Aged 33 at the time of the trial, Sir Edmund Bacon of Redgrave, Suffolk was the Magistrate who issued the Warrant for the arrest and examination of Rose Cullender and Amy Denny.  It is a mystery as to why the townsfolk of Lowestoft applied to Bacon for th

Sir Edmund Bacon came from an illustrious lineage.  His great-great-grandfather was Sir Nicholas Bacon (1509 - 1579) Lord Keeper of The Great Seal for Queen Elizabeth I.  His great-grandfather was Sir Nicholas Bacon (1540 - 1624) of Culford Hall, Suffolk the half-brother the Queen's Lord Chancellor, Sir Francis Bacon (1561 - 1606).  Sir Nicholas Bacon was the first person to be created a Baronet when the title was established by James I in 1601.   Sir Edmund Bacon became the 4th person to bear the title Baronet of Redgrave and Premier Baronet of England when he inherited the title from his grandfather in 1655.

Born at Redgrave Hall in 1628, he was baptised in Redgrave parish church on 10th November.  Very little is known about his life.  In 1650, aged 22, he married 16 years old Elizabeth Crane the daughter and co-heir of Sir Robert Crane Bt., of Chilton Hall Suffolk, and by him she had six sons and ten daughters.

In 1660 he was Commander of the Suffolk Militia and in 1666 he became High Sherrif of Suffolk.   Through his great-uncle, Sir Nathaniel Bacon, Sir Edmund was related to Lord Cornwallis who was also present at the witch trial.  The Cornwallis's had inherited Culford Hall, the seat of the Bacon family (built for Sir Nicholas Bacon in 1591), through the inter-marriage between, Sir Nathaniel Bacon and Jane, Lady Cornwallis in 1614.

Sir Edmund Bacon died at Redgrave on September 12, 1685 and was buried in the Bacon family vault at St. Mary's, the ancient and isolated parish church of Redgrave.  The following year his widow remarried John Tate, a Serjeant at Law.

St. Mary's Church, Redgrave

The Bacon Coat of Arms

Sir Edmund's epitaph reads as follows:

In the vault under this marble Lyeth the body of Sir Edmond Bacon of Redgrave Baronet who marryed Elizabeth daughter of Sir Robert Crane of Chilton Hall in Suff: Knt and Bartt He lived with her in marriage 35 years had issue by her 6 sons and 10 daughters He lived in the Love and Honorable Esteeme of his Country Loyal to his King constant to the Government in God and State A Generous Colonel A Good Magistrate A Just Man A Learned and most Accomplished Gentleman and Dyed a Pious Christian