New Chapter begun

 I did work on Chapter 7 yesterday - Somerby's Fraud regarding Nicholas Blake. I will continue with that today. 

A beautiful sunny day in God's world and we are waiting to see how the Ottawa River does as it is at flood stage already at Montreal and the melting is still ongoing in the north so lots more water to come down that river. We are high here but there is lower ground about 2 kilometres to the east although we have never seen it back up this far fortunately. But I always watch it just because I came from London, Ontario where the Thames used to flood when I was young although once again we were high ground but it is ghastly to see the bridges isolated with water all around them for sure between the south part of London and the downtown. However they built Lake Fanshawe and that ended the flooding for the most part although it still used to flood somewhat at Springbank Park. 

Lots of work today but  no cleaning; that is all finished for the week and begins again on Monday. 

Already the second Sunday after Easter this Sunday and the weather is behaving more like Easter time with all the sun today. A joyous time in the Church Calendar. God is with us always watching and waiting for us to do the right thing. Love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and love our neighbour as ourself. That will bring us to the uplifted plain of peace in our time and the youth of this country lost to two World Wars will rest easy knowing that the torch they flung to us from their dying hands has been held high and peace has found a permanency in our world. Prayers that that will happen. Thank you God for this beautiful world we live in. 

Prayers continuing for my sister that she is comfortable in Long Term Care. 

Breakfast time and Solitaire puzzles still to do.  

Continuing on the same theme

The origin of this crest used by the Calne Blake family is a mystery? I am curious if it is a French coat of arms that the originating le Blake/le Blak family used in France and decided to change to the arg. a chevron between 3 garbs, sab. which is the usual arms associated with the Blake family at Calne (and some individuals at Andover although always penciled in rather than printed).

A little more searching has brought up another interesting publication of the Alphabetical Dictionary of Coats of Arms and on page 1023 I found the following:

Arg.  a pile issuing out of the chief az. charged with three martlets, or.                Blage

Slightly different from the Blake crest used by the family at Calne and Andover but the surname attached to it is rather interesting - Blage. It is an aside though and not part of the Blake Family of Andover; just interesting. I do tend to pay attention to interesting asides on occasion. 

http://openlibrary.org/books/OL7130641M/An_alphabetical_dictionary_of_coats_of_arms_belonging_to_families_in_Great_Britain_and_Ireland

 
Does all of this detail constitute another chapter I wonder  and perhaps I will do that at the moment and label it Chapter 7 - Thoughts on the Blake Fraud created by Horatio Gates Somerby.

It is mostly created in these blogs and just needs to be organized a few more images inserted and I rather think that I will do that. 

I did speak to the College of Arms when we were in London about the footnote on the Blake Pedigree that said family records had been used. The College did not retain those records and they suggested I write the family. Not really have knowledge of this family line as to whom to write  however I continued pursuing the documents that are available and the comments made by other genealogists through the years. 

I was sort of surprised when I discovered some of the information as the Blake family at Calne had refused to accept a knighthood and for that Pynhills was basically demolished by King Charles I's orders. When my great grandmother's cousin Sir John Carling was knighted the family, according to my grandfather (who repeated it to his wife and children later), were very pleased to see this  honour bestowed on one of their own. Interestingly my grandfather used to say that people having titles live in a fishbow. When Edward was first unwell in 2011 I decided to acquire support letters in favour of his being nominated so that Edward would receive the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and he was thrilled to receive it. It now belongs to his grandsons as a Medal which was given to their grandfather. So I can understand why people would be excited to receive such honours but I also understand why people avoid it. Edward was thrilled; he loved to be the centre of attention. 

