Thomas Blake is the testator living at Bath and I have no ideas on how or if he fits into the Blake families known to be at Bath.
The registers for the abbey at bath are online at Archive.org:
http://archive.org/stream/registersofabbey28abbe/registersofabbey28abbe_djvu.txt
Robert Sumption, Esquire was buried 19 Jan 1778
Mrs Ann Blake was buried in 1798
Ann Blake, niece of the testator and mentioned in his will, married James Barnes (he was 40 and she was 30) 15 Feb 1817 in Hampshire (no more details apparent although that would give Ann a birth date of 1787. Information from LDS I03915-6. A second reference gives Wiltshire as the marrying place with reference I03128-4. Find My Past provides more information with James Barnes being of Tisbury, Wiltshire, a bachelor and gardener and Ann Blake being of Chilmark, Wiltshire and a spinster. Bondsman James Cuffe, butcher, Tisbury. They were married by licence granted by the Bishop of Salisbury – the place of marriage was not given as this is from the Sarum Marriage Licence Bonds.
An interesting document about the village of Chilmark online:
http://www.history-pieces.co.uk/Docs/Chilmark_1851.pdf
William Blake is listed as a lodger of 71? years and was an agricultural labourer now pauper. There is also a John Blake born 1821 at Chilmark and an agricultural labourer. The paper above is an analysis of the 1851 census for Chilmark. I pulled up this census to see if there was anything more to glean from it. The nephew of the testator was Thomas Blake, Lieutenant in the Royal Navy. However, Thomas is in will does express that there is a need for money on the part of his relatives.
The 1851 Census for Chilmark (listed in Tisbury RD) has the following entry:
John Blake, head, married, 30 years, agricultural labourer, born at Chilmark
Jane Blake, wife, married, 30 years, agricultural labourer, born at Dinton, Wiltshire
Ellen Blake, daughter, unmarried, 9 years Scholar, born at Chilmark
Anna Blake, daughter, unmarried, 7 years, Scholar, born at Chilmark
Keziah Blake, daughter, unmarried, 4 years, Scholar, born at Chilmark
Ann Alice Blake, daughter, unmarried, 2 years, Scholar, born at Chilmark
They are household 42 living on Street.
I also found William Blake, lodger, widower, 71 years, agricultural labourer/pauper, born at Teffont Magma. Household 94 living on Street. He is living with John Mould who is the head and next door is possibly his son John Mould with his family. All members of the Mould family except the younger head born at Chilmark (the other was born at Ridge).
The 1861 census for Chilmark (Tisbury) listed:
John Blake, head, married 44 years, agricultural labourer, born at Chilmark
Jane Blake, wife, married, 42 years, , born at Dinton
Ellen Blake, daughter, unmarried, 19 years, servant, born at Chilmark
Kezia Blake, daughter, unmarried, 14 years, , born at Chilmark
Alice Blake, daughter, unmarried, 12 years, scholar, born at Chilmark
Sarah Blake, daughter, unmarried, 9 years, scholar, born at Chilmark
Leah Blake, daughter, unmarried, 7 years, scholar, born at Chilmark
The 1871 Census at Chilmark (Tisbury):
John Blake, head, married, 57 years, agricultural labourer, born at Chilmark
Jane Blake, wife, married, 52 years, , born at Dinton
Edward Durnford, head, married, 31 years, agricultural labourer, born at Dinton
Ellen Durnford, wife, married, 29 years, , born at Chilmark
Elizabeth Durnford, daughter, 9 years, , born at Chilmark
John F Durnford, son, 6 years, scholar, born at Chilmark
William G Blake, son, 3 years, , born at Chilmark
(infant) Blake, son, less than 1 month, , born at Chilmark
Edward Durnford married Ellen Blake at Tisbury RD December quarter 1861 (Free BMD).
There was a marriage in December quarter 1840 between John Blake and Jane Yates in Wilton RD which includes Dinton.
But was John Blake the son of Thomas Blake, Lieutenant in the Royal Navy? Impossible to say but interesting none the less. The grandsons named John and William are also rather interesting and do tend to lead me to think this is not the family of Thomas Blake the testator but recorded none the less as a Blake family at Chilmark.
