Saturday, May 19, 2012

Will of John Blake, Gentleman of Christchurch, Hampshire, National Archives PROB 11/541 Image Reference 212/211, probated 21 Aug 1714

This will precedes yesterday's will in that John Blake is the father of William Blake testator which appears in yesterday's blog. This will be the last Blake will for as much as a couple of weeks as I must return to some early Routledge documents that I have on hand. My cousin Thomas Routledge is writing a book and I had promised to transcribe some documents for him. A couple of months ago I became very very busy and it slipped my mind but Thomas has reminded me! Therefore I will be back to the Routledge family of Eskdale Ward Cumberland England working on about a dozen documents which I will post here as well.

The Blake family of Christ Church does appear in the Visitations. William Blake who died in 1606 lived at Hubborn, Hampshire and he had a son John who also lived at Hubborn and in 1660 was 64 years of age (hence born circa 1596 and would have been ten years old when his father died). This John was married to Susanna Emberley (daughter of Nicholas Emberley of Christchurch) and they had at least two children: John b c 1630 and Susanna married to Henry Hopkins (Burgess of the Burough of Christ Church). John was was a Captain of Foot under the command of Colonel Fleming (and in 1686 Mayor of Christ Church) married Sarah Preston (daughter of Henry Preston of Burton, Christ Church). John and Sarah had at least one child also John who lived at Legore, Parish of Milton, Hampshire and he was approximately 33 years of age in 1686 (b c 1653) and married to Dorothy Blake (daughter and sole heir of Stephen Blake of Legore, Hampshire). They had five children Dorothy b c 1673, John b c 1674, Sarah b c 1681, Stephen b c 1683, and William b c 1685 (died 20 Dec 1744). The Visitation has been signed by John Blake in 1686 at the Kings Arms in Lindhurst 25 Jul 1686. This John is the Testator in this will.  Probate was given to his wife Dorothy and sons Stephen and William although I have not yet transcribed the Probate.

Dorothy (wife of John) was also a Blake; daughter of Stephen Blake of Legore, Milton, Hampshire (near Christ Church) but I have not yet been able to determine the lineage of Stephen Blake.

I wonder which Blake family; are they descendant of the Wiltshire Blake family? William was a Mercer but it was a time when the most profit lay in cloth so I can not say that just because he was a Mercer he might be related to the Andover Blake family. Other than Richard Blake at Andover and his line, the rest were gentlemen farmers. Hubborn is an area in Christ Church looking at the Post Office Directory for the Borough of Southampton by William Cooper (1834), Southampton: Fletcher, Forbes and Fletcher. Interesting that the furtherest back William Blake died in 1606 the same year as William Blake at Eastontown. However, William at Eastontown did not have a son John.

In the Blog on Henry Blake's will http://kippeeb.blogspot.ca/2011/02/henry-blake-of-christchurch-and-his.html written 18 Feb 2011, there is some information on Hubborn. The Hampshire Record Office does hold a number of wills for Blake members at Hubborn including the will of John Blake husbandman at Hubborn who left his will in 1613, William Blake husbandman leaving a will in 1585. The Blake family at Andover does not really appear at Andover until the early 1500s and the earliest wills may be Richard Blake who left a will in 1522 naming his brother  Thomas and his wife Executor (this is a will that I need to order from Hampshire Record Office). Jone Blake left a will in 1527 naming her children Robert, Nicholas and Elizabeth but neglected to name her husband at Andover. I am wondering if Richard is the husband of Jone since he is at Enham.

Back to Christchurch and Robert Blake leaves his will in 1547 naming his sons Richard (eldest and executor), William, Thomas the elder, Thomas the younger and Elizabeth.  Is this the family on the Visitation? This keeps reminding me that I need to transcribe the 30 odd Wiltshire Blake wills that I have on hand. Personally my feeling is that the Christchurch family is descendant of the Calne Wiltshire Blake family.

Once again the yDNA study of the Blake family is an interesting way to look at your Blake line. Movement in the British Isles as people migrated from one area to another for various reasons happened early as well as now. For instance, my great grandparents Blake were from two different counties (Blake from Upper Clatford Hampshire and Knight from Turnworth Dorset). yDNA tells you about your deep ancestry. My line at Upper Clatford testing my brother is I2a2b which is said to be a very ancient British Isles haplogroup. My father was born at Eastleigh Hampshire (near Southampton) in 1904 with his father born at Upper Clatford in 1875.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 17 May 2012
Source: The National Archives PROB 11/541 Image Reference 212/211
Place: Christchurch, Hampshire, England
Testator: John Blake, Gentleman of Christchurch, Hampshire
Type of Record: Will
Dated: 25 May 1714,  probated 21 Aug 1714
Read: Electronic copy
Condition: image, small script, bold text