I note that just three years after Sir William Blake received the knighthood he passed away so perhaps a lot of this misinformation on his family line coming down from John Blake and Margaret (Blake) Blake is a product of his not being available to make any corrections; no ideas on that. Daniel Blake, the family member who worked with the College of Arms to produce the Blake Pedigree Chart,  was not directly descended from Sir William Blake. Daniel was the son of William Blake and Margaret Fountain with this William being the son of Thomas Blake and Eleanor (Hall) Blake (Thomas was a brother to Sir William Blake). This Thomas Blake was also a son of John Blake and Margaret Blake which takes us back on this chart to William Blake and Avis Ripley (the suggested extra son for Roger Blake and Mary Baynard for whom there is no documentation). On the Blake Pedigree Chart this William is said to be of Easton Town alias Essington near Andover, Hampshire. 

The will probated for William Blake of Easton Town 1582 is actually the will of William Blake of Eastontown near Andover dated 27 Jul 1582 and probated 14 Nov 1582.  He names his brother as Edmunde, his sisters as Elizabeth and Alice which fits him very neatly into the family of Nicholas and Margaret Blake. His eldest son was John Blake married to Margaret Blake (the parents of Sir William Blake). William (father of John Blake)'s wife was named Elizabeth in his will but I am suspicious that he was married twice. Still working on that. This William, in his will of 1582,  includes mention of the Blake family of Speen, Berkshire in his will which is significant as I believe this to be the le Blak family of Rouen, Normandy and later Wargrave near Windsor, Berkshire that eventually, as they moved towards Calne, used the spelling Blake for their surname. One does not have an impression that they were anything beyond friends these two Blake lines (at Andover and Speen) reading the will. If there was a relationship as I have suggested it was the individual living at Enham in the 1300s who married into the le Blak family (namely Alice la Blak or another; why is Alice in Hampshire in the records along with a couple of other le Blak) and took her surname. That it would be a reasonable thought comes from the idea that Britons did not have surnames until the coming of the Normans and taking on the surname of a Norman offered huge advantages for sure (particularly security). 

Paying attention to the news for the  moment and pleased to see a Majority Government - I think of it as a Unified Government to be honest that will support the rapid transition of Canada from a somewhat dependent country to a more free-standing country which we were right up until the early 1960s. Perhaps it is a sort of deja vu that it is the Liberal Party that is re-working their time in government since the late 1990s when our military was no longer properly supported and we were rapidly slipping into too-dependent a relationship on our neighbour although it was equally enjoyed by both and then included Mexico as well and has been beneficial to all of us. Now as the government once again the Liberal Party is busy building up our military, encouraging industry to diversify its trading partners both within Canada and around the world. Prime Minister Carney is ideally suited I will admit to being that guardian of Canada at this time and in this place. His experiences, his knowledge all being put to use as our trade around the world increases rapidly and our attention to the potential of more pipelines and mining the rare earths and minerals will rapidly increase. His ability to stand back and let his Cabinet and the members of his party be very much part of this growing process is very much to his credit and seldom seen in government. The desire to be part of that particularly if you have been in opposition in the Conservative Party or the NDP (I do think Avi Lewis will be a good leader although unlikely I would ever vote NDP except perhaps for Wab Kinew if he ever goes federal) or the Green Party is very understandable - knowing that your skills are such that they will improve the ability to move this along more quickly. I would support my candidate if they happened to be Conservative moving to the Liberal Party at this time. I think we have to be wise and attentive to make the most of our opportunities in the world. Our relationship with our good friends and neighbours - the United States and Mexico - continues to be something we would like to see carry on but we leave that up to our government to seek the best trade deal for Canada and for all of us in North America. Our trading relationship has been the best in the world and we all benefit. We too lost some of our home-grown industries and we will re-invent them over time if necessary in order to support our economy. But in essence we had no complaints really about CUSMA. It provided a good life for North America. 

No more news for awhile I must work on the books; they are my life work I believe although I am very late in starting as they were begun when I was 79. 

Tea all drank and must do my Solitaire Puzzles to sharpen the brain.  Cleaning all completed and breakfast soon.

