The first of my five wills for Blake family members in Surrey with John Blake as Testator and he is a mariner living at Redderith (or Rotherhithe or Rotherhithe St Mary).
The other four wills include:
Will of Humfry Blake, Nailsmith of Saint Olave Southwark, probated 15 Feb 1638
Will of Elizabeth Blake, widow of Ebbisham, probated 16 Mar 1647
Will of Ellen Blake, widow of Croydon, probated 10 Jul 1647
Will of Elizabeth Blake, widow of Rederith, probated 11 Sep 1654
After yesterday's difficult will this one was a pleasure to transcribe.
The testator identifies his brother Peter Blake, his sons John and James Blake and his wife Mary/Marie Blake. Interestingly he identifies his mother as Johan Hamond and his father in law as John Hamond and his mother in law as Francie Browne. That sounds like an interesting story and perhaps explains the comment in his will if his wife makes a second choice if he is dead and remarries. The mother in law is confusing though as divorce was pretty unusual in those days. There are a few other names in the will but they are not related to the testator as far as one can tell in the reading.
As always I go to the Family Search website to see if there is any information on this family.
There is a burial for Peter Blake 26 Nov 1643 at St Mary Rotherhithe Surrey and a marriage 5 Jun 1620 for Peter Blake and Abigail Mulford at St Mary Rotherhithe Surrey. Nothing conclusive on the rest.
An interesting finding with regard to William Blake, Poet Laureate, England, and he was born 28 Nov 1757 in St James parish, Westminster. The grandfather of William Blake was a James Blake from Rotherhithe. The older brothers of William were James and John. History records that James Blake, a gentleman of Rotherhithe was sufficiently prosperous to pay sixty pounds to apprentice his son James Blake (father of William above) as a draper but this son would have been born in the 1720s so not likely the son of the testator above plus his brother Peter Blake was also living in Rotherhithe but it is rather interesting. As time permits I will try to collect more information on the Blake families in Surrey.
Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 27 Nov 2012
Source: The National Archives PROB 11/171/26
Testator: John Blake, Mariner
Place: Redderith, Surrey, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated: 25 Jan 1632, probated 8 May 1636
Read: Electronic copy images
Condition: middle English writing legible, bold copy
[Margin] T[estament] Johannis
[Margin] Blake
1 In the name of God Amen
2 the Five and Twentith daie of Januarie Anno Dom[ini], one
3 Thousand Sixe hundred Thirtie Two. And in the Eight yeare
4 of the raigne of our soveraigne Lord Charles by the grace
5 of God kinge of England, Scotland, Fraunce, and Ireland
6 defender of the faith etc I John Blake of Redderith in the Countie
7 of Surrey Marriner being att this p[oi]nte in good health, and p[er]fecte
8 memorie (thankes bee therefore given unto Almightie God, But
9 being nowe bound for sea, and my returne being uncertaine, doe
10 therefore make, and declare this my last will, and Testament in
11 wrytinge in manner and forme followinge, That is to saie First and
12 principallie I doe com[m]end my soule into the hands of my most
13 gracious and mercifull God hopeing and undoubtedlie beleevinge
14 through the merritts death passion and resurrection of my Lord and Saviour
15 Jesus Christ to have free pardon, and forgivenes of all my Sinnes, and to
16 enioy everlasting blessednes with him in the kingdome of heaven hereaft[e]r
17 And my Body I committ the same to the Earth to bee buried in decent
18 manner att the discretion of my Executrixe hereafter named, And
19 as for such lande, goods, and estate whatsoever which it hath pleased God
20 to lend to mee I doe dispose of the same manner and forme following
21 That is to say Imprimis I doe give and bequeath unto my Lovinge wife
22 Mary Blake All those my Three messuages or Tenements with their
23 appurten[an]cs, and the Garden and wharfs thereunto adioyninge and
24 belonging which I latelie purchased to mee and my heires and
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25 and assignes forever of Robert Osborne Cittizen and draper of
26 London scittuate lying and being in Redderith beforesaid in the said
27 countie of Surrey and now in the severall tenures or occupa[t]ions of M[aste]r
28 Berrisford Mr Preston and Goodman Burroughes, To have and to
29 hold the saiid Three messuages or Tenements, and other the premiss[e]s
30 unto the said Marie my wife, and her assignes for and duringe her
31 naturall life And from, and after the decease of the said Marie
