Alleluia Christ is risen; thanks be to God

Another Easter and we enter into the happy time of Easter. God is always with us but we must make our own path following the commandments which Jesus brought to us but also the Commandments that were given to Moses. The so called simplified version of the New Testament captures the full commandments of the Old Testament. History can be amazing. 

 Given this latest regurgitation of the history of the 1947-8 wars in the Middle East by Palestinians here in Canada and it is totally incorrect, there should not be any Palestinians teaching our children or taking care of our children. When you try to change history then you will be corrected - history has just one flow; the truth whether it suits agendas or not. Anything else is trash and should not be permitted in our houses of parliament, our schools or even published in newspapers as it becomes hate speech because it is a lie and encourages anti-semitism. This latest plot on the part of Palestinians who marched on Canadian streets in support of Hamas attacking Israel on the 7th of October last is to try to force a false curriculum of Palestinian history on our schools. They actually have a petition to that effect which 5,000 people have signed (that presumably is one in ten Palestinians in Canada have signed the petition). Are they Hamas? have they only come here to try and and cause trouble? You come here for a new life; that is why people emigrate to Canada do not bring your hatred with you. The one benefit of social media is that we hear about all of this trashy hate speech right away and can get it corrected so that our children are not exposed to such deceptions. No money to Gaza until Hamas is gone. As usual Palestinians supporting Hamas disturb the distribution of food in Rafah once again and try to blame it on the IDF. 

As for the UN vehicle in Lebanon that claimed to have been fired on by Israel; I would like to know what a UN truck is doing in a war zone which Hezbollah created by bombing Israel? Obviously the UN truck should not be in a war zone. 

I had a thought on why Hamas attacked the farms along the border of Israel. Perhaps some people in Gaza are starting to look at the land and realize they could grow their own food instead of the weeds currently growing in Gaza. Hamas attacked the Kibbutzs so that they would not be visible to the Palestinians. Do they actually think Palestinians are that stupid that they would not realize they could still grow their own food. It does have to end all of this food being sent to Gaza by the world. They can grow their own food; the rest of the world has to grow their own food. The land is good. For sure it is time to plant now and a crop will be coming up very soon of radishes, spinach and lots of other food. Israel can help them with that; obviously Hamas isn't capable of that since it hasn't happened. Hamas tries to change history; but history has a way of kicking back. Look at what happened to Hitler. 

There are truths and the way forward is acceptance of the truth and in the case of Canada we accept that the Residential Schools were wrong; they were not handled properly and did not provide a proper education to every child that attended (everyone not First Nations in Canada will pay for this for many years to come). The children should not have been taken away from their parents and should have been able to have proper schooling where they lived with their family (this is now much more doable with online schools where attending an actual school building can not happen (Australia is a good example)). But the Palestinians involved in this new venture of insisting that their incorrect history be taught in school when it is a lie is not acceptable. The truth is the only thing that should be taught in schools. It isn't always pleasant to hear the truth but truth we will have. Any member of the legislature provincially or federally any person teaching in Canada and any person working with our children who does not accept that truth is the only acceptable history to teach should be recalled/dismissed from their position. 

Sorry God that there is all this trouble in the Middle East but it is all the fault of Hamas (and Palestinians who support them), Hezbollah and the Houthis. They are instruments of the devil.

Church this morning on You-Tube. Celebration of the Eucharist at Easter is one of the must attend Church days and I am there in my mind but in person I am at home watching the Online Service. Since I am not in favour of wine at the service; the bread is a sufficient memorial and the money spent on wine could be used to buy medicine for the poor in Africa. That is my philosophy and so I share a floured element at the time of communion as part of the online community. 

A blessed Easter to the world as Ramadan continues for the Muslim world and Passover to come (April 22) for the world of Judaism. It is God's World and we must take better care of it; eliminate war, greed and envy. They are all sins.

Yesterday good accomplishment on the Blake chapter looking at the Blake Pedigree Chart and the Blake Family Chart. Looking at Richard le Blake when I return to the Blake family later in the week. Tomorrow I put together the Blake Newsletter for publication. But it is mostly framed in my mind having thought about it the past couple of days. A day of rest today.

Black Saturday/Holy Saturday

Cloudy today and waiting for Easter Sunday, when I was a child we called this Black Saturday but it has changed to Holy Saturday and perhaps it goes like that over time. The 1950s had a cloud over them in my childhood memory. People talked about nuclear war and as children we had no idea really except it was bad. So we lived with that as children and we became careless in our thoughts and perhaps more brazen because we felt threatened and that is what happens when you threaten children; it brings out the boldness. We didn't remember the war really; just that it was dreadful. The newsreels cemented forever in my mind the horrors that happened to the Jewish people in Europe. We didn't know that boats full of Jewish children were turned away; it still feels incomprehensible that the adults did that. How could they turn the children away? They still hadn't lived. That is part of what the support for the Jewish people and the State of Israel is all about. We didn't like it when we knew about it as children and now that makes us ever the more eager to support Israel when they are attacked. Israel has become stronger and stronger in my lifetime. But that doesn't mean that they can not take the battle to the enemy; the enemy has to disappear - it is archaic and belongs to the past this hatred of Jewish people. Why do the terrorists think that only Islam has the right to occupy the earth? Just greed; nothing logical although they will say it is because women are not shrouded from head to toe; they are just greedy nothing more and they are ignorant. This world would not exist but for men and women working together and if need be women carrying on when men are dead to keep the lifeline living; to maintain the children to adulthood so that they can do the task they are put here on earth to do. Love God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength and love their neighbour as themself. We wait for Easter quietly through Holy Saturday remembering many Easters past and praying for a future that is free of war and greed and hatred. 

I feel as if it should be a Blake day. I have been thinking a lot about Pencombe and Blake slipped to the back of my mind. So I think today is Blake day again whilst I sort this new chapter so that is is logical, readable and complete. In my mind I know what I want it to read but I need all the references intact and the writing to flow well. So today is Blake. 

Teatime and latin all finished. Time for breakfast. 

God bless the world and protect the children. Why do they not bring thousands and thousands of Gazan children to Canada? I do not understand that. Why concentrate on a couple of adults who need so much clearance when you can bring as many 2 to 8 years olds as could possibly be accommodated. The onus does fall on the Muslim people here because these children need to be in familiar surroundings so that they are not frightened. There are thousands of them here who have built huge mosques; surely they can find the ability to bring the children from Gaza to protect them. We did that for England during World War II. But we do not speak the language of the Gazan children; we do not have the customs of the Gazan children. I shall forever blame in my mind the Muslims in North America who parade on the streets celebrating Hamas' atrocities on October 7 last but do nothing for the Gazan children to protect them. 

On to the day.

Good Friday

 One of the saddest days of the Church Year, Good Friday is again one of the Church days that are part of my family memory. The Litany and three hours of prayer for a young child is my memory. I can remember crying on Good Friday and still do; it is sad that Jesus died but in two days it will be Easter and Jesus lives once again; the sadness of the two days is wiped away and joy fills the heart in which Jesus dwells. 

Up early, my sleep pattern is somewhat awry but happily the Cataract Surgery is managed. I am very content with that and looking forward to getting started the first surgery and then the wait and the second surgery and I am finished. It will be my first real surgery actually at 78.5 years of age. How nice that it is an out-patient activity. Hospitals are wonderful places but I never want to be a patient if I can avoid it. 

Worked away on Blake but mostly getting back into it again; the last week has been somewhat chaotic but perhaps next week will be calmer and more routine. That lets me get back into the stream of work once again. Today I think I will do Blake again and then Pencombe on Saturday with Easter Sunday being a day of rest much needed for the eyes for sure. 

Looking around the world and the news is less full of Putin's war and Hamas's war. What a sad state for Russia to have Putin as their leader. He is a very greedy man and one is beginning to see the effect of Russia enslaving Eastern Europe after the second world war. Those who were adults are still conflicted by the KGB I think. They brainwashed all of Eastern Europe into thinking that Russia was unbeatable and Putin is pushing that theme as hard as he can. The problem I suspect is that Putin is quite willing to see Ukraine be a barren wasteland; he just wants the Ukrainians gone because he knows they are a much more ancient population than Russia is. Russia (certainly the population is descendant of the Ukraina Ice Refuge) by comparison is a young country composed of many many ethnic groups and he is slowly but surely eroding that unity that was created first by the Czar and later by Lenin and Stalin. He is destroying Russia and will complete the task likely over the next couple of years. Interesting spending time with that child from Russia. She simply did not understand the word no; if she wanted something she just never stopped talking about it and rotating between demanding to go to the United States and playing the sad neglected type who just really wanted to go to the United States. Neither of them won out with me although my husband was certainly becoming susceptible and actually said to me that we could just slip across at one of the small crossings. I said absolutely not she doesn't have a visa! But the type of person she was reminds me so much of Putin. Greedy and doesn't care who gets hurt along the path of what he desires. Anyone is just collateral damage. 

Then there is Hamas; a greedy terrorist group which has its sights on genocide of the Jewish people. One might ask why? Why is that? Ignorance and greed as Iran (and the people of the world through the United Nations) pays out the monies to support them in the lifestyle in which they have become accustomed. Then they found the right group to just have whatever they wanted because the United Nations was willing to do anything to appease the Palestinians. For some reason the United Nations, some of them, moved to the idea that the Palestinians had suffered. Their memories are short; I can remember Jewish children murdered in their school yards by Palestinians when I was a child. They simply moved from being the actual aggressors to playing the victim. They hoped that Hamas would get them the land which Israel had nurtured and brought forth to its glory whilst they sat in Gaza fed by the world doing nothing except whining. 