 

Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine Volume IX, 1866

 Volume IX of the Wiltshire Archeological and Natural History Magazine, published under the direction of the Society (formed in that County A.D. 1853) looking at Pages 223-224. There is an article which discusses descent and arms of families and was written by Mr. Clarence Hopper. He was using the notes of the Richmond Herald at the College of Arms appointed in 1721 and the notes referred back to Robert Dale (possibly he was an heraldic painter prior to  his appointment as Richmond Herald at the College of Arms). The information was principally from the time period of the Visitations of 1620. The notes were on the Blague/Blake/Blaake family. Looking back at the Visitation of 1565, Roger Blake and Mary (Baynard) Blake had three sons according to this Visitation namely Thomas Blake living at Pynnell, Robert Blake living at Lacock and John Blake living at Hilcott. Perhaps most startling they did not have a son William. 

The Blake Pedigree Chart is available for purchase from the Swindon and Wiltshire Archives and I did purchase eight images of this Chart which is 12 feet by four feet. 

 

It is this family in the centre pretty  much of this chart that is of interest. It is Roger Blake and Mary Baynard and their children. 

 Lifting this information out of the chart and enlarging it slightly the children are mentioned as Thomas, Sibil, John, Joane, William, Mary and Robert. The wills of Roger and his wife Mary (their parents) are semi-helpful. Although Roger only names Thomas (the eldest) and Mary (the youngest) in his will. Mary however mentions her sons Thomas, John and Robert. It is really a strange thing that William is not mentioned in one of  these wills. Even more interesting that Edward J Blake moves this William back several generations to another family on this same chart in terms of content and has the Hampshire Blake family connected at that point. But the individual who eventually was appointed the Richmond Herald at the College of Arms wrote in his notes (in 1693) I note that the College of Arms produced the first Blake Pedigree in 1690 and later additions were added in the early to mid 1700s:

Blague/Blake/Blaake family [these two alternative spelling are very interesting and I did find some information on Blage as a surname; doubling up the a sort of inconsequential I think]

Dorsetshire, 27. Blague, alias Blaake, now Blake of Quemberford [Quemerford], Calne and Pynhills - 1st, arg. a chevron between 3 garbs, sab. [this is the usual arms associated with the Calne Blake family but it was penciled in on the Andover Blake family in the Visitations]. 2nd, arg. on a pile, az. 3 martlets, sil. both by this name. Crest on a chapeau, gu. turned up erm. a martlet, arg. Kent 83.

Blague of Lacock, a second branch from Quemberford. Kent 83

Blague of Hilcot, a third house from Calne. Kent 83

This fits in with the Visitation of 1565 which states that Roger Blake and Mary Baynard had three sons - Thomas at Pynnell, Robert at Lacock and John at Hilcott which matches the information found in the Wiltshire Arms and Descents article mentioned above.

Why was Edward J Blake so interested? I suspect he was providing proof that the Somerset Blake line at Plainfield was descendant of the Calne Blake family. I have written about that and I suspect that they are actually. But a yDNA test for this family has not yet appeared with conclusive genealogical tree evidence as far as I know. I need to go into the yDNA results at FT DNA this next newsletter for Blake and perhaps write about that. It could drum up interest perhaps as sometimes when I write articles that directly refer to the study new testers do appear.  

All of this information fitted in perfectly with what my grandfather had said about Nicholas Blake being given siblings he didn't have and parents that were not his but still living at Old Hall, Enham. Why would he even talk about it I did wonder as I under covered all of this information. The reason somewhat obvious in that Horatio Gates Somerby's private book was published after his death. Other genealogists through the years have written on this very item and have declared Somerby to be a fraud writing "fancy" books to please people thinking that no one would ever find his machinations (they were private publications) and that he was quite safe writing such books perhaps. One of these genealogists was Paul Reed publishing an article in The American Genealogist (TAG), Volume 74, 1999 (Two Somerby Frauds or "Placing the Flesh on the Wrong Bones).  

Basically the remainder of this chart above is mostly committed to the descendants of this William Blake of Easton Town (Hampshire) who died in 1582 and indeed there is a will for such a person but his father was Nicholas not Roger. 

