Alice Blake, widow of Dunster, is the testatrix. Always a very interesting will to me personally when there is mention of the Question family. John Question mentioned in this will below is my 8x great grandfather.
Working out which Blake family this is will be interesting. I know that Nicholas Blake at Dunster was married to Jone Question. Nicholas Blake was the son of Humphrey Blake and brother to Admiral Robert Blake. Since Alice, the testatrix, is a grandmother and has several grandchildren by her daughter Anne Dunne that will be my next point to examine.
There is a probate inventory for Nicholas Blake of Dunster dated 1646. Is this perhaps the husband of Alice whose will was probated in 1654? Nicholas Blake married to Jone Question was buried in 1695 but he is the son of Humphrey Blake of Bridgwater. Who then is Nicholas Blake at Dunster whose will was probated in 1654? This Alice sees John Question as a kinsman?
The name of John Question’s wife was Elizabeth but her surname is unknown. Elizabeth was buried 19 Mar 1659 at Dunster. (John was buried at Dunster 21 Jan 1671.) Andrew is a forename used in the Question family. John does not have a sister Alice.
One can conclude that she likely had two daughters Anne Dunne and another daughter married to unknown Pullyn (two grand daughters Mary and Anne). Her daughter Anne Dunne’s daughter Elizabeth would appear to be married with a married surname of Yewens. The only Yewens family that I found which included a wife Elizabeth was George Yewens at Chard, Somerset. Chard is 19 miles from Bridgwater and 30 miles from Dunster. Her sons are named William and Andrew.
Interesting that this will might provide a clue to the name of the wife of John Question. Will continue searching that particular item and order the probate inventory of Nicholas Blake of Dunster 1646.
Protestation Returns for Dunster, 1641-42
Andrew Blake
Francis Blake, senior
Francis Blake, junior
James Blake
Richard Blake
Robert Blake
William Blake
Is Alice married to one of these men? Nicholas Blake is not mentioned. There is a Nicholas Blake at Luxborough and at Batcombe. Nicholas Blake son of Robert Blake at Bridgwater would have been around 30 years of age. The other Nicholas whose Probate Inventory was written in 1646 could be one of these men as well.
Of the wills to come in Somerset there is one for Andrew Blake 1656, Elizabeth Blake 1656, John Blake 1677, Richard Blake 1659, Richard Blake 1666, Robert Blake 1652, Robert Blake 1657, Susanna Blake 1653, William Blake 1667.
Also published by one of the well known genealogists (Clifford L. Stott) looking at the Blake family in New England, is a four part paper published in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register 2009-2010. I will also allude to this article once I have transcribed all of the Somerset wills.
Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 19 Sep 2013
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/242/403
Testator: Alice Blake, widow
Place: Dunster, Somerset, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 21 Sep 1653, probated 19 Jun 1654
Condition: 17th century English, legible copy
[Margin]: T[estatrix] Alice Blake
[Margin]: 255
1 |In the name of God Amen
2 The one and twentieth day of September in the yeare of our Lord God One
3 thousand sixe hundred fiftie and three I Alice Blake of Dunster in the Coun-
4 ty of Somersett Widdowe being sicke in body but of perfect minde and memorie
5 praised be Almightie God Revokeing and making void all former Wills by me made
6 or declared to be made doe make this my last Will and Testament in manner and
f Forme following And first of all I comitt my Soule into the hands of Almightie
8 God my maker and Redeemer in full assurance through the merits death and
9 passion of my alone Saviour Jesus Christ to obteynne pardon and remission for
10 all my sinnes And my Body to the earth from whence it was taken desireinge
11 that it may be decently buried in such manner as my Executor and surviveinge
12 freinds shall thinke fittest Alsoe I give and bequeath onto William Blake
13 my sonne (besides that part of my Tenement att Marshe w[hi]ch my deceased husband
14 bequeathed unto him by his last Will and Testament One other peece of ground
15 parcel like wise of my said Tenement called Sagyes to be held and enioyed by
16 him as soone as my debts shall be paid and my sureties discharged for the whole
17 terme w[hi]ch will be then to come and unexpired in the same ground Alsoe my
18 desire is that my kinsman John Question would be pleased to be aydeing and
19 assisting unto my Executor hereafter named in the manageinge of that
20 small estatye w[hi]ch I shall leave unto him, whereby my ijust debts may be duely
21 satisfied. And to that purpose I do hereby give and bequeath unto the said John
22 Question as well the said peece of ground called Sayges and other other Close of
23 land parcel of the said Tenement called Angur otherwise Ago until out of the
24 profits thereof my debts shall be discharged and satisfied whereby my sureties
25 may be freed from theire engagements made on my behalf If my said sonne
26 William shall fortune soe longe to live but if he shall fortune to dye before
27 my said debts shall be paid and my sureties discharged Then my will is that my
28 Executor shall pay soe much thereof as shall be unpaid out of such goods of mine
29 as shall come to his hands Alsoe I doe give and bequeath unto Anne Dunne
30 my daughter, All my apparel (except my Cloake) And alsoe the use only of
31 these particular things hereafter mentioned during her owne life That is to say
32 one of my best cubboardes, the Table board in my lodgeing Chamber, One paire
33 of sheetes, the bedsteede, and table board of myne w[hi]ch are nowe in her owne house
34 in Dunster and after the death of my said daughter Anne I doe give and be-
35 queath all the said goods which I have left unto her for her owne use only unto
36 Elizabeth Yewens her daughter Alsoe I doe give and bequeath unto Mary
37 Pullyn my Grandchild my said Cloake before excepted to be delivered unto
38 her within sixe dayes after my decease, Alsoe I give and bequeath unto
39 Anne Pullyn the sister of the said Mary Tenn shillings And to every
40 one of the rest of my Grandchildren, Twelve pence apiece; All the rest
41 of my goods and Chattells (my debts and legacies being paid and discharged
42 as aforesaid; I doe give and bequeath unto Andrew Blake my sonne Whom
43 I doe make whole and sole Executor unto this my Will And I doe desire
44 the said John Question, and my Neighbour Peter Meade to be Overseers
45 of this my Will hopeing that they will advise my said Executor to
46 bee carefull in the due performance thereof according to this my request
47 In Witnes whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seale the day and
48 yeare above said; The marke of Alice Blake, Sealed and delivered in
49 the presence of Pet: Meade John Question
50 This will was proved att Westminster before the Judges for
51 Probate of Wills and granting Ad[ministrat]ions etc the Nineteenth day of June
52 1654 by the oath of Andrewe Blake the sonne, and Executor named in
53 the said Will; To whom was committed Ad[ministrat]ion of the goods Chattells and debts
54 of the said deceased, hee being sworne by Comission truly to Ad[mini]ster the
55 same
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