Friday, November 23, 2012

Will of Christopher Blake of Kensington, Middlesex - National Archives PROB 11/338/462, probated 11 Apr 1672

Christopher Blake is the testator and he was mentioned in his father's will blogged a few days ago:

http://kippeeb.blogspot.ca/2012/11/will-of-william-blake-esquire-of-inner.html

Again we can place this family into the Swindon and Wiltshire Blake Pedigree Chart as he mentions his cousins Francis Blake and William Blake entrusting them with the overseeing of his properties. Their father Thomas was a brother to Christopher's grandfather William. By this time his cousins Francis and William are in their 60s.

This Blake line is daughtering out with this family but of course that means that other surnames are continuing - it is a win lose situation and there are still plenty of people with the Blake surname in the world. My own line daughters out with my generation although I have four brothers but none of them have a son.

This will reveals interesting details that Mary Blake (sister to the Testator and Ann) was married 16 May 1655 at Saint Christopher Le Stocks, London to Nicholas Harris.

The Parish Register for Saint Christopher Le Stocks in online at Ancestry and the text reads as follows [Margin: Nicho: Harris and Mary Blake]:

"These are to certify all whome it doth or may concerne, according to an Act of Parliament concerning Marriages and bearing date ye 24th of August 1653 an intention of marriage betweene Nicholas Barry of ye parish of [St] Peters [West]Cheape, London and Mary Blake of the parish of Christofer London was by joint consent published three successive Lords daies in ye parish Church of Christofer aforesaid viz[ a vi]t on the 22th and the 29th of Aprill 1655 and the 6th of May following.

Nicholas Harris of the Parish of Peters Cheape London and Mary Blake of this parish of Christopher London were on the 16 day of May 1655 marryed before mee Robert Tichburne esq[ui]re etc and one of the justices of Peace for ye City of London in the presence of two credible witnesses according to a late Act of parliament in that behalfe made and married.”

As Mary Harris widow she married Joseph Dorney although I have not yet found this marriage.

Red Rose Street mentioned in the will has a writeup in British History Online:

http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=46110
Rose Street

A comparison of the modern map with those of Rocque or Horwood (Plates 7, 8) will show how the original character of Rose Street has been obscured by changes made in the 1860's. The construction of Garrick Street deprived the southern arm of its identity as a street of houses, which is now apparent only in the drawing of 1851 reproduced on Plate 50b, while the westward extension of Hart (now Floral) Street broke across the long narrow alley-like approach to Long Acre. The circumstances in which this tortuous and ill-favoured link between that street and Covent Garden had come into being in 1638– 1640 are described on page 268.

Something of the haste with which at least the greater part of the street was developed is apparent in the St. Martin's ratebooks, where a score or more of ratepayers were assessed in 1640 but none in previous years. In this ratebook the street is designated Red Rose Street, which was the name originally given to the southernmost north-south arm (ref. 185) and to the east-west arm. (ref. 186) The northern arm was originally called White Rose Street (ref. 186) and its appearance in the ratebooks has not been certainly identified, but, if not included in the Red Rose Street section, it cannot have preceded it by more than a year or two. (ref. 187) On Lacy's 1673 map (Plate 2) and later maps the distinction of nomenclature is not observed. (fn. a)

All of the street was laid out beyond the wall made in c. 1610 to enclose the centre of Covent Garden (see page 24). The greater part (including virtually all that now surviving) was built on land already sold off by the fourth Earl of Bedford in 1635, (ref. 188) and most of this was left in St. Martin's parish when the boundary of the chapelry and parish of St. Paul was delimited.

Lacy's map of 1673 shows the east-west arm extending westward beyond the point where the northern arm turned off, and subsequent maps show a connexion here with another alley running into Long Acre called Angell Alley: this western extension of Rose Street has now been swallowed up in Garrick Street.

British History Online has a section on Brompton Road, North Side which pertains to the family of Sir William Blake

http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=50007
Like much of eastern Kensington, this property belonged in the early seventeenth century to Sir William Blake, being part of the hundred acres of meadow and pasture land in St. Margaret's Westminster, Chelsea, Knightsbridge and Kensington which that gentleman owned at his death in 1630. (ref. 2) Subsequently it passed to the Tatham family, which by 1675 also held thirty-three acres of copyhold land in Kensington, including the thirteen acres adjoining westwards to this freehold, where Brompton Square, Holy Trinity Church, and the Oratory now stand. (ref. 3) By 1691) the freehold property belonged to Thomas Powell of Hackney, citizen and cutler of London, and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Tatham of Clapham. (ref. 4) They disposed of it in 1717 to Peter Laroche, and he duly resold it the following year to Philip Moreau (1656–1733), who since 1705 seems to have been the owner of the thin strip of land previously referred to immediately south-west of Knightsbridge Green, later the site of Nos. 38–58A Brompton Road. (ref. 5)

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded:  17 Nov 2012
Source: The National Archives PROB 11/338/462
Testator: Christopher Blake of Kensington
Place: Middlesex, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated:6 Mar 1671, probated 11 Apr 1672
Read: Electronic copy images
Condition: middle English writing legible, copy clear

