Basil Ebenezar Bacon was brought up by his parents Joshua and Mary in London. In April, 1838 he was admitted to Trinity College, Cambridge but two months later was in the East Indian Company army cadetship as an ensign in the infantry. By June, 1853 he had been involved in several campaigns including Gwalior, Punniar, Punjaub and battles of Sadoolapore, Chillianwallah and Goojerat and become a Captain.
In 1859 he married Agnes Gower in Calcutta (now Kokata), India. She was the daughter of Revd. John Alexander Gower who for several decades was the Master of Lord Hastings Stoke Hospital, Stoke Poges. (The neighbour at the vicarage, 5 years younger than Revd. Gower was Revd. the Hon. Sydney Godolphin Osborne.) Agnes and Basil during their seven years of marriage had two sons and one daughter. Agnes died in 1866 in India. Her brother at the time was an officer in the Bengal Cavalry and later died in 1881 in India.
Photo courtesy of the British Library
In 1864 Basil was promoted to Lt.Colonel in the Bengal Staff Corps and in 1869 was promoted to Colonel as Deputy Secretary in the Government of India, Military Department.
Basil died in 1876 as a widower. He left one son called Basil and one daughter called Agnes who were still minors. Basil’s father in-law, Revd. Gower became the children’s guardian and was the next of kin.
Photo credit: Hetherington & Secrett, Gerrards Cross