Reading this will sent me back to the will of William Blake at Lyddiard Episcopi in that William had mentioned a Philipp Sully. George in this will mentions the Sulley family. Cutcombe, the village in which George Blake has written his will is in my area of Somerset for my lines there. Cutcombe is the location of the baptism of my 4x great grandfather Robert Siderfin. His father was the teacher at Cutcombe and his parents were married at Cutcombe 29 Apr 1720 (Augustine Siderfin and Mary Davies).
Cutcombe though is 17 miles ESE of Bishops Lydeard and 17 miles E of Over Stowey. This George does not fit into the Humphrey Blake family as far as I can tell but later Humphrey Blake and Sarah Williams name one of their sons George (grandson of Robert Blake whose will was in my blog yesterday). The idea of blogging all of these wills is to simply bring them to my attention as I collect Blake information in Somerset. I am left with somewhat the same impression as I have in the Andover area of Hampshire. Are there two distinct Blake lines in these regions? Do they have common ancestry? How far back is that common ancestry? Convincing descendants of these lines to test their yDNA would help with discovering more about the Blake families in Somerset (and hence Blake families in other areas to which these Blake lines have emigrated). Although that isn't my prime reason for these investigations. It is more of an interest in the Blake family itself and its creation within the British Isles. I am not struggling to discover my "resting spot" in terms of an emigrant ancestor. That ancestor was my father and his parents and I do know their history back hundreds of years.
That does let me look at the Blake one name study without prejudice nor do I have any preconceived ideas about how the Blake family name arose. It is an incredibly old surname with records back to the 1200s. It deserves to have its place in the Guild of one name studies and hence that is my prime interest in all of this information gathering in which I am engaged.
In the Protestation Returns for Cutcombe (1641-42) there are the following possibly related individuals: George Sulley, John Sulley, Mark Sulley, Peter Sulley. There is a John Blake listed. Also a Richard Kytnor listed. Interestingly, the will lists, probably as children, George and Peter Sulley. There is also a John Blake (as well as a Gregory Blake, Alice Blake and Joane Blake) listed and again probably children. Are they perhaps children of one of his brothers Robert Blake or James Blake also mentioned in the will.
Of note the Robert Blake married to Eleanor Browne family at Stogumber had sons Robert, James and John. Stogumber is ten miles east and going further east and south brings you to Bishop's Lydeard. This Robert is thought to be the son of John Blake the elder and grandson of Humphrey Blake whose will was probated 1559 at Over Stowey. However, in the will of John Blake he does not mention his son Robert Blake in terms of being a legatee. But there is a Robert Blake who is an overseer. One of the witnesses was a Robert Black.
The saga continues with the next will being written by Humphrey Blake of Bridgewater circa 1625 and followed by the will of John Blake of Halse circa 1620.
Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 23 Apr 2012
Source: The National Archives PROB 11/126, Image Reference 338/288 (images by me)
Name of testator: George Blake
Place: Cutcombe, Somerset, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated:, 2 Jul 1614, probated 30 Sep 1615
Read: Electronic file
Condition: smudges, cramped writing, 17th century, bold copy
[In margin] T Georgij
[In margin] Blake
1 In the name of god amen The ij day of July in
2 the yeare of our Lord God one thousand six hundred and fourteene I George Blake
3 of the parish of Cutcombe and w[i]thin the dioces of Bathe and Wells being sicke in bodie
4 but of perfect mynde and memorie thancks be to Allmightie God doe make and ordaine
5 this my last will and Testament in manner and forme followeinge. First I bequeath
6 my Soule to Allmightie God and my body to the grave. Item I geve to the Church of Wells
7 vi d. Item I give to John Blake Gregory Blake Alice Blake and Joane Blake £v i
[page 2]
8 pence. Item Mary Blake £vii . Item Margery £vi . Item I give to my sister Joane Sulley
9 £x s, Item to my brother Robert Blake £x s which doth remayne in his hands , Item I give
10 to George Sulley £x s . Item Robert Sulley Peter Sulley Elizabeth Sulley and Annis
11 Sulley xx s a peece, Item I give Wilmot Sulley the wife of Richard _orman x s Then
12 to my sister Ellin Kitner xxs Item to Richard Kitner Richoard Kitner and Agnis Kitner
13 xxs a peece. Item I give to William Emte and Charles xxs a peece. Item I give
14 Margaret Stoate and Joane Stoate the daughters of John Stoate xxs a peece. Item I
15 give to my god children x s a peece. Item I give to Nicolas Sulley £iij s Item to John Sulley
16 the sonne of Nicolas Sulley £x s Item I give to the parish Church of Cutcombe ij s
17 Item to five ringers xij d a peece for the makinge of the grave vj d Item I doe geve
18 bequeath to James my brother whom I do make my whole and full Executor of all the
19 rest of my goods. I doe appoynte for my Rulers Richarde Kitner and John Ridler
20 al[ia]s Comesheade and for there paynes taking iij s a peece. this legacie to be as
21 they come to one and twentie yeares of age
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