ROBERT BERRETT ca 1604

Entries in the Steeple Ashton parish registers of christenings indicate that three children were christened on the following dates: Robert 8 Aug 1630; William 17 Jun 1632 and Robert 3 Mar 1633. All three of the children are listed as the sons of "Robert Berret". From the christening entries of the children, we know the name of the father. Beyond the name of "Robert Berret", nothing is known about this relative or his wife. Because of extensive research, it can be said for a fact that Robert Berrett ca 1604 is the first relative to appear on the pedigree of the "Berretts of Down Berrett Lane" and thousands of other Berretts. Robert's birthdate is estimated. He could have been born between 1570-1616, but was probably born between 1590-1615. The year 1604 seems to be a fair estimation. Since Robert's children were christened at Steeple Ashton, it is assumed that he lived in the Steeple Ashton Parish. This is true, but the particular area within the Steeple Ashton Parish where Robert lived was probably "Snarlton". Robert's son, Robert of 1633, was "of" Snarlton, so it is possible that his father was also. The area known as "Snarlton" consisted of a small group of homes or cottages located one mile due northwest of the village of Steeple Ashton. Several Berretts had leasehold rights to a home or homes with their orchards and "backsides" in Snarlton. These leasehold rights started at least as early as those held by Robert of 1663 and continued for several generations. By 1977 there were none of the original Berrett cottages standing at Snarlton. Only one new home was located there in 1977, and it was appropriately called "Snarlton Cottage".

Robert Berrett (1633-1688) (md. Elizabeth Francis)

The third son of Robert Berrett (1604) was christened "Robert" 3 Mar 1633 in Steeple Ashton, Wiltshire, England. His oldest brother, Robert was buried 21 Oct. 1632, and according to custom the young brother was given the name of his deceased older brother.

Robert was married probably in the latter part of August or in September of 1655 in Devizes, Wiltshire, to Elizabeth Francis of Steeple Ashton. It was the custom in England during this time, and it became the law in 1754, to proclaim or announce from the pulpit of the church or in a local newspaper or bulletin, the names of the persons planning to marry. This public announcement was known as the "banns" of marriage, and was usually announced or published for three consecutive Sundays. The purpose of the banns was to "prevent clandestine marriages." If someone objected to the proposed marriage, they discussed their objection with the rector. If there were no objections, the marriage went as planned, usually shortly after the last of the three proclamations. When the requirements of the law were met, the couple was married "by banns." It is known that one of the proclamations of the intended marriage of Robert and Elizabeth was 5 Aug 1655, but the exact date of their marriage is unknown.

Elizabeth was christened 3 Jul 1625 in Steeple Ashton and is the daughter of Steven Francis (b. ca 1599). Her mother's name is unknown. Elizabeth had one known sister, Marie, who was christened 18 Oct 1629.

Elizabeth and Robert Berrett had five children - 4 girls and one boy, Robert. Through this only son, the "Berretts of Down Berrett Lane" descended. Elizabeth died when she was fifty-nine years old and was buried 12 Sep 1684. Ann, Robert's youngest child, was eighteen years old at her mother's death and was not married when her father died in 1688.

Robert of 1633 married a second wife, Edith, about whom we know nothing more than her first name. There is no record of children being born of this marriage. Edith was left a widow when Robert was buried 29 Aug 1688.

Just seven days before his death, Robert had a will prepared that gives more insight into his life. He Was a husbandman and rented a farm he called "mudmead" from a William Coster. He raised hay on this small farm (probably three acres) located a fourth of a mile northeast of Snarlton. Although he was known as a resident of Steeple Ashton, he actually lived one mile northwest of the village in a very small area called "Snarlton." There he had a "leasehold" or "right" to lease a house, garden and orchard from Walter Long, Lord of the manor. The cottage passed down through the family from father to son for several generations, as did also the three acre farm, "mudmead" This cottage and farm are the first "known" Berrett property.

