Records from the search of the Discovery Catalogue on the website of the National Archives of the UK
Number Name Place Nearest year Year Item Other
32
le Blake, William Oxfordshire 1302 24 Jul 1302 Petition
oyer and terminer William le Blake of Okeburne, Minister to the King,
was killed when distraining some tenants 24 Jul 1302
The earliest record, 1302, is for William le Blake and the petition submitted in Oxfordshire relating to William le Blake of Okeburne. The Pipe Rolls for the Bishopric of Winchester list a William le Blake at Staplegrove 1301-2. Looking for Okeburne on a map from 1659 did not have this particular location even though it was possible to enlarge the map. I find it interesting that there is a William le Blake on the Calendar of Patent Rolls in 1302 and on the Pipe Rolls 1301-1302 one entry for Okeburne, Wiltshire and the second entry for Staplegrove, Somerset. Perhaps most valuable as a find is Staplegrove as a location for a William le Blake in 1301-1302 since it is in Somerset (near Taunton) where we do find the Blake family of Somerset. The need for Blake yDNA has never been more apparent than with this finding. Why is William le Blake at Staplegrove listed in the Pipe Rolls for the Bishopric of Winchester? Looking up the Bishopric of Winchester (founded in 676) it apparently covered Wessex which included present day Hampshire as well as Dorset, Wiltshire and Somerset. Wessex was Anglo-Saxon and a kingdom in the south of Great Britain (refers to England, Scotland and Wales) commencing circa 519 when it was thought to be founded by Cerdic his son was Cynric) of the Gewisse (according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle of which I have a copy). Cerdic was thought to be descendant of Gewisse but the origins of this individual seem to be lost to time. The word Gewisse is thought to be Germanic. Since the yDNA line of my brothers is ancient to the British Isles (according to present day testing by Ethnoancestry and BritainsDNA) I am left with the thought that a good deal more yDNA samples are needed in the general British population in order to understand the genetic makeup of the British Isles. But I am distracted from this look at William le Blake. The entry in the Pipe Rolls for the Bishopric of Winchester (1301-2, Hampshire Record Series Volume 14, ISBN: 1859751083/ 1-85975-108-3) becomes rather more interesting and I will repeat the entire set of data here:
Place Surname Forename Date
Wargrave Blak John 1301-2
Havant Blak Laurence 1301-2
Wargrave Blak, la Alice 1301-2 (daughter of Richard le Blak)
Wargrave Blak, le Richard 1301-2
Merdon Blak, le Thomas 1301-2
Waltham St Lawrence Blak Hamo 1301-2
Waltham St Lawrence Blak Walter 1301-2 (son of Hamo Blak)
Staplegrove Blake, le William 1301-2
Just for information sake, Wargrave is a hundred in this time period and includes the parishes of Waltham St Lawrence, Warfield and Wargrave (35 miles NE of Andover). Havant is near Portsmouth (33 miles SE of Andover). Merdon (included in the present parish of Hursley (SW of Winchester and 14 miles SSE of Andover).
But the question remains is Richard le Blak the Richard le Blak who is mentioned in the Calendar of Patent Rolls in 1272 being given permission to setup a wool market in England (at that time he was living in Normandy). Are all these Blak members related including William le Blake at Staplegrove, Laurence Blak at Havant, Thomas le Blak at Merdon. The others one could put forward the thought that living closeby each other they might be related. There does appear to be a generational event with Walter Blak being the son of Hamo Blak (both living at Waltham St Lawrence) and Alice la Blak is mentioned as the daughter of Richard le Blak living at Wargrave. There is also a John Blak living at Wargrave.
Domesday Book
Wargrave belonged to King William - there were 41 villagers, 14 smallholders and 6 slaves in 1086.
Waltham belonged to King William - there were 32 villagers, 4 cottagers, 4 slaves in 1086.
Havant belonged to the Bishop of St Peter and St Swithin (Winchester) - there were 20 villagers in 1086
Merdon and Staplegrove not found in the Domesday Book yet (spelling may be different and there are a couple of choices which I will continue to look at).
