James Blake of Newenden, Kent is the testator. I could not find his death registration on Find My Past. I did learn that Newenden is the smallest village in Kent.
In his will he mentions his sons John and James and his daughter Alice. He holds the leases on farms named Lostenham and Harenden. His eldest son is not yet 18 years of age.
The will doesn’t offer any clues about the family other than their land holdings. I could not find any Blake records for Newenden. There is a partial transcription of the will below on the Kent Historical Society Website. I have attempted to transcribe the entire will but the content provided online by the Historical Society certainly captures the will quite well although in less detail.
Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 29 Nov 2019
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/36/102
Testator: James Blake
Place: Newenden, Kent
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 10 Mar 1552/53, probated 12 Apr 1553
[Margin]: Jacobi Blake
1 This is the last Will and Testament of me James Blake of Newenden in the Countie of
2 Kent made the tenth day of Marche in the seventh yere of the Reigne of our Sovereign Lord Kinge Edward the sixth First
3 I bequeath my soule into t[he ]handes of Jesus Christ and my Bodye to be Buried in the Church yard of Newenden Item
4 I bequeath twentie shillings of monye and a seame of wheate to be geven at my buriall amonge the poore people of
5 Newenden aforesaid Item at my monethes mynde twentie shillings in Like manner to be bestowed by the discretion
6 of my executor Item I will and bequeath to Elis Blake my daughter fortie poundes of Lawfull money of Englande and
7 litle cheste wh[i]ch was her mothers w[i]th all the kerchers vailes and lynnen in the said cheste and her mothers best hooks and a
8 tach of silver the said fortie poundes to be paide to her w[i]thin a moneth next after her marriage or at her age of xxxth
9 yeres And the saide goodes to be delevered to her ymmediatlie after my decease And if it fortune the said Elis to decease
10 before her marriage or her age of xxxth yeres Then I will the saide fortie poundes to John and James Blake my sonnes
11 Item I will to George Blake my cosyn one thre yereinge heyfer w[i]th a calfe and a twelve mountinge heifer budd Item
12 to John Willerd my servaunt a two yeringe heifer w[i]th a calfe Item I bequeath to Thomas Brincker and
13 Humfrey my servaunts either of them a Cote of myne and humfrey my best white hoose Item I bequeath to James
14 Bate my servaunt a two yeringe heifer w[i]th a calfe Item I bequeath to John Springett my servaunt two peces of Lande
15 w[i]th a crofte and a forelande lyinge to the Chauncell nexte Newynden being parcell of my ferme of Harenden to have
16 and to hold unto hym his executors and assignes from the feaste of Saintt Michaell th[e]archangel nexte comynge
17 unto th[e]ende and terme of fouer yeres paying therefore yerelie unto my executore fortie shillings at the feaste of
18 th[e]annunciation of our Ladye and Saint Michael th[e]archangel by even porcions provyded that the said John shall
19 neither stripe or wast any woodes or underwoodes Item I bequeath to Elizabeth Witt my servaunt a cowe w[i]th a
20 calfe my best gowne and my wiffes best kirtle Item I bequeath to Anne my servaunt iii yards of my Russet
21 and ii yards and a q[ua]rter of White blankett Item I bequeath to Joane Burge ii yards of Russett for to make
22 her a peticote Item I bequeath to Johan Manne my s[er]vant a cowe and a peticote cloth of Russet and a wo[r]sted
23 kirtle that was my wives Item I bequeath to John Fowle my brother from the feaste of Sainte Michaell
24 th[e ]archangel nexte all my ferme of Lostenham to have unto him his executors and assignes duringe all
25 the tyme of my life therein Item I will that John Fowle shall have of my stock the which he shall
26 requyre to the value of fortie pounds the vallue to be as he canne agree w[i]th my executor or el[s]e to have fortie
27 poundes in monye and that the said Fowle shall pay for the saide stocke or else the fourtie poundes again unto
28 my executor w[i]thin two yeres nexte the wryste thereof Item I bequeath to Thomas Donke all my ferme of
29 Herenden as well the Landes before bequeathed to John Spryngett after the yeres ended as also all the land
30 residue to have to him his executors and assignes from the f[ea]ste of Sainte Michael th[e ]archangel next