Robert willed his real estate to his wife, Edith, along with his table board, cupboard, buttery, chest, two cows, hay and blocks of firewood. To his daughter, Mary, he bequeathed one feather and flocked bed and bedstead. To others he willed money. He made his only son, Robert (1661), the executor of the will and signed his name with an "X", which most people of England would have done during that period of time. From the opening paragraphs of the will one can see that Robert (1633) was a Christian with faith in the Savior and the Atonement.

WILL OF ROBERT BERRETT 1633

In the name of God, Amen, the twenty second day of August, Ano Dom, 1688

I, Robert Berrett of the parish of Steeple Ashton in the County of Wilts, husbandman, being sicke in body, but of good and perfect memmery, praised be to God, doe make & ordaine this my last will & testament in manner & form following:

I bequeath my soul into the hands of Almighty God, my maker, hoping that through the meritorious death and passion of Jesus, my only redeemer & Saviour, to receive free pardon and forgiveness of all my sins, and as for my body to be buryed in Christian burial at the direction of my executor hereinafter named.

I give and bequeath unto my dear and loving wife, Edeth, all this my house, garden, orchard & backside to have it during her natural life so provided she continueth in my name and not marry again, in an large & ample a manner as I now am possess & enjoy it with all its appertenances & profits whatsoever. And after, my will is that my grandson, Robert Guly, if she shall marry again or at her decease to have the same & to hold it in as large a manner as I doe now in every kind of respect. I give unto my daughter, Edmunds, the sum of twenty pounds to be paid twenty shillings a year every year after my decease, and no more & the residue to remain to my executor, If she shall happen to have no child or children of her own to enjoy it. I give unto William Edmunds, my son-in-law, one shilling. I give and bequest unto my daughter Guly twenty pounds to be paid twenty shillings yearly every year, and the residue to be & remain equally amongst her children that shall be then alive, the said Robert Guly, her son excepted, I give unto my son-in-law, Christopher Guly the sum of one shilling.

I give and bequeath unto my daughter, Anne Berrett, the sum of thirty pounds of lawful money, so provided that she marrieth with such a person as shall be approved of and consented to by my said trustees & not else. And if she shall be so willfull to marry contrary as above said, then my will is that she shall have but one shilling. I doe give unto my daughter, Mary Edmunds, one feather and flocked bed, bedstead and my will is that my loving wife shall have my two cows at her own disposing, and further my will is that my said wife shall have and hold one table board and frame & form in the hall, one cupboard in the buttry and chest in the hall chamber so long as she holdeth the said house, and afterwards to be and remained unto my said grandson, Robert Guly to be left standing in the said house.

I doe for a better provision and maintenance give unto my aforesaid daughter Edmunds twenty pounds of lawful money to be ordered and delivered to her as she may have occasion at the direction of the trustees or overseers that she may have no want or necessity of any or all of the said twenty pounds, that then it shall be and remain to my grandaughter, Elizabeth Guly. Item: I doe give and bequeath unto my said grand daughter, Elizabeth Guly the sum of twenty pounds, not to be paid unto her until she shall attain unto the full age of one and twenty years, and in the meantime to be put out or employed at best advantage for her according to the best direction of my said trustees and overseers. Item: I doe give unto my grandson, Christopher Guly, the sum of ten pounds when he shall attain to the full age of one and twenty years to be employed or put out as aforesaid.

Item: I doe further give unto my said wife all my other goods not already given or bequeathed for her use during her life and continue in my name as aforesaid, and I doe further give unto her all my blocks of firewood in my outhouses or backsides, and also all my hay provided she payeth William Coster the rent of mudmead that I rent of him.

Item: I give unto my grandson, Robert Berrett the sum of five shillings. All the rest of my goods and chattles whatsoever not before bequeathed I doe give and bequeath unto my son Robert, who I do hereby make & ordain my full and sole executor of this my last will & testament. And further, my will is that my will is that I doe hereby appoint my loving friends Thomas Tucker of Semington & Thomas Attwood of Steeple Ashton, yeoman, be my trustees or overseers of this my last will & testament and I doe hereby desire that my said trustees or overseers shall have full power to receive & take in their hands all those legacies as before given and bequeathed to the several legacies in this my last will mentioned and so to be employed or put out by them as aforesaid and not to come into the hands or possession of said executor.

