Bacon and Womack Families of Georgia

I recently discovered the death certificate of Ebenezer P Womack, son of John B Womack and his wife Keturah. The death certificate gives Keturah's maiden name as Bacon. I had long suspected Keturah was a Bacon due to names of her sons - Stokes Bacon Womack, and Lyddall B Womack. Lyddall's middle initial of B was almost certainly for Bacon, after the many men named Lyddall Bacon.

In 17th century Virginia, Edmund Bacon married Anne Lyddall, and several of their descendants were named Lyddall Bacon. Lyddall appears several ways in old records - Lydell, Ludwell, etc. Also, because the hand-written capital L looks like an S, the name is sometimes misinterpreted as Sydell, etc.

I am not a Bacon descendant, nor a Bacon researcher, but I found a few things about the Bacon family that married into the Womacks.

John B Womack (son of Bird Womack), who married Keturah Bacon, had an aunt named Eliza Womack who married Thomas W Bacon. I wondered how Thomas W Bacon related to Keturah Bacon, and in this post, I'll explain my conclusions.

See Bacon Genforum 3753. Thomas W Bacon married Eliza Womack on 11 Jan 1810 in Oglethorpe Co, GA, where they are listed in the 1820 Census. I do not find Thomas W Bacon again in the census until 1850, when he and Eliza were listed in Stewart Co, GA:

1850 Census of Stewart Co, GA, Panhandle Dist

• p.40A, family 18 - Hamilton Mathews (36 GA) wife Nancy and children - possibly related to Joel Womack's wife Sarah Mathews
• p.40B, family 22 - David Mathews (25 GA) wife Lucinda and children - possibly related to Joel Womack's wife Sarah Mathews
• p.40B, family 25 - T W Bacon (68 VA), Eliza Bacon (56 VA), W H Bacon (male 3 GA), M A E Bacon (female 12 GA) - this is Thomas W Bacon and wife Eliza Womack
• p.40B, family 26 - Nancy Mathews (56 GA) and sons - Nancy widow of Asa, parents of Sarah Mathews, wife of Joel Womack
• p.41A, family 35 - Benjamin Garrett (48 GA), K W Garret (female 40 GA), children - from marriage records of Stewart Co, GA, Kitty Bacon to Benjamin Garrett 13 Jan 1841
• p.41B family 37 - Edmond Bacon (35 GA) wife Martha & children
• p.46A, family 101 - Thomas Bacon (26 GA) living with family of John B & Sarah Cole

Thomas W Bacon appears in a few deeds in Oglethorpe and and Greene Co, GA. Note that he always has the middle initial W, which stood for Winn, his mother's maiden name.

See this Rootsweb post.

From abook published in 1979 and is abstracts of records in the local and
general archives of Virginia. Thomas W. Bacon and Elizabeth, his wife of
Stewart County, Georgia deed to Thomas C. Winn of the state aforesaid and
county of Greene. $150. 58 acres in Lunenburg Co. VA on the waters of
Meherrin River adj. Wim. Franklin and James Shelburn & others. Dec. 16
1825.

The Thomas Winn in this record was probably some sort of cousin to Thomas Winn Bacon.

Actually, this is from the The Edward Pleasants Valentine Papers, Vol. I, p.85 (the section on the Bacon family). These records are available in many libraries, and on Ancestry.com. Note that the date, 16 Dec 1825, must be incorrect, since Stewart Co, GA was not formed until 1826. Probably, the date was in 1835. Note that the William Franklin listed was married to Edith Womack, Eliza's sister. The land being sold was Eliza's share of a tract in Lunenburg Co, VA that her father, Josiah Womack, bequeathed to three of his daughters - Edith, Willy and Eliza.

Also, in 1810, Thomas W Bacon had sold some of Eliza's land in Nottoway Co, VA:

November 3, 1810. Thomas W. Bacon and Elizabeth, his wife, of
Oglethorpe Co. Georgia (the said Bacon being now in Virginia) to Obadiah
Nunally, of Nottoway Co. $200; 92 acres in Nottoway Co. 64 3/4 acres
absolutely without limitation and 27 1/3 a. are in remainder which will elapse at death of Keziah Womack.

Bacon researcher Gary W Cooper has researched Thomas W Bacon, believing Thomas to be brother to Gary's ancestor, Lyddall Bacon, who died in 1854 in Marion Co, GA. Lyddall Bacon was listed as 59, born in GA, in the 1850 Census of Marion Co, GA. For reasons I'll go into more in a minute, I believe Lydall was actually about 10 years older and born in VA. When Lyddall was listed in the 1840 Census of Stewart Co, GA, he was in the 50-59 category, placing his birth in the 1780s.

