Continuing with the Andover Hampshire Wills

I am saddened to see that a bill has been put forward in the Congress of the United States to withdraw themselves from the United Nations. The original intent (and Canada was one of the original signatories to the decision to create the United Nations)  was to prevent wars and give a place to discuss any items that were inflammatory. The United Nations has become involved in so many other aspects of life around the globe with which I myself disagree. Some of the additions have been good - support for children with UNICEF is one. But there are others that are suspect especially because they did not report to the United Nations what was going on in Gaza before the attack on Israel. Supporting Gaza through three generations has not worked and something should have been done there long ago. They are not self-sufficient and have made not any attempt apparently to become self-sufficient and they supported Hamas' barbaric attack on their neighbour. Billions of dollars have gone to them with really nothing to show for it. I would like to see the United Nations continue but there does need to be changes.   

Hamas did not return the body of the mother of the two small children but rather a substitute - that is an insult to the dead and unacceptable. They are such satanic people with no regard for human life.

The Americans are our friends; we share thousands of miles of border with them. The current situation will come to a remedy. Although NAFTA was interesting it has cost Canada most of her manufacturing industries which I think we should restore as quickly as possible. If our neighbour is choosing to close up shop then we need to be as self-sufficient as we were when I was a child. Then trade mostly amounted to driving across the border and buying an American item that we paid duty on when we returned to Canada! It worked. Although I think NAFTA and CUSMA made both countries wealthy in the long run (and Mexico also gained a great deal). God bless the North American continent and all who dwell therein. I think there are tremendous benefits to the United States for us to be an independent country - we will always be their friend. The Conservative party does intend under the leadership of Pierre Poilievre to build CFB Iqaluit, double the number of Rangers and more icebreakers for the North (that should see us come much closer to 5% of GDP). I also like the idea of high speed rail between Quebec City and Toronto (myself I see that also as a military venture to be honest) and the eventual extensions that will come on either end of that. The new pipelines will bring us closer together as provinces and will increase our ability to ship oil and gas around the world. This will be a great time of growth and we must knuckle down to the costs and make it happen. 

Coming along with this will and it had a few surprises for me because I haven't looked at it for a a long time (plus my latin has improved enormously). First of all Robert only names Thomas and Richard as his sons - Richard is executor of the will. The other Blake members mentioned are Andrew who receives a tenement for life (implies a sort of close relationship), Robert who receives a cow. His sister in law receives a ring (husband not identified). William Blake receives a cow. So interesting for sure. I wasn't entirely dependent on him having a son Robert it just struck me when I first read the will that Robert was his son. 

The wills of Thomas and Richard will be next. Over time I will perhaps fill in the blanks but they do not alter anything in this will.

Recorded: 3 Jan 2014
Source: Hampshire Record Office, 1522B-04 

Testator: Robert Blake
Place: Enham, Hampshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 16 Dec 1521

[Margin]: 1522B-04 

1. In the name of God, Amen, the 16th day of December 1521 I Robert Blayke, in sound mind and memory  

2. have written my will in this way. First of all, I give and bequeath my soul to the almighty father God, my body to be buried in the cemetery

3.  of the parish Church of Saint Michael of Enham. Also I give and bequeath to the Mother Church 12d. Also I give and bequeath to the Church of Enham

4. xl s  and one cow. Also I give and bequeath to the Church of Andever xl sheep or pork ___ ____ _____ _____

5. have in custody I give and bequeath to my wife  £10 which Johannes Howton owes I give and bequeath  to my wife 10

 6. acres of corn/grain and 20 of barley I give and bequeath to my son Thomas 200 of the same I give and bequeath to Andrew Blake one tenement 

7. free for life I give and bequeath to Thomas Longe one plow and one chamber I give and bequeath to my son Thomas one cart and one whipblade

8. with parts and one part ____ just now I give and bequeath to my son Thomas one good arable sowing property

9. with  ___ and ____ I give and bequeath to Wylliam Gelzeyr one toga I give and bequeath to Richard Golding another toga I give and bequeath to

10.  Robert Tary one shirt I give and bequeath to my only sister in law a ring I give and 

11. bequeath to my son Thomas  two rings I give and bequeath to Robert Galavay one toga I give and bequeath to Thomas

12.  my son two plows I give and bequeath to William Blake one cow I give and bequeath to my son Thomas two chickens

13. and two rams Also William Fuynere owes me first eight bushels of wheat and any bushels 16d I also assign 

