Thursday, January 26, 2017

Will of John Blake, Captain possibly in the 12th or Suffolk Regiment of Foot - The National Archives PROB 11/479, probated 7 Dec 1704

The recording of the testator John Blake as a captain the regiment of Foot of Dublin is perhaps incorrect (from the National Archives website). King William III appointed Lieutenant Colonel Brewer of the 12th or Suffolk Regiment to Colonel by commission dated the 1st of November 1689 (according to Regimental History) and in 1690 this unit was with the King in Ireland. They were involved in the battles around Cavan. The 12th Regiment were also at the Battle of the Boyne. They continued in Ireland with headquarters at Galway for a period of time. They then returned to service in other theatres.

In 1699 the Twelfth were ordered to Ireland and in Dublin. Colonel Brewer was succeeded in the colonelcy by Lieutenant Colonel Livesay by commission 28th of September 1702. This unit then was sent to the West Indies under General Charles Earl of Peterborough. They were involved in the attack on Guadaloupe In 1704 they were sent to Jamaica where the regiment sustained very heavy losses from the effects of the climate. No information is given on the place of death for John Blake, the testator.

Historical Record of the Twelfth, or the East Suffolk, Regiment of Foot: Containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1685, and of Its Subsequent Services to 1847. Parker, Furnivall and Parker, 1848, 103 pages.
 https://books.google.ca/books?id=gdQ7AQAAMAAJ&dq=regiment+of+foot+at+dublin+colonel+brewer&source=gbs_navlinks_s

The question at mind for John Blake is where he attested to the 12th Regiment. I searched on Find My Past for a possibility but was not successful. There are records for the Bacton Suffolk Blake family available to me but this John does not fit into that family as known to me. I did not find that he fitted into the Galway Blake family as this unit had spent a period of time at Galway but many of these lines are not traced down.

John mentions in his will his wife Ann and his children John and Ann. His daughter Ann is married to (unknown Nevill) and widowed. He does not name his other right heirs by name unfortunately nor does he give any location information. I could not find a marriage between Ann Blake and (unknown) Nevill.



Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 26 Jan 2017
Source:  The National Archives, PROB 11/479
Name of testator: John Blake, Captain in the Regiment of Foot in Dublin, County Dublin possibly the 12th or Suffolk Regiment of Foot
Place: Dublin, Ireland
Type of Record: Will
Dated: 9 Aug 1701, probated 7 Dec 1704

[In margin] T[e]s[ta]m[entum] Johannis Blake

1    In the Name of God Amen
2    I John Blake Captaine in the Regiment of Foot commanded by the hon[ora]ble
3    Coll[one]ll Brewer being of sound minde and in perfect health and memory (blessed
4    be God) doe make and publish this my last Will and Testament in manner as
5    following (that is to say) Imprimis I doe bequeath my Soul into the hands of
6    Allmighty God onely hopeing for Salvation in through the merits of Jesus
7    Christ my dear Saviour Item I doe leave and bequeath to my beloved Wife Ann
8    Blake the Summe of One hundred and Fifty pounds Sterling Item I doe leave and
9    bequeath to my son John Blake the like Summe of One hundred and Fifty pounds
10    Sterling Item I doe alsoe leave and bequeath to my daughter Ann Blake the
11    like Summe of one hundred and Fifty pounds Sterling And if it shall happen
12    that my Wife Ann Blake doe dye that then her proportion One hundred and
13    Fifty pounds to descend and be equally divided between my said Children
14    John and Ann Blake and the survivor of them And in case John Blake my
15    son dye without Issue then his proportion the said One hundred and Fifty
16    pounds to goe and descend to my daughter Ann Blake and the survivor
17    of her the said Ann Blake the younger in case a son and for want of such
18    to the heires Female equally to be divided amongst them be they male or
19    Female And in case my said Wife and Children doe dye leaving noe Issue then
20    it is my Will that the said whole and intire Summe of Four hundred and Fifty
21    pounds doe goe to my next of kin the heires Male always to be preferred
22    before the Females And for want of heires Male then to the heires Female
23    the elder allwaies of each to have preference And I doe also declare and it
24    is my Will that all such summes or summe of money as is or shall appeare
25    hereafter to be due to me for my Service in the Army on the making up
26    my Amounts to be equally divided amongst my said Wife and Children share
27    and share alike and to the heires Male or Female of them And for want of
28    heires to the survivor and survivors of them none to have a greater
29    proportion then other And alsoe I doe declare and it is my Will that all summes
30    of money however due to me or that shall be due to me shall be equally divided
31    as is before expressed And alsoe I doe bequeath to my said Wife and
32    Children all such Estate or Estates reall or personal that I shall dye possessed
33    of and to the survivor and survivors of them and their heires equally to be
34    divided as is before Expressed And lastly I doe appoint that in case my
35    Wife and Son and daughter doe dye Issueless then all the Estate and Estates
36    summe and summes before expressed to goe to my next of kin the Male to be
37    preferred Before the Female the elder allwaies to have preference And alsoe
38    I doe appoint my said Wife son and daughter to be the Executors of this
39    my last Will and Testament declareing all other Wills to be void In Witness
40    whereof I have hereunto putt and affixed my hand and seale this Nineth
41    day of August One thousand seven hundred and one J Blake Signed
42    Sealed and published in Dublin in Ireland the day and year above said in
43    presence of Robt Wayford J Laonst Sam Hersington Ferdin Paris Capt James
44    King Tho: Blount Jos: Billing Scriptsit
45    Probatum fuit hujusmodi Testamentum apud London
46    coram venti viro Henrico Raines Legum doctore Surragato ventis et
47    egregii viri domini Richardi Raines Militis Legum etiam doctoris curiae
48    prerogative Cantuariensis Magistri Custodis sive Comissarij ltime constituti
49    septimo die mensis decembris Anno domini millesimo septingentesimo
50    granto Juramento Anne Blake Relicte dicti definiti ______
51    dicto Testamento nominati cui commissa fuit Administrato omnium et singulorum
52    bonorum jurium et creditorum dicti defuncti de bene et fideliter administrand eadem
53    ad sancta dei Evangelia Jurat Reservata potestate similem commissionem
54    faciendi Johannis Blake filio et Anne Nevill alias Blake vid fili dicti definiti
55    et alterio Executoribus in eodem testamento etiam nominatum veneriti
56    eadem petitur

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