The two world situations both of which Jesus would have found unsupportable - Putin and Hamas. Jesus loved the downtrodden and that is Eastern Europe and the Jewish people. Eastern Europe finally escaped from the Soviet Union and there is Putin trying to pull them back in and using every KGB trick in the book. Give him an inch and he will take a mile and not care how many Russians died in the process and especially not how many Ukrainians. Sad really that the world has come to this once again where a brutish Nazi dictator tries to dominate and create a "new world order." That term should be very familiar to anyone studying the history of Hitler and the nazi movement. 

Well must have some breakfast and perhaps a nap since I am up so early. Done with thinking about the world situation for a bit. Good Friday Service will be on YouTube I am sure on the Church of England channel. I should go to Church; it is one of my failings but I am old and it is just easier to go to Church on YouTube. 

I actually think AI is a boon as I am going to utilize its power to do searching on the Internet for items. It will be very self-directed and I can accumulate information that is interesting to me in a rigorous fashion. We must always be in charge of AI though. It is powerful to be able to access and organize knowledge. It may be one of the most important abilities in the future as people put less time into memorization of facts and more into gaming and that sort of thing trusting they can always find any item they want to know. Knowledge is priceless and will keep our countries free; it is the lack of education that causes dictators to rise. All they want is as much money and things as dictators can accumulate; They have no interest in proper governance and they will do anything to stay at the top. 

Breakfast and then a nap.

Blake family today and the Blake newsletter for the 1st of April

Today will be a Blake day and working on the Blake Newsletter. It will have an article on the Andover Blake family book that I am writing. I will look at the yDNA groups and see if anything new has arisen in the last while. 

Cloudy at the moment and 1 degree celsius  but it is meant to be partly sunny and a high of 10 degrees. If that continues it will be a spectacular weekend - Easter at the end of March does not always tend to be such lovely weather. The snowdrops are up and the crocuses are slowly making a show. Spring has sprung for sure although here we can still get snow into April. Time will tell. 

I will likely work away in this blog as I am looking at some of the Blake information. It is a few days since I have worked on Blake so will have to recap where I am at. 

I have been repairing my green recycling bin which had a partially broken lid (connection to the actual bin, on one side) for maybe five years. I had no idea of what to do with it as every time I tape it up it ends up being torn off when the garbage is picked up. But I finally checked online to discover that you just have to request a replacement. So I did that the night before garbage day (I had a query in that request so expected an email back). I thought about putting it out but decided that it would just be in the way and amazingly the next morning a new bin appeared early with no email and no text to let me know to put the old one out. Anyway I am still trying to get that one taken away and have now requested where we can take it. I will see if the pickup tomorrow results in it leaving! It is nice to have it be so quick (less than 12 hours later! and my request went in in the evening) but one does need a little help I guess when one is 78 to let me know when to put it out. My mistake obviously I should have  second guessed it and put it out that morning with the rest of the garbage. Maybe they will let  me know where we can take it!  And they are coming for it next week; just had a phone call.

Teatime and Latin.

The chapter on the Blake Pedigree Chart and the Blake Family Chart and that was 22nd March - six days ago. Today working on this new chapter that I have decided is a must is my object along with the Blake Newsletter which normally would publish on the 1st of April at this time. I do not want to lose sight of the "larger" Blake family which has many founders across the British Isles (England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland) or to keep everyone happy The Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom (England, Scotland and Northern Ireland). I find it interesting that the hunter-gatherer line that is my brother's line has a close match in Ireland and at least another fourteen on Chromo2 in the British Isles. The Blake family of Andover does appear to be ancient to the British Isles with matches in most areas of these ancient islands. In Ancient Greek times these islands were known as the Pretanic or Britannic Islands and during Roman times but the term British Isles does seem somewhat more into the Common Era. I would say the number of Blake name bearers is about equal between the two largest islands although the number of hunter-gatherers is somewhat smaller than the other Blake founders. Hunter-gatherers have acquired the Blake surname but most of the other lines can be traced back to mainland Europe using the Emigrants Database and historical knowledge. I think it is exciting to descend from such ancient peoples. 

 

Cataract surgery

I actually have a date for cataract surgery and it is when I will have help so much relieved. It is just the idea of actually having to hire someone to look after me for fourty eight hours solid just seemed silly; I do not need an RN to look after me as my daughter is willing and saves that expense on my health insurance. If we all use the health insurance that we have available it will soon be a problem. It is necessary to try and do as much as you can without relying on insurance that is for sure. We must take care of ourselves and keep the strain on the health care system as low as possible. Doctors work long hours especially family doctors and the more we can work on our own health care by living the healthiest life possible is important especially as we age. My eyes are really my only weakness as even my heart murmur does not appear to be detectable so likely a factor of my convalescence way back in my 30s when I was so very ill. Since my illness I have put the highest priorities on my sleep, good exercise, and a very healthy diet but also looking after my family and working.

I was quite interested in the long conversation that I had with my surgeon; not that long I guess really but he answered all my questions and provided me with some interesting information on my own eyes. As it does appear that part of my eye difficulty all of my life is the lens itself being inadequate (ie simply was not a perfect lens like most people probably get when they are conceived) and replacing it with an acrylic lens may well give me better sight than I have ever had. That is somewhat exciting and we will wait and see how that flows.  I know my father found it easy to do his crossword puzzles in his old age so time will tell. For me it is doing my latin/english/french/german transcriptions looking at the various family lines. Indeed I would be able to look at some of the records that Edward did collect in German and work on them in the future. So that is somewhat interesting as well. At the moment I am finding that transcription is still doable but I do have problems if there are any extra characters that I am not used to such as one finds in European script. All of my ancestors are from England and although not always easy, I find the transcription fairly straight forward. 

Cleaning the basement today/ I am a day behind but worth every minute of finally having a cataract surgery date that works for my tight schedule. It was close though as he only had two surgery dates left in May. I still have the second eye to do in the same restricted time frame. But I discovered that waiting in between also works especially as I am not actually having any problems with my eyes and both of my parents were into their eighties before they had cataract surgery. However, I would like to have both done this year. I am very excited to actually have a surgery date.

Prayers

For the people of Russia who have suffered such a dreadful happening in their Concert Hall, Prayers for the dead and Prayers for those fighting for their lives in the hospital as they recover from injuries received. Putin has weakened Russia dreadfully and should be replaced as a leader. His first thoughts are not even for the people of Russia but rather how to continue his illegal and unprovoked war on Ukraine by trying to blame Ukrainians for the massacre. How sad for Russia to have such a leader.

Holy Week and it is  the day of betrayal; the day that Judas arranged to betray Jesus to the Chief Priests. Just for memory sake one recalls this event of Holy Week. This has been a very thoughtful Lent and the Lenten readings coming into my email every morning have in a way been about the Jewish people living in Israel and their plight through thousands of years.  It never changes for them but perhaps this time peace can be obtained and life become more livable in the Middle East for all. The secret of course is to eliminate Hamas from the picture; they are the cause of all the sadness; all the death and the continuing enslavement of the Jewish hostages. I think their false tongues talking about negotiations and release of the hostages is very hard to hear actually as Hamas broke the last truce by bombing Israel. The only real difference in the murderous rampage directed at Israel on October 7 last compared to my entire life of looking at Israel from my own home in Canada is the ability of Israel to defend itself and why are they punished for being able to defend themselves one might ask? It doesn't mean they shouldn't fight back; they should. I am saddened by the deaths in Gaza especially children but for months I have said that I could see no reason for not bringing the 2 to 8 year olds here to Canada in huge numbers where they can be safe, well fed and kept until Gaza is rebuilt. Personally I do not believe any money should go from Canada to Gaza unless Hamas is gone from Gaza. From a terrorist nomadic organization Hamas has grown rich on the donations of member countries in the United Nations; that should not have happened and all the monies should go to the rebuilding of Gaza. But first Hamas must be gone from Gaza.

I continue to be a strong supporter of the Carbon Tax. Visions of smoke swirling about in the yard last summer tell me that we need to do more to fight climate change and it is a straight forward method that works. Death and Taxes are the way of life for mankind and have existed from the beginning of our recorded time. 

It will be a challenge if an election is called to decide on whom to vote for; that is a certainty. We need a government that is fiscally conservative; stays out of social conservative issues that do not break the laws and supports the rights of the downtrodden and yes I do see the Jewish people as being deserving of our support; they only survive if they fight; Hamas threatens them always as does Hezbollah and the Houthis. 

Teatime and Latin next.

 

Another heavy cleaning day accomplished

 My heavy cleaning day all accomplished and at 78.5 years I am thinking that is not too bad actually. It is good to know that I can still complete that in a timely fashion and pretty much as I have done for quite a few years! I do need less stuff though that is for sure. This summer in the downsizing I want to have everything in this one room that would go with me to where ever I end up one day whilst living. It is mostly in here but still a little work to do in that regard and a few more items to downsize like a very large dresser which I do not use to store clothes. My bed has two drawers and that is my storage. I prefer that in my old age; it is sort of like being a child again but still with an adult mind!

