PDA

View Full Version : PRATT settlement in Oxfordshire.



perisama
03-06-2009, 4:33 PM
I am stuck on my James Pratt. Born around 1715 and died sometime between 1763 and 1772. I have copies of his son William's Settlement, (where he moved from Oxfordshire to Kent), papers which states that "his place of birth is at Henley-upon-Thames where his father James Pratt was legally settled ".
would anyone have access to search for his settlement papers? I don't know who or where he married or where he was born. I have searched as deep as I can think of on the World Wide Web and contacted Oxfordshire but came up with blanks all the time. Don't know what else to do. |help|

Peter Goodey
03-06-2009, 5:07 PM
I'm not too clear what you mean here. It sounds as if the documents that you have are the record of a settlement examination. Is that so?

What are you thinking you might find for his father? Did he also move to Kent?

Geoffers
03-06-2009, 8:54 PM
I'm not too clear what you mean here. It sounds as if the documents that you have are the record of a settlement examination. Is that so?

.........and if so, is there a reason for the grant of settlement included in the document?

Have you tried the parish registers for Henley?

Any record of wills for the family?

perisama
04-06-2009, 10:47 AM
Sorry to sound so fuddled. I have 6 settlement Examination documents dating from 1763 to 1778 for William Pratt. He move at the invitation of his Uncle, from henley to Hayes in Kent. He worked as a gardener for Peter Burrell in Beckenham in Kent for a few years during which time he married Sarah. .
In the papers it mentions his father James Pratt. He says that he was legally settled in Henley upon Thames. This is what I have transcribed from one of the papers.....
William Pratt now residing in Hayes Labourer upon his Oath Saith that the place of his birth is at Henley-upon-Thame where his Father James Pratt was legally settled as he beleives. Says that about seventeen years ago his Uncle who was then Gardiner to Peter Burrell of Beckenham in Kent sent for this Examinant to Beckenham & that he therupon came & resisded with Mr Burrell full four years & worked in his Gardens & had his maintenance of Mr Burrell who sometimes gave him Pocket Money but was not then hired for any time certain. But says that on his Uncle's Death he hired himself to the said peter Burrell and about six weeks afterwards to this examinant married and that there upon he quitted his said services with his Master's consent. Says he was legally married at ....
...... it then mentions his marriage and lists his children.
What I am hoping to find is the Examination and Settlement papers for James. I don't know where he was born or married or who to. This, I hope, will all be mentioned in the papers. I do know that James died in Henley some time before 1772 because in that paper William then refers to his late father.
I have tried the usual routes... Nat Archives, Oxford County Council , Oxford FHS (Neither have replied to my letters or emails)and subscribed to Origins Network but no luck.
I am really stuck.

Peter Goodey
04-06-2009, 2:55 PM
To my mind the first and most important of the "usual routes" would be the parish registers of Henley on Thames to confirm the basic vital data. This may answer some of your other questions.

If the matter of his father's settlement was never in doubt, there would have been no examination and no explicit record of his settlement.

The parish registers have been filmed by the Mormons (a rarity for Oxon ;)) so getting to see them should pose no problems.