I did find James and Ann Barnes on the 1841 census at Tisbury:
James Barnes, 70 years, gardener, born in Wiltshire
Ann Barnes, 55 years, , not born in Wiltshire
Mary, 20 years, , born in Wiltshire
Ann, 20 years, , born in Wiltshire
In 1851 still in Tisbury RD but at New Sarum, there is an Ann Barnes:
Ann Barnes, head, widow, 65 years, fundholder (she made probate of her uncle’s will in 1844), born in Reynham, Kent
William Blake, son, unmarried, 28 years, farmer of 23 acres, born at Tisbury, Wiltshire
Have I perhaps solved the mystery of this Blake family? Could they be from the Kent Blake family? The Kent wills are still to come for the Blake family but will follow in due courser my doing the Wiltshire Blake and the Hampshire Blake family wills that I have acquired. There are 26 wills for Kent. I shall try to remember this will when I am doing Kent!
In 1861 Ann Barnes is still living at Tisbury, she is head of the household, widowed, 76 years of age, an annuitant and born at Raynham Kent.
Her son William is still farming at Tisbury, he is 38 years of age, farmer of 27 acres and married to Elizabeth, 50 years of age.
On the 1871 census Ann Barnes is a visitor at the home of Frederick Sibert (schoolmaster born in South America (British Subject)), also visiting an Ann Green, 52 years, widow, retired grocer of Tisbury Wiltshire, with her son Albert 12 years, born at Tisbury, Ann is widowed, 87 years of age, an annuitant, born at Rainham, Kent. Ann Green is perhaps the daughter of Ann Barnes mentioned in the 1841 census. On Free BMD March quarter 1849 Ann Barnes married Edward Green at Salisbury RD. On the 1851 Census at Tilbury, Edward Green is found on the census, head, married 53 years, grocer and baker, born at Tisbury, and with him Ann Green, wife, married 33 years, born at Tisbury. Although I did not notice it when I was looking up Ann Barnes on the 1861 census, living next door to Ann was the Edward Green family and Ann appears to be living with Phoebe Green, head, unmarried, 68 years, formerly lady’s maid, born at Tisbury:
Edward Green, head, married 64 years, grocer / malster, born at Tisbury
Ann Green, wife, married, 40 years, , born at Tisbury
Cecily Green, daughter, 8 years, scholar, born at East Tisbury
Alice B Green, daughter, 6 years, scholar, born at East Tisbury
William Green, son, 4 years, scholar, born at East Tisbury
Edward A Green, son, 2 years, scholar, born at East Tisbury
Ann has perhaps solved the mystery of who Thomas Blake, the testator, was and will wait to see the Kent Blake wills to see if anything further can be gleaned for this family. What has happened to Ann’s brother Thomas remains a mystery. I can not find him on the 1841 census. I did find one reference that he served as a Lieutenant (achieving that rank in 1808) but no other information yet. http://www.sailingnavies.com/show_person.php?nid=1&id=8629
This is a rather interesting page and will extract for future reference the Blake entries:
Blake, Edgar Henry, son of Henry and Martha Louisa (née Attersoll) Blake, achieved rank of Lieutenant in the Royal Navy in 1845.
Blake, George, died in April 1822. He served in the Royal Navy. Sons who served as naval officers: George Hans Blake.
Blake, George Charles served in the Royal Navy. Ranks attained Lieutenant (1806) and Commander (1819).
Blake, George Hans, son of George Blake, was born in August 1791. He served in the Royal Navy. Attained Rank of Lieutenant (1815).
Blake, James served in the Royal Navy. Attained Rank of Rear Admiral of the White in 1799. Promoted directly to Rear-Admiral of the White from Post Captain.
Blake, James served in the Royal Navy. Attained Rank of Captain in 1665.
Blake, John served in the Royal Navy. Attained rank of Lieutenant in 1787.
Blake, John served in the Royal Navy. Attained Rank of Captain in 1666.
Blake, Patrick John served in the Royal Navy. Attained Rank of Lieutenant in 1823, Attained rank of Commander in 1830, attained rank of Captain in 1841. Nephew of William Hall Gage (Marshall (Volume IV – Part II, page 349).
William Hall Gage was born on 2 Oct 1777 and died on 4 Jan 1864. He served in the Royal Navy. Honors: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Hanoverian Guelphic Order (GCH) on 19 Apr 1834. Attained Ranks: Lt (1796), Capt (1797), RAdm B (1821), RAdm R (1830), Adm B (1846), Adm W (1847), Adm Fleet (1862). Notes: Son of General Hon. Thomas and Margaret (née Kemble) Gage. Uncle of Patrick John Blake. Brother-in-Law of Charles Ogle.
Blake, Peter served in the Royal Navy.
Blake, Thomas died on Canterbury on 27 Nov 1703 when she was lost during the Great Storm of 1703. He served in the Royal Navy.
