This Blake family at Warminster consists of Thomas and his wife Agnes and their children John (over 21), Edward, Barbara and Edith all under 21 years of age as of 28 Jul 1584. It would appear that Thomas' mother remarried as he mentions two fathers in lawe Symon Sloper and John Benett. His brother is William Blake.
Warminster is 8 miles SW of Erlestoke, 18 miles SSW of Calne and 15 miles WNW of South Newton.
From Ancestry I found an Edeth Blake baptized 23 Jul 1584 at Warminster and daughter of Thomas Blake. There is an Edward Blake baptized 19 Jun 1583 at Warminster and son of Thomas Blake. There is also a John Blake baptized 30 Oct 1579 at Warminster but the will implies that John is over 21 years of age. This is perhaps another family as there was also a John baptized 8 Oct 1572 and a William baptized 17 Mar 1573 both at Warminster and sons of Thomas Blake. Thee may be the children of Thomas Blake and Agnes Grinfealde married 27 Sep 1569 at Warminster - interesting but he mentions fathers in law of Sloper and Benett. Surprisingly there are only 27 Blake members listed in the 1841 census at Warminster.
1841 Census at Warminster
1. Hariot Blake 12, Emma Blake 10, Edith Blake 65, Ann Blake 22 living with Jeremiah and Jane Grapp (36 and 29)
2. William Blake 30, Sarah Blake 30, Robert Blake 12, Charlotte Blake 10
3. Peter Blake 55, Martha Blake 55
4. James Blake 50, Betty Blake 50, Joseph Blake 15, James Blake 15, Alfred Blake 14, Moses Blake 9, Frederick Blake 6
5. Isaac Blake 40, Maria Blake 45, Mary Blake 20, Hanna Blake 20, Isaac Blake 15, Henry Blake 15, Charles Blake 10, William Blake 10, Samuel Blake 5
6. George Blake 20
William Blake (one of the witnesses and brother to the testator) lives at The Ashes. There was a Council letter from the towne and hundred of Warminster to the Earl of Pembroke dated 28 July 1588 in which one finds the following for the militia that a muskett was to be carried by William Harris of Warminster and furnished by Mr. Blake of the Ashes. This was, of course, in preparation for the arrival of the Spanish Armada. What a delightful piece of history to add to the Blake family story.
http://books.google.ca/books?id=0bIUAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA253&lpg=RA1-PA253&dq=The+Ashes+%2Bwarminster+%2Bblake&source=bl&ots=5fbRrg057l&sig=ECgZ3ymTcpFnnQgoZzfXuqUWeOA&hl=en&sa=X&ei=RHeIUM3ULIqw0AGMuoG4DQ&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=The%20Ashes%20%2Bwarminster%20%2Bblake&f=false
Another comment in The history of Warminster by John Jeremiah Daniell (printed 1879) and on page 643 "In anticipation of the invasion of England by the Spaniards, Beacons were erected on all commanding elevations. There was one on cley Hill for giving the alarm to Warminster, and the neighbourhood. Instructions were issued to the Constables of the Hundred to provide that the Beacon on Cley Hill "" be well and sufficiently furnished with good and dry wood, and a barrel in which pitch hath been, besides 5 or 6 lbs. of pitch; "" a watchman was to be appointed, who should be an able man, both of body and discretion, to look well after the Beacon; and Mr. Carr, the elder, of Corsley, Mr. Blake, of the Ashes, Richard Holwey and Christopher Daniek, of Norridge, Mr. Hobbs, of Bugley, and others of the meetest persons thereabouts, were "" to look after the watchman, and see that the Beacon was well and orderly watched, and fired only on just cause, nor without making the Justices of the Peace and Constables privy thereto.""
Also in The History of Warminster is a list of the Names of Feoffees and Nominators showing that William Blake was feoffee for Asheys and Smallbrook in 1592 and in 1613 William Blake was a nominator and Feoffees included John Blake, Stephen Blake. In 1651 Stephen Blake was a nominator with feoffee William Blake. By 1694 the Blake family has disappeared from this list. This was for the Property which belonged to St Laurence's Chapel and provided relief for the poor of the parish.
Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 23 Oct 2012
Source: Swindon and Wiltshire Record Office P2/6Reg/132C
Name of testator: Thomas Blake
Place: Warminster, Wiltshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated: 28 Jul 1584, 7 Oct 1584
Read: Electronic file images
Condition: 16th century, middle English, legible bold lettering (some bleed through)
[Margin] Blake C
1 In the name of god Amen the eight and twentith day of July
2 in the yere of the reign of o[u]r sov[er]eign Lady Elizabeth by the grace
3 of god quene of England France and Ireland defender of the a[nc]ient
4 faith etc And in the yere of o[u]r lord god one thousand fyve hundred
5 eightie and fower I Thomas Blake of Warmister in the countie of
6 Wiltsh[ire] being sicke in body but of good and p[er]fitt remembrace almightie
7 god to be thanked (revoking all other wills before this tyme by me
8 made) do make this my testament conteyning herein my last
9 will in mann[er] and forme folowing First I bequeath my sowle to
10 almightie god by whose m[er]cye and the satisfaction of Jesus Christ my
11 only Saviour I trust to be saved And my body to be buried in the
12 buriall of Warmister It[e]m I geve to the Cath[edral] Church of Sa[lisbur]y
13 iiijd It[e]m I geve to the p[ar]ishe churche of warmister xij d It[e]m
[Page 2]
14 I geve to John my sonne the table bords that ar in the hall and the p[ar]ler w[i]th
15 the formes to the same It[e]m I geve him my sylv[er] salte to use and ennioye
16 during his life naturall lyfe and if he dye w[i]thout heirs my will is
17 that Edward my sonne shall have itt It[e]m I geve to Edward my sonne
18 my greate crocke the same to be deliv[er]ed to him att the full age of xxi tie
19 yeres It[e]m I geve to the same Edward tenne pounds in money
20 to be paid unto him att the age of xxi tie yeres It[e]m I geve to
21 barborowe my daughter tenne pounds to be paid to her att the
22 age of sixetene yeres It[e]m I geve to Edith my daughter tenne pounds
23 to be paid to her att the age also of sixtene yeres And if any of
24 the three that is to say Edward Barborowe or Edith do dye before
25 the tyme that they shall recyve their legacies I will that his her
26 or their p[ar]tes shal[l ]be by even p[ar]tes devided to suche of them as shal[l ]be
27 lyving. The residue of all my goods debts and chattells I geve unto
28 Agnes my wife whom I make my sole executrix And I desire
29 my trustie frends Symon Sloper my father in lawe John
30 Benett my father in lawe William Blake my brother and
31 Will[ia]m Myddelcott to see the execution of this my will witness[e]s
32 to this my will Sir William Lydley clerke and William Blake of
33 the ashes and Robert Howse the elder
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