, we might call him lord of the beech tree village. The word Thorp is said to have been the saxon name for village.

: "Of this name there have been many persons of great account in former ages; but that particular family, of which we are now to treat, derive their descent from Grimbaldus who came into England at the time of the Norman conquest in company with William Earl Warren to whom he was related, which Grimbaldus had lands in Normandy, and after his arrival in England settled at Letheringsett near Holt in Norfolk, where he founded the church and made his second son Edmund parson of it. His other sons were Radulph [sic] and Ranulf.

Roger, the son of Ranulph, was father of Robert, the first of the family we find mentioned by the name of Bacon, whose brother, William Bacon, was of Monks Bradfield in the county of Suffolk temp. Ric. I, which William is taken notice of among the knights bearing banners as well Normans as of other provinces in the reign of King Philip II of France; and by a daughter of Thomas Lord Bardolph was father of another William of the same place, whose son Adam lived in the time of Edw. I and left two sons, Wido Bacon of Bradfield, aforesaid, who died without issue, and Robert Bacon of Hessett, alias Hegesett, in the said county. _____________________________________________________

THE FAMILY OF BACON IN ENGLAND The family is of very early origin, and while there are several versions as to the derivation of the name, I think the general opinion is that it originated from the Saxon word "baccen" or "buccen," meaning a beech tree. Burke's Peerage says that "Various conjectures have been hazarded as to the origin of the surname of Bacon, but to little purpose. It matters not, however; the antiquity of the family is beyond dispute; and there are few houses in the kingdom more distinguished for the production of great and eminent men." Lowers Patronymica Britannica says, "Bacon, A seignory in Normandy."

According to the genealogy of the great Suffolk family of Bacon, one Grimbald, a relative of the Norman chieftain William de Warenne, came into England at the time of the conquest and settled near Holt. His great-grandson is stated to have taken the name of Bacon. This was only an assumption of an ancient Norman surname which is still existing in the north of France. William Bacon, in 1082, endowed the Abbey of the Holy Trinity at Caen.

In "Family Names and their Story," published by S. Baring Gould, he says that Bacon comes from Bascoin, the family name of the Seigneurs of Molai. He speaks of William Bacon who founded the Abbey of the Holy Trinity as being Lord of Molai.

William Arthur, in his "Dictionary of Family and Christian Names," gives the origin of the name as from the Anglo Saxon bacan to bake, to dry by heat.

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TOC | Index: A-Et Bacon | Eu-Li Bacon | Lo-V Bacon | W-Zu Bacon Other Last Names: A-Dou | Dov-Man | Man-Ste | Sti-Zyx BACON GENEALOGY He also says that some derive the surname from the Saxon baccen or buccen, a beech tree.

"The Baronetage of England," published in 1801 by the Rev. William Betham, says, regarding the name: "The learned Cambden, in his 'Britannia,' says that Buckinghamshire and Bucknam in Norfolk were so called from the buchen or beechen trees there growing ... and from thence it may be the surname of the family, being anciently written de Bachone or Bacchone as Trithemius; or Baucan or Baccoun, as Matthew Westminster, and some old records call them; as well as the word bacon, both in Latin and English, for swine's flesh, which Cambden, Verstegan and Minshew say came from the same word, because the best of that kind was made upon their feeding upon beechen mast."

As has been said, one Grimbald came from Normandy at the time of the conquest and settled at Letheringsete near Holt in the county of Norfolk where he had grants of land. He had three sons: Rudolf, who became the Lord of Letheringsete; Ranulf, and Edmund. The latter was appointed rector of the Church of Letheringsete, which was founded by his father. The son Ranulf, or Reynolds, resided at Thorp, Norfolk. It has been stated that he was the one who assumed the name Bacon or Bacon-Thorpe, but some authorities attribute this name to his son Roger. There were several places called Thorp in Norfolk, and he added this name to distinguish him from other lords of Thorp. The name Bacon having been said to have been taken from the word buchen or beechen, meaning beech tree, we might call him lord of the beech tree village. The word Thorp is said to have been the saxon name for village.

This family, as been said, produced a large num-

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THE FAMILY OF BACON IN ENGLAND ber of eminent and learned men. Among the earliest of them was Roger Bacon, sometimes called Roger of the Black Art. He ws born in 1214, and few, if any, men in that century took higher rank than he. He wrote many works both scientific and philosophical, and in 1278 his works were condemned and he was imprisoned for fourteen years.

