Friday, November 9, 2012

Will of Richard Blake gentleman of London - National Archives PROB 11/192/150, probated 19 Dec 1644

I published this will 15 Feb 2011 and have now proofread it once again with my extra nearly two years of transcribing and found a couple of minor changes which do not actually affect the reading or the information particularly but would mention that. It is always good to go back and look at old documents as it is surprising sometimes the things that are missed. I had planned to go into my trees at the earlier time of writing and see just what this will had presented to me in terms of people who are related to Richard Blake of Tower Ward, London.

 http://kippeeb.blogspot.ca/2011/02/richard-blake-will-of-23-mar-1643.html

However a busy two years since I blogged on this particular will has resulted in my not returning to even think about this will. It has reappeared in my list for London wills because I put it in there when I was sorting wills. 

This Richard Blake is known to me. He is the son of Richard Blake and Joane Blake (likely second cousins but still working on that particular item). He appears on the Visitation of London 1633 as Richard Blake of Tower Ward married with two young sons. Since neither a wife nor children are mentioned in his will one can only assume that they have died. Such was life at that time and well into the early 1900s when sudden death was something that occurred rather too often particularly with young children. The march of modern medicine has made an incredible difference particularly in the lives of children and women in childbirth.

He is readily placed in the family of Richard Blake and Joane Blake because he mentions his siblings - Joane Bailey, Dorothie Burmingham, Ellen Hinxman, and Margaret Savadge his sisters and Peter and Nicholas his brothers. Missing from this list of siblings are: Elizabeth Hopgood (deceased 1607), Alice (deceased 1613), Edward (deceased 1599), John (deceased before 1641), and the eldest William (deceased 1642). His parents as mentioned were Richard (buried 14 Jan 1622 at Andover) and Jone (buried 20 May 1631).

He mentions his godchildren and perhaps Richard is his nephew (son of his eldest brother William). He also mentions Ellen Hinxman god daughter and this child has perhaps died young as I do have seven children for his sister Elenor Hinxman (and her husband Joseph the elder) including: Joseph, William, Mary, Jane, Alice, Richard and Nicholas.

He uses the term cousin for the remainder of his relatives and they include the children of his brother Peter namely: Richard, Dorothie, Jane, Mary and Joane Blake.

He may have another cousin Richard (perhaps one of his mother's siblings have a son Richard Blake) as he mentions him separately from Peter's children. This could also be the son of his eldest brother William not sure of that. Richard occurs several times in the line of Robert Blake who was the brother of this testator's great grandfather (Nicholas).

He also remembers his cousin Jane Noyes (was Hinxman and daughter of Ellen his sister) married to Mr. Samuel Noyes. Joseph Hinxman the younger is also mentioned and he too is a son of his sister Ellen. Alice Hinxman is  the daughter of Ellen as well. He remembers Dorothy Smyth and I suspect she is the eldest daughter of his brother William Blake (married to John Smyth). He also remembers Dorothy's children.

He mentions his sister Deborah Blake of Galligar and his brother Nicholas lives at Galligar so perhaps is the wife of Nicholas. He also remembers his cousin Richard Blake's wife and I suspect this is the oldest son of William his brother. He asks his cousin Richard to help with Peter's children. There is a Richard Blake who witnesses this will as well.

No surprises in the will and I can place everyone in what would appear to be the correct family. The Smyth family isn't well known to me though but I must admit one of the themes running through these wills is the need to help Dorothy Smyth and most of her siblings/parents/other relatives remember Dorothy in their wills.

