The Bartlett family.

The Bartlett family appears in the local historical record from 1597 when Isabel, a daughter of a Henry Bartlett is baptised in Chalfont St Giles Parish Church.. They then disappear from view during the Civil War period. Some of them became Quakers whilst others remained with the Parish Church. They were never a prolific family name although they do appear in the records of Amersham and Farnham Royal as well as Chalfont St Giles.

The key line for us to follow in the history of the Bartlett family in Chalfont St Giles is through the Upperside Meeting Quaker Records when in 1673 Joseph Bartlett, Jr married Mary Russell of Jordans. In 1674 a Mary, their daughter was baptised followed two years later by another daughter Sarah. Both of these children died in infancy however. Mary the mother also seems to have died and Joseph married again to an Elizabeth who outlived him. They had two children who survived, a son Henry and daughter Jane.

Joseph was described as a blacksmith but built up quite a full portfolio of properties in Chalfont St Giles and Coleshill including Hunger Hill Farm, famous as the house where Thomas Elwood lived. He is also known to have acted as a mortgagor to local people. He died in 1731 in Chalfont St Giles and was buried in Jordans. In his Will he left the house in Chalfont St Giles in which he was residing to his wife Elizabeth. (From references in a deed of Sanfords it is likely that this was the site of the house.) He left a farmhouse and four cottages in the village of Chalfont St Giles to his daughter Jane Wingfield and a bequest of £50 to his granddaughter Jane Wingfield; but the rest of his property to his son Henry Bartlett.

Henry married Eleanor (surname unknown) in about 1738 and they had at least one child but none survived infancy. He seemed to be active during his life in acquiring property, one of which was Stonewells. He and Eleanor seem to have fallen out and judging by the fact that when he died in 1783 his Will, made just before he died, makes no reference to her and yet she does not die until February 1787 when incidentally she seems to be the last Bartlett living in Chalfont St Giles. Henry's Will left the majority of his property to his niece Jane Wingfield who lived in Rickmansworth, but he left a significant bequest to his servant Hannah Hill "who lives with me". This Hannah appears to be the Susanna who later married a William Wilson which may not be a coincidence since Jane Wingfield also married a Wilson.

So with no Bartletts remaining and Jane Wingfield becoming Jane Wilson the property they own in Chalfont St Giles now shows under the Wilson name in such things as tax records. Jane Wilson died in 1810 but having no children left all the property to her husband's nephew George Thompson who put it all up for sale.

Tracing the Bartlett, Wingfield and Wilson families has proven very complex and much more needs to be done to confirm the details.

REFERENCES. Unless otherwise specified, all references given above refer to catalogue references at the Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies at Aylesbury. (County Record Office)

This print is a section of the Chalfont History website.

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