Mark of Robert Berrett

WILLIAM BERRETT 1699

WILLIAM BERRETT (1699-1783)(md. Suzanna Shepman Salter)

William Berrett, third son and fifth child of Robert (1661), was christened 17 Sep 1699 in the stone chapel of the Church of England in Steeple Ashton, Wiltshire County, England. The 1699 "Parish Register of Steeple Ashton" located in Trowbridge, England, is parchment (skin of animals), and records the baptism (christening) of William as follows:

William of 1699 had four brother and three sisters. There is no record of his youth, but much is known of his life after he married Susanna Salter 19 July 1730 in Steeple Ashton. The same parchment "Steeple Ashton Register" records this very important event as follows:

As this book was being printed, new data indicated that it is very probable that Susanna had been married to a "Salter" and that her maiden name was "Shepman." The parish registers date the christening of "Susanah Shepman 4 Feb 1699 and she was the daughter of John Shepman. Two Salter men died in Steeple Ashton in 1726 and 1727. One of them was probably the first husband of Susanna.

William and Susanna lived in a humble thatch-roofed home on the NW corner of High (Steeple Ashton) Street and Silver Street on the southeast side of Steeple Ashton. This home is the oldest "existing" ancestral home of the Berretts of Steeple Ashton (a cottage at Snarlton is the first "known" home of the Berretts of Steeple Ashton). Five generations definitely occupied the "Old Berrett Homestead" continuously from 1730 until at least 1864, or for over 134 years.

"OLD BERRETT HOMESTEAD"
NW Corner of Silver Street and High Street, Steeple Ashton

This home is the most important Berrett ancestral home because probably six and definitely five generations of Berretts lived continuously in this small beautiful cottage. They lived there probably 175 years and definitely 134 years: 1730-1864. There is absolute evidence of the following five generations having lived in "The Old Berrett Homestead." (1) William Berrett (b. 17 Sept 1699), son of Robert of 1661, his wife Susannah Salter and their family lived there from at least 1744, the date of the lease, to his death 2 Apr 1783, for a total of thirty-nine or more years. (2) William Berrett (b. 4 Nov 1738), son of William of 1699, his wife Mary Woodman and their family lived there from about 1783 to his death 9 Dec 1831, for a total of forty-eight years. (3) Sarah Berrett (b. 8 Feb 1767), daughter of William of 1738, was a spinster (not married) all of her life. She lived there from age sixteen (1783) until her death 28 Oct 1846. Of these sixty-three years living in "The Old Berrett Homestead," the last fifteen were after both parents' deaths. (4) John Berrett (b. 8 Jan 1797) son of Thomas of 1773, his wife Hannah Watts and at least part of their family, including John Watts Berrett, lived there from about 1846 until after Hannah's death 29 Aug 1864, for a total of eighteen plus years. (5) John Watts Berrett (b. 3 Jul 1831), son of John Berrett of 1797, and for a time his brothers James and Simon and perhaps others of the eight children, lived there from about 1846 until 1863 when John Watts, the last child living at home emigrated to the United States. Sometime after the death of Hannah Berrett in 1864, widower John moved to a home on Church Street. He was there during the 1871 census.

None of these five generations owned "The Old Berrett Homestead," but all were either lease-holders or renters from the Lord of Steeple Ashton Manor or other lease holders. After 1930, the cottages in Steeple Ashton were sold to private individuals.

"The Old Berrett Homestead" was not only a home, but was a Mormon Meeting House during the period of time when Mormons John and Hannah Berrett lived there, 1846-1864. John Watts Berrett told about some of these meetings in his journal. One such entry follows: "March 2nd 1856 A Council meeting was held at my Father's house at Steeple Ashton, Trowbridge, Wilts. England. Elder Edward Hanham President of the Wiltshire Conference called and ordained me to the office of priest, by the sanction of the branch." Many blessing of babies, confirmations, ordinations and sermons within the walls of John and Hannah's home, made it a sacred Mormon Chapel.