The hostages that Hamas took from Israel they continue to be centre in my thoughts; I have no idea why Hamas gets to have so much say to be honest they are a terrorist group with no interest in other than committing genocide against the Jewish people; they have no interest in Palestinians except to use them as fodder in their war against the Jewish people (i.e. the State of Israel which does include more than the Jewish people); they have no interest in creating a "home" for the Palestinians promising them the land of Israel when they have killed all the Jews. They should just be told what to do or put them in jail; they are terrorists with no rights as far as I am concerned. They gave up those rights of freedom when they attacked Israel on October 7th last. But that being said I would like to see the hostages freed unconditionally and immediately; no six week delay as Hamas slowly release them using the news of the world to try to make themselves look good. 

Prayers continuing for the Russian people as they work through their grief on the loss of their citizens. It was hard to listen to the comments of some of the people supporting Putin's war against Ukraine as they tried to bring the two horrors together in a rant against Ukraine (and NATO unbelievably) to get the people of Russia to support the war against their blood cousins. The ignorance of Putin and his enablers is immense; it is like they were never educated and just live on some heinous nazi level where no one matters but them; any lies can be used and told. But my prayers do continue for those who were killed and especially for those fighting for their lives in the hospitals following the attack by ISIS. Perhaps Putin would agree to an unbiased interrogator that wasn't going to beat these prisoners so violently or promise them favour to carry on the interrogation and learn the truth - from the look of the prisoners they are terrified and beaten.  God will deal with them as the time comes and burn them in the fires that will cleanse them eventually.

Conrad Black produced an interesting editorial on the War against Israel by Hamas. I think he is an amazing writer. Although I do question the Palestinians as being descendant of the Philistines in general as the Philistines were mostly killed but as some historians say there could be descendants in both the Jewish population and the Palestinian population. But overall I liked the way the editorial flowed. I agree that the Conservative  Party has taken the right side of this whole discussion by voting against the recent bill in parliament with which I also disagreed. 

The day commences and it is exercise time, teatime and latin. I did start my French a little earlier than the fall at the very basic level just to once again get into practice speaking French. It will be slow likely getting back to that ability but I have decided I would like to do that. I can also start to watch French Television as I improve. 

Prayers for King Charles as he battles cancer and prayers for the Princess of Wales as she too battles cancer. 

It is amazing one of the large Christmas Cactus pots flowered (just one flower); the pots are very large about 30 centimetres diameter and 28 centimetres high. I am definitely not a plant person but can be amazed to see it flower for sure; the greenery is very nice all these years but actually a flower after all this time! And just as Holy Week begins that little flower just opening amazing.

Palm Sunday

 Yesterday we celebrated Palm Sunday at Church and it was online. It was nice to be back once again online although I have spent the time in between online services traveling online about England with Church of England services. The Passion of our Lord, pretty much always mentioned in the wills of those dying in the 1500s, 1600s and 1700s as they gave up their souls to God when they could feel the end of their lives coming. The peace of God which passeth all understanding just because it is there and we do not know the secret behind the veil. It is the mystery of one's life as one approaches the last decades of life. I liked the sermon talking about Passion and it was well done. The hymns were beautiful and the procession; I do love the procession around the Church. 

My thoughts though were somewhat with the Russian people who have suffered a great loss these past days. Putin is careless to weaken Russia in this way; fighting a useless war against Ukraine. The Russian people deserve more in that they have brought together under one government so many different ethnic groups. Acquiring a few acres does seem rather useless when you consider the loss in manpower already in Russia. Putin does not serve his country well. ISIS is always looking for a weakness in order to take over; the people of Russia deserve so much more - the horror on their faces can not be forgotten at this last attack but Putin carelessly tries to blame Ukraine instead of the ever violent; ever watchful ISIS looking for any weakness in a country that they can pounce on and use. Protect Russia from the evil ISIS terrorists Putin and let Ukraine be the country it was always meant to be. You waste Russian lives and Russian resources  and weaken Russia in the long run. You are the worst thing that has ever happened to Russia.

I did end up doing a little Pencombe. Bondleigh is in North Tawnton Hundred and I mentioned earlier that Bondleigh was the location of the first instance of a Pencombe family from Herefordshire in Devon that I found in some documents when I was searching online.

Place    Person    Date    Item    Scope
Exeter    Roger de Pencombe and Alice his wife, grant of all lands, tenemenets etc.     24 Oct 1315    DD/WY/3/2/20, DD/WY/3/2/21, DD/WY/3/2/14    grant of all lands, tenemenets etc.  In Bonelgh and the advowson of the Church there
Exeter    Roger de Pencombe and Alice his wife    5 Jun 1311    DD/WY/3/2/15    Grant of land by death of Ralph de Chammpyaus in the Hylle and La Huierce
Exeter    Roger de Pencombe    1 Dec 1308    DD/WY/3/2/6    Adam de Champeaus granted manor to Roger de Pencombe

It is the only record that I did locate for this individual. One notes the dates 1308, 1311 and 1315 and all at Exeter.

1524-27 Lay Subsidy of Devon

Teigncombe, Tincombe, Tencombe, 65, 66, 69, 74, 210, 229, 233

Tinkeham, Tenkam 67, 72, 154 

Page 65 Wonford Hundred, Chagford Parish (continued from p 64)

William Tencombe W 1

Page 66 Wonford Hundred, Chagford Parish (additions 1525)

Geoffrey Teyngcombe W1

Page 67 Wonford Hundred, Taynton Drewe Parish (Dreweteignton)

William Tenkam W 1

John Tenkam sen G 2

Page 69 Wonford Hundred, St Ed' and Extlond Parish (St Edmund and Exe Island)

John Teyncombe W 1

Page 72 Wonford Hundred, Tettburne Parish (Tedburn St Mary)

Henry Tynkeham W 1

John Tynkeham W 1

Page 74 Wonford Hundred, Gydleigh Parish (Gidleigh)

John Tencombe jun G 3

John Tencombe sen G 7

William Tencombe W 1

Page 154 Roborough Hundred, Stoke Damerell Parish (Stoke Damarel)

John Tyncam G 2

Page 210 Haytor Hundred, Wydecombe Parish (Widdecombe in the Moor)

Peter Tyngcombe G 1.5

Page 229 Teignbridge Hundred, Lustelegh Parish (Lustleigh)

Rich Tyncombe W 1

Page 233 Teignbridge Hundred, Northe Bovye Parish (North Bovey)

Rich Tyncombe jun G 7

William Tyncombe G 7

Richard Tyncombe G 10

Interestingly Wonford Hundred and North Tawton Hundred are side by side with Wonford being in central Devon (Exeter is in Wonford) and North Tawton being north of west Wonford. North Tawton lies between Wonford and South Molton hundreds. A thought beginning to congeal in my brain is that the Philip Pynkenham found at Tawton on the 1524-7 Lay Subsidy earning a wage (1) and the Philip Pynkenham found at Tawton on the 1543-45 Lay Subsidy with a property valuation of G 2 is descendant of this earlier Pencombe/Tencombe family found in Wonford Hundred. A little more sleuthing perhaps and one can assume that these two individuasl separated by a century came from Herefordshire Roger in the early 1300s and John in circa 1486 with John Lord Zouch. Using the Pencombe as a place holder surname and given that there is property involved one is left with the thought that these two families are quite likely unrelated but have simply used the de Pencombe surname in the records to specify that they have come from Pencombe Herefordshire. But one would actually need to be an expert on such matters and I am not. Finding the spelling as Tencombe is very interesting and the jump in the style of writing of the day was not so great from P to T. A sloppy P could look like a T perhaps or over time between the early 1300s to the early 1500s when the first Lay Subsidy is taken this family could have moved to Tencombe from Pencombe. However, there is also a thought that this name arose from the river Teign that is present in Wondford. A few thoughts and I believe at this point I will accept that Philip Pynkeham does not belong to the North Molton family and get back to working on the North Devon line and did it originate in Herefordshire.   

1543-1545 Devon Lay Subsidy

 Tingham 39, 130, 131

Teigncombe 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 72, 195, 196

Tancombe 128

Page 33 Wonford Hundred, Seynt Edmunds Parish (Exeter St Edmund)

John Tyncombe 1

Page 35 Wonford Hundred, Gidlegh Parish

William Teyncombe 15

John Teyngcombe 6

John Teyngcombe jun 5

John Teyngcombe 1

Page 36 Wonford Hundred, Chagford Parish

William Tengcombe 2

__ter Teyngcombe 1

Geffry Teyngcombe 3

Page 37 Wonford Hundred, Brydfford Parish (Bridford)

John Teyngcombe 2

Page 38 Wonford Hundred, Cheryton Epi Parish (Cheriton Bishop)

John Teyngcombe 1

Page 39 Wonford Hundred, Tetborn St Mary Parish (Tedburn St Mary)

Joan Tyngham 1

William Tyngham 1

Page 72 North Tawton Hundred, North Tawton Parish

Thomas Teyngcombe 10

Page 128 Roborough Hundred, Plymmouth Borough

John Tancombe 1

Page 130-1 Roborough Hundred, Stoke Damerell

John Dyngham sen   4

John Tyngham jun 4

Thomas Tyngham 1

Page 195 Teignbridge Hundred, Lysley Parish (Lustleigh)

Richard Teyncombe 2

Nicholas Teyncombe 1 

Page 195-6 Teignbridge Hundred, North Bovy Parish

Richard Teyngcombe 11

Richard Teyngcombe 5

Stephen Teyngcombe 2

Stephen Teyngcombe 3

Thomasia Teyngcombe 6

Peter Teyngcombe 2

John Tyngcombe 1

 I actually do not see myself sorting out all of these people but the various families found in the same location between 1520s and 1540s is somewhat of a proof  and it is just the spelling. Looking at Free BMD Teyngcomb(e) not on Free BMD. Tinkham does exist (466 entries) and primarily in Devon but also elsewhere in England. Teyncombe does not exist on Free BM. Tyngham does not exist on Free BMD. Tancombe does not exist on Free BMD. Tincombe has 3823 records on Free BMD. I must check at some point to see if there are DNA projects for Tinkham and Tincombe but I believe I am going to move away from looking at Philip Pynkeham in Tawstock in the early to mid 1500s as being part of the North Molton family. Later writers may not agree with me but that works as one can always revise or add to an existing book. I think that the surname Pinkham is derived over time from Pincombe as I do find instances of it in the 1700s in known Pincombe/Pencombe families. But I always suspect that Pynkeham may have arisen from this earlier incidence of Pencombe in Bondleigh. It was not unusual to have used de + the name of a place when surnames started to be used in England after the Norman Conquest. But finding so many of these T surnames early in the 1500s I think leaves me free to pursue just the Pencombe members found on the 1524-7 Subsidy as descendant of the John Pencombe who came with John Lord Zouch to North Molton in 1486.

