Notes:

The draft will of William Sherratt, elder of Milton, millwright/engineer, includes the names of all children above with exception of Smith Sherratt and Rachel Sherratt.

The will also first mentions a daughter Mary (Jones) of Handley Green and mentions a widow of deceased son Thomas (not named).

*Dickinson may be misspelled (from Will)

Also mentioned in will: Nephew James Oldfield and Niece Mary Oldfield.

"The Cockshead Colliery Company was formed in 1773. Articles of Agreement were taken out between John Sparrow of Newcastle, John Hales of Cobridge, and William Lowndes, Francis Moor, John Repton and William Sherratt, all of Norton-in-the Moors, to mine below lands at Norton Green (see SRO D1798/176 for the agreement)."
Memorandum book of the Cockshead Colliery Company, Norton Green, p. Norton in the Moors, Staffordshire Record Office - DocRefNo 5583

"On 27 and 28 March 1771 John Hales* and John Sparrow of Newcastle bought an estate at Smallthorne Hay in the parish of Norton from William Lowndes for £2,403 6s. 8d.; the Indenture of Lease being between William Lowndes of Norton-in-the-Moors, gent., John Hollins of New Castle, mercer, John Sparrow of newcastle, gent., John Hales of Cobridge, Potter, and Hugh Henshall of Newchapel, gent. There is also amongst the Adams papers a very formal deed, dated 1 December 1792, between James Watt of Soho in the county of Stafford, Engineer, and Matthew Boulton, of the same place, Engineer, of the one part, and John Sparrow of Bishton, Esquire, John Repton of Norton-in-the-moors, gentleman (two of the proprietors and partners of and in the Cockshead Colliery near Norton), and William Adams and Benjamin goodwin of Cobridge in the said county and Thomas Sparrow of Newcastle-under-Lyme also in the same county, gentlemen (trustees and executors in the last will and testament of John Hales, late of Cobridge aforesaid, gent., deceased, the remaining proprietor and partner in the Colliery) of the other part, for the erection at that colliery of a steam-engine, commonly called a fire-engine, of James watt's patent, for which Messrs Sparrow, repton, and the Trustees of John Hales have to pay Messrs Boulton and Watt £120 per annum until the patent expires in 1800, after running for 25 years; and on 1 June 1793 another agreement was entered into for a second steam-engine for the yearly payment of £135. William Adams had apparaently a greater interest in this colliery than merely as executor under his stepfather's will. he also seems to have been interested insteam-engines from their infancy, and encouraged a local engineer, Mr. G. Cope, of Milton, in his atmospheric steam-engines. Mr. Cope use to grind glaze at his mill and foundry on the bank of the canal at Milton, and cart it to Mr. Adams' factories at Cobridge."
* Stepfather and partner to William Adams
A History of the Adams Family of North Staffordshire - Adams, Percy W L, 1914

The Potteries Org. - The Adams Family

"William Adams was the son of John Adams (died 1757)", "William Adams married Mary Bourne, daughter of a Newcastl-under-Lyme shoe manufacturer on 30th April 1769. They had five sons and eight daughters, none of the latter ever marrying..." -
People of the Potteries - edited by Denis Stuart, ISBN 0 903160 23 4

"Concerning Mr Bedson, we have the authority of Mr William Sherratt, the elder, of Milton, (the father of the gentleman, who in 1790, in company with Mr Bateman, erected the extensive Iron Foundry, in Salford, Manchester, ) in a memorandum , that the first attempt at grinding flint in a slop or wet state, was at the Ivy house, by a small water wheel." - History of the Staffordshire Potteries" written by Simeon Shaw and published in 1829 -- confirms connection of William Sr. to William Jr. Iron Founder

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