I have searched the Domesday book for Blak/Blake/Bleak/Blaik amongst others. The name Blake does occur in the surnames Blakeney (Norfolk), Blakenhall (Cheshire), Blakesley |(Northamptonshire), Blakewell (Devon). Since I do not find any records prior to 1230 I am left to consider that perhaps there were not any Blake/Blak/Bleak/Blaik members in the British Isles prior to 1230 unless they were ancient (like my brother's yDNA line) and they acquired the Blake surname perhaps through marriage and their own lack of a surname at the time. Until the Normans came to England there weren't any surnames in England it would appear. I still do not believe I have found the earliest mention of the Blake surname as I have not read the Manor Books of Andover completely. The earliest was a John Blake found by me (circa early 1300s). One notes though that he does not appear on the Pipe Rolls of the Bishopric of Winchester in 1301-1302 at Andover. There is a John Blak at Wargrave.
I believe I may have exhausted the potential for more information from this first entry.
3 Blake Idmiston 1334 1334-49 or 1541 or 1634-1837 Idmiston parsonage CC/Chapter/128/1-22
Idmiston is a parish in Wiltshire about seven miles North East of Salisbury. Interesting that a Blake may have lived in this area in the earlier time frame but it is unknown by me if they were actually in the later time frame. I would need to purchase this record and for the moment will not follow up on that. There are a umber of Blake members living at Idmiston at various times. A John Blake married Elizabeth Bayford 13 Dec 1599. A John Blake married Suzanne Browne 10 Oct 1616. Joseph Blake married Mary Ward 23 Nov 1685. And several more entries in the parish records after this date.
Marmaduke Blake, yeoman of Porton, Idmiston and his will which was probated 10 Aug 1613 may be of interest. I have blogged this will
http://kippeeb.blogspot.com/2012/10/will-of-marmaduke-blake-yeoman-of.html
In this blog I do not provide any information particularly on the earlier ancestry of Marmaduke Blake other than mentioning the existence of a Marmaduke Blake at Lockerley, Hampshire (Porton is nine miles NW of Lockerley). It is now ten years since I published the blog above so will do a search to see if I can find anything further on this Marmaduke Blake. In the Discovery Catalogue at Kew I did find a reference for Marmaduke Blake as a plaintiff claiming a messuage with appurtenances in Lockerley, Hampshire (and other lands). This document is between 1558 and 1603 (C 2/Eliz/B11/13).
16 le Blake, Robert* Blakelonde 1334 1334 Witness of grant 1720/120
This document has Robert* le Blake as a witness for a grant of a piece of land in Blackland (Blakelonde). The grant was at Calne and witnessed by Robert* le Blake placing him in this area in this time frame. The Blake family chart held by the Blake Museum in Bridgwater lists a Robert Blake (son of heir to Henry Blake and Margaret Bellett) and married to Avis widow of Roger Malewyn and daughter of John Wallop of Over Wallop. However, Avis Blake's (as a widow) Postmortem Inquisition was held in 1474 and one of the sons of Robert and Avis named John was 40 years or more of age at this time. That pretty much precludes this Robert le Blake being that individual. He is from an earlier time frame and it just happens that there isn't a Robert (le) Blake on any of the Pedigree/Family Charts prior to Robert Blake married to Avis Wallop other than the top person on the chart held by the Blake Museum (and only on their chart). Robert* le Blake of Quemberford Co Wiltshire is listed as a juror in an Inquisition Postmortem dated 22 Jan 1336. This Robert* le Blake is said to be the father of Richard Blaque/Blake of Wiltshire and married to Anne daughter of William Cole. Interesting this individual Richard is the individual at the top of the College of Arms Blake Pedigree. There are a number of documents that refer to this Robert* le Blake in this set of documents and to assist with marking them as the likely same Robert^ le Blake I will add an * to Robert (Robert*)
12 le Blake, Alexander Gloucestershire 1337 20 Aug 1337 Witness to document D326/T171/3
Alexander le Blake in this time frame is a new individual for me. This document is held by the Gloucestershire Record Office and concerns a piece of land at Blunsdon St Andrews where Alexander le Blake has been a witness. A quick glance at the search function for the Gloucestershire Archives reveals a Robert le Blake of Wodemonkote (Woodmancote) in 1300, a Nicholas le Blake in 1302, a Hugo le Blake in 1367 and John le Blake in 1391. None of these records relate to the Blake family at Calne in a way that I am able to link them.
7
le Blake, Richard Haydon 1343 25 Jan 1343 - 24 Jan 1344
Ancient Deed E 326/6618 Richard le Blake in Haydon Wick? (now in
Swindon). Married to Margery le Blake (widow in E 326/6191)
I did locate Haydon Wick on the map and it is now part of the City of Swindon. Is there any relationship between this Richard le Blake (married to Margery (the Richard Blake son of Robert Blake of Quemberford was married to Anne one notes on the Blake Pedigree Chart) and the Calne family? The time frame is similar and the distance between Calne and Swindon is 30 kilometres.
