Theophilus Blake

Publishing our article on the Blake family yDNA has proven to be an important step forward urged along by the results of the yDNA received from descendants. Descendants of Jasper Blake (emigrated to Hampton New Hampshire circa 1643) was published by Carlton E Blake in 1980 (Gateway Press Inc. Baltimore MD). Theophilus was said to be the son of Samuel Blake (b 3 Nov 1696) and Ann Sealey and b 20 Feb 1721 at Hampton Falls NH. Many descendants of Theophilus had faithfully linked themselves back on the basis of Carlton E Blake's book. However yDNA studies showed that Theophilus' descendant line did not match the yDNA of his brothers' descendants. The conclusion was a non paternal event. However, history has a way of coming forth with other explanations and in this case there was an indenture found for Theophilus Blake and his wife Margaret dated 15 May 1745. The period of time was for three years each and the indenture was held by Hugh Haney. The "History of Chester County, Pennsylvania with Genealogical and Biographical Sketches" by J Smith Futhey and Gilbert Cope and published by Louis H Everts & Co., Philadelphia PA in 1881 lists Theophilus Bleak in the list under East Fallowfield Taxables, 1753. Thomas, son of Theophilus, in his Revolutionary War Pension application stated that he was born 25 Feb 1760 in Pennsylvania. George, son of Theophilus, in his Revolutionary War Pension application stated that he was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania in 1751 and then moved to Virginia when he was young.

The discrepancy in the yDNA then resulted in researchers in this line reworking their information in particular information that had been overlooked and in some cases family lore that Theophilus was himself an emigrant arriving in the 1740s. Especially interesting is a comment on Thomas Chapman's blog: I recently came across a list of men living in Andover, NH in 1783, and it included a Theophilus Blake listed on the same page as familiar names such Samuel Blake, Thomas Blake, William Blake, Samuel Cilley, Benjamin Silley, Jonathon Silley, and Thomas Sleeper. However, I believe there may have been more than one Theophilus.

http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/c/h/p/Tom-Chpman/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0061.html



Although the author of the above does link Theophilus Blake back to the Theophilus Blake son of Samuel Blake and Ann Cilley born 20 Feb 1722 in Hampton Falls NH his comment is somewhat prophetic that there may have been more than one Theophilus although I suspect he meant that there was more than one Theophilus Blake born in Hampton Falls.

Work is now ongoing by members of the research group dedicated to the study of Theophilus to discover his actual ancestral roots. We will shortly write up an article to submit to Anglo Celtic Roots as an update to our previous article.

I managed to acquire the Protestation Returns for some of the hundreds of Wiltshire and shortly I will produce a list of Blake men living in 1641-42 in these hundreds. These records are from the Wiltshire Notes and Queries published in the early 1900s which I located at the Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne, IN.