There were actually two Lyddall Bacons in GA in 1850. The other was older, born in SC about 1776, and was in Houston Co, GA in 1850 (he died there in 1857). This Lyddall Bacon was probably a second cousin to Lyddall Bacon of Marion Co, GA. At the SC Archives web site, I found the will of Nathaniel Bacon of Edgefield District, SC. Nathaniel listed a son Lyddall Bacon, and a grandson Nathaniel Bacon (illegitimate son of his daughter Elizabeth) as his male heirs. Ancestry has this Lyddall Bacon listed as "Ludwell Bacon" in Edgefield Dist, SC in 1810 and 1820, and in the same place in 1830 as "Sydel Bacon". I cannot find Lyddall in 1840, but he is listed in 1850 in Houston Co, GA. In 1850, the Slave Census shows Lyddall had 13 slaves, and the Lyddall Bacon in 1830 Edgefield had 8 slaves. Given the name, the ages from the census records, the slaves, and that he almost the only Lyddall Bacon in SC, I am confident the Lyddall Bacon in Houston Co, GA was the same as the one in Edgefield Dist, SC, son of Nathaniel Bacon. This Lyddall was probably the same Lyddall Bacon who appeared in some early GA records (Richmond and Elbert Counties) circa 1800.

The Nathaniel Bacon of Edgefield Dist, SC, may have been the son of John Bacon who made a will in Lunenburg Co, VA in 1758, listing a son Nathaniel, and naming his (John's) brother Lyddall Bacon. This would explain why Nathaniel named a son Lyddall. Anyhow, this is just an hypothesis which needs more work.

I stated above that Lyddall Bacon, son of Nathaniel Bacon, was almost the only Lyddall Bacon in SC. The 1810 Census of Abbeville Dist, SC lists "Ludwell Bacon" (Ancestry has him indexed as "Sudwell). About 47 households after this Lyddall Bacon in Lettice Winn. She was the widow of Thomas Winn, who made his will in 1797 in Abbeville Dist, SC. Note that Thomas Winn mentions in his will the estate of his brother Washington Winn in Lunenburg Co, VA.

In 1817, the Lyddall Bacon in Abbeville Dist, SC petitioned the SC state government to import into SC slaves bequeathed to him by his father in Lunenburg Co, VA. From The Edward Pleasants Valentine Papers, Vol. I, p.81:

Edmund Bacon , of Lunenburg Co. , power of Attorney to Capt. Lyddall Bacon of Abbeville County , state of South Carolina to recover from Robert Harrison of Egfield County , South Carolina the debt due by said Harrison as one of the securities of Mordecia Booth, it being a debt transferred to me by Christopher McConnico as assignee &c. 1818 , D. B. 24, p. 357.

I believe the Lyddall Bacon in Abbeville Dist, SC in 1810 was Gary W Cooper's ancestor. By 1820, this Lyddall Bacon was listed on the census of Jones Co, GA. In 1830, he cannot be found in the census, though numerous records show he was living in Bibb Co, GA. In 1840 he in Stewart Co, GA and in 1850 in neighboring Marion Co, GA.

This Lyddall Bacon could be called Lyddall Bacon III. His father was Lyddall Bacon Jr (born 27 Nov 1755) of Lunenburg Co, VA, and his mother was a Miss Winn, first name possibly Keturah (the nickname for Keturah was "Kitty"). The paternal grandparents were Lyddall Bacon Sr and Mary (possibly Allen). Lyddall Bacon Sr left a will in Lunenburg in 1775. Note that most of Lyddall's son also had sons named Lyddall. Note also that three men with the Stokes surname witnessed the will of Lyddall Bacon Sr - Stokes Bacon Womack was the son of John B Womack and Keturah Bacon.

Lyddall Bacon Jr was married first to a Miss Winn, daughter of Thomas Winn, who left a will in 1779 in Lunenburg Co, VA also here

Will 18 Sep 1779 Lunenburg County, Virginia
* Thomas mentions his wife, Sarah Winn; sons Bannister, Edmund and Washington Winn; daughters Henrietta and Maria Winn
Executors: Sarah Winn (his wife), John Winn (of Amelia County), William Winn, Lyddal Bacon
Witnesses: Christopher Dawson, Charles Irby, John Winn, Jr., Chas. Winn, Susannah Irby, Lucy Irby, John Winn.