32 my wife, Then I doe give and bequeath the sake Three messuages, or
33 Tenements with th[e ]appurten[an]cs and the said Garden and wharfe
34 unto my Two sonnes namely John Blake and James Blake equallie
35 betweene them to be devided, To have and to hould unto them my said
36 sonnes John Blake and James Blake equally betweene them, and to
37 their heires, and assignes forever. Item I doe give and bequeath unto
38 my said Two sonnes John Blake, and James Blake the lease of my
39 nowe dwellinge house in Redderith aforesaid to mee grannted from my
40 father in lawe James Hamond with my Interest tytle and terme of
41 yeares of in and to the same house with th[e ]appurten[an]cs equallie betwixte
42 them, To have, and to hold the same my dwellinge house with th[e ]appurten[a]ncs
43 unto them my said Twoe sonnes equallie betweene them, and their executors
44 and assignes for and duringe all such terme as shal[l ]bee to come, and unexpired
45 by vertue of the Indenture of Lease by which I hold the same att the tyme
46 of my decease provided alwaies that they my said sonnes doe pay
47 and performe such Rent Covenants and agreements as if my Executors
48 and assignes are, and stand charged to pay by vertue of the said lease
49 provided alsoe that they my said sonnes doe permitt and suffer the said
50 Marie my wife peaceably and quietly to have and enioy the same my
51 dwelling house with th[e ]appurten[a]ncs for, and during her naturall life
52 upon condition that shee or her assignes doe pay the rent and performe
53 the covenante, conteined in the said Lease. Item I doe desire my said
54 wife to permitt, and suffer my said sonne John Blake to have and enioy
55 the noyety or one halfe of my said nowe dwellinge house ymediately
56 from and after my decease for, and duringe the naturall life of her
57 my said wife, hee payinge his rateable share of the rent, and for the
58 repara[t]ions thereof. But yf shee the said Mary Blake my wife shall
59 refuse to suffer my said sonne to have and enioy the moyetie of my
60 said dwellinge house as aforesaid, Then I doe give and bequeath unto
61 my said sonne John Blake his executors and assignes one Annuity
62 or yearelie payment of Fyve pounds of lawfull money To bee
63 paid unto him my said sonne John his executors and assignes
64 halfe yearelie out of my personall estate duringe the life of the
65 said Marie my wife. Item I doe give and bequeath unto my said
66 sonne John Blake the somme of One hundred pounds of lawfull
67 money of England, To be paid unto him within Twentie dayes next
68 after the marriage of the said Mary my wife (yf in case shee shall
69 make a second choice) or within Twenty daies next after her decease
70 which shall first, and next happen, And if in case the said John my sonne
71 shall fortune to decease before the same one hundred pounds shal[l ]be
72 due, and payable unto him as aforesaid, Then I doe give the same
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73 One hundred pounds unto, and amongst such children as my said
74 sonne John now hath or shall have of his body lawfully begotten equally
75 amongst them share and share like. And if my said sonne John shall
76 then have noe child or children livinge, Then I doe give the same one
77 hundred pounds unto my said sonne James Blake his Brother Item
78 I doe give, and bequeath unto my said sonne James Blake the somme
79 of One hundred pounds of Lawfull money of England, To be paid unto
80 him within twenty daies next after the marriage of the said Mary my
81 wife (if in case shee shall make a second choice) or within Twenty
82 dayes next after her decease which shall first, and next happen, And
83 yf in case the said James my sonne shall fortune to decease before
84 the same One hundred pounds shal[l ]be due, and payable unto him
85 as aforesaid, Then I doe give the same One hundred pounds unto
86 and amongst such child or children as it shall please God my sonne James
87 to have of his bodie lawfully begotten equally amongst them and the
88 survivors of them share and share like. And if my said sonne James
89 shall then have noe child or children livinge, Then I doe give the same
90 One hundred pounds unto my said sonne John his brother. And if my
91 said sonne John shal[l ]bee then dead, Then I doe give the same One
92 hundred pounds unto, and amongst such child or children as my said
93 sonne John now hath, and then shall have of his body lawfully begotten
94 share, and share like Item I doe give and bequeath unto my said
95 sonne James One hundred pounds more of lawfull money of
96 England, To be paid unto him my said sonne James at such tyme,
