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Theodore BECON
Abt 1555 - 1620 (~ 65 years)
Has 5 ancestors and 3 descendants in this family tree.
Set As Default Person 
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Name Theodore BECON Relationship 
with Teresa Ann GOATHAM Born Abt 1555 (probably), Marburg, Germany 
- Theodore matriculated aged 12 at Easter 1567, so he must have been born in 1554 or 1555
Gender Male Education From 1567 to 1586 St. John’s College, Cambridge University, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England A scholar at Cambridge - Despite the fact that the Becons were not wealthy, and that Theodore was left fatherless at the age of 12, both he and his younger brother Basil were able to enjoy a University education.
Theodore matriculated (aged 12) at St. John's College at Easter, 1567. He received his B.A. in 1576-7, became a fellow in 1579, received his M.A. in 1580 and his M.D. (Medicinae Doctor - Doctor of Medicine) in 1586.
A history of St. John's College (p.290) gives a little more detail on his admission as a Fellow, showing him then to be of Norfolk.Helped by Lord Burghley
When the early works of Thomas Becon were re-published in 1843 by the Parker Society the volume included a short biography by the editor, the Rev. John Ayre. In this he asserts that "Of [his children] we know nothing, with one exception." Of course it is not now true that we know nothing of the children, but the only exception then is still of interest. The state papers and correspondence of Lord Burghley (William Cecil) contain a letter from Theodore Becon dated 7 Feb. 1578 from which it is clear that Lord Burghley had befriended Theodore. In 1561 Lord Burghley had been given the office of Master of the Court of Wards and Liveries, which included the task of supervising the raising and education of wealthy, aristocratic boys whose fathers had died before they reached maturity. In this role he seems to have played a part in reforming an institution which had been notorious for its corruption. While the Becons were not of the aristocracy, and did not have the wealth that needed administering for a young heir, Burghley's familarity with supervising the education of young fatherless boys must have put him in a good position to help the Becons. Thomas Becon would doubtless have been known to Burgley, through their involvement with the Royal family.
(The Burghley papers were published in the Lansdowne manuscripts; Theodore's letter is in vol. XXVII, no. 78)
Education From 1581 to 1587 Oxford University, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England [1] - Incorporated M.A. on 11 July 1581, M.D. 1587
Will Bequest to St. John's College, Cambridge [2] - In his will Theodore bequeated a silver pot to his old college:
"I give unto St Johns College in Cambridge a Colledge pott weiyoinge sixteene ounces of silver uppon the one set there so I will have my armes engraved with these worde followeing Theodorus Beaconus in medicinis doctor quondam socius hujis Collegii, dedit quod debet quod potuit non quod voluit"
Theodore made his son Anthony his Executor, and when Anthony wrote his will less than 9 years later it is clear he had not by then carried out his father's wish regarding the pot for he said:
"Item I will my Executor to give a pott of Sixteene ounces of Silver that my father in his will bequeathed to Saint Johns Colledge in Cambridge accordinge as he shall se in my fathers will"
His Executor must carried out the wish, because it is clear that the College did have a pot with Theodore's name on it - though only briefly.
For in the summer of 1642, when the College can have had the pot no more than fourteen years, the English Civil War broke out.
In the Dr John Barwick's Life it is recorded "Mr Barwick resolved not to perform his Duty by Halves. And first in concert with the most considerable of the King's Friends in the University, he took Care, for his Majesty's Support, to transmit to him what little Money could be raised in the several Colleges, out of their moderate Incomes, and what Plate had been at any Time bestowed upon them for the Use of each Society by the Bounty of their Benefactors."
On August 8 1642 the Masters and Seniors of St. John's agreed on plate to "be sent to the King's Majesty ... according to the Tenor of his Majesty's late Letters, written to tbe Vice-Chan cellor, and published to the University."
They produced a list which included
"Pots with two Ears, Clippesley, Crew, Theodore Beacon, John Lucat (?), Thomas Wentworth, &c. Number 22."
Cromwell heard of the plans to send plate to the King and with a "disorderly Band of Peasants" lay in wait, but Mr. Barwick in turn heard of Cromwell's intentions, and got the plate away by by-ways.
(sources: wills and The History of the College of St. John the Evangelist, Cambridge, by Thomas Baker, B.D., volume 2, p. 632-3)
Occupation From 1602 to 1603 Toppesfield, Essex, England Rector - Both details of Cambridge University Alumni and a board listing Rectors of Toppesfield (in the Diocese of London) show Theodore as a Rector there. The Alumni details give the date 1602-3. The data about the Rectors board, transcribed by the Essex FHS and on FMP, does not include a date.
