Friday, September 6, 2013

Will of the Reverend Malachi Blake, dissenting minister, of Blandford Forum, Dorset - The National Archives PROB 11/861/64, probated 1 Dec 1760

Always interesting to find a will that you can fit into family lines. The present testator Malachi Blake of Blandford Forum was mentioned several days ago as the likely father of Elizabeth Blake, Spinster, Blandford who left her will in 1792. Indeed he is her father.

http://kippeeb.blogspot.ca/2013/08/will-of-elizabeth-blake-of-blandford.html

Malachi names his children: Mary Tice, Elizabeth Blake, William Blake and Sarah Fisher. At the time of writing the will he has named his grandchildren as:  Mary, Malachi, Elizabeth, Sarah, William, Samuel, and John Tice and Robert Fisher. Interesting that what I surmised with regard to William, Elizabeth, Mary and Sarah being siblings has turned out to be accurate but then I did find material later on line verifying that as well. But the actual will of Malachi Blake is a treasure for this particular line.

Probably, from the lands which are held by Malachi Blake, he lived in Somerset prior to taking up ministry at Blandford Forum. The Oxford Index of National Biography (ISBM 9780198614128) states that: Blake, Malachi (bap. 1687, d. 1760), Presbyterian minister, was born at Blagdon, near Taunton, Somerset, and baptized there on 16 August 1687, the second son of Malachi Blake (1651-1705). He appears to have been educated and trained for the ministry by his father, an itinerant preacher…….

His father was perhaps the Reverend Malachi Blake who was born 24 Jun 1651 at Blagdon Somerset (buried 1705) and he married Mary Mico. This Malachi Blake founded the dissenting congregation at Wellington ( all this information from The History and Antiquities of Dissenting Churches and Meeting houses, in London, Westminster, and Southwark, Volume 2, Walter Wilson: W. Button, 1808). They had five children according to the website I mentioned in the blog for Elizabeth Blake:
http://www.portbury-hundred.co.uk/admiralreport.htm

Although I do not acquire entirely with this website, some of the information is fully sourced but I would recommend verifying every individual if you feel that you are descendant of this family.

John (1684), Malachi (testator of the present will) (1687), Sarah, Mary and William (1688-1772).

The actual line of the present testator does daughter out as his son William does not have any children.

Books written in the early 1800s do identify this family with the same Blake family as Lord High Admiral Robert Blake. It would not be surprising given the location for this particular Blake family. Perhaps there will be wills in the Somerset block that will help to take this family back further. This particular website takes this family line back to John Blake the elder (brother to Robert Blake (grandfather of the admiral).

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 1 Sep 2013
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/861/64
Testator: Malachi Blake Dissenting Minister
Place: Blandford Forum, Dorset, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 22 May 1753, probated 1 Dec 1760
Condition: 18th century English, legible copy