14.  to my son Thomas one of the tenements vacant at Rawkyns I also give and bequeath that one presbyter celebrates in the Church and Parish of Enham

15. for the salvation of my soul and for the Church for the space of one year I also give and bequeath to Robert Blake one cow and the remainder

16.  of all my goods, movable and immovable, by testament I also give and bequeath to my son Richard whom I appoint as my true executor that

17. that he may dispose for the salvation of my soul, in the presence of these witnesses, Father John Battey, Thomas Blake, Robert Tarry

18. and others

19.    Also I reserve to my sonne Richarde my farme and my tenemente hereat I do dwelth nowe

This will did not have the Probate details although it could have just been attached to the land records since land was passed or discussed. 

I am quietly working away on this project which combined with the earlier work on the le Blak family may yet prove to converge. I also need to review the will of the Blake family at Speen which works together with this family at Andover. 

The property given to Thomas Blake at Rawkyns is interesting because it remains in this family for a number of generations. 

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 13 Aug 2013
Source: Family Search – 186681, A-658 and Item 195
Testator: Richard Blayke
Place: Knights Enham, Hampshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 12 April 1522, probated 23 May 1522
Condition: 16th century English, legible copy

Wrapper: 1522 Rich[ard]us Blake De Enham
Wrapper: P[ro]batu[m] fuit  xxiij de Maij mu[ ]day infra villa de Andev[er]

1  In die no[min]e Ame[n] xij  die m[en]si[s] d’Ap[ri]lis  Anno d[omi]ni M ccccc xxij Ego Richardus blayke cy[m]pos

1. In the name of God Amen 12 day of April AD 1522 I Richard Blake being of

2    me[n]t[i]s sane q[ue] memorie t[ame]n eg[e]r corpore condo et ordino testament[um] meu[m] de mea[m] labor[aci]on[em] volu[n]tat[em]

2. sound mind and memory but sick of body I make and arrange my will voluntarily  following

3    in h[u]nc modu[m] In p[ri]mis et lego A[n]i[m]am mea[m] deo patri o[mni]pote[n]ti be[ate] marie v[ir]gini o[mn]ibus s[anc]tis

 3. in this manner In the first instance, I pray to omnipotent God the Father, to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to all the saints

4    Corpus q[ue] meu[m] sepeliendu[m] in cimitt[er]io p[a]rochialis eccl[es]ie s[anc]ta michaelie archang[e]li de

4.  My body to be buried in the parish cemetery of the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel of

5     enham It[e]m lego mat[ric]e eccl[es]ie winton xij d It[e]m lego p[re]dute eccl[es]ie de enham xl d

5. Enham  I give and bequeath to the Mother Church of Winton xij d I give and bequeath to the poor at the Church of Enham xl d

6    It[e]m do eccl[es]ie p[a]rochiali[s] de Andov[er] xx d It[e]m lego fr[atr]i meo Thome Blayke xl s

6. I give and bequeath to the parochial Church of Andover xx d I give and bequeath to my brother Thomas Blake xl s

7    ut ip[s]e videar ____ mea vlv volunt[at]us suit testam[entu]s in Jurius duslerat et p[er]vient
cum tenementas It[e]m volo q[uod] Uxor[i] mea habeat

7.  so that I may be seen

8    Firmam mea p[ro] tempo exp[re]sso in endentua iux[ta] as[s]ignatorum Roberti Blayke pri[mi]s
9    mei nichi et uxori mee de h[er]edibus u[ost]ris fait It[e]m do p[ar]ochiali presbicto[rum] xl d w[i]t[h]
10    ip[s]e oret p[ro] salute ai[nim]e mee It[e]m volo q[uod] uxor mea h[ab]eat custodia[t] talus mei
11    dura[n]te vita sua et post decessu[m] p[r]imo yedder sup[ra]dict eccl[es]ie de enham It[e]m lego
12    unicuiq[u]e Filiora[m] meor[um] cowes It[e]m do matri mee xl d ac volo q[uod] h[ab]eat victu et
13    vestitu[m] de bo__e meus q[uod] duo vixit It[e]m lego et unicuiq[ue] filior[am] meor[um] unden
14    vacta[ ] et vi[su]m lactu[ ] cum p[er]tin[en]ces Residuum v[er]o omn[ium] bonor[um] meor[um] do et lego uxori
15    mee qua[m] ordino de constituo executore[m] mea[m] et mi[ni]strare ut ipsa h[ab]eat acinde
16    Disponat p[re]sente die mee et sua ep[iscop]a utilitate s[ic]ut ei melius videbit[ur] insutu[r]
17    expedire deo place[r]e et an[im]e mee p[ro]fice[re] d[omi]ni dat[um] die Anno sup[ra]dict[i]s p[ertin]entibus
18    d[omi]no J[o]h[n]e battey curat[e] Thoma Blayke and Richarde Goldyn cum aliis dimis[s]is
19    P[ro]batu[m] fuit xxiij de me[n]sis maij in
20    cum du sup[ra]dicta in Capella infra villa de Andev[er]
21    Ergo fuit B bo____
22    iiij Juin
 

