The Will of Dorothy Blake was transcribed by me in 2008 and it altered my thoughts on the ancestry of my Blake line because she did not mention William the eldest son of her son William Blake (Clerk). The will was written initially 13 October 1647 at Andover. William Blake was living at Penton according to the baptisms which were entered into the Andover Parish Register. The distance away is not great but for whatever reason Dorothy does not mention the newly born William (baptized 9 Aug 1647 at Penton). The other two children were baptized in 1649 and Dorothy was buried at Andover 28 March 1648. The records in this time frame are not good at Andover (I think that William entered the baptisms into the register himself adding then noting that the baptisms had been at Penton - the writing is different from the usual writing at that time). It is possible that the infant did not survive as I do not find a marriage for him at Andover although the name Blake is common enough in the area that I could miss that. I do not find a marriage for Bridget the daughter of William Blake and Ann Hellier. The only record I find is John Blake married to Elizabeth baptizing children at Andover from the 1680s to the early 1700s. Searching through the Parish Register as I transcribed of Andover though has again given me sufficient evidence that I once again connect Thomas Blake who married Ann Carter at Penton as the son of Thomas Blake who married Mary Spring at Andover and this Thomas a son of John Blake who married Elizabeth and hence John Blake as son of William Blake and Ann Hellier baptized 10 May 1649 at Penton but recorded in the Andover Parish Registers. I am now satisfied with the link between these generations although as always I look for wills to substantiate the linkage. Probate of this will was to Richard Blake (her son) as named in the will. I am still working on the Latin transcription.
Will of Dorothy Blake (widow of William Blake Lynnen draper at Andover):
Transcription - Elizabeth Kipp
Document: Will
Source: National Archives, UK, #336
Place: Andover, Southampton [Hampshire]
Date: 13 Oct 1647
Name: Dorothy Blake, widow (William Blake)
Condition: Old English, slightly faded, 4 pages
T[esta]m[ent] Dorothee Blake
1 In the name of God Amen I
2 Dorothy Blake of Andover in the County of South[amp]t[on] widdowe beinge sicke and weake in body
3 but of sound mind and perfect memory I thanke my God for the same doe by this present
4 Codicill, which I desire and my meaninge is shal[l ]be reputed and taken as part of my last will
5 and Testament I order and appoint that whereas there ys fifty poundes owing by bonde
6 by Mr. Richard Pearce and Mr. Pister Hyde w[i]th the interest thereof unto me as Executrix of the
7 last will and Testament of my late husband William Blake deceased for the use and benefite
8 of my Daughter Dorothy Smyth which sayd debt of Fifty Poundes with the Arreares of
9 interest thereof beinge likely to prove a very desperate debt my will and desire ys that
10 in these the sayd somme of Fifty Pounds with the interest thereof cannot bee recovered by
11 Suitt att Lawe That then my Executor doe allowe and pay tenn poundes towardes the sayd
12 Losse my sonne William Blake the somme of Tenn Poundes by way of abatement out of
13 his Legacye given him by my last will and Testament and that my sonne Peeter Blake
14 doe likewise abate and allowe towardes the sayd losse the somme of Tenn Poundes out of
15 the Legacye given him as afforesaid And likewise that my daughters Margarett Terry
16 Mary Spearinge Jonne Sedgwicke and Ann Long doe allowe by way of Abatement out
17 of their severall Legacyes given them by my last will and Testament the Somme of Five
18 Poundes apeece for and towardes the sayd Losse and the sayd moneyes soe allowed and
19 abated as afforesayd amounting in all unto the foresaid somme of Fifty Poundes to bee
20 forthwith delivered into the handes of some trusted freind or freindes whom my Overseer
21 shall make choise and approve of soe that my Daughter Dorothy doe accure and enioy
22 the full benefitt and proffit of the sayd moneys as the time shall arise and become due
23 from time to time att the yearly Rate of Sixe Poundes in the hundred and in case my
24 sayd Daughter Dorothy Smyth depart this lyfe before John Smyth her husband then
25 the benefitt and profitt of the sayd monies to bee and continue for and towardes the
26 maintenance of her children. But in case the sayd John Smyth happen to depart this lyfe
27 before his sayd wife then my will and meaninge ys that the sayd somme of Fifty pounds
28 bee within six monthes next after his decease payd into the handes of my sayd Daughter
29 Dorothy Smyth to bee and remayne to her sole propper use and behoofe and to dispose of
30 the same as shee shall thinke meete In witnesse whereof and fore the confirmacion of this
31 present codcill I have sett my hand and Seale this third daye of January Anno D[om]ni
32 1647 Dorothy Blake [signed] Published Sealed and Subscribed in the pre[sen]ce of Elinor Bunny her
33 Marke Elizabeth Whann & others
34 In the name of God Amen december
