Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Will of Mary Blake, spinster, North Molton, Devon - The National Archives PROB 11/1712/313, probated 22 May 1826

The testator Mary Blake is probably employed as a spinster. Her two children John baptized 27 Jun 1790 and Sarah baptized 17 March 1793 and both at North Molton are the children of William and Mary Blake. There is a marriage of William Blake and Mary Huxtable 26 Apr 1786 at North Molton on Find My Past.

Possibly these are their children as well baptized at North Molton:
Nancy baptized 21 Aug 1786
Nancy baptized 9 Nov 1787

This is probably Ann Williams mentioned as her daughter in the will. I was unable to find this marriage.

Hugh Bawdon married Sarah Blake 15 Apr 1816 at North Molton. Their children all baptized at North Molton (* mentioned in the will):

*Helen baptized 2 Feb 1817
*Hugh baptized 6 Jun 1819
*William Blake baptized 6 Jun 1819
*Harriet (census birth date shown as 1821)
*Grace baptized 11 Jul 1824
Sally baptized 25 Feb 1827
Elizabeth baptized 19 Jul 1829
Fanny baptized 12 Feb 1832
James baptized 30 Aug 1835
Arthur baptized 18 Jun 1837

John Blake married Katharine Rook 7 Jul 1811 at Bishop’s Nympton. I have no proof that this is the correct marriage but their children all baptized at Bishops Nympton are William, John Elizabeth, John, Jane, and Mary (by 1826) and then Sarah Ann and William. That would likely mean that William died as a child and the first John died as an infant. John was buried 20 Jul 1856 at Bishops Nympton (74 years of age) and Catherine buried 18 Nov 1860 (85 years of age). The age is not correct for John as he was baptized in 1790. Interesting that the children appear to be correct for the will! Checking the Bishops Nympton census – the 1851 census has John as born at North Molton but 70 years of age! Interesting conundrum; the data certainly looks interesting (* forenames mentioned in the will).

*William baptized 25 Aug 1811 (living in 1826)
John baptized 23 May 1813 (deceased by 1818)
*Elizabeth baptized 25 Dec 1815
*John baptized 27 Sep 1818
*Jane baptized 23 Sep 1821
*Mary baptized 22 Feb 1824
Sarah Ann baptized 24 Jun 1827
William baptized 14 Mar 1830

Looking back in the North Molton records, there was a William Blake baptized 5 Apr 1763 at North Molton and the son of John and Sarah Blake (Family Search). There is a marriage of John Blake and Sarah Air 2 Feb 1762 at North Molton (Find My Past). Continuing in this vein  there is a John Blake baptized 16 Jan 1725 at North Molton and the son of Amos Blake and Petronel (Family Search). I could not find a relevant marriage of Amos Blake and Petronel in Find my past or Family Search but there is a baptism for Amos Blake at North Molton 1 Jun 1690 with parents William Blake and Wilmote. From an earlier blog where I delineated the marriages at North Molton that I transcribed from the fiche for the set of parish registers there I did find:

http://kippeeb.blogspot.ca/2012/04/blake-families-in-devon-1500s-1600s.html

a William Blake married to Wilmott Dee 21 Sep 1679 at North Molton with a son Amos baptized 1 Jun 1690.

I did find under unassigned baptisms a William Blake baptized 7 Sep 1652 at North Molton and the son of William and Joane. This couple baptized a number of children at North Molton William, Charles (1653), Mary (1655), Richard (1657), Elizabeth (1659) and Joane (1661). I did not find a marriage for this couple at North Molton. However there is a baptism for a William Blake 27 Apr 1628 son of William Blake and Agnis Luckis who were themselves married 13 Jun 1625 and they had children An (1625), William, John (1630), Margeret (1632) and Ellen (1634). The Blake family then appears to be missing from North Molton as the next set of records back is in the mid 1550s.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 1 Aug 2013
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/1712/313
Testator: Mary Blake, spinster
Place: North Molton, Devon, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 11 Sep 1825, probated 22 May 1826
Condition: 19th century English, legible copy

[Margin]: Mary
[Margin]: Blake
[Margin]: 5

1    In the name of God Amen I
2    Mary Blake of North Moulton in the County of Devon Spinster being of sound
3    mind memory and understanding do make publish and declare this my last will and
4    Testament in manner and form following to wit First of all I will and direct that
5    all my just debts and funeral expences be first paid and discharged and from and
6    after the payment thereof I give and bequeath unto my daughter Ann Williams
7    the sum of ten pounds and unto my grandson William Blake son of my son John
8    Blake I bequeath the sum of ten pounds and five pounds each I bequeath to Elizabeth
9    John Jane and Mary Blake children of my son John Blake I also give and bequeath
10    unto William son of my daughter Sarah Bauden the sum of ten pounds and
11   five pounds each unto Eleanor Hugh Harriet and Grace Bauden children of my
12    daughter Sarah Bauden and I will and direct that the whole of my several
13    grandchildren’s legacies to be placed in the Savings Bank and the whole of the
14    interest arising from their several sums be for the benefit of the children in
15    equal proportions according to their sums Till they arrive at the age of eighteen
16    years after which time they shall be at liberty to make such use of it as they
17    shall deem most necessary And all the rest residue and remainder of my property
18    and effects whatever both real and personal which I now and or shall or
19    may at the time of my death or whatever property that may come to me or
20    in consequence of me after my death I give and bequeath the same unto my
21    son and daughter viz John Blake and Sarah Bauden whom I do hereby make
22    ordain constitute and appoint my whole and sole Executor and Executrix
23    of this my last will and Testament and lastly I do hereby revoke all former and
24    other wills and wills by me heretofore made and declare this only to be my last
25    Will and Testament In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal
26    the eleventh day of September one thousand eight hundred and twenty five
27    Signed sealed published and declared by the said Mary Blake the Testator as and
28    for her last Will and Testament in the presence of us who have hereunto subscribed
29    our names as witnesses thereto in the presence of each other The mark of
30    Mary Blake the Testator Witnesses hereunto John Westcott Nicholas Lock
31    Proved at London 22nd May 1826 before the Judge by the oaths of John Blake
32    the son and Sarah Bawden (in the will written Bauden) wife of Hugh Bawden
33    the daughter the Exors to whom admon was granted having been first sworn by Comm duly
34    to administer

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