William Berrett's home on the corner had oak beams that were exposed on both outside and inside. The walls were probably made originally with "waddling", and plaster, then sometime after the early 1700's, red brick were placed between the oak beams. This beautiful little thatched cottage has been known to some as "the three tuns". It received this nickname perhaps because of the three chimneys in the center of the roof or because the building was once used as an ale house. A "tun" is a large brewing cask, barrel or vat, especially for wines. The cottage is believed to be five hundred years old or built in the 1500's. It was the home of the Berretts from William of 1699 continuously through the time of John Watts Berrett who left Steeple Ashton to go to the United States in 1863.

William Berrett leased the "Old Berrett Homestead" from the Lord of Steeple Ashton manor, Walter Long Esq. Subsequent Berretts who lived in the homestead also leased from the lord of the manor. Information concerning this lease comes from an old 1760 hand-drawn and colored map showing every house in Steeple Ashton. The map identifies William Berrett's leased property as 88A. Information was also gleaned from a list of "lease holders" of Steeple Ashton. The leases were sometimes called "leases on lives" which had a term of ninety-nine years if three of the lives (the names of the father, son and perhaps one other were listed on the lease and were the lives in question) lived that long. A "copy-hold lease" was about the same thing.

In addition to the thatched cottage in which William resided (#88A on the 1760 Plan of the Manor; #1088 on the 1818 Enclosure Map), identified as the "Old Berrett Homestead", William also leased a cottage at Snarlton located "against" the Ashton Common. This lease was dated 1744 and William was listed as the copy holder of a plot of ground and cottage numbered 56A on the 1760 Walter Long Mag, #616 on the 1818 Enclosure map and #135 on the 1841 Tithe Map. William's son, William of 1738, became the tenant of the cottage in Snarlton 5 Oct 1770. William of 1699 also leased the following parcels of ground from Lord Long for farming purposes: 4 acres of Loppinger, 3 acres of Broadmead (perhaps "Mudmead"), 1 acre of Middle Field, l acre of Moor Field and l acre of High Field (see map with the history of William Berrett of 1738). Travel to and from the various small farms must have been a tedious chore. William leased a total of 10 farming acres plus pasture in Ray Down for 1 1/2 beasts and an orchard and house lot.

As can be seen from the leases of William Berrett of 1699, he was not a landless laborer, but was a middle class citizen with some wealth because of his leases on two cottages and about eleven acres of farming ground.

William and Susanna had nine children: Robert b. 9 Aug 1730, Jane b. 30 Jan 1731, William b. ca 1733, Michael Silverthorn b. 27 Oct 1734, Jane b. 5 Dec 1735, William b. 4 Nov 1738, George b. 15 May 1740, Ann b. 20 Sep 1741, and Mary b. ca 1743. Of the nine children, at least four died before they reached the age of three. Probably all of the children were born and lived in the "Old Berrett Homestead", since William and Susanna probably lived there approximately fifty-three years - 1730 to 1783. The date of 1730 is an estimate. By 1759 it is definite that they lived there.

Of William's sons, we know that Robert (1730) married Mary Hayward 31 Jul 1759 and George (1740) married Sarah Shepman 8 May 1761. George and Sarah had two children: Michael b. 26 Dec 1762 and George b. 16 Feb 1766 or 67, Michael (1762), a butcher, married first Betty Glass 11 Dec 1785 and later Sarah Archall. Michael and Betty had two children: Sarah b. 15 Oct 1786 and George b. 11 Nov 1782. Michael and Sarah had five children: Ann, George, Elizabeth, Jane and Sarah. The last named George married Basillisa North 10 Apr 1840 and they had three children: Charles North b. 1841, Francis George b. 19 May 1850 and Sarah b. 15 Oct 1853. George of 1766 married Mary Winslow 8 Jun 1778 and had five children: Mary b. 21 Mar 1779, Catharine b. 11 Mar 1781, Samuel b. 1 Jun 1787, Samuel b. 28 Sep 1788 and Rebecca b. 11 Apr 1790. Samuel of 1788 had a son Edmund b. 1738 who was a tanner of Corsham. Edmund married Ann Catharine Hillier 9 Apr 1860.