Today is the basement cleaning day and this week has been a foray on my part into dealing with an item that had to be fixed. Namely my eavestrough. It is now fixed and I thought to get ahead of myself and set up an appointment in a month or so to have the eaves troughs cleaned out that we can not reach readily. I sort of regret it now as I do really hate having to enter back into the real world and so I will think about it for a bit because I just simply can not deal with so many new people. I am 80; that is normal for 80 really. I just want to work on my books. But I am pleased with the repair on the eavestrough - all fixed and the draining is as it should be; it no longer looks like it will fall off and indeed when he placed the ladder against it I was surprised that it was so solid. Anyway all done and it took him maybe 40 minutes but he was very efficient. I must say that. The Insurance Company that looks after the house has the link that takes you to this company and you send it the work you want done and a quote comes (actually two quotes). I just wanted one. I simply didn't want to deal with a whole lot of people but two quotes is probably a good idea. However, I sent off my requirements once again and got back a quote and I shall soon reply but must run it by my family and they are busy at the moment so will wait a couple of days. I am sure these people are very busy people - people in the trades are run off their feet I think often enough these days. There are not enough of them and I find that strange as the tools in the trades are fascinating. It is a busy life and you are not sitting behind a desk and many times now it is an AI doing the work that you were doing anyway. Going into the trades is a good move these days. Both my father and my grandfather were well read people and had very intelligent conversations but they chose the trades and they loved being in the trades. It is simply a different way of working and much healthier I think that sitting at a computer. My father was 94 years old when he passed back in 1998 and my grandfather was 79 years of age when he passed back in 1953. Both of these ages were quite good to live to in that time frame. They had very good retirements especially my grandfather as my father had a stroke which took away the use of his legs sadly at 88 although he was still working when he had the stroke. But still when I visited all day perhaps four or five times a year (sadly actually as I would have gone oftener if I lived closer) we had some lovely conversations that still come to mind. As I recall he did talk about the Blake family and the book that Edward had written (I did the leg work) and some of what he said reinforced what Grandpa had said. Interesting contemplating that. 

I will deal with the eaves trough cleaning soon but not today (actually my daughter cleaned the ones that she could reach readily which were full because of their location. The one at the front is likely full but the back ones never have much in them when Edward cleaned them. I need a rest away from people. Family is fine but I have spent too much time with people in my 80 years and now I just want to be away from people as much as possible unless they are family. I have done my work helping people for twelve years at the hospital and other jobs before that plus all that volunteer work; it is time for me to have a rest from people. 

Will this book of mine get published? I rather think it will although I am still debating some of the chapters that I might embargo and only publish in the copy I put into the Guild of one-name Studies Library and perhaps Family Search as they also do embargo I believe. I shall be careful to say that some of this is my thoughts and opinions based on conversations as a child with my grandfather and my father (although those conversations were as a child as well as an adult). 

Must do my solitaire puzzles but first breakfast. I am hungry. Listening to people having trouble losing weight; I am the opposite I tend to run it off in the day and have to remember to eat more or it slowly sinks down perhaps just a couple of pounds but I usually weight myself most days and then put effort into eating a bit more and bake my favourite banana bread which has 3/4 C of brown sugar - very tasty especially buttered. I prefer to butter cake rather than icing on cakes. I do not have a sweet tooth.  

 

  

An interesting item

An interesting book that I spotted early on in my genealogy endeavours: 

Notices relating to Thomas Smith of Campden, and to Henry Smith, sometime Alderman of London; [written] by Charles Perkins Gwilt, a descendant of the family: London: Printed by George Woodfall. 1836

Interestingly Sir William Blake (Kensington) was one of the Trustees for the will of Henry Smith and there is a lengthy chapter preceding this one that I have reproduced from the original text. The book is primarily about Thomas and Henry Smith mentioned above and have nothing to do with the Blake story other than this brief profile of Sir William Blake which appears in the book mentioned above (published in 1836). 

[Chapter Title] A short account of the Trustees appointed by Henry Smith in Deeds executed by him, as well as of the Executors and Overseers of his Will.  (Page 64)

This next paragraph appears on Page 68 

Sir William Blake. 

