Barrie Blake brought to my attention a rather interesting arms on the Blake Pedigree Chart held at the Swindon and Wiltshire Record Office. Not being into Coats of Arms I haven't really paid a lot of attention to this particular aspect of genealogical research but obviously it should not be overlooked as it can help to place families particularly when they have moved away from their originating county. This arms is only used by William Blake the fourth son attributed to Roger Blake and Mary Baynard on the Blake Pedigree Chart held at the Swindon and Wiltshire Record Office.
His comments set me off on a search for a copy of the 1565 Visitation of Wiltshire. I had thought that I had downloaded it a while ago but I do now have a copy of this Visitation from Internet Archive (freely downloadable).
http://archive.org/details/visitationofwilt00harvrich
The section of interest on the Blake family reads as follows:
Blake of Hilcott
Arms: Argent, a chevron between three garbs Sable, a crescent for difference.
Robert Blaake of cumberford, co. Wilts, Esq., mar. Avys, da. of ..... Wallop of co. Hampsh., and by her had issue, - Gilbert and Alexander, died both sans issue; Robert; and John; Elizabeth; Alys; and Jone
Robert Blaake of Cawne in the said co., third son and heir of Robert, mar. Margerett, da. of Sir Thomas Englefeild of Englefeild, co. Berks, and by her had issue, - Roger, son and heir; Ann, mar. to Robert Baynard of Lackham, co. Wilts, Esq.
Roger Blaake of Cawne, son and heir of Robert, mar. Mary, da. of Philip Baynard of Lackham, and by her had issue, - Thomas, son and heir; Robert, second son; John, third son; Sibell, mar. to Henry Bull of Co. wilts; Jone, mar. to Anthony Goddard of Hartham, Co. Wilts, Gentl; Mary, mar. to Edward Langrige of Langrige, co. Southampton, Gent.
Thomas Blaake of Pynnell, co. Wilts, son and heir of Roger, mar. Edyth, da. of thomas Ivy of West Keinton, c. aforesaid, Esq., and by her hath issue, - Roger, son and heir; Michell; Gyles; Francis; and others
Robert Blaake of the Boroughe of Cawne, second son of Roger and brother of Thomas, mar. Alis, da. of Robert Smyth of Lacocke, co. aforesaid, and had issue, Roger, son and heir; Anthony, second son; Jone and Marye
John Blaake of Hilcott, co. Wilts, third son to Roger and brother to Thomas and Robert, mar. Jone, da. of .... Clarke of Shawe, Co. aforesaid, and by her as yet hath no issue.
This information I had from wills and having read this Visitation earlier.
I then found a copy of a rather interesting journal known as the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine and I was looking at Volume 9 which was published in 1866 and also available from Internet.Archive.org
http://archive.org/details/wiltshirearchaeo09arch
There is an article in this particular magazine which discusses descent and arms of families and was produced from the notes of the Richmond Herald at the College of Arms about 1693 although he was not appointed Richmond Herald until 1721. The article Wiltshire Arms and Descents was written by Mr. Clarence Hopper and the author of the notes was Robert Dale ( he was perhaps an heraldic painter prior to his appointment is suggested ). The comment is made that the information was principally from the Visitations of 1620 time period.
His notes on the Blague/Blake/Blaake family
Dorsetshire, 27. Blague, alias Blaake, now Blake of Quemberford [Quemerford], Calne and Pynhills - 1st, arg. a chevron between 3 garbs, sab. (this is the usual arms associated with the Blake family). 2nd, arg. on a pile, az. 3 martlets, sil. both by this name. Crest on a chapeau, gu. turned up erm. a martlet, arg. Kent 83.
Blague of Lacock, a second branch from Quemberford. Kent 83
Blague of Hilcot, a third house from Calne. Kent 83
This fits in with the Visitation of 1565 which states that Roger Blake and Mary Baynard had three sons - Thomas at Pynnell, Robert at Lacock and John at Hilcott which matches the information found in the Wiltshire Arms and Descents article mentioned above.
The Pedigree Chart held at the Swindon and Wiltshire Record Office includes a fourth son William married to Avice Ripley and living at Eastontown near Andover Hampshire. It lists this William as dying in 1582 and there is indeed a William Blake who died in 1582 at Eastontown near Andover but he was the son of Nicholas and Margaret Blake of Knights Enham. It has been an ongoing puzzle for me the last six years as to how many William Blake families were there at Eastontown (and how many dying in 1582). The Chart has the son of this William Blake named John (eldest son) marrying Margaret Blake (daughter of William Blake of Eastontown). I have yet to solve this mystery although I am tending towards the thought that there were two William Blake families at Eastontown (there were at least three farms there).
I continue to accumulate information to help me in the pursuit of the origins of this Blake family and indeed are they related to the Richard le Blak a merchant from Rouen mentioned in the Calender of Patent Rolls in 1274? Further to that the Pedigree Chart mentions as the furtherest back member of the family the deeding of land in Essex by Richard Blake to the Knights Templar. A search of the National Archives yielded a copy of this particular document but it was actually a Roger le Blake of Herefordshire who was involved in this land transfer. Is Roger related to Richard?
The Visitation of Wiltshire 1623 does not list William as a son of Roger Blake and Mary Baynard but indeed it only actually lists his eldest son Thomas Blake of Pennells who married Edith Ivie. Again this Visitation is freely downloadable from Internet Archive.
http://archive.org/details/visitationofwilt00sainrich
The will of Roger Blake isn't any more helpful as it too listed his eldest son Thomas and his youngest daughter Mary only (can be purchased from the National Archives (UK) website) and I have blogged my transcription of his will. Although I attribute William as a son of Roger I am doing so only on the basis of the Pedigree Chart. I am still puzzled by the William Blake families at Eastontown near Andover in the mid 1500s. Were there two or more? That is a real mystery not yet solved.
http://kippeeb.blogspot.ca/2013/01/will-of-roger-blake-esquire-of-calne.html
The origin of this crest is a mystery? I am curious if it is a French coat of arms that the originating le Blake/le Blak family used in France and decided to change to the arg. a chevron between 3 garbs, sab. which is the usual arms associated with the Blake family at Calne and Andover.
A little more searching has brought up another interesting publication of the Alphabetical Dictionary of Coats of Arms and on page 1023 I found the following:
Arg. a pile issuing out of the chief az. charged with three martlets, or. Blage
Slightly different from above but the surname attached to it is rather interesting - Blage.
http://openlibrary.org/books/OL7130641M/An_alphabetical_dictionary_of_coats_of_arms_belonging_to_families_in_Great_Britain_and_Ireland
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