Saturday, April 6, 2013

Will of John Blake, Yeoman, Bucklebury, Berkshire - The National Archives PROB 11/1341/276, probated 27 May 1800

A rather interesting will for John Blake of Bucklebury, Berkshire. I could not find any evidence that there was a Blake family at Bucklebury other than this John. His one brother Nathaniel lives at Hursborne Hampshire and the other brother Richard lives at Aldbourn Wiltshire.

Richard Blake has left his will at Aldbourne P1/1814/84 in the Wiltshire Archives and it is three pages. Eventually I will acquire some of these Blake wills from Wiltshire and Swindon Record Office. His will may help to locate this Blake family as there was a Blake family at Ogbourne St George in Wiltshire and Aldbourne is just four miles ENE of Ogbourne St George. The Blake family at Ogbourne St George did use the forename Nathaniel although the Blake family being so large this could just be a coincidence.

The family consists of John, Nathaniel, Richard and their sister Mary Wyes. Nathaniel is married to Mary and they have a number of children mentioned including: Martha Winkworth, Mary Guy, and Elizabeth Worman.

The other recipients of legacies do not appear to be related at least John doesn't mention any relationship but include some people at Bucklebury but not all have a location stated: Sarah Hodges daughter of Nathaniel Hodges, Daniel Always son of Thomas Alway, Rebecca Ball daughter of William Ball, William Law, Walter Law and younger and his wife Isabella.

Martha Blake married William Winkworth 12 Jul 1786 ( no details other than Hampshire and this from Family Search I03915-4) and she was 21 years of age so born circa 1765.

Mary Blake married Lazarus Guy (of Buttermere, Wiltshire) 9 May 1785 at Hurstbourne Tarrant, Hampshire (Family Search M14667-1).

Elizabeth Blake married Robert Worman 20 Jul 1795 at Hurstbourne Tarrant, Hampshire (Family Search M14667-1). The Hampshire Marriage Licences, Bishop of Winchester provides further information: Worman, Robert, of Speen, co. Berks, farmer, 18, bachelor with consent of his parents Richard Worman and Prudence and Elizabeth Blake of Hurstbourne, 21, spinster daughter of Nathaniel Blake with licence issued 19 Jul 1795 and bondsman William Worman, Speen, maltster.

The two marriages at Hurstbourne Tarrant may lead one to suspect that it is Hurstbourne Tarrant where Nathaniel Blake lives. However, searching online does not give anything interesting for this Blake family there.

The Hampshire Record Office Catalogue lists a will for Nathaniel Blake of Hurstbourne Tarrant, husbandman dated 1802 (1802A/008). As always I do know that Hampshire Record Office holds 341  Blake wills that I shall one day have a look at but that is in the future.

At a quick glance extracting the Blake wills at Hurstbourne

John Blake Hurstbourne Tarrant, 1559
John Blake Upton, Hurstbourne Tarrant, yeoman, 1605*
John Blake, senior, Upton, Hurstbourne Tarrant, yeoman, 1674
Joan Blake Upton, Hurstbourne Tarrant, widow, 1696
John Blake Upton, Hurstbourne Tarrant, yeoman, 1712
Richard Blake (Blacke) Upton, Hurstbourne Tarrant, yeoman, 1758
Thomas Blake, junior, Upton, Hurstbourne Tarrant, 1764
Ann Blake Upton, Hurstbourne Tarrant, widow, 1791
Nathaniel Blake Hurstbourne Tarrant, husbandman, 1802
Thomas Blake Hurstbourne Tarrant, labourer, 1823

The John Blake who left his will in 1605 is known to me and he was the grandson of Robert Blake brother to Nicholas Blake (my ancestor). He did have a son John Blake but to date I do not have any further information. I do not know the John Blake who left his will in 1559 as his father was John Blake the Elder who died circa 1572 and again this John Blake the Elder was the son of Robert Blake.