Ukraine

Prayers for Ukraine; God bless and you are forever in my thoughts. The continuing attacks by Russia on the Ukrainian people is a blot on the history of Russia taking away from them the glory that they won when they helped to destroy the Nazis in World War II. But the Iron Curtain that Russia as the Soviet Union created enslaving all those European peoples for fourty plus years after the second World War was cruel - it must not happen again. It is nearly three years since Russia attacked Ukraine and in 2014 an unsupervised election was held in Crimea which Russia claimed to win; Russia quickly brought in troops and took it over and the Donbas in Ukraine has been in constant turmoil by Russian agents since 2014 (eleven years). I believe that Hamas was emboldened by Russia's attack on Bucha (revenge taken out on a Ukrainian city because Ukraine fought back) - the slaughter was dreadful and Hamas thought they could get away with the same thing in Israel and the world would just look on. Hamas and Putin and his enablers are just Satanic - they are not human. They both deserve Hitler's fate (the coward's death). Two babies were delivered dead to Israel today - held hostage by the satanic Hamas. This kind of people alone are responsible for their deaths. They think they can steal someone else's land. No one should get away with it in this modern world.

Finally I am getting back to the will of Robert Blake made in 1521. This was grocery day (every three weeks in the winter or so, it has even stretched to four sometimes) and I spent my time once again checking the labels in case that information is needed. My usual menu in the winter is chicken stew for four days and then eggs and then salmon for the other two days. So I freeze the meat into packages and that is all done. I bought turnip, cabbage, onions, carrots, potatoes as I was pretty much out of everything. There is a sweet potato to go with the salmon. We store a lot of vegetables in Canada in the winter. I also found bags of frozen spinach which I love and will put a clump in the stew. So I have frozen broccoli, cauliflower, peas and corn for my stew as well if I so choose. My refrigerator was almost empty but full again. I could go every week but I actually hate shopping and going out if I can avoid it. I like the fresh air but I just find that my work takes up all my time and I do not want to have to organize for a shopping trip every week. Shoveling the snow off the porch and patios gives me lots of fresh air in the winter and then lots of walks in the summer. 

I actually got my family to give me a pile of wills I already bought for Christmas that year (2014) as I couldn't think of anything that I wanted. This was one of them.

Recorded: 3 Jan 2014
Source: Hampshire Record Office, 1522B-04 

Testator: Robert Blake
Place: Enham, Hampshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 16 Dec 1521

[Margin]: 1522B-04 

1    In die no[m]i[n]e Ame[n] xvj die dece[m]b[r]is An[n]o d[omi]ni M ccccc xxj Ego Robertij  Blayke co[m]pos me[n]t[i]s et sane memoyre

1. In the name of God, Amen, the 16th day of December 1521 I Robert Blayke, in sound mind and memory 
 

2    asti[pula]tus testame[n]tu[m] [i]n hunc modu[m] In primis do et lego a[n]i[m]am mea[m] deo p[at]ri o[mn]ipote[n]ti corpus qu[e] meu[m] sepeliendu[m] [i]n cimit[t]erio
 

2. have written my will in this way. First of all, I give and bequeath my soul to the almighty father God, my body to be buried in the cemetery

3    p[ar]ochialij eccl[es]i[a]e s[an]cti michaels de Enh[a]m It[e]m do et lego ad mat[ri]ce ecclesie xii d It[e]m do et lego ecclesie de enh[a]m
 

3.  of the parish Church of Saint Michael of Enham. Also I give and bequeath to the Mother Church 12d. Also I give and bequeath to the Church of Enham

4    xl s et una[m] vaccam It[e]m do et lego ecclesis de andever xl oves vel p[or]cus eap quod et iij ls quas yearly kyne

