Will of John Blake, Clerk, Feyreford, Gloucestershire - The National Archives PROB 11/37/293, probated 4 Apr 1555

This, the will of John Blake, Cleric gives as his location Fairford, Gloucestershire but in the Diocese of Worcester. It isn’t particularly close to any known Blake area. From the Blake Pedigree Chart held at the Swindon and Wiltshire Record Office there is a John Blake Lord Abbot of Cirencester in County Gloucestershire. The time frame would be similar to this John. He does not, however, mention any family although his brother William would be living in Lacock in this time period. Feyreford is nine miles east of Cirencester. This is after the dissolution of the monasteries during the Reign of Henry VIII which continued through the Reign of Edward VI. The fate of the Lord Abbot of Cirencester is unknown and could he have moved on to Feyreford where there was a house that still remained? There was a large church there dedicated to Saint Mary.

I still have about 70 wills from the Gloucestershire Record Office and included in that group are more wills from this early time period.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 12 Apr 2014
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/37/293
Testator:  John Blake, Clerk
Place: Feyreford, Gloucestershire, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 2 Jan 1552, probated 4 Apr 1555
Condition: 16th century English, legible copy

[Margin]: T[estament] Joh[an]n Blake clerc

1    In dei nomine Amen seconde die Januarij Anno d[omi]ni Mell[is]imo quinqentisimo quinquagesimo
2    secondo et Anno Regni d[omi]ni uird Edwardi Sexti dei gracia Anglie Franciae et Hibernie Rexs fidei
3    defensores et in terra Ecclesia[e] Anglicane et Hibernice supremum capits Sexto I Joh[an]n Blake of
4    Feyreford in the dioc[ese] of Wurcestor Clerke being sicke in bodye and hole of mynd and in parfict
5    Remembrannce do make and ordeyne this my last will and testament in maner and forme folowinge
6    First I bequeathe my soule to th[e ]handes of Almyghtie god my Savior and Redemer whiche by the power
7    of his most precious blod have delyv[er]ed me from all my synnes and reconciled me unto god the father
8    by the merits of his deathe and my bodye to be buried wher yt shall please myne Executours John Hill and
9    John Dawbeney Jun[jior] my servantes and this to paye all my debts whiche I do owe And also to parforme
10    and paye all my legacies as hereafter folowith Fyrst I bequeathe and give to the poore mens boxe
11    In FeyreFord iijs viij d Item I bequeathe to John Wall my chapelyn Sixe pounds in money and A gowne
12    Item I give to Thomas Liggen gentleman xl s and his lyverie Item I give to Thomas Clarke my s[er]vant
13    Twenty shillings in money and his lyverie Item to Richard Merynge xxxv s iiij d and his lyverye Item
14    to Willyam Carter xxxiiij s and his lyv[er]ye Item to Roger Wyatt xxvj s vij d and his lyv[er]ye  Item to
15    Richard Hall xxvj s viij d and his lyverie Item to John Faregose xxxs and his Lyverye  Item to
16    Reynold Hooles xxxs and his lyverie Item to Richard Woodward xxs and his Lyverie Item to
17    Margery Levcy xxv s and one petycote Item to Faith Bryger xxiij s and one petycote Item to
18    Katheryn Ewen xxiij s and one peticote All this I give ev[er]y of them in full payment of their wages
19    and lyvereys All the rest of my goodes and cattalls moveable and unmoveable not given nor
20    bequeathed after my debts and Legacies be fully contentyd and paide and my funeral done I give
21    and bequeathe unto John Hill and John Dawbeney Jun[ior] above said my s[er]vantes whom I make and
22    ordeyne my sole Executors And further I make Overseers of this my last Will and testament Sir
23    Anthony Kyngston knight Sir Walter Buckeler knight and John George gent to the intent that they
24    shall see all my debts and Legacies abovesaid paide and fulfilled and myne Executors quyatly to
25    Incyon all the rest of my goodes above bequeathed and geven to them And they and ev[er]y of them myne
26    Overseers abovesaid to have for their Labors and paynes in the premises fower marks apece in money
27    to be paid to them by myne Executors Thes p[er]sons insigng baring wytnes of this my last will
28    Mathew Glame they being Curate Richard Stychall Richard More Thomas Smieth
29    Willyam Grene By me John Blake prest
30    Probatum fuit testum apud London coram et Capitlo Ecclie Metrovo xxi Cant
31    Sei Archie pali ibin Jain Vacan quarto die mensis Aprilis Anno domini Millesimo quingentisimo quinqua
32    gesimo quinto Juramento Johis Dawbeney Executor in humoi testament noiat ac approbatum etc
33    insumatum etc comissa fuit adminstraro omi bonor etc defuncti preset etc de bene et fideler
34    administrand ead Acde pleno Juro etc Exhibend Ao sumta dei Singelia Jurate Johanne Hill
35    Executore etiam in humoi testament moiate demortico