I earlier blogged on the will of James Blake, Laborer, Upton Hampshire: http://kippeeb.blogspot.ca/2012/10/will-of-james-blake-laborer-upton.html

and I note that there is a reference to the granddaughter of this James being married to a James Ball. There was a legacy to a Rebecca Ball in this will surprisingly. But then the name is not uncommon so may not mean a thing. There are many many Blake lines in this area of Hampshire in the 1800s.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 6 Apr 2013
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/1341/276
Testator:  John Blake, Yeoman
Place: Buckleberry, Berkshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document:  19 Feb 1796, probated 27 May 1800
Read: Electronic copy images
Condition: 19th century English, legible copy

[Margin]: John
[Margin]: Blake

1    This is the last Will
2    and Testament of me John Blake of Bucklebury
3    in the County of Berks yeoman by which I dispose
4    of my Estate and Effects as follows that is to say
5    I give and bequeath unto my Brother Nathaniel Blake of Hursborne
6    in the County of hants that Sum of Sixty pounds
7    which he now is indebted to me on a Note of
8    hand I give and bequeath unto my Brother
9    Richard Blake of Aldbourn in the County of
10    Wilts that Sum of Ten pounds which he now is
11    indebted to me on a Note of hand I give and
12    bequeath unto my sister Mary Wyes of Hursbone
13    the sum of Ten pounds I give and bequeath
14    unto Mary Blake wife of my Brother Nathaniel
15    Blake the sum of Ten pounds I give and
16    bequeath unto Martha Winkworth daughter of
17    my Brother Nathaniel Blake the sum of Ten
18    pounds I give and bequeath unto Mary Guy
19    daughter of my Brother Nathaniel Blake the
20    Sum of Ten pounds I give and bequeath unto
21    Elizabeth
    [Page 2]
22    Elizabeth Worman daughter of my Brother Nathaniel
23    Blake the Sum of Ten pounds I give and bequeath
24    unto Sarah Hodges daughter of Nathaniel Hodges the younger
25    of Bucklebury the Sum of Ten pounds I give and bequeath
26    unto Daniel Alway Son of Thomas Alway the Sum of
27    Five pounds I give and bequeath unto Rebecca Ball
28    daughter of William Ball the sum of five pounds
30    I give and bequeath unto William Law of Bucklebury
31    the Sum of five pounds I give and bequeath unto
32    Isabella Law wife of Walter Law the younger of Bucklebury
33    the Sum of five pounds I give and bequeath unto
34    Walter Law the younger of Bucklebury the Sum of Twenty
35    pounds and all the Rest residue and remainder of my
36    worldly Goods and Effects whatsoever and wheresoever
37    if any shall remain after paying my Just debts
38    Funeral and Testamentary Expences I give devise and
39    bequeath unto the said Nathaniel Blake Richard
40    Blake Mary Wyes and Walter Law the younger to be
41    parted equally amongst them Share and Share
42    alike and I do hereby Nominate and appoint the said
43    Walter Law the younger to be Sole Executor of this
44    my last Will and Testament hereby revoking all
45    other Wills by me heretofore made In witness whereof
46    I the said John Blake have hereunto set my
47    hand and seal this nineteenth day of February
48    in the year of our Lord one thousand seven
49    hundred and ninety six John Blake
50    Signed Sealed published and declared by the
51    Testator as and for his last Will and Testament
52    in the presence of us who in his presence and
53    in the presence of each other have hereunto
54    set our hands as witnesses hereto The Mark X of
55    John Louch  Robert Wyatt
56    This Will was proved at London
57    the twenty seventh day of May in the year of
58    our Lord one thousand Eight hundred before the
59    worshipful Alexander Crote doctor of Laws Surrogate
60    of the Right honorable Sir William Wynne Knight
61    also doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary
62    of the prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully
63    constituted by the oath of Walter Law the
64    younger the Sole Executor named in the said
65    Will to whom administration was granted
66    of all and singular the Goods Chattels and
67    Credits of the deceased having been first sworn
68    duly to administer

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