Pratt Ancestors

Katheren Keelinge Bowerman is mentioned in the will of her mother, Alice (Alse) Pratt. This will identifies Katheren's siblings. One of them, Thomas, is shown in the Shotteswell parish register as the son of Thomas Pratt. Thomas senior and Alice were born in about 1540.

Will of Thomas Pratt of Shotteswell, 1596

In the name of God Amen; the xxviith day of February in the yeare of our Lorde 1596, I Thomas Pratt of Shotswell in the countie of Warwicke, husbandman, being very sicke in bodie, but whole and perfitt in mynde & memorye do make this my last will and testament in maner & forme following: Ffyrst I bequeath my soule in the hands of Almightie God, my maker & and my body to be buried in the churchyard of Shotswell aforesaid.

Item, I geve & bequeath unto my sone Thomas Pratt, tenne poundes of currant Englishe money to be paid unto him at the age of twentie yeares: & my will is that my sone Thomas shall have one aker of barlie for two yeares next after my decease, the first yeare sowed & dressed to his hande & the second yeare to have seede himself & his brother Willm or his assignes to till it for him.

Item I geve my daughter Elizabeth tene poundes to be paid unto her at the age of eighteane yeares, & also I do geve my said daughter one quarter of barlie to be delivered unto her at the same yeares.

And if it shall happen that either of my said children, Thomas or Elizabeth, do decease before they shall accomplish the yeares above mentioned, that then my will is, that the survivor shall inherite the other portion.

Item, I geve unto Alice my wyffe twentie poundes of currant Englishe money & halfe the household stuffe in the dwelling house & her boarde, & the sharing with my sonne Willm during ye tenure of my lease yf she shall so longe lyve.

Item I geve my leasse unto my sonne Willm, and yf my sone Willm die before he marrye, then my will is that my sone Thomas shall have my lease.

Item, I geve unto my sone Edward Pratt one paire of mares, and to my daughter Johane Eedes towe parcels of barlie to be delivered after my decease.

Item, I give unto my sone Edward Kelinge two children & to my son John his childe, & to my daughter Jone’s child five shillings sixte pence a piece to be paid within one yeare after my decease.

Item, I geve unto all my godchildren fower pence a piece.

And to the poore of Shotswell sixe shillings viijd, and to my ___ one and seventy two pence.

All the rest of my goods unbequeathed, I geve unto my sone Willm whom I do make my whole executor to see my bodie decently buried & my debtes paid, & this my will pformed.

And I do make Willm Pratt, & Thomas Gill my overseers & do geve vid a piece for their labours.

Witnesses to this my will

Thomas Gill and

William Pratt, &

William Kelinge with others

A trewe inventorye taken the vij day of Maye in the yeare of our Lorde 1596, of the goods & chattells of Thomas Pratte of Shotswall in the countie of Warw late deceased.

Item, the chamber – three bedsteaddes, two fetherbeddes & fower woolbedds xls

The will of Alse (Alice) Pratt, of Neithrop, widow, will dated 26 September 1603, no burial entry, inventory undated, exhibited 5 April 1624.

1. John, born in about 1562; married 1) Elizabeth Howse 29 November 1595 in Cropredy; married 2) Margaret in 1603; buried 11 May 1609 in Cropredy.

From the History of Cropredy: "John Pratt, Justinian Hunt and Widow Alese Howse all die from the same epidemic of 1609...John Pratt having married Elizabeth Howse, the eldest daughter, whose name was on their copyhold lease. Her step-mother Grace Howes nee French had on the death of her husband Richard in 1600/1 to give way to the Pratts....In 1600 Elizabeth's husband John Pratt took over, even though Grace had to raise the legacies. John Pratt may have been born in Banbury for his mother died at a Banbury inn [Banbury Wills Pt.2 Vol.14:258, p33]. Elizabeth his wife had three children but died perhaps at the birth of a fourth in 1602. John was left with the three surviving children,and within a year had married Margaret, presumably at her own parish church. She bore him three more children, two boys and a girl. Two of her children remain in Cropredy, but Thomas having been to school left. After only six years together John caught the 1609 fever and died. Margaret had a houseful of children, four boys and two girls from thirteen down to three months and had no option but to carry on farming." John left an inventory exhibited 26 September 1608, appraised by Edward Pratt, John Hunte, Edward Lumberd, Edward Tanner, and John Pare. The inventory was valued at £130. John is listed in the inventory as a husbandman "of Cropredye". (http://wills.oxfordshirefhs.org.uk)

*3. Katheren, christened 24 January 1566 in Shotteswell; married 1) Edward Keelinge in about 1593; 2) John Bowerman 23 June 1607 in Banbury; buried 28 May 1627 in Banbury.

8. Thomas, christened 29 March 1581 in Shotteswell; married Annis Wise 30 April 1605 in Banbury.

11. Edward born about 1585; married Anne; his occupation was yeoman farmer; left a will proven 5 Jan 1640 in the PCC, naming oldest son William Pratt, Mary, my oldest daughter, Anne, my now wife, Margaret, third daughter, Anne, second daughter, Richard Pratt, second son, Edward Pratt, third son, Thomas Pratt, my fourth son, Michaell Pratt, my fifth son, John Pratt, sixth son, Elizabeth, fourth daughter, John Pratt, my son, and brother William Pratt.

SOURCES: Banbury parish register; Shotteswell parish register; www.ancestry.co.uk; will of Alice Pratt, in Banbury Wills and Inventories; will of Edward Pratt; History of Cropredy; will of Thomas Pratt, 1596, on findmypast.co.uk; Banbury Wills and Inventories, 1621-1650.

Thomas Pratt started having children in the 1560s in Shotteswell. Another Pratt having children at the same time was William Pratt, who may have been a brother. William (shown as senior) died and was buried 24 April 1620.

The parish is described: "Shotteswell is a small parish, forming a peninsula on the south-eastern extremity of the county, almost surrounded by Oxfordshire. It occupies part of a range of heights rising gradually from south to north to 600 ft.,at the point where the road from Banbury to Warwickleaves the parish; and extensive and beautiful views areobtainable in all directions. The Avon, a tributary of the Cherwell, separates the parish from Oxfordshire on the east, as does another small tributary on the west, the northern boundary being formed by a still smaller stream. In the middle of the 19th century, when the population was almost double its present size, it was described as 'a poor and very unimportant village and parish', and the approach to the church was termed 'very bad'. It is now, however, a pleasant rural community, consisting of cottages and farms clustered round the church, and forming steep and narrow lanes.The buildings are mostly of the local dark-brown sandstone, and the majority are thatched, the remainder being tiled or slated. The Manor House and some of the other larger houses have mullioned windows of the17th century. The Flying Fox Inn is of the local stone,built around a courtyard. There are remains of a village green." (From: 'Parishes: Shotteswell', A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 5: Kington hundred (1949), pp. 148-153. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/)