Tuesday, August 23, 2022

Understanding Emigration

Growing up with two grandparents who lived in England to adulthood, gave me a certain perspective on how English people regard emigration at least in the time frame that my grandparents came to Canada. Three of my grandparents were born and raised in England to adulthood. In the case of my father's parents they were in their late 30s when they came to Canada and he was nine years of age. In the case of my maternal grandmother she was 21 years of age when she came to Canada. They both had different perspectives with my grandmother actually being what I would call an emigrant to Canada as a different country albeit within the British Empire but she did see Canada as a separate entity. In the case of my grandfather he saw Canada as a part of the British Empire that a British born person could move to with ease and still be British. When 1947 arrived my grandmother quickly became a Canadian citizen but my grandfather wanted to remain British (and he did) but still he saw Canada as a "British" place more so than a free and independent country although in 1947 we were still more of a British dependent than an independent country although  the first world war had put Canada in its place as a nation amongst nations. Strange how war can define a nation but will keep on topic. 

The Emigrants Database online for Britain doesn't have any Blake entries until the early 1400s but what was Britain like in the early 1400s? The Normans had conquered Britain in 1066 and perhaps the attitude prevailed that Normandy and Britain were one in the same although the Normans were certainly much better off in England in terms of land acquisition and power. Gradually the Normans were assimilated into the existing population of Britain but did the idea remain that one could be in a country other than one's birth country but which had ties to that other country without actually changing how one is defined? Certainly my grandfather had that logic and probably a lot of people in the British Empire still saw themselves as British several generations removed from the actual arrival of that individual's ancestors. From the records, we know that there were Blake members in the British Isles well before the early 1400s but perhaps in 1400s the idea that being Norman could also mean being British had disappeared somewhat just as it has here in Canada. You are not Canadian automatically if you are British; you need to go through all the hoops to get there and so that happened in the British Isles as well and one notes that some of the people who arrived in the 1400s were French although one listed themself as Norman. 

The arrival of Richard le Blak from Normandy, a merchant of Rouen would likely have been after he received his license in 1274. The Subsidy referred to in yesterday's blog which was said to be in 1286 becomes interesting in this context and with the details of Blake members at Wargrave and Waltham St Lawrence in 1301. One would need to know a lot more detail on where one would choose to live in England in this time period for me to assume that this family lived in both Berkshire and Wiltshire in this time period. The commonality of the surname in Europe is rather interesting looking at the Emigrant's Database of 1330 to 1550. Is it that this idea that one is an emigrant from Normandy or France to the British Isles arose in this time period which is more than two hundred years after the Norman Conquest? Are people who came with William the Conqueror now thinking of themselves as British and so even the Normans and French needed to list themselves as Emigrants? Certainly the case in present day Canada and it is over 150 years since Confederation which uniquely declared us as the Dominion of Canada but still part of the British Empire (and given my pro-Commonwealth nature I still see us as part of the great British Commonwealth of Nations). 

At this point I needed to have that discussion with myself about emigration since I was born in Canada and automatically grandfathered a Canadian Citizen since I was born in Canada before the 1st of January 1947. But through my life I could see Emigration changing with regard to being British and now there is a quota for British just the same as every other country. I often comment that my British Heritage is long muted in Canada as so many people claim to be English Canadians but in essence they are Canadians and not English! But the term has become synonymous with the idea of English speaking Canadians and hence the British Heritage is somewhat lost in a multi-cultural nation. I can see pros and cons for that; we do not want the fractional hostilities that exist around the world within countries because of ethnicity and so I welcome the term English Canadian, Franch Canadian and First Nations as a wonderful way to describe our country where three languages are spoken including the languages of our First Nations which is more than one language but is one language group to differentiate it from English speakers and French speakers. 

Moving on now with the discussion of yesterday, I need to find the references to a William Blake and Mary or Anne Cole marrying in the 1320s. Mostly they have been in emails that people have sent to me repeating Horatio Gates Somerby's fraudulent research on Nicholas Blake of Andover, Hampshire, England. A search through my emails did locate the marriage of a William Blake and Mary Coles who were said to be the parents of Nicholas Blake of  Andover, Hampshire and Humphrey Blake found later in Somerset. Nicholas' mother is known to be Jone (unknown) Blake and she lists her children as Robert, Nicholas and Elizabeth (Blake) Mylne so this was erroneous and I did reply with the proof for that. There are several Blake/Cole marriages but nothing as far back as 1320 so still need to find why I have that in my brain. However, a number of references to what I blogged yesterday show that people have, to a certain extent, refuted the information that Horatio Gates Somerby did try to inflict on the Blake family! I will move on now to looking at the Calendar of Patent Rolls records that I included in yesterday's blog. The oldest Blake document found when I searched the documents was from 30 Jan 1230 and involved a Willelmum le Blake in Hertfordshire.

