Reading through this will it is possible to determine that William is the son of William Blake of Hales House in the county of Middlesex, Justice of the Peace and Mary who was the daughter of Henery Beverley of London (she was born in Yorkshire). William Blake of Hales House (father of the testator) is a son of John Blake and Margarett Blake of Eastontowne and brother to Sara married to William Rolfe. The particular visitation that I am looking at for Middlesex is unsigned. It lists two children for William Blake and Mary Beverley namely William and John (John died young without issue). On the Pedigree Chart for the Blake family held at the Swindon and Wiltshire Record Office, William is shown as married to Mary Beverley but their children are not entered. Sir William Blake of Kensington (his full title) lived at Hales House and his inventory was prepared dated 2 Feb 1630/31 so we know that he died before that date. According to Boyd's Inhabitants of London William Blake and Mary Beverley were married 26 Nov 1602 and they were living in St Dunstan West parish and it was by License of the Bishop of London
The testator has been married twice with the first marriage in 1623 to Margaret Newsam and the second marriage in 1627 to Anne Bay. Mary is his daughter from the first marriage and Christopher and Ann are his children from the second marriage.
It does seem from the will that there is a rather sad story attached to this will. William would still be a relatively young man in 1645 just 40 years old. He was an alumuni of Broadgates Hall, Oxford entitled to arms as the son of William of Kensington. He was master of the Fine Office and buried at the Temple Church 27 June 1645. He was aged 15 years when he matriculated 15 Mar 1620/21 and a student of the Inner Temple 1624. He appears to have married very young in 1623 (only 18 years of age). Christopher named as his son and heir apparent which is interesting in itself but did not follow his father to Oxford or the Inner Temple.
I have just updated the Blake-Andover file on World Connect to include quite a few of the wills and this is a five generation chart beginning with (unknown) Blake married to Jone Blake who left her will in 1527 at Enham and looks at their descendants for four generations.
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=blake-andover
It is always nice to place people into their genealogical niche although it would be lovely to know more about this line other than that he is a grandson of John Blake and Margarett Blake of Eastontown. It is through his brother Thomas' line that the future King of England descends as Diana, Princess of Wales through her father Lord Spencer traces back to the Blake family of Eastontown.
Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 26th October 2010
Source: The National Archives PROB 11/193/426
Testator: William Blake Esquire of the Inner Temple
Place: London, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated: 1 May 1645, probated 5 Jul 1645
Read: Electronic copy
Condition: scan, smudges, old English writing good, contrast medium
[Margin]: T[estat]m[ent] William
[Margin]: Blake
1 In the name of God Amen, The
2 First day of May Anno D[o]m[ini] 1645 and in the one and twentieth yeare
3 of the raigne of our Soveraigne Lord Charles by the grace of god king
4 of England Scotland France and Ireland defender of the faith etc I
5 Wm Blake of the Inner Temple London Esquire being in health of body and
6 of good and perfect minde and memorie thankes be given to allmighty god
7 and calling to remembrance the mortalitie of my flesh doe make and declare
8 this my last will and testament in manner and forme following that is to
9 say First and principally I com[m]itt and com[m]end my soule into the hands of
10 allmighty god whoe gave it w[i]th assured hope and confidence of ye remission
11 of my sinnes by the merrits death and passion of my lord and Saviour
12 Jesus Christ. My bodie being of the masse and substance of the earth to the
13 earth I com[m]itt and to be interred in the Temple Church And as touching
14 such worldly goods and substance as god in mercie hath blessed me withall
15 in this life I doe give and bequeath the same in manner and form following
16 that is to say Imprimis my will is that my office com[m]only called the Fine Office
17 be forthwith sould or otherwise ordered by my executors hereafter men[t]ioned
18 whose best care I earnestly desire may be used in the same; that the
19 Proffite thereof may be disposed in manner following That is to say I give
20 and bequeath to my daughter Mary Blake the somme of five hundred pounds
21 of lawfull money of England for her por[t]ion and preferment And to
22 my daughter Ann Blake for her undutifull and direspective carriage to
23 me renounceng me and my care over her adhering to her mother to be
24 bred up in all lewdnes and dissolutenesse of life I give and bequeath fiftie
25 pounds of like lawfull money Provided that yf either the same Anne or Marie
26 or any for them shall at any tyme hereafter sue or raise any suite to be
27 com[m]enced by them or by any other in their names against my executors for any
28 arrears of annuitie payable or pretended to be heretofore lyable to be
29 payed out of the proffits of my said office to my mother Dame Mary Blake
30 deceased her executor or assignes Then my will is that her por[t]ion that
31 shall sue or cause any suite as aforesaid be reduced to five pounds and
32 noe more to be allowed then by my executors for their intire por[t]ions Item
33 I give and bequeath to Ann Badger of Westminster widdow and relict of
34 Wm Badger gent the sum of twentie pounds of lawful money of England
35 Item my will is that my wife Anne Blake shall not meddle or have any
36 Thinge to doe with my office or proffits of the same or any thinge thereto
37 belonging her ioyncture being made good unto her and enioy it soe longe
38 as it pleases god - lasciuiosa et miatiata uxor nee ofsa mia quidom haves -
39 But that my executors shall have the sole ordering and dispossing of my children
40 and of my said office to the uses here expressed or for my other use toucheing
41 the settling of the said ioynture Item I give and bequeath all the rest and
42 residue of my estate reall and p[er]sonall (my funerall discharged with mourning
[Page 2]
43 only for my legatees and for Mrs Dorothie Tokfeild daughter of the aforenamed
44 Anne Badger and my executors here expressed, one obligation of four hundred
45 pounds principall debt to th[e ]aforesaid Anne Badger and one other obligation of one
46 hundred pounds principall debt to Silvester Boston Taylor wholy excepted)
47 To Christopher Blake my sonne and heire apparant excepting alsoe five pounds
48 a peece to my executors besides their necessary expenses in the prosecu[t]ion of
49 this my will Lastly I doe make nominate and ordaine my loveing freinds Wm
50 Rolfe John Goodwyne and Wm Methalde Esquires Executors of this my
51 Last will and testament In witness whereof I the said Wm Blake heretofore-
51 unto set my hand and seale the day and yeare first above written Wm Blake
52 Sealed published and pronounced in the p[re]sence of Willi: Beverley Richard
53 Ball M[y] [w]ill the interlynenge in this will were entirely mad and altered
54 before the sealing hereof.
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