4. xl s  and one cow. Also I give and bequeath to the Church of Andever xl sheep or pork ___ ____ _____ _____

5    habet i[n] custodia Item do et lego uxori mee x £ q[uod] joh[han]es howton debet It[e]m do et lego uxori mee x quarte

5. have in custody I give and bequeath to my wife  £10 which Johannes Howton owes I give and bequeath  to my wife 10

6    rodas frume[n]ti et xx ordeu[m] It[e]m do et lego tome filio meo cc omn[ia] It[e]m do et lego andre blayke una[m] tenem[entum]

 6. acres of corn/grain and 20 of barley I give and bequeath to my son Thomas 200 of the same I give and bequeath to Andrew Blake one tenement 

7    gra[tia] victus It[e]m do et lego tome longe unu[s] diplade et una came[ra]cia It[e]m do et lego tome filio mee una biga and una whipblade

7. free for life I give and bequeath to Thomas Longe one plow and one chamber I give and bequeath to my son Thomas one cart and one whipblade

8    cu[m] p[ar]ts et un[u]m par[ ]  _otap nonap It[e]m do et lego thome filio una ara[bilis] terra que vocato bene semers

8. with parts and one part ____ just now I give and bequeath to my son Thomas one good arable sowing property

9    cu[m] ______ It[e]m do et lego Wyllimo gelzeyr una[m] toga[m] It[e]m do et lego rycardo goldyng alia[m] toga[m] It[e]m do et lego

9. with  ___ and ____ I give and bequeath to Wylliam Gelzeyr one toga I give and bequeath to Richard Golding another toga I give and bequeath to

10    Robarto tary una tunica[m] It[e]m do et lego unicum que suor[or] meor[um] videlicet viro[rum] ac mulier[is] una[m] ane[llus] It[e]m do et

10.  Robert Tary one shirt I give and bequeath to my only sister in law a ring I give and

11    lego tome filio meo duas annulas It[e]m do et lego robarto Galavay una[m] toga[m] It[e]m do et lego tome

11. bequeath to my son Thomas  two rings I give and bequeath to Robert Galavay one toga I give and bequeath to Thomas

12    filio meo duas diplades It[e]m do et lego Wyllmo blayke una[m] vacca[m] It[e]m do et lego tome filio meo duas pullos

12.  my son two plows I give and bequeath to William Blake one cow I give and bequeath to my son Thomas two chickens

13    et duo verv[ex] It[e]m wyllmo Fuynere debet m[eo] first viij modios frume[n]tie et quo[d]libet modio[s] xvi s It[e]m Assigno

13. and two rams Also William Fuynere owes me first eight bushels of wheat and any bushels 16d I also assign 

14    Tome filio meo una t[enement]a que vacat[o] Rawkynys It[e]m do et lego volo q[uod] una[m] p[re]sbite[r] celebr[at] et in ecclie par[is]h de Enh[a]m

14.  to my son Thomas one of the tenements vacant at Rawkyns I also give and bequeath that one presbyter celebrates in the Church and Parish of Enham

15    p[ro] salute a[n]i[m]e meo et p[ro] ecclie _______ p[ro] spac[iu]m un[ius] anni It[e]m do et lego robarto blayke una[m] vacca[m] et residuum om[n]i[um] bonor[um]

15. for the salvation of my soul and for the Church for the space of one year I also give and bequeath to Robert Blake one cow and the remainder

16    meor[um] test[amentu]m mobilium q[uam] immobilium It[em] do et lego ricardo filio meo quo[s] ordino meos veros executores ut

16.  of all my goods, movable and immovable, by testament I also give and bequeath to my son Richard whom I appoint as my true executor that

17    ip[s]e disponat p[ro] salute a[n]i[m]e meo hiis testib[u]s d[omi]no johane battey thoma blayke robarto tary

17. that he may dispose for the salvation of my soul, in the presence of these witnesses, Father John Battey, Thomas Blake, Robert Tarry

18    et aliis

18. and others

19    Also I reserve to my sonne Richarde my farme and my tenemente hereat I do dwelth nowe

One item I notice is that Robert only refers to Richard and Thomas as being his sons. That is very interesting as I thought Robert was also his son. Does it matter? Somewhat because the larger Blake family at Andover is descendant of Robert Blake who leaves his will in 1542. I shall go over his will more thoroughly to see what I can discover. It is possible that this Robert (who received everything that hasn't been named) is his son at least I think so as it would be unusual to give all your possessions to a non direct relative. 

