The one person in my tree with this surname was Sarah Barraves (or Barraues) who married John Docwra on 22 August 1735 at Duxford St John, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England.
FamilySearch and Ancestry both list her surname as Barraues on their indexes, however, on a letter from my great-aunt, and on other records I have seen, the surname was spelt Barraves. This is on my to-do list – to get a copy of the original parish register, to try and work out for myself how the name should be spelt.
Although I have been able to trace my line back to a John Docwra, christened 1745 in Bassingbourn in Cambridgeshire, with parents John and Sarah Docwra, I am not entirely sure that this Sarah was Sarah Barraves. There is no marriage for John and Sarah in Bassingbourn, and the christening of the first child of the Sarah and John in Bassingbourn is shortly after the marriage date of John Docwra and Sarah Barraves Although the letter from my great-aunt mentioned this couple, she didn’t indicate exactly how they were related. It is mainly on the fact that she did mention the couple that makes me think that they were my ancestors. Duxford is also not that far from Bassingbourn.
The following children were christened in Bassingbourn to John and Sarah Docwra/Dockerill.
- Sarah Dockerill christened 16 Jan 1736
- Mary Dockerill christened 10 September 1738
- Elizabeth Dockerill christened 16 December 1739 buried 19 June 1741
- John Dockerill christened 1 April 1745
- William & John Dockerill christened 22 Nov 1747 – John & Sarah were listed as “of Kneesworth” (John buried 1 Jan 1748)
- William Docwra christened 24 Feb 1750 – parents Jn & Sarah of Kneesworth
- Ann Docwra christened 27 Nov 1753 buried 5 Dec 1753
- Tho Docwra christened 26 Mar 1755 buried 8 Aug 1755
My ancestral line is:
My mother, Edith Jean Marr, 1922-1990
Her mother, Edith Meriden Docwra, 1904-1948
Her father, Harry Docwra, 1866-1934
His father, Alfred Docwra, 1824-1903
His mother, Jane Docwra, 1800-1840
Her father, William Docwra, 1768-1813
His father, John Docwra, 1745-?
His mother, Sarah (possibly Barraves) ca. 1710- . There is a burial for a Sarah Docwra, widow on 7 October 1782 which may be for this Sarah.
I have been unable to find a baptism record for Sarah, using any variation of Barraves, or Barraues – the surname may be supposed to be Barrows. There are a couple of baptism entries for Sarah Barrows in the London, England, Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812 index at ancestry, one on 17 August 1710 at All Saints, Edmonton, Middlesex, England (mother Sarah), and another 27 August 1710 at Wold Chapel, Southgate, Middlesex, England (parents William and Sarah). One of these entries may be for our Sarah.
Lois Willis - Genealogy and Family History 