Last Cleaning Day for the week

 Today the top floor and then my cleaning binge is complete. It is 6 degrees celsius and will be another sunny day. The plants are literally jumping out of the ground and the primrose has entered into its most beautiful state likely all summer as it is being crowded out by Starry Solomon's Seal. I need to transplant some of that somewhere else but just haven't done it. Gardening, at my best, is not really my thing but I am trying to maintain at least the front garden and let the back be mostly grass. The dogs will like that when they come. 

Yesterday I did get in a little time on Edward Blake's administration. He must have died suddenly as he did not leave a will which leaves one to suspect he may have been younger rather than older. I did not learn anything else new except his mother owed him 300 pounds which he hoped to get back. With his mother still alive she is either very old or he was fairly young as this is 1644. But some people lived a long time back then surprisingly. But the hazards were fewer if you did not travel for sure. Especially in England as this is now just under 600 years since the Norman Invasion and life has evolved in England in that time frame. The French have probably forgotten that they invaded England, conquered England and replaced the local British monarchy with Norman Kings who have now disappeared and been replaced by at this time the Commonwealth but Charles II and James II will return and they are descendant of the Scots just as Queen Elizabeth II was (her mother was a Scot). Charles III is really a King of the Isles as he carries a lot of English/Scot blood for sure and his son William will carry even more as Diana was very much a child of English descent. Which brings me back to the Blake family. Diana was descendant of the Blake family of Calne through a female line coming down and I have recited that before (although I suspect this is a Norman family). But there is also another Blake line which was at Finckley not far from Andover and Thomas Blake there was descendant of the Blake family of Andover (which I suspect descend from Western Hunter Gatherer so very much a son of the Isles) and Thomas was at least an 11x great grandfather of Diana, Princess of Wales. What I set out to show was that this Blake family at Andover acquired their surname likely by marriage to a Blake female (why else would you pick the surname Blake I am thinking?; even by 1300 it was a very well known surname in England). Would have loved to have had my grandfather's opinion on that actually but there was no thought of Diana becoming the consort of the Prince of Wales way back in the early 1950s when my grandfather was still living. The Prince of Wales was technically Charles son of Queen Elizabeth but not yet officially created. That happened in his teens at Caernarfon Castle in Wales. Is that my main reason for doing Blake? No, I am doing it because I want to ensure that Nicholas is in the correct lineage and not in the lineage that was created by Horatio Gates Somerby an American Genealogist. The other part is purely accidental and results from the Blake Pedigree Chart which Daniel Blake of London (descendant of the Andover Blake line) asked the Royal College to create using information that does not fit the actual records (namely concerns William son of Nicholas!). Interesting that really the first incidence of the errors were spotted by a Blake researcher in Somerset (another Edward) who likely produced another Blake Family Chart found in the Blake Museum in Bridgwater (it is anonymous). These two charts (and a couple of others that are helpful) provide much of the "arguing" information that I have used in my blogs (plus my own family lore). Is there anyone else looking at this? Lately there has been at least one journal article by a couple of genealogists on the problems of using Nicholas (and William) incorrectly in these charts. So no big thunderous thoughts on this but rather carrying on the thoughts of my grandfather (and father although he was less interested in pursuing the idea of correcting it) into this century all the way from the late 18th century when the thoughts of Horatio Gates Somerby were picked up by many many Blake descendants in the United States. Blake as an extant surname in my lines disappears with my brothers (not one of the four had a son). However there are many many male Blake descendants of Thomas Blake and Sarah (Coleman) Blake who married in 1792 in Upper Clatford! So not a problem really. And what else do I have to do with my time at the age of nearly 80? Well there is also the Pincombe book which I am working away at as well although it has been Blake concentrating in my blogs at the moment. 

Politics and the wars. I will try to stay away from them and pray for an appropriate solution so that the deaths stop and commerce can once again flow around the world in a somewhat orderly fashion. The Israeli children will get to sleep at night and go to school without feeling threatened which in the long run is the desire of many many peoples in the world. I would also like to see the Palestinians work their land and create industries and make Gaza work instead of harbouring generation after generation a hatred for Israel. I feel the same way about Ukraine - they should have peace and their land. Hopefully India and Pakistan can get along or at least not fight.  We will be rescued here in Canada from our slow but sure loss of industry and restored to our industrial base as it existed before Free Trade. But yet Free Trade can also be a good thing; one just has to protect one's local industries. But I still see trade as a luxury item; our first need is to tear the provincial barriers down and get trade flowing east to west and back again (including the pipeline). Refine our own oil and not pay to have that done and returned to us. The money in our coffers once again and we will re-arm and be the militaristic country that we were at the end of the Second World War - it was a good thing. The most powerful way to find peace is to be able to defend oneself against the Nazis of the world that keep emerging time after time.

Time to do my solitaire and drink my tea and then complete my cleaning. 

 

I always had a blue eye ring around the outside of the brown area of my eye

 I always had a blue eye ring around the outside of the brown area of my eye but it is more distinct after the cataract surgery (my eyes were very crossed though as a child (strabismus) and that is now gone (it was difficult for me to see anything really close up even with my glasses)). I hadn't really noticed it until this spring and I still think one would think my eyes were brown but definitely that blue eye ring is there as it always been from childhood (just looks larger, bluer and more distinct). The brown area just seemed larger to me through my life. Interesting really. I think maybe we should have our fingerprints on our passport which is perhaps a strange thing to say but it would be a second proof of who we are. 

Yesterday I finished the main floor cleaning but decided to do the basement today because I have to move the rug and under pad back now that the water meter has been changed. That went very smoothly and was accomplished in less than half of an hour. Getting ready for it took considerably longer but it was good to have everything cleared away from the area. So today I will clean the basement this morning and clear away the snow as we got quite a bit actually. 

Worked on the matches and there were a couple of quite good ones so into the databases and painted. I am not able to discover the Blake ancestry of these lines without going into the records of the English databases to search them out. But with hundreds and hundreds of grandchildren and they are my 2x great grandparents so one can only imagine the number of 2x great grandchildren!, John Blake and Ann (Farmer) Blake are a study all in themselves. Their descendants are found around the globe but primarily they remain in England and many in the London area as well as Hampshire. John Blake had died by the time my grandfather was born (John was his grandfather) but his grandmother Ann Blake was still alive and lived next door to him so he knew her very well and learned a lot about his Blake family from her and some of her Farmer family. The Farmer family were from Wiltshire and I believe I have found the correct line (a couple of interesting DNA matches work well) but Ann herself was born at Woodhouse in Andover. It was probably very helpful for my grandfather's mother to have her mother in law next door as she had twelve children! Her own mother lived at Turnworth, Dorset. Interesting how these Blake men through the centuries married outside of their area very often actually. I am still contemplating how far down I will bring the generations. Probably just to my father and he was born in 1904. All of his grandchildren know each other so that sounds good actually.

I watched a show on Netflix "Mary" which is quite good and I am about half way through. One never thinks about the whole story of Mary very often although there is evidence of her in the writings that points to the possibility of the accuracy of this show but it is also based on the knowledge of life at the time.

I haven't been watching Netflix for a while; life has just been busy with the election and I have been watching the candidates but I was annoyed by comments made yesterday by the Conservative leader. It always seems to be money that brings out the accusations and attempts to vilify one's opponent on the basis of money. Perhaps I do not put enough emphasis on money; but money destroys people; destroys their life often enough. I think having sufficient for one's basic needs is good and very necessary that as you work through life you put enough aside to support you in your old age. But being rich has its negative side; you have to protect it unfortunately that is the reality of life. It may look glitzy to be wealthy but it is a lonely place even if you do do all these fun and fabulous looking things. You can still do them and not be so rich and they are more fun I think simply because you are not always having to protect yourself from those who would steal from you. But in this modern world for sure anyone is a target for fraud and one must be attentive to anyone prying into their private affairs. 

But back to the election and I felt that the Conservative candidate had moved beyond mud-slinging but it is still there and I do find it repulsive. I do have my problems with the Liberal party - they do cling to power using whatever means works for them. This last parliamentary period I found to be extremely annoying with mistakes at CRA not being satisfactorily answered and responded to - there should have been people fired but it they did it on the quiet then fine but it would be good to know that a successful conclusion was reached for the huge mistake made. I found the dental and drug plans to be set up incorrectly as money for health belongs to the provinces and is much better managed by them. The Liberals always just throw money at it without being careful with the finances. It is highly likely that Mark Carney would be very efficient with money; I do have to say that. My decision still remains somewhat in abeyance as I listen to the candidates. The Feds should concentrate on improving our trade outreach which means working with the provinces to improve internal trade and increasing our network of trade in the world and other such global issues and not get into people's dental and drug needs. Seeing the NDP well below 10% of the popularity federally is a good thing. Provincially they have worked well in some of the provinces - Manitoba is a good example and possibly others I must admit to not keeping up with the politics of each and every province. Here in Ontario our experience with NDP was not good and I would never want to repeat that for sure. Mind you the Liberals certainly made a mess of it last time they were in power in Ontario. I am reasonably satisfied with Premier Ford although again the money issues that are thrown about are very annoying. Prove it or leave it alone; I get tired of it. My voting card came and it will be a nice walk up to advance polling.

 So next task is to put the rug down and then let the robot do its work vacuuming the rug. Then shovel the snow and back in to finish cleaning the basement. A busy day, breakfast already completed and will have my tea as that was mixed up today.

