Monday, October 14, 2013

Will of John Blake, Gentleman, St James Parish, Bath, Somerset - The National Archives PROB 11/1622/299, probated 20 Nov 1819

John Blake is the testator and a quick search did not reveal anything about him particularly.

Checked for Valentina Taylor and she is perhaps baptized 13 Aug 1777 at Bath Abbey, Bath daughter of William and Valentina Taylor.

Children of William and Valentina Taylor baptized at Bath Abbey, Bath, Somerset:

Ann baptized 18 Jan 1768
Elizabeth baptized 1 Jun 1769 - not mentioned in the will
Mary baptized 12 Dec 1770
Julia baptized 30 Jun 1773
Harriott baptized 28 Feb 1776 - not mentioned in the will
Valentina baptized 13 Aug 1777
William Lee baptized 23 May 1780 - not mentioned in the will

Marriage of Mr William Taylor bookseller of Bath and Miss Valentina Blake, daughter of Mr Blake apothecary, at St James Church, Bath, 5 Feb 1767. They were married by license and the witnesses were Ann Blake and Ann Wingrove. (Find my past website)

A rather interesting item from Dictionary of Canadian Biography (http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/blake_charles_5E.html) is Charles Blake who was an army officer, surgeon, apothecary, landowner, office holder and businessman born 13 Aug 1746 in Bath, England, son of John Blake. He lived his life in Canada marrying Mary Sunderland 12 Apr 1783 in Montreal and then 31 Mar 1804 he married Harriet Antill also in Montreal. From this marriage two daughters and Charles died in Montreal 22 Apr 1810. His appointment was 3 Jun 1770 to the 54th Regiment of Foot and later transferred to the 34th Foot and he arrived in the province of Quebec in the spring of 1776 with the troops under Major General John Burgoyne (this is the American Revolutionary War) and he continued in this capacity until the end of the war(1783). There is more information on him in the article but one is left to wonder is this the same family. Is Charles a brother to John, Anne and Valentina? I shall have to investigate this Blake family in Canada as there were two daughters born although I do not take that past their marriage and possibly the names of their children if more than 100 years ago.

An amazing discovery and I wonder if I can relate Charles back to John Blake and his sister Anne. But definitely this John Blake, testator, is uncle to the Taylor children mentioned in his will.

There was an Anna Blake baptized 17 Apr 1741 at Bath Abbey, Bath daughter of John Blake (born 16 Mar 1741).

There was a John Blake married to Betty Nernum 25 Jun 1738 at Abbey or Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Bath, Somerset (Family Search).

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 11 Oct 2013
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/1622/299
Testator: John Blake, Gentleman
Place: Bath, Somerset, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 10 Jan 1809, probated 20 Nov 1819
Condition: 19th century English, legible copy

