Not too much information in this will for John Blake a silkthrower who served in his Majesty's navy. On LDS I did find a marriage 3 May 1683 for John Blake and Sarah Lance at Allhallows, London Wall, London. If you have ever been to London then you know that this Church sits in the midst of major roads which go around it on all sides. The Church has a quaint feel to it as it has been there for so much of London's history. Interestingly Whitechappell is just 0.6 miles ESE of All Hallows London Wall.
This is an interesting period in English history as James II is still King of England 1 October 1688. On the 30 June 1688 a group of seven Protestant nobles invited the Prince of Orange to come to England with an army and remove James from the throne and place Mary (wife of the Prince of Orange and daughter of James) on the throne. William of Orange arrived on 5 Nov 1688 and James tried to flee to France but was captured in Kent. He was allowed to escape on 23 Dec after he officially abdicated 11 Dec 1688. I wonder which Majesty John was serving actually but suspect it would have been the Princess Mary returning to England with her husband Prince William of Orange. They became William III and Mary II of England because Mary insisted that William be crowned with her.
A silk thrower is a worker in the silk industry who twists silk into yarn. I wonder what his purpose would be on a ship but perhaps it was to help maintaining the sails.
Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 15 Nov 2012
Source: The National Archives PROB 11/301/373
Testator: John Blake, Silkthrower and now intended to serve His Majesty on board the good Ship Elizabeth of Saint Mary Whitechapel
Place: Middlesex, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated: 1 Oct 1688, probated 14 Oct 1689
Read: Electronic copy images
Condition: middle English writing legible, copy clear
[Margin] T[esta]m[ent]
[Margin]: Johannis Blake
1 Know all men by these presents
2 that I John Blake now resident in the parish of Saint Mary
3 Whitechappell in the County of Middlesex silkethrower and now intended to
4 serve his Majestie and onboard the good shipp the Elizabeth whereof under
5 God Sir John Bury is Commander have and by these presents doe make
6 ordaine constitute and appoint my loveing wife Sarah Blake my true lawfull
7 and irrevocable Attorney in my name And to and for my owne proper use
8 and beheese to demand aske and receive of and from the Right Honourable
9 the Paymasters of his Majesties Navy or others whome this doth or may
10 concerne all such sallary or wages as now is or hereafter shall in any wise
11 become due or payable unto mee for my service done or to bee done either in
12 or onboard the said shipp or in or onboard any other shipp bessell or frigot I may
13 happen to serve in or on board in this my intended service And upon nonpayment
14 thereof or of any parte thereof in my name to have use and take all lawful wayes
15 and meanes in or about the recovery thereof And upon receipt or receipts thereof
16 to my name to signe seale and deliver any accquittance or other discharge for
17 the same And Generally to doe execute and performe all other Acts and
18 things needfull to bee done in or about the recovery or dischargeing of the
19 premisses soe fully and effectually in every respect as I myselfe might or could
20 doe or have done if personally present And I the said John Blake doe
21 ratefie confirme and allowe the same by these presents And in Case death
[Page 2]
22 happen unto mee before my returne In such case I the said John Blake
23 doe make manifest and declare this present Writeing to bee and containe
24 my last Will and Testament whereof I doe make constitute and appoint
25 the said Sarah Blake my full and sole Executrix to whome after my Just
26 debts shall bee paid All the rest residue and remainder of my wages or
27 sallary goods chattells and state I wholly give will and bequeath And doe
28 revoake all former or other Wills confirmeing this only In Witnesse whereof
29 I have hereunto wet my hand and seale the first day of October Anno
30 domini One Thousand Six hundred Eighty Eight Annoqz R R Jacobi
31 secundi nomi Anglia etc Quarto John Blake Sealed and delivered in the
32 presence of the marke of William Llynnard, the marke of Margaret Blake
33 and Tho: Craven Scr
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