THE BARRATT FAMILY
of Bedfordshire
   
In 1762 he wrote out the note shown below which reads:-
"July the 9th: 1691 Robert Barratt wors (was) Born Baptised the 14 day as near as I cane gess and now I am In my 72 years of my age and I roat (wrote) this In 1762."
what the calculations were for is not known.
Robert used the money he- had accumulated as Capital and lent it out at Interest. Thomas Stoaks was lent £lQ-from 6th January,
1762, James Hadson borrowed £10 & £5 from 13th March, 1762. Abraham But had a waggon worth £7 and £3 in money from January
20th, 1763, All these transactions were written down in a memorandum by Joseph Freelove at Robert Barratt's request on 10th January, 1764 from his Book and the corresponding Notes
were left in Joseph Freelove's hands. This was an age when an adequate supply of legal tender coin could not always be taken for granted, and when there was no network of banks by means of which money could be transferred from place to place by cheque. Many transactions would be done by "note of hand" which was a
promise to pay (sometimes with interest) at a future date or on demand but not guaranteed by a third party. Robert may have asked Joseph Freelove to act as his agent perhaps when Robert was ill. Some later transactions were added to the note in a different hand, perhaps by Robert himself, these are undated. Mr Boddington, Robert's tenant for the cottage at Box Endside is noted as keeping a year and a halts rent to be used to the charge of "the fine and Heriot". Fines & heriots were paid to
the Lord of the Manor when a property changed hands. Thomas Boddington was lent £5, Thomas Stoaks was lent another £10,
James Hadson another £10. John Biges (son of Abraham Biggs) was lent 7 guineas. Many of the items are crossed through denoting repayment.
1763 was the last time Robert signed his name accepting the Overseers Accounts for that years expenses.

 After several years when Robert did not appear in the rate books, he starts paying rates on a cottage in East Endside,
Kempston, with a rateable value of £1.10s, from 1764. This is a Freehold Cottage and is probably the one which he rented to Robert Lett earlier and the cottage which he mentions in
his Will. Robert Barratt made his Will on 19th December, 1767 when he was indisposed. He describes himself as "late husbandman"
He was 76 years old and no longer had his farm. He mentions his five surviving children in the Will. His money, after his debts and funeral expenses are paid is divided equally amongst
four of his children - Thomas, Elizabeth Brooks, Mary Prittain (or Brittain) and Ann Biggs. John is given the token sum of l/- Ann Biggs is left all the household goods, linen and woolen.
The wording regarding his cottage is interesting:-
"I give to my daughter Ann Biggs, her heirs and assigns for ever (In case of the death of my son John Barratt without heirs) all that Freehold Messuage, cottage or tenement with all its appurtenances lying and being in the East End
of the parish of Kempston."
Usually a property would be left to the eldest son, in this case Thomas, the fact that -it is left to the youngest son John and if he dies without heirs to the youngest daughter Ann, both the
children of John's second wife Elizabeth, points to the cottage having been her property.
Thomas Barratt and Ann Biggs were made Joint Executors of the Will. The witnesses were Mary Barratt (his grandaughter,daughter of his son Thomas), Matthew Barker & Joseph Freelove,
friends or neighbours. However Robert recovered from his illness and lived for another
five years.In 1769 he lent Thomas Lambard £10 and Nathan Maynard £20.
On 22nd June, 1772, Robert paid his rates for the last time. A month later at the age of 81 he died and was buried at Kempston on 28th July, 1772.