Monday, April 14, 2014

Will of Thomas Blake, Baker and Yeoman, Sturmer, Essex - The National Archives PROB 11/1360/118, probated 10 Jul 1801

The testator, Thomas Blake, is named as a Baker and Yeoman of Sturmer, Essex. Sturmer is 14 miles from Bocking and Braintree. There was a Barnabas Blake family at Bocking namely Barnabas Blake married to Hannah Barnard 26 Sep 1751 at St Mary the Virgin, Bocking. Is Thomas a Brother to this Barnabas Blake? Barnabas was also a baker. He left a will dated prior to 20 Dec 1800 when he was buried at St Mary the Virgin in Bocking. This will transcription can be found on Ancestry in the tree of Johnaowen and others. However this Barnabas does not have children Thomas and Elizabeth so is likely a separate Blake family from this one. Barnabas seemed like an unusual forename but obviously not. I did not find any other Barnabas Blake that I could attach to this family.

Names mentioned in the will:

Thomas Blake, Testator, baker and yeoman, Sturmer, Essex
Elizabeth Blake, wife, executrix
Barnabas Blake, eldest brother
Thomas Blake, nephew, son of Barnabas
Elizabeth Blake, niece, daughter of Barnabas
Mary Bannister, niece
Ann Fraser, sister, Debenham, Essex
Sarah Ling, sister
John Challis, cousin, stone cutter?, Braintree
John Purkiss, executor
Richard Webb, witness
Thomas Mason, witness
Ann Stubbin, witness

No success in sorting this line out at the moment.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 9 Apr 2014
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/1360/118
Testator: Thomas Blake, Baker and Yeoman
Place: Sturmer, Essex, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 15 May 1800, probated 10 Jul 1801
Condition: 19th century English, legible copy

[Margin]: Thomas
[Margin]: Blake

1    In the Name of God Amen
2    I Thomas Blake of the parish of Sturmer in the County
3    of Essex Baker and Yeoman being weak in body but
4    of Sound and disposing mind memory and understanding
5    do make and ordain this to be my Last Will and
6    Testament in manner and form following (viz)
7    First and principally I commend my Soul into the
8    hands of Almighty God my heavenly Creator and my
9    body I Commit to the Earth to be decently buried
10    by the order and at the discretion of my Executors
11    herein after named and First I give devise and
12    bequeath unto Elizabeth my Loving Wife all the
13    Income of my real and personal Estate which I
14    leave after my decease with all the Effects that to
15    ine belongeth or appertaineth and my Will is the
16    same shall be Sold within one Year after my
17    decease by my Executors and the Income or Interest
18    thereof I give as aforesaid to my Loving Wife during
19    the term of her natural life and after her
20    decease I give and bequeath unto my Eldest Brother
21    Namely Barnabas Blake Five pounds Also to
22    his two children namely Thomas and Elizabeth
23    twenty pounds each Also to my Neice Mary
24    Bannister the Sum of Fifty pounds Also to the Four
25    Children of my Sister Ann Frazer of Debenham the
26    Sum of twenty pounds each share and share alike
27    also to my Sister Sarah Ling the Sum of twenty pounds
28    Also to my Cousin John Challis of Braintree in Essex
29    the Sum of ten pounds my Will is he should fix
30    me a stone as soon as Convenient after my decease
31    and the rest and Residue that remain after all my
32    just debts Funeral Charges with the probate of this
33    my last Will and Testament are paid off I give
34    and bequeath unto all my before mentioned Legatees
35    to be divided share and share alike and Lastly
36    I Nominate and appoint Mr John Purkiss
37    with Elizabeth my Wife to be the Executors of this
38    my Last Will revoking all others before Witness
39    I  have set my hand and affixt my Seal this
40    2nd day of May One thousand Eight hundred 1800
41    Tho[mas] Blake Signed Sealed and declared to
42    be the Last Will and Testament of Mr. T Blake
43    in his presence and in the presence of Each of us
44    Rich[ar]d Webb Tho[ma]s Masons Mark X Ann
45    Stubbins Mark X
46    I Thomas Blake do
47    annex and Join this for a Codicil to my Will dated
48    May the 2nd 1800 and I give and bequeath unto Elizabeth
49    my Wife therein mentioned the Sum of twenty
50    pounds besides the Income or Interest of all my Estate
51    and Effects therein resited Also I give unto my Sister
52    Allice Frazer of Debenham the Sum of ten pounds
53    Witness my hand this 15 day of May 1800 Thos
54    Blakes Mark X John Purks R[ichar]d Webb
55    13 th May 1801
56    On which day appeared personally Richard Webb
57    of Havershill in the County of Suffolk Baker one of
58    the Subscribing Witnesses to the Last Will and
60    Testament of Thomas Blake late of Sturmer in
61    the County of Essex deceased with a Codicil thereto
62    and made oath that on the Second day of May One
63    thousand Eight hundred he the appearer together
64    with Thomas Mason and Ann Stubbins did see
65    the said deceased Sign Seal publish and declare the
66    paper Writing now here unto annexed beginning
67    thus In the Name of God Amen I Thomas Blake of
68    the parish of Sturmer in the County of Essex Baker
69    and Yeoman ending thus before Witnesses I have
70    set my hand and affixt my Seal this 2nd Day of
71    May One thousand Eight hundred 1800 and thus
72    Subscribed Thos Blake as and for his last
73    Will and Testament and he then Subscribed his
74    Name thereto as Witness and the said Thomas
75    Mason and Ann Stubbins made their Marks
76    thereto and he further saith having fir Carefully
77    viewed and perused the said Will so here unto
78    annexed he saith that the word Five written upon
79    an obliteration after the Name Barnabas Blake
80    in the thirteenth Line also the Words Elizabeth
81    and Niece severally written on Erasures in the
82    Fourteenth line from the top of the said Will were
83    severally so made written and done previous
84    to the deceased executing the said Will in the
85    presence of this deponent and the other Subscribing
86    Witnesses and he Lastly saith that the said
87    Will is in every respect in the same plight and
88    condition as when executed by the deceased in
89    manner before set Forth Rich[ar]d Webb The same
90    day the said Richard Webb was duly sworn to
91    the truth of this affidavit Before me C: Hayward
92    Commiss[ione]r
93    This Will was proved at London with a
94    Codicil the tenth day of July in the year of Our
95    Lord One thousand Eight hundred and One before
96    the Right honorable Sir William Wynne Knight
97    doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of
98    the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully
99    constituted by the Oath of John Purks one of the
100    Executors named in the said Will to whom Admon
101    was granted of all and Singular the Goods Chattles
102    and Credits of the said deceased having been First
103    Sworn duly to administer power reserved of
104    making the like grant to Elizabeth Blake Widow
105    the Relict and the other Executor named in the
106    said Will when she shall apply for the same

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