Cleaning Day once again and it is the large cleaning day as I begin upstairs and do the main floor as well. 

Teatime and latin.

So much happening in the world. Prayers for the Princess of Wales as she battles cancer. Prayers for King Charles as he battles cancer. Their lives have been so very stressful these past couple of years. They are such hard workers for the British Isles and the Commonwealth.

Memories

I did watch Prime Minister Brian Mulroney's State Funeral yesterday. It was perfect I think; so very meaningful and perhaps the most beautiful his granddaughter's song of love for her beloved grandfather. It is the hardest thing in the world I think for children to give up a parent and for grandchildren to let go of a grandparent. It wrenches the soul and tears it apart just for a little while until the healing starts. I must admit as I watched the funeral I remember that my husband would have preferred having all of his friends about him for a funeral but he did die during COVID but we actually did not have a funeral until over a year later. But I just couldn't budge myself from that very private place I had moved to and as it turned out we all wanted it to be a very private goodbye with all of us there - the priest, organist, children (including our son in law), grandchildren and myself. The organist was simply wonderful picking everything himself except I did ask for the 23rd Psalm which we all sang. The memory did come back to me as I watched and I have said to my children that when we finally pick a burial spot at Beechwood where he wanted to be buried they can do whatever they want when I pass away. A joint service if that is something they want as it was what he wanted for sure. But if they decide private is what they want then they have my blessing for that as well. Whatever suits them; to me funerals are for the living to commemorate those who died but in a way that reflects the living family. The State Funeral was perfect for Brian Mulroney; when the history books are written (and already he is in the history books) he will be one of Canada's best Prime Ministers. Could he have done more for his country; I am sure he would have said yes but he did so very much to bring us right out of being mentally attached to the British Isles (although I am very much in favour of our King and Royal Family and hope that that is also a forever part of Canada) to standing up on our own two feet as he negotiated NAFTA and tied us economically forever to our great neighbour to the south. As Canada grows and at 40 Million plus we are growing we may one day be a much much larger neighbour than we are now and I am sure that linking ourselves together will prove to be the best forward plan there could have been. Thank you Brian Mulroney. I also feel the same way about the GST; it has done Canada a lot of good; taken the strain out of running government as no need for supply bills constantly getting debated at the last minute. The government has money to fund it. Thank you Brian Mulroney for that and for Nunavut and fighting acid rain and so much more.

A lovely walk again yesterday, two days in a row. I do enjoy a good walk around the block. I did not accomplish very much on Pencombe yesterday. My mind didn't seem to settle to it. I am still perplexed about Philip Pynkeham. Who is he? Is he a Tynkeham? Why is he at Tawstock? I likely do need to do a little more searching to see if I can discover anything more. Of course he was born before the Parish Registers were kept by the Parish Priests for all the inhabitants of the parish so no help there.  I may though, check the 1524-27 Lay Subsidy for the parishes where the Tynkeham/Tinkham family lived. Perhaps then I will feel satisfied leaving him out. It does seem like I should do that. 

We were meant to have snow but the snow fell on Montreal complicating the travel from St Patrick to Notre Dame for the funeral but as usual our honour guards did a perfect job in spite of the weather. The 19 gun salute rang through the cold air and Canada said goodbye to Brian Mulroney while his family took him for a private time and burial. Brian Mulroney was proud, I am sure, of his family standing through all those hours welcoming all the people who came to say goodbye. They did it so very well.

Minus eight degrees celsius, clear and will be sunny. Another crisp winter day with no snow. We are in drought for sure and will be a rough summer perhaps of forest fires. Time will tell. Hopefully everyone will be especially careful to keep them to a minimum. 

Sunday, Palm Sunday, and Church on You Tube. I am looking forward to being at the Cathedral once again. It has been a thoughtful Lent and the Lenten Readings have been most thought provoking particularly as they have very much brought my thoughts to Israel and Gaza. A solution is there but Hamas destroys any solution because they are evil thinking only of themselves and their greed and their hatred for the Jewish people. They desire to commit genocide against the Jewish people and it really must end; they must be sent somewhere where they cannot hurt the Palestinians or the Jews. 

Prayers for the people of Russia, those killed in the attack by ISIS and those injured and fighting for their lives in the hospitals. May God be merciful and help them through this tragic time. 

God bless the world. 

Teatime and Latin. It is a day of rest for my eyes.

Added a new chapter to the Blake Book

 I decided yesterday that I should actually write a chapter on the Blake Pedigree Chart and the Blake Family Chart. I had not seen either of them until after I took on the Blake one-name study at the Guild and the Pedigree Chart appeared on a search of the Swindon and Wiltshire Archive catalogue. I found the Family Chart on a look at the Blake Museum in Bridgwater. At that point I had acquired a number of Blake family books on the internet archive site with their charting to go along with all of that. I have never attempted to do any Blake charting on the American Blake families although I have several books that have been produced. One in particular is on the Galway Blake family. There are a number of Blake founders in the FT DNA Blake one-name study. 

The way forward with the book though directed me towards the idea of having this chapter where I actually deal with my thoughts on the two large documents and the several other charts that are available produced by family members. Bringing yDNA into the mix does help support some of my ideas and the nice thing about writing it down; there will likely be thoughts that other people have which will come out of the woodwork. Having all the data in one place is also very helpful. 

This chapter follows the chapter on Andover and its history and precedes the chapter on the Le Blak family of Berkshire and Wiltshire. The Andover is obvious in a book about the Blake family of Andover and the Le Blak family gives me an opportunity to look at this possible progenitor of the Calne Blake family which does seem somewhat intertwined with the Blake family of Andover but I think the relationship between them is actually ancient to their actually being in Calne although there are several Blake marriages which allude to possible connections between the two families at a later date. This chapter will look at that idea although the chapter on the two charts will provide most of the details. 

So moving forward with the Blake book and today is Pencombe with tomorrow being Sunday and a day off to rest my eyes. I love Sundays and have since young childhood. The rhythm of going to Church early with my father as a child in my early teen years and then back to Church later singing in the choir and later teaching Sunday School are my strongest memories of my childhood along with the earlier times of going to Church as a family and occupying such a large portion of the pew. We often walked to Church which was just around the corner. I do miss the organ music and the singing but I have found that again on my YouTube Church of England services. 

Breakfast soon and it is my milk/oatmeal/cranberries and raisins cooked together for five minutes then add wheat germ/wheat bran and cocoa with blueberries. I do think of it as a luxurious breakfast and enjoy it very much. It is my largest meal of the day with my noon meal being the next largest and I like a light dinner. Groceries are much more expensive than they were; that is true but I am trusting that the government is collecting its fair share of taxes on the profits of grocery stores. After all it is the support of government that keeps business running smoothly in Canada for sure as they are protected by our many laws. 

I decided to start my French on duolingo along with my Latin. I will go very slowly as I started as a non-speaker (I read French very well actually) and just review all of that before I get to lots of speaking. It will be something to distract me when I need a break. It is snowing right now although I do not know if we will get enough to ski on. 

Prayers for the Rohingya people once again as they struggle to find a place on this earth. Their lives have been extremely unkind and continue in that way.

I would like to see peace in the Middle East for sure but the ability of Israel to defend itself against the forces of evil that exist in Gaza should not have to be tested constantly. It does need to stop and the hostages should have been freed immediately and unconditionally as stated by the International Court of Justice two months ago. No one likes to see the death level that has occurred in Gaza but attacking Israel is going to get a response and the Israelis want it all to end so that their children do not fear going to sleep at night either. The answer does not appear to be clear; the last cease fire was broken by Hamas once they had regrouped and rearmed. How do they rearm when there is no access into Gaza except there is through tunnels that are not watched carefully enough to make sure no more arms make their way in. The way forward is to stop Hamas and dump them on a deserted island in the Ocean somewhere, monitor it so that they can not leave. They do not respect any human life but their own as they continue to hide underground or in hospitals putting all of those people at risk. Hamas is a danger to everyone just like ISIS which showed their violence against the Russian people yesterday. We need to rid our world of terrorists and they are two of the principal groups along with Hezbollah and the Houthis still even after twenty plus years of the War on Terror. Lent and Ramadan are special times but one shouldn't use God's special time to say stop handling these violent terrorists in the only way they understand. The Americans put forward a good cease fire plan yesterday and it was vetoed and the response of the terror groups was to attack Moscow - interesting really that they fight in Ramadan and yet they claim to be believers. But at the moment I actually do see the Russians as terrorists as they continue to try to take more land in Ukraine a free and independent state; they continue to kill Ukrainians by shelling. It does look like it is time for Russia to retreat back to the accepted borders for Ukraine and take care of the Russian people instead of invading the sovereign country of Ukraine.