34
Blake, Robert East Lavington 1347 Dealing with a messuage
and land in the manor of East Lavington C 1/1340/27-28 Robert is the
son of Richard Blake, deceased
Another interesting document with East Lavington and we have a generation mentioned with Robert being the son of Richard Blake who is deceased in 1347. East Lavington (a tithing in the parish of Market Lavington as stated on a tithe map created in 1840 (Tithe file: IR 18/11061) is 23 km mostly south of Calne. Robert is involved with a messuage and land in this manor.
19 Blake, Robert Stokkeleye 1347 1347 Witness to re-conveyance 1720/139
Stokkeleye (Stockley) is about five km from Calne and quite close to the area known as Blac klands. Robert is a witness to this transaction.
20 Blake, Robert Stockelegh 1347 1347 Witness to Quitclaim 1720/138, 1720/137
Same as above.
25 Blake, Robert Coumbe 1349 1349 Witness to Conveyance 1720/140
I believe this refers to Coombe which is a small hamlet in the parish of Enford, Wiltshire about 38 kilometres SE of Calne. Robert is again a witness to this transaction.
31
Blake, Roger Lacock 1350 30 Dec 1350 Indented grant WARD
2/27/94B/150 Grant to Christine, widow of Roger le Blake and John
their son
Lacock is 13 km from Calne and to the WSW. This is interesting as there is a Roger Blake son of Robert Blake but is the time frame correct for that since it is 1350 and it is not. There is a Robert Blake in this area as per the earlier documents above. Pedigree charts are somewhat notorious for whom they do not include. Siblings are often left out. In this case we have a Roger le Blake married to Christine with a son John.
30 Blake, Robert Burbage 1352 1352 Left hand
Indenture of final Concord 9/6/27 Plaintiff Robert Blake and Joan
his wife
Burbage is going to be interesting because it is possible to connect the Robert Blake at Burbage with the Robert Blake at Calne in this time period. This Robert Blake is married to Joan.
18 le Blake, Robert Quemerford 1353 1353 Grant of exchange 1720/148 In favour of Robert le Blake
Continuing with Robert le Blake in this time frame and Quemerford is known to be near Calne.
5 le Blake, Robert Echelhamptone 1358 1358 Payment of £50 at Hungerford Bond by Blake
Echelhamptone is just south of Devizes which is about 14 km South from Calne. Interesting that the payment of the bond was at Hungerford which is about 38 km East from Calne. Hungerford is close to the Berkshire/Hampshire border area.
9 le Blake, Robert Echelhamptone 1358 1358 Grant of land 1720/154 Held by feoffment of his brother Adam Blake
As above for Echelhamptone, but this time family information with Robert le Blake having a brother Adam Blake.
13 Blake, Robert 1363 1363 Acknowledgement of payment 1720/163 Robert Blake, a payee
Time frame continues for a Robert Blake. The location is unknown.
23 Blake, Robert Wynterbourne Basset 1363 1363 Witness to grant 1720/165
Winterbourne Basset is about 7 km ENE from Calne. Again in the same time era for Robert Blake as a witness.
29 le Blake, Robert Bromham 1363 1363 Witness to Grant 1720/164
Bromham is nine kilometres SSW of Calne. Again the time frame is good for Robert Blake known to be in the Calne area. He is a witness.
36 le Blake, Robert Burbage 1364 1634 Quitclaim to Robert le Blake of Kemerford
Linking Robert le Blake of Kemerford (near Calne and likely Kemerford) to Burbage.
26 Blake, John Whetham 1384 1384 Witness to Grant 1720/193
Whetham is about 3 km to the SW of Calne. Who is John Blake? A Roger Blake mentioned above has a son John Blake. Again the Pedigree Charts to not show a John Blake in this time frame.
