Will of James Blake dated 3 Jan 1727 and probated 8 July 1734

The will of James Blake proved to be a fascinating read with the margins filled with tiny text. He appears to be the last Blake male at Knights Enham at least up until 1812 and he actually lived in Middlesex in St George Bloomsbury Parish. He left a widow Jane and six daughters Elizabeth, Diana, Jane, Rachel, Anne and Sarah. The widow renounced the will for herself and for her daughters. The notes in the margins tell the story. It was interesting discovering why I no longer found the Blake family at Knights Enham in the Parish Registers (1683 Baptisms, 1697, Marriages, 1693 Burials). It is a surprise to see this family gone from Knights Enham as there were many Blake families there in the 1500s and early 1600s. It is finding where they went that is part of the challenge of the One Name Study - the Blake family at Enham is my family line since Nicholas Blake and Robert Blake both lived there in the early to mid 1500s.

Will of James Blake with attachments (four margin insets) and the Probate where Jane Blake has renounced admon for herself and for her six daughters. One of the inset portions mentions that the original indenture tripartite was between John Blake (unfortunately I can not transcribe the exact location in Middlesex) and others. One could assume that John Blake was the father of James Blake and will help in determining the line back at Knights Enham for this Blake family. One of the inset portions may not belong to this will although it occurs at the top of the page before the Probate (the last mentioned).