[Margin] T[esta]m[ent] Christopheri
[Margin]: Blake   arm

1    In the Name of God Amen
2    I Christopher Blake of Brompton in the parish of Kensington in the
3    County of Midd[lese]x Esq[ui]re being infirme of body but of good sound and perfect
4    mind and memory and understanding praised be God knowing the certainty of
5    death and the incertainty of the time thereof doe this Sixth day of March One
6    Thousand Six hundred Seventy and One Make and declare this my last Will
7    and Testament in writeing in manner and forme following First and principally
8    I commend my immortall Soule into the hands of God that gave it trusting by and
9    through the meritorious death and passion of Jesus Christ my blessed Saviour and
10    Redeemer to receive a glorious Resurrection amongst the Just My body I leave
11    to the Earth from whence it came to be decently buried in the parish Church of
12    Kensington att the discretion of my Executrix hereafter named Item I give to
13    the poore of the parish of Kensington as much as my said Executrix shall thinke
14    fitt to be distributed att the discretion of my said Executrix And whereas I am
15    possessed of severall Leases for yeares severall Messuages and Lands viz[ a vi]t of
16    one Messuage in Holles Street in the parish of Clements Danes in the County
17    of Midd[lese]x held by Lease for divers yeares yet to come of the Right Hono[ura]ble the
18    Earle of Clare and of another Messuage in Clare Street in the said parish of St
19    Clement Danes held of the said Earle by Lease for severall yeares yet to come
20    And of another Messuage in Red Rose Street in Covent Garden in the County of
21    Midd[lese]x And of another Lease of the Messuage I now live in in Brompton aforesaid
22    with the Stables Outhouses Gardens and Orchards thereunto belonging And of
23    divers other Messuages and Lands in Brompton Kensington Chelsey and
24    Westminster in the County of Middlesex held by the said Lease of the Feoffees
25    or Trustees of Henry Smith Esq[ui]re for about Threescore yeares to come Now I
26    hereby will and devise the said Messuage wherein I now dwell with the Stables
27    Outhouses Gardens and Orchards thereunto belonging to Elizabeth my deare
28    and loveing wife for soe many yeares of the said terme as she shall live paying
29    yearely for the same the summe of Five and Twenty pounds and keeping the
30    same in good and Tennantlike repaire And all the said severall Leases I give
31    and devise to my Cosen Francis Blake and William Blake theire Exec[uto]rs
32    Admi[nistrato]rs and assignes for all the severall termes of the said Leases yet to come
33    and unexpired They permitting my said wife to hold and enjoy the premisses
34    to her devises as aforesaid and freeing and dischargeing her from  the rent
35    reserved in the originall Lease thereof amongst other things And I hereby
36    declare the said Gift and devise to the said Francis and William Blake to be
37    upon this Trust and confidence that they will from time to time dureing the
38    life of my Sister Mary wife of Joseph Dorney Merchant (if the said Leases
39    respectively soe long continue) pay to such person or persons as the said
40    Mary notwithstanding her coverture and without her husband's consent shall
41    direct or appoint All the cleere rents and proffitts of the premisses (taxes and
42    other charges deducted) And from and after the death of the said Mary shall
43    pay and dispose of such cleere rents and proffitts of the premisses To John Herris
44    sonne of the said Mary by her former husband and the heires of his body And
45    for default of such issue to Anne Dorney daughter of the said Mary and the
46    heires of her body for and dureing all the remainder and remainders of the
47    said severall tenures for yeares then to come and unexpired And for the better
48    payment of my debts Legacies and Funerall expences and out of the intire
49    love and affection I beare to the said Elizabeth my wife and as part of
50    recompence and satisfaction of the promises made to her Freinds when she
51    and they att her request ioyned in Sale of her lands of Inheritance in the
52    County
    [Page 2]
53    County of Bedford to settle One hundred and fifty pounds p[er] annum
54    on her for her life I give and devise to the said Elizabeth my wife All my plate
55    household stuffe debts oweing to mee or any other in trust for mee by Mortgage
56    or Recognizance or otherwise and all other my goods and Chattells whatsoever
57    And I make and ordaine the said Elizabeth my wife sole Executrix of this my
58    last Will and Testament hereby revoakeing all former Wills by mee made
59    This is the last Will and Testament of mee the above named Christopher
60    Blake by mee made and declared the day and yeare first above writen touching
61    the disposition of all and Singuler my Messuages Lands Tenements and
62    hereditaments whereof I am seized in possession or have any reversion or
63    remainder in mee I hereby ratify and confirme such Joynture or part of
64    Joynture as was settled on the said Elizabeth my wife before our intermarriage
65    And for further satisfaction of my said promise to settle One hundred and
66    Fifty pounds per annum on my said wife for her life upon her and her freinds
67    joyning with mee in sale of her said lands of Inheritance I give and devise to
68    the said Elizabeth my wife for and dureing the terme of her naturall life Al[so]
69    that Messuage or dwelling house with the Garden Orchard and appurtenances
70    thereunto belonging in Knightsbridge in the said County of Midd[lese]x now or
71    late in the occupation of John Man Esq[ui]re and Mr. Maurice Hunt And all
72    those foure acres of land called Wellfeild lyeing behinde and neare the said
73    last mentioned Messuage And all that Messuage with the appurtenances
74    and foure acres by estimation in Brompton aforesaid in the occupation of
