Anne Drewett (nee Whitaker) was born on March 23, 1665/6 at Bratton, Wiltshire, England, the eldest daughter of Yeoman farmer Henry Whitaker and his wife Ann Blatch.
In 1684 Anne’s father died leaving her a legacy of £200 which she was to receive at the age of 21. Since under the laws of the day a woman’s property automatically became that of her husband upon marriage.a marriage contract was drawn up between William Druett of Bratton, her intended, and her mother, Anne Whitaker. Running to several pages this basically stated that should William die before his wife she was entitled to £300 in his will, otherwise if Anne died first, their children were entitled to the £300 on her death. Anne Whitaker married William Druett (Drewett) on November 17, 1687 at Bratton, Wiltshire.
A daughter Ann is born about September 1688, a son, John, about April 1690 and a son William about Jan 1691. At the end of 1691, Anne’s younger brother, Henry, dies and in his will dated December 13,1691 and proved June 20, 1692 he leaves 20 shillings each to his sister Ann and her two children. I seams that one of the children, either Ann or William had died young. More children followed, Henry (1692), Edward (1696), James and Lucy (1698), Margaret and Joan (1702)
Husband William died on May 10, 1706. Anne now had 8 young children and was pregnant with the tenth. In his will he appears to have easily fulfilled the terms of the marriage contract, makes Anne the sole executor, and provides for his children upon reaching the age of majority, even mentioning his unborn child, “It is also my will that if any or either of my children aforesaid shall happen to die that then there legacy or legacies shall remain to their mother for to better enable her to provide for the child she now goeth with if live”. Philip Drewett was born July 14, 1706 at Bratton
In the same month Anne also lost her mother. In her will, dated May 9,1706 and proved on October 4, 1707, Anne Whitaker left her ‘the tester bedstead, the “furness”, table board in the parlour and safe in the buttery’
Lucy married Arthur Hearne (Heron) and when Anne’s brother, Thomas Whitaker of the Devizes, died in 1737 without marrying, he left her sons William & Henry Hearn £5 each. It is apparent that Anne had less reargd for her son-in-law than her daughter, as in her will she states that “I give unto my daughter Lucy Heron the sum of six pounds a year payable unto her alone without the intermeddling of her husband Arthur Heron”.
Margaret married John Pinnock (Penob) on December 25, 1725. At some time Anne lent him money as she leaves this reminder in her will, “Also I give to unto my daughter Margaret twenty pounds and the fifty pounds I some time ago lent her husband John Pinnock”.
It seams that Anne didn’t entirely trust her youngest son, Philip, to handle money wisely. Although she leaves him her leasehold tenement called Naishes in her will, she also leaves him the sum of ten pounds a year to be paid to him in equal half yearly payments during his natural life.
Anne Whitaker died on May 22, 1742 at Bratton, Wiltshire, England.
Brian Tompkins said,
July 22, 2007 at 7:24 am
Anne (Whitaker) Drewett was my 7th great-grandmother through youngest son Philip.
Sheila Bell said,
October 16, 2007 at 2:54 pm
Brian, Am filled with admiration for the in-depth research you have done on the family. You have somehow managed to winkle out all sorts of interesting facts. Many congratulations.
Sheila
Amy said,
October 13, 2008 at 11:50 am
I need more help