The countryside driving along A343 between Salisbury and Andover was quite beautiful and this picture was taken the 22 Apr 2008 (we are close to Nether Wallop). We had left stacks of snow in Canada when we flew to England and seeing the lush green fields was quite ethereal. We love the snow but escaping it in April was quite wonderful although we knew it would be gone when we returned mid May! The distance from Salisbury to Andover is 31 kilometres and driving straight through takes about 30 minutes. We dawdled along somewhat since there was very little traffic and the entire trip took just under one hour (my BLAKE cousin Ivan Kent and his wife had driven us).
We did not actually go to Andover but took a turn at Abbotts Ann that led us to Upper Clatford where my grandfather Samuel George BLAKE was born in 1875 and a number of generations of his BLAKE family before that were also born at Upper Clatford. His 2x great grandfather Joseph BLAKE was born in Andover. But that is a long story and can be seen in other blog posts. I digress and will return to the intent of this post.
This will below written by John BLAKE of Nether Wallop and dated 24th Feb 1503/04 is often quoted by BLAKE researchers to prove their BLAKE lines and this John was known to be the son of Robert BLAKE and Avis Wallop. We know that John is 40 years or more old when his mother's estate was examined under Inquisitions Postmortem, Series 1, Edward IV Avice BLAKE (C 140/48/6) in 1474 so he was born circa 1434 or earlier. In 1504 he would have been at least 70 years old. John was married twice and he did not mention, in his will below, any of his male heirs carrying the BLAKE surname. Part of the fascination for me in all of this aside from information for my one-name study of the BLAKE family is that he lived at the time that the grandfather of Nicholas BLAKE (my likely 12x great grandfather) at Enham lived (thought to be Robert BLAKE married to Maud Snell). Living at Nether Wallop John BLAKE, the testator, was only seven miles south west of Andover and we passed through the area of the Wallops on our way to Upper Clatford (1 mile south of Andover or in truth just on the opposite side of the highway these days having traveled A30 several times between the two). Nether Wallop lies in a bit of a valley and one mile to the north west is Middle Wallop and two miles to the north west is Over Wallop. Then six miles to the north east is Goodworth Clatford and also Upper Clatford which are two continuous villages (Upper Clatford lying between Andover and Goodworth Clatford). As we drove these lanes I could imagine my great grandfather Edward BLAKE (Ivan Kent, my second cousin, and I both descend from Edward BLAKE (my father was born at Eastleigh, Hampshire)) walking from his home to work each day as he did all of his working life down Rice Road. Looking at the picture of him from 1898 I can see from whom I inherited my strabismus (lazy eye syndrome) for there it is forever captured in picture the one eye wandering about on its own whilst the other is fixed on you the viewer (my cousins have the original which is about 2 feet wide and 3 feet tall). I have a copy of it that was made into postcards and given to all the children. My grandfather's copy was folded into his wallet to keep it close to him.
The testator John's brother Robert acquires Pinhills (https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1261808) by this will of Johns (although not mentioned except in the line where it was said that Richard Dauntsey would inherit the properties in Southampton (old name for Hampshire) and Wiltshire with some exceptions and this was one of the exceptions) and it stays with the Robert BLAKE family into the reign of Charles I when it was destroyed by the Royalists in 1644 (and that is a whole other story!). A smaller manor was built from the original stones at Pinhills and the BLAKE family continued to live there into the 1700s.That John does not directly mention that Robert, his brother, will receive Pinhills in his will does leave one to wonder what else might not be in the will.
