I started the Blake Newsletter and chose a discussion topic that has always rather interested me. I did find some surprising information that I had overlooked before when I was studying the Somerset Blake family. The Protestation Returns for Somerset (1641) list 39 Blake members. The "first" of the Blake line in Somerset known to me thus far was Humphrey Blake who was possibly born at Bishops Lydeard around 1500 and buried at Over Stowey 28 Dec 1558. I spent part of my research time looking at the early records for Somerset on the Archives website.
A Pedigree Chart held by the Swindon and Wiltshire Record Office has a notation for one of the descendants of the Blake family at Calne which reads: "John Blague 2nd son from whom the Blakes of Somersetshire are descended of which Family was General Robert Blake the famous Soldier and Sea Commander". This John said to be a son of William Blague of Lacock, Wiltshire married to Margaret daughter of William Browne of Wablyn. This William Blague said to be a son of David Blague (son and heir) married to Joane daughter of (unknown) Mallet. This son David a son of John Blague and his wife Margaret daughte of (unknown) Dyncham/Dunham/ Denham. This John Blague said to be a son of Robert Blague als Blaake of Quemberford in County Wiltshire Esquire and married to Avice daughter of John Wallop of Farley in County Southampton Esquire. It is an interesting chart to be sure and I do have a number of disagreements with it but it was created in 1690 and much of it appears to be most accurate. A year of birth can be attached to this John son of Robert and Avice and he was said to be 40 years or more in the year that his mother's Inquisition Postmorten was created/examined (1474). John wrote his own will in 1504 (probated 24 Apr 1504) so would have been at least 70 years of age at that time or greater. Given a generation length of 25 years then David born circa 1460 or earlier and his son William born circa 1495 or earlier and his son John born circa 1520 or earlier. Humphrey was said to be born circa 1500 so not likely a son of John but this entire line does have a problem in that the will of John (son of Robert Blake and Avice Wallop) does not mention a son David which is somewhat strange. The real question remains who were Humphrey's parents and there are a number of online trees that have attempted to do this trace back including linking this Humphrey to the Blake family of Andover Hampshire.
It would be exciting to find people who would test their yDNA for the Blake lines in Somerset, Devon, Wiltshire and Hampshire with a known family trail at least back to the 1600s. It would give an interesting picture of this Blake family. I have met a few Blake descendants who live in England but have not yet been able to persuade any of them to test. Blake is a very well discussed lineage in English works (and American studies) so people tend to have a look; think about it and work on their mother's side of the family. Perhaps in my lifetime some will come forward; time will tell.
I think the next discussion has to be on the Galway Blake family and will set my sights on that one for October. But for the moment I am busy pulling out information from the sources that I have acquired and searching the archives for items that have now surfaced to see if I have missed anything in the last ten years whilst life has been very busy for me. Gradually life is less busy and that is good for me.
The exciting news is that the garden is up - green onions, spinach, romaine lettuce and leafy lettuce have broken through in a lovely straight line which will let me see where they are so that I can leave the weeds growing which the rabbits tend to eat because they are growing and leave us the lettuce and spinach until they are big enough that we can all be satisfied with the yield! The peppers are growing slowly and the tomato plants somewhat faster. Still no sign of the cucumbers but the carrots are starting to break through as well. The grass is growing very nicely - all this coolish weather and rain has been great.
Prayers for Ukraine and a speedy end to the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine. Taking the Christian high road is the safe way for the world in this new century; love they neighbour as thyself (the words of Jesus to us). Wars of aggression which are purely greed for land and the riches of that land are disgusting in this time and the murder of innocents will remain a stain on Russia for years to come. I will not buy any product made in Russia.
I do tend to agree with President Macron of France though that humiliating Russia will not give us a good peace. Those Russians (and their adherents) who have committed crimes need to be prosecuted but Russia returning to its pre 2014 borders is the desire of the world. Even those who still buy from Russia. After all the Nazis went after everybody (no one was immune even when they had a pact with the Nazis as Stalin did) until the Nazis were defeated. But then we did, when the Nazis were defeated, most of us take the high road, forgive and forget and moving on so we did move forward except the Soviet Union which was bent on revenge and continued in that state until the Soviet Union collapsed - it was that desire for revenge that destroyed the Soviet Union as much as anything. That lust for revenge and how they interpreted communism brought down the Soviet Union; everything for the leaders nothing for the people instead of following the Chinese interpretation of Communism which brought their people out of poverty and into a good middle class (and they have their wealthy as well but then most countries do) for the bulk of the population.
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