Summary

Probably the family best-known in national history to live in Stratford was the Pitt family, who for some years lived at Mawarden Court. Thomas Pitt, (1653 - 1726), known as "Diamond Pitt", was born at Blandford, the son of the Rector of Blandford St. Mary. He went to sea as an Interloper - that is, taking part in the East India trade, in opposition to the East India Trading Company, which at the height of its success was making a hundred per cent profit for its shareholders. He traded amongst other things, in horses and sugar, and obtained permission from the local Nawab to build a trading factory on Hooghly river. However, on one of his visits to England, The East India company caught up with him, and he was fined for illegal trading. For a time he lived in Dorset, then like many merchants, he entered Parliament, sitting in 1689 for Old Sarum and 1690 for New Sarum. In 1691 he bought the Manor of Stratford and Old Sarum for £1,000 from the trustees of James Cecil, 4th Earl of Salisbury, and thus obtained control of a parliamentary seat. In 1693 he made his last journey as an Interloper - after that, the company admitted him into membership. In 1695 he appeared in Parliament again as representative for the pocket borough of Old Sarum. Two years later he became governor of the Company of Fort St. George, sending back to England chintzes and new kinds of neckcloths. In those days, when that neither paper money nor cheques existed, whenever he could he bought large diamonds, to be used for sending money to the company. In 1701 he bought a diamond, originally smuggled out of the Porteal mines in a wound in a workers leg, for which, after passing through several owners, he paid £20,400. This diamond weighed 410 carats: the dust and bits removed from it when cut were valued at £7,000, and reduced it to 136¾ carats. The stone was sold to the Regent of France, (the Duke of Orleans) and it became known as the Regent's diamond. In 1791, valued at £480,000, it was placed in the French crown, and is now in the Louvre.

Meanwhile, although the profits of the company rose under his rule, he had disputes with various members, and in 1709 he was dismissed as Governor. He had been adding to his lands in England, and in 1710 he resumed his seat for Old Sarum, being re-elected in 1714 and 1715 with his son as the other member. Pitt then or in 1716 accepted the Governorship of Jamaica, but resigned the office before he went to Jamaica, perhaps because he found it unacceptable. In 1717 he was returned as the member for Thirsk, but again in 1722 he was member for Old Sarum, he died at Swallowfield in Berkshire, and was buried at Blandford St. Mary, where he had helped to restore the Church, as he had at Stratford. In 1713 he gave several valuable gifts to Stratford Church: a new velvet pulpit cloth and cushion; a large silver flagon and chalice; a communion cloth, a large Bible and prayer book, the Royal Arms carved in high relief, and "likewise he beautified the Church, all at his own charge." As he was evidently a prudent man in financial matters, when his son went up to Oxford he advised him "Let it ever be your rule never to lend any money but where you have unquestioned security, for generally by asking it you lose your friend and that too."