[Margin]: Malachi
[Margin]: Blake

1    This is the last Will:
2    and Testament of me Malachi Blake of Blandford
3    Forum in the County of Dorset dissenting Minister made
4    and published this Twenty Second day of May In the year
5    of our Lord One thousand Seven hundred and fifty three
6    First of all I will that all my debts and Funeral Expences
7    be paid and discharged [Whereas by my Dormant Surrender
8    bearing date June the Twenty fourth In the year of our
9    Lord One thousand Seven hundred and Fifty I have Surrendred
10    into the hands of the Lord of the Manor of Taunton Dean
11    in the County of Somerset all my Messuages Tenements
12    Lands and Cottages whatsoever as well Bond land as in
13    Donland customary and Freeable within the hundred of
14    Poundisford and Mannor of Taunton Dean aforesaid To the
    [Page 2]
15    use and behoof of William Blake my Son upon Condition that
16    my said Son  his heirs and assigns Shall pay or cause to be
17    paid all and all manner of Gifts Bequests and Legacys Sum
18    and Sums of Money to be mentioned and contained In my last
19    Will and Testament which on the part and behalf of my said
20    Son and his heirs out of the said Lands aforesaid are to be
21    paid Now in Pursuance of the power reserved unto me
22    in and by the Condition of the said Surrender I do Give and
23    Bequeath unto my Daughter Elizabeth Blake the Sum of
24    One hundred and Sixty pounds in Lawful Money of Great
25    Britain to be paid unto her within One Month next after my
26    Decease Also I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Sarah
27    Fisher Wife of Robert Fisher the Sum of Sixty pounds in
28    Lawful Money of Great Britain to be paid unto her within
29    Six Months next after my decease Also I Give and bequeath
30    unto my Daughter Mary Tice Wife of William Tice the
31    Sum of Twenty pounds Also I give unto my Grandson
32    Malachi Tice the Sum of Ten pounds Also I Give unto my
33    Grandson Robert Fisher the Sum of Ten pounds These three
34    last Sums herenamed and Given to Mary Tice Malachi
35    Tice and Robert Fisher I Will and Order these said Several
36    Sum and Sums of Money to be paid unto them in Good and
37    Lawful Money of Great Britain within Twelve Months next
38    after my Decease Also Whereas by my Dormant Surrender
39    bearing Date the first day of October In the year of our Lord
40    One thousand Seven hundred and Forty Seven I have Surrendred
41    into the hands of the Lord of the Mannor of Taunton Dean all
42    my Messuages Tenements and Lands lying within the hundred
43    of Staplegrove And also Whereas by my Dormant Surrender
44    bearing Date the Twenty fourth of June In the year of our
45    Lord One thousand Seven hundred and fifty I have Surrendred
46    into the hands of the Lord of the Mannor of Taunton Dean
47    a Dwelling house with all its Offices and Appurtenances
48    Situate lying and being in East Street in the parish of Taunton
49    St Mary Magdaline in the hundred of Hollway To the use and
50    behoof of William Blake my Son his heirs and Assigns Subject
51    Nevertheless to pay or cause to be paid all and all manner of
52    Gifts Bequests and Legacys Sum and Sums of Money whatsoever
53    mentioned contained Expressed and Declared in and by my last
54    Will and Testament which in the part and behoof of my said
55    Son and his heirs out of the said Lands aforesaid in the hundred
56    of Staplegrove and out of the Dwelling house aforesaid in
57    the hundred of Hollway are to be paid Now in Pursuance
58    of this power reserved unto me in and by Condition of the
59    Said Surrender I do Give and bequeath unto my loving Wife
60    Katherine Blake the Sum of One hundred and thirty pounds
61    in Lawful Money of Great Britain to be paid unto her within
62    three Months next after my Decease Also I do Give and bequeath
63    Unto my Daughter Elizabeth Blake the Sum of Fourscore to
64    Eighty pounds Also I Give unto my Daughter Mary Tice the Sum
65    of Forty pounds Also I Give unto my Daughter Sarah Fisher
66    the Sum of Forty pounds Also I Give unto my Eight Grandchildren
    [Page 3]
67    Viz Mary Malachi Elizabeth Sarah William Samuel and
68    John Tice and to Robert Fisher the Sum of Forty pounds
69    , that is to say, to each of them Five pounds apiece these
70    Four last Sums here mentioned and Given that is to say
71    To Elizabeth Blake Eighty pounds To Mary Tice Forty
72    Pounds To Sarah Fisher Forty pounds and the Sum of