Continuing with the Andover Hampshire Wills

I am saddened to see that a bill has been put forward in the Congress of the United States to withdraw themselves from the United Nations. The original intent (and Canada was one of the original signatories to the decision to create the United Nations)  was to prevent wars and give a place to discuss any items that were inflammatory. The United Nations has become involved in so many other aspects of life around the globe with which I myself disagree. Some of the additions have been good - support for children with UNICEF is one. But there are others that are suspect especially because they did not report to the United Nations what was going on in Gaza before the attack on Israel. Supporting Gaza through three generations has not worked and something should have been done there long ago. They are not self-sufficient and have made not any attempt apparently to become self-sufficient and they supported Hamas' barbaric attack on their neighbour. Billions of dollars have gone to them with really nothing to show for it. I would like to see the United Nations continue but there does need to be changes.   

Hamas did not return the body of the mother of the two small children but rather a substitute - that is an insult to the dead and unacceptable. They are such satanic people with no regard for human life.

The Americans are our friends; we share thousands of miles of border with them. The current situation will come to a remedy. Although NAFTA was interesting it has cost Canada most of her manufacturing industries which I think we should restore as quickly as possible. If our neighbour is choosing to close up shop then we need to be as self-sufficient as we were when I was a child. Then trade mostly amounted to driving across the border and buying an American item that we paid duty on when we returned to Canada! It worked. Although I think NAFTA and CUSMA made both countries wealthy in the long run (and Mexico also gained a great deal). God bless the North American continent and all who dwell therein. I think there are tremendous benefits to the United States for us to be an independent country - we will always be their friend. The Conservative party does intend under the leadership of Pierre Poilievre to build CFB Iqaluit, double the number of Rangers and more icebreakers for the North (that should see us come much closer to 5% of GDP). I also like the idea of high speed rail between Quebec City and Toronto (myself I see that also as a military venture to be honest) and the eventual extensions that will come on either end of that. The new pipelines will bring us closer together as provinces and will increase our ability to ship oil and gas around the world. This will be a great time of growth and we must knuckle down to the costs and make it happen. 

Coming along with this will and it had a few surprises for me because I haven't looked at it for a a long time (plus my latin has improved enormously). First of all Robert only names Thomas and Richard as his sons - Richard is executor of the will. The other Blake members mentioned are Andrew who receives a tenement for life (implies a sort of close relationship), Robert who receives a cow. His sister in law receives a ring (husband not identified). William Blake receives a cow. So interesting for sure. I wasn't entirely dependent on him having a son Robert it just struck me when I first read the will that Robert was his son. 

The wills of Thomas and Richard will be next. Over time I will perhaps fill in the blanks but they do not alter anything in this will.

Recorded: 3 Jan 2014
Source: Hampshire Record Office, 1522B-04 

Testator: Robert Blake
Place: Enham, Hampshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 16 Dec 1521

[Margin]: 1522B-04 

1. In the name of God, Amen, the 16th day of December 1521 I Robert Blayke, in sound mind and memory  

2. have written my will in this way. First of all, I give and bequeath my soul to the almighty father God, my body to be buried in the cemetery

3.  of the parish Church of Saint Michael of Enham. Also I give and bequeath to the Mother Church 12d. Also I give and bequeath to the Church of Enham

4. xl s  and one cow. Also I give and bequeath to the Church of Andever xl sheep or pork ___ ____ _____ _____

5. have in custody I give and bequeath to my wife  £10 which Johannes Howton owes I give and bequeath  to my wife 10

 6. acres of corn/grain and 20 of barley I give and bequeath to my son Thomas 200 of the same I give and bequeath to Andrew Blake one tenement 

7. free for life I give and bequeath to Thomas Longe one plow and one chamber I give and bequeath to my son Thomas one cart and one whipblade

8. with parts and one part ____ just now I give and bequeath to my son Thomas one good arable sowing property

9. with  ___ and ____ I give and bequeath to Wylliam Gelzeyr one toga I give and bequeath to Richard Golding another toga I give and bequeath to

10.  Robert Tary one shirt I give and bequeath to my only sister in law a ring I give and 

11. bequeath to my son Thomas  two rings I give and bequeath to Robert Galavay one toga I give and bequeath to Thomas

12.  my son two plows I give and bequeath to William Blake one cow I give and bequeath to my son Thomas two chickens

13. and two rams Also William Fuynere owes me first eight bushels of wheat and any bushels 16d I also assign 

14.  to my son Thomas one of the tenements vacant at Rawkyns I also give and bequeath that one presbyter celebrates in the Church and Parish of Enham

15. for the salvation of my soul and for the Church for the space of one year I also give and bequeath to Robert Blake one cow and the remainder

16.  of all my goods, movable and immovable, by testament I also give and bequeath to my son Richard whom I appoint as my true executor that

17. that he may dispose for the salvation of my soul, in the presence of these witnesses, Father John Battey, Thomas Blake, Robert Tarry

18. and others

19.    Also I reserve to my sonne Richarde my farme and my tenemente hereat I do dwelth nowe

This will did not have the Probate details although it could have just been attached to the land records since land was passed or discussed. 

I am quietly working away on this project which combined with the earlier work on the le Blak family may yet prove to converge. I also need to review the will of the Blake family at Speen which works together with this family at Andover. 

The property given to Thomas Blake at Rawkyns is interesting because it remains in this family for a number of generations. 

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 13 Aug 2013
Source: Family Search – 186681, A-658 and Item 195
Testator: Richard Blayke
Place: Knights Enham, Hampshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 12 April 1522, probated 23 May 1522
Condition: 16th century English, legible copy

Wrapper: 1522 Rich[ard]us Blake De Enham
Wrapper: P[ro]batu[m] fuit  xxiij de Maij mu[ ]day infra villa de Andev[er]

1  In die no[min]e Ame[n] xij  die m[en]si[s] d’Ap[ri]lis  Anno d[omi]ni M ccccc xxij Ego Richardus blayke cy[m]pos

1. In the name of God Amen 12 day of April AD 1522 I Richard Blake being of

2    me[n]t[i]s sane q[ue] memorie t[ame]n eg[e]r corpore condo et ordino testament[um] meu[m] de mea[m] labor[aci]on[em] volu[n]tat[em]

2. sound mind and memory but sick of body I make and arrange my will voluntarily  following

3    in h[u]nc modu[m] In p[ri]mis et lego A[n]i[m]am mea[m] deo patri o[mni]pote[n]ti be[ate] marie v[ir]gini o[mn]ibus s[anc]tis

 3. in this manner In the first instance, I pray to omnipotent God the Father, to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to all the saints

4    Corpus q[ue] meu[m] sepeliendu[m] in cimitt[er]io p[a]rochialis eccl[es]ie s[anc]ta michaelie archang[e]li de

4.  My body to be buried in the parish cemetery of the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel of

5     enham It[e]m lego mat[ric]e eccl[es]ie winton xij d It[e]m lego p[re]dute eccl[es]ie de enham xl d

5. Enham  I give and bequeath to the Mother Church of Winton xij d I give and bequeath to the poor at the Church of Enham xl d

6    It[e]m do eccl[es]ie p[a]rochiali[s] de Andov[er] xx d It[e]m lego fr[atr]i meo Thome Blayke xl s

6. I give and bequeath to the parochial Church of Andover xx d I give and bequeath to my brother Thomas Blake xl s

7    ut ip[s]e videar ____ mea vlv volunt[at]us suit testam[entu]s in Jurius duslerat et p[er]vient
cum tenementas It[e]m volo q[uod] Uxor[i] mea habeat

7.  so that I may be seen

8    Firmam mea p[ro] tempo exp[re]sso in endentua iux[ta] as[s]ignatorum Roberti Blayke pri[mi]s
9    mei nichi et uxori mee de h[er]edibus u[ost]ris fait It[e]m do p[ar]ochiali presbicto[rum] xl d w[i]t[h]
10    ip[s]e oret p[ro] salute ai[nim]e mee It[e]m volo q[uod] uxor mea h[ab]eat custodia[t] talus mei
11    dura[n]te vita sua et post decessu[m] p[r]imo yedder sup[ra]dict eccl[es]ie de enham It[e]m lego
12    unicuiq[u]e Filiora[m] meor[um] cowes It[e]m do matri mee xl d ac volo q[uod] h[ab]eat victu et
13    vestitu[m] de bo__e meus q[uod] duo vixit It[e]m lego et unicuiq[ue] filior[am] meor[um] unden
14    vacta[ ] et vi[su]m lactu[ ] cum p[er]tin[en]ces Residuum v[er]o omn[ium] bonor[um] meor[um] do et lego uxori
15    mee qua[m] ordino de constituo executore[m] mea[m] et mi[ni]strare ut ipsa h[ab]eat acinde
16    Disponat p[re]sente die mee et sua ep[iscop]a utilitate s[ic]ut ei melius videbit[ur] insutu[r]
17    expedire deo place[r]e et an[im]e mee p[ro]fice[re] d[omi]ni dat[um] die Anno sup[ra]dict[i]s p[ertin]entibus
18    d[omi]no J[o]h[n]e battey curat[e] Thoma Blayke and Richarde Goldyn cum aliis dimis[s]is
19    P[ro]batu[m] fuit xxiij de me[n]sis maij in
20    cum du sup[ra]dicta in Capella infra villa de Andev[er]
21    Ergo fuit B bo____
22    iiij Juin
 

Minus 18 degrees celsius

 Another cold morning but also not unusual for this part of Canada this time of year. The second snow storm is finished and the cleanup and snow is mentioned for later this week. One should always be careful what you wish for but the snow load on the yard is now getting to be adequate to provide lots of moisture in the spring. 

