Francis Blake would appear to be originally from County Mayo Ireland. The Galway Blake family certainly lived in Mayo as well. However a search through the Francis Blake’s in Martin Blake’s extensive history of the Blake family does not permit me to isolate this particular Blake line to one in which Francis is one of the children.
Francis Blake mentions his brother John Blake, gentleman, his sisters Mary Rush and Ellis Concanon and his nieces and nephews, children of his sisters. The nephews have the names Thomas Rush, Peter Concanon and Thomas Concanon. The Thomas is suspicious and perhaps the name of their father. Thomas is unfortunately a very common forename in the Galway Blake family.
I checked the census in Liverpool but the first is not until 1841 and it is unknown if the family actually moved to Liverpool (the Concanon family).
Checking Irish records for a marriage between Mary Blake and Rush or Ellis Blake and Concanon was also not helpful.
There actually was a marriage to an unknown Rush by an unknown daughter of Mark Blake and Mary Browne in the right time frame but no further information in Martin Blake's history of the Blake Family of Galway. Mark Blake and Mary Browne actually did have a son John who died about 1786 and the second unknown sister married John Concannon. But no Francis is listed! Another son Mark Blake died in 1783 and is not mentioned in the will. He married his cousin Mary Blake daughter of Maurice Blake and Sibilla French. Is it possible that this is the line for Francis Blake? Interesting to find that two unknown daughters married into the Rush family and the Concannon family! No Thomas though in this family line going back a couple of generations.
The Mark Blake/Mary Browne family lived first at Rusheen, Co Mayo and afterwards at Ballinafad (Galway). John Blake, son of Mark Blake, became a Dominican Frair at the Abbey of Strade and after titular Prior of the Abbey of Rathfran, Co Mayo. One might think Francis would have made note if this was his brother John.
I will leave these thoughts with the reader!
Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 13 Jan 2017
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/1006
Name of testator: Francis Blake
Place: Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated 26 Jul 1774, probated 7 Apr 1775
Read: Electronic file images
[In margin] Francis Blake
1 The Last Will and Testament
2 of me Francis Blake of Liverpool in the County of Lancaster
3 Merchant by me made and duly published this twenty Sixth
4 day of July in the Year of our Lord One thousand Seven hundred
5 and Seventy four in the following manner First I order and
6 direct all my just debts Funeral Expences and the charge of
7 proving this my Bill to be paid out of my Real and
8 Personal Estate Item I give and bequeath unto my Executors
9 herein after named the Sum of three hundred pounds of lawful
10 Money of Great Britain to be by them received and put out
11 to Interest on such Securities as they in their discretion shall
12 think good and sufficient for the insufficiency or loss of which
13 they my said Executors shall not be answerable or accountable
14 provided the same be not through their wilful neglect or
15 default Upon Trust that they my said executors or the Survivors
16 or Survivor of them do and shall pay unto my Sister Mary
17 Rush of the County of Mayo in the Kingdom of Ireland
18 Widow the Yearly interest product and profits of the said
19 Sum of three hundred pounds during her life and after the
20 death and decease of my said Sister Mary Rush then my
21 Will and mind is that the said principal Sum of three hundred
22 pounds and the Interest produce and profits thereof shall be
23 paid to and received by my Nephew Thomas Rush Son of
24 my said Sister Mary Rush his executors administrators or
25 Assigns Item I give and bequeath unto my Executors Mathias
26 Holme of Liverpool aforesaid Merchant Jacob Nelson of the
27 same place Mariner and Charles Brown of Mold in the
28 County of Flint Esquire the Sum of two hundred pounds of
29 lawful Money of Great Britain to be by them received and
30 put out to Interest on such Securities as they in their discretion
31 shall think good and Sufficient (for the insufficiency or loss
32 of which they my said Executors shall not be answerable
33 or accountable provided the same be not through their wilful
34 neglect or default) Upon Trust that they my said Executors
35 or the Survivors or Survivor of them do and shall pay unto
36 my Brother John Blake of the County of Mayo aforesaid
37 Gentleman the yearly Interest produce and Profits of the
38 said Sum of two hundred pounds during his life and after
39 the death and decease of my Brother John Blake then my
40 Will and Mind is that the said Principal Sum of two hundred
41 Pounds and the Interest produce and profits thereof shall be
42 paid to received by and equally divided between my Sister
43 Ellis Concanon of Minola in the said County of Mayo
44 Widow Peter Concanon Thomas Concanon and Margaret
45 Concanon Sons and Daughter of the said Ellis Concanon and
46 their several Executors Administrators or Assigns as Tenants