Mr. Bray, upon the authority (as he alleges) of the late Sir Isaac Heard, tells us that Sir William was of the family of Blake, of Seton Delaval, in Northumberland, which however was  not the fact. He was of a family of Easton Town, or Essington, in the County of Southampton (a), and was son of John Blake, of that place, by Margaret, daughter of William Blake, of the same place; he married Mary, daughter of Henry Beverley, of London, and Borne, in Yorkshire, and purchased Hales House, in Kensington.  He was a justice of the peace for Middlesex, and was knighted at Whitehall, 13th Oct 1627; he died 30th Oct 1630, and was buried in Kensington Church, wherein a monument, with a long uninteresting epitaph, was erected to his memory. The estate at Kensington was sold at his death. William, his eldest son, born in 1602, married Anne, daughter of Thomas Hawker, of Halesbury, in Wiltshire, Gent, and amongst other children, had issue, Christopher Blake, to whom, in 1665, the trustees leased for seventy years the Smith estate at Kensington, &c., which adjoined the Hale House estate. (b)
    Sarah the sister of Sir William [Blake], married William Rolfe, a trustee. Sir William was both a trustee and executor. [There is also a paragraph in the book mentioned above immediately following this one referring to William Rolfe which I will reproduce at the appropriate time.]

a   Ped. in Vis. Lond. 1690. K. 9. 381, in Coll. Arms. [Pedigree of the Blake Family created by the College of Arms for Daniel Blake in 1690 (a descendant of the same Blake line as this Sir William Blake)]. 

b   The following occurs amongst the Originalia of the Exchequer, Addit. MS. 6386, p. 2, Ro. XVI: Midx. De tertia parte de anno xv Jacobi primi  Rex concessit Willmo Blake gen et hered  suis imppm libam Warrena in omnibus Maner et terr suis in Kensington Chelsey et al

At the time I collected this item, I was trying to locate information  mentioned on the Pedigree of the Blake Family which had been produced using  family information (according to the completed pedigree document) by the College of Arms. I also had discovered that another genealogist Edward J Blake of Crewkerne, Somerset, England had been in correspondence with an American genealogist Francis E Blake of Boston Massachusetts. Francis E Blake had written a book "Increase Blake of Boston, his ancestors and descendants" but he was concerned at the information which had been published on Horatio Gates Somerby's work as a genealogist (later shown to be a fraud) on the  Blake family of Andover. Edward is I believe the author of the Blake Chart held at the Blake Museum in Bridgwater, Somerset. Although no name appears on this chart and I did not have any conversation that would verify that particular item but one notes that the time frame is in the latter part of the 1800s. The difference between the Blake Family chart held at Bridgwater Blake Museum and College of Arms Blake Pedigree published in the late 1600s (held at the Swindon Wiltshire Archives) with additions into the 1700s is very simple. All that Edward J Blake did was to move back the link between the Hampshire Blake family and the Calne Blake family several generations (putting it back more than hundred years earlier) because the link given on the Blake Pedigree Chart did  not work with existing wills. 

I have often commented on Nicholas Blake who left his will at Old Hall in Enham clearly identifying his children and siblings. His mother Jone Blake's will equally mentioned her children. It was this change on the part of the possible author (Edward J Blake) of the Blake Family Chart at the Blake Museum that basically verified what my grandfather had said about Nicholas and set me looking for documentation on the various Blake lines that were descendant of the Andover Blake family. I continue to not agree entirely with the Blake Family Chart because it too doesn't fit the wills left by these individuals in the time frame on the chart (these wills were primarily probated at Winchester and possibly Edward J Blake did not travel to see them (he doesn't mention them in any of his work that I have seen)). So quite fascinating and the work of Edward J Blake agrees with a document which was created by an individual (I think he was a herald but I need to check that and will spend some time tomorrow gathering up that information). This individual published his information in the 1730s although I must verify that item. 

