Babcock

As a family, we have lived long enough in the world to know
how to live wisely, and therefore, well.

 Rev. Charles Henry Babcock, 1903 

The Babcock name is  an old one meaning "Son of Bartholomew"  Defiantly, English, most probably Saxon in origin.  It can also be found written as Badcock, Babkirk, Badco, Badcocke, Badcoke

Steven Babcock, author of "The Babcock Genealogy" referring to the "American Family Antiquity",  writes that the Badcock family was founded in 449 AD  by a Saxon warrior "in the ranks of Hengist and Horsa" who came with a Saxon army to fight the Picts and Scots. The name is especially prominent in the Essex area but also strongly represented in the areas of Cornwall, Devonshire, Lincolnshire, and Middlesex. In his Genealogy Steven Babcock refers to a narrative written by a Sir William Seager who said that in 1612 he visited a Sir Richard Badcock in Essex County  who was the 19th  descent from the first holder of the family mansion there. If this is indeed the case, it would place the family in a prominent position in  Essex at the time of the Norman Conquest in the early 11th century

Joseph Babcock, my ancestor probably descends from this line that was so prominent in Essex, England.  Joseph was born in New York but his parentage is unknown at this time. There has been some speculation from other researchers that his father was also a Joseph and his mother was Handy? That his family immigrated from Rhode Island to New York. To the best of my knowledge this  has not yet been proven.

I have found 3 possible immigrant ancestors for Joseph. James, George and Robert.  All of them were in colonies in the 1640's.  

It is thought by many that the first Badcock to settle in New England was James Badcock. According to Family Tradition James, (a younger brother of the above Sir Richard)  a clergyman of the Church of England, exiled in 1620 to Leyden, Holland for religious reasons.  Tradition has James sailing in 1623 on the ship "Queen Ann" arriving in Plymouth. Later moving to Portsmouth Rhode Island.  Just when James came to be in New England is not known, There are no records to substantiate James ever settling in Plymouth. Indeed there is no record of any Badcock in the colonies that early.  It is much more likely that James arrived  about 1640.  The first recorded mention of him was when he was "admitted an inhabitant" of Portsmouth Rhode Island, on February 25,1642. 

A David Badcock, along with  George and Robert are all mentioned in the early records of Dorchester Massachusetts (now Milton).  David, a member of the Church of Dorchester 1640, was probably the father of George Badcock and Robert Badcock, both of Milton, and setting aside Family Tradition David was more then likely the father of James also. W. W. Babcock in his Babcock genealogy certainly  believes that the three were brothers. At the very least the 4 men were most certainly related in some way.

James, a blacksmith and gunsmith was born 1612 in England. Died 12 Jun 1679 in Westerly, Washington County, Rhode Island. There are many references to James in Portsmouth between 1642 and 1662 when in 1664 he sold his home and moved to Westerly.  He held the office of Commissioner from 1656 to 1659.  During 1670 he gave testimony, calling his age 58, his son James 29, and his son John 26.

James was married twice,  first to Sarah Unknown, But no date or place has been found. Sarah died about 1665 or shortly after. They had four children.

James, born 1641, married Jane Brown.
John, born 1644, married Mary Lawton.
Job, born 1646, married Jane Crandall.
Mary, born 1648, married William Champlin. 

James second wife is known only as Elizabeth, they were married in 1669, and had three children.

Joseph, born about 1670, married Dorothy Key
Nathaniel, born about 1672 
Elizabeth, born about 1674, married possibly Benjamin Marsh

George, born in England about 1622. Was appointed supervisor of highways in Dorchester in 1656.  George died in Dorchester Massachusetts his will was dated will dated 26 Sep 1671, and was  proven 2 FEB 1672. 

George married Mary in Massachusetts about 1650. They had 11 children, 

Mary, born about 1650, possible spouse Daniel Allen
Dorothy, born about 1651, married John Daniels 
Benjamin, born about 1652, married possible Hannah Daniels.
Enoch, born about 1655, married Susannah Gregory
Return, born about 1655, married Sarah Denison
George, born 26 Feb1658/59, died about 1660
Rachel, born 8 MAR 1659/60, married Peter White
Leah, born about 1663
George, born 12 Jun 1665, married Ruth Ruggles
Samuel, born Sept. 1668.
Joseph, born 13 May 1670,

Robert was born about 1610 in England. He was a Rater for Dorchester 1657; Supervisor of Highways 1660; and a Selectman of Milton 1678 and 1691. Robert Badcock was appointed Sergeant and later Captain in the Indian Wars.  In 1672 he bought land "beyond Medfield at that place commonly called Bogistow," now Sherborn, and at Natick. Robert died 12 Nov 1694. 