God be kind to the earth and help us to clean up the environmental damage we have created. In your loving mercy hear our prayers. Amen. 

Minus 12 degrees celsius

 About right temperature wise but the snow cover is missing. Hopefully a nice snow fall tonight; usually by now one is waiting for the snow piles to melt. Global warming is definitely a problem but then the polar regions will have the greatest difficulty. 

Yesterday was a day of thought mostly and little actual work on Pencombe. But this is the throw away month looking at the Pencombe family of Herefordshire and examining Philip Pynkenham in Tawstock. Who is he really? Did the Pencombe name arrive earlier in Devon as the records show in the Devon Archives and did it stay which is perhaps more to the point? Is this a stray Tynkeham from the south of Devon? All interesting thoughts and I am not seeing the original documents for these Lay Tax Subsidies. Although having a similar name starting with P in both subsidies 1524-27 and 1543-45 interesting but probably transcribed by the same person. Will still think about it for a couple more days before deciding and then I can always change my mind and retrack later anyway. 

Today will be the Blake family book and more concentration on Richard le Blak of Rouen, Normandy. I will add to this as I go along through the day although will also add text to the chapter likely. 

Teatime and latin. 

As I sat and watched the news whilst I was eating my wonderful breakfast (same every day, day in and day out and I love the repetition!) I noted that 70+ Rohingya refugees are thought to have drowned just off of Indonesia. I wonder if their plight is doubly worst because of the world incidences. For instance the Palestinians are unable to accept that Israel belongs to the Jewish people and the others who live there. The Jewish peoples are indigenous to the land the Palestinians covet it (that is the tool that Hamas uses to get them to lie down and die by the way if need be (although it also appears Hamas kills them if they do not follow that) with the promise that Hamas will get the land back!); the Palestinians often do it on purpose and that is dreadful really. God tells us to take care of our bodies and suicide is a sin. Other countries see the Rohingya trying to find a better life but there is a concern perhaps by countries that over time we might see more "Gaza" situations where the generations that follow demand land they think is theirs rather than accept what is given. The Palestinians are lucky to have land; they were colonials seeking a better life albeit a century or more ago. But still colonials and their rights to land are what is granted to them not what they think they can keep or take. I wonder about that actually as certainly few people mention the Rohingyan people although Canada has had a strong voice in their support. The United Nations has always granted to the original inhabitants everywhere the inherent rights to their land. Prayers for the seventy plus brave souls trying to find a new life because they do not actually have a life and are totally dependent on the United Nations for their welfare left to seek safety by less than worthy sea faring crafts. They are stateless and no one claims them as their own. It is unlikely they can make it all the way to Canada by ocean on boats but I would welcome them and I would wish that my government would as well. But it is cold here and not everyone enjoys the cold; I love the hibernation ability and would never leave Canada in the winter for sure. The Rohingyas would like to work hard and make a life and are the kind of people that we need in Canada. They would probably come at the bottom of the choice because of their lack of skills since they have been hounded for generations.  And because they are basically ignored they do not get the kind of support that Palestinians have had from the United Nations - the money pot is too small and Hamas has used the news to keep the Palestinians front and centre mostly by bombing Israel whenever they felt like it just to get in the news cycle.

I also noted that my blog post saying the funeral was today was incorrect (I have corrected it as I generally do when I realize there is an error, it is after all my diary) it is tomorrow that Prime Minister Brian Mulroney will have a State Funeral in Montreal, Canada. God speed Brain Mulroney, rest in peace. 

The day of research begins and I have closed out that bright bright sun as this time of year I just had and can have dreadful migraines from that brightness (a problem that is lifelong actually). I wear sunglasses to prepare my breakfast!

Snow 5 cm is predicted

There is a 5 cm snowfall predicted for the end of the week. That would be a nice end to winter for sure. It has been a strange winter here. Climate Change is having an incredible effect on Canada with out polar regions being a large part of our country. Perhaps one more day of skiing is in the works.

Today is a Pencombe day and I have a few more thoughts on Philip Pynkeham at Tawstock that I will check out. I do not want to just wantonly discard him from the book but do need to have more information to encourage me to put him in. The forename is definitely unusual to the William, John and Thomas forenames that I am finding generally in the 1300s/1400s for the Pencombe family of Herefordshire. 

Perhaps some searching of the archives to continue today with Pencombe. Perhaps getting back to actually writing the book as I have only been blogging my abstract thoughts as they come to me. 

Verified my appointment with the surgeon for cataract surgery - preliminary examination for surgery in late May hopefully. Actually looking forward to this being done and getting back to my books after a couple of months off perhaps. Time will tell. I have no idea. I have never really known anyone who had cataract surgery other than my parents (and my sister but she too is far away and did not really go into details and I like to just follow the flow for such things) and I was here and they were 700 kilometres away during all of that so no really close information.  But it is good to be enthusiastic likely. I have had no actual surgery in my life; just lucky likely and only a couple of procedures other than the delivery of two children. But I really do think people should get their surgeries sooner rather than later if they need them. So all verified and on to the appointment. My eyes are actually my only weak item but I have lived with them for 78.5 years and glasses for 77+ years. Apparently I did not walk free until glasses were put on me when I was just eighteen months. I hung on the furniture, people, the dog whatever to get around before then apparently. I have no idea why glasses suddenly made my world visible/steady enough for me to get up and walk across a room unaided. But I do remember having dizzy spells as a young child sometimes when my lenses were changed and perhaps that was it. But I made up for it as once mobile I had to be followed (the dog was good at that and bringing me back home) as I was on the move. We were inseparable the dog and I apparently and the dog seemed to know I was not like my three older siblings none of whom wore glasses as children because he would hold on to my clothes to take me home again my grandmother said. I have no memory of the dog as he was put down when I was around three years of age. I think he was about about ten years old - a large border collie. I do not remember the touch of his fur even. Seems strange really when he was so much part of my life until I was nearly three. 

On to the Archives and I shall record anything interesting but also have a look at what I have written thus far in this chapter on the de Pencombe family of Herefordshire.  

Just a day of reading and exercise. Tomorrow Blake.

The 18th Prime Minister of Canada - Brian Mulroney

Rest in Peace Brian Mulroney you did your task very well and created a new Canada that still flourishes due to your foresight with the 7% GST (although I consider mistakenly taken to 5% by Prime Minister Harper) and NAFTA. Both enriched Canada by making anything possible in those years following their enactment.  I watched during the day while the coffin of our 18th Prime Minister was Laying in State here in Ottawa. He will be sadly missed by all of the current politicians of the day; he was a great Canadian with a reach down through the ages. I will watch his funeral on Saturday.

I must admit the demise of the NDP would suit me very well; I have never considered them to be an effective party but rather concentrating on one segment of the population only; the one that they think will vote them in. Folded back into the Liberal party where they belong they would continue giving that far left wing of the Liberal party a voice plus the percentage of our tax that goes to support democracy (i.e. the parties with enough seats in the house) would not be diced up quite so much. The idea of the individual tax payer having a box to check for their taxes to be directed at their discretion (or one could have a checkbox for the status quo) is an interesting idea that came to me yesterday as I considered the amendment to the bill first put forward by the mis-guided NDP member. Put more effort into getting the children out of Gaza and here where there is lots of food and no bombs and less into supporting the terrorists Hamas who live on hatred of the Jewish people. That the bill passed in the house is simply a matter of politics - the Block want to be there to vote for an independence movement (as they see it) as they see their own and has little to do with Gaza likely (breaking up Canada is their aim), the NDP serve no purpose as far as I can see but are simply Liberals with a different name and would save tax money being thinned out if they are the same party and the Green Party (although I am a great believer in greening Canada I think voting for this particular item was a poor choice - abstaining could express your horror at the state of Gaza better - it at least supports Israel's right to defend itself). So I am left with the Conservatives, which I am actually but their inability to leave the GST alone or at least put it back up to 7% or 10%, it is a wealth tax after all (lots of exempt items that are necessities), has put me into the Liberal camp where I do not really belong but they are getting the job done. The military is getting more hardware and support (but more is needed); we got through COVID relatively unscathed and our economy is moving along nicely. I have no objection to the Carbon Tax - we have to pay to green Canada and that is a fact (last year we had the worst air of any place in the world; the smoke was swirling around in our backyard here and all over the Ottawa Valley). Taxes are one of the great truths of life - death and taxes!

Cleaning day all accomplished and today will be a research day. Just debating on which one to work on today. I am still sorting Pencombe in my mind and concentrating on the descendants of the North Molton Pencombe family and leaving the Philip Pynkeham at Tawstock for another (although I know I will keep having a look here and there during the remainder of the throw-away month). Finding him on the 1524-7 (as well as the 1543-45 Lay Subsidies as a tax payer) as a wage earner was interesting. The individual on the line above him was not a relative and I can not see anything that helps me with who he is as he is likely at least 15-18 years of age in 1524 so born in the same time frame as the first generation's Pencombe children (but does not appear to belong to anyone at Tawstock (the forename Philip is somewhat unusual in this family although there was one in my 2x great grandfather John Pincombe's family; his youngest brother Philip but he had an uncle Philip and grandfather on his mother's side!)). Probably I should still consider alternative searches as this is my throw-away month to look at possibilities and work on the Blake family. Here I am looking at the Le Blac family of Rouen, Normandy and were they the ancestors of the Calne Blake family? Can I prove that the Richard (who actually belongs at the top of the Blake Family Chart (Blake Museum, Bridgwater) I do believe) Blague/Blaake was the same Richard who applied for a license to set up a market in England in 1274? I think continuing with my search through the Blake records would be a good step today.