I have not seen the will, or even a better abstract, but it appears that Thomas Winn did not mention all his children. He did not names his daughter married to Lyddall Bacon, although he named Lyddall as an executor. Some undocumented sources on the web say she was Keturah Winn. Also, Thomas Winn Sr did not name Thomas Winn Jr, though he did name son Washington Winn, whom Thomas Jr called his brother in his 1797 will in Abbeville Dist, SC.

There are at least three Keturah Winns in marriage records of Lunenburg Co, VA, so it must have been a name that ran in the Winn family,

I believe that both Lyddall Bacon III and his brother Thomas Winn Bacon named daughters Keturah Bacon. Since Lyddall Bacon III was in Abbeville Dist, SC in 1810, and Thomas Winn Bacon was in Oglethorpe Co, GA at the same time, and the Keturah Bacon who married John B Womack was born about 1811 in SC, she must have been the daughter of Lyddall III. This makes sense, given that Keturah Bacon Womack named her oldest son Lyddall Bacon Womack.

Thomas Winn Bacon and Eliza Womack had daughter Keturah "Kitty" Bacon about 1810 in GA. She married Benjamin Garrett on 13 Jan in 1841 in Stewart Co, GA, and is listed 10 families after her parents in the 1850 census there. These are the only two records of I have found for her. Her marriage record names her as Kitty Bacon, and in 1850 she is listed as K W Garrett. I think her name was probably Keturah Winn Bacon, after her grandmother. Her name was not Keziah, and no record lists her name as Keziah. Furthermore, Kitty is not usually a nickname for Keziah; Kezzy or Kizzy is. Kitty is a nickname for female names that begin with K or hard C, and with T as the next consonant, such as Catherine, Kate, and Keturah.

Lyddall Bacon Jr, on 10 Nov 1785, purchased 325 acres in Lunenburg (Book 14, p.275) from Thomas Winn of SC [Thomas Winn Jr in Abbeville Dist]; the land adjacent Elisha Winn, Covington Hardy, Alex Winn; witnessed by Joseph Winn, Drury Allen Bacon [Lyddall Jr's brother], and Thomas Gordon

On 6 Dec 1789, Lyddall Bacon Jr sold this same land in Lunenburg (Book 15, p.307) to Joseph Winn of Lunenburg. Lyddall's wife is named in the deed as Elizabeth Bacon. I believe she was his second wife.

Here is record that ties it all together:

Lunenburg Co, VA, Deed Book 14, p.103
I, Lyddal Bacon of Lunenurg, for the love I have for my children, Susanna Bacon, Sarah Bacon, Lyddal Bacon, and Thomas Winn Bacon, have given to them the following slaves: Lyddia, Elizabeth, John, Esther, and Sampson together with their future increase, reserving only my own life in the aforesaid slaves; I will stand seized of the same during my natural life to the use & behoof of my children, and them only, so that at my decease (or sooner as I see proper) the slaves will be equally divided among my children. Signed Aug 25, 1784 - Lyddal Bacon. Wit - Alexr Winn, Edmd Pks Bacon [Edmund Parkes Bacon, Lydall Jr's brother], Peter Stokes, David Stokes. Recorded Sep 9, 1784.

According to a WorldConnect entry, Susanna Bacon, daughter of Lyddall Bacon and Keturah Winn, lived 27 Nov 1777-27 Jul 1839, and married Pleasant Moon.

Thomas Winn Bacon was 68 in the 1850 Census of Stewart Co, GA, thus born circa 1782. Lyddall Bacon III must have also been born before 25 Aug 1784, which jibes with his 1840 Census record, but is off by about 10 years from his age in the 1850 census.

The interesting thing about the deed of slaves from Lyddall Bacon Jr to his children is WHY did he do it? I have seen similar things in the past, and here is the most probable reason. Thomas Winn had made his will in Lunenburg in 1779 and died in 1781. He left slaves to his children. His daughter (probably Keturah) had married Lydall Bacon Jr before 1777, and died before 25 Aug 1784. The slaves that Keturah inheritted were meant for her heirs, which would be her children, not her husband. Either because he was compelled legally, or because he wanted to stay in the good graces of the Winn family, Lyddall Bacon Jr deeded the rights to the slaves to his children, though he kept them for himself while he lived. He then later married again to Elizabeth, possibly Hardy.

So, that is what I have on the Bacon family. This needs more work. Need to see original documents in SC and VA, particularly concerning the heirs of Thomas Winn Sr.