This is one of the wills that would not have appeared until much later as it is in my Miscellaneous Locations folder under East India. John Bradby Blake is the testator.
Looking back at John, the testator’s, mother and she was living in Speenhill Berkshire at the time of her will being written. Major houses in Speen include Speen Manor, Speen Hill Lodge and Goldwell House on the Bath road. The latter road was much favoured by wealthy Newburians of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Until commercial redevelopment in the second half of the twentieth century, it boasted several fine houses.
Interesting that Mary Blake should be living in Speen where there was a Blake family in the 1500s and 1800s. Will of James Blake, yeoman of Speen, probated 13 Mar 1807 and he mentions a daughter Jane Brown in London transcribed earlier:
http://kippeeb.blogspot.ca/2013/04/will-of-james-blake-yeoman-of-speen.html
and the will of William Speen, yeoman of Speen, probated 28 Jul 1552 and he mentions his son Anthony and brothers John and Richard:
http://kippeeb.blogspot.ca/2012/05/will-of-william-blake-yeoman-of-speen.html
Probably a coincidence but interesting nonetheless.
The spelling of the name is now confirmed to be John Bradby Blake and I will go back and correct that spelling in the earlier wills as it did rather look like Bradly. The transcription appears to be a bit disjointed towards the end. The probate has not been copied. The date of the probate given to this one was from another will. It would appear that John Blake first deposed and then at a later date John Blake and his daughter Sally Hitchin Blake deposed.
Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 30 March 2014
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/1001/313 and PROB 11/1011/166
Testator: John Bradby Blake, Supra Cargo in the Service of the hon[oura]ble the united Company of Merchants of England trading to the East Indies
Place: Caton, China
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 30 Nov 1772, probated 13 Oct 1774 and around the 12 Sep 1775
Condition: 18th century English, legible copy
[Top] Canton in China November the 30th 1772
[Margin]: John Bradby
[Margin]: Blake Esq[uie]r
1 I John Bradby Blake
2 Supra Cargo in the Service of the Hon[oura]ble the united
3 Company of Merchants of England trading to the East
4 Indies do make this my last Will and Testament hereby
5 revoking a former Will made by me on the 13th day of
6 January 1767 or that that time and also the Codicil
7 thereunto annexed on or about the twenty first day of
8 December 1768 and left in the hands of my Father Also
9 hereby revoking and rendering null and void all and each
10 Will and Testament prior to the date of this present Writing
11 which I again declare to be my last Will and Testament
12 First I will and direct that all my just debts and Funeral
13 Expences be fully paid To my dear Sister Sally Hitchin Blake
14 I leave and bequeath One thousand pounds Sterling (£1000)
15 To my dear Sister Arabella Blake I leave and bequeath
16 one thousand pounds Sterling (£1000) To my dear Sister
17 Mary Tymewell Blake I leave and bequeath One thousand
18 pounds Sterling (£1000) the two first mentioned Legacies
19 to my dear Sisters Sally Hitchin Blake and Arabella Blake
20 I desire may be unto themselves respectively out of
21 the first monies that are or may be in the hands of my
22 Executor and Executrix after all just debts and discharges the
23 latter Legacy unto my dear Sister Mary Tymewell Blake to
24 be also paid in like manner unto my dear Father In Trust
25 for my said Sister until she attains the age of twenty one
26 years and in case of her death without Children before that
27 period I leave the said Legacy to be equally divided between
28 my abovementioned Sisters Sally Hitchin Blake and Arabella
29 Blake I give and bequeath to my honoured Father all my
30 Books Mathematical Instruments China paintings ChinaWare
31 Lacquer Ware and all Chinese Curiosities that I may have
32 actually purchased or sent to Europe Unless I have ordered
33 particular articles for particular persons and have specified
34 the same in Writing or otherways Except all Legacies that
35 may be annexed either to this Will or Codicils signed by me
[Page 2]
36 of a later date than this my present Will and Testament
37 all which I direct may be first discharged the rest residue
38 and remainder of all my Estate and Effects whatsoever and
39 wheresoever both real and personal which I shall or may
40 be any ways seized possessed of interested in or intitled unto
41 at the time of my death I hereby order and direct may
42 be placed in Trust of any five persons whom my Father
43 John Blake my Mother Mary Blake my three Sisters viz
44 Sally Hitchin Blake Arabella Blake and Mary Tymewell
45 Blake may chuse to appoint each of them to appoint One
46 Trustee at their own pleasure and again respectively to
47 chuse another Trustee upon the death of the people q
48 appointed or upon their declining such Trust so that all may
49 have at all times a Trustee who is appointed
50 at the will and pleasure of each person respectively interested
51 in this Legacy This the Residue of my Estate to be either
52 placed in the public Funds Landed Estates Mortgages or in
53 any manner the majority of Trustees so appointed may think
54 proper and at their pleasure again changed renewed and