This BLAKE family at Pinhills and Nether Wallop can trace back on paper to the BLAKE family that is on the 1286 subsidy for Wiltshire and on the BLAKE Pedigree Chart which is held by the Swindon and Wiltshire Record Office. This rather large document (12 feet long by 4 feet wide) was commissioned by the Daniel BLAKE family in London, England in 1690 to record their family line and was produced using primarily the Visitations but also other family documents which I have not yet been able to determine. The College of Arms holds an original chart. I did speak with one individual who works at the College of Arms and they do not hold the other family documents but he suggested contacting any living family to see if they still retain these documents (I have not yet done so and may leave that for another researcher). The College of Arms is located near St Paul's Cathedral in London just up from the London Millennium Footbridge. Something that should not be missed when visiting London is crossing on foot all of the bridges over the Thames River and wandering down both sides of the River. The most we ever did was 20,000 steps per day and that took us from our hotel just south of Waterloo Station up into London and along the Thames to St Paul's Cathedral and back across the Thames and down into Bermondsey and then back to our hotel. A wonderful walk and we took about ten hours in total with lots of interesting stops along the way. Over the next few days we repeated our long walks journeying all over Bermondsey and London. You can take the Underground and it is a must to go to Kew, the Museums, Greenwich but to be in the City of London or Westminster the best way is to go on foot.
The BLAKE Pedigree Chart (mentioned above) interestingly enough does have a male descendant for John BLAKE (son of Robert BLAKE and Avis Wallop). He is named David BLAKE on the chart and was the son of his first wife Margaret Dyncham/Dinham/Denham. David is said to have married Joane Mallet and two children are mentioned: John BLAKE Abbot of Cirencester, Gloucester and William BLAKE who married Margaret Browne of Wablyn (all duly entered on the BLAKE Pedigree Chart mentioned above). William BLAKE and Margaret Browne had two sons Martin BLAKE who married Catherine Vaughan of Herefordshire and John BLAKE who is said to be the ancestor of the Somerset BLAKE family and mentioned on the chart the Lord High Admiral Robert BLAKE as one of that John BLAKE's descendants.
Robert BLAKE and Avis Wallop had seven children according to the Visitation of Wiltshire 1623. Their son Robert BLAKE married Margaret Inglefield and their two children Roger BLAKE and Anne BLAKE married into the Baynard family. Roger BLAKE married Mary Baynard and the Visitation of Wiltshire 1623 lists six children for this couple (Thomas, Robert, Sibell, Jone, Maria and John). Roger BLAKE and Mary Baynard are said (on the BLAKE Pedigree Chart prepared by the College of Arms in 1690) to have had seven children including a son William BLAKE of Eastontown who married Avice Ripley. It is this William BLAKE that I have been most interested in from the viewpoint of my own family at Andover/Upper Clatford (his death is listed as 1582 on the BLAKE Pedigree Chart and he was living at Eastonton near Andover). A William BLAKE does leave a will dated 27 Jul 1582, probated 14 Nov 1582 and he was living at Eastonton but he was the son of Nicholas and Margaret (unknown) BLAKE of Enham (he identifies his siblings in his will). This William (son of Nicholas) who lived at Eastonton near Andover lists his children in his will but this list does not agree with the children listed in this BLAKE Pedigree Chart. But one is left with the impression that it doesn't really make sense to make up a William when all this other information exists. Unfortunately, Roger BLAKE only mentions his eldest son and his youngest daughter in his will. However, there could have been a son William who married Avis Ripley and had the children mentioned because these children do exist in the records as do the children in William BLAKE's 1582 will! Each of the William BLAKE had a son they named John and that John married a Margaret BLAKE just to add to the confusion. The 1571 Lay Subsidy returns for Andover and area do list two William BLAKE entries (1571 William BLAKE of Enham G 40 and 1571 Knight's Enham Tithing William BLAKE G 3 - West Hampshire Lay Subsidy Assessments, 1558-1603 (Andover, Kingsclere and New Forest Divisions), Edited by Douglas F Vick, 1987 (self-published))). It is just a really strange coincidence perhaps. But it has entered into the BLAKE families of Andover and Calne a real mystery! Since the parents of the William who left his will in 1582 were Nicholas and Margaret (unknown) BLAKE I eliminated the idea that William BLAKE married twice. But it is a real conundrum because of these old BLAKE Pedigrees. That Roger BLAKE did not name all of his children in his will and John BLAKE, the present testator, does not appear to either has led me to look at this present will with a different approach which I also mention in one of the paragraphs below. All of these wills mentioned are on my blog (I have nearly 2000 posts but it is possible to search or use the tags). Interestingly one of William's grandsons (William son of Nicholas) Richard BLAKE married Jone BLAKE (this appearing to be my line) and I am contemplating if Jone BLAKE may have been descendant of the Wiltshire BLAKE family.
