THE GRAVATT FAMILY |
The research into the Gravatt family began easily with the help of a family tree that had been made out by Neil Gravatt for his aunt Doreen Howard (nee Curtis). This family tree had been passed onto Antony Streatfield, my dad and Doreen's nephew after her death. My Gravatts are still stuck in London! I was hoping to link them to the Gravatt line that comes from Billingshurst, Sussex but I need more clues - I may be getting close. At the top of the tree at the moment is John Gravatt born abt 1766. We have learnt about John Gravatt senior from his will dated 11th January, 1834 (made the day before he died). THANKS TO MARION WOOLGAR . In the will, he states that he is a Gentleman. He leaves money to his sister, Nanny Horne and two nieces, Sophia and Hannah Horne, a niece Mrs Battice (then a widow) of Doncaster Place Old Kent Road , his daughter-in-law Hannah Gravatt, widow, of Windmill Street (this confirmed the link between this John and his son Johns, below) and his Gravatt grandchildren. He also mentions in the will another daughter-in-law Sarah Barnes of Pentonville. A marriage has been found between Ann Gravat and Thomas Horne on 22nd June 1788 at St. Bennett, London. They had five daughters that included Sophia, born 1796 and Hannah, born 1794. These would fit with John's sister and her family mentioned in the will. Also if the Mary Gravatt mentioned on the headstone (below) was John's wife, then she would have died before the will and therefore not mentioned. This may be the Mary Wright who married a John Gravate on 1st August, 1786 at St Dunstan, Stepney, London. This has yet to be confirmed. That being the case, John and Mary would be the father of John Gravatt junior born abt 1787. We may assume that they had no other children apart from a son who must have married the other daughter-in-law now called Sarah Barnes. John marrried Hannah Steedman in 1812 at Barking. They had nine children, all baptised at St. Luke's church, Finsbury: Mary Gravatt bp 6.10.1812 Finsbury d by 1815 John Gravatt bp 16.1.1814 Finsbury d 10.8.1827 Finsbury bur St Lukes Hannah Gravatt bp 7.5.1815 Finsbury m 27.9.1836 Finsbury to James Tann (b 1814) Mary Gravatt bp 7.5.1815 Finsbury Thomas Gravatt (Law Stationer) b 15.6.1816 bp 22.9.1816 Finsbury m 25.4.1839 Finsbury to Eleanor Tann (b 1818) d 17.5.1899 Leyton. Robert Gravatt (Law Stationer) b 11.9.1817 bp 26.12.1817 Finsbury m 1841 Finsbury to Clarissa Harriet Tann (b 1819) m 1881? London to Mary Ann Lambert d 1.4.1902 East Hendred, Berks Mira Sarah Gravatt bp 21.4.1819 Finsbury d 26.8.1865 Islington (spinster) James Gravatt bp 8.7.1821 Finsbury m 1839 London ? William Gravatt b 31.3.1821 bp 8.7.1821 Finsbury d 2.7.1822 Finsbury bur St Lukes John Gravatt was a stationer or newsman. He lived at 8 Windmill Road, St. Lukes, Finsbury. We knew that John had died a lot earlier than Hannah, as she is mentioned in the 1846 London Directory; Hannah Gravatt & Sons (Stationers) 8 Windmill Street, Finsbury Square. I didn't realise how much earlier until I was alerted to this memorial inscription of St. Luke's, Finsbury: Beneath this stone are deposited the remains of John Gravatt Junr. died 1st April 1822 aged 35 year also William Gravatt son of the above died July 2nd 1822 aged 15 months also of John Gravatt died August 10th 1827 aged 14 years also Mary Gravatt died January 6th 1830 aged 75 years This confirmed that our John Gravatt, had indeed died in 1822 and was buried at the same grave as his son William and probably his mother Mary. John's widow Hannah was living at 14 Albion Street in 1861 with her two youngest daughters Mary and Myra. She died at the same address on 5th February, 1862 aged 71. It is very noticable that three of the Gravatt children married Tann's. Eleanor, Clarissa and James Tann were all children of Edward Tann. Thomas Gravatt, born on 15th June 1816 was the son of John Gravatt and Hannah Steedman. He was a law stationer and he married Eleanor Tann, daughter of Edward Tann and Ann, on 25th April 1839. His brother-in-law James Tann was a partner between 1842 and 1848. In 1846 they had office at 17 Serle's Place, Lincolns Inn. Thomas and Eleanor had twelve children, all baptised at St. Clement Dane's, Westminster: Thomas Gravatt (Banker's Clerk) b 28.2.1840, bp 15.4.1840 Westminster m Jun 1866 Norwich to Susanna Long Edward Gravatt (Law Clerk) b 16.5.1841, bp 9.6.1841 Westminster m ? to Eliza Ellen Ann Gravatt b ? bp 12.10.1842 Westminster Annie Gravatt b 31.1.1844, bp 26.2.1844 Westminster John Gravatt (Railway Clerk) b 25.9.1845, bp 22.10.1845 Westminster m 14.9.1887 Walthamstow to Alexandria Elizabeth Tann (daughter of James Tann & Hannah d 1885? Tonbridge