CCED has no information for Theodore, but does show a presentation of a Thomas Beacon on 16 Mar 1604. The Rector before this in the data on CCED (not always complete) was one William Whiting, who is shown to have died on 15 Feb 1598, with a note that the document from which this date comes records the sequestration of the living on the death of William Whiting.
There was clearly a gap in which Theodore could have been Rector, 1602-3; was Thomas a cousin who followed him? Or was the name Theodore abbreviated and mis-read as Thomas (e.g. Theo read as Tho?)
Died 18 Mar 1619/20 - year of death 1619 OS / 1620 NS
Buried 21 Mar 1619/20 Christ Church Cathedral, Canterbury, Kent, England - Register entry shows "1619 Doctor Beacon Phisitian was buried March 21 } 1619"
In Edward Hasted's "The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent: Volume 11" (1800) he gives information about the monuments in Canterbury Cathedral, pp. 383-424.
This includes:
"In the middle space, a gravestone for ...; for Theodorus Beacon, M. D. and his unmarried daughter Elizabeth; he died in 1729." I believe this should read "she died in 1629"! I think this may refer to the middle space of the North aisle, to which Hasted had previously referred. I enquired with the Cathedral in 2011, it seems the stone (not surprisingly) no longer survives.
Hasted also mentions that in the wills of the "Prerogative-office in Canterbury" he found some directions for burials in the Cathedral; these include "Elizabeth, daughter of Theodore Beacon, M. D. of Canterbury, in 1629, and directed a tomb stone to be laid there, with an inscription, shewing that her father and brother were there buried".
Will 1 Apr 1620 Archdeaconry Court, Canterbury, Kent, England Proved 
The will of Theodore Becon (abt. 1556 – 1619/20)
(a 10 x great uncle of mine)Occupation Canterbury, Kent, England [3, 4] Physician - Why was Theodore a medical doctor?
Dr. Ian Mortimer has written a paper on medics Qualified and Practising in the Diocese of Canterbury, circa 1560-1730.
Under the name of
Bacon [sic] , Dr
Physician of [Canterbury region]
Dr. Mortimer shows 2 references he has found in Kent probate records to Theodore:
1593: John Hall of Willesborough (£321) 'Item paid Vnto Mr Doctor bacon for his counsell and for phisick for the said John Hall in his lyffe tyme' (CKS PRC2/6/360)
1606: Ambrose Rose of Chislet (£429) 'Item payd to Doctor Beacon, Charles Annott & Joseph Colfe for their paines & travel & for phisick in the tyme of the sicknes wherof the deceased Ambrose Rose departed this lyfe' (CKS PRC2/13/327)
Siblings3 brothers and 1 sister Patriarch & Matriarch 
Thomas BECON, b. Abt 1480, d. Yes, date unknown (Grandfather)
Elizabeth GODFREY, b. Est 1520, (probably), Winchester, Hampshire, England, d. Yes, date unknown (Mother) Notes - Although Theodore had 3 children who reached adulthood and survived him, two died probably in their 30s, unmarried. Only Sybilla married and she too appears either to have had no children or to have had none who survived childhood.
Person ID I3898 All Last Modified 20 Apr 2021
Father Prebendary Thomas BECON, B.A., b. Between 1511 and 1512, Brettenham, Norfolk, England , d. 30 Jun 1567 (Age ~ 56 years) Mother Elizabeth GODFREY, b. Est 1520, (probably), Winchester, Hampshire, England , d. Yes, date unknown Married Between 1549 and 1552 - What is the evidence that Thomas's wife was one Elizabeth Godfrey? -
Theodore Becon, son of Thomas, in a pedigree for submitting to the College of Arms showed his mother to be 'Elizabeth, daughter of William Godfrey of Winchester in Hampshire marchant'.
Thanks to Lucy Beacon for pointing out that Thomas's wife is named in the Oxford DNB; following up a reference from that article led me to D. Bailey, 'Thomas Becon: some additional biographical notes', N&Q, 227 (1982), 402— 4, which has the information about the pedigree submitted to the College of Arms.
Evidence for the children of Thomas Becon
"A New Catechism", 1560 - "The preface of the author unto his children, Theodore and Basil, his two sons, and Rachel, his only daughter: grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ our Lord and alone Saviour, through the mighty operation of the Holy Ghost, be with you, my dear children, both now and for ever. Amen.
