James Blake is the Testator. He names his wife Jane and his sons John and Charles and his daughters Elizabeth, Jane and Susannah.
He is likely the James Blake married to Jane Edwards in 1695 at Urchfont, Wiltshire (Family Search Patron Entry). Free BMD has the licence Bond (Sarum Marriage) giving the following details for the marriage in 1695 between James Blake, Salisbury, bachelor, grocer, 24 years of age and Jane Edwards, Salisbury, spinster, 23 years of age and that they married at Urchfont/Patney. Bondsman was Timothy Edwards, tailor, Salisbury.
Children of James and Jane Blake baptized at Saint Thomas Salisbury (Family Search C15348-2)
James baptized 6 Sep 1696
John baptized 19 Sep 1701
Jane baptized 13 Aug 1702
Charles baptized 28 Aug 1703
Edward baptized 8 Oct 1704
Elizabeth baptized 28 Nov 1705
Susanna baptized 1 Jun 1712
This family grouping does resemble the wife and children of James the Testator mentioned in the will (James, eldest son and Edward, youngest son are not mentioned so possibly deceased). One wonders if Elizabeth has formed a friendship which is not deemed suitable by her father judging by the funding he will provide if she marries.
One possibility for the testator is James Blake baptized 2 Feb 1670 at Great Wishford, Wiltshire son of John Blake. There is also a James Blake baptized 4 Dec 1667 at Burbage, Wiltshire son of John and Jane Blake. A third possibility is James Blake baptized 15 Nov 1665 at Saint Thomas Salisbury son of Thomas and Ann Blake (less likely as no sons are named Thomas). A fourth possibility is James Blake baptized June 1767 at St Edmunds Salisbury son of Nicholas Blake (also less likely given no sons named Nicholas). All of these records from Family Search.
Urchfont where James Blake married Jane Edwards in 1695 is 19 miles north of Salisbury and 14 miles north of Great Wishford. Burbage is 12 miles east.
James age is stated to be 24 years in 1695 so he was born circa 1671 and the most likely candidate from the baptisms is James Blake baptized at Great Wishford and son of John Blake.
There was a James Blake mayor of Salisbury in 1716 and 1718 and in 1757 a John Blake was mayor of Salisbury. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayor_of_Salisbury
I will return to this Blake line to investigate the sons John and Charles and their marriages at a later date as well as any marriages for their sisters Jane, Elizabeth and Susanna.
Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 4 Dec 2013
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/663/213
Testator: James Blake, late Grocer
Place: New Sarum (Salisbury), Wiltshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 8 Feb 1732/33, probated 31 Jan 1733/34
Condition: 18th century English, legible copy
[Margin]: James Blake
1 In the Name of God Amen
2 the eighth day of February 1732 in the sixth year of the
3 reign of our Soveraigne Lord King George the second over
4 Great Britaine etc I James Blake of the City of New Sarum
5 in the County of Wilts late Grocer calling to mind my own
6 mortality and that eer Long this body of Clay will be dissolved
7 I do now in m y health and good memory (thanks be to
8 Allmighty God) make and declare this my last Will and
9 Testament in manner and form following (that is to say) First I
10 will and require that my debts and Funerall Expences be first
11 paid and discharged Item I give and bequeath to my dear
12 and loving wife Jane half my pewter and brass and Linnen and
13 my best bed and furniture of the Room I now lodge in
14 which is over my son John’s Warehouse the Furniture of the
15 parlous as it now is and all my plate Item I do give unto her
16 during her life those two Tenements in Castle Street lately
17 bought of Mrs Jane Munday belonging to the Fabrick
18 provided always and it is my Will and meaning that my
19 wife shall deliver up to be cancelled one Bond which I gave
20 before marriage to secure payment of the summe of two
21 hundred pounds to her use after my decease and in case she
22 will not deliver up such Bond to be cancelled as aforesaid
23 Then my will is that those two Tenements above mentioned
24 and given her during her life and Legacys or Goods so given
25 as aforesaid shall be void and that then she shall be intituled
26 only to the summe of ten pounds to buy her mourning Item I
27 give unto my Son James Blake and his wife twenty pounds to
28 buy them mourning Item I give unto my Son John Blake and
29 his wife twenty pounds to buy them mourning Item I give unto
30 my Son Charles Blake and his wife twenty pounds to buy them
31 mourning Item I give to my daughter Elizabeth ten pounds to
32 buy her mourning and twelve pounds per Annum to be paid
33 by my Executrixes hereafter mentioned during the time she
34 continue unmarryed and if she ever do marry that then she
35 shall be paid only two Shilling a week during her life Item all
36 the rest residue and remainder of all my Goods Chattells and
37 personal Estate of what nature kind quality soever notherein
38 before given and bequeathed I do give and bequeath unto
39 my two daughters Jane Blake and Susanna Blake equally
40 between them whom I do appoint Executrixes of this my
41 last Will and Testament and I do hereby injoyn them to the
42 due performance of the same and I do hereby nominate and
43 appoint my good friends Mr Wm Naish of this City Apothecary
44 Mr Danell Oland of Wishford and Mr Thomas Martan in
[Page 2]
45 Dragon Street in this City to be Trustees and assisting to my
46 Executrixes in discharging and performing this my last Will
47 and Testament and I do give and bequeath to each of them
48 my Trustees a Ring of twenty shillings and I do hereby
49 declare this to be my last Will and Testament and I do revoke
50 all other Wills by me made In witness whereof I have hereunto
51 sett my hand and seale the day and year first above written
52 James Blake Signed Sealed published and declared by the said
53 Testator to be his last Will and Testament who subscribed and
54 executed the same in the presence of us whose names are
55 hereunto sett as witnesses who subscribed the same in the presence
56 of the Testator and of each other those words (ten pounds to buy
57 her mourning and) at the two and twentieth line downward
58 was interlined before executed Jno King Hen: Bennet Thos
59 Curtis at the Roe Buck
60 This will was proved at London the thirty first day
61 of January in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred
62 and thirty three before the Worshipfull John Andrew doctor of
63 Laws Surrogate of the Right Worshipfull John Bettesworth
64 doctor of Laws Master keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative
65 Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the Oaths of Jane
66 Blake and Susannah Blake the daughters and Executrixes named
67 in the said Will to whom Administration of all and singular
68 the Goods Chattells and Creditts of the said deceased was
69 committed they being first sworn duely to administer
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