31 coming unto th[e ]ende of vij yeres he paying therefore to the use of John Blacke and James Blacke my sonnes
32 twentie poundes And after the saide vij yeres I will all the said lease and ferme of Herenden as well all
33 other lands nowe beynge in the hands of John Fowle and Thomas Donke, Richard Baylie and Thomas
34 Courte as all the Residue unto John Blake my sonne to have unto huym during all the tyme of my Leasse therein
35 And if the saide John die then I will it to James my sonne to have unto him in like manner And if James fortune to decease
36 Then I will it to Alice my daughter in Like manner. Item I bequeath to John Blake and James Blake my sonnes all my
37 brasse and pewter Cowpbordes, chestes, ij of my best Featherbeddes w[i]th ire boulsters, coverings, pillowes, w[i]th all
38 other things thereto belonging and all my lynen equallie to be devyded and delyvered unto them at either of their ages
39 of xxiij th yeres The Residue of all my goods and cattalls moveable or immovable my debtes first paide and this my
40 will fullfilled I geve and bequeathe them unto John and James my sonnes herebeit my will and full mynde is that Thomas
41 Donke shall sell them all to the best prise he canne and the monye thereof that he shall bestowe and bye Landes and
42 tenements to the use of the said John Blake and James Blacke my sonnes and of theire heires and assignes forever And
43 that the same Donke to receave the proffitt thereof to those aforesaide Item I bequeath to the reparacions of the Church
44 of Newenden three shillinges Item I make and ordeyn the said Thomas Donke to be my sole executor of this my present
45 testament and last Will Item I make John Twisden Thomas Petter and John Fowle my overseers of this my will and
46 testament and I geve to either of them vj s vij d for theire labor Item I bequeath to everie of my godchildren vij d
47 This is the Last wyll and testament of me the saide James Blacke made
48 the day and yere aforesaide converrynge all my Lands and tenements, Rentes, Reversions, p[re]mises w[i]thin the Countie
49 of kente First I will and bequeath that John Twisden and Thomas Petter shall receave and take all the proffittes
50 and Issues the woodes and underwoodes onlie excepted of all my Lands, tenements and Rentes until John my sone
51 come to his age of eighteen yeres and that they shall sufficientlie kepe them and putt them to scole at theire discretion and
52 also shall honestly bringe and kepe upp Alice my daughter until the said John come to his age of eighteen yeres And
53 for the overplus of the proffittes of the said Landes after my children founden I will that they shall make a true
54 accompts unto the saide John and James my sones when the said John shall come to his saide age of eighteen yeres
55 and that I will all the saide Landes tenements and Rentes w[i]th the appurtenances unto the said John and James Blake
56 my sonnes and to theire heirs and assignes equallie to be devyded amonges them Item I bequeath that whereas I have
57 one Rente of thre poundes six shillings eight pence by the yere goinge out of the Landes of John Twisden and the saide
58 Rent is upon redemptions as by Indenture it appereth that if the said John Twisden has __ encumbrances and
59 assignes to redeme the said Rente and pay £60 the which quietly oute for the said Rent that then my will is that
60 Thomas Donke my executor shall receave the said £60 And when he hath receaved it that he shall bestowe the said
61 monye upon Lands to the use of the saide John and James my sonnes and theire heirs for ever Item my will
62 is that the saide Thomas Donke my executor shall suerlie pay to Barthileme Brooke £75 at the tyme
63 as it is appropriate to bepaide for the Lands I late bought of hym This witnesse John Sharpe John Fowle John
64 Hope John Twisden
65 Probatum fuit suprascriptum testamentum unarium ultima voluntate duodecimo Aprilis Anno domini
66 millesimo quingen o guinguagesimo tertio Juramento Thome Donke executors in h[uius]m[od]i testamento nom[in]at de
67 Approbatum et insumatum et Commissa fuit Administratio omnium bonorum etc deo ___ De bene et fidelter administratio
68 eadem Ac de plano et fideli Inventario omnium bonorum etc exhibden necnon de plano et vero compo in ea parte reddend
69 Ad sancta dei Evangelis Jurat
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