Thankfully the Delta plane turn-over coming in from Minneapolis, MN at Pearson International Airport in Toronto had a 100% success rate in passenger and crew departing the aircraft (which was burning - one of the motors I think). Excellent work by the first responders in Toronto. I remember the last one in the early 2000s which was an Air France which slipped off the runway and over 300 people were saved with no loss of life. We will learn eventually as the plane is mostly still intact. All flights were diverted but a good distance away for sure with the closest diversion being Waterloo but most to Montreal or Ottawa so those people heading for Toronto had another big trip ahead of them to get home or where they were going. I actually have experienced flying in and out of Pearson on a very snowy day. Absolute clockwork on their part to keep the airport running smoothly. We are, in Canada, a snow covered country for a good period of the year. 

Cleaning all accomplished but no actual work done on my studies but maybe today. I had finished up the last blog with the Latin text of the will of Robert Blake (d 1521). I am going to check my transcription and convert the Latin text to English. I want to see if I had any errors in my transcription. I will do the same with the will of his son Richard who died in 1522. Richard had two brothers as well Thomas and Robert who lived into the 1540s and I have their wills as well. As far as I have been able to determine at this time Robert represents the patriarch of this Blake family (I do not know his parents) in the Andover area and his three sons all had sons and daughters which creates a number of Blake lines in this area. Were they the only Blake families in the Andover area? That appears to be true although the fraudulent works of Horatio Gates Somerby paints a different picture of this family and there are the two charts - Blake Pedigree Chart and the Blake Family chart both produced in England which have conflicting information. That is my goal partly in this month although it will be extended because I added in the Charts. The original goal was to look at the le Blak family of Rouen Normandy and see if I could prove that the Calne Blake family was descendant of this particular Norman family. 

Cleaning the basement has prime priority plus clearing away the snow I did not clear away yesterday on the porch and patio but the laneway is clear. So another busy day and hopefully it will warm up a little. My arthritis hates the winter. 

The first will in Andover area for a Blake is Robert Blake in 1522. I will continue to work on this both the latin and the transcription through the day but this is the large cleaning day so will be sporadic.

Recorded: 3 Jan 2014
Source: Hampshire Record Office, 1522B-04 

Testator: Robert Blake
Place: Enham, Hampshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 16 Dec 1521

[Margin]: 1522B-04 

1    In die no[m]i[n]e Ame[n] xvj die dece[m]b[r]is An[n]o d[omi]ni M ccccc xxj Ego Robertij  Blayke co[m]pos me[n]t[i]s et sane memoyre

1. In the name of God, Ame[n], the 16th day of December 1521 I Robert Blayke, in sound mind and memory 
2    asti[pula]tus testame[n]tu[m] [i]n hunc modu[m] In primis do et lego a[n]i[m]am mea[m] deo p[at]ri o[mn]ipote[n]ti corpus qu[e] meu[m] sepeliendu[m] [i]n cimit[t]erio
 

2. have written my will in this way. First of all, I give and bequeath my soul to the almighty father God, my body to be buried in the cemetery

3    p[ar]ochialij eccl[es]i[a]e s[an]cti michaels de Enh[a]m It[e]m do et lego ad mat[ri]ce ecclesie xii d It[e]m do et lego ecclesie de enh[a]m
 

3.  of the parish Church of Saint Michael of Enham. Also I give and bequeath to the Mother Church 12 d. Also I give and bequeath to the Church of Enham

4    xl s et una[m] vaccam It[e]m do et lego ecclesis de andever xl oves vel p[or]cus eap quod et iij ls quas yearly kyne

4. xl s  and one cow. Also I give and bequeath to the Church of Andever xl sheep or pork ___ that and iij  which

5    habet i[n] custodia Item do et lego uxori mee x £ q[uod] joh[han]es howton debet It[e]m do et lego uxori mee x quarte
6    rodas frume[n]ti et xx ordeu[m] It[e]m do et lego tome filio meo cc omn[ia] It[e]m do et lego andre blayke una[m] tenem[entum]
7    gra[tia] victus It[e]m do et lego tome longe unu[s] diplade et una came[ra]cia It[e]m do et lego tome filio mee una bictel[  ] and una whipblade
8    cu[m] p[ar]ts et un[u]m par[ ] notay monay It[e]m do et lego thome filio una ara[bilis] terra que vocato bene semers
9    cu[m] ______ It[e]m do et lego Wyllimo gelzeyr una[m] toga[m] It[e]m do et lego rycardo goldyng alia[m] toga[m] It[e]m do et lego
10    Robarto tary una tunica[m] It[e]m do et lego unicum que suor[or] meor[um] videlicet viro[rum] ac mulier[is] una[m] ane[llus] It[e]m do et
11    lego tome filio meo duas diplades ab It[e]m do et lego robarto Galavay una[m] toga[m] It[e]m do et lego tome
12    filio meo duas diplades It[e]m do et lego Wyllmo blayke una[m] vacca[m] It[e]m do et lego tome filio meo duas pullos
13    et duo verv[ex] It[e]m wyllmo Fuynere debet m[eo] ppt viij modios frume[n]tie et quoliket modio[s] xvi s It[e]m Assigno
14    Tome filio meo una t[enement]a que vacat[o] Rawkynys It[e]m do et lego volo q[uod] una[m] p[re]sbite[r] celebr[at] et in ecclie par[is]h de Enh[a]m
15    p[ro] salute a[n]i[m]e meo et p[ro] ecclie _______ p[ro] spac[iu]m un[ius] anni It[e]m do et lego robarto blayke una[m] vacca[m] et residuum om[n]i[um] bonor[um]
16    meor[um] test[amentu]m mobilium q[uam] immobilium It[em] do et lego ricardo filio meo quo[s] ordino meos veros executores ut
17    ip[s]e disponat p[ro] salute a[n]i[m]e meo hiis testib[u]s d[omi]no johane battey thoma blayke robarto tary
18    et aliis
19    Also I reserve to my sonne Richarde my farme and my tenemente that I do dwelth nowe

Second long snowstorm in a week

It is gusty and white outside my window but you can see the houses across the road. We, as a family, traveled from here to London so many times over the past fifty years through all sorts of dreadful weather. The children were so anxious to see their grandparents that they just didn't care; they just wanted to go. And go we did and return through some equally dreadful weather. Canada does get a lot of storms in the winter although it has been so calm the last couple of years but we have had breaks like that before. 

I dug snow yesterday; that was my daily accomplishment for the most part. I kept my patio and porch clear and just now the city grader went through and filled the end of the laneway. I expect the company will be along to clear that one of these hours - there is a lot to do for sure. Surprisingly though between last night when they cleared and this morning a pile of snow is once again at the end of my laneway after the company cleared it. Strange really - strong wind? The house next door to me sold and I do know there is a company wanting to buy the whole set of carriage homes. I do want to sell when I want to sell and that is in four years give or take. There are still another five to buy before you can demolish them and build condos or whatever. I have to say it would be a good spot for condos and I do not really care what happens. We bought this house new in 1978 and it will be 50 years old in 2028. It is solid construction but I can see the value in having condos with young working people using the train to go downtown. Housing is at a premium for sure in Canada. There is so much we can be doing internally that external trade is just something that can sit on the sidelines as far as I am concerned for a few years whilst companies decide what they want to lose and how they want to fight it if they do not want to lose it. Fourty one million consumers (and Canada is a growing country) is a lot to lose as a value in a company already established. When they held the meeting to discuss the effect of the train on the local area back in 2019 it was certainly mentioned that there would be people who wanted to do just that - build condos. Patience is what is required as a community ages. 

We are getting buried in snow and soon it will be to the top of the raspberry vines that I clipped off for spring growth. That will mean lots of moisture for the spring. It does help with spring forest fires for sure to have the ground fairly wet. Although sometimes the runoff is so fast that all you get is erosion and not great protection! but even at nearly 80 I can still move a lot of snow. It is just comfortable to have the company do it and good for business in Canada for the old to engage available industrial assistance.

Today I will probably along with the cleaning continue to look at the Blake Family Chart that the Blake Museum at Bridgwater holds in their collection. I would like to examine the second scenario presented for the Pedigree of the Blake family at Calne and this one includes the Blake in Somerset. But it does have this small section on the Blake family of Andover which I will examine and review against the know wills for these individuals mentioned. I can see errors but I will redraw it as it should be coming down from Robert Blake who left his will in 1521 (probated early 1522) in Latin which I transcribed a while ago so does need scrutiny but he is definitely the patriarch of this family at Andover in this time frame. His ancestry is unknown - is he a son of the Richard Blake who arrived from Ireland in 1441 and 1451 on the Emigrants Database? I have debated that especially as Robert's eldest son was Richard. There is a match in the yDNA database for a Blake in the Dublin area of Ireland who matches interestingly but his kit has never moved beyond 12 markers. Another Western Hunter Gatherer in the British Isles with the surname Blake! Whether or not I can find any ancestors to Robert at Knights Enham remains to be seen. I have not even looked at that yet during this period of searching. Getting back to someone born in the 1400s is something in itself.  His oldest son Richard died in 1522 and Richard's sons and daughter were already young adults as far as I am able to ascertain. So Robert was a good age when he died in 1521. I estimate his year of birth to be in the 1440s to 1460s. 

Writing this on Sunday and just about to begin my look at the second PDF for the Blake Family Chart. 

The Note reads: The exact connection of the Hampshire Blakes with those of Wiltshire is not yet fully established; the link here suggested seems the most probable. 

1st generation:

The top row has (unknown) Blake of Whiteparish, Wiltshire died before 1471 his wife is unknown but she married second Thomas Newman of Andover (there is a note: Came into Hants in 1471). The implication being that this young woman came as a widow to Hampshire with her two sons. This particular line occurs often in the books written on the Blake family by American descendants. I assume they are using the works of the fraudulent genealogist Horatio Gates Somerby. The material of HG Somerby was published in the 1880s and interesting this was the time that Nicholas Blake of Enham was then being discussed when my grandfather was a child living in Upper Clatford which is just immediately south of Andover (other side of the highway).

