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CAPTAIN ASA BACON (1735–1819), son of Lieutenant John Bacon and Ruth Spalding

ABIGAIL WHITNEY  (1744–1821), daughter of Joshua Whitney and Amy Blodgett

Captain Asa Bacon, the son of John and Ruth Bacon, was born on 21 November 1735 in Canterbury. [1][2] He was baptized on 29 March 1736. [3] He died on 15 October 1819. [2] Asa Bacon married first Edith Bradford on 16 May 1765 in Canterbury. [1][2][3] Edith, the daughter of Thomas and Eunice (Adams) Bradford, was born on 23 October 1741 in Canterbury. [1][2] She died on 2 or 3 March 1766 in Canterbury. [1][2] Asa married second Abigail Whitney on 2 June 1768 in Canterbury. [1]

Abigail Whitney, the daughter of Joshua Whitney and Amy Blodgett, was born on 10 January 1744. [2] She died of a "quick consumption" on 21 September 1821 in Woodstock. [2]

Captain Asa Bacon's gravestone in the Hyde Cemetery in Canterbury says that he served in Colonel Chester's Company in the Revolutionary War and that he died on 15 October 1819, age 84. [4]

Abigail's gravestone in the Hyde Cemetery says that Abigail, the wife of Asa, died on 21 September 1821. [4] Her son, John Bacon, wrote in his journal: [2]

Abigail the second wife of Asa Bacon died in Woodstock on Friday afternoon 21st September 1821 of a consumption which proceeded from a sudden cold which continued 17 weeks. She was at the house of Mr. William May where she went to make a social visit.

Asa Bacon was a captain in Colonel John Chester's regiment, part of the men who were raised to march to New York and join the continental army in 1776. [5]

Dexter describes Asa as "a somewhat opulent farmer of Canterbury." [6]

The house Asa built in 1783—later occupied by his son Asa—is still standing at 437 N. Canterbury Road in Canterbury.

Children of Captain Asa Bacon and Edith Bradford:

i. Benjamin Bacon was born on 18 January 1766 in Canterbury. [1] He died there on 27 January 1766. [1][2]

Children of Captain Asa Bacon and Abigail Whitney:

ii. Elizabeth Bacon died on 27 February 1770 in Canterbury. [1]

iii. Asa Bacon was born on 8 February 1771 in Canterbury. [1][2] He died on 5 February 1857 in New Haven. He married Lucretia H. Champion, the daughter of General Epaphroditus and Lucretia (Hubbard) Champion of East Haddam on 16 March 1807. [2][6] She was born on 17 February 1783 and died on 18 January 1882.

Portrait: The Honorable Asa Bacon (1771–1857), B.A.1793. Artist: Anson Dickinson. Yale University Art Gallery.

Asa and Lucretia are buried together in the East Cemetery in Litchfield, Litchfield County, Connecticut. Their gravestone says, "Asa Bacon | died | February 5th 1857 | Aged 86 Years | Lucretia Champion | wife of Asa Bacon | Born February 17, 1783 | Died January 18, 1882." [7][8]

Asa graduated from Yale in 1793. [6] After being admitted to the bar, he practiced law in Leesburg, Virgina for three years. He returned to Canterbury, and was a member of the General Assembly in October 1800. He settled in Litchfield. In 1831 he was appointed president of the Phoenix Bank of Litchfield. [6]

Dexter says, "He was always well dressed, and was the last member of the county bar to discard the fashion of powdered hair and a queue." [6]

A notice in the 6 February 1857 Hartford Courant (page 3), said that the Hon. Asa Bacon died on 5 February in New Haven.

Two of Asa and Lucretia's sons are buried in the East Cemetery and one has a cenotaph there. Their inscriptions say: [7]

iv. Abigail Bacon was born on 30 December 1772 in Canterbury. [1] She died there on 2 December 1781.[1]

v. John Bacon was born on 24 November 1774 in Canterbury. [1][2] He died, unmarried, on 16 January 1846. [2][6]

John graduated from Yale in 1796. [2] He compiled family records. [2] He spent most of his time on his farm in Canterbury. [6]

Dexter says, "He was for much of the time an invalid, and followed no profession." [6]

vi. Mary "Polly" Bacon was born on 8 October 1776. [2] She died of consumption on 23 January 1801 in New London. [2] She married as his first wife Judge William Pitt Cleveland on 2 February 1796. [2] William was born on 18 December 1770 in Canterbury. [2] He was the son of Aaron and Thankful (Paine) Cleveland and the younger brother of General Moses Cleveland, for whom Cleveland is named. [2] He died on 2 January 1845 in New London. [6] He married second Abby, the daughter of Guy and Hannah (Dolbeare) Richards, on 15 January 1806. [6] She died on 10 January 1824 in New London. [6] He married third Abby's younger sister Sophia. [6] She died on 11 February 1861 in New London. [6]