47 in Common and not as joint Tenants Item I
48 give devise and bequeath unto my Executors herein after
49 named their heirs Executors Administrators and Assigns All
50 and Singular my Messuages Dwelling houses and Tenements
51 wheresoever situate lying and being And also all and Singular
52 my household Goods Plate Linnen China and other Furniture
53 of household Upon Trust to permit and Suffer my said
54 Sister Ellis Concanon and the said Peter Concanon Thomas
55 Concanon and Margaret Concanon to have hold use occupy
56 and possess and enjoy the same And the Rents Issues and
57 Profits thereof and of every part thereof to receive and take
58 to their own Use as Tenants in Common and not as joint
59 Tenants until my said Nephew Thomas Concanon shall
60 arrive to the Age of twenty one Years and from and after
61 his Arrival to that Age Upon Trust to permit and Suffer
62 the said Margaret Concanon to have hold use occupy
63 possess and enjoy and the Rents Issues and Profits of the said
64 several Messuages dwelling houses and Tenements household
65 Goods Plate Linnen China and other Furniture of household
66 to receive and take to and for the only proper use and behoof
67 of her the said Margaret Concanon the heirs Executors
68 Administrators and Assigns for ever or for and during such
69 Estate Term and Interest as I now or shall or may at any
70 time hereafter have therein Item I give and bequeath to my
71 said Executors the Sum of three hundred pounds to be by
72 them received and put out to Interest on such Securities as
73 they in their discretion shall think good (for the insufficiency
74 of loss of which they my said Executors shall not be
75 answerable or accountable provided the same be not through
76 their wilful neglect or default Upon Trust that they my said
77 Executors or the Survivors or Survivor of them do and shall
78 pay unto my said Sister Ellis Concanon the Yearly Interest
79 produce and profits of the said Sum of three hundred pounds
80 during her life in case she does not chuse to come over to
81 Liverpool to reside in my Dwellinghouse and Use and
82 enjoy my household Furniture as herein before is provided
83 But in case my said Sister Ellis Concanon shall chuse
84 to accept of my said house and household Furniture
85 as herein before is provided then and in such case this bequest
86 and the Trust here by created shall cease determine and be
87 utterly void to all Intents and purposes I also give
88 and bequeath unto James Nelson and [blank] Williams
89 of Edmond Street in Liverpool the Sum of fifty pounds to be
90 paid to them by my said Executors out of the first Effects
91 belonging to me which shall be remitted from the Island
92 of Jamaica after my decease to be by them applied and
93 disposed of so soon as may be convenient after Receipt
94 thereof to and for the Use and benefit of and amongst such
95 poor and distressed housekeepers and other poor persons in
96 Liverpool and in such manner as they in their discretion
97 shall think proper It is also my desire that my said
98 Executors do give to my Servant Woman Mary Watt in case
99 she be living with me at this time of my decease the Sum
100 of four Pounds four shillings per annum so long as she shall
101 continue a Servant to my said Sister Ellis Concanon after
102 my decease and in case my said Servant shall not chuse to
103 serve my said Sister or otherwise to dispose of herself in life
104 than I desire my said Executors to pay to the said Mary
105 Watt the Sum of three pounds three shillings Yearly during
106 the Term of her natural life Item I give and bequeath unto
107 my said Executors herein after named the Sum of four
108 hundred pounds of lawful Money of Great Britain to be
109 by them received and put out to Interest on such Securities
110 as they in their discretion shall think good and Sufficient for
111 the insufficiency or loss of which they my said Executors
112 shall not be answerable or accountable provided the same
113 be not through their wilful Neglect or default Upon Trust
114 that they my said Executors of the Survivors or Survivor
115 of them do and shall pay apply and dispose of the Interest
116 Produce and Profits of the said Sum of four hundred pounds
117 to and for the Maintenance Education and bringing up of my
118 said Niece Margaret Concanon until she shall attain her
119 said Age of twenty one Years and from and after the said
120 Margaret Concanon’s attainment to her said Age of twenty
121 one Years then my Will and mind is that the said Principal
122 Sum of four hundred pounds and the Interest Produce and
123 Profits thereof shall be paid to and received by my said
124 Niece Margaret Concanon her Executors Administrators or
125 Assigns Item I give and bequeath unto each of my
126 Executors herein after named the Sum of five pounds of
127 lawful Money of Great Britain And as for and concerning
128 all the Rest Residue and Remainder of my Estates both Real
129 and person and of what nature and kind soever and where
130 soever situate and being not herein before disposed of I give
131 devise and bequeath the same and every part thereof unto
