Thursday, September 23, 2010

65 years old today

Today I reached that new milestone of 65 years. I am excited to be 65 actually but just the idea of reaching 65. I know that the average life span is much longer now but I was ill a long time in my late 20s early 30s so that every day has been a blessing to me through the years and now to be 65 looking back at those years of illness seems like such a long time ago.

Today I continued transcribing the Andover Parish Registers and also went back and did a rerun through Dorothy Blake's will looking for grandchildren. She mentions many but not those of her son William Blake Clerk. the last codicil to her will is dated 3 January 1647 and the will itself was dated 13 October 1647. The three children baptized that I suspect are her grandchildren were:

William 9 August 1647
Bridgatt September 1649 (born 1648)
John 10 May 1649.

The younger two definitely would not appear on the will but why not William? I have to wonder about that actually. I haven't done the burials yet and he could have died young which would account for his not being listed. Dorothy doesn't mention daughters in law for any of her sons except Richard the eldest who married Joane Dashwood. She did not mention her by name but left money to buy her a mourning ring. She does appear to mention all of her grandchildren.

I know that in 1645 Gravelacre (Gallacre) has been sold to Nicholas Blake by her son William Blake. That was part of his inheritance and apparently where he lived. I think he was then at Penton where the children were baptized. Possibly she did not know that there was a new grandson baptized 9 August 1647. If indeed these are the children of William Blake and Ann Hellier. The other if, is this John married to Elizabeth who was the father of Thomas baptized 21 Feb 1685 at Andover and undoubtably my ancestor.

I only really have the family lore back to Nicholas at Old House although I have transcribed all the wills but the weak link continues to be Thomas to John to William; principally John to William.

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