This is a copy of a document that was mentioned to me by Barrie Blake and I lately found it on the website of Conway's of Ireland under the notes for this website. Robert Le Blake is said to be the bailiff to the Bishop of Wells. This document is said to be written after 1272. The location Oakley and Ramsdell is in the County of Hampshire, England. Ramsdell being a small village near Basingstoke (seven miles distant). The document is written before 7 July 1307 because Edward I died at that time and he was the son of Henry III. As you will see further down this is not actually a will for Johanna la Blake but rather a Quit Claim. The original document does not list any other members of her family than her deceased husband unfortunately.
http://www.fritziinc.com/tree/pafn1833.htm
WILL OF JOHANNA LA BLAKE after 1272
Johnanna La Blake (wife of Robert Le Blake)
After 1272
To all the faithful, etc., I Johanna La Blake, send greeting in the Lord. Know that I have remitted and altogether quit claim for self and heirs to Brother William, Prior of Swithun’s and the Convent, all my right and claim, present or possible, to all lands and holdings formerly belonging to Robert Le Blake, my late husband in Oakley and Ramsdell. Moreover, neither I nor my heirs nor anyone in our house shall set up or assert any right to or claim over the holdings aforesaid. And for this remission and quit-claim the Prior and Convent have given me eighteen marks of silver down.
In witness whereof, etc.
Witnesses, etc.
Given at Winchester of a Monday, being Annunciation Day, in the year of the reign of King Edward, son of Henry.
Looking at the National Archives website there are a couple of interesting items that mention the Blake family namely an Inquisition and return dated 1286 C241/6/36 which mentions Stephen le Blake and this written at Winchester to the Sheriff of Hants. A similar document also in 1286 C 241/7/288 mentions Stephen le Blake. I am unable to find this particular document (quitclaim) for Johanna la Blake in the National Archives website.
At the Hampshire Record Office in Winchester there is an item 44M69/C67 which mentions as a witness John le Blake dated 17 Oct 1331 and there is a second one dated 31 Dec 1360.Still no record of the quitclaim for Johanna la Blake.
I then discovered searching on line another item (freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/.../pages 54_74.doc) which discusses a deed in the Cathedral Archives (Winchester) (II, p. 26, No. 27) by which Johanna la Blake, in the reign of Edward I, quit claims to the Prior and Convent for eighteen marks of silver all the rights over lands and holdings in Oakley and Ramsdell Parishes which had belonged to her late husband and the deed is dated Monday, March 25th, 1291/2. The quoted text follows:
"Universis Christi fidelibus praesens scriptum visuris vel
audituris Johanna la Blake salutem in Domino. Noveritis me remisisse et omnino quietum clamasse pro me et haeredibus meis imperpetuum Fratri Willelmo Priori S. Swithuni Wyntoniae et ejusdem loci Conventui totum jus et clamium meum quod habui vel aliquo modo habere potui in omnibus terris et tenementis quae fuerunt Roberti le Blake quondam [fratris?] mei [in] Est Acley et Rammesdelle. Item, quod nec ego nec haeredes mei seu aliquis nomine nostro aliquid juris vel clarnii in praedictis tenementis exigere vel vendicare [poterimus] in futurum. Et pro hac remissione et quieta clamantia dederunt mihi praedicti Prior et Conventus octodecirn marcas argenti pro manibus. In cujus rei testimonium praesenti scripto sigillum meum apposui [it is unfortunately lost]. Iliis testibus, Dominis Symone de Wintonia, Willelmo de ….. setis, militibus ; Johanne de Nutleygh, Alano de Suttone, Ricardo de Mertone (?) Nicholao de …., et Johanne Randolf, Johanne de Herrior (Heriard?) Willelmo ….. et multis aliis. Datum Wintoniae die Lunae in festo Annunciationis Dominicae anno regni Regis Edwardi filii regis H[enrici] …..
TRANSLATION,
To all the faithful, etc., I Johanna la Blake, send greeting in the Lord. Know that I have remitted and altogether quit-claimed for self and heirs for ever to Brother William, Prior of St. Swithun's and the Convent, all my right and claim, present or possible, to all lands and holdings formerly belonging to Robert le Blake, late my husband, in Oakley and Ramsdell. Moreover, neither I nor my heirs, nor anyone in our house shall set up or assert any right to or claim over the holdings aforesaid. And for this remission and quit-claim the Prior and Convent have given me eighteen marks of silver down. In witness whereof, etc. Witnesses, etc. Given at Winchester of a Monday, being Annunciation Day, in the year of the reign of King Edward son of Henry.
It is mentioned on the first website (Conway's of Ireland) that Robert le Blake was bailiff of the bishop of Wells and I did find mention of this in British History online:
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=67369&strquery=Blak%27
Grant by Alexander Hose to St. Andrew and the dean and chapter of Wells, for his soul and his ancestors', of the tenement late of Henry Tracy in Wells in the street towards the Torr in almoin, with warranty. Witnesses: Peter prior of the hospital of Wells, Robert Blak' bailiff of the bishop of Wells, Richard Norr', Richard Brun, William Brun, William Mercer, John Machun.
R.I. f. 103d
There isn't a date attached to this particular comment but the preceding entry and the following entry are April 1257 and August 1258. As always my question is who is this Robert Blak'? Being a bailiff to the Bishop of Wells which is located in Somerset is he somehow related to the Blake family that is descendant there? Is Johanna la Blake the wife of this same Robert Blak' who hold lands in Oakley and Ramsdell which is near Basingstoke. Is it perhaps correct to attach this Robert le Blake (husband of Johanna Blake) to the Robert Blak' who is bailiff to the bishop of Wells? The time period is long between 1257 and 1291 when the quit claim was written (34 years). I am somewhat dubious of the claim that the Robert le Blake married to Johanna la Blake is the bailiff to the bishop of Wells in 1257/58. As one could see by the Calendar of Patent Rolls there are many many Blake families in England although this early period does not have many entries. The Richard le Blak who was a merchant from Rouen in 1272 is obviously a different person which is in itself helpful to establish that there are these different individuals with the surname Blake/Blak/le Blake/le Blak.
Another interesting item which appeared in my search comes from the Register of Bishop William Ginsborough 1303 to 1307 and it was edited for the Worcestershire Historical Society by J.W. Willis Bund and printed for the Worcestershire Historical Society by James Parker and Co., Oxford, 1907.
http://www.melocki.org.uk/registers/1303_Ginsborough.html
Under 1305 there is an item: Letters dimissory for Robert le Blake, clerk, to any bishop of the province of Canterbury, for all minor orders. Bredon, 14 Kal. Jan., same year.
Under 1306 this item: Institution of Robert le Blake, acolyte, to the church of Kydermynstre, vacant by resignation of John de Ulbeton, last rector [1], on the presentation of the prior, brothers and sisters of Mayden Bradeleye, in the diocese of Salisbury; letters to the official of the archdeacon of Worcester. Bredon, 2 Id. Feb., same year.
[1] Giff. Reg., W.H.S., p. 128, ante, p. 80
Under 1306 another item: Commission to master Robert le
Blake, rector of the Church of Kyderminstre, to hear a matrimonial cause
between Isabel Pagge and John Pagge of Brimesgrave. Bredon, 1 Kal.
Maii, same year.
As I see my task over the next ten years that I would like to devote to the Blake one name study, this collection of information will bring together the "proven" pieces of Blake history and perhaps give a more rounded picture of the Blake family in the time period prior to 1500.
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