8 Blake, John Quemerford 1386 1386 Grant of land called Westyntone 1720/199
Finding a John Blake at Quemerford is most interesting. The last Blake mentioned at Quemerford was Robert le Blake in 1353. The website history of parliament on line has a writeup on John Blake who was born circa 1388 and that he was the son and heir of John Blake (who died 1395) of Quemerford. He is described as John Blake II an obscure member of one of the oldest and most substantial burgess families in Calne. John was aged seven at the death of his father, a well-to-do lawyer who had represented the borough in the Parliaments of 1381, 1384 (Nov.) and 1385. By 1412 John had inherited some of the family property at Blacklands, a mile south east of Calne, said to be worth 40 marks a year. Although the father (to whom this record of a grant of land called Westyntone is attributed) is highlighted on the page his information has not yet been entered into this online site. The comments on John Blake I and II are taken from a book by A.E.W. Marsh, A history of the borough and town of Calne and some account of the villages, etc., in its vicinity. Published Calne: Robert S Heath; London: Castle, Lamb & Storr, 133, Salisbury Square E.C. circa 1903.
In Marsh's book he mentions that Robert le Blake in 7 Edward III (25 Jan 1333-24 Jan 1335) was a burgess of Calne and pays as his share of subsidy 18 s 2.5 d (the next highest amount paid by any burgess is 6s 1.25 d so it would appear that Robert le Blake was the most wealthy burgess of the borough). Marsh also mentions that in 1381 and for several years to 1415 Johannes Blake was one of the borough MPs. These dates fit in nicely with the above records. Interesting as no distinction is made between John Blake I and John Blake II although the history of Parliament does do so.
Certainly the implication is there that this was all one family in the 1300s in the Blacklands area leaving one to think that Robert le Blake was the father of John who himself had a son John. The Pedigree Chart has a Richard Blake in the time frame of Edward I and Edward II (early 1300s). His 2x great grandson named Robert Blake lived at Quemberford (early 1500s). The time frame does sort of work with a two hundred year span and five generations. It is interesting trying to put this together.
The Herald's Visitation of 1565 does have an interesting spelling for Blake listed Robert Blage (Blake), gent. This is a later time frame than I really want to look at the moment but finding that spelling does rather intrigue me. It does appear on the College of Arms Pedigree Chart.
28 Blake, John Northehethe 1387 1387 Witness to grant 1720/202
According to the document, Northehethe is in the Hundred of Chippenham which places it in the area of Lacock etc). The distance to Calne is small from this area.
14 Blake, John Box parish 1390 1390 Witness of quitclaim at Calne 1720/206
Box is about 20 kilometres from Calne.
22 Blake, John Yatisbery 1391 1391 Witness to Quitclaim 1720/138 At Calne
Yatisbery is about 10 kilometres from Calne.
21 Blake, John Wodelond 1393 1393 Witness to Grant
If this is actually Woodlands then it is about 2 kilometres.
1
Blake, John Wiltshire 1394 22 June 1394-21 June 1395
Inquisition Post Mortem C 136/83/5 John was deceased by 21 Jun 1395
The Inquisition Post Morten for John Blake I. It would be an interesting document to look at because information for John Blake I is not yet written up in the Parliament online website although he is mentioned on his son's writeup.
17 Blake, John Whetham 1395 1395 Witness of lease 1720/213
Whetham is about 3 km to the SW of Calne. This John Blake is likely John Blake I.
27 le Blake, Roger Ricardeston 1400 1100-1603 Feoffment E 40/12128 In favour of Roger le Blake
Ricardeston is in Stanley which is half way between Chippenham and Calne (about 5 km). I could not find any information on this Feoffment in favour of Roger le Blake (involved 1 acre of land).
35 Blake, Robert Stokkeleye 1400 pre 1500 Robert holds a portion of land 1720/115
Stokkeleye is quite close by to Calne (4 km south) and Quemerford. Who is this Robert Blake? There continues to be mention of Robert Blake in 1404 and again in 1422 at Burbage. How does he fit into the Blake family at Calne and is he the Robert Blake at Burbage?
2 Blake, William Salisbury 1404 1404-07 or 1413-17 or 1424-26 Mortgage C/1/6/148 Plaintiff: William Blake
The earliest record that I have found for a William Blake at Salisbury - Wyllyam Blake married 21 Apr 1595 to Jone Myles at St Edmund Salisbury. Comments on the Blake family of Ford in Laverstock include John Blake and Thomas Blake but this was in the latter part of the 1700s into the middle of the 1800s.
There is a second entry (below) for a William Blake at Salisbury, again a mortgage, and in the similar time frame.
4 Blake, William Salisbury 1404 1404-1426 Mortgage C/1/6/131 Plaintiff: William Blake
See above entry.
