HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SAMUEL BACON

Samuel Bacon, baptized 5 March 1636, at Stretton, Rutland, England, is my 7th great-grandfather.  The village of Stretton lies on the east side of the Roman road which here forms the Great North Road. "As early as 1636 there was a suit brought against the lords of the manor, stating that 'out of covetousness and malignity,' since the beginning of Charles's reign, they had destroyed twelve ancient farms, with land that had been arable time out of mind, and depopulated them, thrusting out all the ancient tenantry and farmers, their wives, children and servants, enclosed the common ground and turned the farm lands from tillage to pasture."



Parishes: Stretton, in A History of the County of Rutland: Volume 2, ed. William Page (London, 1935), pp. 145-151 British History Online, [accessed 29 October 2015]. 

Nathaniel Bacon is found in Barnstable, Massachusetts on a list of "First Settlers Barnstable 1640", and Samuel his younger brother is later found with his own land, between Nathaniel's farm and that of  Samuel's father-in-law, Richard Foxwell. The timing shows us at least one reason they had for leaving England to settle on Cape Cod.

Samuel married the girl next door, Martha Foxwell, in 1659, and they had their first two children in Barnstable. Samuel's farm was small - less than five acres, and his family was growing. The town of Woodbridge, New Jersey, wanted good farmers, and offered land grants of 170 acres. Samuel moved his family (most likely by boat) in 1669 to Woodbridge, where he had a dock called "Bacon's Landing". John, William, Nathaniel, Joseph, Jeremiah and Ann were born to Samuel and Martha at Woodbridge, New Jersey.

In 1682, the same year William Penn founded his great Quaker city of Philadelphia, Samuel Bacon claimed a plantation of 260 acres on the Cohansey River, which empties into the Delaware River south of Philadelphia. Samuel named his new estate "Bacon's Adventure". This move was also likely made by boat. Samuel served on the Provincial Assembly of West Jersey in 1685, and he was a Justice of the Court for Salem County in 1688. At some point he became a Quaker, and records of his family are found in their archives. Samuel Bacon died in November of 1695, age 59, at Salem, New Jersey. He is an immigrant ancestor and early settler of Massachusetts and New Jersey.

 Relationship Trail

1. April is the daughter of Kenneth Alvin Dellinger 
    2. Ken is the son of Clara May (Barchus) Dellinger 
       3. Clara is the daughter of Constant T. Barchus 
          4. Constant is the son of Sarah (Bacon) Barchus 
             5. Sarah is the daughter of David Bacon 
                6. David is the son of Enos Bacon 
                   7. Enos is the son of Joseph Bacon
                      8. Joseph is the son of Joseph Bacon 
                         9. Joseph is the son of Samuel Bacon 

This trail tells us that Samuel is the seventh great grandfather of April.