So I still need to clean up the latin a little more but I think I have captured the gist of the will although the will is difficult and has a lot of cross outs and tiny text inserted so we will see how much I do add but for the moment I will move on to the wills of Richard Blake, Robert Blake and Thomas Blake. The one item of note is his only sister in law which would leave one to think he has a brother but one would not think the brother would also be called Robert but nothing surprises me in the Blake family with its many John the elder and John the younger. 

Busy day but I am quietly working away on this project which combined with the earlier work on the le Blak family may yet prove to converge. I also need to review the will of the Blake family at Speen which works together with this family at Andover. 

The property given to Thomas Blake at Rawkyns is interesting because it remains in this family for a number of generations. We do not know who Andrew Blake is but the tenement free for life gift does imply a close relative or who William Blake is but he only receives a cow so maybe not that close or could be a child at this time.

Rowing finished, running finished so maybe do a bit of weightlifting we will see. But I am more or less finished for the day. 

 

Another cold day at minus 20 degrees celsius

Winter has socked in here in Canada and the snow piles are huge but we are used to it; in my lifetime I have seen big snow winters and small snow winters but the temperature is pretty consistent. Cleared away the snow on the porch and patio again yesterday and it is punky now because it is so cold the moisture is sucked out of it. If it is a big pile you have to break it up to move it because it is like bricks which is why the Inuit built igloos to live in in the past. But then I lived in southwestern Ontario until I was in my early 30s and it is a different story with huge snowfalls because of lake effect snow - we had two great lakes closeby - Huron and Erie. They could dump a lot of snow on us in London. But we are equipped to move it and the grader has come down the streets here a couple of times filling the laneway. That is why I have the company mostly to move that heavy load which would take me considerably longer. 

Some work on  the Blake material yesterday but mostly cleaning and that is all done now for the week. It is mostly just to keep the dust down as the house being closed up like it is for the winter a lot of dust collects. I have taken to sticking the vacuum hose down the ducts for the heat flow just to keep more of the dust out of the pipes. Maybe it works who knows. 

I do want to continue the will of Robert Blake who died in 1521 leaving three sons - Richard, Robert and Thomas. These three men also left their wills as did their sons making for a good tree coming down as they mentioned their siblings and sometimes their nephews and nieces. The reference to Robert Boswell who was the father in law of the William Blake at Speen, Berkshire did generate thoughts on how the Blake family at Andover might be related to the Blake family in Berkshire and my speculation that the Blake family in Berkshire is descendant of Richard le Blak found on the Pipe Rolls at Wargrave (near Windsor), Berkshire in 1301. The movement towards the Wiltshire border is noted by finding them at Speen and then into Hungerford and down into Calne. The works created by Blake family members in 1690 and later in the latter part of the 1890s have introduced material that is also speculation but the 1690 is corrected by the 1890 material. However the 1890 material introduced the speculation by a fraudulent genealogist Horatio Gates Somerby concerning the Andover Blake family. My "raison d'être" is to introduce my own speculation (hopefully with sufficient proof) that this linking between the Calne Blake family and the Andover Blake family is much more ancient than either of these two charts demonstrate. 

I am still spending time on Duolingo learning/relearning Latin and French. My son in law is French Canadian and my intent to continue with that research is strong and in the future but I must improve my french in order to read more documents that I have acquired. I can get the gist of it but I want absolute accuracy and I am doing well with French as I recall the words from the past quiet efficiently as it turns out and that works for me. But it is also good to improve my spoken french once again as I was actually bilingual in my job. But I have become lazy in my old age plus I simply do not talk that much to people in general - we are all busy!