55 placed to Interest in what ever manner they may deem more
56 secure and for the General Interest of all parties concerned the
57 whole Interest or profits arising therefrom to be paid to my
58 honoured Father John Blake annually for his own use and
60 benefit during his Lifetime and in case of his death before
61 the death of my dear Mother the whole Interest or Profits
62 arising from this Trust to be paid in like manner to my said
63 dear Mother Mary Blake from the time of my Father’s death
64 during her own Life and at the death of both my Father
65 and Mother the aforementioned Capital vested in the hands
66 of the Trustees aforesaid being the Nett Residue and
67 Remainder of my Estate at the time of my death I will order
68 and direct may be by the aforesaid Trustees divided equally
69 share and share alike between my three Sisters before named
70 in this Will viz Sally Hitchin Blake Arabella Blake Mary
71 Tymewell Blake for their own use benefit and behoof
72 respectively and Lastly I do hereby constitute and appoint
73 my honoured Father John Blake and my dear Sister Sally
74 Hitchin Blake Executor and Executrix of this my last Will
75 and Testament In Witness whereof I have hereunto set
76 my hand and seal this thirtieth day of November in the year
77 of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and seventy two at
78 Canton in China John Bradby Blake Signed sealed
79 published and declared by the Testator John Bradby Blake
80 as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of
81 us who in his presence and in the presence of each other
82 at his request have hereunto subscribed our Names as
83 Witnesses Will[ia]m Rous W[ilia]m Harrison Matt[he]w Raper Jun[io]r
84 Canton in China
85 The following particulars I mean as Codicils to a
86 Will
[Page 3]
87 Will and Testament made by me at Canton in China dated
88 the day of Signed sealed and Witnessed the
89 original sent to Europe by hand the copy remaining among
90 my papers
91 1Imprimis To my Friend William Rous Esq[uie]r I leave
92 and bequeath one hundred pounds sterling (£100 Sterling)
93 Signed John Bradby Blake
94 2To my Friend William Harrison Esq[uie]r I leave and bequeath
95 one hundred pounds sterling (£100 Sterling) Signed John
96 Bradby Blake
97 3To my Friend Mr John Hogarth Surgeon and Apothecary
98 London I give and bequeath my Gold Watch made by Elliott
99 Signed John Bradby Blake
100 4To my Friend Thomas Bevan Esquire I leave and
101 bequeath my diamond Ring Signed John Bradby Blake
102 5To my Servant at the time of my death I leave and
103 bequeath all my Linnen and Wearing apparel subject however
104 to the Will and pleasure of William Harrison Esquire if he
105 does not think his behavior intitles him to them I leave
106 them to his option to give to such Servants in the Factory
107 or other persons whom he may think proper and moreover
108 should the said Mr Harrison think his behavior does entitle
109 him to a further remembrance I leave him Twenty pounds
110 Sterling if not this last Legacy to be null and void Signed
111 John Bradby Blake
112 This is a true and faithful Copy taken by me W[ilia]m
113 Harrison Canton Nov: 19th 1773
114 Oct[obe]r 12th 1774
115 Appeared personally John Blake of the parish of
116 Saint Margaret Westminster in the County of Middlesex
117 Esquire and made Oath that he is the natural and lawful
118 Father and one of the Executors named in the last Will and
119 Testament of John Bradby Blake Esquire late a Supra
120 Cargo in the Service of the Honorable the united Company
121 of Merchants of England trading to the East Indies at the
122 City of Canton in China a Batchelor deceased the said
123 original Will being now hereunto annexed and bearing date
124 the thirtieth day of November in the year of our Lord
[Page 4]
125 Appeared personally John Blake of
126 the parish of St Margaret Westminster in the County of
127 Middlesex Esquire and Sally Hitchin Blake of the same parish
128 Spinster and being sworn upon the holy Evangelists to depose
129 the truth made Oath as follows to wit that they are the natural
130 and lawfull Father and Sister of John Bradby Blake late
131 Supercargo in the Service of the honourable the united
132 Company of Merchants of England Trading to the East Indies
133 at the City of Canton in China Esquire deceased and that they
134 knew and were well acquainted with the manner and
135 character of handwriting and Subscription of the said deceased
136 having often seen him write and subscribe his Name and
137 having now viewed and carefully perused the paper Writing
138 hereunto annexed purporting to be and contain five Codicils or
139 Additions to the last Will and Testament of the said deceased
140 severally numbred 1 2 3 4 5 and respectively Subscribed John
141 Bradby Blake they these deponents say that they verily in
142 their Consciences believe the whole Series and Contents of this
143 said Paper Writing and the Names John Bradby Blake
144 appearing to be set and subscribed to each of the said Codicils
145 to be all of the proper handwriting and Subscription of the
146 said deceased Jno Blake Sally Hitchin Blake 8th September 1775
147 The said John Blake Esquire and Sally Hitchin Blake Spinster
148 were duly sworn to the truth of this affidavit before me
149 Geo: Harris Surrogate B[ ]t Jenner Not Publ
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