THE BARRATT FAMILY
of Bedfordshire
STEPHEN BARRATT 1616 - 1681 THOMAS BARRATT 1660 - 1736

Of Stephen Barratt's 10 children, only 3 survived infancy, Mary, Stephen, and Thomas.

In the Heath Tax return for Lady Day, 1671, Stephen was assessed for 1 hearth and a forge.

On the 9th of June 1677, Stephen's uncle, Robert Barratt, was buried at Cranfield.  He had no surviving children and left his money to the children and grandchildren of his brothers and sisters.  To Stephen he left "Item [I give] and forgive to my Cousean Stephen Barratt from all the moneys he owes me upon Surrender or any otherwise together with the accer [acre] of Land in Perryfield, Cranfield which immediately after my decease falls to him and his heirs for ever."  It appears from his Will that Robert lent money out at interest and he absolves Stephen and his other debtors from repayment.  He describes most members of the family as "cousin" meaning kinsman rather than give their exact relationship.  Stephen was his nephew.  The acre of land in Perryfield referred to the allotment of land from the Common fields of Cranfield to which each villager was entitled.  this allotment of land could be passed on to an heir and Stephen was Robert's eldest male heir.  Stephen was made Joint Executor of the Will with his brother, Thomas.

Stephen's eldest son, Stephen, followed his father's trade of blacksmith.  He was married on the 21st of January 1679 at Cranfield to Sarah Woodell.  Their first child and Stephen Barratt Senior's first grandchild, a daughter named Elizabeth, was born in 1680 but died a few days later.

Stephen Barratt died at the age of 65 and was buried at Cranfield on the 15th of October 1681.  His widow, Joan, lived for another 20 years and was buried at Cranfield on the 6th of March 1701/2.

 Thomas Barratt was born in the reign of Charles II.  He was the son of Stephen Barratt, a blacksmith, and his wife, Joan, and was baptised at Cranfield on the 23rd of September 1660.  Of his father's ten children, only Thomas and his brother, Stephen, four years older, and his half-sister, Mary, eleven years older, survived infancy.

When Thomas was six months old, his grandfather, John Barratt, died and left him 12p in his Will.

Thomas became an agricultural labourer and moved away from the parish of Cranfield.  His father, Stephen, died when he was 21.

At the age of 25, Thomas married the 20 year old Mary Tapp at Felmersham on the 29th of September 1685.  This was Mary's home parish.

the young couple set up home in Pavenham, a small village near Felmersham.  The River Ouse nearly surrounds the village, which has a long winding street with old stone houses.  About one third of the land in Pavenham and numerous cottages lay in Stevington Manor and tithes were due to the Vicar of Stevington.  It was in this area that Thomas and Mary lived.

The first known child of Thomas and Mary Barratt was a daughter, Mary.  There are two entries for burials of Mary, daughter of Thomas and Mary Barratt, one on the 20th of December 1689 and one on the 15th of April 1690.  No corresponding baptisms have been found, so it is possible that the first entry should have been a baptism and not a burial.

Their next child was a son named Robert after Mary's father.  He was baptised at Pavenham on the 21st of June 1691.