All this searching has given me the history of Lieutenant Thomas Blake, 1808.
A Naval Biographical Dictionary: Comprising the Life and Services of Every Living Officer in Her Majesty’s Navy, from the Rank of Admiral of the Fleet to that of Lieutenant, inclusive. Compiled from Authentic and Family Documents. By William R O’Byrne, Esquire, London: John Murray, Albemarle Street, Publisher to the Admiralty, 1849. Can be downloaded from Google Books.
Page 88 has the information and there are a number of Blake entries and I rather think I will record this information in another blog (there are a number of Blake entries). But for the moment I will record Thomas Blake in this blog. Since he entered the navy as midshipman 27 Feb 1802, he was likely a teenager between 14 and 18 years of age giving him a year of birth in the latter part of the 1780s. Ann, his sister, was born in the mid 1780s from the various census.
Page 88:
Blake, (Lieutenant, 1808. F-P, 11; H-P., 34.)
Thomas Blake
entered the Navy, 27 Feb 1802, as Midshipman, on board the Fox 32, Capt.
Jas. Giles Vashon, on the East India station, where he removed, as
Master’s Mate, in Jan. 1805, to the Pitt (afterwards Salsette)36, Capt.
Walter Bathurst. The latter ship, while blockading Port Louis in Jan.
1806, took several prizes; and on 20 of that month was much injured by a
fire from Fort Canonnier, to which she lay exposed for 20 minutes
without being able to return a shot. Mr. Blake, who subsequently
proceeded to the Baltic, and was attached for a brief period to the
Thisbe, bearing the flag in the Thames of Hon. Henry Edwin Stanhope,
obtained a Lieutenancy, 23 Sept. 1808, in the Calliope 20, Capt. John
McKeslie, under whom he witnessed the reduction of Flushing in Aug.
1809, and the capture, besides numerous other vessels, of the Comtesse
d’Hambourg, French privateer, of 14 guns and 51 men, after an obstinate
conflict, 25 Oct. 1810. He invalided from the Calliope, 27 Feb. 1811,
and was subsequently appointed – 25 June following, to the Pylades
sloop, Capt. Geo. Ferguson, employed in the Baltic, and also in the
North Sea, whence his health obliged him to return in Feb. 1812 – 14
Nov. in the same year, to the Cadmus 10, Capt. Thos. Fife, in the
Channel – and 29 July, 1814, to the Portia 14, Capt. Thompson. The last
was but a nominal appointment, as in a few days afterwards he again
invalided. He has since been on half-pay. Lieut. Blake is married, and
has issue.
From the Family Search website, the birth of Ann Blake 27 Jan 1784 at Rainham, Kent daughter of John and Mary Blake (C16511-1). Also Thomas Blake baptized 19 Nov 1786 All Saints Church, Canterbury, Kent, England with father John and mother Jane Blake (I01225-8). Is this the same John Blake, is this the correct Thomas? There is a marriage for John Blake and Jane Greenstreet 20 Feb 1785 at All Saints Church, Canterbury, Kent. The testator, Thomas Blake, did identify his brother as John.
Another interesting document on line is the Kent Lay Subsidy Roll of 1334/5 and I will record the website for future reference:
http://www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/Research/Pub/KRV/18/3/071.htm
Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 15 Nov 2013
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/1710/445
Testator: Thomas Blake, Esquire
Place: Bath, Somerset, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 18 Aug 1824, probated 18 Apr 1826
Condition: 19th century English, legible copy
[Margin]: Thomas
[Margin]: Blake
[Margin]: 23 Esquire
1 In the Name of my Lord and Saviour
2 Jesus Christ whose I am and whom I desire to love honour and obey Amen I Thomas
3 Blake of Lion Hill Bath in the County of Somerset being by the merit and goodness
4 of God at this time of sound mind and memory and desiring to make such a disposition
5 of my Worldly property as is consistent with the duty I owe to those with whom I am
6 connected by blood or friendship hereby revoking any former Will by me heretofore at any
7 time made do make constitute and declare this my last Will and Testament in manner
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8 Following that is to say first in humble trust in the mercy of God through the redemption
9 that is in Christ Jesus the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sin of the World I cheerfully
10 commit my Soul into his hands firmly persuaded that whosoever believeth in him shall
11 not perish but have everlasting life to him who I humbly hope hath loved me and
12 given himself for me I would ascribe all honour glory and praise for his great and precious
13 Salvation and for having graciously called me a poor guilty and perishing Sinner out of
14 darkness into his marvelous light and given me the blessed hope of an Inheritance
15 among the Saints in light secondly I will and direct that my mortal remains be interred
16 with all decent frugality in the abbey Church at Bath in the same Grave with my late
17 beloved Wife on the North side of the Great Western door near the entrance and that