132 my said Nephews Peter Concanon and Thomas Concanon
133 their heirs Executors Administrators and Assigns for ever
134 or for and during such Estate and Interest as I may have
135 therein as Tenants in Common and not as joint Tenants
136 and it is my Will and mind that my Executors Mathias
137 Holme and Jacob Nelson shall put my said two Nephews
138 Peter and Thomas Concanon out as apprentices to go to
139 the Sea in the West India Trade and not to the African
140 trade if my said Nephews shall agree and approve thereof
141 And Lastly I do hereby nominate constitute and appoint
142 the said Mathias Holme Jacob Nelson John Blake and
143 Charles Brown Executors of this my last Will and Testament
144 hereby revoking and making void all former and other Will
145 and Wills by me at any time heretofore In Witness whereof
146 I have hereunto put my hand and Seal and published and
147 declared these presents to be my last Will and Testament
148 the day and Year first before written Francis Blake
149 Signed Sealed published and declared by the said Testator
150 Francis Blake as and for his last Will and Testament in the
151 presence of us who at his Request and in his Presence
152 have our Names hereunto Subscribed as Witnesses Eliz Stuart
153 Moses Layton Thos Orrell
154 Appeared Personally Moses Layton of
155 Liverpool in the County of Lancaster Gentleman and being
156 sworn on the Holy Gospels made Oath that he knew Francis
157 Blake late of Liverpool aforesaid Merchant deceased for
158 upwards of ten years next before and to the time of his
159 death which happened as he hath been informed and believed
160 on the twelfth day of September in the year of our Lord One
161 thousand seven hundred and seventy four and this Deponent
162 saith that he was desired to attend the said Francis Blake
163 in order to take Instructions for altering of a Will which
164 he had made some short time before his death wherein he had
165 appointed William Tatlock of Liverpool aforesaid Beer Beror
166 one of his Executors that he desired that the said William
167 Tatlock might be left out and that Jacob Nelson of
168 Liverpool Mariner might be named an Executor in his
169 Room but through a Mistake in the Clerk who made
170 the latter Will which was wrote from the former with
171 the Alterations both the Names of William Tatlock and
172 Jacob Nelson were inserted together with the other persons
173 therein named and appointed Executors that this deponent
174 on the day of the date of the Execution of the said Will
175 attended the said Francis Blake the Testator to see him
176 execute the same and upon reading over the same to him
177 he objected to the said William Tatlock being one of
178 his Executors therefore this deponent at his Request
179 erased out the Name of the said William Tatlock before
180 he executed the said Will and this deponent further saith
181 that the Will hereunto annexed beginning thus “The last
182 Will and Testament of me Francis Blake of Liverpool
183 in the County of Lancaster Merchant” and end thus “In
184 Witness whereof I have hereunto put my hand and Seal
185 and published and declared these presents to be my last
186 Will and Testament the day and Year first before written
187 and thus Subscribed “Francis Blake” is in every Respect in
188 the same Plight and Condition as when the same was
189 executed particularly having words “and from and after
190 his arrival to that age” interlined between the fifth and
191 sixth lines of the second side of the said Will reckoning from
192 the Top thereof Also having the Words “use and” interlined
193 between the twenty Second and twenty third lines of the said
194 second side of the said Will reckoning as before Also having
195 the names “Jacob Nelson” written on an erasure in the twenty
196 fourth line of the third being the last Side of the said Will
197 reckoning as before And also having an Erazure in the twenty
198 eight line of the said third Side reckoning as before the said
199 Erazure beginning after the Word or name “Holme” and
200 continuing to the Word or Name “Jacob” in the said twenty
201 eight line All which he declares to be true by virtue of
202 his Oath, Moses Layton, On the seventeenth day of
203 March One thousand Seven hundred
204 and Seventy five the said Moses Layton was Sworn to the
205 Oath of the aforegoing Affidavid before me, John Lever
206 This Will was proved at London on the seventh
207 day of April in the Year of our Lord One thousand seven
208 hundred and Seventy five before the Right Worshipful Sir
209 George Hay Knight doctor of Laws Master Keeper or
210 Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury
211 lawfully constituted by the Oaths of Matthias Holme
212 Jacob Nelson and Charles Brown three of the Executors
213 named in the said Will to whom Administration was
214 granted of all and Singular the Goods Chattels and Credits
215 of the deceased being first Sworn by Commission duly to
216 Administer power reserved of making the like grant to John
217 Blake the other Executor named in the said Will when he
218 shall apply for the same
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