After that it pleased the Lord my God to call me unto the holy state of honourable matrimony, and to bless me with the increase of you, not of you only, but also two more of your brethen, named Theodore and Christophile, which now rest in glory with our head Christ; ..."
(vol. 2 of the Parker Society 'Works of Thomas Becon', 1844, p.4)
Could Thomas have had more children after he wrote "A New Catechism"? The archivist of the King's School Canterbury has come across a Thomas who could be his son. I have been looking for more evidence of a son Thomas; whilst I haven't found any if he died young there quite likely wouldn't be any surviving.
With their first child probably born no later than 1552, Thomas and Elizabeth probably married between clerical marriage being sanctioned early in 1549 and 1552.
Family ID F2671 Family Group Page | Family Chart
Family 1 Clemencia STRONGHILL, b. Abt 1560, d. Yes, date unknown Marriage License 2 Jul 1619 [5] - From Cowper's index of Canterbury marriage licences:
"Beacon Theodore, of Cant., Mus. Doc., and Clemencia Stroughill, s.p. [same parish], v.[virgin] At S. M. Magdalene, Cant., July 2, 1619."
Although Cowper recorded the register of licences as showing Theodore to be a Doctor of Music, the original register was checked for H. B. Thomas; there is a blot or scratch on the page but it seemed to shows not Mus. Doc., but Med. Doc., which of course makes more sense.
Despite the licence no marriage has been found. Thomas believes the marriage did not happen and that the Clemencia Stronghill named in the licence was the same Clemence Stroughle who married Thomas Everard at St. George's Church, Canterbury in 1622.
While I am well aware that unusual names are often used more than once in a family, so that there could easily have been two Clemencia Stronghills, I think the absence of any mention of a wife in Theodore's will adds weight to Thomas's argument, unless the will was written before the marriage and he failed to update it* or Clemencia died even sooner after the marriage than Theodore did.
(* I think that these days in England, a will made prior to a marriage is not valid after it; I do not know if that was the case in 1619)
Married? Not married or evidence to suggest they didn't marry Last Modified 8 Feb 2018 Family ID F3100 Family Group Page | Family Chart
Family 2 Dorcas SMITHE, d. 1615 Married 31 Oct 1587 St. Michael’s Church, Cornhill, London, England Children3 children Last Modified 5 Jul 2011 Family ID F2988 Family Group Page | Family Chart
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Event Map Click to hide 
Born - Abt 1555 - (probably), Marburg, Germany 
Education - A scholar at Cambridge - From 1567 to 1586 - St. John’s College, Cambridge University, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England 
Education - From 1581 to 1587 - Oxford University, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England 
Married - 31 Oct 1587 - St. Michael’s Church, Cornhill, London, England 
Child - Anthony BECON - 1595 - Canterbury, Kent, England Child - Sybilla BECON - Abt 1597 - Canterbury, Kent, England 
Occupation - Rector - From 1602 to 1603 - Toppesfield, Essex, England 
Buried - 21 Mar 1619/20 - Christ Church Cathedral, Canterbury, Kent, England Occupation - Physician - - Canterbury, Kent, England = Link to Google Earth (if installed; see link below to install) Pin Legend 
Photos 
The Becon arms
My interpretation of the arms that Thomas and his sons seem to have used; whether or not they were entitled to them I am not sure.
Wills (transcripts) The will of Theodore's father, Thomas Becon
In his will Thomas refers to money he had already appointed and assigned "for my children"
Sources - [S85] Bailey - Thomas Becon, Derrick Sherwin Bailey Ph.D., (Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1952.), p.126. (Reliability: 2), 3 Dec 2012.
- [S136] Consistory Court of Canterbury Wills, Diocese of Canterbury., Theodore Beacon PRC 17/60/133 (register copy of will)< (Reliability: 3), 3 Jul 2013.
The original will also survives, ref:PRC16/167 B/3 - [S86] Mortimer - Canterbury Diocese medics, Ian Mortimer BA MA PhD FRHistS RMSA, (http://www.kentarchaeology.ac/authors/authors.html : n.d.), p.20. (Reliability: 3).
- [S87] Emerson Hall - Physician Clergy, Daniel Emerson Hall, (http://physicianclergy.tripod.com/DHBM.html#_Toc449007706 : 1999), Introduction - part 3 - 'Review of Literature.'. accessed 4 Dec 2012. (Reliability: 3).
- [S137] Archæologia Cantiana, Journal of the Kent Archæological Society, H. B. Thomas O.B.E., "Thomas Becon, Canon of Canterbury," LXIX ( 1955): p.159 - 170. (Reliability: 3), 3 Jul 2013.