Administration of John Spratley, 1709

Herts RO 146AW34

[summarised from Latin and English]

Jane Spratley of Winslow, widow
Thomas Gibbs of Grandborow, blacksmith
William Gibbs of Winslow, butcher
are bound to the Archdeacon for £200, 16 June 1709

Jane Spratley, widow of John Spratley of Winslow, deceased intestate, is to present an inventory by 31 Dec and accounts by 30 June next year.

Signed in the presence of
Edm(un)d Browne

Jane Spratley
Tho Gibbes
William Gibbs

Notes

John Spratley was overseer of the poor in 1702/3. He (or his father) was a brickmaker according to the accounts for the building of Winslow Hall, but is also described as a tallow-chandler. He was described as a grocer in a document concerning his employment c.1707 of Alice Smith. He was buried on 3 Nov 1708 (another John Spratly, perhaps his father, was buried on 27 Jan 1700/1, and Ann Spratly widow on 29 April 1705). He and his wife Jane (daughter of Stephen Bigg, d.1704) had these children baptised at Winslow:

Jane the widow was married to Matthew Deverell by the time her death was reported at the Oct 1713 manor court (she died in April 1713).

Three of the siblings were involved in a protracted legal dispute which also involved their uncle Richard Bigg:

Morris and Ingram v Spratley and Bigg, 1724

National Archives, E112/931/82

To the Right Hon(our)able Robert Walpole Esq. Chancell(or) & under Treasurer of his Maj(es)ties Court of Exchequ(er) at Westm(inster) S(ir) Robert Eyre Kn(igh)t Lord Cheife Baron of the same Court and to the rest of the Barons there.