2nd generation:

The two sons:

William Blake of Old Hall, Eastontown, Kings, Knights Enham, Hants married Mary daughter of Humphrey Coles

Robert Blake of Enham married (unknown) daughter of (unknown) Snell

3rd generation:

 Children of William in 2nd generation:

1. Henry Blake     2. Nicholas Blake married Margaret daughter of unknown     3. Margery Blake

decessit                  of Enham d 31 May 1546                                                          baptized 1541              sine prole              Will 20 Jun 1547     Margaret married 2. Richard Munday                                                                              

4. Robert Blake 

decessit sine prole

Children of Robert in the 2nd generation:

1. William Blake (died 10 Jun 1552) married daughter of Robert Boswell

2. John Blake  

3. Richard Blake

4. Robert Blake of Enham

4th generation:

Children of Nicholas Blake and Margaret daughter of unknown:

1. William Blake of Enham married Avice daughter of Sir Ripley of New Forest, Hampshire

d 1582 

buried at Andover

2. Edmund Blake of Collingborn

3. Alice Blake married  Christopher son of William Godwin

4. Elizabeth

5. Ezod buried at Enham 1547 

5th generation [there is only information for William Blake married to Avice in this chart]:

1. John Blake of Eastontown near Andover married Mary daughter of Wm Blake of Eastontown (Issue: 2 sons, 1 daughter)

2. William Blake of Eastontown married Joan daughter of M Cobb of Swarroton (Issue: 3 sons)

3. Thomas Blake

4. Robert Blake

5. Edward Blake

6. James Blake

7. Peter Blake of Inner Temple

8. Agnes Blake married Roger Hyde of Hampshire

There that is everything that appears to be written in the chart. Bold is my addition along with the numbers for clarity.   The broken line goes back to:

 

I do think this dotted line is implying that Robert son of Henry Blake and Margaret Bellett has a brother (unknown) Blake with the writing (for further details of the Wiltshire and Hampshire branches see Sheet No 2) being part of this dotted line to the second pdf. 

I have not really looked at this chart in depth with regard to what was written about the Hampshire family - I glanced and thought this is full of errors and I am thinking that the author of this chart (if it was Edward J Blake of Crewkerne) was attempting to correct two items in total. The original Blake Pedigree Chart created for the Daniel Blake family in 1690 with additions and the work of Horatio Gates Somerby that he himself did not publish but created it for a Blake family in the United States. So an interesting thought actually that I have not had before. The author of the Blake Family Chart realized that one could not attach a son William to the family of Roger Blake and Mary (Baynard) Blake first and foremost and it is actually good to see that he made that decision as it just, with the available records, make sense. He would have had access to these same records as I have. One wonders what I would have thought if there hadn't been a yDNA Study of Blake with quite a few known lines being established within the project. The wills though do contradict what is written here so perhaps he only looked at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills and not the wills that would have been held at that time by the Churches in the various dioceses. I am not actually sure when these wills were handed over to the Hampshire Record Office. Certainly the diocesan wills in Somerset and Devon were in the Record Office before World War II unfortunately as that record office was bombed and the wills destroyed. 

I will now go back to the wills as I have transcribed them but it will take a bit of time working through the latin will of Robert that I transcribed a number of years ago but have now spent a year working on my latin so should be even better. 

The first will in Andover area for a Blake is Robert Blake in 1522. I will continue to work on this both the latin and the transcription through the day but this is the large cleaning day so will be sporadic.

Recorded: 3 Jan 2014
Source: Hampshire Record Office, 1522B-04 

Testator: Robert Blake
Place: Enham, Hampshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 16 Dec 1521

[Margin]: 1522B-04 

1    In die no[m]i[n]e Ame[n] xvj die dece[m]b[r]is An[n]o d[omi]ni M ccccc xxj Ego Robertij  Blayke co[m]pos me[n]t[i]s et sane memoyre
2    asti[pula]tus testame[n]tu[m] [i]n hunc modu[m] In primis do et lego a[n]i[m]am mea[m] deo p[at]ri o[mn]ipote[n]ti corpus qu[e] meu[m] sepeliendu[m] [i]n cimit[t]erio
3    p[ar]ochialij eccl[es]i[a]e s[an]cti michaels de Enh[a]m It[e]m do et lego ad mat[ri]ce ecclesie xii d It[e]m do et lego ecclesie de enh[a]m
4    xl s et una[m] vaccam It[e]m do et lego ecclesis de andever xl oves vef p[or]cus eap quod er iij £ quas yearly kyne
5    habet i[n] custodia Item do et lego uxori mee x £ q[uod] joh[han]es howton debet It[e]m do et lego uxori mee x quarte
6    rodas frume[n]ti et xx ordeu[m] It[e]m do et lego tome filio meo cc omn[ia] It[e]m do et lego andre blayke una[m] tenem[entum]
7    gra[tia] victus It[e]m do et lego tome longe unu[s] diplade et una came[ra]cia It[e]m do et lego tome filio mee una bictel[  ] and una whipblade
8    cu[m] p[ar]ts et un[u]m par[ ] notay monay It[e]m do et lego thome filio una ara[bilis] terra que vocato bene semers
9    cu[m] ______ It[e]m do et lego Wyllimo gelzeyr una[m] toga[m] It[e]m do et lego rycardo goldyng alia[m] toga[m] It[e]m do et lego
10    Robarto tary una tunica[m] It[e]m do et lego unicum que suor[or] meor[um] videlicet viro[rum] ac mulier[is] una[m] ane[llus] It[e]m do et
11    lego tome filio meo duas diplades ab It[e]m do et lego robarto Galavay una[m] toga[m] It[e]m do et lego tome
12    filio meo duas diplades It[e]m do et lego Wyllmo blayke una[m] vacca[m] It[e]m do et lego tome filio meo duas pullos
13    et duo verv[ex] It[e]m wyllmo Fuynere debet m[eo] ppt viij modios frume[n]tie et quoliket modio[s] xvi s It[e]m Assigno
14    Tome filio meo una t[enement]a que vacat[o] Rawkynys It[e]m do et lego volo q[uod] una[m] p[re]sbite[r] celebr[at] et in ecclie par[is]h de Enh[a]m
15    p[ro] salute a[n]i[m]e meo et p[ro] ecclie _______ p[ro] spac[iu]m un[ius] anni It[e]m do et lego robarto blayke una[m] vacca[m] et residuum om[n]i[um] bonor[um]
16    meor[um] test[amentu]m mobilium q[uam] immobilium It[em] do et lego ricardo filio meo quo[s] ordino meos veros executores ut
17    ip[s]e disponat p[ro] salute a[n]i[m]e meo hiis testib[u]s d[omi]no johane battey thoma blayke robarto tary
18    et aliis
19    Also I reserve to my sonne Richarde my farme and my tenemente that I do dwelth nowe

Will carry on tomorrow at this point, the cleaning took me all day as usual but I thought I might come back to this a bit.

Cleaning the rest of the house

 Always a long day of work for sure, cleaning the rest of the house - fortunately it is a small two storey carriage home so not as much work as it might sound but still enough for a 79.5 year old for sure. I will begin after breakfast as usual. It does make life easier though to always have the house cleaned up every week; week in and week out. I used to pay my daughters, after I went back to work, to clean the house and do the laundry. Well worth it to me since I was out earning money. I always believed in paying my children for work done. It is good training and does perhaps increase that desire to be independent and earning money one day in a different way than cleaning a house. 

Not a lot of work done yesterday, my eyes still seemed to be a bit tired so I rested them quite a bit and watched a movie on Netflix and did my exercises like running which I still do when I clean the basement. Today I will not run; I will get plenty of exercise doing the cleaning. I also cleared the laneway, patios and porch as there was a small snowfall and it is good to just get it out of the way. We apparently are getting another good snowfall so we will hopefully reach the 1.5 metre standing snow in the backyard by the end of the winter. That means good moisture for the ground. 

I did think about the Blake family yesterday, somehow Pincombe has disappeared into the shadows for the  moment. Resolving that the one group in the FT DNA y-DNA study is Viking along the Normandy coast rewarding as one would expect that there would be a number of placed people in England after the Norman Conquest. But why do we find so many Blake lines in England. Already we have noted that during the 1330s to 1550s when the Emigrant database exists that a number of Blake came from Europe to England - particularly from The Netherlands, different areas of France besides Normandy and Ireland. So rather interesting actually. I have to decide how much effort I will put into the wills that I have transcribed for Wiltshire seeing what kind of family lines emerge from these wills. The same for the wills in Hampshire, Berkshire. Christchurch is in Dorset these days so that brings that largish group of Blake into Dorset when one is examining the records. My interest in the Calne Blake family is fairly low to be honest but I would not be doing proper duty to history if I do not continue with this pursuit of attempting to determine how Richard le Blak fitted into the scheme of Blake in southern England. So many details are available that it just seems like a mistake not to attempt to put them all together. I am considering whether or not I should write an article for the Guild Newsletter on Richard le Blak. That might be a process that could encourage more British Blake descendants to test their y-DNA for the study. I have always been looking at this from my grandfather's viewpoint and he would have loved knowing that his line was very ancient to the British Isles as he had always said it was. But having scientific proof is always so interesting. He did not attach a great deal of interest to the family lore that the Andover Blake family and the Calne Blake family were related perhaps because it was very distant and prior to Nicholas whom he did have a great interest in. That is a thought actually and it has just occurred to me. Perhaps he knew more than I understood as a child of eight years and less. I did try to see if my older brother (he was 2.5 years older than me) remembered what Grandpa had said but his only comment was he tried to stay out of Grandpa's way or he was out in the garden working alongside of him. Grandpa believed in doing one's chores and he would create them if you looked like you had nothing to do! I did sit at his knee for hours those last couple of years listening to him tell me stories about Upper Clatford, Andover and the Blake family. 