75    Edward Smith or his assignes To have and to hold the same to the said
76    Elizabeth my wife for and dureing the tenure of her naturall life And from and
77    after the decease of my said wife I give and devise all and singuler the said
78    Messuages Lands and premisses to the said Francis Blake and William
79    Blake and theire heires dureing the life of the said Mary Dorney my sister
80    Upon Trust and confidence that they will pay and dispose of the rents and
81    proffitts thereof as my said Sister notwithstanding her Coverture and without
82    the consent of her husband shall direct and appoint And from and after the
83    death of my said Sister I give and devise all and singuler the said Messuages
84    Lands and premisses to the said John Harris for and dureing the tearme
85    of his naturall life And from and after his decease then to the first sonne of
86    the body of the said John Harris lawfully to be begotten and the heires
87    males of the body of such first sonne issueing And for default of such issue
88    then to the second sonne of the body of the said John Herris lawfully to be
89    begotten and the heires males of the body of such second sonne issueing And
90    for default of such issue then to The Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seaventh
91    Eighth Ninth Tenth and all and every other the sonne and sonnes of the
92    body of the said John Herris lawfully to be begotten Severally Successively
93    and respectively one after another as they and every of them shall be in
94    priority of birth and seniority of age And the heires male of the body
95    and bodies of all and every such Sonne and Sonnes The older of the same
96    Sonnes and the heires male of his body being allwayes preferred before
97    the younger of the same sonnes and the heires male of his and theire body
98    and bodies And for default of such issue Then I give and devise the same to
99    the second sonne of the body of the said Mary Dorney lawfully begotten
100    or to be begotten and the heires male of the body of such second sonne
101    issueing And for default of such issue Then to the Third Fourth Fifth Sixth
102    and all and every other the sonne and sonnes of the body of the sayd Mary
103    Dorney lawfully begotten or to be begotten Severally Successively and
104    respectively one after another as they are every of them shall be in
105    priority
    [Page 3]
106    Priority of birth and seniority of age and the heires male of the body and
107    bodies of all and every such sonne and sonnes The elder of the same sonnes and the
108    heires male of his body being allwayes preferred before the younger of the
109    same sonnes and the heires male of his and theire body and bodyes And for default
110    of such issue then to all and every the daughter and daughters of the body of
111    the said John Harris lawfully to be begotten and the heires of the body and
112    bodyes of all and every such daughter and daughters And for default of such
113    issue then I give and devise the same to the said Anne Dorney for and
114    dureing the terme of her naturall life And from and after her decease Then
115    to the first sonne of the body of the said Anne Dorney lawfully to be begotten
116    and the heires male of the body of such first sonne issueing And for default of
117    such issue then To the second sonne of the body of the said Ann Dorney lawfully to
118    be begotten and the heires male of the body of such second sonne issueing And
119    for default of such issue then to the Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seaventh and all
120    and every other the Sonne and Sonnes of the body of the said Anne lawfully
121    to be begotten Severally Successively and respectively one after another as
122    they and every of them shall be in priority of birth and Seniority of age and
123    the heires male of the body and bodyes of all and every such Sonne and
124    Sonnes the elder of the same Sonnes and the heires male of his body being
125    allwayes preferred before the younger of the same Sonnes and the
126    heires male of his and theire body and bodyes And for default of such
127    issue Then to all and every the daughter and daughters of the body of the
128    said Mary Dorney and Anne Dorney lawfully to be begotten and the
129    heires of the body and bodyes of all and or ev[er]y such daughter and daughters
130    And for default of such issue then I give and devise the same to the said
131    Elizabeth my wife and her heires for ever And whereas I have surrendered
132    into the hands of the Lord of the Mannor of Earles' Court in the said
133    County of Midd[lese]x All my Coppyhold Lands holden of the same Mannor
134    to the use of my last Will and Testament or such uses as I should declare
135    by my last Will and Testament Now I hereby give and devise All my
136    said Coppyhold lands to the said Anne Dorney and her heires Provided
137    allwayes that if the said John Herris shall pay her Five hundred
138    pounds within the space of three monthes next after he shall accomplish
139    the age of One and Twenty yeares That then the said devise of the said
140    Coppyhold lands to the said Anne and her heires shall cease and be voyd
141    anything in this my Will contained to the contrary thereof notwithstanding
142    In Witnesse whereof I the said Christopher Blake have to every sheet
143    of this my last Will and Testament containeing seaven sheets of Paper
144    sett my hand and to the last of them my Seale the day and yeare first
145    above written Christo: Blake Signed Sealed published and declared
146    by the above named Christopher Blake for and his last Will and Testam[en]t
147    the day and yeare first above written in the presence of Anne Davenport
148    Barbara Wilcocke Frances Berry John Gilberd Rob[er]t Palmer

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