Thursday, April 10, 2014

Will of William Stadden Blake, Engraver, London - The National Archives PROB 11/1562/134, probated 10 Nov 1814

The testator William Stadden Blake’s will is so short compared to that of his wife Sarah Blake, blogged yesterday:

http://kippeeb.blogspot.ca/2014/04/will-of-sarah-blake-widow-maldon-essex.html

Sarah’s will discussion recorded a few details for William namely:

The baptism of William Stadden Blake son of William and Fanny Blake of Saff[ron]hill, took place at St Andrew Holborn, 14 Jan 1747. Cornhill is approximately 1 mile away from Saffron Hill.

Googling this name reveals a William Staddon Blake who lived in St Mary Woolnoth and St Mary Woolchurch, London. He was in 1795 one of the churchwardens. It also reveals his career as an Engraver and that his work is still circulating and being purchased/sold. Interesting that there are these two William Blake in this same time period in the same area. The one William Blake, Poet Laureate of England and the other William Stadden Blake an engraver of notable fame.

However, I was unable to determine any more details on his parents William and Fanny Blake. I did not find any other children baptized to this couple. There isn’t a will for a William Blake in London that would fit.

I did find a discrepancy with the online records in that The Freedom of the City Admission Papers for William Stadden Blake name him as a son of Daniel Blake, Vintner of London (deceased) and this Daniel is known to me. It says that William Stadden Blake is apprenticed to Samuel Carr Harper a citizen and Clothworker of London and that he will serve for seven years beginning 2 Dec 1761. If he is the William Stadden Blake baptized 14 Jan 1747 then he would be 14 years of age which would be reasonable. He already has a very good signature so has been at school. There was a marriage for Daniel Blake (St Sepulchres, widower)) and Frances Crane 1 Apr 1739 (Ancestry.ca) in London (she of St Andrew Holborn, spinster). This is a Clandestine Marriage Register for marriages performed by The Reverend Mr Wyatt, the Reverend Mr Ashwell, the Reverend Mr Lindey, the Reverend Mr Flood and the Reverend Mr Daw.

I found a baptism for a Sarah Blake 18 Jan 1740 at St Andrew Holborn to Daniel and Fanny Blake. Another baptism for a John Blake son of Daniel and Frances Blake, St Andrew Holborn 28 Oct 1744. 

I do not see two William Stadden Blake entries. Daniel Blake, citizen and vitner of London, is shown with only two sons William and Francis. He did marry a second time to Frances Monoux. Perhaps these baptisms at St Andrew Holborn are from his second marriage? The father of Daniel was William. Daniel had a son William from his first marriage. Why the middle name of Stadden? 

The exciting part of all of this searching was finding another published Blake Pedigree in the Survey of London, volume 17. I have inserted it into this blog. I will write a separate blog to discuss this Pedigree. It concerns the Blake family at Andover and offers a few more clues with regard to the Blake Pedigree Chart held at the Swindon and Wiltshire Record Office.






Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 7 Apr 2014
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/1562/134
Testator: William Stadden Blake, Engraver
Place: Change Alley, London, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 2 Nov 1795, probated 10 Nov 1814
Condition: 18th century English, legible copy

[Margin]: William
[Margin]: Stadden
[Margin]: Blake

1    In the Name of God Amen I William
2    Stadden Blake of Change Alley in the City of London Engraver being of sound
3    and disposing Memory and understanding do make publish and declare this my last
4    Will and Testament as follows first and principally I commend my Soul into the hands
5    of Almighty God who gave it my Body I commit to the Earth to be decently
6    interred and as to all such Worldly Estate and Effects of what nature or kind soever
7    whether Real or personal which I shall be possess of Interest in or intitled unto
8    at the time of my decease I give devise and bequeath the same unto my beloved Wife Sarah
9    Blake her Executors Administrators and Assigns for ever and I do hereby nominate constitute
10    and appoint my said beloved Wife Sarah Blake Sole Executrix of this my Will hereby
11    revoking and making void all former and other Wills by me made I do declare this to be and
12    contain my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hands
13    and Seal in London this second day of November in the year of our Lord one
14    thousand seven hundred and ninety five W[ilia]m Stad[de]n Blake Signed Sealed published
15    declared and delivered by the Testator William Stadden Blake as and for his last
16    Will and Testament in the presence of us who in his presence and in the presence of each
17    other have subscribed our Names as Witnesses W[ilia]m Hammatt Rich[ar]d Vining
18    Fra[nci]s Davies
19    Proved at London 10 November 1814 before the Worshippful
20    Steward Beaumont Burnaby doctor of Laws and Surr[ogate] by the Oath of Sarah
21    Blake Widow the Relict the Sole Exec[utr]ix to whom Admon Admon was granted
22    having been first sworn duly to adm[iniste]r

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