John Bacon
John Bacon lived at Helmingham in Suffolk. He was a son of Thomas Bacon of Helmingham and his wife Joan. His father's will of 1534 made him the chief heir. After his mother's death he was to have the tenement called Ryste in Helmingham, all the family's lands in Winston and Petthaugh, three acres in Otley, and the household goods. The Otley acres came with a condition: he was to keep his father's obit, a yearly dirge and mass for his soul in Helmingham church, for twelve years.
He married Margaret, whose maiden name is not known. They had seven children: William, Thomas, Michael, Richard, Barbara, Rose and a second William. Two sons carried the same name, one the eldest and one the youngest.
He made his will on 7 September 1557: "In the yere of our lorde god MCCCCCLVII and in the seventhe daye of September I John Bacon of Helmingham in the countye of Suff do make this to be my laste will and testament." He bequeathed his soul "to Jesu Christe the only Redemer thereof" and his body to the churchyard of Helmingham.
Margaret was to have three pieces of land for her life. The close called Medowplot in Barking Ash or Helmingham was to go after her to "Willm Bacon my youngeste sone". The tenement Rystheblemys in Helmingham was to go to "Willm my eldeste sone". Three acres in Otley were to go to "Thomas Bacon my sone".
To his son Michael he gave the Winston land outright: "Itm I give to Mihell Bacon my sone my tenements lands medow and pasture lyinge in Wynston and Pettaw called Rosland with their purtennces fre and coppye to him and to his heyres forever." Richard was to have twenty pounds at twenty one, Thomas ten pounds, and the daughters Barbara and Rose ten pounds each. If a son died before twenty one, his share was to be divided among the surviving sons, and the daughters' shares likewise. He left two shillings to "the poore mens boxe of Helmingham".
The rest of his goods he put "to the disposicion of my executors to the bringinge upe of my children." He named "Margaret my wyef and Mihell my sone" as executors. The witnesses were Anthonye Broke, William Hayle and Richard Wythe of Helmingham, and William Wythe wrote it. Margaret, as his widow, and Michael proved the will at Ipswich on 19 March 1557/8.
His two Williams went different ways. The younger, a single gentleman of Winston, died on 13 October 1574 and named his brothers Michael and William as executors. He left Michael the meadow plot in Barking Ash, "which he had by the will of his father John Bacon of Helmingham." The elder William lived at Coddington and died in 1610.
Children
Sources
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Cite: Heirology, "John Bacon", https://heirology.com/ancestors/john-bacon-9037d2.