73    Forty pounds to my Eight Grandchildren I will and Order
74    these said Sum and Sums to be paid unto them in good and
75    lawful Money of Great Britain out of the said Estates in
76    the hundred of Staplegrove and Dwelling house in the
77    Hundred of Hollway before said to my said Children and
78    Grandchildren at the time and Times hereafter Specified
79    or directed, that is to say, I will and appoint that these
80    said Several Sum and Sums Shall become their property
81    Imediately after my Death and I do hereby Bind the aforenamed
82    Estates and Dwelling house for the payment thereof Yet
83    I hereby reserve unto my said Son William Blake my
84    Executor hereinafter named a Liberty of postponing the
85    payment of the Principal Sum or Sums of Money due hereby
86    to them until three Years after my Death however my Will
87    Further is and I hereby appoint my said Son from the time
88    of my Death to pay or cause to be paid out of the Rents
89    Incomes and profits of the said Dwelling house and Estates
90    by half yearly payments after the rate of Four pounds to
91    the hundred the Interest of the said Several Sum and Sums
92    unto my said Children and Grandchildren until their particular
93    or Several principal Sum or Sums be paid unto them Also
94    I Give unto my Daughter Mary Tice the Bed Curtains
95    Quilt and Blankets and Bedstead that Stands and which
96    Are commonly used in the Parlour Chamber commonly
97    Called Mrs Cerbets Also I Give unto my Daughter Elizabeth
98    Blake the Bed Curtains Quilt and Blankets and Bedstead
99    that Stands in and which are commonly used in the Best
100    Chamber Also I Give unto my Grandaughter Mary Tice
101    (for certain good reasons) the larger Silver Cup which was my
102    late Wives Also I Give unto my Daughter Elizabeth Blake
103    the Best Chest of Drawers which Stand in my own Lodging
104    Room Also I Give unto my Son in Law Robert Fisher the Stand
105    of arms which I bought a few years past All the Rest and
106    Residue of my household Goods plate and Rings I Give
107    unto my Four children Mary Tice Elizabeth Blake William
108    Blake and Sarah Fisher to be Equally Divided between them
109    Share and Share alike Also I Give unto my Son in Law
110    William Tice Mr Henrys Annotations the two first Volumes
111    in Folio Also I Give unto my Daughter in Law Hannah Blake
112    Doctor Guyse’s three Volumes in Quarto Viz his paraphrase on
113    the New Testament and Mr Burket on the 4 Evangelist a thin
114    Folio Also I Give unto my Grandson Malachi Tice Littleton’s
115    Dictionary and Horace and Juvenal in Usum Delphini Also I
116    Give unto Samuel Bellows the Elder Stronge Discourses on
117    the Two Covenants a Folio and Doctor Jacomb on the Eight of the
118    Romans a Quarto Also the Rest and Residue of my Books I Give
    [Page 4]
119    unto my said Four children Mary Tice Elizabeth Blake William
120    Blake and Sarah Fisher to be Equally Divided between them
121    Share and Share alike Also I Give and bequeath all the
122    household Goods now in my possession that were the Goods
123    of the late Mr Coombes (having bought them of his relations
124    since I married my now Wife Katharine Blake) unto my
125    said Four Children William Blake Mary Tice Elizabeth Blake
126    and Sarah Fisher to be Divided equally amongst them Share
127    and Share alike Also I Give unto my loving Wife Katherine
128    Blake all the household Goods plate and Furniture which
129    were in her possession before I Married her Exclusive of
130    the Goods things and Effects belonging to the personal Estates
131    of Thomas Coombes Clerk and Henry Wells (both deceased) or
132    either of them Also I Give and bequeath my Leasehold Estate
133    Situate lying and being in the Parish of Hammoon in the
134    County of Dorset commonly called Purkers Leaze with a
135    Meadow thereunto Adjoyning or belonging unto my Said
136    Son William Blake Subject Nevertheless to some Rent
137    charges hereinafter named, that is to say, To an Annual
138    Rent charge of Five pounds of good and Lawful Money of
139    Great Britain yearly and every year unto my said Daughter
140    Elizabeth Blake during the Term of her Natural life and
141    also to an Annual Rent charge of Five pounds to my said
142    Daughter Sarah Fisher during the Term of her Natural life
143    and Also to an Annual Rent charge of Four pounds to my said
144    Daughter Mary Tice during the Term of her Natural life