Robert married Joanna Phillips, in 1649 in Dorchester, they had 11 children.

Samuel, baptized 7 July 1650, married Hannah Ames
Jonathan, born 1652, married first Mary Curtis, married second Mary Hebard
James, born 12 Jan 1654,
Abigail, born Feb 1656, married John Barber
Nathaniel, born 14 Mar 1657/58, married Hannah
Caleb, born 14 Aug 1660, died young
Ebenezer, born 2 Oct 1662, married Hannah Barbour
Hopestill, born 8 Nov 1663
Hannah, born 8 Feb 1664/65, married Joseph Morse
Elizabeth, born 24 Dec 1666, married Henry Vose
Thankful, born 18 Feb 1668/69, married George Lyon.

I have not been able to trace Joseph back to either of the immigrant ancestors, indeed there might not be any connection, all though this seems highly unlikely.  Josephs ancestry is a puzzle to many Babcock researchers, there is a lot of speculation but no body has been able to find any proof of his parentage at all.

What is know about Joseph is that he was born in New York December 14, 1801. Married Charlotte Fosdick in 1824 in New York.  Their oldest son George was born in New York in 1825.  Two years later they had migrated to Ohio where their second child Ann was born in 1827. The family remained in Ohio until 1845 or 46. moving then to Walworth Co. Wisconsin where both Joseph and Charlotte died. Charlotte in 1853 and Joseph 2 years later in 1855. They had 10 children.

George Franklin, born March 13,1825 in Utica, New York, married Julia Barker
Ann Marie, born February 26, 1827 in Chester Ohio, married Curtis Clark.
Nancy Caroline, born  July 26, 1829 in Chardon Ohio, married Ralph Thwing.
Philinda, born May 01, 1831 in Chester Ohio, died October 14, 1848 in WI
Charles H, born March 09, 1834 in Chester Ohio, married Martha Jane Keyes
Clarissa Jane, born March 25, 1837 in Chester Ohio, married Squire Keyes
Luman W., born April 05, 1838 in Chester Ohio, married Caroline Thompson
Esther, born June 05, 1840 in Chester Ohio, died September 12, 1863 in WI
Ira Eugene, born March 21, 1842 in Chester Ohio, married Sarah Helen Rushton
Plympton  Billings, born February 09,1844 in Chester, married Martha  Dresser

The coat of arms below is recognized in several Heraldry books as a Babcock coat of arms. However it seems to of been made up from several different Babcock/Badcock coat of arms. There are four coats of arms borne by different families of the Babcock- or rather Badcock named in England, and this one is not one of them. One of the four pertains to the Badcocks of St. Winow, county Cornwall; another is displayed by the family in Essex and Middlesex; a third is distinctive of the Devonshire branch, while the fourth is borne by Lieutenant Colonel Lovell Benjamin Badcock, of Lincolnshire/Bucks. This crest resembles, but is slightly different from each of them,  though is closest to the  Devonshire version, which is a cock's head or demi cock colored gules, ore red. 

 

 

"Deus Spes Mea" which means "God is my hope"

(See Coats of Arms Pages for details)

 

Direct Descendants of Joseph Babcock

 