Continuing the look at the Discovery Catalogue at the UK National Archives for the unfinished group of Blake beginning with John Blake.  Publication of The Harleian Society Volume LXXIX (1928). There are Blake entries namely John Blak, Rawlyn Blak, Richard Blak, Andrew Blake, Edmond Blake, Edmund Blake (6 entries), John Blake (4 entries), Simon Blake (2 entries), Thomas Blake (4 entries), Walter Blake, William Blake (3 entries). 

Name                      Page              Suit#

John Blake           16                 10

John Blake           20               103 

John Blake         204               490

John Blake         295              353

Simon Blake      144              240

Simon Blake      238              174

Thomas Blake   134              329

Thomas Blake   285               74

Thomas Blake   293             307

Thomas Blake   390               13

Walter Blake     154             505

 William Blake   30             131

William Blake    30             148

William Blake  166              88

I have completed the first group of Blake way back last week; my the time passes quickly. I shall continue that process looking up these items on the Discovery Catalogue at Kew today (I shall continue adding to this post all day). 

Teatime and Latin first. 

 John Blake (77 items - 11 relevant)

1.  C136/83/5 and it is the Inquisition Postmortem for John Blake I (MP for Calne). This would be an interesting document and I may yet order it.

2. Grant (at Calne) by Geoffrey Symple of Wynterbourne Whitcherch (Dorset) to John Blake of Quemerford, of an acre of land in the field called Westytone. 1386 Reference: 1720/199

3. 1395; John Blake witnesses a document (Whetham (a parish in Calne), Wiltshire, lease). Reference: 1720/213

4. Eaaster, 1395. Attorney: By John Blake of Quemerford to Robert Welyknowe to deliver seisin to Rober Saleman and his co-feoffees of pasture of his manor of Shawe and other lands there. Reference: DD/WHb/2026.

5. 1393. John Blake witnessed a Grant (at Wodelond) by  .... Reference: 1720/210

6. 1390. Quitclaim (at Calne), witnessed by John Blake Reference 1720/206

7. 1393. Quitclaim (at Calne), witnessed by John Blake. Reference 1720/207

8. 1384. Grant (at Whetham), witnessed by John Blake. Reference: 1720/193

9. 1387. Grant (at le Northehethe), witnessed by John Blake. Reference: 1720/202

10. 1460 Aug 18. John Blake (Nether Wallop), Robert Blake (Calne), Alexander Blake (Calne), sued by a London merchant. Reference C241/243/39

11. 1463; lease, widow of Robert Blake (Calne), Avice Blake, and John Blake, Robert Blake her sons, for 13 years to Nicholas Redeman of a barn and pasture at Sohawe. Reference DD/WHb/2144.

Simon Blake  - 14 records - 13 Norfolk, 1 Devon

Thomas Blake - 21 records - 1 Kent, 1 Suffolk, most Norfolk, some London

Walter Blake - 1 record - East Anglia

William Blake -  20 Records - Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Sheffield,

1. early 1400s. Mortgage of tenement in Salisbury, Wiltshire. William Blake, plaintiff (might be interesting since the grandfather of Robert (fulling mill at Quemerford) Blake was said to be a William Blake. Reference C 1/6/131 (must check and see if this is one that I imaged at Kew in 2013).

2. 1404-1426. Same as above. Reference C 1/6/148

3. 1489, Letter of Attorney - Wheddon in Cutcombe, Somerset which William Blake holds. Reference: 1782/M/T 21 (two entries)

The William Blake records could be interesting as it is the first that I have found for a William Blake in the right area. The John Blake records are expected in that John Blake I and John Blake II were both Members of Parliament. 

William being in Salisbury especially interesting because Whiteparish is just south of Salisbury and if  the unknown Blake (grandson of William, son of Henry) who moved from Whiteparish to Andover area (dying there in 1471) it could prove quite interesting. Although the third record itself is in Cutcombe, Somerset so curious mostly. Will consider ordering these three records if I do not already have them.

Looking at that particular item once again from the Blake Family Chart, Blake Museum. Bridgwater:

This unknown Blake is said to be the grand son of William Blake and Elizabeth (Power) Blake.

 I will look at this chart next Blake day and review the problems that exist when one looks at the wills for these individuals. They kindly left them! Interesting in a way that this chart was created for the Hampshire Blake Family. The actual chart doesn't use it. It doesn't help anyone with the Blake Pedigree Chart at Swindon - perhaps just throwing a little fat into the fire type of thing. It does use some of the material from the Blake Pedigree Chart though one does notice that. It would be interesting to discover the origin of the first generations  

What value has the NDP brought to Canada?

 Listening to the proposed legislation that the NDP brought forward in the House has reaffirmed the opinion I have had of the NDP throughout my life. Although the introduction of Health Care was and remains the best work that they have done (and it is good but that was the brain child of Tommy Douglas and the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation Party in Saskatchewan). I do not think the NDP, successor to the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation Party, have continued to be relevant. They take on issues that do not need to be brought forward in the house and working in unison with the Liberals the last couple of years has really shown me that they belong in the Liberal Party and not an independent party. As a taxpayer they use up some of that tax money that goes to parties in the house. I think it should be a voluntary donation (or give a percentage that must be donated of one's taxes) and I would then donate personally what I wanted to the party that suited me (that would certainly let the parties in power and in opposition know the temperature of the Canadian tax paying public!). Business tax, if any of that goes to the parties, would be distributed as it is now to prevent big business from dominating politics. Listening to the amendment to the legislation last evening one can see that Canada benefits from legislation brought forward in the house that has been carefully vetted and does not go against our core values. 

The NDP created real problems for Ontario when they were in government that we are still sorting our way out of thirty years later (their idea of closing hospitals for Rae days continues to be one of their worst ideas amongst others). Their "extreme liberalism" complicates the Canadian scene rather than adding to it. However, their ideas could be part of the Liberal Party and brought forward in that capacity. I do not think legislation recognizing Gaza as a State is at all appropriate at this time so long as one member of Hamas remains alive in Gaza. They are a terrorist organization and in power - perhaps the best illustration of that was the hospital staff cheering apparently as hostages were brought in on that dreadful day following the October 7 massacre. How could they, if they had any humanity, cheer such an event. As a child I did cheer the death of every Nazi that the Jewish Secret Service tracked down but I was a child and realized as I came into teenage years that it is inappropriate to cheer at a death or when people are treated as the Jewish (and others) were treated on that 7th of October last when the hostages arrived at a hospital. Gaza could become a state one day when there are enough adults in the room; when they realize that they can farm the land and grow their own food and not take away from people truly mistreated daily, weekly, monthly all of their lives like the Rohingya have suffered through and others. That is the purpose of the United Nations; not supporting "hate" education. When I was a child Palestinians were murdering Jewish children; it does have to stop. Bombing Israel was always going to get an answer back; raping, murdering babies, infants, children, women and men was always going to get an answer back; enslaving, taking of Jewish hostages Israel should always respond back. Israelis have the right to defend themselves. Hamas has never rescinded their desire to commit total genocide against the Jewish people - Hamas is a constant threat and should never be given even the idea of statehood in Gaza. So long as they are there I do not want to see one bit of Canadian money go to the rebuilding of Gaza. Constantly I have written why do the Palestinians in Canada not bring the children (the 2 to 8 years olds) to Canada; that would take a huge section of the most vulnerable population out and rebuilding when this is done can be accomplished without the little ones underfoot. Plus I doubt that they require any clearance other than their DNA so they can be returned to the appropriate individual.

Release the hostages now and unconditionally Hamas as the International Court of Justice stipulated two months ago.

Cleaning Days

As usual the beginning of the week includes two cleaning days and I will be finished today. It is hard work for this 78 year old but I can still manage it quite well. It is also good exercise as the cleaning is the only exercise I do on those two days! Gives my muscles a respite perhaps from that daily grind of running, climbing, yoga, calisthenics and weight lifting. Instead it is all combined in a different sort of exercise and certainly my back would say these are hard exercises as well. 

No work done and not a lot of thinking. I am coming to the stage where I will go back to writing my books. For the moment it has all been written into the blogs and I will select what goes on into the book. That time is coming. I thought I would be ordering more documents but really what I can see is good enough for a throw-away chapter. It will sort of remain a throw-away chapter likely until the end of the book when I will decide if including a chapter on the Le Blak family has any meaning for the book or a chapter on the Hereford Pencombe family adds to the knowledge of the Pencombe family at North Molton.  

I did get in quite a bit of time on Latin as I work my way through the sets of lessons. This time I am finding it easier as I am not trying to finish up a book and cramming as much into my head as I thought things through in the fall. I hardly think about the Siderfin book now but I am glad it is finished.I had done a lot of thinking about them when I had the one name study and I am happy to have it all written down now and out of my thoughts. 

Teatime and then Latin; the day moves forward.