The earlier blog was establishing a timeline which I think has now been well established with regard to the parents and grandparents of this testator. I will reinsert the copy for the will transcription into the earlier blog with the changes.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 24th October 2010
Source: The National Archives PROB 11/192/150
Testator: Richard Blake, gentleman
Place: Tower Ward, London, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated: 23 March 1643/44, probated 19 Dec 1644
Read: Electronic copy
Condition: scan, smudges, old English writing good, contrast medium

[Margin]: T[estator] Richardi
[Margin]: Blake

1    In the name of the eternall and
2    everliving god Father Sonne and holy ghost in whose name I was baptized in
3    whome only I hope and beleeve to be saved with a free heart and willing minde I
4    doe yeeld and render my soule into the hands of Father, sonne and holy ghost and I
5    beleeve that the lord will have mercy upon my soule for he first made me; soe this I
6    beleeve that whether I live or dye I am the lords, to whome be all honour and glory
7    power and dominion fore evermore Amen, As concerning my body I bequeath it to the
8    earth from whence it came I Richard Blake of London gent[leman] being sicke and weake in
9    bodye but of good and p[er]fect memory I thanke my god the giver and p[re]server thereof
10    doe make this my last will and testam[en]t as followeth The twentie third day of March
11    one thousand six hundred forty three, Item I give to my sister Joane Baylie twentie
12    pounds To my sister Dorothie Burmingham twenty pounds, To my sister Ellen Hinxman
13    twenty pounds, To my sister Margaret Savadge twenty pounds, To my cozen Richard
14    Blake th[e ]elder twenty pounds; Item I give to my godchildren to whome I gave nothing
15    at their baptizing, To my godson Richard Blake twenty shillings, To my goddaught[e]r
16    Ellen Hinxman twentie shillings, To my godson William Poore twenty shillings, To my
17    godsonne Richard Blake at long parrish twenty shillings, Item I give to Mr. John
18    Barker and his wife each of them an enamild Ring valued twelve shillings six pence
19    To Mr. Jn[o] Glascock, To Mr Laurence Newman, To Mr Jn[o] Gatley, To Mr. Richard
20    Pettingall to each of them to each of them an enameld Ring of twelve shillings six
21    pence price To Mr. Will[ia]m Irat an enameld Ring of twenty two shillings, To Mr.
22    Samuell Edoll one enameld Ring of twenty two shillings Item I give to Mr Laurence
23    Newman my watch and doe desire him to assist my executor on his business at London.
24    Item I give to my brother Peter ten pounds and to his five children my cosens viz[ a vi]z
25    my Richard fyftie pounds To my cozen Dorothie, my cozen Jane, my cozen Mary,
26    and my cozen Joane Blake twenty five pounds apeece, To my old landlady Millicent
27    Price tenn pounds Item I give to my cozen Joseph Hinxman the younger five
28    pounds To my cozen Jone Noyes five pounds To my cozen Alice Hinxman twenty
29    shillings Item I give to my cozen Dorothie Smith forty shillings; And to each her children
30    each of them being fouer twenty shillings a peece Item I give to mjy sister Hinxman a
31    fayre diamond ring Item I give to my said sister Hinxman one faire damask table-
32    cloth a dozen diaper napkins two plane table cloths and a dozen of napkins being
33    at Mrs Prices Item I give to my sister Deborah Blake of Galligar my looking
34    glasse Item I give to my cozen Richard Blake's wife a new Beaker being at
35    Mrs. Price's Item I give to Mrs Price my bed and furniture table and stowler w[i]th
36    the great chest behind the chamber dore Item I doe make and ordaine my
37    brother Nicholas Blake of Galligar my executor and doe give him by way of
38    legacie one hundred pounds There is some residue more of my estate about two
39    or three hundred pounds where if it be gott in bee devided the one half to my
40    executor and his brother Peter Blake, the other half to my four Sisters viz[ a vi]t
41    Joane and Dorothie, Elline and Margaret, And yf any of my legatees doe
42    contend w[i]th my legacie to trouble my executor before the money can be gott
43    in to loose his part More I give to my cozen Alice Hinxman one large bible
44    bound in blue leather and guilded, and my silke grogram cloke and to her
45    brother William my rapier And I desire my cozen Richard Blake to be assistant
46    as an overseer to see the children of my brother Peter not wronged as farr as in
47    him lyeth Item I give my sister Dorothie six poundes which shee owed by debt
48    Item I give to my Executor one Fayre Turke Belt w[i]th greene leather and
49    gould wyer In witness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seale the
50    day and yeare above written Richard Blake [signed] Witnesses Richard Blake John
51    Elton

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