18 my name the date of my death and my age be added to the inscription on the Stone
19 that covers her ashes and those of her Uncle the late Rob[er]t Sumption Esq[uie]r the first
20 Service I would request of my Executors hereinafter named is that they do as soon as
21 possible after my decease pay and fully discharge all my lawful debts which are but few
22 and small and also all charges and expences on account of my Funeral out of the money
23 I may leave either at home or at my Bankers Sir Benj[ami]n Hobhouse and Co. Milsom Street
24 Bath at the time of my death to my old and worthy friends Lieut General Sir William
25 Cockburn of Bath aforesaid Baronet and to Eliza Lady Cockburn his wife to each of them
26 I give five pounds for the purchase of a Ring which I request them to accept as a token
27 of my love and Friendship as an acknowledgement of the pleasure and comfort I have
28 during many years received from their kind Friendship and domestick Society also to
29 William Sarsfield Rossiter Cockburn Esquire their Son and to Miss Catherine Harriet
30 Catherine their daughter I give to each of them two pounds for a Ring and to the said
31 William S. R. Cockburn I also give my Copy of Homer in Greek commonly called
32 the Grenville Homer in 4 volumes small 4th printed at oxford 1800 and which was
33 the property of the late Lord Glenbernie and to the before named Catherine h
34 Cockburn I also give my Copy of Carys Dante in 3 volumes 8vo London 1819 those I
35 request my young Friends to accept as memorials of a departed Friend who loved them
36 to my Friend Charles Claude Clifton Esquire Son of the before named Eliza Lady Cockburn
37 I give two guineas for a Ring as a token of my gratitude for his benevolent Services
38 when by the perfidy of a professed Friend I was involved in distress and difficulties
39 to the Reverend William Say Minister of the Church of Christ assembling for the public
40 Worship of God in Argyle Chapel Bath I give two guineas for a Ring as a token of
41 my gratitude for the beneficial interest inspiration I have received under his Ministry and of
42 my esteem and respect of him as an able and faithful Minister of the Gospel
43 of Christ these small bequests to my Friends before mentioned are very inadequate
44 returns for which I owe them for the many acts of kindness with which they
45 have favored me but a sense of the duty I owe to my relations whose necessities
46 have indispensable claims on my consideration and assistance restrains me from
47 being more and obliges me to implore their indulgence and to allow me to substitute
48 the Will for the deed and in case the money I may die possessed of whether at home
49 or at my Bankers Sir Benj[ami]n Hobhouse and Co should not be sufficient for the payment
50 of my lawful debts my Funeral charges and the several small sums given and
51 bequeathed to my Friends before named for Rings etc then and in that case I will and
52 direct that the first monies due and receivable from my annuity of £85 Long
53 annuities in the Bank of England be applied to the payment of my said debts
54 Funeral charges and small bequests to my Friends and that neither the said
55 annuity nor any part thereof shall be appropriated or applied to the purposes and
56 bequests of this my Will which are hereinafter mentioned until my said lawful
57 debts my Funeral charges and the several small gifts and bequests to my Friends
58 for Rings etc be paid and fully discharged by my Executors hereinafter named with
59 regard to my Worldly property which consists principally of an annuity of eighty five
60 pounds in the Long annuities of the Bank of England of a Library of books of about
61 2000 volumes the particulars of which are specified in a written Catalogue of my
62 Silver plate my Iron Chest with its contents my pictures and prints framed and
63 glazed the Furniture in my apartments at No 1 Lion Hill Bath my China Glass
64 Kitchen utensils a large India Chest with its contents Linen of various sorts wearing apparel
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65 apparel philosophical and optimal Instruments a fine violoncello by Forster Sen[io]r with
66 its appurtenances in a Case with my name engraved on a brass plate my eight day grand
67 Clock by Grant on a carved bracket my gold duplex Watch with the gold Chain Seals and
68 key thereto appendant whatever money I may die possessed of whether it be at my home or
69 at my Bankers in short the whole of my property wheresoever and of what kind soever it
70 may be those articles only excepted which are before disposed of and appropriated in this my
71 Will I do hereby give and bequeath to my Nephew Thomas Blake of Chilmark in the County
72 of Wilts a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy of England and the Son of my late beloved
73 Brother John Blake subject nevertheless to the conditions and purposes hereinafter expressed and
74 enjoined that is to say that he my said Nephew Thomas Blake shall faithfully and regularly pay