Breakfast time, tea is drank. A beautiful morning begins once again and it is dawn. 

I have been avoiding the news to a certain extent; certainly President Trump will protect Israel. The announcement by the Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich that "for every hostage harmed, Israel will take 5% of Gaza" and it is such a good statement. Hamas needs to be put down; any human characteristics they ever had are lost for their barbaric crimes in Israel on the 7th October 2023 continuing right up to the emaciated hostages turned over last week. If those babies still missing are not returned alive and well especially, Hamas should pay dearly for their treatment of all children and infants having taken them hostage in the first place. That is the lowest of low acts against a people to take their children - it is simply beastly.

 

A new week - basement cleaning

Interesting service on Racial Justice but I have to say that I think anyone that is different from the norm that is around most people does have a more difficult time in life. Some people dislike you automatically because you are different. It is a pity but perhaps it was a reflex on the part of early humans protecting themselves in a new environment - no idea on that really. The answer is just to accept people around you so long as they accept you and respect you. If not than just go your own way and make a life. But maybe that is too simplified. I, being English Caucasian, do not experience dislike because of the colour of my skin so I listen and learn. The dislike that comes my way tends to be for a different reason (unknown to me mostly as I have always lead a quiet life if I was able).  Anyway an interesting service and a welcoming one as a Church should be. When I was a volunteered secretary at Edward's Church I welcomed everyone new that came to ask queries at the table where I was standing in my capacity as volunteer church secretary. As I had learned from my mother at a young age the colour of your skin is a just a property of humanity like tallness etc. If we all felt that way it would be a better place for sure. At coming on 80 years of age I just live a very quiet life writing my books on my parent's families. 

Conrad Black wrote a very interesting editorial on Canada and I must say I am very much in agreement with what he wrote. As usual he captures the essence of the present happenings in a very readable way. 

Worked away on a few items yesterday but it was the rest day for my eyes and today is basement cleaning so will continue on the Latin documents through the day. This month of looking at the le Blak family of Normandy may provide new information that helps with my premise that the Blake family of Calne was descendant of Richard le Blak who received by patent the right to set up a market in England coming from his native Normandy in 1274. Since he was Norman it is highly likely he would quickly climb into a good position in England. Finding a Richard le Blak in Wargrave (near Windsor), Berkshire was an eye opener on the Pipe Rolls of 1301 and knowing that there was a Blake family at Speen, Berkshire in the 1500s that was familiar with/had land dealings with the Blake family at Andover does give me pause to think that linking stories between the Blake family at Calne and the Blake family at Andover may stem from this combination of incidents in the historical record. The historical records for this family have not necessarily all been examined (certainly not by me at this distance away) but finding the various items produced over time by family members and scholars has proven to be a stepping stone linking all of these incidences together and giving them a date that works better into the narrative. 

Why do I do it? Curiosity I think especially about that will of William Blake at Speen, Berkshire dated 10 Jun 1552/probated 28 Jul 1552 - "Item I give and bequeathe amonge all my chyldren to be equally devided / all my shepe and cattell that ys going upon the com[m]ons of Ando[ve]r Enh[a]m and Benh[a]m / Item I give and bequeathe anie of my said cheldren all the graynes that is unthresened and there ofe in the barnes of my holde in Knights Enh[a]m _cells in anye other of my houses then to be equally devided / Item I give and bequeathe amonge my said children all the profytts of my tenement in Knights Enh[a]m whiche William Blake of Knights Enh[a]m doth tyll for me for the somme of fyve pounds to be equally devyded / Item I give and bequeathe to Anthony Blake my sonne the Sixe houses with the ploughe and all th[e ]appurtenances there belonging now in the custody of William Blake with the leasse of my Tenements in Knights Enh[a]m / Item I will that all my goodes and cattalls whiche was removed from Enh[a]m to Benh[a]m to be Removed back agayne to Enh[a]m into the custodye of Robert Boswell my father in lawe Immediatley after my death." 

In this same will - William names his brothers as John and Richard (son is Anthony). William Blake at Knights Enham was the son of Nicholas Blake of Knights Enham who left his will in 1547. William Blake (of Knights Enham) and later at Eastonton left his will in 1582. Nicholas also mentions Robert Boswell in his will. All of these wills I have blogged earlier. The will of William Blake at Speen is very interesting as he was another William Blake with property in Andover but he is not the William Blake married to Avis Ripley mentioned on the Blake Pedigree Chart either as his wife was Ellyne. So the mystery does continue but the facts continue to come out in various documents helping to piece together this period of time and perhaps it will support the premise that I have made. Time will tell. The other part of the curiosity is that my grandfather (and father) actually mentioned this family lore that the Blake family of Andover was related to the Blake family of Calne although not with quite the same attention as they gave to the discussion on Nicholas of Old Hall, Knights Enham. Nicholas, to them, was real. I also did think that William Blake at Speen might be a son of Robert Blake brother to Nicholas Blake but this also was not true as William Blake can be located at Perwell near Andover with his wife Agnes. 

But it does suggest that at some point there was a relationship between these Blake families at Andover and Speen as this is into the 1500s and so we have a period of two hundred years since Richard le Blak was located at Wargrave with Speen being about halfway between Wargrave and Hungerford (Hungerford being in the north east of Wiltshire just over the county border but definitely on a pathway that could lead to Calne). But this William Blake at Speen does not refer to this Blake family as cousin so the relationship was not 1st or 2nd cousin but rather distant perhaps and that is consistent with the time span. 

I also have not found the parents of Robert Blake who left his will at Enham in 1521 (he was elderly for sure as his son Richard left his will in 1522 with older children of his own mentioned). Richard received property at Enham in the will of his father which is then held by Nicholas Blake. This Richard I believe to be the father of Nicholas and Robert (and their sister Elizabeth married to (unknown) Mylne).  There was a John Blake at Andover in the early 1300s and I do need to find that reference as I saw it a dozen years ago in perhaps the Manor Books. Will have to think about that but it was the first reference that I found in Andover to a Blake.

Breakfast finished and Latin next and will set up the I-robot to vacuum the rug in the basement.

The yDNA project for Blake at FT DNA

Good news once again. Three more hostages have been released in Gaza and returned home to Israel but their condition does not look good; they have been underground and treated very poorly for a year and a half. Compare it to the cheerful well fed look of the 183 Palestinians that were released. This treatment has been criminal towards these hostages - the honour of the world is at stake to even permit for one moment Hamas to get away with any of this. They must be punished for their crimes against humanity. 

The yDNA Project for Blake at FT DNA has been in place for quite a long time; I am not exactly sure when Bill Bleak first set it up but I joined my brother's results sometime in 2008 I think but did not take a lot of interest in it. I felt that Blake was just too huge a project to even look at it for a few more years. Then a Siderfin cousin of mine living in England wanted to take over my one-name study at the Guild and I gave it to him along with everything that I collected. I really must remember to upload the revised book (with my corrections) and the Charting Book for Siderfin to the Guild Library and the other two places to which I submitted it. But I digress; when I gave up the Siderfin study I began to look more seriously at the Blake study and contemplate, now that I had completed my training in genealogical studies whether I could, at such a long distance away from the record base, even consider doing a one name study. In 2011 I made up my mind and applied to do the one name Blake study at the Guild. There had been another Blake descendant who had had the study at the Guild for quite a while I think but he had stepped away from it at some point not sure when. I met him later when he gave a lecture to BIFHSGO a few years back and we chatted a moment and he asked my descent and I mentioned that I had managed to get back to Robert Blake who left his will in 1521 (in latin but I had transcribed it and I need still to go back and clean up that transcription) . Since my family never left the Andover area until the latter part of the 1800s when the eldest son of Edward Blake, John, went to Eastleigh to work on the railway. He was joined by my grandfather Samuel George Blake in the late 1890s when he completed his training as a blacksmith. The line at Upper Clatford was well known to me and back to Andover with Joseph Blake son of Thomas Blake. Muddled in my mind was the line going back further with a number of forenames including William several times and then Nicholas. Nicholas stood out in the conversations with my grandfather (he did die when I was just eight) quite strongly and it wasn't until I came into the Blake one-name study that I realized over a period of time why Nicholas was a subject of discussion three hundred plus years after he left his will stating that he was from Old Hall, Enham and naming his siblings and children of course plus his wife. The main thing that I knew about Nicholas was that books had been written in the United States that had an incorrect line for the Andover Blake family going back from Nicholas. He was unaware of the Blake Pedigree Chart that had been created by the College of Arms or the Blake Family Chart held at the Bridgwater Museum in Somerset. But likely people had started to come from America to Andover looking for their roots as that was a popular thing in the latter part of the 1800s. So there I was signing my brother's results into the Blake study where there initially were no matches; not even close. Barrie Blake, Australia, did an excellent job of arranging the various sets of data into "family" groupings and I have not really altered that very much other than changing the titles to fit the results as they have developed since he created the original structure. 

Fast forward to 2014 when we went to France for a three week trip which included Rouen. There touring the Cathedral in Rouen I noted that a Richard le Blak had lived in Rouen although finding much information has been very difficult. But I was involved in extracting Blake entries from the Calendar of Patent Rolls which the University of Iowa had put online for a period for a study they were doing. I downloaded every Blake item including various spellings and I had discovered a Richard le Blak requesting and receiving permission to set up a market in England in 1274. During this month I have assigned to the le Blak family, I want to look at the feasibility of this family being the progenitor of the Calne Blake family. From a view point of who they were; it is certainly a logical thought since the Normans conquered England in 1066. By 1274 they were much in control of everything although the British who were already on land and managing items had retained much of what they had and just changed the overlords.

