Thomas Blake, the testator, mentions his wife Sarah and his sons George and John and his daughters Joan and Dorothy with Dorothy being named as Executor of his will. Searching on Family Search did not reveal any new information.
Thomas Blake, the testator, does make mention of the Merchant Ship the Queen Charlotte in which he has a part interest. Of interest 27 Jan 1813 the West Indian merchant ship Queen Charlotte was lost with four sailors of the Scilly Islands. This is quite a bit later though and is perhaps a different ship. This websites mentions that the West Country merchants including at Bideford controlled the fisher industry in Newfoundland in this first third of the 18th century in which the will is written.
http://www.heritage.nf.ca/exploration/18fishery.html
Thomas Blake, the testator, does mention his property at Instow and on the Friends of Devon Archives: Oath Rolls can be found:
Thomas Blake, yeoman of Instow (signed).
The Oath Rolls project on the Friends of Devon Archives webpage lists the following Blake entries (of interest these rolls include the names of 25,000 Devonians which is about 1 in 5 of the adults living in Devon in this time period of 1723):
Tawstock (http://www.foda.org.uk/oaths/QS17/2/2/10b.htm)
Christopher Blake of Roborough (signed)
Thomas Blake, yeoman of Instow (signed)
Exeter (http://www.foda.org.uk/oaths/QS17/2/6/1j.htm, http://www.foda.org.uk/oaths/exeter/2.htm)
Edith Blake of Sampford Peverell (marked “B”)
John Blake, cordwinder (marked “JB”):
Nicholas Blake, ironmonger (signed)
Thomas Blake, goldsmith (signed)
Thomas Blake, tailor (signed)
Honiton (http://www.foda.org.uk/oaths/QS17/2/3/2a.htm)
Thomasin Blake, spinster of Honiton (marked “T”)
Plympton St Mary (http://www.foda.org.uk/oaths/QS17/2/2/2b.htm)
Elizabeth Blake of Yealmpton/Plymstock (marked)
Nathaniel Blake of Cornwood (marked)
Roger Blake of Plympton St Mary (signed)
Susanna Blake of Plymstock (marked)
Ashburton (http://www.foda.org.uk/oaths/QS17/2/4/7a.htm)
Elizabeth Blake of Ugborough (marked “B”)
George Blake of Ugborough (marked “B”) also signed at Modbury
Modbury (http://www.foda.org.uk/oaths/QS17/2/3/13f.htm)
John Blake of Ugborough (signed)
Buckland Brewer (http://www.foda.org.uk/oaths/QS17/2/2/9a.htm)
George Blake, Clerk of Alwington (signed)
Mary Blake of Bulkworthy (marked)
Samuel Blake of Langtree (signed)
Burlescombe (http://www.foda.org.uk/oaths/QS17/2/2/16b.htm)
Humphrey Blake of Churchstanton (marked “H”)
Moreleigh (http://www.foda.org.uk/oaths/QS17/2/1/7b.htm)
Joan Blake of Diptford (marked)
Braunton (http://www.foda.org.uk/oaths/QS17/2/2/11a.htm)
John Blake of Charles (marked “B”)
Chittlehampton (http://www.foda.org.uk/oaths/QS17/2/2/13.htm)
John Blake of Warkleigh (marked “B”)
Chulmleigh (http://www.foda.org.uk/oaths/QS17/2/3/12b.htm)
John Blake of King’s Nympton (marked “B”):
Witheridge (http://www.foda.org.uk/oaths/QS17/2/3/5.htm)
John Blake of Stoodleigh (marked “+”)
Great Torrington (http://www.foda.org.uk/oaths/greattorrington/1.htm)
Philip Blake (signed)
Richard Blake (signed)
Wilmott Blake (marked “W”)
In one spot to look at them at a later date I will add the Freeholder information also from the Devon Genuki website and the Friends of Devon’s Archives:
Black Torrington
Andrew Blake, freeholder, North Petherwin (1734, 1735, 1736, 1738, 1739, 1742, 1743, 1744, 1745, 1747, 1749, 1750, 1751, 1752, 1753, 1754, 1755, 1757, 1758, 1759, 1762, 1763, 1764, 1766, 1773, 1774, 1775, 1776, 1777, 1778, 1780)
Thomas Blake, North Petherwin (1721, 1757, 1758, 1759, 1762, 1763, 1765, 1766, 1769, 1770, 1799)
John Blake, North Petherwin (1752, 1753, 1799)
Modbury
George Blake, Ugborough (1719, 1720, 1725, 1727, 1729, 1751)
Braunton, Duchy of Lancaster
John Blake, gentleman, Goodleigh (1711, 1714, 1715, 1719, 1720, 1721, 1725)
Shebbear
John Blake, leaseholder, Ware Gifford (1783)
South Molton
Richard Blake, yeoman, South Molton (1757, 1759, 1765, 1766, 1767, 1770, 1771, 1773, 1774, 1775, 1776, 1777, 1778, 1780, 1783)
William Blake, South Molton (1777, 1780)
Hayridge
Thomas Blake, Plymtree (1762, 1763, 1767, 1772, 1773, 1774, 1775, 1776, 1777)
William Blake, Plymtree (1777, 1778, 1780, 1799)
Coleridge
William Blake, leaseholder, Slapton (1733)
Having been a transcriber for some of this material, it is interesting to now be making use of it!