Another Bacon at a little later date was John Bacon, sometimes called Baconthorp from the name of the village where he was born. He became a learned monk and is known as The Resolute Doctor. He died in London in 1346.

Coming down to more recent times, we come to Sir Nicholas Bacon, who in the reign of Queen Elizabeth was lord keeper of the great seal. He was the first person to be created a baronet by James I. His [adopted] son wasFrancis Bacon, who in 1617 was appointed Lord Keeper of the Great Seal. In 1618 Francis was made Lord High Chancellor of England and the same year was created Baron Verulam and Viscount of St. Albans.

These Bacons were not in a direct line with our Michael, but are mentioned as illustrations of the noted position held by this family.

"The Baronetage of England," by Kimber and Johnson, speaking of this family, says: "Of this name there have been many persons of great account in former ages; but that particular family, of which we are now to treat, derive their descent from Grimbaldus who came into England at the time of the Norman conquest in company with William Earl Warren to whom he was related, which Grimbaldus had lands in Normandy, and after his arrival in England settled at Letheringsett near Holt in Norfolk, where he founded

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TOC | Index: A-Et Bacon | Eu-Li Bacon | Lo-V Bacon | W-Zu Bacon Other Last Names: A-Dou | Dov-Man | Man-Ste | Sti-Zyx BACON GENEALOGY the church and made his second son Edmund parson of it. His other sons were Radulph [sic] and Ranulf.

Roger, the son of Ranulph, was father of Robert, the first of the family we find mentioned by the name of Bacon, whose brother, William Bacon, was of Monks Bradfield in the county of Suffolk temp. Ric. I, which William is taken notice of among the knights bearing banners as well Normans as of other provinces in the reign of King Philip II of France; and by a daughter of Thomas Lord Bardolph was father of another William of the same place, whose son Adam lived in the time of Edw. I and left two sons, Wido Bacon of Bradfield, aforesaid, who died without issue, and Robert Bacon of Hessett, alias Hegesett, in the said county.

The said Robert by Alice, his wife, daughter of Burgate, has issue John Bacon of Hesset and Bradfield who was father of John Bacon, and he of another John of the same place, who married Helena, daughter of _____ Gedding and by her left a son of his own name, married (first), Helena, daughter of Sir George Tillot of Rougham, in Norfolk, Knt; and (secondly), Julia, daughter of _____ Bardwell, from which second marriage proceeded the Bacons of Hesset, who flourished there five hundred years and have not been extinct a century.

John, son of the said John Bacon (by Helena, his first wife) married Margery, daughter and heir of John Thorp, son of William Thorp (by the daughter and heir of _____ Quaplod), son of Sir William Thorp (by the daughter and heir of Sir Roger Bacon, a commander in the wars, temp. Edw. II and Edw. III son of Sir Henry Bacon, son of another Sir Henry, a judge itinerant temp. Hen. III lineally descended from Grimbaldus), since which marriage of this branch of the family

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THE FAMILY OF BACON IN ENGLAND quarter the arms of Quaplod with their own, viz., Barrs of six or and Azure and Bend Gules.

The said John Bacon was father of Edmund Bacon of Drinkston, who married Elizabeth, daughter of _____ Crofts, by whom he had issue John Bacon who married Agnes, daughter of Thomas Cockfield, and had issue Robert Bacon of Drinkston."

This authority then goes on to tell of the descendants of Robert Bacon, and it is from this line that are descended not only Sir Francis, but also Nathaniel Bacon of the Virginia Rebellion, and the Bacons who settled on Cape Cod, as well as those who came to Hingham.

In a genealogy of the Cleveland family compiled by Edmund James Cleveland and Horace Gillette Cleveland there is a notice of the Bacon ancestry, from which I take the following extract:

"Bacon ancestry. Grimbaldus, the patriarch of the Bacon family, a Norman gentleman came to Eng. 1066 with and was related to William de Warren, Earl Surrey, was of Letheringsete, Norfolk co[ounty] had sons, Randulph, Edmund (who each took the name of his abode thus, Ranulph de Laringsete) and Ranulf, Reynold or Ralph, who was of Thorpe, Norf. and took name Ralph de Bacons-thorpe (Becuns Thorp, Beechtree village), was founder of this illustrious family was father of Roger (whose s. Robert assumed the name Bacon) and of George whose s. Roger was progenitor of Bacons of Drinkston and Hessett, Suffolk co[unty] ...[sic] John Bacon of H.m. Cecilly Hoo or How and had John who m. Hellen Gedding, whose s. John m. 1st Hellena Tillotts da[ughter]. Sir Geroge of Rougham and had John who m. Margery Thorpe da. of John (s. of William by w. Margaret Quapladde) s. of Sir William Thorpe by w. Beatrix Bacon da. of Sir Roger Bacon12 (Sir Henry11 m. Margaret Ludham, Sir Henry10, Richard9, Reginald8, Richard7, Reginald6, Robert5, Roger4, George3, Ralph2, Grimbald1) commander in the wars temp. Edw. II and III, and had Edmund of Drinst, father of John, who m. Agnes Cokefield, whose s. Robert

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TOC | Index: A-Et Bacon | Eu-Li Bacon | Lo-V Bacon | W-Zu Bacon Other Last Names: A-Dou | Dov-Man | Man-Ste | Sti-Zyx BACON GENEALOGY m. Isabella Cage, da. John and had Sir Nicholas (father of Lord Francis b. London, Jan. 22, 1561, Baron Verulam Hertford Co. and Viscount St. Albans) and Alderman James of London the ancestor of Nathaniel of Virginia, 1670."

Mrs. Eliza Buckingham Bacon of New Haven has been much interested in and has given much study to the antiquity of the Bacon family and has had printed a chart showing the line of the early Bacons. To help in making clear what has already been said concerning the Bacons, a copy of the chart has been inserted here. Mr. Alexander S. Bacon of New York, who traces his ancestry back to John, son of Edmund of Drinkston, but who is not of the line of Michael, has a chart prepared by Mr. Anjou, a genealogist, and also has his genealogical line written by the same party. From this genealogy I have obtained the following items regarding marriages of some of these early Bacons. Agnes Cokefield, the wife of John, was daughter of Thomas Cokefield. Their son Robert married Isabella, daughter of John Cage of Perkenham, Co. Suffolk. This Robert was father of James Bacon, an alderman of London, who married Mary, daughter of John Gardner of Grove, Buck. He married second, Margaret, daughter of William Rawline, a grocer, and widow of Richard Goldston of London, a salter. This Alderman James had two sons, one of whom was Sir James of Freston Suffolk, who married Elizabeth, daughter of Francis Bacon of Hesset and Ann Drury. He was the great-grandfather of Nathaniel Bacon, who married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Edward Drake, and emigrated to Virginia and was the Bacon of Bacon's Rebellion. Sir James was father of Rev. James who married Martha Honeywood and emigrated to Hingham, but returned to England and died there. This

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THE FAMILY OF BACON IN ENGLAND

Bacon

(unnumbered page) [Note: Reverse side of this folio is blank.] THE FAMILY OF BACON IN ENGLAND James was father of Col. Nathaniel Bacon, who was Governor of Virginia.

William Bacon, brother of Sir James, married Margaret Pepper, daughter of Samuel Pepper and Mercy, June 4, 1598, and their grandchildren Nathaniel, Samuel and Elizabeth emigrated to New England and settled at Barnstable and are the ancestors of the Bacons of Cape Cod.

Text and illustration insertion between horizontal rules: June, 1999. Bacon Coat of Arms found in the frontispiece of "Instauratio Magna," Sir Francis Bacon's masterpiece of 1620 Bacon Coat of Arms Another Bacon CoA

   These depictions of the Bacon Coat of Arms did not appear in the original Baldwin text of 1915. The Coat of Arms on the left appears in the frontispiece of Sir Francis Bacon's Instauratio Magna of 1620, published just twenty years before Michael's immigration to Dedham. The two on the right are more contenporary graphic representations. The center one is of unknown origin; on the right from an on-line collection called Designs of Wonder. Yet another modern depiction appears here. Compare each of them to the original blazon (descriptive text) granted to Sir Nicholas dated February 22, 1568 reproduced on p.9ff. 

   It should be noted that these arms (left) were "grant[ed] unto the said Sir Nicholas Bacon Kt, and to his posterity forever, &c.&c." Michael Bacon of Dedham is not a descendant of Sir Nicholas Bacon. <nowiki>-----</nowiki>GFB

http://www.baconlinks.com/Genealogy_old/Baldwin1915/History1.html