75 or cause to be paid to my Niece Ann Barnes the Sister of my said Nephew Thomas Blake and
76 daughter of my late Brother John Blake an annuity of forty pounds by equal half yearly
77 payments to be by her received and enjoyed during her natural life and this said annuity of
78 forty pounds before mentioned I hereby give and bequeath to my Niece the said Ann Barnes to be
79 received and enjoyed by her during the whole time of her natural life and not to be by any means
80 subject to the Will and control of her Husband and for which the receipt along shall be a sufficient
81 discharge to my Executors and in order to secure to my said Niece Ann Barnes the certain enjoyment
82 and receipt of the said annuity of forty pounds I do hereby charge my annuity of eighty five pounds
83 Long annuities bequeathed to my said Nephew Tho[ma]s Blake with the payment of forty pounds
84 annually to my said Niece Ann Barnes bequeath so to her in the manner before expressed and
85 this said annuity of forty pounds by this my Will bequeath and given to my said Niece Ann
86 Barnes I do give and bequeath upon this express condition and with this positive restriction that
87 she the said Ann Barnes shall not at any time during her natural life directly or indirectly
88 transfer mortgage or sell or promise or engage to transfer mortgage or sell to any person or persons
89 whatsoever the said annuity of forty pounds or any part thereof by me bequeathed and give to her
90 my said Niece by this my Will and should she the said Ann Barnes contrary to my Will and
91 purpose herein expressed do or cause to be done any act and deal whereby she may invalidate
92 or dispossess herself of her right and title in and to the receipt and enjoyment of the said annuity
93 of forty pounds hereby bequeathed and given to her my said Niece by me in this my Will that and
94 in that case I do hereby revoke and entirely make null and void my said bequest of the said annuity
95 of forty pounds to my said Niece Ann Barnes and I hereby charge and require my Executors
96 hereinafter named to with hold and discontinue the payment of the said annuity or any part
97 thereof and to consider this my bequest to my Niece the said Ann Barnes as null and void
98 and as ineffectual as if it had never been made and I do hereby nominate and appoint my
99 dear and faithful Friend Lieutenant General Sir William Cockburn of Bath in the County of
100 Somerset Baronet and my said Nephew Thomas Blake of Chilmark in the County of Wilts
101 a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy of England joint Executors of this my last Will and Testament
102 not doubting that they will jointly and individually and faithfully and effectually discharge the
103 trust hereby reposed and bested in them according to the best of their judgement and ability and
104 I do hereby direct and authorize my said Executors jointly and separately to reimburse and indemnify
105 themselves for and on account of any expences charges or demands that they may be put to
106 or become subject and liable to by or in consequence of the execution and performance of this
107 my Will the whole of which is written by my own hand and I humbly and earnestly beseech
108 my most gracious Lord and Saviour that his blessing may attend it and that it may be beneficial
109 and satisfactory to all those who have any Interest or concern therein In Witness whereof I have
110 to the preceding pages subscribed my name and to this last page subscribed my name and affixed
111 my Seal this eighteenth day of august in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and
112 twenty four and in the seventy seventh year of my age T. Blake Signed Sealed published
113 and declared by the Testator Thomas Blake as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence
114 of us who in his presence and at his request and in the presence of each other have signed our
115 names as Witnesses hereto Chas. Lawder of Bath Banker J B Munday his Clerk
116 Proved at London 18th april 1826 before the Judge by the oath of Sir William
117 Cockburn Bart one of the Exors to whom admon was granted having been first sworn
118 by Comon duly to admr power reserved to Thomas Blake Esquire the Nephew the other Exor
119 On the 5th July 1842 Admon with the Will annexed of the Goods Chattles and Credits of
120 Thomas Blake late of Lion Hill Bath in the County of Somerset Esquire deceased
121 ____ by Sir William Cockburn Baronet deceased which ______ one of the Exors
122 named in the said Will was granted to Ann Barnes (Wife of James Barnes) a Legatee
123 named in the said Will having been first sworn by Comon duly to administer Thomas
124 Blake the Nephew and other Surviving Exor and the Residuary Legatee named in the said
125 Will having been first duly cited to accept or refuse as well the probate and execution of
126 the said Will as Letter of Admin with the said Will annexed of the said nam[e[d Goods with
127 the usual admonition but in no ______ as by Acts of Commt appearing
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