[Margin]: John
[Margin]: Blake
[Margin]: 9

1    In the Name of God Amen
2    I John Blake of the parish of St James in the City of Bath
3    Gent[lma]n do make being of sound mind memory and understanding my
4    Last Will and Testament I give devise and bequeath to my friends
5    Thomas King of Walcot Place Statuary and Thomas George of the
6    City of Bath hosier etc all that my freehold messuage tenement or
7    dwelling house situate in Duke Street in the said City of Bath and
8    in which I now reside together with all the Offices and Garden
9    adjoining to and belonging to the same and also all my present
10    Effects Effects money notes bonds and property whatso-
11    ever and wheresoever of what nature kind and quality soever the same
12    may be upon trust nevertheless to the intent and purpose that they
13    the said Thomas King and Thomas George do suffer and permit
14    my Sister Anne Blake to reside and dwell in the said house for
15    and during the term of her natural life and to have the use of the
16    furniture plate china and all other the household Utensils of every
17    description and the prints and pictures which shall be in the said
18    house at the time of my decease and at and after the decease of
19    my said Sister Anne Blake then to convey and transfer the said
20    dwelling house together with all the said furniture plate china
21    prints and pictures which shall be in the said house at the
22    time of my decease and at and after the decease of my said Sister
23    Anne Blake Then to convey and transfer the said dwelling house together
24    with all the said furniture plate china and all other the household
25    utensils of every description and the prints and pictures and whatever
26    may belong to the said dwelling house unto Julia Taylor daughter
27    of William Taylor late of the City of Bath Book seller deceased or unto
28    the heirs executors or administrators of her the said Julia Taylor to
29    have and to hold the same in fee for ever from and after the decease
30    of my said Sister Anne Blake and upon trust to receive as the same
31    shall or may become due and paid all interest arising from my
32    Personal property whether from Stock vested and standing in my
33    name in the public funds or from bonds notes or other securities and
34    to pay over the same from time as the same shall be received to
35    my said Sister Anne Blake for her sole use and benefit and on
36    further trust to call in sell and transfer and to reinvest in Government or
37    other security all sums as they my said Executors shall in their
38    discretion think meet and right so to do and after paying all my
39    just debts and funeral expences and which I hereby require and
40    direct my said Executors to do as soon as may be after my decease
41    and with the first money of my property that shall come into their
42    hands
    [Page 2]
43    hands and after the decease of my said Sister Anne Blake I give and
44    bequeath to Anne Savage Mary Taylor Valentina Taylor Julia
45    Taylor daughters of the aforesaid William Taylor the residue of all
46    my property of whatever kind whether arising from money in the funds
47    Government Securities bonds notes etc I may at that time be possessed
48    jointly and equally divided between the aforesaid Anna Taylor Mary
49    Taylor Valentina Taylor and Julia Taylor to be paid to them or to
50    their representatives or assigns within six months after the decease of
51    my said Sister and my will is and I do further direct that if either of
52    the abovenamed Legatees Anna Mary Valentina or Julia shall die
53    in the lifetime of my said Sister that then and in that case the legacy
54    of her the legatee shall go too be paid to the sole survivor and further
55    it is my will that my said Executors and the survivor of them shall
56    and may lawfully out of my said Estate and property (and for which
57    express purpose I bind and make answerable all my Estate and property
58    Real and personal) pay and reimburse themselves or himself all such
59    costs charges and expences as they shall be at pay sustain or be put
60    to in and about the execution of this my Will and the trusts hereby in
61    them reposed and that they or either of them shall not be answerable
62    the one for the other nor for any loss or losses which may happen
63    to my Estate or property so bequeathed so as such losses happen without
64    their wilful neglect or default and I do give and bequeath to my Executors
65    to each of them the sum of ten pounds as a trifling but sincere proof
66    and memorial of my regard for them and for their trouble in the
67    execution of this my Will and I do hereby nominate constitute and
68    appoint the said Thomas King and Thomas George joint Executors
69    of this my Will and I do hereby revoke all other Wills and Codicils by
70    me made heretofore In Witness whereof I have to this my Will
71    contained in this sheet of paper to the first part thereof set my name
72    and hereunto my hand and seal this tenth of January Eighteen
73    hundred and nine John Blake Signed sealed published
74    and declared by the said John Blake as and for his last Will and
75    Testament in the presence of us who at his request and in the
76    presence of each other have subscribed our names as Witnesses
77    John Taylor hatter William Whitton hatter Tho[ma]s
78    Parker hosier Bath
79    On the 20th November 1819 Administration (with the will annexed)
80    of the Goods etc of John Blake late of the Parish of St James in the
81    City of Bath deceased was granted to Anna (in the Will written
82    Anne) Savage, Wife of George John Savage) the Niece and one of the
83    Residuary Legatees named in the said Will having been first sworn
84    by Commission duly to administer Thomas King and Thomas George
85    the executors and Residuary Legatees in Trust named in the said Will having first
86    renounced as well the Probate and execution thereof as Letters of
87    administration with the said Will annexed of the Goods of the said
88    deceased Anne Blake Spinster the Sister the Universal Legatee for life
89    named in the said Will having first renounced the Letters of Adminis-
90    tration with the said Will annexed of the Goods of the said deceased.

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