Sunday, April 1, 2012

Blake Family of South Carolina and the 1800 US Census

Having learned about the various Blake lines in North and South Carolina on the 1790 census, I will concentrate on South Carolina for the 1800 census in this post but will also look at the North Carolina Blake family as they appear to be descendant of the Somerset Blake family as well. I would like to look at them in separate posts and will follow the South Carolina Blake family through to 1940 on the census before returning to the North Carolina Blake family.

By 1800, individuals who did not support the resolutions by the Continental Congress and the subsequent American Revolution had been penalized for their non-support. However, not everyone left the United States; some paid the necessary fines and continued to live on their lands at somewhat diminished status following the signing of the peace treaty in 1783. In particular, anyone who did not take up arms against the fledgling republic was permitted to return. The children were permitted to return to their parent's properties as well.

In the US Census of 1800 for South Carolina there are 13 entries. We know that William Blake (the heir at law of Joseph Blake) died in 1803 and he had been living at St Bartholomew, Charleston. There is a William Blake there. Also at St Bartholomew is Daniel his son. Joseph is missing and indeed he is living in England with his family (5 sons and 2 daughters). William's line reads 4 males under 10, 3 males 16 - 25, 4 males 26 - 44, 1 male over 45; 3 females under 10, 4 females 16 - 25, 1 female 26 - 44, 1 female over 45. At this point in time I have no idea on who all of these people are other than William and his wife Ann (Izard) who would be over 45. Their daughter Anne is perhaps with them and she would be under 25 likely. Would it be possible that Joseph is there with his family which would account for another male 31 years of age and his wife possibly a similar age. At the most they would have 3 sons under 10 and perhaps daughters under 10 (2 at the most). Looking at the line for Daniel Blake also at St Bartholomew and there is one male under 10, 1 male 16 - 25, 2 males, 2 males 26 - 44, 1 female under 10, 1 female 26 - 44 and 1 female over 45. Daniel married 1 Jan 1800 and doesn't have any children on this census; only his wife. Perhaps there are relatives living with this family; this will be a slow process to discover any information on the individuals at their home.

On the 1790, we also had Edward Blake at St Andrew and St Phillips and St Michaels in Charleston but he is known to have died in 1795. On the 1800 census we have John Blake at St Andrews, Charleston and Edward Blake is said to have a son John. Edward was originally from Massachusetts so will investigate this family later. There are two other John Blake entries at Charleston.

There is a John Blake at St James Santee as there was on the 1790 census and I believe that this is a descendant of Humphrey Blake of Overstowey. In his line there is one male under 10, 1 male over 45, 3 females 11 to 16, 1 female 26 to 44. At the last census there were seven females. I need to investigate and a search on line led me to a webpage "The Blake Family in the Southern US" :  http://www.oocities.org/heartland/shores/9446/ (this is an archived site and I shall capture it since the owners have not moved it as far as I can tell). Unfortunately, quite a bit of the site has been lost but the parts that are usable tend to follow female lines. Since I am doing a one name study I only carry one generation of a female line (including my own!).

Now that I am into  looking at the 1800 census I realize that this is a formidable task just looking at the one state of South Carolina. I shall have to investigate other sites that have examined particular lines of these families. My intent is to try to build a site that examines the early history of the Blake family in each area and then hopefully people descended from these lines will test their yDNA to let us have a complete picture of the Blake family. We do know that the surname Blake ended up being used in different areas dating back before 1300 AD by unrelated people.

Before continuing with the census I want to look at the timeline for the quoted chart from the Blake Museum at Bridgewater (http://xaa.tripod.com/blakeeng.html):

1336  Robert E. Blake of Quemberford, Wilts. a juror in an 
      Inq. 22 Jan 1336
  son
1303 (Regnal year 31 Ed I from the Pedigree Chart of the Blake 
      family of Wiltshire showing Richard donated land to 
      the Knights Templar in Essex) Richard Blaque, alias 
      Blake of Wilts. m. Anne, daughter of William Cole
  son 
???? Henry Blake m. Elizabeth, daughter and co-heir of 
      Edward Dorrant
  son and heir
???? William Blake m. Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Power
  son and heir
???? Henry Blake m. Margaret, daughter and co-heir of 
     William Bellett
  son and heir
died before 1474  Robert Blake of Quemberford, Calne, 
                  Wilts, m. Avice, widow of Roger,
                  son and heir of Jno. Malwyn, of Urchfont, 
                  Co. Wilts.  Avice d. 29 Oct 13 Edw IV.
  son 
Robert Blake, of Calne, Co. Wilts, heir of bro. John 
  son
died 1558  John Blaque bur. Overstowey, 18 Aug 1558
  son
died 1588 Humphrey Blake of Overstowey, Som. 
          bur. 28 Dec 1588, m. Anne
  son
died 1576  John Blake of Plainsfield, b. 1521, 
           bur. 10 Dec 1576 m. Joan
d 1592  Robert Blake, merchant of Bridgwater, Mayor of 
        Bridgwater 1574, d. Oct   1592, m. Margaret, 
        daughter of Wm. Symonds of Taunton
    
Four generations between 1336 when it is claimed that a Robert E Blake of Quemberford is a juror in an inquisition and the death of Avice Wallop (widow of Robert Blake) in1474 yields a time period of 138 years. I am now in my 60s and my great great great grandfather died in 1840 yielding a time difference of 171 years so that it is conceivable that all of these events occurred in the given time period. Richard is at the top of the Blake Pedigree Chart at the Swindon and Wiltshire Record Office (I have a copy) but who is Robert E Blake? Is he the Robert de Blakeland referred to in the books published by Blake descendants of the Blakes of Boston where Robert de Blakeland is said to be paying a subsidy in 1286 in the same area of Quemberford Wiltshire? Hopefully I will be able to purchase the pedigree chart from the Blake Museum in Bridgewater.

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