  Number    Year    Month    Day    Place    Prefix    Surname    Forename    Location    Relationship    King    Volume    Page #    membrane

192    1323    7    24    Faxfleet    le    Blak    Simon    Hampshire        Edward II    4    374-375    17d
59    1343    5    16    Westminster        Blake    Robert    Hampshire        Edward III    6    87    23d
80    1352    11    26    Westminster    la    Blake    Alice    Hampshire        Edward III    9    368-373    9 and 8
81    1352    11    26    Westminster    le    Blake    Walter    Hampshire        Edward III    9    368-373    9 and 8
82    1352    11    26    Westminster    le    Blake    Henry    Hampshire        Edward III    9    368-373    9 and 8
135    1389    9    15    Clarendon Manor        Blake    John    Hampshire        Richard II    4    112    13
136    1389    9    15    Clarendon Manor        Blake    John    Hampshire        Richard II    4    115    11
141    1392    7    20    Windsor        Blake    Thomas    Hampshire        Richard II    5    134    17
145    1394    2    12    Westminster        Blake    John    Hampshire        Richard II    5    401    18
157    1405    5    22    Westminster        Blake    John    Hampshire        Henry IV    2    448    37
26    1315    7    12    Westminster    le    Blake    John    Berkshire        Edward II    2    405    29d
55    1340    9    18    Andover    le    Blake    John    Berkshire        Edward III    5    95    40d
56    1340    9    18    Andover    le    Blake    Roger    Berkshire        Edward III    5    95    40d
85    1355    11    12    Woodstock        Blake    Adam     Wiltshire        Edward III    10    308-309    12
86    1357    10    21    Westminster        Blake    Robert    Wiltshire        Edward III    10    630    12
95    1365    10    18    Westminster        Blake    Robert    Wiltshire        Edward III    13    168    22
124    1386    1    28    Westminster        Blake    John    Wiltshire        Richard II    3    165    39d
123    1386    2    12    Westminster        Blake    Robert    Wiltshire        Richard II    3    109    32

I have a word document for each of these records.

Simon le Blak: 

1323  24 July Faxfleet (membrane 17d)

Commission of oyer and terminer to ..... Simon le Blak, and others, entered his ship as it

was anchored in the port of Portesmuth, co. Southampton, and carried

away his goods. By K. on the information of Master Robert de Baldok.

17 Edward II, volume 4, pages 374-375

Location of Portsmouth too distant from the areas concerned.

Robert Blake:

1343 6 May Westminster (membrane 23d)

Appointment of William Hokere and Richard Swayn of Wynchelse to

arrest wherever found and deliver to the constable of the Tower of London,

to be kept in custody until further order, Roger de Lynton, William

Pevenese of Portsmouth, John Spencer of Portsmouth, Robert Blake,

William Havyn of Favcrshain and Roger Smyth, who with others lately

plundered brother Richard de Wynkele, the king's confessor, of goods of

no small value at Portsmouth. By K.

17 Edward III, volume 6, page 87

Location of Portsmouth too distant from the areas concerned.

 Alice la Blake, Walter le Blake, Henry le Blake:

1352 26 Nov Westminster (membranes 9 and 8)

Whereas the priors and brethren of the college or fraternity of St. Peter

in the church of St. Maurice, Winchester, and of the college in the church

of St. Mary Kalender (de Kalend'), in the same city, acquired in fee ...... 5 d. of rent 

from Alice la Blake out of a tenement which

William de Trent, 'helier,' holds in Wonegarstrete, 6 d. of rent from

Walter le Blake out of a tenement of the prior and convent of Motesfount

in the same street, ......  2 s. 6 d. of rent from Henry le Blake out of a

tenement late of Godfrey de Fulflode in the same street, ...... 12 d. of rent out of

a curtilage of Katharine atte Fisshe without the west gate in the suburb

and liberty of the city, by Walter le Blake, ..............

notwithstanding that many deeds, testaments and muniments

relating to these have been carried away or lost, as is more fully stated in

the inquisition; and that some of the grants and bequests are to the prior

and brethren of the college or fraternity of St. Peter in the church of

St. Maurice, Winchester, by themselves, and some are to the prior and

brethren of the college in the church of St. Mary de Kalendis by

themselves. And the 10 1. have been paid in the hanaper.