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35 the last An[n]o D[om]ni 1647, I Dorothy Blake of Andever in the County of South[amp]t[on] widd beinge
36 sicke in body yet (thankes bee given to god) of good and perfect mind and memory by waye of
37 Codicill w[hi]ch I desire may be annexed to my last will and Testament in that the same may
38 bee reputed and taken as part and parcel thereof) doe hereby further declare my will
39 and meaninge in manner and forme followinge viz a [viz]t my will and meaninge ys that the legacys
40 which by my last will and Testament bearing date the xiijth of October 1647 I bequeathed
41 to my sonnes William and Peeter Blake and to my Daughter Margarett Terry Marie
42 Spearinge and Anne Long bee raysed and payed out of the moneys due unto mee by bond
43 or other specialtyes as the same shall aryse to bee due and can be recovered by my Executor
44 And if the sayd moneys soe to become due cannot bee recovered but by suits in Lawe that
45 then my sayd sonnes and daughters above mencioned shall according to their severall proportions
46 ioyne in the charges of the Lawe w[i]th my Executor in the prosecution thereof eyther as
47 Plaintifes or Defendants ag[ain]st those in whose handes the sayd money shal[l ]bee then due and
48 shal[ l]be soe deteyned And yf any losse shall happen to bee or that any of the sayd Debtes
49 by specialties or otherwise shall proove desparate and cannot be recovered then my will
50 and meanings ys that all the sayd Legacies (according to their severall proportions) doe
51 beare at their owne costes their proportionable partes of demnity of the Legacies in my
52 sayd last will given unto them or eyther of them In witnesse whereof to this p[re]sent Codicill
53 I have subscribed my name and sett to my Seale Herein the day and year above written
54 Dorothy Blake[signed] Read signed sealed and published as p[ar]cell of my last will and Testament in
55 the presence of William Smyth Nicho[las] Blake Ex[ecu]t[o]rs
[break for ease of reading]
56 In the name of God Amen I Dorothy
57 Blake of Andover in the County of South[amp]t[on] widdowe being at this present of good
58 and perfect memory this thirteenth day of October 1647 in the three and twentieth
59 yeare of the Reigne of our Sovereigne Lord King Charles of England et[c] doe make and ordaine
60 this my last will and Testament in man[n]er and forme followinge That ys to say first I
61 commend my Soule into the handes of my faithfull Creatour assuredly trusting through
62 the only merritts and mediation of Jesus Christ my Blessed Redeemer to Obtain remission of
63 my sinnes and eternall happines by him my body I committ to the earth to be decently
64 interred at the said discretion of the Executor of this my last will there to rest in hope of
65 joyfull resurrection And so touching the disposecion of my worldly estate my will and meaning
66 ys as followeth Imprimis I give unto my sonne William Blake Clercke the somme of twoe
67 hundred poundes lawfull English money to bee raysed and payd unto him out of my personell
68 estate and the yearly Rent of my lease att Chilboulton in the sayd County the same to bee
69 payd att four payments within the space of two yeares next cominge after my decease
70 att the two most usuall times or dayes of payment in the year That is to say att the five and
71 twentyth of March yearly and the nyne and twentyth of September yearly in the sayd
72 two yeares by equall portions the first payment thereof to beginne att eyther of the sayd
73 dayes which of them shall first come after my decease or sooner yf ytt can be raysed out
74 of my estate upon condicion that he utterly relinquish and waive the benefitt of the
75 legacye of Three skore poundes bequeathed unto him in or by the last will or Testament
76 of William Blake my late husband his late Father deceased Item I give unto my
77 sonne Peter Blake the like somme of two hundred poundes to bee raysed and payd as
78 afforesayd upon the like condicion as afforesayd And in case eyther of my sayd sonnes
79 William or Peter shall dye before they or eyther of them shall receaved their or
80 eyther of their Legacy or Legacyes soe bequeathed as afforesayd in part or in all my will ys
81 that then the same or such remanying part thereof behind shal[l ]bee payed by my Executor
82 according to and att the times herein before lymitted for the payment thereof to such
83 As they or eyther of them by their or eyther of their last will or other disposall shall
84 appoint Item I give unto my daughter Margarett Terry the Somme of one hundred
85 Poundes of like lawfull money to bee payd unto her within Three monthes after my two
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86 sonnes shall have received their legacyes afforesayd It[e]m I give unto my daughter Mary Spearinger
87 the somme of one hundred poundes of like lawfull money to be payd unto her within three
88 monthes after my said twoe sonnes and daughter Terry shall have received their severall legacyes
89 afforesayd It[e]m I give unto my daughter Joane Sedgewicke the like somme of one hundred poundes