Humbly Complaining Sheweth unto Your Lordshipps Your Orators & Oratrixes Mark Morris of Winslow in the County of Bucks \Yeoman/ and Ann his Wife one of the Daughters of John Spratley late of Winslow afores(ai)d Tallow Chandler dec(eas)ed & Jane his wife likewise  dec(eas)ed Sole Daughter of Stephen Bigg the Elder late of Winslow afores(ai)d Postm(aster) dec(eas)ed and Benjamin Ingram of Winslow afores(ai)d \Yeoman/ and Mary his Wife another of the Daughters of the said John Spratley & Jane his wife Debtors and Accomptants to his Maj(es)tie as by the Records of this Hon(our)able Court & otherwise it doth and may appear That the said Stephen Bigg in his life time being minded to preferr his Grandchildren in the world purchased of Frances Leach widd(ow) & John Bishop or one of them a Certain Messuage or Tenem(en)t in Winslow aforesaid then in the sev(er)all Tenures or Occupac(i)ons of the said John Spratley Thomas Whiteing & Sara Smith or their Assignes the Messuage or Tenem(en)t of the said John Spratley lieing on the North East part and Winslow Street on the other parts thereof together with all Fronts Lights Wayes Waters Watercourses Easements Profitts & App(ur)ten(an)ces thereunto belonging or in any wise app(ur)teyning being Coppyhold of Inheritance held of the Mannor of Winslow cum Membris in the County of Bucks and the said Frances Leach & John Bishop or one of them being Seized in Fee of the said Coppyhold premisses at a Court holden for the said Mannor on or about the one and Thirtieth day of March which was in the Year of our Lord one thousand Seven hundred & three [see 1703 court rolls] did Surrender the said P(re)misses according to the Customs of the said Mannor to the Use of the said John Spratley & Jane his Wife their heires & Assignes Upon Condition Nevertheless That if the said John Spratley his Heires Exec(utors) or Adm(inistrators) should not pay an annuity of five pounds p(er) annum to the said Stephen Bigg dureing his life and should not pay the sum(m)e of a Hundred pounds to such Child or Children of the said John Spratley & Jane his Wife as Shee the said Jane should in writeing under her hand & Seal whether Covert or Sole limitt direct or appoint for default of such direction to all the Children of the said Jane by the said John Equally to be divided Then the said p(re)misses should be to the Use of the said Stephen Bigg & his Heires And your Orators & Oratrixes Shew that the said John Spratley & Jane his Wife were at the said Court duely admitted tenants to the said Coppyhold p(re)misses Subject to such Condit(io)ns as aforesaid or Subject to \the/ Trust for the paym(en)t of the said monies according to the Import & Intent of the said Condi(ci)on and that the said John Spratley & Jane [h]is Wife had five Children \noe more/ living \at &/ after their Deaths and that the said Stephen Bigg Departed this life in or ab(ou)t the month of Aprill which was in the Year of our Lord one Thousand seven hundred & four and the said John Spratley Departed this life in or ab(ou)t the month of November which was in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred & Seven (liveing [sic] the said Jane) who departed this life on or ab(ou)t the month  of Aprill which was in the Year of our Lord one Thousand seven hundred & thirteen leaveing five Children by the said John Spratley without making any limittac(i)on direc(i)on or appointm(en)t to which of her Children shee would limitt direct or appoint the said Hundred pounds whereby Your Orators in Right of the said Ann and Mary Your said Oratrixes became Rightfully Entitled to the sum(m)e of twenty pounds apeice & Interest for the same from the Death of their said Mother Jane on whose death John Spratley of Winslow aforesaid Butcher was admitted Tennant to the said Coppyhold p(re)misses And Your Orators & Oratrixes alsoe Shew that the said John Spratley & Jane his Wife or one of them did duely pay unto the said Stephen Bigg the said Anuity dureing his life But now So it is may it please your Lordshippe that the said John Spratley the Son who is Brother to Your Oratrixes & Eldest son of the said John Spratley the Father & Jane his Wife Combineing Confederateing with Rich(ard) Bigg of Winslow aforesaid Postm(aster) who is the Sonn & Heir of the said Stephen Bigg and Diverse other p(er)sons unknown to Your Orators & Oratrixes whose names when discovered Your Orators & Oratrixes pray may be herein Incerted with apt words to Charge them He the said John Spratley doth Absolutely Refuse to pay Your Orators in Right of Your Oratrixes the said respective sum(m)e of twenty pounds apeice pursuant to the Condic(i)on of the said Surrender or any part thereof or any Interest for the same and Declares he never will pay your Orators & Oratrixes or any or either of them any part thereof or make them \any/ Sattisfac(i)on for the same And the said Rich(ard) Bigg p(re)tends and sometimes gives out in Speaches that the said Jane the Mother of Your Oratrixes did duely make Surrender of the said p(re)misses to him the said Rich(ard) Bigg & his Heires Redeemable on paym(en)t of the sum(m)e of Eighty poundes & Interest [see 1709 court rolls] and that therefore he will be paid out of the Rents & proffitts of the said p(re)misses the said sum(m)e of Eighty pounds and Interest before Your Orators in Right of your Oratrixes shall have the said twenty pounds apeice or any part thereof or any Interest for the same and at other times the said Rich(ard) Bigg gives out that he is Heir at Law of the said Stephen Bigg & will hold the said Coppyhold p(re)misses for the Condic(i)on broken and accordingly the said Rich(ard) Bigg soon after the Death of the said Jane Entred thereupon & rec(eiv)ed the proffitts of the said p(re)misses amounting to the sum(m)e of twenty Six pounds Tenn Shillings p(er) annu(m) for the Yeare One thousand seven hundred & Thirteen one thousand seven hundred & Fourteen One thousand seven hundred & Fifteen one thousand seven hundred & Sixteen one thousand seven hundred and Seventeen one thousand seven hundred & Eighteen and One thousand seven hundred & Nineteen but refused to pay Your Orators in right of Your Oratrixes their said twenty pounds a peice or any part thereof or any Interest for the same And sometimes the said Richard Bigg p(re)tends that he will pay what money he has rec(eiv)ed unto the said John Spratley the sonn and at other times the said Richard Bigg p(re)tends that he lay(e)d out the greater part of the money he rec(eiv)ed from the Tennants of the said Coppyhold p(re)misses in Taxes and the repairing the said Coppyhold p(re)misses and in the Maintenance of Thomas & Rich(ar)d Spratley the two younger sonns of the said John Spratley the Father & Jane his Wife and hath rec(ei)ved little or nothing of principall or Interest to him on his pretended Mortgage  Whereas your Orators & Oratrixes Charge that the <said> Rich(ar)d Bigg hath rece(iv)ed six years rent of the said premisses from Lady day one thousand seven hundred & thirteen to Layday [sic] one thous(an)d seven hundred & nineteen and by agreem(en)t with the said John Spratley the sonn gave up the poss(ess)ion of the said p(re)misses to him but still p(re)tends and Threatens to bring Actions in Ejectm(en)t and Turn the said John Spratley the sonn out of Poss(ess)ion again whensoever he pleases and receive the proffitts of the said p(re)misses to his own Use and refuses to Account with your Orators … And the said John Spratley Threatens to pull down the Buildings belonging to the said p(re)misses and dispose of the Materialls thereof to his own use …
[signed] Richd Newman
12o Januarii 1724

We don't know whether Ann Morris and Mary Ingram ever got their £20.

Copyright 21 April, 2023