St Giles in the Fields - Passion Sunday

 The online service was at St Giles in the Fields, London and the celebrant used the Book of Common Prayer. It was a wonderful service and the priest gave a short history of the Church which began as a chapel of a 12th-century monastery and leper hospital. I believe we walked by this Church on our tour through London and Westminster. It is such a good idea to start at Westminster Bridge and walk the entire distance to the Tower of London going up the streets when it suits and really seeing both cities. In total it is about 27,000 steps and so worth the trip. 

It was a Book of Common Prayer service for Passion Sunday and the music was glorious. There wasn't actually a service ongoing but it was presented solely for the viewing audience which is nice as well as attending an actual service. 

The Lenten Reading today was titled "Language and Story" and it brought home to me once again my times with my grandfather when he was sharing with me his story and the story of his Blake family from Upper Clatford, Hampshire, England. He wanted his grandchildren to know their Blake family that had lived "forever" in the Andover, Hampshire area of England. I was too young to remember it all perfectly but as the years pass I get glimpses once again of his stories as I read the histories and search the documents. That is what grandparents do; that is their place in the family to tell their grandchildren the stories of their family but I am writing it all down as I learned with my own children you need to let them slowly find their path and not flood them with too much all at once. The gifts of modern life for sure - the computer. 

I watched a movie on Netflix later in the afternoon,  Paul, Apostle of Christ. Waiting for the 27th of March when a movie about Moses will be available on Netflix. I liked the person who played the part of  Paul. St Peter was the cornerstone of the Church of Jesus Christ but St Paul was definitely its memory producing so many written texts that we still read and love today.

A second quiet day to rest my eyes; they have been doing a lot of work and two days off was great. Today is major cleaning day so not likely will I do any work on Pencombe so tomorrow will be a Pencombe day. Then Wednesday I get back to looking at the Blake data that I was looking at last Friday. I find it interesting that both the Blake Pedigree Chart and the Blake Family Chart do have a Richard Blake at the top or near the top of the Chart. It is not that common a name in the Blake family although does occur in various generations. I am thinking that when the first chart was produced (Pedigree Chart) that Richard le Blak would have long ago been forgotten given that he received his patent roll to set up a market in England in 1274 and the chart was created in 1690 with additions up into the 1700s. Although these additions were minimal. But there he appears on both charts (if it is the Richard le Blak from Rouen Normandy). As mentioned when we visited Rouen Cathedral in Norman in 2014 I was most excited to find the effigy for Richard le Blak in the Cathedral (it was undergoing some reconstruction at that time) but in general everything seemed to be in place; just exterior work. One thing I did learn when we were in France was that all the Churches in France belong to the government and they maintain them (perhaps it is just old Churches though; the tour director wasn't entirely clear on that point). They are rented to congreations for one euro a year apparently although again I never clarified that. Their churches are very well kept up and we were most lucky to have toured Notre Dame in Paris at that time. We actually took a carriage ride behind a bicycle back to the hotel from Notre Dame and it was amazing riding along the streets with the cars but at a pace where you could really appreciate the beautiful architecture in downtown Paris (we stayed at St James).  This is an amazing hotel. The layout of the main floor is quite spectacular. 

Minus one degree celsius today and it is cloudy. We can have snow well into April here but at the moment we are looking at a pretty bleak picture but I did notice the ground isn't quite as dry as I thought. That at least is hopeful. It does look like winter just no snow!

I do find it amusing that dictators have to hold these elections where they threaten people if they do not do what they want and then claim the biggest electoral victory ever. Who do they think they are kidding|? Themselves I guess. How sad for the Russian people to have to have such ignorant leaders; no interest in the people just themselves getting wealthy. At least they are fighting back some of the people anyway they want the Russia that Alexei Navalny wanted for them. As for the Nazi despot Putin, like Stalin making his pact to divide up Poland with Hitler, wants more Europe but especially Ukraine. Who does he think he is kidding - do the Chinese buy into nuclear war, one wonders? After all the world could not go through a nuclear war and come out in any condition that supports human life or animal/plant life for that matter. But we are a God-loving God-fearing people and will support Ukraine.

Teatime and Latin; the morning moves forward.  Great news, when I went to make my tea I discovered that we have a very light dusting of snow on the ground and it is continuing to snow ever so lightly!

Palm Sunday to come and memories

Next Sunday is Palm Sunday and perhaps some of the strongest memories of my youthful Church come back to me at Easter. The most important day in the Church Year because my life as a child revolved around the Church Year (and the School Year) but the Church Year was more important to me. It defined who I was. Because I grew up in a family where I principally worshiped at the Anglican Church but also when I was at my maternal grandmother's home (and my uncle and aunt) we went to a United Church  on Sunday. It was a little confusing for me as a child I can remember because I felt connected to the Anglican Church perhaps because it was called the Church of England by my paternal grandfather and I did talk a lot to him as a young child. He was my supporter I guess would be the right term. When I needed help he was always there; sitting beside me on a chair whilst I washed the dishes kneeling on a chair reaching down into the sink. It was one of those big sinks - square and white ceramic that was in houses built in the war years. Metal was precious; we needed that to build tanks and make guns. I understood that from a young age but maybe that was common. I wasn't in that many houses that weren't "family" houses. They all had ceramic sinks I think. But I digress, my grandfather and generally my father called our Church the Church of England. I knew what England was - that was where all of my ancestors came from especially three of my grandparents and my father. But the United Church was a mystery in some ways; my mother had gone to the United Church when she was a child but then it was the Methodist Church and after 1925 the United Church. I did know the history of all of that. But it was a very different Church to me as a child. The linking part was definitely the music and I do love music. 

Today the Lenten Reading was about the Babylonian Captivity - the forced detention of Jews in Babylonia which followed the Babylonian Conquest of the Kingdom of Judah  and the destruction of Jerusalem. The only people left behind to try and scratch a living from the scorched earth that was left were those not expected to live (but they did some of them). This was 598 BCE (Before the Common Era) and it would be 538 BCE before the Persian Conquest of Babylonia took place and the Jews were permitted to return to their homeland. For fourty eight years they were held as slaves in Babylon. They came back and rebuilt their lives once again. Our brothers in the faith are strong. Our God looks down fondly on all of his peoples - Jews, Muslims, Christians and other religions. Easter is the greatest of the Seasons of the Christian Year and it is uniting that in this time Lent and Ramadan are during the same period of time. I can remember the times past when it was Lent/Easter and Passover that came together but this year Passover begins on the 22nd of April. Prayers that by Passover all of the hostages will have been returned to Israel. Of all of the crimes that Hamas has committed from October 7 last on, the continued retention of the hostages is perhaps the greatest with their responsibility for the death of all the Palestinians particularly the children being also a great sin on the part of Hamas. None of this had to happen; they did it because they fear their own uselessness if Israel becomes accepted in the Middle East. That is perhaps the most disgusting part of it all. Hatred is a sin and Hamas has turned it into a way of life. Hamas is evil and those who control Iran now are even more evil as they fund Hamas, Hezbollah and the Youthis (and others maybe unknown to me). Strange how history goes really. Amazing the human race (Homo Sapiens) has survived this long.

Church on You-Tube today in England and I wonder where it will be. Next week the Palm Sunday Service will be online at the Cathedral. 

Not any work done on the books themselves yesterday; it was a busy day though as I sorted thoughts in my mind. I do try to take Sunday as a day of rest and contemplation. 

Teatime and Latin. The Latin is starting to take on a real life in my day as I am speaking Latin occasionally to my daughter when we chat. The intent was to read the old documents but it is fun learning a language and I look forward to my lessons in French in the Fall to renew again my spoken French language and then the next Fall I will do the same with German although in the case of German it was primarily Scientific German that I learned. It does keep the mind active for sure. Alexa does speak French and German but not Latin. When I start into French I can set Alexa to French to give me some practice.

Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine - Volume 9

Nearly spring and the snow is all gone pretty much here. The ground looks dry instead of muddy like it usually is. Time will tell. A yellow sunrise in God's world in the east. What is God thinking as He looks at the world spread out in front of Him? He must have wept for Alexei Navalny - one of His children.  The people of Russia deserve so much more than they are getting - a war is always hardest on its people. Those at the top just live in luxury already greedy for more. The Palestinians here have not brought any children to Canada as far as I can see - they could be safe and well fed here and with very little difficulty since they are little and not a worry; They will not cause any problems for our 600,000 + Jewish people. I think the children is the saddest part; they did nothing to bring this on and it is usual to protect the children and I have a hard time understanding why they are not being protected by people who have all the luxuries of living in Canada. Protest marches are a waste of time - feed the children; bring them to safety.

Very busy working this last week as I spend this "throw-away" month looking at two possibilities - one that Richard le Blak was the founder of the Calne Blake family and two that the Pencombe family at North Molton was descendant of the Pencombe family in Pencombe, Herefordshire. Both have interesting possibilities but provable that is the question. I have looked and looked at the Blake Family Chart on the Blake Museum website (Bridgwater, Somerset) and finally I suddenly saw that perhaps Richard and Robert were interchanged at the top of the Chart and the "proof of life" details for Robert (who has a number of items in various records) did perhaps reveal that they are accidentally interchanged with Richard actually being the father of Robert. There were just too many generations between the two Roberts and not enough years. Perhaps I noted that before but I needed more data on Robert to really see it. With the Pencombe family, not finding a lot of new details but I am just getting into that. Still trying to link Philip Pynkeham at Tawstock but I think one needs to look at land documents to really sort him out. That is not going to happen in my study likely; time will tell.

The Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine, Volume 9 (Pages 223-224) which was published in 1866 and is also available from Internet.Archive.org

 http://archive.org/details/wiltshirearchaeo09arch

There is an article in this particular magazine which discusses descent and arms of families and was produced from the notes of the Richmond Herald at the College of Arms about 1693 although he was not appointed Richmond Herald until 1721. The article Wiltshire Arms and Descents was written by Mr. Clarence Hopper and the author of the notes was Robert Dale ( he was perhaps an heraldic painter prior to his appointment is suggested ). The comment is made that the information was principally from the Visitations of 1620 time period.

His notes on the Blague/Blake/Blaake family

Dorsetshire, 27. Blague, alias Blaake, now Blake of Quemberford [Quemerford], Calne and Pynhills - 1st, arg. a chevron between 3 garbs, sab. (this is the usual arms associated with the Blake family). 2nd, arg. on a pile, az. 3 martlets, sil. both by this name. Crest on a chapeau, gu. turned up erm. a martlet, arg. Kent 83.

Blague of Lacock, a second branch from Quemberford. Kent 83

Blague of Hilcot, a third house from Calne. Kent 83

This fits in with the Visitation of 1565 which states that Roger Blake and Mary Baynard had three sons - Thomas at Pynnell, Robert at Lacock and John at Hilcott which matches the information found in the Wiltshire Arms and Descents article mentioned above.

I did review "Index of Persons Named in Early Chancery Proceedings 1385-1467" produced as The Publication of The Harleian Society Volume LXXIX (1928).There are Blake entries namely John Blak, Rawlyn Blak, Richard Blak, Andrew Blake, Edmond Blake, Edmund Blake (6 entries), John Blake (4 entries), Simon Blake (2 entries), Thomas Blake (4 entries), Walter Blake, William Blake (3 entries). 

Name                      Page              Suit#

John Blak                62                 243

Rawlyn Blak          176               345

Richard Blak          62                243

Andrew Blake         3                  69

Edmond Blake      238              174

Edmund Blake     134               319

Edmund Blake     134               325

Edmund Blake     144               240

Edmund Blake     158               606

Edmund Blake     221              164

Edmund Blake     239              204

John Blake           16                 10

John Blake           20               103 

John Blake         204               490

John Blake         295              353

Simon Blake      144              240

Simon Blake      238              174

Thomas Blake   134              329

Thomas Blake   285               74

Thomas Blake   293             307

Thomas Blake   390               13

Walter Blake     154             505

 William Blake   30             131

William Blake    30             148

William Blake  166              88

I will check for Wiltshire, Hampshire, Berkshire in Discovery Catalogue at the UK National Archives for all of these entries.

 John Blak - 13 records from 1300-1499 -  10 are mostly from Norfolk with one from Devon

1. 1400s. Ogbourne St Andrew, Wiltshire C 1/1495/32, grandson William Blake plaintiff. 

2. 1382. Document witnessed by John Blak (dealt with Calne area, Wiltshire).

3. 1489. Thornbury, Gloucestershire E 40/13329-13344. Joan wife of Thomas Pacche daughter and heir of John Blak. Interesting in that the Blake family of Calne is found in Gloucestershire after leaving Calne area.

Rawlyn Blak -  1 record from 1400-1499 - Leicestershire

Richard Blak - 1 record from 1400-1499 - Norfolk

Andrew Blake - 2 records from 1300-1499 - Kent, Sussex

Edmond Blake - 0 records from 1300-1499

Edmund Blake - 12 records from 1300-1499 - 10 Norfolk, 1 Essex, 1 Surrey

To be continued the next Blake day.

Calendar of Patent Rolls and my first task is to check for Robert le Blake and Robert Blake and this is between  1230 and 1452:

1357 21 Oct Westminster  (membrane 12)

Pardon in like terms to John Gosegh merchant of Salisbury on,

his outlawry in the county of Wilts for non-appearance to answer

touching a plea of Robert Blake, Thomas son of Walter de Hungerford

Edward Cokerel and Henry Flemyng,executors of the will of Henry

Russel, citizen of Salisbury, late executor of the will of John

Godhyne late burgess and merchant of Marlebergh that he render

to them 110 l

31 Edward III, volume 10, page 630

One mention only of Robert Blake and it involves a case in Salisbury and Marlebergh which is likely Marlborough and not too far from Calne and Devizes so an interesting find to have a Robert, adult since he is  the executor of a will (although there are exceptions but generally so), in 1357. Continuing proof of life for this Robert and since he is not named at all in the Chancery Proceedings commencing in 1385 he is likely deceased by then as his likely wife Joan and son John were involved in a land transaction in 1386 where Joan is named as a widow. The land mentioned is Shawe by Savernake. I did locate a Shaw in Wiltshire  which is Shaw cum Donnington and of all things it is not too distant from Speen which I mentioned as being another Blake location associated with the Andover Blake family (A genealogical Gazetteer of England, Frank Smith, Baltimore, 1987). It is also close enough to Marlborough which is east of Calne and Devizes. An interesting find perhaps. 

I will have a look for Richard la Blak or Richard Blake in the Calendar of Patent Rolls. The one in Rouen, Normandy,  in 1274 is known as that was his permission to set up a market in England. Any of the references have no connection to Wiltshire. 

So I think Robert le Blake is now verified and the wife of Robert was likely Joan and at least one son John. 

I am tempted though to suspect that Robert is a son of Richard le Blak located at Wargrave, Berkshire in 1301 on the Pipe Rolls of the Bishopric of Winchester. Richard Blague does not bring up any hits on the Discovery catalogue. Is it possible that Robert should come after Richard as his son although not mentioned on the Pipe Rolls at Wargrave but there is a John Blak at Wargrave (although he is not named as a son of Richard in that record). But Robert was not likely born until 1313 or shortly before that and he does name a son John. 

Jumping ahead to Robert Blake  of Quemberford and dates online are 1412-1474 for his lifespan. I was not successful on Wednesday with the middle members of the chart above namely Henry, William and Henry but whipping ahead might be helpful. So if we have a date for the first Robert let us say of 1313 to 1386 then this Robert is born 100 years later approximately. If we eliminate Richard from this line coming down then we are left with Henry, William and Henry. This would have Henry as a son of the first Robert (and I suspect he is born before 1313 so Henry born circa 1330s and a William born circa 1350s and a Henry born circa 1380s and that is likely a reasonable span of years for most generations  (actually short when I consider my own generations). But I am suggesting that Richard le Blak is the father of the first Robert and the two just need to be interchanged. 

Quemberford is rather interesting because a Robert Blake is said to have owned a fulling mill in Quemerford. Looking at the British History website (https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol17/pp17-27 ), and Blackland in particular there is a small map on this page which is rather interesting:

In the writeup about Blacklands the Manor and House both known as Blackland was held by Richard de Canville in 1194 and before that date was part of the King's large estate called Calne. At some point after 1086 the land was part of the Calstone estate and was granted away giving some prehistory to Richard de Canville holding the property in 1194. It then descended in the Canville line with a little bit of interesting history and was given or sold to Malmesbury abbey before 1262. It was then held until 1539 by the Abbey until it was dissolved and the manor then passed to the Crown. It then passed into several families until the late 1780s when it passed to the Maundrell family who apparently held property in Compton Bassett which was called Blake. Somewhat interesting but it does not appear that a Robert (le) Blake held Blacklands at any time. 

Continuing to look at British History Online under Calne:Economic History (originally published by Victoria County History, London, 2002) and Mills, Trade and Industry (Source: 'Calne: Economic history', in A History of the County of Wiltshire: Volume 17, Calne, (London, 2002) pp. 79-94. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol17/pp79-94 [accessed 12 March 2024])."A fulling mill in Quemberford belonged to Robert Blake (d. 1515 (Public Record Office, C142/31, no. 53)) and was on the estate at Quemerford conveyed by Robert's grandson Thomas Blake to Henry Chivers in 1560." 

 Robert Blake married to Avis (Wallop) (Malwyn) Blake's son John named his brother Robert (married to Margaret Englefield) as heir to the property which included the Fulling Mill at Quemberford in 1504. Their son Roger Blake married to Mary Baynard had a son Thomas who is noted above as inheriting the mill and selling it. This is seen clearly on the Blake Pedigree Chart held by the Swindon and Wiltshire Record Office.

The value of these two charts is quite huge even if over time one notes difficulties with the Chart but overall the parts of the chart that can be verified by records are a great addition to this Blake family. The intent of the Blake Family Chart at the Blake Museum Bridgwater is to illustrate the Blake Family in Somerset and it does it very well actually. I have blogged on it in the past. I did not see it but I am sure it is a treasure to do so especially if you descend from the Somerset Blake line. 

So today finding the Robert Blake record near Speen is most interesting and continues my thought that at some point in the far past (I suspect late 1200s early 1300s) the Calne Blake and the Andover Blake families were related on the female side and their friendship is still seen in the wills in the 1500s. Having so much material in one place whether you might not quite agree with all the entries is a great asset to the Blake family. 

But I  have still not actually proven that Richard Le Blak is the progenitor of the Calne Blake family but I think there are not a lot of choices looking at the Blake records in the 1200s/1300s. The 1274 permit to set up a market was a great opportunity for Richard le Blak in England but there is an effigy in the Rouen Cathedral in Normandy and it wasn't possible to determine exactly who this person was. Perhaps a look at the French records might be in order.