Will of James Blake dated 3 Jan 1727 and probated 8 July 1734

1    In the name of God Amen
2    I James Blake of Knights Enham in the County of South[amp]ton
3    Esq[ui]r[e] being in good health of body and of sound and perfect mind
4    and memory thanks be given to Almighty God do make and
5    ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and form
6    following First and principally I recommend my soul in the
7    hands of Almighty God hoping through the Merits death and
8    passion of my Saviour Jesus Christ to have full and free pardon
9    and forgiveness of all my sins and to inherit everlasting life and
10    my body I commit to the Earth to be decently buried at the discretion of
11    my Executrix hereafter named and as to the disposition of what
    [Page 2]
12    temporall Estate it hath pleased God to bestow upon me I give
13    and dispose thereof as followeth First I give and bequeath all
14    my Messuages Lands Tenements and hereditaments whatsoever
15    scituate lying and being in the several parishes of Knights Enham
16    Kings Enham Andover and Charlton or elsewhere in the said
17    county of South[amp]ton unto my six daughters Elizabeth Diana Jane
18    Rachell Anne and Sarah and their heirs equally to be divided between
19    them And I do likewise give and bequeath unto my said six
20    daughters Elizabeth Diana Jane Rachell Anne and Sarah all
21    my Goods Chattels and personall Estate whatsoever equally to be divided
22    between them share and share alike and I do hereby nominate and
23    appoint my dear and loving wife Jane Blake to be full and sole
24    Executrix of this my last Will and Testament in Trust for my
25    said Six daughters And I do hereby revoke all former wills by me
26    heretofore made In Witness whereof I have to this my
27    last Will and Testament set my hand and Seal this sixteenth day of
28    January in the first year of the reign of our Sovereign and
29    King George the Second Annoqz Dom[ini] 1727 Ja: Blake [signed]
30    Signed Sealed Published and declared as the last Will and Testament
31    of the said James Blake and by me subscribed in his presence.
32    Wee William Wyatt of the parish of St George Bloomsbury
33    in the County of Middlesex Stationer and Jane Campion wife of
34    William Campion of the parish of St Andrew Holbourn in the
35    county of Middlesex aforesaid Coachman doe joyntly and
36    severally make oath and first the said William Wyatt maketh
37    oath that he very well knew James Blake late of the parish of St
38    George Bloomsbury aforesaid in his lifetime he transacting several
39    business for him received several letters from him and often saw
40    him write and thereby became acquainted with his manner and
41    character of handwriting And she the said Jane Campion
42    maketh oath that she lived as a servant with the said James
43    Blake and his family for about seventeen or eighteen years
44    during which time she often saw him write and became very well
45    acquainted with his manner and character of handwriting and
46    we the said William Wyatt and Jane Camion and each of us
47    having now carefully viewed and perused the will hereto annexed
48    purporting to be the last Will and Testament of the said James Blake
49    and beginning thus "In the Name of God Amen I james Blake
50    of Knights Enham in the County of Southampton Esq[ui]r[e] and ending
51    In Witness whereof I have to this my last Will and Testament
51    sett my hand and seal this sixteenth day of January in the First
52    Year of the reigne of our Sovereign Lord King George the
53    Second annoqz Dom[ini] 1727 and subscribed Ja: Blake do say and
54    Verily believe that the whole body and series of the said will
55    as well as the name Ja: Blake at the Bottom thereof is all of the
56    proper handwriting of the said James Blake deceased / Will:
57    Wyatt. Jane Campion
58    2nd July 1734
59    The said William Wyatt and Jane Campion were sworn to
60    the truth of the premises before me. Joh: Audley Senior
61    P[re]sent Edw: Greenly Dro. pub:
62    [margin entry follows to line 118]
63    The twenty third day of October in the
64    Year of Our Lord 1736 Admon (with the
65    will annexed) of the Goods of the s[ai]d James
66    Blake dec[eas]ed was granted to Thomas
67    Hanford of the parish of St Mary
68    Rotherhithe in the County of Surrey Gent
69    to the effect only to attend supply
70    substantiate and confirm the Proceedings
71    which have been already or may hereafter
72    be had and made in a certain Cause
73    depending in the High Court of Chancery
74    of Great Britain wherein I John
75    Smith's Plaintiff and the Most Noble
76    James Duke of Chandos and others
77    are Defendants concerning the Rent due
78    and in arrear for forming the Duties and
79    Subsidy and aubrage moiety of Forfeiture
80    sums and sums of money and duties
81    whatsoever due and payable for vendible
82    Woollen Cloths and drapery made sent or
83    offered to Sale within the Kingdom of
84    England Dominion of Wales and the
85    of right and for the purposes in the 
86    all mentioned or in any other causes
87    or Suits which may hereafter be commended
88    in the same or any other Court between the
89    parties concerning the Premises only
90    out of other or otherwise being first
91    or duly to administer
92    On the tenth day of June in the year of Our
93    Lord 1754 Admon (with the will annexed) of
94    the Goods Chattels and Credits of the said
95    James Blake according so far as concerns the
96    right Title and Interest of him the said
97    deceased and to certain premisses comprised
98    in a certain Indenture Quadrupartite
99    dated the eighteenth day of June in the year
100    of our Lord 1706 and made between
101    Henry Raper Merchant Thomas Raper
102    Mercer William Vere Mercer and
103    Timothy Buck Mercer of the first part
104    John Sandes Esquire and Elizabeth his wife
105    of the second part Sir Richard Onslow
106    Baronet James Berwicke Esquire and
107    Gabriel Thorne Esquire of the third part and
108    Arthur Moore Esquire the said James Blake
109    and Thomas Cargitor Gent of the fourth
110    part and the residue and remainder of a
111    Term of two thousand years thereof
112    granted as aforesaid and was to come
113    and unexpired and all benefit and
114    Advantages to be had receive and
115    taken therefrom but no further or
116    otherwise was granted to Christopher
117    Nicholson of New Inn in the County of
118    Middlesex Gent being first sworn duly to administer
    [Continues thus in the margin]
119    On the 16 Day of August 1790 Admon {with the Will annexed) of the Goods Chattles and Credits of James Blake late of
120    the Parish of Saint George Bloomsbury in the County of Middlesex Esquire deceased as far as concerns the right Title and Interest of James
121    the said deceased in and to certain Premises comsigned in a certain Indenture Tripartite dated the thirtieth day of May 1706
122    and made between Edward Pyle and Thomas Kellow of the first part, William Ventom of the Close New Sarum in
123    the county of Wilts Gent and Mary Pyle the one of the Daughters of the reverend Francis Pyle of the second part and the said
124    James Blake and the Reverend Joseph Kelsey of Newton Tovey in the County of Wilts Clerk of the third part and the residue
125    and  remainder of a Term of five hundred years thereof granted and now to come and unexpired and all the profit and
126    advantage to be had received and taken therefrom but no further or otherwise was granted to John Blake of __e_ _ha__ in ___
127     ____ in the County of Middlesex England having been first sworn duly to administer
    [Continues thus in the margin but not sure if it belongs to this will or the following one]
128    On the fourth day of November in the year of our Lord 1794 Admon (with the said will annexed of the Goods of the said deceased was granted to
129    George Garman of the parish of St Paul Covent Garden in the County of Middlesex Laceman to the effect only to attend supply substantiate
130    and confirm the Proceedings to be hand and made in a certain Cause or Suit to be commenced in the High Court of Chancery of Great Britain
131    by Thomas Alexander Smith against Elizabeth Hayes Edward Southwell and others for the recovery of the sum of eight hundred pounds lent
132    by the said Thomas Alexander Smith to the said Elizabeth Hayes and Interest or any other Causes or Suits between the said parties concerning
133    the Premises but no further or otherwise being first sworn duly to administer
134    On the eighth day of July in the year of our Lord one Thousand
135    Seven hundred thirty four administration with the will annexed of the
136    Goods Chattels and Credits of James blake late of the parish of St George
137    Bloomsbury in the County of Middlesex Esquire deceased was granted to
138    Thomas Leech of Staple Hill London Gentleman to the effect only to
139    attend Supply Substantiate and Confirme the proceedings had and to
140    be had in a certain cause or suite depending in the high court of
141    Chancery of Great Britain between the Right Honourable Rachell
142    Lady Hay and the Honourable John Hay Esquire Plantiffs and Thomas
143    Green Esquire and Robert Weasse Executors of the will of Arthur Weer
144    deceased and John Thomas Gentleman Executor of the will of Thomas
145    Bibb deceased and others defendants concerning the execution of certain
146    grusts in the willof Sir James Hayes Baronet and the Right Honourable
147    Rachell ________ Dowager Hall (and respectively deceased but no
148    further or otherwise nor to any other effect whatsoever (for that Jane
149    Blake widow the Relict of the said deceased and sole executrix named
150    in the said Will renounced thereof and for that Elizabeth Blake Diana
151    Blake Jane Blake Rachell Blake Anne Blake and Sarah Blake
152    the daughters and universal legatees named in the said will of the
153    said deceased have renounced the administration (with the will annexed))
154    of the Goods Chattels and Credits of the said James Blake deceased)
155    he the said Thomas Leeche having been first sworn duly to administer.

