Friday, July 4, 2014

Jane Blake of Prestbury, Gloucestershire - probated 21 Dec 1822

The testatrix is Jane Blake widow with brother in law John Blake living in Wales. She names her present abode as Prestbury but mentions property in Withington which is 2 miles from Shipton and 5 miles from Cowley. Is this coincidence or Gloucester is just not that big an area. It is 6 miles to Bagendon, seven miles to Duntisbourne Abbots and 7 miles to Prestbury. Nine miles to Up Hatherley.

This will is very valuable for the Walker family of the widow as it names her siblings and their children.

William Blake and Jane Walker married 27 May 1798 at Withington, Gloucestershire, England ("England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NLSW-RYP : accessed 03 Jul 2014), William Blake and Jane Walker, 27 May 1796; citing Withington,Gloucester,England, reference ; FHL microfilm 856943.).

The will of Jane’s husband William is to come but does not add any details on the Blake family to which he belongs. There are other wills for the Blake family at Prestbury which may assist.

I should have done this for all the Gloucestershire wills from the Diocese of Bristol and will go back in and add it to the ones already done as time permits.

Source  Will #223,l Consistory Court of Gloucester, GDR/Wills/1822(223):
Ancestry.com. Gloucestershire, England, Wills and Inventories, 1541-1858 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.
Original data: Gloucestershire Probate Records. Diocese of Gloucestershire, Finding Reference GDR, Wills and Inventories. Gloucestershire Archives, Gloucester, UK.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 3 Jul 2014
Source: Ancestry – Diocese of Bristol Wills
Testator:  Jane Blake
Place: Prestbury, Gloucestershire, England
Type of Record: Probate
Date of document: 11 Jan 1821; probated 21 Dec 1822
Condition: 19th century English, legible copy

1    This is the last Will and Testament of me Jane Blake of
2    Prestbury in the County of Gloucester Widow being of sound and disposing
3    mind memory and understanding First it is my Will and desire
4    that I be buried at Withington as near to my late dear Husband as
5    possibly, and that my funeral be conducted in as similar a manner
6    to his as circumstances will admit of And I give and devise unto
7    my Brother in Law John Blake now residing in Wales All those my
8    five Freehold Cottages or Tenements and a Rockery with the Gardens and
9    all other the appurtenances there to belonging situated in the parish
10    of Withington in the said County of Gloucester To hold to him and
11    his assigns for and during the term of his natural life without
12    impeachment of waste And from and after his decease I give
13    and desire the same Cottages or Tenements Rockery and
14    Hereditaments unto between and amongst all and every the
15    Child and Children of the said John Blake male and female
16    who shall live to attain the age of twenty one years and the
17    issue of such of them as shall die under that age (such issue to
18    take only the share or shares which his her or their Parent or
19    Parents would have been entitled to if living) equally to be
20    divided between and amongst them if more than one share
21    and share alike as tenants in Common and not as joint
22    tenants their several and respective heirs executors administrators
23    and assigns for ever and with benefit of survivorship between
24    and amongst them And if but one child shall live to
25    attain the said Age, and in default of Children of those so
26    dying I give and desire the same Cottages and Hereditaments
27    to such one or only Child his or her heirs executors administrators
28    and assigns for ever And I give and bequeath unto the two
29    Children now living of my Nephew John Hayden of
30    Miserdine Mill all and singular my Household furniture
31    plate linen china and all other my household effects which
32    shall be in upon or about the house and premises in which
33    I now reside at Prestbury aforesaid And I give and
34    devise unto my friends James Cooke Pinker Linen draper
35    The mark X of Jane Blake
36    Witnesses
37    Tho[ma]s Fletcher
38    Chas Bubb
39    John Bubb
    [Page 2]
40    and John Finch Wheelwright both of Cheltenham in the
41    aforesaid County of Gloucester All that my Messuage or
42    Tenement in which I now reside Garden Hereditaments and
43    all other my real Estate situated in Prestbury aforesaid or
44    elsewhere To hold to them their heirs and assigns for ever
45    but nevertheless Upon trust as soon as conveniently may be
46    after my decease to sell the same by public Auction or private
47    Contract for the best price they can reasonably obtain And
48    after paying and satisfying the charges to which the same
49    are subjected in and by the Will of my late dear Husband
50    I direct that the surplus of the purchase money shall be
51    applied in payment of my debts funeral and testamentary
52    Expences and the Legacies hereinafter by me given And I
53    direct that the receipt or receipts of the said James Cooke
54    Pinker and John Finch or of the survivor of them his heirs or
55    assigns shall be a complete exoneration to the purchaser
56    or purchasers of the said Hereditaments or any part thereof
57    and that such purchaser or purchasers shall not be bound
58    to see to the misapplication or nonapplication of their his or her
60    purchase money or any part thereof And I give and bequeatrh
61    unto my aforesaid Nephew John Hayden of Miserdine Mill
62    the sum of Two hundred pounds to my nephew William
63    Hayden and Robert Hayden and to my Niece Elizabeth Walker
64    (daughter of William Walker of South Cerney the Sum of
65    Fifty pounds each. To my brother Edward Walker One hundred
66    pounds To my nephew Thomas Walker son of William Walker
67    Twenty pounds All which said several Legacies I do hereby
68    direct shall be paid by my Executors within twelve months
69    after my decease And I do hereby Will and direct that any
70    said Executors or the survivor of them shall and do within
71    twelve months after my decease invest the sum of Two hundred
72    and fifty pounds in their or his names or name in or upon
73    Government or real Security and pay the interest thereof half
74    yearly unto my Brother in Law William Wakefield and his
75    The mark X of Jane Blake
76    Witnesses
77    Tho[ma]s Fletcher
78    Chas Bubb
79    John Bubb
    [Page 3]
80    assigns for his life And after his decease unto his wife for her life
81    halfyearly in case she shall survive him And after the
82    decease of the survivor of them Upon trust to pay and divide
83    the said principal sum of Two hundred and fifty pounds
84    between all and every the Child and Children of the said
85    William Wakefield (except Ann Robertson who it is my Will
86    shall not receive any part thereof) on the youngest of them
87    attaining twenty one years of age And as to all the rest
88    and residue of my real and personal Estate not hereinbefore
89    devised or bequeathed after payment of my debts funeral and
90    testamentary Expences and the legacies and bequests hereinbefore
91    by me given I give devise and bequeath the same unto the
92    aforesaid James Cooke Pinker and John Finch their heirs
93    executors administrators and assigns for ever equally as tenants
94    in Common discharged of and from any trust implied
95    constructive or otherwise howsoever And I nominate and
96    appoint the said James Cooke Pinker and John Finch
97    Executors of this my last Will and Testament I hereby
98    revoking all former Wills by me at any time here before
99    made In Witness whereof I the said Jane Blake the
100    Testatrix have to the two first Sheets of this my last Will
101    and Testament set my hand only and to this third and
102    last Sheet my hand and seal this eleventh day of
103    January One thousand eight hundred and twenty one
104    The mark of X Jane Blake
105    Signed Sealed Published and Declared by the
106    said Testatrix Jane Blake as and for her last Will
107    and Testament in the presence of us who in her
108    presence ather request and in the presence of each
109    other have hereunto subscribed our names as
110    Witnesses
111    Tho[ma]s Fletcher
112    Chas Bubb
113    John Bubb
114    21st December 1822
115    The within named James Cooke
116    Pinker and John Finch the Executors
117    were duly Sworn before me
118    Under £2000    M Bishop Surrogate

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