Gravatt) Robert Gravatt (Solicitor's Clerk) b 15.6.1847, bp 13.7.1847 Westminster m 28.11.1872 Islington to Elizabeth Jessie James m 1900 Islington to Alice Mary Farrin (nee Law) d 17.8.1902 Highbury bur 21.8.1902 Highgate cemetry Clara Gravatt b 17.3.1849, bp 11.4.1849 Westminster m 1872 Hackney to Henry Joseph Turner Alfred James Gravatt b 7.7.1851, bp 3.8.1851 Westminster d 1856 Westminster Louisa Mary Gravatt b 2.9.1852, bp 17.1.1854 Westminster d 1856 Westminster Alice Gravatt b 14.12.1855, bp 23.1.1856 Westminster Alfred Gravatt (store Keeper) b 7.3.1858 Westminster m 29.5.1886 St. Mary's Walthamstow to Fanny Scholfield Ada Gravatt b 1.4.1861, bp 26.4.1861 Westminster Between 1865 and 1883, Thomas was in business at eight addresses around the Inns of Court. They lived, however, at 17 Serle's Place, Carey Street, St Clement Danes from at least 1841 until after 1861. In 1871 Thomas and Eleanor were living at 17 Banksleys Walk, Hackney and in 1881 at Grosvenor Park Road, Walthamstow. In 1891 a 75 year old Thomas was living with Eleanor and both youngest daughters (Alice 35, and Ada 30) at 8 Clarendon Road, Walthamstow. It is thought that Eleanor died in 1895. Thomas died aged 85 on 17th July, 1899 3 Malta Road, Leyton from senile decay. His daughter Alice was present at death. No will has been found at present. . Robert Gravatt was born on 15th June, 1847 at 17 Serles Place, Lincoln's Inn, Westminster. He was sent away to school in Hackney. We have a letter written by him to his father in 1859 advising them of his Christmas vacation - a very formal and almost grovelling letter. On 28th November, 1872 he married Elizabeth Jessie James, daughter of Walter James at St. Mary's Church, Islington. At the time of his marriage he and his bride lived in Barnbury Street, Islington and Robert was an Attorney's clerk. Robert and Elizabeth had nine children: Jessie Eleanor Gravatt b 1873 m 1905 to George Samuel Fisher Robert Walter Gravatt b 1874 Homerton d 1931 Claire Alice Gravatt b 1876 m 1902 Islington to Charles C Grigson George Gravatt (clerk) b 1877 Leyton d 1955 Alfred Gravatt b 1879 Homerton d 1904 Katherine Gravatt (nurse) b 20.2.1881 Leyton d 3.8.1980 Ranfurly, New Zealand Rebecca Gravatt b 1883 Leyton m 1907 Edomonton to Edgar Charles Sparks d 1932 Rebecca Gravatt aged 21 Ernest Gravatt (clerk) b 1885 Leyton Thanks to Eddy Tower m 1906 Edmonton to Annie Gladys Sparham d 1966 Tottenham Louisa Gravatt (my great grandmother) b 9.3.1887 Islington m 1909 to Augustus Thomas George Curtis d 1973 Bridport Up until 1876 they lived at Holly Cottage, Homerton. In 1877 they moved to 6 Stanley Road, Leyton, where they lived until 1885 when they lived at 2 Rock Villas, Maynard Road, Walthamstow. By 1881 Robert had become a solicitor and in 1887, when my great gran Louisa was born, they lived at 23 Stavordale Road, where they lived until Robert's death in 1902. Elizabeth died in December 1899 and in March 1901 Robert married Alice Mary Farrin (nee Law) who had been his wife's nurse. Alice had two children of her own that were living with the family in 1901; Walter and Dorothy Farrin. Robert died on 17th August 1902 at home in 23 Stavordale Road. He was buried on 21st August at Highgate cemetry. Katherine Gravatt, known as Renie, was a nurse. She moved to New Zealand in 1920. Her Obituary appeared in the Otago Times in 1980. This included a brief outline of her life in New Zealand. OTAGO DAILY TIMES 19.08.1980 OBITUARY MISS K. GRAVATT (Ranfurly Special) - The death has occured of Maniatoto's oldest resident, Miss Katherine Gravatt, aged 99. She would have been 100 on February 21. Miss Gravatt was born in England and came to New Zealand in 1920 after nursing in England. She was matron at Campbell House at Otago Boys High School for 15 years. She then worked at the Waipiata Sanatorium as seamstress for nine years, retiring to Ranfurly when she reached the age of 65. She was a patient in the Maniatoto hospital for the past nine years and a half. Miss Gravatt was interested in the St. Clair Surf Life-Saving Club abd gave various pieces of equipment to them. She also made donations to the Waipata Youth Centre and gave cardiac beds, teasets, flowers and shrubs to the Maniatoto hospital. Nurse Katherine Gravatt Louisa Gravatt, my great grandmother, was born on 9th March, 1887 at 34 Stavordale Road, Islington. She married Augustus Thomas George Curtis in 1909. They had two daughters; Edna Irene Violet Curtis, my grandmother, who married Robert Streatfield; and Doreen May Curtis, my great aunt, who married my mother's uncle Laurence S.D Howard. |
The photograph opposite is of my great grandmother Lousia Curtis (nee Gravatt) c 1970 GO TO |
