Looking at Mary Mason’s website http://www.portbury-hundred.co.uk/wills.htm
I found a list Index of Somerset Wills 1812-1837
Code Name Year Place Trade Box/Folio
B743 Blake Ann 1831 Ashbrittle Widow 07/897
B744 Blake Edward 1836 Walcot Plumber 152/639
B745 Blake Hannah 1838 Compton Dundon Widow 152/101
B746 Blake James 1845 Bedminster Gent. 208/244
B747 Blake Joan 1828 Bicknoller Widow 73/750
B748 Blake John 1833 Bath Publican 113/190
B749 Blake John 1846 Nether Stowey Innkeeper 216/339
B750 Blake John 1853 Nether Stowey Yeoman 254/696
B751 Blake Richard 1842 Winsford Yeoman 184/1046
B752 Blake Robert 1814 Minehead Gent 9/500
B753 Blake Robert 1857 Combe St. Nicholas Yeoman 271/1200
B754 Blake Susannah 1823 Wiveliscombe Spinster 45/692
B755 Blake Thomas 1824 Compton Dundon Lab. 48/314
which included the will of Edward Blake 1836 at Walcot Plumber in Box/Folio 152/639. Possibly there is a slight error as Edward wrote his will in 1837.
When I check the Somerset Record Office site they refer to two indexes both of which I have on fiche. I need to extract the Blake information from those indexes.
Returning to the Will of Edward Blake written 14 October 1837. In his will he mentions his brother John and his two daughters Elizabeth Jennings (deceased) and Emma Keyes.
I did find a burial for Emma Keyes (infant 14 months) at Walcot 10 Feb 1837 buried at St Swithin. No parents were named. There was also a burial for Elizabeth Jennings 19 Feb 1835 at the age of 42 buried at St Swithin Walcot (year of birth circa 1793). No other details available.
My contact has mentioned to me that Edward Blake was born circa 1759 and lived until 1838 (Free BMD lists him as dying in March quarter 1838). My contact has read through the parish records for Wootton Basset, Wiltshire and found that Edward Blake (senior) had three sons George, Robert and John (from two marriages) but a son Edward is not shown in the registers. More on that later.
I have already transcribed the will for George Blake, Plumber at Walcot.
http://kippeeb.blogspot.ca/2013/10/will-of-george-blake-plumber-and.html
George mentions only his wife Hester by name and his children as minors. His will was probated 3 Apr 1829. I mention that I was unable to find Hester in the census in this blog and my correspondent kindly supplied that information in an earlier email:
“I visit your site from time to time and I see you have reached my "Walcot Plumbers" - George, Edward, & Hester etc etc.
You say no sign of Hester in 1841 - she's a widow so look in Cricklade with her daughter Mary Lansdown and in 1851 she's back in Walcot as a lodger in the home of Anthony Summer. She died 22/12/1857. If you pursue this family in Walcot/Bath it is inevitable sooner or later you will meet the brick wall - I have and others have as well. The secret is :- although they are very much Bath people right through the 19th cent prior to this, George Blake (husband of Hester) was born in Wootton Bassett in Wiltshire. In fact there were Blakes there way back to the 1700's - in the 1702 census there were five Blake families there. Basically, there were two branches of Blakes in Walcot in the 19th cent both coming from Edward of Wootton Bassett. One branch Edward was a plumber operating from Dover Terrace and the other was George operating from Lower East Hayes who did a bit of plumbing but was also glazier, tiler etc. None of the family
were grocers but one of George's sons William Blake was an upholsterer.”
Also a clipping from a Bath street directory helps to link these two men:
Further proof comes from a poor law examination:
“The following testimony is provided by John Blake [senior] about his son, John Blake [junior] to allow the Examiners to decide in which parish John Blake [junior] should receive parish relief. John Blake [junior] seems to have moved from Avebury parish in Wiltshire to Bath around 1808, (to judge from the dates provided by the settlement examination) to be apprenticed to his father’s two brothers George and Edward Blake, who were resident at Dover Terrace, Walcot. This family can be identified as the founders of the Blake Brothers business in Walcot.”
Poor law records for Avebury parish are held at the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre.
In the will Edward is referring to his brother John with regard to an annuity perhaps as a recompense for having John (John’s son) as an apprentice. I need to do some more looking up in the Bath directory to learn more about the Blake family at Walcot but I greatly appreciate all this information coming from a descendant of this Blake line.
There is one will for a Blake family at Wootton Basset in the Wiltshire Wills online – Richard Blake, Yeoman, 1800. P3/1800/25 As the correspondent has mentioned though there were a number of Blake families in Wootton Bassett. Of interest Wootton Bassett is just 6 miles from Wroughton, six miles from Swindon, eight miles from Ashton Keynes, 9 miles from Avebury and 9 miles from Calne.
Correcting an error on my part posted earlier, George Blake married Hester Miller who was from Wroughton. They married in St Mary's Chapel Walcot|:
No. 806. George Blake of this parish a Bachelor and Esther Miller of this Parish a Spinster were Married in this Chapel by Banns this twenty-seventh Day of August in the Year One thousand seven hundred and ninety eight by me Gains Barry Curate.
Details for Hester Miller also from my correspondent: daughter of George Miller and Betty. Baptized on the 8th December 1769 at Wroughton, Wiltshire. Her sister Jane was baptized on the same day.
Thank you very much for the correction. Information most gratefully received.
Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 3 Dec 2013
Source: Somerset Record Office
Testator: Edward Blake, Plumber and Glazier
Place: Walcot, Somerset, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 14 Oct 1837
Condition: 19th century English, legible copy
1 This is the last Will and Testament of me Edward
2 Blake of the Parish of Walcot in the County of Somerset Plumber First I
3 direct all my just debts funeral and testamentary expenses to be paid and
4 satisfied I Give unto my Brother John Blake an Annuity of two pounds
5 per Annum to be paid to him quarterly during his natural Life by my Executrix
6 herein after named I Give the Sum of three Shillings Weekly and every Week unto
7 and towards the maintenance of the Children of my late Daughter Elizabeth
8 Jennings for and during and until the youngest of such Children shall attain the age
9 of fourteen Years and to be paid and applied by my said Executrix for the benefit
10 of such Children accordingly. And subject thereto and charged therewith. I Give
11 Devise and Bequeath All and singular my Estate and Effects whatsoever and
12 wheresoever and of what nature or kind soever which shall or may belong to me
13 at the time of my Death Unto and to the use of my Daughter Emma Keyes (the
14 Wife of John Keyes of Bath Carpenter) her Heirs Executors Administrators and
15 Assigns for her and their own absolute benefit for ever. And I nominate and
16 appoint the said Emma Keyes sole Executrix of this my Will And I hereby
17 revoke and make void all former Wills and Codicils by me at any time
18 heretofore made. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my Hand and Seal
19 this fourteenth day of October in the Year of our Lord One thousand eight
20 hundred and thirty seven – The Mark and Seal X of Edward Blake The
21 Testator Signed Sealed Published and Declared by the
22 said Edward Blake the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament
23 in the Presence of us who in his presence at his request and in the presence of
24 each other have hereunto subscribed our Names as Witnesses the same having been
25 previously read over and explained to the said Testator W B Lidiard Bath
26 Thomas Evans 2 Brunswick St S Frederick Billington 8 Dover
27 Place Bath
No comments:
Post a Comment