William Stratton, of Tamworth

Not the same as William Stratton, of Bristol

William Stratton

• Birth: 1585 - Staffordshire, England
• Death: Mar 31 1647 - Tenterden, Kent, England
• Son of John Stretton and Margaret Harte
• Husband of an unknown woman — married 1613 in London, London, , England
• Husband of Margaret (Haffenden) Gibbon — married 29 Oct 1635 in Cranbrooke, Kent, England

Biography

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Stratton-174

William Stratton was born in 1585 in Tanworth-in-Arden, Stratford-on-Avon District, Warwickshire, England.

Baptism

20 February 1585 at Tanworth.

Marriages

He married twice.

Elizabeth Unknown in 1612 in St. Leonard, Eastcheap, London, England.
Margaret Unknown after 1632 in London, England.
Occupations

He was a Butcher and belonged to the Worshipful Company of Butchers of London. Mayor of Tenterden in 1644.

Death and Burial

William died 30 November 1647 in Tenterden, Kent, England. He was buried on 1 December 1647 in the St. Mildred Churchyard, Tenterden, Ashford Borough, Kent, England. Find A Grave: Memorial #124282288

Sources

• England Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975.
• England Select Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991.
• Find A Grave Index.
• Stratton, Harriet Russell, compiler. A Book of Strattons. New York: The Grafton Press, Genealogical Publishers, 1908. Volume 1. Page 62. Find book here Amos Eagle Elliston
• Straton, Harriet Russell. "Some of the Early Strattons", The Grafton Magazine of History and Genealogy (Grafton Press, New York & Boston, Sept. 1908) Vol. 1, No. 2, Page 22

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John had a son William born 1585 and died in 1647. This William was apprenticed in London in 1599, then aged 14 years. At the end of his seven years apprenticeship, at the age of 21, he became a free citizen of London, where he resided for 25 years, in the parish of St. Leonard, in Eastcheap .He married first Elizabeth about 1612. Elizabeth died in 1635 and was buried at St. Loenards, June 12. Soon after the death of Elizabeth, he gave up his business in London and retired to Tenterden, in the county of Kent. He married Margaret ( a widow with two children) in 1636 and had fifteen children. William made his will on May 31, 1647, and died within the year. He listed his profession as"jurat" or alderman.

William’s will is in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, the following is a full abstract of it: "My executor to pay to my wife Margaret, 1,045 pounds, agreed upon before our marriage; to my daughter, Elizabeth, 140, pounds, at her marriage, or when twenty years of age, and a trunk of linen appointed by her mother, to my sons John, Thomas and Nathaniel, each 120 pounds, when 23 years of age; to Caleb, my son, 110 pounds when 23, to Joseph, Benjamin and Samuel, my sons, each 100 pounds, when 23, to Bartholomew, my son, 90 pounds when 23; to my daughter, Sarah Pickering, 10 pounds for her children; to my wife's daughters, Rose and Margaret, each 10 shillings. All the rest of my estate to William, my son,. and he to be my executor."

This genealogy is one that needs much further research. Other researchers have concluded that this William is not William of Tenteren, Kent....

conflict

William Stretton (1585-1647), sometime Mayor of Tenterden, Kent, and Master of the Company of Butchers of London in 1636, is the ancestor of a number of Stretton/Stratton families in the United States, several of his sons having emigrated to the colonies.

The genealogies of the various American descendants of William Stretton regularly refer to his having come from the village of Shrivenham, Berkshire, and provide him with a father, John, and a grandfather, William, said to have died c1603. The source of this material appears to be Harriet Russell Stratton's Book of the Strattons (Vol. I 1908, Vol. II 1918, Chattanooga). This work also names William's wife as Elizabeth, and, following consistent usage amongst descendants in the United States, spells his surname "Stratton".

The will of William Stratton of Shrivenham was proved at the P.C.C. on 12 May 1604, being dated 16 September 1601. He describes himself as a widower and a smith, "aged and very feeble & weake in body, and at this present very much grieved with paines and greifes". He names his son John as executor and residual beneficiary, and leaves legacies to his sister Agnes; Richard, Thomas, Nicholas and Jane, the children of his son-in-law John Saunders; his daughter Christian; the children of his daughter Joan; his son John's son William; Margaret and Agnes the children of his deceased daughter Agnes Cox; his daughter Jane Saunders; and his "cousin" [?nephew] Thomas Stratton

The registers of Shrivenham commence only in 1575, and on 17 May in that year we find that John, son of William Stratton, was baptised. I have not been able to trace this John's marriage, but his son William Stratton was baptised at Shrivenham on 3 February 1600. Given that our William's first child was baptised in 1613 (*), it is reasonable to conclude that they are not one and the same man.

If William Stretton was not from Shrivenham, then what were his origins? The records of the Worshipful Company of Butchers reveal three Strettons who were admitted to the livery in around 1600: William, George [Master in 1632 & 1637] and Richard.

According to the printed lists of the Butchers' records at the Guildhall Library, apprenticeship documents appear to survive only for Richard (1585/6, to Thomas Massy), whose indenture records his father as John Stretton, glover, of Tamworth. Were these three brothers, and did George and William serve their time under their elder brother?

The registers of Tamworth show the baptism of Richard, son of John Stretton (4 January 1570), and also of his half-brothers George (3 March 1582) and William (20 February 1585). This would offer confirmation of the above supposition, and answer the question in favour of a Tamworth descent. Their father, John, married firstly Ellen Hill (18 October 1566) and secondly Margaret Hunter (21 May 1570); there were four other children.

MAR

(*) Sarah Stretton, baptised St. Leonard Eastcheap, London, 5 September

1613 (PR)

• Wife: Alice Stratton (born Hardcastle)
• Wife: Elizabeth Stratton
• Wife: Margaret Stratton
• Children: Elizabeth Stratton, Rebecca Stratton, John Stratton, Richard Stratton, Bartholomew Stratton, Caleb Stratton, John Stratton

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https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Stratton-174

Buried at Tenterden, 1 December 1647;

Will proved PCC 11 January 1647/8:

Will of William Stretton* of Tenterden (county Kent), Jurat,

Dated 31 May, 1647. Being in health of bodie. To my wife

Margaret Stretton £1045 as agreed upon between us before our marriage. Also I give unto her her wearing apparell and her dwelling in the house wherein I now live, for the space of half a year without paying for it.

To my son Joseph £100 at his age of 23 years, my best Bible, my best backsworde, and one of the books of the writings of Mr. Perkins.

To my son Benjamin £100 at his age of 23, my rapier, and one of the said books.

To my son Bartholomew fourscore and ten pounds at his age of 23, my black-hilted backsword and the book of Acts and Monuments written by Mr Foxe.

To my daughter Elizabeth £140 at 20 or marriage and a trunk of linen appointed her by her mother.

To my son Samuel £100 at 23 and one of the books of the Acts and Monuments.

To my son Caleb £110 at 23 and one of the said books.

My three youngest sons Thomas, John and Nathaniel each £120 at 23.

To my daughter Sarah Pickering, to be divided amongst her children, £10. Overseers, my wife and Mr Thomas Brett. Son William my best bedstede and money due to me from the Parliament.

My wife's two daughters Rose and Margaret each 10s in gould.

Executor, son William, whom residuary legatee.

Witnesses: William Stretton, Thomas Brett, Thomas Manton. Proved 11 January, 1647-8, by the executor.

• This abstract, exactly as here given, was furnished the compiler from London by the well-known genealogist, J. Henry Lea. since the publication of Vol. I. of this work: Strattons in England 5.