Person:Joseph Sarratt (1)

JOSEPH,1 SARRAT; The American Progenitor, Is believed to have been born about c1675, and possibly from France, the exact location is Unknown; He died prior to 18 Jan. 1715, at the age of 40 years, in Prince George's County, Maryland; Buried location Unknown; Married date unknown, to Miss KATHRINE/KATHARINE Unknown; b. c1675; d. Unknown; She was the Daughter of Unknown Parents; It is believed that they had a least Three [REF: #90 Pg17] Children born to this Union; One year and Nine months after the death of her first husband Mrs. Katherine (Unk) SARRAT married 2nd [REF: #90 Pg17] Date Unknown, prior to 16 Oct. 1716, in Prince George's Co., MD. to WILLIAM LEWIS, No more information.

+1 1st. Dau: SUSANNA,  c1700-1734 a34y m. Henry DICKERSON, 7Ch.
+2 1st. Son: SAMUEL,1  c1708-1775 a67y m. c1739 1) Ann Unknown, 6Ch.

m. c1749 2) Miss Honour Unknown, 1Ch

+3 2nd. Son: JOSEPH,2  c1710-1772 a62y m. c1738 Mary Unknown, 3Ch.

Prince George's County, Maryland was formed on 03 Oct. 1695, from parts of Charles and Calvert Counties. Part of it was removed in 1748, when Frederick County was formed. It has been recorded that when this County was organized there were some 658 Taxables in the new County, so it is estimated there were between 1,600 to 1,700 people living here. The JOSEPH, 1 SARRATT family was probably among these residents. [REF: #90, pg2]

He was 17 years of age, when in 1692, the Providence of Maryland, by action of the General Assembly and the Church of England, established two Parishes. The first was St. Paul's Parish, which had been in Calvert County and the Piscatawy Parish, which had been in Charles County. After 1724 the Piscatawy Parish, became the King George's Parish.

Streams were the main arteries of early Maryland. Good sized seagoing vessels could sail Chesapeake Bay and its rivers far inland. The Potomac, Patuxent, and the Choptank where three which allowed ships to tie up at the door of a planter, and few records were kept of these sailings or of the lists of passengers or crew.

It is easy to speculate JOSEPH,1 SARRATT, (1675-1715) stepped ashore some place in Maryland, in the manner described above, because no other record has been found of his arrival to the New World. If he came from another Colony, Europe or England as yet no record has been found. The search is still on.

The first record found of the first SARRATT in America was on 18 Jan. 1715, in Prince George's County, Maryland:

   KATHRINE SARRAT,
   SAMUEL WEIGHEL, and
   EVAN JONES all
   of the County of Prince George, Providence of Maryland, put up a Bond
   at the Court of Said County of 60 pounds Sterling, in order to have
   KATHRINE SARRAT to be named Administratix of the goods and chattels
   of JOSEPH SARRAT, dec'd...."

It is assumed that KATHRINE (Unknown) SARRAT , was his wife, since the consent of wives was always obtained in Maryland in the sale of property, and the welfare of women and their rights to estates was considered beneficial to the community. KATHERINE (Unknown) SARRAT was ordered by the court to present an Inventory before the 16th. day of March, 1715 in order to pay JOSEPH,1 SARRAT'S debts and distribute his estate. The following is a estimate the ages of their children at the time of their fathers death:

  1 1st. Dau: SUSANNA SARRATT;     age 15
  2 1st. Son: SAMUEL, 1 SARRATT;   age  7  <-----Branch  ..prs)
  3 2nd. Son: JOSEPH, 2 SARRATT;   age  5

No land records have been found for JOSEPH, 1 SARRAT, property in the Prince George's County, but we know he was a large farmer, because of his Inventory presented to the court on 24 Feb. 1715, listed the following:

  515 lbs. of tobacco.
  3 Barrels of "Indean corne"
  1 Heifer
  1 Calf
  1 Old horse
  1 Mare & Colt
  Some old Puter
  1 Churn
  Some Barrles
  1 Grind Stone
  1 Spinning Wheel
  Some Working Tools
  Some Household Furniture
  1 Old Trunk
  2 Chests
  1 Bed
  1 Table
  4 Chairs

On 16 Oct. 1716, an additional Inventory was presented to the Court by now the Mrs. KATHRINE (Unknown) SARRAT LEWIS. Wife of William LEWIS. This new Inventory consisted of the following:

  1 Draft Horse
  1 Cart
  1 Saddle, Collar, & Harness
  1 Pair of Old Trucks.

JOSEPH,1 SARRAT'S estate was not settled until 03 May, 1717, some 2 years and 3 months after his death in Jan. of 1715. This time is quite unusual but no explanation has been found to date.

Also some of the St. Paul parish officers were listed in the estate settlement of JOSEPH SARRAT. - -

  Dr. FREDERICK CLAUDIUS was paid 414 pounds of tobacco
  (maybe for attending Joseph SARRAT in his final illness?) and
  JOSHUA CECELL, Clerk of the Court, was paid for his services.

The Maryland Quick Rent (Taxes) lists, changed between 1671 and 1715, so no record can be found of JOSEPH, 1 SARRAT, ever paid rent to the Lord Proprietor. In addition the JOSEPH, 1 SARRAT'S was reported [REF: #90 Pg3] that they lived in the "Mattapany Hundred" area , at that time in Calvert County, which was reformed as part of Prince George's Co., in 1696. Unfortunately the early records of Calvert County were lost in a Courthouse fire.

  (Quick Rents are the same as Taxes; Lord BALTIMORE issued
  patents to land which conveyed title to the owner. The owner could
  sell it or lease it or leave it to his heirs, but he was always subject
  to an annual "Quick Rent" fee for the use of the property....prs.)

When Mattapany Hundred (Civil Section) was reformed in to Prince George's County, the parish of St. Paul and the worshipers built a Chapel, when Captain RICHARD BRIGHTWELL donated about 3 acres from his tract called "Poplar Hill" in 1704. This was in the neighborhood of later identifiable SARRATT property.

In 1733, Son Joseph, 2 Jr. SARRAT, age 23 paid Taxes on property in "Mattapany Hundred" taken by John LAWSON, Constable. [REF: 90, pg5]

End of File!