[In margin] Tes[tat]or Johannis Blake

1    In the Name of God Amen
2    This is the Last Will and Testament of me John Blake of
3    Sanborne within the parish of Christ Church in the County of
4    South[amp]ton Gentleman as followeth (that is to say) and chiefly I
5    commend my Soul to the Mercy of Almighty God thro[ug]h the merits
6    of my Saviour Christ Jesus and my body I commit to the Earth
7    and my Worldly Estate I dispose of in manner following (viz [a vi]t)
8    I give to the Poor of the Parish of Christ Church aforesaid Forty
9    shillings to be disposed of att my Grave by my Executors herein
10    after named. Item I give to my Grandson John Garret Blake
11    and to my Grand daughter Jane Blake Son and Daughter of
12    my Son John Blake the Summe of One hundred pounds a peice
13    of Lawfull Money when they shall respectively attaine the
14    age of one and Twenty years. Item I give to my Son John
15    Blake the Summe of One hundred pounds of like money to be
16    paid within one year after my decease Item I give to my daughter
17    Dorothy Slade the summe of One Hundred pounds of like
18    money to be paid within One year after my decease. Item I
19    give to my Grand daughter Sarah Slade and to my Grand Son
20    Nicholas Slade the Summe of fifty pounds a peice of like money
21    and to my Grand daughter Susannah Slade the Summe of one
    [Page 2]
22    hundred pounds of like money to be paid them respectively
23    at their attaining the age of one and Twenty years or days of
24    Marriage which shall first happen and in case of either of
25    their deaths to the Survivors and Survivor of them. Item I give
26    devise and bequeath unto my Son Stephen Blake his heirs Execu[to]rs
27    and administrators all and Singular my Lands Tenements and
`    hereditaments situate lying and being within the Tythings of
29    Street Burton and Bure within the Parish of Christ Church afores[ai]d
30    (except Colgills Hamm) Item I give to my Grand children Stephen
31    Richard and John Blake sons of my said Son Stephen the Summe
32    of one hundred pounds apeice of like Lawfull Money to be paid to
33    them at their attaining their respective Age of One and Twenty
34    years and in Case of either of their deaths to the Survivors and
35    Survivor of them. Item I give devise and bequeath unto my Son
36    William Blake his heirs Executors and Administrators all and
37    Singular my Messuages Lands Tenements and hereditaments
38    Scituate lyeing and being within the Burrough of Christ Church
39    in the Said County of South[amp]ton together with Colgills Hamm and
40    the Close or Plott of Ground in the Possession of Joseph Jeanes
41    with the rights members and Appurtenances thereof but in case
42    my said son William shall happen to dye without any other
43    Issue of his body lawfully begotten besides his now daughter
44    Then my will is and I do give devise and bequeath all and
45    Singular the Said Premisses so devised to him his heirs Executors
46    and Administrators unto my Son Stephen Blake his heirs Executors
47    and Administrators upon Condition nevertheless that he or
48    they pay unto my Said Son William Blake the Summe of Two
49    hundred pounds of Lawfull money when She Shall attaine her
50    full age or be Married which shall first happen. Item I give
51    to my said Grand daughter Elizabeth Dorothy Blake the further
51    Summe of One hundred pounds of like Money to be paid her
52    at her attaining her full age or Marriage which shall first
53    happen. Item I give to the Churchwardens of the Parish of Christ
54    Church aforesaid Forty Shillings to be paid at my Funeral
55    to the use of the Repaires and beutifying the Said Parish Church
56    all the residue of my Good and Chattells and Estate whatsoever
57    not herein before devised I give to my Loveing Wife and my
58    Said Sons Stephen and William equally to be divided between
59    them and make and appoint them joint Executors of this my
60    Last Will and Testament hereby revokeing all former and other
61    by me made and declareing this only to be my Last In Wittness
62    whereof I have hereunto Set my hand and Seale this five and
63    Twentieth day of May in the year of Our Lord Christ one Thousand
64    Seven hundred and fourteen John Blake Signed Sealed
65    and declared by the Said John Blake to be his Last Will and
66    Testament in our presence who Subscribes Our names in his
67    presence in the Lodging Room of him the said John Blake att
68    Sambborne aforesaid, the words (Garret. Item I give to my Son
69    John Blake the Summe of One hundred pounds of like money
70    to be paid within One yeare after my decease Sarah Slade
71    apeice) being First interlined in the above Written Will
    [Page 3]
72    Ja: Coffin, Tho: Coffin, William Whichre

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