Jethro Tull - birthplace

[Tony Pratt]

Hi, I have been asked to try to locate the birthplace of Jethro Tull (1674-1741) Biographies, including the DNB, give this as Basildon on the Oxford/Berks border., he was baptised in the church there. His family owned Westleaze farm in Swindon 'when he was a child' but it has been suggested that he was actually born at Westleaze and then baptised at Basildon. I can see no way to know whether this is true (it seems unlikely but maybe possible) but i was wondering if anyone has any information one way or the other? The excellent article by Norman Hidden in TAHR 1989 does not mention Westleaze at all, although i note that Tull's mother was a Goddard, a Swindon family later on. Thanks. Tony