Tea is ready to drink and I shall work on my Solitaire puzzles. I rather think I am going to continue my membership as I really do enjoy doing my puzzles and they send it to me in Canadian dollars which is great (although I will look around to see if there is another program that is Canadian; I have a couple of subscriptions that are American companies - Ancestry and Microsoft and Netflix - there is a new series on Winston Churchill that was extremely revealing concerning the Second World War). As a country of 41 million we would be a great loss to American companies that have created their business plan including us.  Why not we share an enormous border across which passes millions of dollars in trade every day both ways and considering the number of American companies in Canada who actually have infrastructure here (and there are many) I say as I always do that we buy far more American than they buy Canadian simply because they are eight times larger and can produce far more items especially cotton which does not grow here, fresh vegetables in the winter and so much more! We had all of those industries (except cotton and fresh vegetables in the winter like cauliflower and broccoli) but free enterprise is a powerful tool that, if allowed, produces the best situation for the peoples of a country but it must be free of government interference. I think it is a pity to uproot American companies who have had the foresight to see how this great friendship has built such a strong economy on both sides of the border. Canadians buy a lot of cars - this a huge country and everything is far away that you want generally even vacations. The great thing about turning 16 here is learning to drive and then the next acquisition is a car for sure. That is how our youth thinks and more power to them (they live at home just so they can own a car!). When I was still living at home (married at 20) we had four cars in the laneway (I have six siblings and later there were more as the ones younger than me grew up and acquired a car). For us it is the passage from childhood to adulthood. We had our own car industries and we are clever people and can create anything we need if we need to. But the status quo works for us otherwise!

Arguing politics was part of my growing up and especially my uncle would present all the arguments to me when I was there in my teen years. Even in his old age in his letters he had his opinions which were always strong. I think that my grandfather was like that (he died at 53 when my mother was eight) and he learned from the best his mother's first cousin was Sir John Carling who was very active in politics from the days before Confederation into Confederation and still there in the times as Canada added more and more provinces to become the great Country it is now. The Westminster Model of governance is the best I have ever seen but I am biased (I will put pressure on the Conservatives to make it illegal to prorogue Parliament; it is not a good fit for our democracy when it can extend for months at a time; a week to cool heads would be fine but not for months). My grandfather loved to discuss politics my grandmother said (and she did not that was for sure) and he would present all the arguments to her time and again.  The Westminster Model of government is a very stable and fair system which allows for so many opinions and checks and balances in order to protect what really is the most important item in a country. Their industry and it is the industry that should dictate how they manage for the most part in order to create the best scenario for a country but we do need to protect that industry so that the benefits are there for the users. The habit of looking for the cheapest place outside of the normal area to produce items is a negative growth and must be cropped (government does that). Uniformity amongst allies is the best methodology so that you produce at a good price and create a strong middle class of the users of the industries thus supporting the industries - that was the purpose of NAFTA and later CUSMA. If it is lost then we must begin again and recreate our industries. Greed for money in the short term destroys good industry. 

Looking forward to CFB Iqaluit, doubling the number of Rangers and the icebreakers. I guess we know how I am going to vote. Building up our military is the most important thing for the future and it has been neglected but we can do it. Our youth is strong and eager to take up the reins of supporting Canada and they can create any industry that we need if necessary. 

The good news of the day from the Prime Minister is a new high speed train between Quebec City and Toronto. This is a brilliant addition to Canada and will help to make trade between the provinces even more efficient. One of the reasons that the British Commonwealth is so great is the decentralization of government from the days of the Empire. Countries were encouraged to set up their own system of governance following the Westminster Model although it was not forced on them. Government when it becomes too centralized over a large area becomes less efficient and the Commonwealth is a good example of efficiency within that group of nations that look back to the mother country as their example. They are all independent pretty much now and self-governing providing a good living for the peoples in their country in as much as they are able. There is a lot to be said for free-standing countries. In Canada's case we are lucky to have the First Nations very involved in all levels of government here; they have the knowledge of the land and how to work it. I look forward to the upcoming election to be honest. Canada can and has stood tall and alone many times but we are the best friend to our neighbours as that is just our way. I can think of so many great things that we have, as a country, created including the St Lawrence Seaway which was a massive task for a small country on our own but we did it well. Now I must get some work done; this workaholic has too many fingers in the pie. 

Minus 18 degrees celsius

 Another cold morning but also not unusual for this part of Canada this time of year. The second snow storm is finished and the cleanup and snow is mentioned for later this week. One should always be careful what you wish for but the snow load on the yard is now getting to be adequate to provide lots of moisture in the spring. 

Thankfully the Delta plane turn-over coming in from Minneapolis, MN at Pearson International Airport in Toronto had a 100% success rate in passenger and crew departing the aircraft (which was burning - one of the motors I think). Excellent work by the first responders in Toronto. I remember the last one in the early 2000s which was an Air France which slipped off the runway and over 300 people were saved with no loss of life. We will learn eventually as the plane is mostly still intact. All flights were diverted but a good distance away for sure with the closest diversion being Waterloo but most to Montreal or Ottawa so those people heading for Toronto had another big trip ahead of them to get home or where they were going. I actually have experienced flying in and out of Pearson on a very snowy day. Absolute clockwork on their part to keep the airport running smoothly. We are, in Canada, a snow covered country for a good period of the year. 