145    And my Will is that these three yearly Rent charges Shall be
146    paid to my said three Daughters out of the said Estate by my
147    said Son William Blake his heirs and assigns and that
148    the said Leasehold Estate Shall by this my last Will and
149    Testament Stand charged and chargeable with the payment
150    of these three yearly Rent charges by half yearly payments to
151    each of my said three Daughters as long as they Shall live
152    and that the first half yearly payment Shall commence
153    Immediately upon the Expiration of Six months next after my
154    decease and continue to be paid to each one of them during
155    the Term of their Natural lives and in Case of nonpayment
156    of the said Rent charges before Given and bequeathed I hereby
157    Empower and Authorize my Said daughters or either of them
158    Viz Elizabeth Blake Sarah Fisher and Mary Tice to enter upon
159    the said Estate and to pay her or themselves as the Law Shall
160    Direct Also I Give and bequeath all my Right property Claim
161    and Interest in a Leasehold Estate purchased of George Pit
162    Esq[uie]r part of the Mannor of Hilton Situate lying and being in
163    the parish of Ockford Fitzpaine in the County of Dorset
164    after the death of my Wife Katherine Blake and during
165    the lives of Peter Maber of EverShot and my Grandaughter
166    Mary Tice I Give I say this my said Estate unto my Daughter
167    Elizabeth Blake and to my Grandaughter Mary Tice to them
168    Jointly And my Will is that they the said Elizabeth Blake and
169    Mary Tice have and Shall have an equal Interest in the
170    Same Inclusive of their Joint property and of the yearly
    [Page 5]
171    Interest Rents and profits of the said Estate Share and Share
172    alike And I hereby Further appoint that if after the Death
173    of my Wife my said Daughter Elizabeth Blake and Mary
174    Tice my Grandaughter Shall think best to buy in another
175    life that my daughter Elizabeth Blake’s life Shall be the
176    life to be bought in upon the said Estate if She herself
177    chuses it Also I Give unto my Son William Blake all
178    that messuage and Estate in the parish of Hammoon
179    in the County of Dorset of which Mr Trenchard is the Lord
181    and now in the possession of William Dean during his
182    life Also I Give unto my said Four Children Mary
183    Tice Elizabeth Blake William Blake and Sarah Fisher
184    all that my Right Claim and Interest (which I myself
185    am possessed of by Mrs Rachel Grove her last Will and
186    Testament) in all Bonds and Notes of hand due from the
187    Lady Elizabeth Russel Tryphena Grove and Tryphena
188    Russel to Rachel Grove late of Donhead St Mary
189    to be Divided between my said Children Share and Share
190    alike Also I Give unto my said Son William Blake
191    and to my Grandson Malachi Tice equally and Share
192    and Share alike all my Right Claim and property and
193    Interest in a Share of the Navigation of the River Dee
194    Also I Give unto my said loving Wife Katharine Blake
195    the Sum of Twenty pounds to be paid unto her Imediately
196    after my Decease Also Whereas there is a Bond Given to
197    me and my Wife Katherine Blake from John Lacy and
198    Thomas Haines and Mary Wells bearing Date February
199    the Seventeenth in the year of our Lord one thousand Seven
200    hundred and Fifty two for the Sum of Thirty nine pounds
201    when the Interest due to me upon the said Bond to the
202    time of my Death Shall be fully paid then I hereby Give
203    the property of the said Bond to my Wife Katharine Blake
204    and order it to be Delivered to her forthwith Also I Give
205    unto Samuel Bellows my Clark One Guinea Also all the
206    Rest and Residue of my Goods and Chattels and Securities not
207    before Given after my Debts Legacys and Funeral Expences
208    are paid and discharged I Give and bequeath unto my
209    said Four Children Mary Tice Elizabeth Blake William
210    Blake and Sarah Fisher to be Equally Divided between them
211    Share and Share alike Also I do hereby nominate
212    Constitute and appoint my said Son William Blake whole
213    and Sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament
214    In Witness whereof I the said Malachi Blake have to
215    this my last Will and Testament Set my Name and Seal
216    to the Sheet and half Sheet of Paper wherein is contained
217    my whole as well as my last Will and Testament the day
218    and year first above written viz May 22nd 1753 Malachi
