324. William Biggs
1. Will dated 20 March 1747
he is refered to seinor and the elder
persons listed in will
son Thomas
grand children William Groocock and Thomas Groocock
son William
326. John Armston
1. History and Antiquities of Leicestershrie page 142
Monumental Inscriptions
Here also lieth the body of John Armston, son of John and Elizabeth
Armston, who departed this life March 14, 1768, aged 80 years.
2. G.S. film # 590868 B.T. parish of Cosby Church of England
Burial
March 18, 1768 John Armston
3. Will date 7 July 1766 and probated 26 Mar. 1768 Archdeaconry ct. of
Leicester G.S. Film # 26421 pt. 92 page 392
Gentleman
resident of Cosby
persons listed in will
Bro. William Armston of Blaby Grocer
Dau. Jane wife of William Biggs of Cosby Yeoman
Dau. Grace wife of William Hill
Son William Armston
Son John Armston
Dau. Ann Armston
Granddaughters Ann Armston Ann Hill Ann Biggs
Grandson John Armston
4. Will of Father John Armston of Cosbie Leicestershire England
dated 23 Feb. 1699
(John is indicated in his fathers will as not yet 21)
5. Monumental Inscriptions of Cosby Cemetery G.S. film # 823782 item # 4
6. Leicestershire Parish registers Blaby Marriages
G.S. Book # 942.54
V25p
V. 12
p. 44
327. Anne Freer or Fryer
1. History and Antiquities of Leicestershire page 142
Monumental Inscriptions
Here also lieth the body of Anne, wife of John Armston, who departed
this life Jan. 2, 1761, aged 70 years.
2. G.S. film # 590868 B.T. parish of Cosby Church of England
Anne wife of John Armston January 5th 1761 Burial
3. Monumental Inscriptions of Cosby cemetery G.S. film # 823782 item # 4
4. Leicestershire Parish Registers Blaby Marriages
G.S. Book # 942.54
V25p
V12
P. 44
5. G.S. film # 585311 B.T. parish of Blaby Church of England 1566-1858.
6. G.S. film # 990306 item 1
352. Isaac Barnett
1. G.S. # 1279371 item 21-29 & 1279372 item 1-2 parish register of Steeple
Ashton Church of England 1538-1940.
Christings for the year 1727
Isaac son of Richard Barnett August the 27th
Marriages in 1745
Isaac Barnet & Ann Ward April the 16th
Buried in the year 1775
Isaac Barnett September the 20th
353. Ann Ward
1. G.S. # 1279371 item # 21-29 & 1279372 item 1-2 parish register of Steeple
Ashton Church of England 1538-1940.
Marriages in 1745
Isaac Barnet and Ann Ward April the 16th
This needs to be varified
360. William Berrett
Steeple Ashton Par. Reg. 11/30/49 p.45
Sarah B. Summerhays record Book G13Cp6
Steeple Ashton Parish Register
Christenings
17 Sep. 1699 William s Robert Berrett
Marriages
William Berret and Susanna Salter 19 July 1730
Burials
Will Berrett Senior 2 Apr. 1783
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.
361. Susanna Shepman
Steeple Ashton Parish Register
Marriages
William Berrett and Susanna Salter 19 July 1730
Burials
Susanna wife Will Berrett 11 Feb. 1780