The published book ( Notices relating to Thomas Smith of Campden, and to Henry Smith, sometime Alderman of London by Charles Perkins Gwilt, a descendant of the family: London: Printed by George Woodfall. 1836)  is held by the Hathi Trust (link below) and it is also in the main branch of the New York Public Library. 

 https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/008693591  

I obtained the information above in the various New York repositories where we spent several years (2007-2009) for weeks on end exploring the collections of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society. During this time period they donated their collection to the New York Public Library. I am not entirely sure at which place I collected this information which appears above but likely it was at the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society Library as the access we had there was fabulous since Edward was a member. He made great personal discoveries at this library as well as the New England Historic and Genealogical Society Library in Boston. We spent hours and hours at both of these places and the help of Gary Boyd Roberts was very instrumental in solving a couple of Edward's links backwards.  

So another constructive day as I continue to bring forward some of this information on the early Blake family of Andover collected by me from about 2007 on. I did not take on the Blake study at the Guild of one-name Studies until 2011 (in the early days I was overwhelmed at the actual size of this family surname worldwide to be honest). When Paul Blake stepped down as the researcher at the Guild I felt (after a good deal of contemplation) I should pick it up since I had collected so much material. When he was at a Conference in Ottawa, Canada he told me he had thirty boxes of Blake material. I told him mine was all online as images or text. He suggested I was probably descendant of Robert but I knew that I was likely descendant of Nicholas since my grandfather had made such a point about him not being what the Americans thought. I couldn't see why he would do that plus he could rhyme all of his ancestors in a line but I was just eight when he passed and I could clearly remember from Joseph (born in the 1730s in Andover) to the present but going back it was a jumble of forenames in my mind but Nicholas did stand out in my memory.  As I worked my way back in the records the memory of his recitation did come back to me on occasion but still the desire to find actual records was much stronger than relying on the memory of a child that was basically just eight when her grandfather passed. 

Another busy day. Cleaning the main floor is the main work of the day.  

Looking at Jone Blake's will

 Jone Blake was a widow when her will was written 23 Mar 1527. I only received one page when I ordered this will although I will at some point try to find the probate. It was in very good shape; extremely readable although the language is Middle English but none the less I did transcribe it 28 Aug 2013. I re-transcribed it partially yesterday and will complete it today. There were changes; I am more efficient and less tendency to think I see the letters so removed some here and there. So Jone does not name her husband but does name her sons Nicholas and Robert in that order implying that Nicholas is older perhaps. Elizabeth is named first so suspect she is the eldest. She is married but no grandchildren were named. This will is the linchpin that connects Charlou and myself. Fascinating really. We would be 14th cousins coming down from Jone Blake and her husband likely Richard. 

Source: Family Search, Film 186682, A-377, Page 163 
Testator: Jone Blake, widow
Place: Enham, Hampshire, England
Date of document: 23 Mar 1527

[Top]: copie test[ament]