William was president of the Union Bank of New London from 1825 to 1835. He was chief judge of the county court from 1829 to 1832. [6] He was deacon of the first church in New London from 1830 until his death. [6]

vii. Amy Bacon was born on 13 October 1779 in Canterbury. She died on 24 May 1816. She married Fitch Adams.

viii. Abigail Bacon was born on 20 September 1782 in Canterbury. [1][2] She died on 2 August, age 80 years, ten months, and 13 days, in Pomfret, Windham County. [9] She married Deacon Walter Paine of Providence as his second wife on 1 January 1818 in Canterbury. [2][3][10] Walter was born about 31 January 1776 in Woodstock. [9>] He died on 15 January 1860, age 83 years, nine months, and 15 days in Pomfret. [9] Walter married first Lydia Snow on 13 November 1800 in Providence County. [10] She died on 30 October 1816 in Providence, Rhode Island. [8]

Walter and his two wives are buried in the Grace Church Cemetery in Providence. [8]

Abby was admitted to the church in Canterbury in April 1806. [3]

Walter was a farmer in Pomfret. [9]

Walter and Abigail names a son Asa Bacon Paine. [10]

ix. David Bacon was born on 2 July 1784 in Canterbury. [1][2] He died on 13 January 1823 in New York City" of a general disability." [2]

David graduated from Yale in 1804. [2]

Dexter Says, "He studied medicine after graduation, but early fell victim to intemperate habits." [6]

References:

1. "Connecticut: Vital Records (The Barbour Collection), 1630–1870," database with images, AmericanAncestors.org  > Canterbury, from original typescripts, Lucius Barnes Barbour Collection, 1928, 18–20, 33–33.

2. David W. Dumas, ed., "Bacon - Adams - Whitney - Kingsbury Family Record," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 138 (1984), 32–38. Records compiled by John Bacon (1774–1846), record of John Bacon, son of Captain Asa Bacon and Abigail Whitney.

3. "Connecticut, U.S., Church Record Abstracts, 1630–1920, database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/3032) > Volume 15 Canterbury, First Congregational Church, 1711–1821, images 4–8.

4. "Connecticut, U.S., Hale Collection of Cemetery Inscriptions and Newspaper Notices, 1629–1934," Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2900) > Connecticut Headstone Inscriptions vol. 8, images 226–7 (Hyde Cemetery, Canterbury).

5. "U.S., Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775–1783," database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/4282) > Connecticut > Folders 217–64, image 706.

6. Franklin Bowditch Dexter, Biographical Sketches of the Graduates of Yale College, vols. 5–6 (New York: Henry Holt and Co., 1911, 1912): Asa Bacon, Jr.: vol. 5: 57–58; William Pitt Cleveland: vol. 5: 65–66; John Bacon: vol. 5: 179; David Bacon, vol. 6: 6.

7. Charles Thomas Payne, Litchfield and Morris Inscriptions (Litchfield: Dwight C. Kilbourne, 1905), 63.

8. Find a Grave, database and images (31 December 2022), memorial pages for

Asa Bacon Jr. (8 Feb 1771–5 Feb 1857), Memorial ID 127668341, citing East Cemetery, Litchfield, Litchfield County, Connecticut; Maintained by BluMoKitty (contributor 46830270).

Lucretia Champion Bacon (17 Feb 1783–19 Jan 1882), Memorial ID 127668369, citing East Cemetery; Maintained by BluMoKitty.

Abigail Bacon Paine (20 Sep 1782–2 Aug 1862), Memorial ID 59355763, citing Grace Church Cemetery, Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island; Maintained by Jon Saunders (contributor 47674050).

Deacon Walter Paine (8 Mar 1776–15 Jan 1861), Memorial ID 59355540, citing Grace Church Cemetery; Maintained by Jon Saunders.

Lydia Snow Paine (1772–30 Oct 1816), Memorial ID 59355959, citing Grace Church Cemetery; Maintained by Jon Saunders.

9. "Connecticut: Vital Records (The Barbour Collection), 1630–1870,"AmericanAncestors  > Pomfret, 140–2.

10. "Rhode Island Vital Records, 1636–1850," database with images, American Ancestors (https://www.americanancestors.org/DB532/i/14341//260585429) > vol. 2: 143, 237.

31-Dec-2022