This Visitation of Wiltshire 1623 principally looks at Robert BLAKE (brother of the testator John BLAKE)'s descendants. Henry BLAKE is living in 1623 at Pennells (according to the visitation) and just to place this manor it is to the WSW of Calne about 1 mile. It is about 29 miles from Nether Wallop to Calne. John BLAKE, the testator, doesn't say in his will where he is located at the time that he is writing his will.
John does mention his nephew Roger (son of his brother Robert although not as nephew). He does mention his servants Robert Blake yeoman and John Blake (currently his servant) (possibly these two men were learning from him how to manage an estate which was not uncommon for this to happen in families with land). For me, this will of John BLAKE opened my eyes to interpreting wills in a way that I had not before 2008. As a result, I read wills differently (and discussed them with a thought to what could be missing when it was applicable) from that point onward.
Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 25 Oct 2012
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/14/155
Name of testator: John Blake, Esquire
Type of Record: Will
Dated: 24 Feb 1503, probated 24 Apr 1504
[In margin] Testum
[In margin] Jo Blake
1 In the Name of God Amen The xxiij day of February the xix yere of our sov[er]eigne lorde kinge henry
2 the vij th I John Blake Esquier of good and hole mynde laude and praysing be to the Infinite mercy and grace
3 of all myghty god make and comend this my last Will and testament First I bequeth my sowle to almyghty
4 god and to owr blessed lady his mother and to all the company of he[a]ven And my body to be buried in the p[ar]ich
5 church of Saint Andrews in Nether Wallop wyth and next the sepulure of Margery late my wife now disse
6 ased Also I bequeth to my mother church of Saint Swythwyns in Winchester xl d Item to my saide p[ar]ich
7 church and vicar for my tithyngs forgoten xl d It[e]m to the church wardens of the same church towards
8 the edyfiing of the same church xl d Item to the Mother church of owr lady in New Sar[um] xl d Item to the
9 church and vicare of owr lady of Calne for tithynys forgoten xij d Item to the church wardens for the
10 edyfing of the same church vj s viij d Item to the chapell of Saint Janry's within the same church for meyn-
11 tenyng of the lightes in the same Chapell xl d Item to Master Richard Sclater Vicare of the said church
12 of Saint Andrews xx d Item to the parish prest of the same church xvj d Also I bequeth to Roger blake
13 xx s and to Jane Dawency cosyn to my wife x s and to Robert Blake yeoman lat[e] my srvant x s and I
14 respite and release the same Robert of jjj s now he owith me and to John Blake my servant xx s and
15 to John Walishman my tawney gown and x s and to William Blancherd my servant xl d And to Alys
16 Cleylesdon my new and last gowne made and xij d And to Richard Colnot xl s for his labor in makyng
17 this my testament and feoffment so that they and ev[er]y of them pray for my sowle
18 First as towching all my maners landis and tenementis I will that John dawntsey shal[l ]have the moyte
19 of all my man[er]s landis tenements rentis reversions and farms with the appurtenancs within the
20 cown[t]ies of South[hamp]ton and Wiltes[shire] or elswher excepte certen landis underwriten in Compton and Calne
21 to come to hym for terme of his life and after his decese to remane to Richard dawntsey sonne of the sayde
22 John d and Alice late his wife and dowgther to the saide John Blake and to the heyres of the body of the
23 same Richard lawfully begotten and for default of such issu the remayndre therof to Jane Wrowgtone
24 dawghter of the said John Blak and to the eyres of her body lawfully begoten and for defaut of such
25 the remayndre ther of to the ryght heyres of Robert Blake my brother for evermor And as to the
26 other moyte of all my Maners landis and tenements with the appurtenancs within the saide cownty