1    In dei no[min]ie Amen the yer of owre lord gode oon thowsand fyve hundredth xxvij the xxiij day of the mon[e]th of marche
2    I Jone Blake wddow w[i]t[h] a hoyll mynde a[n]d goode memo[r]ye maketh my laste wyll and testi[me]nete in thys man[ner] Fyrst I
3    com[m]end my soll unto almyghty gode oure lady saynt marie a[n]d to all the saynts in hevyn and my body to be buryd in 
4    the chyrche or the chyrche lyttyn of saynt mykell of Enahm It[em] I gyff and bequeth unto ye mother chyrche of saynt Swy
5    thnye xij d It[em] I gyff a[n]d bequeth to ye chyrche of Enahm vj s viij d It[em] I gyff and bequeath xxvj s vij d to be dystrybute 
6    unto poor pepyll in peny doyll It[em] I gyff and bequeth unto my curat Sy[r] Rychard Mersser xx d It[em] I gyff a[n]d bequethe
7    to Sy[r] John Batte xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeth to mayntenyg of the mor[r]ow masse prest in Andover xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeth
8    to mayntenyg of Jhs[us] masse in ye chyrche of Andover xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeath unto the p[ri]or of the Freer Augustines 
9    in Wynchest[er] xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeth to Sy[r] John Whyte freer xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeath to ev[er]y of freer of ye
10    sayde Augustynes a[n]y ye prest iiij d and to ev[er]y novesse ij d of ye sayde place It[em] I gyff and bequeth to ye chyrche of Fosket
11    to mayntenyg of ye light before Saynte Jamys and Saynte Sonday xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeth unto my dowghter Elsabet   
12    Mylne xx shepe besyde thoose th[a]t she hathe allredy and oon Cowe th[a]t I bowght of hyr and xiij s iiij d of money and my gretst 
13    pann a[n]d fowre plater It[em] I gyff and bequeth unto my son Nycolas Blake my tabyll in ye hall a[n]d oon clothe callyd ye hallyg
14    a[n]d two yryne racks It[em] I gyff and bequeath unto my son Robert Blake oon yryne broche a[n]d xviij shepe ye wheche 
15    shepe he hath in kepyng It[em] I gyff and bequeath unto Thomas Iesra of Fosket oon yryne broche and the [re]seydew of
16    all my goods moveabyll a[n]d unmoveabyll Above not legate I gyff unto my chyldrne Nycolas Blake
17    Robert Blake a[n]d to Thomas Iesra of Fosket a[n]d ye sayd goods to be devydytt amongys them equaly  ev[er]y oon of
18    them elyke weche It[em] I make my sonys Nycolas Blake and Robert Blake my trew executors and Thoms Iesra of
19    Fosket my sup[er]visor th[a]t he see my last wyll and testament cumplet a[n]d fulfylld a[n]d the foresayd executors to dyspo
20    se for the heylth of my soll as thay shall see moyst expedient these witnesses Sy[r] Rychard Mersser Sy[r] 
21    John Batte Nycolas Blake Robert Blake w[i]t[h] other  
 

 I will be cleaning today and will add to this re-transcription as the day passes. The changes are very small mostly cosmetic as my reading has improved in the last decade for sure. I now think that Thomas Iesra is her son as well which hadn't occurred to me earlier. Since he is supervisor he is perhaps older which makes sense as her surname is Blake. I must have a look for a will for Thomas Iesra. Fascinating all these new thoughts. Some of the names in this will are the same as in later wills in the family. That may or may not be an assistance. I also never compared it with Richard's will which I will now do probably tomorrow between cleaning. Not mentioning grandchildren does concern a little but it is only 1527 and William (Nicholas' eldest son) died in 1582 and that is 55 years later and he does mention grandchildren. I shall have to have a look at Robert's will once again and those of his sons. I have transcribed all of them (both PCC and Winchester wills as well). 

My eavestrough has pulled away in one spot and a nail is popping so found this company that my Insurance Company has in their system that does repairs so we will see how that goes. I do hate owning a house but life just flows and one  must go with the flow. I will be owning for a while longer. It is nice to have this option in my Insurance Company recommending an agent and the quote came quickly and is reasonable given the current state of the value of money and he is coming tomorrow. That sounds really ideal. I will see if I can book him to come and clean the upper eavestroughs when it stops raining. The lower ones my daughter cleaned for me. She bought this gadget that you just stand on the ground and run it along so we might do that but having someone do the upper ones is better I think. Pulling down like that might be a problem. But it works really well for lower eavestroughs - a really good brush. 

My sister is  now in Long Term Care which I was sad to hear but her life became very complicated with her falls. I am so glad that I went to see her in 2018 when she was still herself. Going to see her now would be really difficult as I have to fly into Halifax and then figure out how to get to Prince Edward Island. So not doing that; sad to say. She is 86 now. We passed like ships in the night when I was a child mostly because I was a withdrawn child keeping to myself; living in the attic and writing my stories and reading so many books. We had more conversations in adulthood after we were both married and had children than we ever had as children (I was six years younger and a walking dictionary). Prayers continuing that she is comfortable. 

Nearly time to start cleaning and will do the Solitaire Puzzles first. It took me about an hour to figure out this setup for the company that will repair my eavestrough.