There is a group of individuals who have tested their y-DNA and become members of the Blake y-DNA study whose results take them back to this particular area in France where the Vikings were known to have settled. There are not a lot of Y-700 results or perhaps not any I am not sure in this group although I need to relook at that the next issue of the Blake Newsletter. Many of them have family lore of being descendant of the Blake family of Calne. This family gradually, as shown by the wills, moved away from Calne and then abruptly moved after the destruction of their home at Pinhills near Calne where they were then located in Gloucestershire. So a varied location for descendants would not be surprising coming down from the 1300s. Several lines of Blake arrived in the United States in various places and that included from the Blake Somerset Family (I have no intention of putting together the information on the Somerset Blake family in my book). Thus far I can find only one Blake line leaving England in the Andover Blake family (a daughter of Richard Blake who married Major General Robert Sedgwick although he died in Jamaica and she died in London but their five children remained in the United States as they were adults or they returned to the United States); I do not know the Sedgwick family although there are a number of books published on the American line. There are no matches for my brother's yDNA results (I have tested two our of four of them) in the United States. 

So today I shall spend a bit of time looking at the Y-DNA results for that particular group in the FT DNA Study. The last time I looked I can remember thinking that overall the results pointed to a Viking/Norman ancestry. But that was back in 2014 as I have for the most part left it with individuals in the study to correct me if they think there needs to be a correction or tell me if they are making additions to individual groups. I am great at distributing the work if it possible! I always give credit for anyone else's work. 

Breakfast time, first Yoga and then to work. 

I forgot the good news from yesterday

 Three more hostages released and thank God for them being alive. Hamas should all be rounded up and put into an underground prison for at least a year and a half with no daylight. They should be fed rations; they do not deserve that good treatment as we would not threaten their lives constantly. They are satanic people who do not deserve to live amongst normal people for sure. We still do not know the fate of those two little ones. Their father was released yesterday. What barbarism to take tiny infants hostage and keep them underground and if they have not survived then Hamas is responsible for their deaths. How disgusting. 183 Palestinians released so each hostage was worth 61 people - interesting.

The Church Service today was absolutely perfect. The hymns many of my favourites. It was like being back in the Church of my youth at a Mattins Service. Thank you to the priest for such a wonderful service. Interestingly the candlesticks on the altar all bore coats of arms probably given centuries ago by families of the village. 

It rather caught my eye as that was how one distinguished one's family in olden times. Both the Blake and the Pincombe/Pinkham family do have a coat of arms that was used (there are actually many for Blake) at least in the1400s. The Calne Blake family definitely used it and I found it quite interesting that in the Hampshire Visitations the coat of arms was penciled in and not printed. Descendants of that line did use it after they moved into the London area and there it was printed in the Visitations. Interesting really and does continue to make me wonder if I am correct in believing that any connection between the Blake family of Andover and that of the Blake family of Calne  was solely in the female line. That isn't to say the crest didn't still belong in the line as at marriage the crests were combined. So interesting and I am looking forward to working on those documents tomorrow. 

Yoga finished. My run finished and it is lunch time. 

The TV is all about the tariffs and what will happen next. I look forward to our finding new markets both inside the country and outside. We liked trading with our dear neighbours/relatives/friends in the United States but if that can't work out then we have to make changes. But especially I would like to see us once again produce our own shoes (there was a marvelous shoe factory in my home city and we built all sorts of home equipment which is all imported now from the United States). We always imported vegetables from the United States from the time of the end of the crop year until late spring the next year but we also store vegetables and they are good too. Actually the mineral and vitamin value increases in storage - something to think about! Alcohol - well I seldom drink anything so not really a big deal for me. Plus we have lots of domestic alcohol and we import from all around the world. But the LCBO is the largest importer of alcohol in the world apparently so I think that might be missed since we are not going to pay a tariff on something that medicinally speaking is not actually good for you (perhaps in very little quantities there is a medicinal value - my father used to partake of a small glass of cherry brandy most evenings). However that isn't enough to have alcohol qualify as of any value other than entertainment. I do miss our excellent shoe makers though and perhaps some people will take that up and recreate that industry here. There is nothing like a good pair of shoes. I still have the last pair that I bought for work in the 1990s  ($125 at the time which was expensive for sure) but good Canadian leather and leather soles. I did have them heeled again maybe fifteen years ago so they are like new and I bring them out sometimes. But they are a dress shoe and I generally wear a flat shoe around the house. That would be exciting to have shoes made here again. So I know this will be hard for people but if it can incentivize industries that we lost during NAFTA to reappear it is worth the strain!

Lunch and then some work. 

Moving along with Blake

 I was watching the Inaugural Address that President Trump was giving and the doorbell rang. I do normally ignore it although do glance out just in case it is the water main people or something like that but it was a young woman at my door wearing a backpack. Did she have the wrong house? fortunately she followed the rule of politeness and did not ring twice as I was listening to the TV. I wanted to hear what the President was saying. I also listen quite a bit to Question Period and our Prime Minister when he speaks but the Inauguration of an American President is very very important. As the leader of the Free World and the longest lasting democracy in the world, it is good to listen to what he has to say. I feel that his being part of the negotiations for this ceasefire in Israel/Gaza was very significant. He  had already played a huge role with his son in law in the Abraham Accord in his first term. Peace in the Middle East would be so wonderful. But most importantly all of these Hostages desperately need to come home and out of the damp tunnels in Gaza. NO sunlight is so bad for people day after day. How sad to watch that young woman cry in her mother's arms when she finally reached her. It was so beautiful and so tragic - 1.5 years of her life stolen from her and all she did was go to a Music Festival (I think although she could be in one of the farms working). But the pain and joy for that family having to comfort their daughter like a child lost and hurt was so sad to watch. God be with them all. President Trump will do everything that he can to make this happen; freedom for the rest of the hostages many of them Americans. For some, sadly, it will be to have a proper burial at last (a whole year and a half later) for their loved one which is so sad as they are so young. How cruel and satanistic Hamas is.

What a beautiful day for America - their Inauguration Day. Every four years it is a splendour to watch. Thank you for letting the world in to watch it; well I guess I watched it on CNN actually. 

Finished up reading through the Calendar of Patent Rolls and collecting the ones pertinent to the Andover area which does include a number of counties since my interest is also in the Berkshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset, Devon and Gloucestershire areas where family lore exists in some cases with regard to the Blake family of Calne. 

I think today it is into the wills (in between cleaning the top two floors of this little house). I think the smallness and its limited exposure during this very cold spell is a bonus really. I just have the north exposure on the front and the south exposure on the back which is excellent if it is sunny as the heat really doesn't come on too much then, the side exposures are quite limited. Although I think it came on every hour last night probably. Sunrise now and it is another clear day I think. Last night the stars were beautiful but taking out the telescope at minus 20 and more isn't going to happen for sure.  Still minus 21 degrees celsius at 7:30 a.m with a high of minus 12 degrees celsius. 

The wills that are significant to Andover in the Berkshire area I think I will review online once again through the day. I will perhaps make sure that I have found everything that I have in the Wargrave area of Berkshire looking through some old material that I collected through the years. It is the same names moving about in this area but when you are dealing with Richard la Blake and Robert le Blake and John le Blake they were common forenames used in these times. 

Teatime and solitaire puzzles and then yoga and breakfast. The day begins.

Cleaning will be finished today

Just the top floor to clean and then done once again for the week. Yesterday I cleaned the main floor as I decided to do three days of cleaning this week. I also shoveled the porch and patio at the front. I think that was a good plan not to have the company shovel the porch and patio as it does get me outside in the fresh air at least occasionally. 

I continued to work on the Pedigree Chart yesterday and may do some more today on the first image. I discovered British History Online is doing an upgrade to their system which allows me to continue searching but I could not become a member of the site although do have a login now. I did a little searching on Dorrant and Bellet. The Pedigree Chart has scant information on these two lines that appear to have married into the Blake family of Wiltshire. The Baynard family is well established and known in the Visitations and other documents as well as having wills for many of the members of the family in this timeline which I have transcribed. I wonder if that was the upward movement of the Norman family le Blak (still not yet proven the idea that the le Blak family of Wargrave, Berkshire was the Blake family of Calne) actually marrying into the Baynard family - Roger Blake and his sister Anne married into the family. Roger married Mary Baynard and Anne married  Robert Baynard but they are great grandchildren of Philip Baynard and Henry Blake (the second set of circles on the first image). This first image does proves to be rather interesting. There is also a Blake Pedigree Chart held by the Blake Museum in Bridgwater which is equally interesting and has ten images available online at the Museum site. 

First Image of the Blake Pedigree at the Blake Museum in Bridgwater:

I have discussed this particular set of data before on my blog. We can see the same or similar marriages and I think this was prepared in the latter part of the 1800s. The second image (referred to as Sheet No. 2) does have a slightly different look at the Blake family of Andover than this Pedigree Chart.

Second Image of the Blake Pedigree at the Blake Museum in Bridgwater (I have cropped it from the original image to show the Andover Hampshire material):

 In a way it is like the author of this second Pedigree Chart has anticipated and noted the problems with having a William Blake at Eastontown as the son of Roger Blake and Mary (Baynard) Blake and devised a connection further back descendant of Henry Blake married to Margaret (Bellet) Blake. There is actually a simpler connection I think even further back with a John of Enham marrying Alicia (la Blak) daughter of Richard le Blak who lived at Wargrave likely whilst they were living at Wargrave and that would have been in the early 1300s and that would eliminate the inconsistencies with the wills of the Blake family of Andover created by these two charts. I will discuss this chart line by line as well since I have a lot of information from the wills to help to simply and revise this portion.