Cleaning all accomplished but no actual work done on my studies but maybe today. I had finished up the last blog with the Latin text of the will of Robert Blake (d 1521). I am going to check my transcription and convert the Latin text to English. I want to see if I had any errors in my transcription. I will do the same with the will of his son Richard who died in 1522. Richard had two brothers as well Thomas and Robert who lived into the 1540s and I have their wills as well. As far as I have been able to determine at this time Robert represents the patriarch of this Blake family (I do not know his parents) in the Andover area and his three sons all had sons and daughters which creates a number of Blake lines in this area. Were they the only Blake families in the Andover area? That appears to be true although the fraudulent works of Horatio Gates Somerby paints a different picture of this family and there are the two charts - Blake Pedigree Chart and the Blake Family chart both produced in England which have conflicting information. That is my goal partly in this month although it will be extended because I added in the Charts. The original goal was to look at the le Blak family of Rouen Normandy and see if I could prove that the Calne Blake family was descendant of this particular Norman family. 

Cleaning the basement has prime priority plus clearing away the snow I did not clear away yesterday on the porch and patio but the laneway is clear. So another busy day and hopefully it will warm up a little. My arthritis hates the winter. 

The first will in Andover area for a Blake is Robert Blake in 1522. I will continue to work on this both the latin and the transcription through the day but this is the large cleaning day so will be sporadic.

Recorded: 3 Jan 2014
Source: Hampshire Record Office, 1522B-04 

Testator: Robert Blake
Place: Enham, Hampshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 16 Dec 1521

[Margin]: 1522B-04 

1    In die no[m]i[n]e Ame[n] xvj die dece[m]b[r]is An[n]o d[omi]ni M ccccc xxj Ego Robertij  Blayke co[m]pos me[n]t[i]s et sane memoyre

1. In the name of God, Ame[n], the 16th day of December 1521 I Robert Blayke, in sound mind and memory 
2    asti[pula]tus testame[n]tu[m] [i]n hunc modu[m] In primis do et lego a[n]i[m]am mea[m] deo p[at]ri o[mn]ipote[n]ti corpus qu[e] meu[m] sepeliendu[m] [i]n cimit[t]erio
 

2. have written my will in this way. First of all, I give and bequeath my soul to the almighty father God, my body to be buried in the cemetery

3    p[ar]ochialij eccl[es]i[a]e s[an]cti michaels de Enh[a]m It[e]m do et lego ad mat[ri]ce ecclesie xii d It[e]m do et lego ecclesie de enh[a]m
 

3.  of the parish Church of Saint Michael of Enham. Also I give and bequeath to the Mother Church 12 d. Also I give and bequeath to the Church of Enham

4    xl s et una[m] vaccam It[e]m do et lego ecclesis de andever xl oves vel p[or]cus eap quod et iij ls quas yearly kyne

4. xl s  and one cow. Also I give and bequeath to the Church of Andever xl sheep or pork ___ that and iij  which