A document listing all the names of house-keepers in the town of Steeple Ashton (population 478) in 1770 indicates that William Berrett of 1699 and his wife Susanna were still living on Siler Street (in the "Old Berrett Homestead"). Ten years after this list was made, Susanna died 11 Feb 1780 at the age of ca 77. Three years later, William died at the age of 84. He was buried 2 Apr 1783.

WILLIAM BERRETT "The Elder" 1738

Common Ancestor of England and United States Berrets

WILLIAM BERRETT (1738-1831)(Md. Mary Woodman)

A common ancestor of the Berretts who stayed in England and the Berretts who moved to the United States and settled in Pennsylvania, Utah, Massachusetts and Missouri, was William Berrett who was christened in Steeple Ashton 4 Nov 1738.

A year after William's christening in the Steeple Ashton Church of England, another christening was performed in the same church that was very important to future generations of Berretts. Mary Woodman, daughter of Thomas Woodman, was baptised by sprinkling, or was "christened", 25 Nov 1739.

As a youth, William undoubtedly helped his father, William of 1699, plant, tend and harvest the crops in the several parcels of land leased from Lord Walter Long Esq. One can picture the sons of William of 1699 walking down the narrow hedgerow-lined lanes to the pasture, and there milking the cows and returning to their humble thatched-roof cottage on Silver Street with their buckets of milk for the nourishment of the family. Life in the quiet, sleepy village of Steeple Ashton was a family affair with all hands needed to supply the necessities of life.

William of 1738 courted Mary Woodman and she accepted his proposal of marriage. Their marriage was "by Banns" 22 May 1763. "By Banns" meant that the proposed marriage was announced either from the pulpit or by printed publication for three or four consecutive weeks. Then if no one objected, the couple was married.

The marriage of William and Mary was announced 24 Apr, 1 May and 8 May, 1763, by Robert Foulkes, Vicar of the Steeple Ashton Church of England. Vicar Foulkes also performed the marriage in the presence of James Baggs. And since neither William nor Mary could sign their names, they placed their "mark", an "X", on the records of the Church of England. It was not uncommon in the 1700's for villagers of Steeple Ashton to be unable to read or write. Schooling for the working class was usually not a part of the program.

Mary's father, Thomas Woodman, was also a "lease-holder" of Lord Walter Long Esq.'s land as the following "lease agreement" verified (Survey of 1769).

William's father (William of 1699), had a lease on "the family" cottage at Snarlton and also on the cottage now known as the "Old Berrett Homestead" on the corner of Silver and Steeple Ashton Streets. It seems that some time after William of 1738 and Mary Woodman's marriage, they lived in their father's cottage in Snarlton for about thirteen years. William of 1738 was a "freehold tenant" of the Snarlton property and took possession of the cottage in 1770. His brother, George had the cottage insession, but he died, so William inherited the property.

After William of 1699 died in 1783, his son William of 1738 lived in his father's home on the corner of Silver Street and Steeple Ashton Street-the "Old Berrett Homestead". At the death of William of 1699 in 1783, William of 1738 was the sole survivor of the nine children of his mother and father. William of 1738 lived in the "Old Barrett Homestead" for forty-eight years, 1783-1831. The "1800 Census" and an 1813 List of inhabitants of Steeple Ashton" indicated that William of 1738, his wife Mary and their daughter, Sarah, were living there during those years.

Besides being a farmer of over ten acres of arable land and pasture for 1 1/2 beasts, William of 1738 inherited from his father the trade of "thatcher". William of 1738 had a son William of 1764 who was also a thatcher. Three Williams of three continuous generations were thatchers.