1 Joseph Babcock 1801 - 1855
.. +Charlotte Fosdick 1801 - 1853
......... 2 Luman W. Babcock 1838 - 1883
............. +Caroline Thompson 1834 - 1927
.................... 3 Charles B Babcock 1858 - 1935
........................ +Dell(Dellia) Flint 1861 - 1917
............................... 4 Victor Eugene Babcock 1887 - 1946
................................... +Mary Ellen Stoddard 1890 - 1961
........................................... 5 Lawrence Dean Babcock 1932 - 1989
........................................... 5 Herbert Eugene Babcock 1914 - 1996
........................................... 5 Robert Charles Babcock 1916 - 1985
........................................... 5 Clarence Adelbert Babcock 1918 - 1981
........................................... 5 Victor Stanley Babcock 1920 - 1984
........................................... 5 Vernon Le Roy Babcock 1924 - 1991
............................... 4 Lee Babcock 1884 -
................................... +Olga Rassmasun
............................... 4 Bessie Babcock 1885 - 1968
................................... +William Sund
............................... 4 Jean Babcock 1892 - 1941
................................... +Herbert Beardsley
............................... *2nd Husband of Jean Babcock:
................................... +Jack Harding
............................... 4 Mabel Babcock 1893 -
................................... +Herbert Steinbach
............................... *2nd Husband of Mabel Babcock:
................................... +Jack Spillard
............................... 4 Florence Babcock 1899 -
................................... +Robert Fortner
............................... 4 Mildred Babcock 1900 -
................................... +Elmer Nelson
............................... *2nd Husband of Mildred Babcock:
................................... +Robert Boor
............................... 4 Della Babcock 1902 -
................................... +Harold Grote
............................... 4 Leslie Babcock 1897 -
................................... +Kate Rogan
............................... 4 Myrtle Hattie Babcock 1889 -
................................... +Herbert Beardsley
............................... 4 Shirley Babcock 1903 -
................................... +Charles Urie
.................... 3 Ada (Addie) Babcock 1860 - 1887
.................... 3 Rufus Babcock 1863 - 1936
.................... 3 Joseph Elmer Babcock 1869 - 1920
.................... 3 George Babcock 1870 - 1877
.................... 3 Fannie Babcock 1872 - 1945
.................... 3 Frank Babcock 1872 - 1944
.................... 3 Burtie Babcock 1873 - 1877
.................... 3 Lillian Babcock 1875 - 1954
......... 2 George Franklin Babcock 1825 - 1890
............. +Julia Barker 1827 - 1902
.................... 3 Walter Scott Babcock 1862 - 1924
.................... 3 Henry E. Babcock 1845 - 1912
.................... 3 Mary Jane Babcock 1847 -
.................... 3 Frank Alton Babcock 1853 -
.................... 3 Fred Almond Babcock 1858 -
.................... 3 Byron Elmer Babcock 1865 -
......... 2 Ann Marie Babcock 1827 - 1889
............. +Curtis Clark 1821 - 1931
.................... 3 Charles A Clark 1845 -
.................... 3 Charlotte Clark 1850 -
.................... 3 Ester A Clark 1863 -
.................... 3 Mary Irene Clark 1870 -
.................... 3 Marshall E. Clark 1852 -
......... 2 Nancy Caroline Babcock 1829 - 1889
............. +Ralph Thwing
.................... 3 James Luther Thwing 1847 -
.................... 3 Eva E Thwing 1853 -
.................... 3 Clara Thwing 1857 -
.................... 3 Ina S Thwing 1865 -
.................... 3 Addie I Thwing 1861 -
......... 2 Philinda Babcock 1831 - 1848
......... 2 Charles H. Babcock 1834 - 1899
............. +Lena Kingsley 1851 - 1939
.................... 3 George H. Babcock 1870 -
.................... 3 Anna M. Babcock 1872 -
.................... 3 Ella Nora Babcock 1874 -
......... *2nd Wife of Charles H. Babcock:
............. +Martha Jane Keyes - 1862
.................... 3 Walter E. Babcock 1857 -
......... 2 Clarissa Jane Babcock 1837 - 1863
............. +Squire P. Keyes
.................... 3 Alice Keyes
.................... 3 Fanny Keyes
......... 2 Esther Babcock 1840 - 1863
......... 2 Ira Eugene Babcock 1842 - 1908
............. +Sarah Helen Rushton 1847 - 1934
.................... 3 Charles Sumner Babcock 1868 -
.................... 3 James Austin Babcock 1868 -
.................... 3 Robert Raymond Babcock 1881 -
.................... 3 Daisy May Babcock 1879 -
.................... 3 Albion (Bino) Babcock 1877 -
.................... 3 Lettie Eugenia Babcock 1883 -
.................... 3 Edward Lynd Babcock 1885 -
.................... 3 Edwin Ernest Babcock 1873 -
.................... 3 Rosa Belle (Edith) Babcock 1871 -
......... 2 Plympton O. Billings Babcock 1844 - 1920
............. +Martha Maria Dresser 1852 - 1891
.................... 3 Helen May Babcock 1869 -
.................... 3 Bertha Mary Babcock 1871 -
.................... 3 Estella Babcock 1874 -
.................... 3 Ira Robert Babcock 1877 -
.................... 3 Nancy Resilla(Rose) Babcock 1879 -
.................... 3 Rescce James Babcock 1882 -
.................... 3 Edna Blanche Babcock 1884 -
.................... 3 Ella Marie Babcock 1886 -
*2nd Wife of Joseph Babcock:
.. +Nancy Sherman 1805 -