Robert & Elizabeth's first child Thomas was baptised at
Kempston on 1st May, 1718 but was buried 3 days later. A second son was
born the following year and again they gave the child the name of
Thomas, which was Robert's father's name. Thomas was baptised
on 20th December, 1719. this child survived to marry and have children
and lived to the age of 86. Their third child was a daughter named Mary
after Robert's mother and baptised on 26th May, 1723. Another daughter
followed,
baptised Elizabeth after her mother, on 31st May, 1727. On 14th May,
1730, Robert's father Thomas was buried at Pavenham
at the age of 69. After 14 years of marriage, Robert's wife Elizabeth
died and was
buried at Kempston on 25th June, 1731. Robert, now aged 40 was left a
widower with 3 young children to look after, Thomas 11, Mary 8 and
Elizabeth 4. Robert had been prospering and had acquired quite a lot of
property. The earliest record found regarding his property is the
Church Rate Book for Kempston starting in 1732 and as Robert appears
from the start he is likely to have had the property for
some time prior to this.
In the part of Kempston known as East Endside or Town
End there was the house he lived in which had a rateable value of £2,
several pieces of land which he rented from Squire Cater, Mrs Gurney,
Mr. Denis and Mr. walker. A house which he rented to Robert Lett for £1
a year. In another part of Kempston known as Box Endside he had another
house which he
rented to Thomas Woodward for £2.10s. In all the value of his property
amounted to £61 a year. It is difficult to assess what the equivalent
value of this property would be today because of the enormous increase
in property values.
He was now quite a substantial citizen and for his second wife he
married a farmer's widow, Elizabeth watts, aged 24. She had been born
Elizabeth Chambers, daughter of Henry Chambers, a
labourer.
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Her first husband was a widower Thomas Watts
and she had married him at Kempston on 11th August, 1730. They had
one son named Thomas after his father. After only two years of married
life, Elizabeth's husband Thomas died and was buried on
13th September, 1732. In his Will he left Elizabeth all his real and
personal estate, but if she remarried his real estate was to go to his
son Thomas when he was 21. If the son died,
Elizabeth was to have the real estate. 10 weeks after his death
Elizabeth married Robert Barratt on 30th November, 1732, at Kempston
Parish Church.
Robert's marriage to Elizabeth changed his
circumstances. From this time his occupation is given as husbandman.
(This term usually refers to a tenant farmer, who farms with the help
of his own family.) He no longer has the house in
which he lived with his first wife, although he keeps all the other
items of property. He probably lives in the house which had been left
to Elizabeth by her husband Thomas Watts.
This was in Kempston, but does not appear in the rate books which cover
East Endside and Box Endside. It was probably in the part of Kempston
known as Kempston Hardwick. Kempston is a very large parish, one of the
largest in England. The people who lived in Kempston Hardwick were so
far distant from
the Church and other "Ends" that they led a separate existence. Robert
& Elizabeth's first child was a son John baptised on 21st
March 1733/4. and buried 4 days later on 25th March. On 9th April 1734,
Robert Barratt took out a Mortgage for £20, using the cottage which he
let to Robert Lett as collateral. The Mortgage was for 1,000 years,
i.e. an indefinite period, a
peppercorn was to be paid yearly at the Feast of St Michael the
Archangel, 29th September, if demanded, but if Robert Barratt or his
heirs paid £20.10s (the principal plus the interest at (2%) by the 9th
October next the Mortgage would be ended. The money was lent by Jeremy
Sanders of Kempston, carpenter. The Indenture covering the transaction
describes the property as:
"A messuage, cottage or tenement together with all houses, out
houses shops edifices buildings barns stables yards gardens orchards
backsides hedges ditches trees fences mounds, ways waters easements
commons profits commodities & appurtenances, in East End
Kempston now occupied by Robert Lett, The common
street on the East side, A tenement of William Sheppard on the
Northside, the ground of Joseph Barker on the West side."
Robert signed the back of the Indenture confirming receipt of
the £20.
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THE BARRATT FAMILY