15 Blake, Robert Burbage 1404 1404 Witness of quitclaim 1300/33
The earliest baptism record that I found at Burbage was for John Blake son of Richard and Joan Blake and baptized 26th Feb 1566. There is a marriage of a John Blake and Susan Tarrant 26 Feb 1652 also at Burbage. The document from 1364 identified Robert le Blake as being of Kemerford (Quemerford?) when he was the recipient of a QuitClaim at Burbage. Now fourty years later a Robert Blake witnesses a quitclaim at Burbage.
10 Blake, Robert Burbage 1422 29 Sep 1422 Lease 9/6/28 Document signed at Calne
A Robert Blake signing a lease in 1422 for property in Burbage (document signed at Calne). Another link of a Blake at Burbage with Calne.
33 Blake, Robert Marlburgh 1431 5 May 1431 Oath to enable Seised in fee of the manor of Esbury 47/5/1
Calne to Malburgh is 22 kilometres and is East of Calne.Interesting that Marlburgh to Burbage is about 9 kilometres to the SSE.
Interesting entry in The History of Parliament online with a biography of a Robert Blake who was returned to parliament in 1421.
https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1386-1421/member/blake-robert
Robert was, no doubt, a relation of John Blake II and a member of the same old Calne family. He is only known to have been returned to Parliament once, in May 1421, when Roger Trewebody (a duchy of Lancaster official and a servant of the Hungerford family) stood surety for his attendance.1 In May 1427, with John Justice and other burgesses of Calne, he witnessed a grant to Robert Long and his associates of land at Calne and elsewhere, mainly in mid Wiltshire. By 1428 he was holding lands and tenements at Shaw-by-Overton (which lies between Marlborough and Calne); and in 1434 he was one of those Wiltshire worthies certified as liable to take the oath not to maintain malefactors.
11 Blake, Robert Gloucestershire 1437 1437 Witness to document D2700/NR11/1/12
The Blake family did appear to have land in Gloucestershire although I think as witness to this document it isn't really saying anything in particular.
24 Blake, Robert Calne 1465 1465 Letter of Attorney 1720/285 To Robert Blake, Alexander Blake and others
This item at Calne was interesting naming Robert Blake and Alexander Blake. No ideas on who this Alexander Blake is but there are a number of Blake names that do not appear on pedigree charts in this time frame. Alexander is a name that was used by the Blake family in the 1500s (one of the sons of Robert Blake and Avis Wallop).
6 Blake, Alexander Calne 1472 1472 Payment of bond of £10 Bond by Blake
Again the name Alexander Blake at Calne about seven years later.
https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/som/vol6/pp113-118
A third estate at Tuxwell, later known as WEST TUXWELL manor, was held by Thomas Trowe in 1431 (Thomas was attainted in 1504 (unable to find if this was because he had supported Richard III, interestingly this footnote reference of Feud. Aids C 142/23/5 was used to show that the Trowe family had held the manor of West Tuxwell, this was the Inquisition Post Mortem held for Elizabeth Trowe so possibly it had come with her at marriage) and his Inquisition Post Mortem in 1504 saw him stripped of his property which included West Tuxwell, the advowson was granted to Sir John Williams) and until 1506 descended with Plainsfield manor in Over Stowey. (fn. 173 Below, Over Stowey, manors; S.R.O., DD/SE 27) In 1506 it was absorbed into Plainsfield manor, and formed part of the land sold to John Perceval, earl of Egmont, in 1761. The sale included part of TUXWELL CUM RADLET manor, (fn. 174 S.R.O., DD/NN (H/20); below, Over Stowey, manors.) which included much of East Tuxwell, and passed to George Sydenham from the Seymour family. George conveyed it to Humphrey Blake in 1556 as a holding of the Crown. (fn. 175 P.R.O., CP 25(2)/77/659/3 & 4 Phil. & Mary Mich.; C 142/119, no. 163.) Humphrey died in 1558, leaving the estate to his son Robert, but it appears to have passed to another son, John (d. 1571), and to John's brother Thomas. (fn. 176 Som. Wills, ed. Brown, i. 59; S.R.O., D/P/o. sty 2/1/1.) In 1572 the manor was settled on Thomas, who sold it to his brother Robert in 1577. (fn. 177 Cal. Pat. 1575-8, pp. 266, 270.) Robert Blake died in 1592 and his son William sold the manor in 1602 to John Malet of Enmore. (fn. 178 P.R.O., C 142/236, no. 56; ibid. CP 25(2)/207/44 Eliz. I Hil.)
This was rather interesting as it refers to the Somerset family and in particular Humphrey Blake (d 1558).
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