26 Edward III, volume 9, pages 368-373

Location of Winchester is somewhat distant from the area of interest but interesting set of data.

John Blake (2 sets):

1389 15 Sep Clarendon Manor (membrane 13)

Appointment of Richard Frye and John Blake as controllers of the 20 l

a year granted for five years by the king's letters patent to his tenants in

Winchester from the subsidy of the ulnage of cloth in Winchester and the

county of Southampton for repairing the walls of their city. By p.s.

13 Richard II, volume 4, page 112

 

1389 15 Sep Clarendon Manor (membrane 11)

Grant for five years, to the king's tenants in Winchester who have

been impoverished by pestilences and other chance losses, of the subsidy

of cloth in that city and in the county of Southampton, to the yearly value

of 20 l for repairing the city walls, by survey and control of Richard Frye

and John Blake, but they are to account at the Exchequer for any surplus

therefrom. By p.s.

13 Richard II, volume 4, page 115

Location of Winchester is somewhat distant from the area of interest.

Thomas Blake:

1392 20 Jul Windsor (membrane 17)

Pardon,for 20 s.paid to the king byJohn Joce, to him and Edmund

Olak,Thomas Blake and John Payn, chaplain, for acquiring, in fee, from

John Inge of Fontel Giffard, co. Wilts, one toft, two carucates of land,

five acres of meadow and 20 d. of rent, with their appurtenances, called

Cnouylleslond in Shirebourne and Bromley within the forest of Pamber,

co. Southampton held in chief, and entering thereon without licence and

grant that they may hold the premises as acquired.

16 Richard II, volume 5, page 134

Location of Forest of Pamber is near Basingstoke  and of interest.

John Blake:

1394 12 Feb Westminster (membrane 18)

William Wysbeche, draper alias citizen and merchant of London, for

not appearing to answer John Blake of Winchester, touching a

debt of 40.s.and to rendor 13 l. 16 s. to Walter Jurdan and John

Harleston, executors of the will of Henry Jurdan, citizen of

Winchester. London

17 Richard II, volume 5, page 401

Location of Winchester is somewhat distant from the area of interest.

John Blake:

1405 22 May Westminster (membrane 37)

Pardons of outlawry to Walter Jurdan,'marchaunt,' lately dwelling at Winchester for not

appearing to answer John Blake of Winchester touching a debt of

100 s. Southampton.

6 Henry IV, volume 2, page 448

Location of Winchester is somewhat distant from the area of interest. 

John le Blake:

1315 12 Jul Westminster (membrane 29d)

Commissionn of oyer and terminer to William de Bereford. John Bardolf and John de Westcote,

on complaint by the abbot of Abyndon that, when he had sent his bailiff to

hold his leet at Abyndon, co. Berks, which from time whereof memory

exists not he had been accustomed to hold in that place, Mainard de

Lambourne, John de Colecote, Hugh de Pudelcote, Thomas Sampson, John

de Byleby, John le Peintour of Mercham, John son of Adam le Peintour,

John le Blake, Henry le Daubur, William de Whyssele, John de Staunton

the elder, John de Staunton the younger, William de Cotesford, John do

Dounton, John de Henle, John le Goneys, John de Denton, John le

Boltere, Robert de Hampstede, Robert de Newenham, William de Bloxham,

Robert de Goseye and others assaulted his bailiff and prevented him from

holding the leet, and usurping authority held it, so that with impunity they

were able to break the assize of bread and ale and commit other things which

were wont to be amended in the said leet, and confederating together and

drawing other men to them, caused men coming with corn to the mill of the

abbot in the town to grind their corn there to withdraw, and meeting the men

of those parts coming to the fair which the abbot has in that town each

year in the feast of the Translation of St. Edmund, hindered them from

doing so, whereby the abbot lost all profits of the fair, and did not permit

him to receive stallage for stalls placed in the town of Abyndon on market

days, which he and his predecessors, abbots of that place, had been accustomed

to receive from time immemorial, and applied those profits to their

own uses, and assaulted the abbot's servants. By fine of 40 s.

9 Edward II, volume 2, page 405

Location of Abingdon is in the Wantage area of Berkshire and of interest.


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