219    Blake Signed Sealed published and Declared by Malachi
220    Blake the said Testator as and for his last Will and
221    Testament in the presence of us who have subscribed our
222    names as Witnesses unto the same in the said Testator’s
223    presence and at his request Ambrose Biles Jun[io]r
    [Page 6]
224    Elizabeth Thorne Joseph Bellows
225    August Twenty Ninth One thousand Seven
226    hundred and fifty five I Malachi Blake of Blandford Forum
227    make and appoint this as my Codicil to my last Will and
228    Testament which bears date May the Twenty Second One
229    thousand Seven hundred and Fifty three Whereas my Dormant
230    Surrender of my Estate at Rowbarton in the hundred of
231    Staplegrove is Expired and my Dormant Surrender of my
232    Estate at Horsly in the hundred of Poundisford and of my
233    Dwelling house in Taunton in the hundred of Hollway both
234    which are Included in one surrender and is near Expiring
235    I have therefore thought proper to make a new Dormant
236    Surrender which bears Date the thirteenth day of August
237    One thousand Seven hundred and Fifty five Inclusive of all
238    my Messuages Tenements Lands and Cottages whatsoever
239    within the hundreds aforesaid and Elsewhere within the
240    Manor of Taunton Dean to the Use and behoof of William
241    Blake my Son his heirs and assigns for ever according to
242    the Custom of the Manor aforesaid To be holden upon
243    Conditions following (to wit) that the said William Blake
244    his heirs and assigns shall pay or cause to be paid all and
245    all manner of bequests Legacys Sum and Sums of Money
246    whatsoever and also do perform fulfill and Execute all and
247    Singular other the articles Clauses Matters and things
248    mentioned and contained in the last Will and Testament
249    of the said Malachi Blake Already or hereafter to be
250    made which on the part and behalf of the said William
251    Blake his heirs or assigns out of for or in respect of the
252    Lands aforesaid are or Shall be Directed in and by the said
253    last Will to be paid done performed fulfilled and Executed
254    and that according to the true Intent and Meaning of the
255    same Will having observed that it is mentioned and said
256    in my last Surrender bearing date as above said the 13th
257    day of August 1755 (A Copy of which I have by me) the Last
258    Will and Testament of the said Malachi Blake already or
259    hereafter to be made I do by this my Codicil Declare
260    Testify and Ordain that my last Will and Testament be
261    and is that which bears Date as before said May the
262    Twenty Second One thousand Seven hundred and Fifty three
263    and that this my last Will and Testament together with
264    my last Surrender of the 13 of August 1755 be looked upon
265    as esteemed as Inseperately united and Just the very same
266    as if my aforesaid last Will has been made and had born
267    Date a Day or Week or two after the Date of my said last
268    Surrender and the very Same to all Intents and purposes
269    as if my said last Will had Expressly mentioned therein the
270    very date of my last Dormant Surrender and that this
271    my last Will before named be the Rule of my Sons precedence
272    and in all respects whatsoever binding on him as my last
273    Will and Testament In Testimony that this is my Codicil to
    [Page 7]
274    my last Will and Testament which bears Date May 22nd
275    1753 I do hereunto the day and Date above written
276    set my hand and Seal Malachi Blake In the
277    presence of the persons whose Names are hereunder
278    written, I do now publish and Declare this to be my
279    Codicil to my last Will and Testament Henry Field
280    Rebekah Blake Betty Howard
281    This Will was proved at London with a
282    Codicil the first day of December In the year of our
283    Lord One thousand Seven hundred and Sixty before the
284    Worshipful James Marriott Doctor of Laws Surrogate
285    of the Right Worshipful Edward Simpson also Doctor
286    of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the prerogative
287    Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the Oath of
288    William Blake the Son of the deceased and Sole Executor
289    named in the said Will to whom Administration was
290    Granted of all and Singular the Goods Chattels and
291    Credits of the said deceased he having been first Sworn
292    Duly to administer

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