William of 1738 and Mary Woodman had four children: William b. 4 Mar 1764, Sarah b. 8 Feb 1767, Robert b. 11 Dec 1768 and Thomas b. 21 Mar 1773.

William Berrett of 1738 was buried in Steeple Ashton 9 Dec 1831. He was 93 years of age and had outlived his wife, Mary, by two years. Mary was buried 20 Nov 1829 at age 90. She was also buried at Steeple Ashton. In preparation for his death, William made out a will dated 11 Oct 1808. In very beautiful handwriting of a scribe, the will indicates how William's property was to be divided at his death. He affixed his mark, a large "X" to the will which made it valid. The will indicates that William is "the Elder" and that he was a thatcher. His son William was to receive the right to be a "freehold tenant" of the house William of 1738 had once lived in at Snarlton on the edge of "Ashton Common". If William's wife, had outlived him, she would have received three leasehold tenements or dwelling houses in Steeple Ashton. She would also received ten acres of arable land and a small amount of pasture land (a "Beast Lease in Raydown Common"). His daughter, Sarah, was to receive two "milch" cows. Neither Robert nor Thomas, the last two of four children, were even mentioned in the will. Just why this was the case is unknown. William's daughter lived in her father's cottage all her life, so she must have received the leasehold rights to the "Old Berrett Homestead".

From the will of William Berrett of 1738 one can understand that with over ten acres of arable land and at least four houses, he was more affluent than many poor humble peasant farmers. (He inherited the same acreage his father owned).

THOMAS BERRETT, "the Elder" 1773
Common Ancestor of Union, Utah Berretts; Provo, Utah
Barretts and Ogden, Utah Barnetts

THOMAS BERRETT (1773-1860)(md. (1) Mary Sainsbury (2) Mary)

Thomas, the fourth and last child of William Berrett of 1738 and Mary Woodman was christened 21 Mar 1773 in the old stone church at Steeple Ashton, Wiltshire, England.

St. Mary's - Steeple Ashton

Steeple Ashton History
Julie Goddard

A beautiful well-preserved village about three miles from Trowbridge, Steeple Ashton was not named for its church steeple, but for the fact that it was the "staple" or market place for the wool trade from the countryside around. In the 15th century it was also engaged in the cloth industry. Changes in the processes of cloth manufacture entailing the use of running water, which the village does not have, brought the decline of this industry and the village turned to farming. The manor was bought by Walter Long of Whaddon in 1630 and the family remained Lords of the Manor until 1924 when the estate was sold. The magnificent church of St Mary the Virgin dominates the village and can be seen for miles around. It once had a steeple as tall again as the present tower, but it was struck by lightning and fell in 1670 and again in 1675 when rebuilding was abandoned. The registers have been well preserved - the baptisms and burials dating from 1538 and marriages from 1558 are in Wiltshire Record Office together with a wealth of other material relating to the village. Of interest to family historians, are various Vicar's Visiting Lists from 1770 to 1827, the Vestry Order Book 1828-35 and the Churchwarden's Accounts 1543-1668. The village school was started in c1840 and some log books exist, but may have not yet have been handed in to the WRO. A Sunday School was in existence in the mid 1800s and the attendance records are in the WRO.

The depression in agriculture in the 1800s caused distress in the village. Two Berrett brothers left for America in the 1820s. Unemployed Moses Angel was hung for murder in 1828. In 1843, on the death of their father, the Stileman sons left for Australia, the family having been in Ashton House on the Green since about 1500. Mormon missionaries arriving in 1845 converted many of the villagers and a party comprising members of the Berrett, Dunsdon and Smith families left for Utah in 1849. Several village men became Mormon missionaries and left for Utah in the next few years - Berrett, Kemp and Griffens amongst them. In 1864 a further party of Berrett, Barnett and Dunsdon family members left for the Salt Lake Valley. Members of the Berrett and Togwell family also moved to Woolwich to work at the Arsenal there in the 1850s.

