Transcribing Parish Registers is just always so meaningful. I have looked at Abbotts Ann before (probably four years ago now) and I missed the baptism of Thomas to Robert Blake 2 September 1568. Whether there will be more entries for Blake remains to be seen but finding them at Abbotts Ann is very interesting. Now who is this Robert baptizing children at Abbotts Ann? Is he the son of Robert Blake and brother to Nicholas Blake? This Robert Blake (brother to Nicholas) left a will in 1542 which I have not yet transcribed. I actually need to acquire it and hope to do that one of these days. I hadn't expected to find someone so early on but the earlier the better actually.
Checking Abbotts Ann wills reveals:
1533B/28 Will of Simon Prince (Prynce) of Abbotts Ann, Hampshire 1533
1629A/44 Will and inventory of William Kidgell (Kiggill) of Little Ann, Abbotts Ann, Hampshire 1629
1685A/054 Will and inventory of John Kidgell of Little Ann, Abbotts Ann, Hampshire, yeoman 1685
1720A/062 Will of Richard Kidgell (Kidgel) of Little Ann, Abbotts Ann, Hampshire, yeoman 1720
1729A/113 Will of Robert Prince of Abbotts Ann, Hampshire, yeoman 1729
1753A/077 Will of James Prince of Abbotts Ann, Hampshire, yeoman 1753
1760B/32 Will of James Prince of Abbotts Ann, Hampshire, innkeeper ('innholder') 1760
1806A/059 Will of William Marshman of Abbotts Ann, Hampshire, yeoman 1806
1815A/53 Will of George Marshman of Abbotts Ann, Hampshire, Farmer 1815
All of which could provide information on the Mary Prince who married Charles Blake in 1736 at Abbotts Ann and the Jane Gilbert who married Charles Blake in 1761. Jane Gilbert is descendant of the Kidgell family. The Marshman family is rather interesting as I rather think this is the kindsman mentioned in John Blake (1796)'s will.
However, I deviate from 1568 but it does rather excite my mind to discover that there was a Blake family early at Abbotts Ann. That this time frame is good for a grandson of Robert Blake brother to Nicholas Blake. Interestingly nothing is known about Robert the eldest son of Robert Blake except he may have left a will at Andover
1522B/04 Will of Robert Blake (Blayke) of Knights Enham, Hampshire 1522
1542B/06 Will of Robert Blake of Enham, Andover, Hampshire 1542
1545B/022 Will of Robert Blake of ?Wallop Street, Lockerley, Hampshire 1545
1547B/006 Will of Robert Black (Blacke) of Christchurch, Hampshire 1547
1554U/03 Will and inventory of Robert Blake of Street, Lockerley, Hampshire 1554
1593A/009 Will and inventory of Robert Blake of Dibden, Hampshire, shipwright 1593
1601B/08 Will of Robert Blake of Knights Enham, Hampshire, husbandman 1601
1605A/07 Will of Robert Blake of Andover, Hampshire, victualler 1605
This list of wills for Robert Blake from 1522 to 1605 is an especially interesting one. I have transcribed the will of Henry Blake at Christchurch earlier and perhaps Robert Black (Blacke) is his ancestor. Did the name become Blake; were they originally Blacke? yDNA testing might help to solve the riddle of Andover and the Blake families there. Who leaves the will in 1522 - which Robert is this? Robert, brother to Nicholas, leaves a will in 1542 at Enham. The Lockerley Robert Blake is also a mystery and I have some of their wills to work on later but this is the earliest one and I do not have it either. Dibden is near Southampton and no idea on whom this Robert Blake is. The Robert Blake leaving a will at Enham in 1601 though is most interesting as is the Robert leaving a will at Andover in 1605 and a victualler. The Robert Blake family carried on this victualler type of business through the 1600s - is John a descendant of this family?
Back to transcribing now that I have a few thoughts in my mind about the Blake family that could be here at Abbotts Ann in the mid 1500s. The road to Abbotts Ann comes up through the Wallops so that getting to Abbotts Ann was probably not all that difficult; certainly as we drove up the highway through the Wallops towards Andover none of the small villages that dot the area to the south and west of Andover seemed very far away from each other. Stunningly beautiful countryside which reminded me of Ontario. I see why my grandfather was comfortable living in London Ontario; going out in the countryside was very much like living in Upper Clatford. Especially as we lived right on the outskirts of London when I was a child. Going to the end of our block and looking to the south was all farm land with just a couple more streets of houses. Now looking south London is solid right to the 401 highway.
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