5    habet i[n] custodia Item do et lego uxori mee x £ q[uod] joh[han]es howton debet It[e]m do et lego uxori mee x quarte
6    rodas frume[n]ti et xx ordeu[m] It[e]m do et lego tome filio meo cc omn[ia] It[e]m do et lego andre blayke una[m] tenem[entum]
7    gra[tia] victus It[e]m do et lego tome longe unu[s] diplade et una came[ra]cia It[e]m do et lego tome filio mee una bictel[  ] and una whipblade
8    cu[m] p[ar]ts et un[u]m par[ ] notay monay It[e]m do et lego thome filio una ara[bilis] terra que vocato bene semers
9    cu[m] ______ It[e]m do et lego Wyllimo gelzeyr una[m] toga[m] It[e]m do et lego rycardo goldyng alia[m] toga[m] It[e]m do et lego
10    Robarto tary una tunica[m] It[e]m do et lego unicum que suor[or] meor[um] videlicet viro[rum] ac mulier[is] una[m] ane[llus] It[e]m do et
11    lego tome filio meo duas diplades ab It[e]m do et lego robarto Galavay una[m] toga[m] It[e]m do et lego tome
12    filio meo duas diplades It[e]m do et lego Wyllmo blayke una[m] vacca[m] It[e]m do et lego tome filio meo duas pullos
13    et duo verv[ex] It[e]m wyllmo Fuynere debet m[eo] ppt viij modios frume[n]tie et quoliket modio[s] xvi s It[e]m Assigno
14    Tome filio meo una t[enement]a que vacat[o] Rawkynys It[e]m do et lego volo q[uod] una[m] p[re]sbite[r] celebr[at] et in ecclie par[is]h de Enh[a]m
15    p[ro] salute a[n]i[m]e meo et p[ro] ecclie _______ p[ro] spac[iu]m un[ius] anni It[e]m do et lego robarto blayke una[m] vacca[m] et residuum om[n]i[um] bonor[um]
16    meor[um] test[amentu]m mobilium q[uam] immobilium It[em] do et lego ricardo filio meo quo[s] ordino meos veros executores ut
17    ip[s]e disponat p[ro] salute a[n]i[m]e meo hiis testib[u]s d[omi]no johane battey thoma blayke robarto tary
18    et aliis
19    Also I reserve to my sonne Richarde my farme and my tenemente that I do dwelth nowe

Listening to the Premier of Newfoundland

Premier Furey absolutely captured this moment in time by referring back to Newfoundland becoming part of Canada and gaining Labrador as part of their province (there does have to be a gain). I remember this and the fear of losing their identity as proud Newfoundlanders. The war was just over by four years and they lost huge numbers of their men in battle. Their pride in self was huge but economically they were better off to be part of Canada but they remain proud Newfoundlanders and proud Canadians. Many of them are my cousins on my Knight side with surnames like Snook, Knight, Ellis, and there are many which I could list but will not at the moment.  We in Ontario and Canada are willing to have a closer economic relationship but to be the 51st State we would lose both our representation in a much larger nation (2 senators is not adequate, we are basically 13 States) and our Canadian identity. We would lose the Westminster Model of Government which has stood us and the entire Commonwealth in good stead these years of growth and development. We would not have control over our natural resources to protect them into the future so that they are there for our great grandchildren to benefit from. I love the United States and if circumstances had been there I would be American if my husband had taken that job at the Library of Congress. He would have been a great value to them with his PhD and MLS. He was extremely knowledgeable. But I am here and I am first generation Canadian on my father's side and fourth generation Canadian on my mother's side and I am going on 80 years of age. I love being Canadian; it is my soul. Friends we have been for 200+ years. I stand proudly when the National Anthems of either of our countries are played. That is appropriate. That friendship is enviable around the world and profitable worth so much more than money can ever buy. Our trade deficit without oil doesn't exist; we buy far more from the United States than they buy from us (especially when you include the products made by American companies in Canada where the profits go back to the United States). We can sell our oil and gas to Europe which needs it desperately and at full price but the United States has benefited greatly from having our oil come to them by pipeline (cheapest way in the world) and then selling it at 3x what they pay for it (and we also sell it to them at a discount). We have many many American companies producing goods in their factories which we buy but not going to buy them if their isn't a Canadian component; we are not stupid our livelihood depends on that type of economic arrangement. We can make our own cookies for sure in a Canadian company but free enterprise being what it is our companies could not compete against much larger companies who arrived after NAFTA and either priced out the competition and then bought them out or just straight out bought them out. That is free enterprise and I am a believer in it. But if the world changes and NAFTA no longer supports a closer economic relationship then that is life and we move on. We need to concentrate on rebuilding those lost industries - make our own dishwashers, make our own refrigerators, cookies and all the rest. Seems a pity; it is like going back to the 1950s when trade was slow and no one was particularly wealthy outside of inherited wealth and the Iron Curtain had rolled down enslaving millions of people in Europe for another fourty years. 

That sad day on the 11th of September 2001 completely changed my mind with regard to the future of Canada as I was probably pretty much on a limb for that. That day we saw what can happen when terrorists attack our friend to the south. They closed their airspace leaving thousands of Americans stranded on airplanes past the point of no return coming home. We stayed open even though they asked us to close our airspace and we did around Ottawa to protect the American Embassy. The airplanes safely landed we closed our airspace - the Americans were safe and we were very happy about that. But I knew then that the greatest protection for the North American continent is our separateness - we can react as an individual country protecting this space in the world that the First Nations kindly let us occupy. God bless North America and all who dwell in it.