90 and unto her two sonnes I give the somme of twenty poundes apeece to bee deducted and
91 allowed unto them respectively out of that somme which my sonne in law Robert Sedgwick
92 doth owe unto mee Item I give unto my daughter Anne Longe the like somme of one hundred
93 poundes to bee payd unto her w[i]thin three monthes after my sayd sonnes and daughters shall
94 received their severall legacyes aforesaid It[e]m I give unto Joseph Blake the sonne of my sonne
95 Richard Blake all that my house and land with the appurten[an]ces in Overton in the County
96 aforesaid after the decease of his sayd Father To have and to houlde unto him and his heires for
97 ever uppon this condicion that my daughter Dorothy Smyth shall and may quietly and
98 venerably hold and enjoy during her naturall lyfe the house wherein she now dwelleth in
99 Andover aforesayd late in the Tenure of Roger Sherfield gent Item I give unto Dorothy Jane
100 Sarah and Elizabeth Blake the foure daughters of my sayd sonne Richard Blake and unto
101 his sonne William Blake the somme of Tenn poundes apeece to bee payd unto the sayd
102 Four daughters att their several ages of eighteen yeares or dayes of marynge respectively
103 Whether of the two shall first happen. And unto the sayd William Blake att his age of one
104 and Twentye yeares. Item I give unto Dorothy, Mary, Sarah and Elizabeth Smyth the
105 daughters of my daughter Smyth the somme ofTwenty poundes a yeare to be payd unto
106 them att their severall ages of eighteen yeares or dayes of marrynge respectively whether
107 of the two shall first happen yf the same may bee soone raysed out of my estate and yf not
108 soe soone then ymediatly after the raysing thereof; And in case the same bee sooner raysed
109 then my executor herein named to allow and pay unto them respectively for and towardes their
110 maintenance att, and after the yearly rate or somme of six poundes p[er]centes for and
111 during all suche time as the several legacyes aforesayd shall remayne usatisfyed Item I
112 give unto Dorothy Spearinge the daughter of my daughter Mary Speeringe the some
113 of five poundes lawfull money of England and unto Dorothy Blake the daughter of
114 my brother Peter Blake the like somme of Five poundes to be payd unto them and to
115 eyther of them within six months next after my decease. And my will and meanings
116 ys that yf my whole estate will not extend soe farre as to satisfy all the severall
117 legacyes aforesaid Then every of the Legattes afforesayd shal[l ]be abated out of his her
118 or their Legacyes soe much in proportion as the estate shalbe deficient and come short
119 of the same And further my will ys that all such necessary Chardges and expenses eyther
120 in trust or equity- as my Executors herein named shalbe putt unto in as touching the due
121 execution of this my last will shalbe deducted by him and allowed unto him out of my
122 estate Item I give unto Twenty poor widdowes of the Parishe of Andover aforesayd of
123 good report the sommes of twelve pence apeece and unto Twenty poor widdowes of the
124 Parish of Overton afforesayd of like report the like somme of Twelve pence a peece to bee
125 payd unto them respectively ymmediately after my decease Item I give unto my sonne
126 in law Mr. Thomas Warren and to all my children and to my sonne Richard Blake
127 his wife the somme of three poundes a peece to buy them blacke for mourninge and
128 to my syster Clement Huchins the somme of fifty shillings to buy her a mourninge
129 Gowne Ite[m] I give unto my sonne William Blake my second damaske table cloth
130 one dozen of my best diaper napkins one dyaper towel and one payre of my best
131 holland sheets Item I give unto my sonne Peter Blake my best brasse pott one
132 payre of dowlas sheetes one payre of dowlas pillowbeeres one of my next best Table
133 clothes one dozen of napkins and one Towell of the next best after my sonne William
134 hath chosen his Item I give unto my daughter Terry my best black Gowne and Petticoat
135 and to my daughter Long my second best Gowne and mowheare Petticoate and unto
136 my daughter Dorothy Smyth All the residue of my wearing apparel of what kind
137 soever The residue of all my goodes and chattels whatsoever not hereby otherwise
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138 disposed or charged I give and bequeath unto my sayd sonne Richard Blake whom I make and ordaine
139 sole Executor of this my last will and Testament And I do make and devise William Smyth of
140 Waddiche and Nicholas Blake of Gavilacre in the sayd county gent my loving friendes to bee
141 overseers of this my last will And for their paynes and faithfull assistance unto my Executor
142 in and about the same I give to eyther of them twenty shillings a peece to be payd att my
143 buryall In witness whereof I have published this to bee my last will and Testament revoking
144 hereby all former and have hereunto sett my hand and Seale the day and yeare herein first above
145 written Dorothy Blake Subscribed Sealed and Published in the p[re]sence of Thomas Chirch
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