Amy Blake, Widow, is testatrix and this is the first of the Wiltshire Blake wills. In total there are 31 wills. This will bring me close to Christmas if I continue with my pace of one will per day up to that point but rather think I will take a break over Christmas and New Years although one never knows! At that time I will have my new wills and will probably do the Devon, Cornwall and Somerset ones in particular whilst the memory of those Blake wills is still fresh in my mind. When Wiltshire is complete I will do Hampshire and I have another about fifty wills for Hampshire including by then the oldest ones that I particularly want to look at. Perhaps they will assist me with completing the will of Richard Blake from 1522 which still has gaps. The surprise is that I may have a surname for the wife of William Blake who left his will in 1582 – Elizabeth was his wife.
This year for Christmas I decided to ask for will copies. I will acquire the oldest Blake ones that I want from Hampshire Record Office (14 of them). I just discovered this cache of Internal Revenue Will Abstracts at the National Archives and they especially fill the Devon/Cornwall/Somerset void of wills that were lost during the bombing of the Exeter Record Office in 1942 during World War II.
The reference to Poulton in Wiltshire is perhaps a reference to The priory of St Mary, Poulton.
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=36544
This village was historically part of the County of Wiltshire although physically detached from Wiltshire as it lies within the borders of Gloucestershire. It is now part of Gloucestershire and is in the Cotswolds. Having driven partly through the Cotswolds this is an area of great natural beauty.
Perhaps when the wills of Gloucestershire for the Blake family come in their turn to be transcribed I will be able to relate this Blake will to a particular family line. There are 19 wills for Blake in Gloucestershire and rightly they should be done with this group as I proceed forward so will likely follow Hampshire with Gloucestershire.
But Wiltshire is only just begun and it will likely be the new year before I progress beyond Wiltshire.
Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 21 Nov 2013
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/742/345
Testator: Amy Blake, Widow
Place: Poulton, Wiltshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 8 Jun 1744, probated 21 Oct 1745
Condition: 18th century English, legible copy
[Margin]: Amy Blake
1 In the Name of God Amen
2 I Amy Blake of Poulton in the County of Wilts Widow being weak
3 in Body but of sound mine and memory praised be Almighty God for
4 the same do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and form
5 following that is to say First and principally I recommend my
6 Soul to God that gave it hoping to obtain pardon and Remission
7 of all my Sins and my Body I commit to the Earth to be
8 frugally buried and as touching and concerning such Temporal Estate
9 as the Lord hath blessed me withal I give and dispose thereof
10 as followeth Imprimis all and singular my Goods and Chattels Tenements
11 Leases Ready Money Plate whatsoever which I shall be possessed
12 of or Intituled unto at the time of my decease I give devise
13 and bequeath unto my Grandson William Wooddeson and his
14 Executors upon Confidence nevertheless that he the said William
15 Wooddeson shall give of pay unto his Brother John Wooddeson
16 if he shall be then living the Sum of Ten pounds and Whereas the
17 said John Wooddeson is indebted to me in a penal Bond of
18 Fifty pounds with Interest on the same I do hereby Release
19 the same and I do likewise Release the said John Wooddeson of
20 the Sum of Fifty pounds which he Received of mine at Antigua
21 Item I give and bequeath unto my four Great Grandaughters
22 Elizabeth Heneretta Mary and Esther Wooddeson all my wearing
23 apparel and Linnen share and share alike to be given to them by
24 their Father William Wooddeson aforesaid at such times and in such
25 parcels as he shall think proper Item I give and bequeath unto
26 my Great Grandson William Wooddeson all my Books and
27 small Gold pocket piece and my two Silver Spoons Lastly I do
28 hereby Nominate Constitute ordain and appoint my said Grandson
29 William Wooddeson to be my whole and Sole Executor of this
30 my last Will and Testament hereby revoking any former Will or
31 Wills at any time by me made declaring this to be my last
32 Will and Testament whereunto I have put my hand and
33 Seal this present 8 day of June 1744 Amy Blake Signed
34 Sealed and delivered in the presence of us Richard Pearson
35 William Harbut Eliz: Ripper
36 This Will was proved at London before the Worshipfull
37 Robert Chapman doctor of Laws Surrogate of the Right Worshipfull
38 John Bettesworth also doctor of Laws Master keeper or Commissary
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