English Captain: Philemon Bacon

Philemon Bacon served in the Restoration navy. In 1661, he was appointed lieutenant on the 4th Rate Assistance. In 1662, he became lieutenant on the Bonaventure. In 1663, he was lieutenant on the 2nd Rate St. Andrew. In 1664, he was lieutenant on the Plymouth. Later in 1664, he was appointed captain of the 4th Rate Nonsuch. In 1665, he commanded first the Oxford (24 guns), the Assurance, and then the Bristol. Frank Fox calls him "Phillip Bacon", but it is clearly Philemon. He fought in the Battle of Lowestoft in the 5th Rate Oxford. He was assigned to the Earl of Sandwich's division. From December 1665 until March 1666, he was with Sir Jeremy Smith's squadron at Tangier. He commanded the Bristol (52 guns) in Sir Robert Holmes' division at the Four Days Battle. He was assigned to scout off the North Foreland, from 28 May. He had the honor of first sighting the Dutch fleet and notifying the Royal Charles. He was killed in action during the first two passes on the second day of the Four Days Battle. Sources:

1. Frank Fox, A Distant Storm: the Four Days' Battle of 1666, 1996.

2. J.R. Tanner, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Naval Manuscripts in the Pepysian Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge, Vol.I, 1903.