So that is my purpose in the next month to examine the extant material and see what is available. I have really three sets of thought all based likely on family lore. The First Pedigree Chart created by the College of Arms with information provided by the Daniel Blake family using the Visitations and family data which is not found online was a simple direct connection back to William Blake of Eastonton but he is not given the right set of parents according to the wills. The Second Pedigree Chart created by I think Edward Blake of Crewkerne, Somerset who did provide information to Horatio Gates Somerby so likely why this information in the Second Pedigree Chart resembles that idea and the Blake is an unknown coming out of Wiltshire to Andover and a son of Henry Blake if one follows the traceback to the first page of this second Pedigree (great grandfather of Roger Blake said to be the father of William Blake of Eastonton). This second chart does utilize the power of the wills as far back as they would take you although I need to verify the information on this chart with the extant wills. I have transcribed all of them. This Second Pedigree Chart links the Somerset Blake family to the Calne Blake family and again this is hinted at in the first Pedigree Chart which we will reach eventually. My thought remains the simplest that the Andover Blake family is linked through a female line way back in the early 1300s. This would fit in with my grandfather's thought that such a relationship could have existed (as family lore did exist but he tended to be somewhat skeptical of it I think) but more likely with the Blake family of Berkshire as in retrospect he appeared aware of a relationship between these families from earlier times. As I researched I did recall his mentioning that (I was only eight when he passed although he was quite lucid to the end of his life; just fell asleep a lot while he was telling me stories!). I loved it though to sit and listen to him and would do that for hours as my father used to take me to the office and let me sit and chat with him whilst he was working. My grandfather used to keep the equipment sorted for him and he also built scaffolding when he needed that for construction. Proving the link between the Somerset Blake family and the Calne Blake family I will leave to others. I sometimes think where there is "old" family lore one has to look at it as a possibility but finding the information when you are looking back into the 1600s and earlier can be quite difficult. My grandfather though was quite positive that we were not related to Lord High Admiral Robert Blake of Bridgwater (I think that was still important in the 1800s but time tends to gloss over these things!). But that was likely more of a political statement clearly separating his Blake family from Cromwell. Isn't history fascinating really? Between my new found depth of vision and all of this history ( my cousin George Dekay (he asked me to write a Profile for the Pincombe family for the book he was editing) certainly set me on a different path than I had planned for my retirement) I am totally distracted for sure and the days pass by rather quickly. I continue to see more items in that oil painting of the winter scene in Canada. The painter is certainly obscure and the painting itself of little value but the picture is tremendous.

I also want to get back to my son in law's family which traces back to 30+ of the early families in Quebec (and some Acadian further back with some of those lines now in New Orleans). I do have a Pedigree Chart for my lines back which includes my son in law's lines but I still need to extract more data that is available. Most of the families I have taken back to France at least one generation. With all of Edward's work on the Kipp side (his early colonial ancestors are many and for the most part they remained in the United States until the 1820s/1830s when free land became available in Upper Canada although his Kipp line came in 1800 from Northeast Town in Dutchess County New York (on the 1790 census)), the lines for my daughters tend to be mostly in North America back into colonial days except for my father being born in England and coming to Canada as a nine year old with his parents in 1913 (my mother's family arrived in 1818 for the earliest settler but each subsequent marriage in that line was with an English immigrant - amazing really). A link between the Kipp family and Thomas Horner does give one a thought on why Isaac Kipp made the move to Canada in 1800 (free land was available then as well for settlers although a lot of them tended to be loyalist but with a father in law that was patriot I think that was unlikely (Isaac was born in 1764 and finding his birth parents knowing his baptism/birth has been impossible but the yDNA match with descendants of the Kip family of New York/New Amsterdam did make the way back obvious!). I am not an expert though on the Kipp family and his work is online on Edward's website. Interestingly many members of this Kipp family are now back in the United States have gradually moved back from the middle 1800s to the present.

I also worked extracting more atDNA matches from My Heritage and this will be a long process as I found at least ten new ones on the first page of my matches alone. I figure that I need to read through the first 35 pages of matches to eliminate anyone who does not match me by at least (or one of my siblings) 20 cM on one length. Many of these matches are in the fourth cousin range with total matches of between 40 and higher cM. But I am back into working on what I wanted to do although I do need to send the Companion Charting Book for the Siderfin Family to repositories and the Guild. So will also get that done soon. 

Teatime and then breakfast. The day moves quickly. It is minus 11 degrees celsius and cloudy. A sort of normal January although not quite as much snow cover as usual. It is this lack of snow cover which is the largest problem.

Prayers for the Los Angeles area of California

Completely distracted by the book and the le Blak/le Blake family of Wiltshire/Berkshire/Gloucestershire. Prayers for the people of the Los Angeles area of California. Prayers for the souls of those lost to the flames. How sad to see so many deaths and homes/other property go up in flames. The experience of parts of the country burning is an unfortunate reality here in North America - we have many fires in British Columbia and Alberta as well as Ontario and Quebec and the other provinces for sure. I was proud to see that our PM Trudeau is sending the RCAF with support material to help fight the fires and Quebec is already there with their water bombers. We do like to help and America is our neighbour and best friend. Coming together to help each other is something that just happens when it needs to happen (our line-men driving down to the Carolinas and Georgia to help restore power after the hurricanes is another example and you come north to help us when we are the ones suffering). We will always be there for our American cousins and neighbours. Of course our lack of heavy snow cover means that our forested areas will be a tinder box when the snows melt. It is somewhat ironic that this deep cold that we usually get has intensified and does make one wonder about the future for Mother Earth. Mother Earth knows how to fix the system but the losses are astronomical (life and property). We can not manage God or Mother Earth. We must follow the science where ever it leads us! It is interesting though that over time we have managed to create the ability to provide electricity and so can now weather out the winter and probably even an ice age in reality - the problem will always be food in the north for sure. Climate change is the new battleground and the Arctic is right in the middle of it. We must protect the Arctic and not abuse its natural control of climate.

Contemplating the le Blak/le Blake family continued yesterday and I mentioned that further down on the chart is the section with which I most disagree but in reality I have searched and will continue to search for proof of the marriages coming down from the top of the chart but with little luck but that is hard to determine sometimes as the records, if available, are likely in the local area records where they occurred if a written record exists. I have decided that I should reproduce the chart in text line by line over the next little while and discuss what I have found. Finding the record of John le Blake leasing property in Cam, Gloucestershire in 1332 was rather an eye opener. Interestingly the Calne Blake family is later found in Gloucester after the destruction of their manor house at Pinhills near Calne. 

The whole history of the Blake families of the British Isles is further complicated because there are a number of Blake founding lines. There were no surnames in England prior to the arrival of the Normans in 1066 at least not as we now know them. People were referenced by where they lived, a familiar characteristic or trade/occupation. That changed gradually in the British Isles over the next couple of hundred years with surnames becoming mandatory at a later date. But the surname Blake is found in England from the early 1200s on in the records in various places. I have published before a list of the Blake surnames on the Emigrants Database 1330-1550 and will repeat that interesting list here:

Surname    Forename    Nationality    Day    Month    Year    Residence
Blake    Peter        6    Sep    1463    Bedfordshire
Blake    Peter        20    Sep    1455    Bedfordshire, Dunstable
Blake    John    Breton    bef 16    Feb    1525    Cornwall, Bodmin
Blake    John    Fleming    24    Jul    1484    Devon, Exeter
Blake    William    Breton    4    Apr    1524    Devon, Morchard Bishop
Blake    John    Norman    18    Apr    1524    Dorset, Eastbury
Blake    John    Dutch            c 1524    Essex, Aveley
Blake    Patrick        7    Apr    1440    Essex, High Roding
Blake    John        10    Aug    1441    Gloucestershire, All Saints
Blake    Robert        21    Apr    1440    Gloucestershire, Holy Trinity
Blake    Robert        10    Aug    1441    Gloucestershire, Holy Trinity
Blake    Richard    Irish    10    Aug    1441    Gloucestershire, St Leonard
Blake    Alice        21    Apr    1440    Gloucestershire, St Nicholas
Blake    John    Dutch    11    Jul    1440    Hampshire, King's Somborne hundred
Blake    Stephen        11    Jul    1440    Hampshire, Millbrook
Blake    Gunna    Dutch    12    Jul    1440    Huntingdonshire, Huntingdon
Blake    Herman    Dutch    12    Jul    1440    Huntingdonshire, Huntingdon
Blake    Henry        aft 3     Dec    1450    Kent
Blake    Hayn        27    Sep    1456    Kent, Ospringe
Blake    John    Scot    26    Sep    1465    Lincolnshire, Rathby
Blake    Agnes        aft 29    Sep    1441    London
Blake    Henry        aft 29    Sep    1441    London
Blake    John        aft 29    Sep    1441    London
Blake    John        aft 29    Sep    1441    London
Blake    John        aft 29    Sep    1441    London
Blake    John        aft 29    Sep    1441    London
Blake    Patrick        aft 29    Sep    1441    London
Blake    Thomas        aft 29    Sep    1441    London
Blake    Walter        aft 29    Sep    1441    London
Blake    Hugh        5    Sep    1449    London
Blake    Adam        8    Aug    1456    London
Blake    Katherine        14    Jul    1467    London
Blake    Walter        18    Jan    1443    London, Billingsgate ward
Blake    Henry            Oct    1441    London, Castle Baynard ward
Blake    Henry        18    Jan    1443    London, Castle Baynard ward
Blake    John        9    Oct    1441    London, Cripplegate ward
Blake    John        18    Jan    1443    London, Cripplegate ward
Blake    Henry        5    Sep    1449    London, Farringdon without ward
Blake    John        11    Oct    1441    London, Queenhithe ward
Blake    John        18    Jan    1443    London, Queenhithe ward
Blake    William        18    Jan    1443    London, Tower ward
Blake    Lodwico    Dutch    24    May    1440    Northamptonshire, Yarwell
Blake    Lodewicus    Dutch    18    Aug    1441    Northamptonshire, Yarwell
Blake    Richard    Scot    15    Sep    1451    Northumberland, Newcastle upon Tyne
Blake    Philip        5    Jul    1440    Shropshire, Shrewsbury
Blake    Robert        28    Aug    1441    Warwickshire, Coventry
Blake    Robert    French    19    Sep    1441    Wiltshire, Great Somerford
Blake    Richard    Irish    10    Jul    1440    Wiltshire, Salisbury
Blake    Richard    Irish    7    Sep    1441    Wiltshire, Salisbury
Blake    Peter        10    Jul    1406    

