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Richard, born 1747, was, our direct forebear. Apparently, for whatever reason, he moved away from the Tunstall farm as a young man, and made his own life on the land at Cratfield, which is 13 miles north of Tunstall, and which probably was, by the travel standards of those days, half a world away. However, he sent his roots down at Cratfield, and on 28th. September 1780, he married Sarah Fisher, daughter of William and Mary Fisher, who was born at Cratfield on 17th. January 1763. They had 11 children, and before his death at Cratfield on 11th. August 1807, he had established himself as quite a prosperous farmer, owning two properties.
Note 1
Will written on 20.8.1801 - children listed in will are Richard, Sarah, John, Robert, William Fisher, Thomas David, Ann, Elizabeth, Jonathan and Henry. Wife Sarah appointed executrix and sons Richard, Robert, John and William Fisher appointed executors; brother-in-law, James Fisher, (farmer in Cratfield) appointed supervisor and aide in counselling executrix and executors. Directed in his will that the estate should continue to be farmed to support the wife and children until the youngest child reached 21 years; the estate was then to be sold within 12 months and proceeds to be divided between wife and children. This was obviously not done if Richard, the son, still owned the property on his own in 1840 (as per Census records) - believed to have been a dispute over the property between sons Richard and Robert, who then moved to London and eventually emigrated to Australia.
Note 2
Property listed on 1840 tithes of Cratfield as:-
OWNER OCCUPIER ACRES
Debney, Richard Issac Bridges 41 - 16
Debney, Richard Issac Bridges 26 2 18
(as lessee of Wessett 11 7
Rectory)
Robert Guley 2 28
All the fields listed on the tithes above, with the house and garden, were on Lot 179. Compared to a current ordnance survey map, Lot 179 is Red House Farm. The house is now Suffolk Pink and appears to be Seventeenth Century; the site has had a house for a very long time as it has a moat.
The 1841 Census shows no Debneys at Cratfield - it appears that they had moved away and were leasing the land to the Bridges.
Also had property at Laxfield listed in Will.
In the process of researching this distinguished family name we also traced the most ancient grant of Arms from the branches which developed thair own Arms.
The most ancient grant of a Coat of Arms found was:
Red with four diamond shapes in the centre.
The Crest was:
A tree and a star.
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