Parish Return towards the Rebuilding of St. Paul’s Cathedral (1678) (these records have many blanks). But the results are none the less interesting where they do exist.
http://genuki.cs.ncl.ac.uk/DEV/StPauls/index.html
Alwington
Thomas Blake, Rector
Goodleigh
John Blake
Honiton
Thomas Blake
Ide
Elizabeth Blake
Inwardleigh
George ?lake
Henry ?lake
Oakford
John Blak?
Parkham
Anthony Blake
Roborough
William Blake, Churchwarden
Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 13 Aug 2013
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/636/118
Testator: Thomas Blake, Mariner of Biddiford, Devon
Place: Placentia, Newfoundland
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 13 Jun 1729, probated 6 Mar 1730
Condition: 18th century English, legible copy
[Margin]: T[esta]m[ent]
[Margin]: Thomas
[Margin]: Blake
1 In the Name of God Amen
2 I Thomas Blake of Biddiford in the Kingdom of Great Brittain
3 mariner and now at Placentia in Newfound Land being much indisposed
4 in Body but of perfect Mind and understanding blessed be God
5 for it do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner
[Page 2]
6 and Form following that is to say Imp[rim]is I recommend my Soul that
7 precious and immortal part of me in into the hands of a gracious
8 redeemer hoping through his Meritts to inherit eternal life, Life and
9 immortality being brought to light through the Mediation of Jesus
10 Christ and my Body to be decently interred according to the discretion
11 of my Executors hereinafter named and as touching such worldly
12 estate or Goods as God has been pleased to bless me withal I
13 give devise and bequeath in Manner and Form following via[ a vi]t I
14 make and ordain my dearly beloved daughter Dorothy Blake of
15 Biddiford sole Executrix of this my last Will and Testament
16 reposing special Trust and Confidence in my good Friends Capt[ain]
17 William Chappell and Capt[ain] John Strange who I appoint her
18 Guardians and Trustees to this my Will especially for what Effects
19 I have in this Country (except my part of the Ship Queen Caroline
20 and Cargoe) which Effects are to be for her sole uses Benefit
21 and Behees for ever Item I give and bequeath to my Son George
22 Blake my part and Interest in the Ship Queen Caroline and
23 cargo now at Placentia aforesaid and in case my Wife Sarah
24 Blake should marry after my decease then I give devise and
25 bequeath all that my Estate called Nap in the parish of Instow in
26 the County of Devon to be equally divided between my too daughters
27 Joan Blake and Dorothy Blake Item I give to my daughter Joan
28 ten pounds to be paid out of what Effects I have in Newfound
29 Land and which is left to the discretion of the Guardians and
30 Trustees above named whether it shall be given or not Item I
31 give to my Wife Sarah my Clock and my best Bed with the
32 furniture thereof and also a Book intituled the Saints everlasting
33 rest Item I give to my Wife one doz pewter plates and six
34 pewter dishes as also Ten pound in Money Item I give to my
35 son John Blake Five pounds to be paid at the discretion of the
36 Guardians afore named all the Rest of my Goods and Chattles
37 not otherwise disposed of to be divided amongst all my Children
38 which shall be surviving at the time of my decease and I do
39 hereby indempnifie my Trustees from paying any debts of mine
40 further than they shall have Effects in their hands and I do hereby
41 revoke all other Wills formerly by me made and declare this to be
42 my last Will and Testament whereunto I have set my hand
43 and Seal this thirteenth day of June anno domini 1729 Thos
44 Blake Signed Sealed and published by the Testator to be his last
45 Will and Testament in presence of us James Chappell Chr Chappell
46 Edward Mills
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