The darkness is all around us these days - it is there in the morning when I awake and it is there at night when I go to sleep. But the world is also in a dark place with Russia still invading Ukraine and not packing up and going home again. The Russian soldiers will miss being home with their wives and families with their mothers and siblings. Putin and his enablers continue to rob them of their rights - they are like slaves and if Putin became stronger that grip hold on their lives will grow even stronger. Go home Russians and enjoy Christmas with your family. The Ukraine is not yours to have or to plunder - they are people they are your own blood. Rid yourselves of the greedy psychopaths Putin and his enablers who have stolen your country from you and give you very little back. These verses from 1 John talk about the light and life. They tell us not to sin - you are sinning soldiers of Russia; you are destroying your fellow man and so many women and children have died - the sins are enormous because you are the invader; you are sent to do the murdering whilst Putin and his enablers and their sons are sitting at home enjoying their time before Christmas and Christmas to come for them. You may lay dead in the trenches rather than have Christmas. Go home.
Yesterday I worked on the will of Jone Blake - I had a transcribed copy of this will from Charlou Dolan but it is a difficult will with a lot of blanks. I finally got a copy of the original scans but forgot that I have never transcribed it for myself so yesterday I spent the day working away at that and it is in the proof reading stage now and will publish it later today. Does it offer any new clues? It lets me see that this Blake family at Andover was still prosperous in 1631 but the stage is changing - Charles I will offer to a Blake (Calne Blake family) at Pinhills a title and he will refuse it. It will annoy Charles and he has the Blake home destroyed there and most Blakes are going to hide likely from his anger for a bit. The Blake family in Somerset decides to side with the Parliamentarians and Cromwell wins. The problem appears to be that the Blake family at Calne and at Andover are still supporters of the King - the Pinhill family just didn't want to have a title - and so they are out of favour with Cromwell and then the Restoration in the 1660s and Charles II is King but the surname Blake has been made famous by Robert Blake who was Lord High Admiral of the Fleet during the Commonwealth and Protectorate (1649-1660). By now some members of the Blake family at Andover have moved away to start a new life in the Surrey and London areas and they were very successful (this is the Blake line of Diana, Princess of Wales); at the seat of power they could tell and show their story of support for the King. Some have stayed in Andover but life has been harder for them and they have lost most of their property during the Commonwealth and Protectorate period (William had entered the baptisms of his children into the Andover Parish Register which was forbidden to do during this time period - he was a priest by training) and then the Restoration has not been as kind to them although the people of Andover support them and when William died in 1696 he doesn't even leave a will - there is nothing left as far as I can tell. His son John is living in Andover and has a large family and it is his son Thomas that is my ancestor (he carries on being a Draper as his grandfather and great grandfather had done). I begin to understand why my Grandfather was so determined that I should know we are not related to Robert Blake of Somerset, Lord High Admiral! Never really thought about it that much before but it makes sense. My cousin commented that Edward Blake (our mutual great grandfather was well respected in the area). Interesting comment to hear in far off Canada for sure - he said it though when we were visiting him. There was so much to tell me and I did write it down this time but then I was in my 70s and working away on the Blake family a little bit here and there but it did eventually bring me to taking on Blake as a one-name study in 2011. They are a fascinating family.
More work today on the wills of the Blake family at Knights Enham and then start to put together what I have learned to put into this next issue of the Blake Newsletter.
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