Re: grandmother Darracott
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In reply to:
Re: grandmother Darracott
Margaret T. Carson 9/16/03
Hi Margaret,I've also been "away" from the notice board for some time, and have only just caught up with all the latest messages.
In my "Darracott Database" (!) I have for Harriet Aurelia Darracott: born 6 July 1864; died Jan 1930, in Tampa, Hillsborough Co., Florida.Her husband was Thomas Jefferson Trowell, 20 Jan 1847 - 10 Oct 1932.I am most annoyed with myself, as I can't immediately put my hand on the source for the death date for Harriet, but I believe it was in a manuscript written by Margaret Darracott Pinkston, who descends from Thomas Jefferson Darracott, one of Harriett's older brothers.The manuscript is only available from the LDS library, as far as I know only in microfilm form (“The Darracott Family” by Margaret Darracott Pinkston & Dora Lee Darracott Grizzard,Tallahassee, FLA, 1952.Microfilm copy of document held at LDS Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.FHL US/CAN [1033943 Item 1]).There are many errors in this work especially in respect of earlier Darracotts, but I believe that her statement of more recent "facts" (say post-1880) is largely correct as it comes within the living memory of those she spoke to and corresponded with.
Regarding the spelling of Darracott as formerly to have been "Darrencourt", Margaret Pinkston refers to this as "D'Arracourt".I believe this is all quite erroneous, as we can trace the name "Darracott" all the way back to the early American settler in the early 1700s(the famous Capt John Darracott of this noticeboard)and previous to that in north Devon, England, where he would have come from.The name is recorded all the way back to the mid 1500s.I have never seen "Darrencourt" anywhere, except maybe as a localised misspelling.I have noticed several early US writers ascribing the origin of the Darracotts to French Huegenot (or even Norman!) settlers in England.Study of the origin of the name Darracott shows that this is most unlikely, and in any case it existed before the Huegenot influx.It is generally regarded as a Saxon name, and its original form of Dodacot pre-dates the Normans.But this is murky territory!!In short we Darracotts all come from good old Anglo-Saxon stock, and were mariners, merchants and farmers.Also, I have seen references in US genealogies to the Darracott coat of arms.This is nonsense: no Darracott has ever been granted arms (not in Great Britain, at least), and I doubt if the early Americans were into this sort of thing!
Hope all this helps,
Brian