I have not included a number of women with the surname Blake as at marriage in this time frame the surnames of women changed to that of their husband (the case with me as well since my maiden surname is Blake). I do have a theory though that my Blake surname came from a female Blake marrying into a family in Andover (likely at Knights Enham given the later proximity)  and proving that is something I do dedicate time to very often. The wills from the Blake family at Speen, Berkshire mentioning the Blake family at Andover somewhat fascinating in the mid 1500s. There would be an enormous benefit to my line to take the Blake surname of a wife way back in the late 1200s early 1300s given the preference towards the Normans in terms of land acquisition. It could also have created this folklore within the family that there was a connection to the Blake family eventually at Calne. All whimsical thoughts of course but interesting none the less. Proof being found is often the result of following such whimsical thoughts known as serendipity in genealogy. I see it as more of a "gut" feeling but serendipity if that suits is fine with me.

But that being said there were many people in England with the surname Blake prior to 1330 when the Emigrants Database begins. This list created from the Calendar of Patent Rolls for the times of Henry III, Edward I, II and III has many interesting entries. This is a portion of the database:

Number    Year    Month    Day    Place    Prefix    Surname    Forename    Location    Relationship    King    Volume    Page #    membrane
1    1230    1    30    Hertford    le    Blake    Willelmum    Hertfordshire        Henry III    2    353    7d
184    1274    5    30    Westminster    le    Blak    Richard    Rouen, France        Edward I    1    51-52    15
3    1281    5    30    Westminster    le    Blake    Walter    Oxfordshire        Edward I    1    441    16
5    1282    5    19    Worcester    le    Blake    Adam     Devonshire    son    Edward I    2    20    13
4    1282    5    19    Worcester    le    Blake    Jordan    Devonshire    father    Edward I    2    20    13
7    1286    11    6    Clarendon    le    Blake    John    Sussex        Edward I    2    327    5
6    1288            Worcester    le    Blake    Thomas    Worcestershire        Edward I    2    306    14d
10    1292    8    26    Pickering    le    Blake    Ralph    Yorkshire        Edward I    2    498    8
8    1292    3    24    Westminster    le    Blake    Thomas    Ireland        Edward I    2    480    18
9    1292    3    26    Westminster    le    Blake    Thomas    Ireland        Edward I    2    481    18
11    1293    3    26    Cambridge    le    Blake    John    Ireland        Edward I    3    7    21
185    1296    5    20    Roxburgh    le    Blak    John    Balymor, Ireland        Edward I    3    189    15
12    1298    9    15    Carlisle    le    Blake    Thomas    Cumberland        Edward I    3    359    8
13    1299    4    1    Westminster    le    Blake    John    Yorkshire        Edward I    3    402    33
14    1302    7    24    Westminster    le    Blake    William    Oxfordshire        Edward I    4    85    18d
15    1303    4    20    Beverley    le    Blake    Roger    Herefordshire        Edward I    4    134    26
16    1304    6    29    Stirling    le    Blake    Geoffrey    Ireland        Edward I    4    237    14
186    1304    8    29    Morpeth        Blak    William    Suffolk        Edward I    4    283-284    8d
17    1305    3    20    Westminster    le    Blake    Henry    Dorsetshire        Edward I    4    349-350    13d
18    1305    3    20    Westminster    le    Blak    Robert    Dorsetshire        Edward I    4    349-350    13d
187    1308    3    10    Westminster        Blak    Henry    Norfolk        Edward II    1    51    23
188    1308    3    10    Westminster        Blak    John    Norfolk        Edward II    1    51    23
189    1308    3    10    Westminster        Blak    Walter    Norfolk        Edward II    1    51    23
19    1310    6    12    Windsor    le    Blake    John    Yorkshire        Edward II    1    231    4
20    1312    8    24    Westminster    le    Blake    John    Shropshire        Edward II    1    487    21
21    1313    7    26    Westminster    le    Blake    Henry    Gloucestershire        Edward II    2    7-8    17
23    1314    10    16    Lincoln    le    Blake    Gilbert    Lincolnshire        Edward II    2    189    15
22    1314    3    12    Westminster    le    Blake    William    Herefordshire        Edward II    2    91    20
190    1315    11    1    Clipstone    le    Blak    Gilbert    Lincolnshire        Edward II    2    369    15
24    1315    9    1    Lincoln        Blake    Hugh    Northamptonshire        Edward II    2    350-351    22
26    1315    7    12    Westminster    le    Blake    John    Berkshire        Edward II    2    405    29d
25    1315    10    6    Walsingham    le    Blake    John    Yorkshire        Edward II    2    355    21
27    1316    5    4    Westminster        Blake    Adam     Devonshire        Edward II    2    495    23d
191    1316    3    21    Langley    le    Blak    Gilbert    Lincolnshire        Edward II    2    440-441    29
28    1316    8    12    Bentley    le    Blake    Robert    Hertfordshire        Edward II    2    588    25d
29    1316    8    12    Bentley    le    Blake    Robert    Hertfordshire        Edward II    2    592-593    17d
30    1318    5    28    Westminster    le    Blake    Osbert    Essex        Edward II    3    175    25d
31    1319    5    18    York    le    Blake    Robert    Norfolk        Edward II    3    368    13d
32    1320    8    8    Stratford le Bow    le    Blake    John    Hertfordshire        Edward II    3    539-540    19d
34    1320    8    8    Stratford le Bow    le    Blake    John    Hertfordshire    brother    Edward II    3    539-540    19d
33    1320    8    8    Stratford le Bow    le    Blake    Warin    Hertfordshire    brother    Edward II    3    539-540    19d
35    1322    5    6    York        Blake    John    Oxfordshire        Edward II    3    154-155    16d
36    1322    5    18    York    le    Blake    John    Cambridgeshire        Edward II    4    169-171    6d
37    1323    2    13    Pontefract        Blake    John    Oxfordshire        Edward II    4    257-258    5d
38    1323    7    15    Burstwick        Blake    John    Oxfordshire        Edward II    4    368-369    23d
192    1323    7    24    Faxfleet    le    Blak    Simon    Hampshire        Edward II    4    374-375    17d
39    1323    12    11    Ravensdale        Blake    William    Gloucestershire        Edward II    4    444-445    25d
193    1324    3    28    Westminster    le    Blak    John    Surrey        Edward II    4    448    20d
194    1325    2    10    Westminster    le    Blak    John    Oxfordshire        Edward II    5    136    34d
195    1325    8    8    Havering atte Bower        Blak    John    Norfolk        Edward II    5    158    32
40    1326    3    6    York    le    Blake    Richard    Buckinghamshire        Edward III    1    289    22d
196    1327    1    10    Kenilworth    le    Blak    Richard    Warwickshire        Edward II    5    346    2
197    1327    12    27    Worcester    le    Blak    Robert    Worcestershire        Edward III    1    203    1
41    1328    11    24    Westminster    le    Blake    Richard    Buckinghamshire        Edward III    1    354-355    12d

This list of 55 items sorted by Year (taken from a much larger list of 210 items found for Blake (various spellings) in the Calendar of Patent Rolls) demonstrates the activities of many many Blake members in various parts of England between 1230 and 1330. The yDNA results do show that there are a number of Blake founding families. 

I did not do the initial arrangement of the DNA results (Barrie Blake of Australia did produce that original sort) but I have tried to maintain his thoughts because he often was in discussion with various Blake lines and I have tried to simply update with respect in particular to the Y-700 etc tests done since this sort was made. Some of the groups are stand-alone and can clearly trace back to select areas in the British Isles. But the abundance of results does point to many Blake founders. 

Today will also be a Blake day although I will only spend part of the time on the Blake book. I also want to start once again re-phasing my grandparents atDNA and my great-grandparents including the more than 100 new matches that I have acquired since 2022 when I did not actually complete the task but was distracted by the Siderfin Books which I wrote (an update to James Sanders publication: History of the Siderfin Family of West Somerset, 1912, Exeter, England). The two books (amazing really that a 412 page book and a 170 page book update his 48 page book!) are available on my website:

http://www.kipp-blake-families.ca/elizabethmain.htm#SIDERFIN

Scroll down in the Siderfin section and the two books are at the bottom of this section. 

Up an hour already, it is minus 7 degrees celsius now and it is cloudy. Perhaps snow here but you get the best snow around 0 degrees celsius as our good friends and neighbours in the southern United States know well as they are being inundated with snow at the moment whilst we just have cold; when it is so cold it does not snow effectively. 

Teatime and then yoga and then breakfast. Another beautiful day in God's world on the North American continent. We in Canada feel blessed to live here by the grace of God and the kindness of the First Nations.