Sunday 11 August 2013

Ratby Probate Inventories 1621 to 1844 - Transcribed by Jonathan Wilshire 1984




I have also recently been given a copy of  the above book and I believe it is available for loan from a local UK library so you can have a look at the book for yourself, if you don't then please contact me with dates and names and I will check the information I have.  The book covers Ratby, the hamlets of Botcheston, Newtown Unthank and Whittington Grange as well as Old Hays but it doesn't cover the parish of Groby and in the preface Jonathan Wilshire in 1984 mentions at this time that there are no plans to transcribe the inventories for Groby.

The book lists the inventories of the deceased and not wills but on occasions lists the death and also burial dates for some and for example, William Geary who died in 1795 and is described as an opulent farmer in a book by John Nichols published in 1811 called The history and antiquities of the county of Leicester: Vol. 4, Part 2 which I have partly transcribed on my Ratby Facebook page and I will complete the rest of the information about Ratby in the next couple of months, this includes transcribing information about gravestones.  William Geary died on 7th February 1795 and was buried at Ratby Church on 12th February 1795; his will was proved at the Groby Peculiar Court on 25th March 1795 with his inventory exhibited.  I have added a very small piece of this opulent farmers inventory below because I find it fascinating as the names of his horses are mentioned.

Leicestershire Lass