Just reviewing the Blake family at Andover, we have a Mr. Blake and Jone Blake having three children (using wills the dates of birth would have likely been in the 1480s) with Robert being the eldest son and Nicholas the youngest son and the placement of Elizabeth married to a Mr. Mylne is unknown. Both Robert and Nicholas left wills indicating that they were of Enham. This is important because it locates them in the Andover area. Presumably their father had land at Enham. Enham belonged to the Lord Sandyes (mentioned in the will above). From theVictoria Histories:

http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=56833


KNIGHTS ENHAM

Etham (xi cent.); Enham Knights, Enham militis (xiii cent.); Ennam militis (xiv cent.); Enam (xv cent.).

Knights Enham is a parish bounded on all sides by Andover. There are three detached portions, all lying eastwards of the main parish. The total area is 794 acres. The soil is chiefly light loam and gravel, the subsoil is chalk, (fn. 1) and there are several disused chalk-pits. Bilgrove Copse and Little Bilgrove Copse are the principal woodlands. The name occurs in the 14th century. (fn. 2) Nearly the whole of the land is arable. The chief crops produced are wheat, barley, oats, sainfoin and turnips.

On the death of the latter [Sir Ralph Lovel]  in 1362 (fn. 26) the king granted the manor, at a yearly rent of £6, to Peter de Bridges, to hold during the minority of the heir John fifth Lord Lovel, (fn. 27) who came of age in the following year, and in 1389–90 granted the manor to Sir John Sandys and Joan his wife. (fn. 28) Walter Sandys is named in 1428 as holding the half-fee which had formerly belonged to John Lovel. (fn. 29) His grandson, Sir William Sandys, died seised of the manor jointly with his wife in 1496, before which date it had been entailed on them and their heirs. (fn. 30) His descendants, the Lords Sandys of the Vyne, continued to hold it until the middle of the 17th century. (fn. 31) From that time evidence fails completely, but the manorial rights seem afterwards to have lapsed.

Footnotes
1     V.C.H. Hants, i, Geological Map.
2     Inq. p.m. 20 Edw. III (1st nos.), no. 51.


26     Inq. p.m. 36 Edw. III, pt. i, no. 108.
27     Abbrev. Rot. Orig. (Rec. Com.), ii, 272. He was the second son of the third Lord Lovel. His elder brother, also called John, died unmarried and under age in 1361 (G.E.C. Complete Peerage, v, 164).
28     Close, 13 Ric. II, pt. i, m. 22 d.
29     Feud. Aids, ii, 347.
30     Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), xi, 110.
31     Recov. R. Mich. 4 Edw. VI, rot. 535; Mich. 42 Eliz. rot. 172; Trin. 1649, rot. 42; Feet of F. Div. Co. Trin. 1649.
32     Oliver, Hist. of Antigua, i, 201.
33     Ex inform. Mr. A. W. Dewar.

The will appears to explain that the land remained "contested" at least as late as 1790.

Continuing to look at Knights Enham, Nicholas had passed the rights to "Old House" to his son William. However William lived at Eastontown as did his second eldest son William.

Robert, however, remained at Knights Enham. He married Agnes and they had six sons: Robert, John (the elder) married to Alice , John (the younger) married , Thomas, William (lived at Perwell married Agnes , and Richard. They all appear to have lived at Knights Enham initially with William dying at Perwell. I have been unable to find Perwell and it is perhaps a corruption of some other name. As the eldest Robert retained Knights Enham and it was left to Nicholas' line to improve their lot and they are found at East Anton (Eastontown) after this time. It is a fairly large area with at least three farms showing on the map. 

I have not traced Robert down but another researcher (Charlou Doan) has given me information which she found and I will place it into a second blog for today.

I continue proofreading the Parish Registers of Upper Clatford and I have completed to  October 1725 for the Baptisms and July 1710 for the Marriages. I have not yet proofread any Burials but they follow this set of marriages from the beginning of the Register. I hope to complete the Upper Clatford register this week and then I will begin the Parish Registers of Abbotts Ann.