Every summer the village is visited by the descendants of various emigrant families and also by the Silverthorn family, who hold an annual family gathering there. Other researched families are the Longs, Axfords and Cantellos- The many monumental inscriptions in the church have been listed.

As a youth, Thomas worked in the fields with his father and brothers William and Robert. On 15 Mar 1794 Thomas married Mary Sainsbury who was born ca 1772. Her actual birthdate and names of her parents are unknown at this writing (1979).

Like his brother Robert, Thomas was left nothing in his father's will, and he worked hard to build his own inheritance. Thomas was an agricultural laborer and thatcher. His death certificate indicated he was a market gardner like many other Berretts. Although his will indicates that he was a "yeoman" or a small farmer who cultivates his own land and was thus in the "middle class", the will does not indicate that he had a "leasehold" on any land or even his house. Apparently Thomas had a "lease" on the home from Walter Long for over sixty years, but did not have the type of lease that he could will to his children. There was no real estate involved in his will. To his children he willed money, furniture, clothing and personal effects. The will states that his "Effects were under 100 pounds and he had no leaseholds." Thomas Berrett, "the Elder" of 1773 was not a wealthy landowner, but a respectable "yeoman" of Steeple Ashton.

Immediately after marriage, Thomas and Mary moved into their home on Silver Street. It was in this home that Thomas lived for sixty-six years. Thomas lived there with Mary Sainsbury for twenty to twenty-six years; with his second wife, Mary, for "up to" thirty years and as a widower for four years. The house where Thomas Berrett and Mary Sainsbury lived on Silver Street is definitely known. It was number 1073 on the 1818 Enclosure Map and number 307 on the 1841 Tithe Map. In 1979 the address of the home was 4 Silver Street and Peggy Dowe Brown, a relative by marriage, lived there in the part farthest east. In 1977 no one lived in the center part where Thomas Berrett once lived. Peggy Dowe Brown married Ron Brown, son of George T. Brown, son of Alfred Brown (1845) who married Lydia Ann Berrett, daughter of John Berrett 1806 and Ellen Marsh. Peggy Dowe's son, Tim Brown, runs The George T. Brown Trucking Co. across the street from the "Thomas Berrett of 1773 Homestead". In 1841 the "Thomas Berrett Homestead" was the second one on the right hand side of the street going east, but in 1979 it was the first home on the street going east. Actually the one house looks like three different houses.

Thomas and Mary probably moved into their home on Silver Street soon after marriage. Four years after marriage (1800) their names appear on a list of inhabitants of Silver Street. Thomas also appeared on an 1813 list. Thomas and Mary were living there when both the 1841 and 1851 census was taken. In the 1841 census a daughter Elizabeth was living with Thomas and Mary along with two of Elizabeth's three illegitimate children: Mary b. Dec 1832 (8 years old) and Anna Marie b. 20 Oct 1839 (l year old). Perhaps the third child, George b. 8 Jan 1837, was deceased or living elsewhere. When the 1851 census was taken, only thirty-three-year-old "Sussen" (Susannah), Thomas' youngest daughter was living with her parents. Susannah later married George Barnett sometime between 1851-59.

Thomas and Mary Sainsbury had thirteen children before Mary's untimely death at age forty-eight. She was buried 3 Dec 1820 according to Parish records.

Thomas married another woman named Mary sometime between 1820 and 1841. The 1841 census listed Thomas Berrett age 60 and wife Mary age 60. The 1851 census listed Thomas age 70 and Mary age 73. The names of Mary's parents are unknown. Thomas and his second wife, Mary, had no children.

Thomas' second wife, Mary, died at age seventy-six and was buried 9 Mar 1856 according to the parish register. If this age is accurate, then Mary would have been born in 1780 which is probably more correct than the 1771 or 1773 dates.

Death came to Thomas Berrett at age eighty-seven on 2 Feb 1860 at Steeple Ashton. Matilda Berrett, Thomas' niece and housekeeper was present at his death.