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Assumed I know that Thomas Masters was born in approximately 1694, probably in Northamptonshire. He married his wife, Ann Marriott, and then had his five children in Staverton but I have never been able to find a record of his birth in Staverton. However, a Thomas Masters was christened on 6 January 1694 in Badby, Northamptonshire - I believe this to be the same person for the reasons listed below:
The Thomas Masters who was christened in Badby was the second child of Thomas and Mary Masters. His siblings were as follows: I have managed to find the marriage records of his two brothers, William and John, who married in West Haddon and Flore respectively. I have also found reference to the six children William had with his wife in West Haddon and Badby and the six children John had with his wife in Badby. I have not been able to find record of Thomas's marriage or birth of his children if he is not the same person that moved to Staverton to raise his family. Therefore, it is possible to assume that if this is not the same Thomas Masters, that the Thomas Masters who was christened in Badby either died young (no record of this) or never married. I have also not been able to find marriage records of either of his three sisters, Mary, Susanna and Bridget. This is possibly as a result of the fact that often the woman's maiden name is not recorded. Because of this I have not been able to find record of their children, who would be christened with their mother's married names. Furthermore, Thomas's elder brother (William) married Abigail Lucas who was born in West Haddon. They proceeded to have five of their six children christened in West Haddon, not Badby. Is it possible that Thomas's wife hailed from Staverton and that the family settled their to raise their family? The above is the basis for my assumption that Thomas Masters was born in Badby, not Staverton, and therefore as evidence for the next few generations back. Perhaps most convincing of all is the marriage of a Thomas Masters and Ann Marriott in the Parish of Brockhall, Northamptonshire in 1719-20. Both Thomas and Ann record their 'home' parish as Badby. This marriage is approximately one year before the birth of the first Masters child in Staverton. Fact What is certain is that Thomas Masters married a woman named Ann Marriott in 1719-20 in the Parish of Brockhall, Northamptonshire. They went on to have at least five children in Staverton, Northamptonshire. Their first child was Katherine Masters who was christened in Staverton on 15 November 1720 but died on 17 November. Their second child was William Masters who was christened in Staverton on 16 November 1723. Their third child was named Catherine (with a 'c'), who was christened on 24 August 1725 in Staverton. Their fourth child was named Sarah Masters and she was christened in Staverton on 25 April 1729. She was followed by their last known child, Thomas Masters, who was christened in Staverton on 30 December 1734. The Northants Presentation Book records that in 1722 Thomas Masters is fined 2s 6d for failing to assist the constable of Staverton in the .... of his office! Thomas's wife, Ann, died on 27 August 1741 in Staverton so it looks as though Thomas may have had to raise his children by himself. At the time, his eldest son, William, will have been seventeen years old, Catherine would have recently turned sixteen, Sarah would be twelve and Thomas seven. It is interesting to note that no record can be found of the wedding of Catherine (his eldest daughter). It is perhaps likely that, in the event of the death of her mother, she was expected to remain at home to look after the other children and her father. Thomas Masters was buried on 28 April 1767 in Staverton. He would have been approximately seventy three years old. In 1705, when Thomas was approximately ten years old, the steeple of Badby church fell down. It was due to be rebuilt by 1707. I am sure this would have been considered a major event for the village.
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 The 1705 collapse of Badby Steeple as documented in the Badby Parish Records |
 The 1720 baptism of Thomas's eldest daughter, Katherine, in the Staverton Parish Records |
 The 1720 burial of Thomas's eldest daughter, Katherine, in the Staverton Parish Records |
 The 1725 baptism of Thomas's second daughter, Catherine, in the Staverton Parish Records |
 The 1734 baptism of Thomas's fifth and final known child, Thomas, in the Staverton Parish Records |
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1694 – MARY II DIES, BRINGING AN END TO THE JOINT RULE. William III continues as sole monarch. 1702 – QUEEN ANNE ASCENDS THE THRONE following the death of William III. Anne is the second daughter of James II. 1702 – ENGLAND ENTERS THE WAR OF SPANISH SUCCESSION versus the French. 1707 – ISAAC NEWTON PUBLISHES HIS GREAT WORK, “ARITHMETICA UNIVERSALIS”, whereby he puts forth the first notions of the Theory of Gravity. 1707 – UNION OF ENGLAND & WALES WITH SCOTLAND. A process started by James I, who was King of England, Wales and Scotland, is finally completed. 1713 – TREATY OF UTRECHT secures Britain St. Kitts, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and the Hudson Bay basin from the French and Minorca and Gibraltar from Spain. 1714 – GEORGE I ASCENDS THE THRONE, following the death of Queen Anne. George is the son of the Elector of Hanover and Sophia (the daughter of Elizabeth and James I). George is the first monarch of the House of Hanover. 1721 – ROBERT WALPOLE, the later Earl of Oxford (Whig), is Great Britain’s first Prime Minister. 1727 – GEORGE II ASCENDS THE THRONE, following the death of his father, George I. 1733 – PASSAGE OF THE MOLASSES ACT SECURED, giving Britain increasing share of the lucrative West Indian trade and correspondingly weakening Britain’s rivals. 1739 – BRITAIN GOES TO WAR AGAINST SPAIN AND FRANCE which will last, after a brief respite in between, until 1763. 1742 – SPENCER COMPTON, EARL OF WILMINGTON (Whig) becomes Prime Minister. 1743 – HENRY PELHAM (Whig) becomes Prime Minister. 1754 – THOMAS PELHAM-HOLLES, DUKE OF NEWCASTLE (Whig) becomes Prime Minister. 1756 – WILLIAM CAVENDISH, DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE (Whig) becomes Prime Minister. 1757 - THOMAS PELHAM-HOLLES, DUKE OF NEWCASTLE (Whig) becomes Prime Minister for the second time. 1760 – GEORGE III ASCENDS THE THRONE, following the death of George II. George is the grandson of George II but was proclaimed insane from 1810 when the Prince of Wales (later George IV) acted as regent. 1762 – JOHN STUART, EARL OF BUTE (Tory) becomes Prime Minister. 1763 – GEORGE GRENVILLE (Whig) becomes Prime Minister. 1763 – A PREACE TREATY IS SIGNED IN PARIS BRINGING AN END TO THE WAR WITH SPAIN AND FRANCE. The Treaty gives Britain all French holdings in North America east of the Mississippi. French power was also reduced in India, West Africa and the West Indies. The French overseas empire had practically disappeared and Britain became the legatee. 1765 – CHARLES WATSON-WENTWORTH, MARQUIS OF ROCKINGHAM (Whig) becomes Prime Minister. 1766 – WILLIAM PITT, EARL OF CHATHAM (Whig) becomes Prime Minister. Also known as “Pitt the Elder”. |