97 and when as he shall attaine to the full age of Twenty and one
98 yeares. And yf in case my said sonne James shall decease before
99 hee shall ataine the said age Then I doe give the same one hundred
100 pounds unto my said sonne John. And yf hee shal[l ]bee then dead
101 Then I doe give the same one hundred pounds unto and amongst
102 such child or children as my said sonne John shall then have of his
103 Body lawfully begotten equally, and propor[t]ionably share and
104 share like. Item I doe give and bequeath unto my said Twoe sonnes
105 John Blake and James Blake the moyety, or one half of such
106 plate as I shall have att the tyme of my decease, or Twenty pounds
107 in money at the election and choice of the said Mary my wife equallie
108 betwixt them share and share like. Item I doe will and appoint that my
109 Executrix hereafter named shall find provide and allow unto my
110 said sonne James meate, drinke, Apparrell, and other necessaryes
111 duringe his minoritie, and shall keepe him att schoole, Item I doe
112 give and bequeath unto John Blake sonne unto my said sonne John
113 Blake the somme of Fiftie pounds of lawfull money of England
114 To be paid unto him my said grand sonne within Twentie daies next
115 after the decease of the said Mary my wife. And if my said grand sonne
116 shal[l ]bee then dead then I doe give the same Fifty pounds unto
117 and amongst such child or children as my said sonne John shall
118 then have equally, and propor[t]ionablyshare, and share like, And yf
119 my said sonne John shall then have noe child, or children livinge
120 Then I doe give the same Fifty pounds to my said sonne John, And
121 yf hee shal[l ]bee then dead, Then I doe give the same Fifty pounds to
122 my said sonne James Blake. Item I doe give and bequeath unto my
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123 Brother Peter Blake the somme of Five pounds of lawfull money
124 of England, To bee paid unto him within Twentie dayes next after
125 the decease of the said Mary my wife, And if my said Brother Peter
126 Shal[l ]bee then dead Then I doe give the same Fyve pounds unto, and
127 betwixt my said Two sonnes John Blake and James Blake equally, and
128 the survivor of them. And yf they shal[l ]bee then both dead then I doe give
129 the same Five pounds unto and amongst such children as my said sonnes
130 shall then have lyvinge equally amongst them. Item I doe give unto my
131 mother Mrs. Johan Hamond Fortie shillings, To my Father in lawe James
132 Hamond Twenty shillings, And to my mother in law Francie Browne
133 Twenty shillings, To be paid unto them, or such of them as shal[l ]bee lyvinge
134 within twenty dayes next after the decease of the said Mary my wife.
135 Item I doe give, and bequeath unto all my Godchildren that shall bee
136 lyvinge Twenty dayes next after my said wives decease the somme of
137 Twenty shillings apeece. All the rest and residue of my goods chattells
138 shipping money, plate household stuff, wages, and estate whatsoever
139 after my debts paid, and my funerall expences discharged I doe give
140 and bequeath unto my kind and Lovinge wife Mary Blake, And I
141 doe hereby make ordaine and appoint the said Mary my wife to bee
142 sole executrix of this my Last will, and Testament intreatinge her of
143 all Loves heretofore betwixt us, And as I have beene kind to her in
144 giveinge unto her the greatest part of my estate by this my will,
145 That soe shee would be kind to my sonnes duringe her life and
146 liberall to them att her death And I doe nominate, and appointe
147 my said Brother Peter Blake, and my said sonne John Blake to
148 bee overseers of this my will intreating them to bee aydinge and
149 assistinge and assisting unto my said wife in the due execu[t]ion thereof
150 And I doe hereby renounce, anihilate, and Revoke all former wills
151 and testaments by mee made, And I doe pronounce this pre[sen]te to
152 be my last will and Testament In witnes whereof I the said John
153 Blake th[e ]elder to this my Last will and Testament have putt my
154 hand and seale geven the day and yeare first written p[er] me Jno
155 Blake, This present will concisting of Nyne sheets was by the said
156 John Blake, signed sealed, and delivered as his Laste will, and
157 Testament after the interlyninge of the word Fyve in the seaventh
158 sheete of his Brother Peters Legacie in the p[re]sence of us, John Davids
159 Scr John Harvey Cittizen and Merchantaylor of London dwellinge in
160 Saint Swithins Lane in London, Fra: Harrison servant to the said Scr
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