Blake Family Chart from Bridgewater Museum

An excellent summation of the Blake descendants of Humphrey Blake at Overstowey is available at the Blake Museum in Bridgwater Somerset UK. The chart indicates that it is an extract and it commences with information on Humphrey Blake of Overstowey who died in 1558. This Humphrey is the father of Robert Blake who was a Merchant at Bridgwater with Robert being the grandfather of Lord High Admiral Sir Robert Blake (son of Humphrey Blake of Bridgwater 1563-1625).

Of particular interest to me is the indication that Thomas Blake yeoman of Wedmore (will (1581) transcribed in my blog of 13 Apr 2012) was a son of Humphrey Blake of Overstowey (1558) and thus a brother to Robert Blake merchant at Bridgwater as mentioned above.

http://kippeeb.blogspot.ca/2012/04/will-of-thomas-blake-of-wedmore.html

Thomas had four children mentioned in his will namely: Thomas, John, Luce and Elizabeth. Thus far I have not traced this family down and given their close relationship with the Overstowey family would likely be an interesting line to follow.

The yDNA study for the Blake family has two new member results in and one matches 32/37 Group E with known English ancestry from the early 1600s to the present. The differences CDYa/b (common amongst sibling descendants, fast moving marker), DYS570 (fast moving marker), DYS460 (could help to separate out family lines), DYS464 (common amongst sibling descendants, fast moving marker), DYS459 (could help to separate out family lines). Although 32/37 may be related rather than are related having the same surname from the same general area of England is rather interesting. I shall attempt to take the line of the newest tester back a few generations.

The other new member is testing I2b1 same as the haplogroup of the Theophilus Blake descendants but he is separated from them by 13 markers on 37 so unlikely to be descendant of this line. With the I haplogroup he could be from anywhere in the British Isles. I believe I will name this group British Isles Ancestry (2) for the moment.

Blake yDNA study site at FT DNA:

http://www.familytreedna.com/public/blake/default.aspx?section=yresults

Group E results tend to make me think that my line is a second distinct line at Andover Hampshire with Group E perhaps predominating there. Blake descendants of the Andover Hampshire family testing would help to confirm that thought. My own ancestral line is small from the mid 1600s to the early 1800s.