27 or els wher excepte before excepte I will that the said Jane my dowgther have them to her and
28 to the eyres of her body lawfully begotten and for default of such Issue the remayndre therof to
29 the said Richard Dawntesey and to the eyres of his body lawfully begotten and for defawt of such issue
30 the remaynder ther of to the right heyres of the saide Robert Blake my brother Also I will by this my p[re]sent
31 will that my feoffys of my mes[sag]es landys and tenements with appurtenance in Compton and of a
32 corne myll in Calne called Kew myll a Tenement which Robert Cubley now dwellyth yn In an
33 tenement with William Ostyter now dwellyth in Calne aforesaid w[h]ich is of the yerly valor of xj £
34 xiij s iiij d or ther abowt as owe all charges shallstand and be feoffed therof to this menr folowny
35 that is to say that thei shall suffer myn executors of this my present last will to take and preyve
36 the Issues and p[re]sents of the same Mes[sag]es landis in Compton and Calne aforesaid untill the tyme
37 that they have payd all my detts and legacyes p[er]formed and my finall expensis done and
38 that the Issues theroff and profetts be taken for the salary and fyndyng of a prest by my said
39 executors duryng the terme of a yere to pray for my sowle and all my frendis and all cristen
40 sowles and that the same prest shalhave x marks for his salary and this done and executyd I
41 will that the saide feoffes stande and be feoffe of the said John Dawntesey for terme of his
42 life and after his disseace to remayne to the saide Richard Dawntsey and to his heyres of his body
43 lawfully begotten And for defaute of such Issue to remayne to the sayd Jane and to the eyres of
44 her body lawfully begotten And for defaut of such Issue the remayndre thereof to the ryght heyres
45 of the saide Robert Blake And as to the other moyte of the saide Mes[sag]es Landis and tenements in
46 Compton and Calne aforesaid to stand and be feoffes to the use of the said Jane and of the heyres of
47 her body lawefully begotten And for defaut of suche Issu to remayne to the said Richard Dawntesey
48 and to the eyres of his body lawefully begotten and for defaut of such Issue the remaynder thereof to the
49 sayde rigth heyres of the said Robert Blake And this estats to be evermore in forme abovesaid at in
50 goodly hast may be concomently and lawfully of this my testament and last Will I make my Exe
51 cutors Margery my wife and John Dawntesey her sonne and I make Robert Blak my brother to be
52 overseer of this my testament and that the same Robert to be aidyng and assisyng to my sayde
53 executors shalhave xl s The residue of all my goodes and cattals not spokin of in this my testament
54 not bequethed I geve and grante utterly in my life to the said Margery and John Dawntesey to ther own
55 p[ro]pur use and behese so that they for my sowle the better Thes being witness Robert Blake Richard Sufat
56 clerke Richard Gorre Richard Colnet and Sir John the p[ar]ish prest of Walop and many other mee In witnes
57 of this my present last will I have subscrebed with my nowne hande
58 Probatum fuit suprascriptu[m] testamentu[m] coram domini apud Lamebith xxiiij die mensis Aprilis Anno do[min]o
59 millesimo quingentesimo Quarto Juramento Johannis Pare procuratoris Margerie relict et John Dawtesey
60 executoris etc comissa fuit administracio omnium bonorum etc dicti executoris in p[er]sona supradicti pouratori__
61 De bene etc Ac de pleno Inuentario etc necnon de plano et vero compoto etc Ad scanta dei evangelia Jurate
In my next blog I will discuss the will of William BLAKE which was probated in 1582. It would be convenient to show part of the large BLAKE Pedigree Chart when I do blog this will and I will write to the Swindon and Wiltshire Record Office to see if I can get permission to do so. It is possible to purchase images of this chart from the Record Office.
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