Will of Robert Blake of Bridgwater, Somerset - The National Archives PROB 11/267/111, probated 20 Aug 1657

This is the will of Admiral Robert Blake. Somehow this great and illustrious Admiral of the British Navy doesn’t really need an introduction. His fame and character have transcended the century in which he lived and he is one of the great heroes of England forever remembered by every school child learning of his great victories protecting the shores of England from any and all comers. I remember asking my Grandfather if we were related to Admiral Blake and he said no he did not think so. That was not a tradition that was handed down in his family. In all likelihood he is very correct as I can not find a link between my line in Andover and the Blake family of Calne other than by collateral marriages. The link between the Blake family of Calne and the Blake family first at Over Stowey and Humphry Blake as the first of the line is also obscured by the veils of time. There is a strong conviction on the part of some that the father of Humphry was a John Blake who was descendant of the Blake family of Calne. However, this John is said to be a descendant of John Blake of Nether Wallop son of Robert Blake and Avis Wallop. In his will John does not name a son of his body so one is left to wonder whose son this John is and how he connects with the Blake family of Calne and the Blake family of Overstowey. Is he the stepping stone between? Time may answer that question but at the moment there isn’t any historical proof for this claim.

The yDNA study might do it one day as more people test with a clear paper trail back to Humphry and to the Blake family at Calne. It is a mystery and an exciting one I do believe.

I continue on with the Robert Blake wills as this is now two of them complete. There remains another four Robert Blake wills from 1753, 1782, 1817 and 1836 still to come. After that Roger Blake 1785, Susanna Blake 1653, Thomas Blake 1826, William Blake 1667, 1773, 1799, 1821, and 1832.

Once Somerset is complete I am considering moving on to Wiltshire and doing the 31 wills there since all of these counties (Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire) are side by side and then I would move to Hampshire and complete the ten wills there along with twenty older wills that I have acquired from Family Search. Although going through alphabetically is a nice logical path these wills are working together rather nicely at the moment so I think I will keep on this new path.

Then the wills remaining are from Durham (1), Essex (14), Gloucestershire (should perhaps consider doing this next as this area too lies beside Somerset, 19), Hertfordshire (5), Huntingdonshire (2), Kent (26), Lancashire (4), Lincolnshire (3), London (42), Middlesex (150), Norfolk (14), Northamptonshire (6), Northumberland (4), Nottinghamshire (1), Oxfordshire (this too could come before the others, 13), Rutland (4), Shropshire (1), Suffolk (11), Surrey (61), Sussex (7), Warwickshire (7), Worcestershire (1) and Miscellaneous which includes navy wills, other British Isles, and foreign (82). My path is starting to change in my mind away from alphabetical. I believe I will move from Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire to London and then work out from London. The Miscellaneous wills I will work on after all the county wills are done.

A long exercise but probably worth while in the long run. Alphabetical worked very well for the first group that I did as I selected particular items from the counties the first trip to Kew and this second trip I acquired all of them. In total there remains 551 wills for the Blake family plus another 100 plus downloaded from Ancestry but these might be duplicated in the London/Middlesex number so will wait to check that out until I am doing London and Middlesex. The Dorset wills which I downloaded I have not yet compared and this is a good reminder to do that as well. There are eight new wills for Dorset - Annabella Blake 1723, Griffin Blake 1608, Hannah Blake 1780, John Blake 1686, John Blake 1761, Katharine Blake 1760, Mary Blake 1776 and Robert Blake 1705. I believe that I will do these eight wills when I finish Somerset before moving on to Wiltshire.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 27 Oct 2013
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/267/111
Testator: Robert Blake
Place: Bridgwater, Somerset, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 13 Mar 1655, probated 20 Aug 1657
Condition: 17th century English, legible copy

[Margin]: Robert
[Margin]: Blake
[Top]: The last Will and Testament of me Robert
[Top]: Blake written w[i]th my owne hand as followeth

1    First I bequeath my Soule into the
2    hands of my most mercifull Redeemer the Lord Jesus Christ by him to be presented
3    to the heavenly father pure and spotless through the washing of his blood which
4    he shed for the remission of my sinnes, And after a short separation from
5    the bodie to be againe united with the same by the power of his eternall spirit
6    and so to be for ever with the Lord. Item unto the towne of Bridgwater I give
7    One hundred pounds to be distributed among the poore thereof at the discretion
8    of Humphry Blake my brother and of the Mayor for the time being, Item
9    unto the towne of Taunton I give one hundred pounds To be distributed
10    among the poore of both parishes at the discretion of Samuel Perry once-
11    my Lieutenant Colonell And Mr George Newton Minister of the Gospell
12    there and of the Mayor for the time being Item I give unto Humphry
13    Blake my brother the Mannor of Crandon cum Puriton with all the rights
14    thereto apperteyning To him and to his heires for ever Item I give unto
15    my brother Doctor William Blake three hundred pounds, Item unto my
16    Brother George Blake I give three hundred pounds Also unto my brother
17    Nicholas Blake I give three hundred pounds Item unto my brother Beniamin
18    Blake I give my dwelling house situate in Saint Maries’ Street in Bridgwater
19    with the garden and appurtenances As also my other house thereto adioyning
20    purchased of the widdowe Coxe Likewise I give unto him All the claime I have
21    in Eleaven Acres of Meadowe and pasture (more or lesse) lying in the village
22    of Ham in the parish of Bridgwater lately in the possession of the widdowe
23    Vinecombe deceased Item unto my Sister Bridget Bowdich wife of Henry
24    Bowdich one hundred pounds And to the children of the bodie of Henry
25    Bowdich aforesaid I give the summe of Nine hundred pounds to be disposed
26    among them according to the discretion of Humphry William George
27    Nicholas and Beniamin Blake aforesaid my Brothers or of any three
28    of them Item unto my brother Smythes Goldsmith in Cheapside I give
29    the summe of one hundred pounds Item unto my Nephew Robert Blake
30    sonne to Samuell Blake my brother deceased I give the gold chaine
31    bestowed on me by the late Parliament of England Also all the claime I have
32    in an Annuitie of twentie pounds payable out of the farme of Pawlett Item
33    unto my Nephew Samuell Blake younger sonne to Samuell my brother
34    deceased I give two hundred pounds, I give unto Sarah Quarrell daughter of my
35    late Niece Sarah Quarrell by her husband Peter Quarrell now dwelling in Taunton I
36    give the summe of two hundred pounds To be disposed of for the benefit of the said
37    Sarah Quarrell according to the discretion of Humphry Nicholas and Beniamin Blake
38    my brothers aforesaid Item unto my cosin John Blake sonne unto my brother
39    Nicholas Blake I give one hundred pounds Item unto my Cosin John Avery of
40    Pawlett once a Souldier with me in Taunton Castle I give Fiftie pounds Item
41    unto Thomas Blake sonne of my Cosin William Blake once Commander of the Tresco
42    frigott, Deceased, now abord of the Centurion frigott in the service, I give fiftie
43    pounds Item All my Plate Linen Bedding withal my provisions aboard the
44    Shipp Naseby I give unto my Nephews Robert and Samuell Blake aforesaid
45    and unto my Nephew John Blake aforesaid to be divided betweene them by even and
46    equall por[t]ions, Item unto the Negro called domingo my servant I give the
47    summe of fiftie pounds to be disposed of by my aforesaid Nephew Captaine
48    Robert Blake and captaine Thomas Adams for his better education in the knowledge
49    and feare of God Item unto my Servants James Knowles and Nicholas Bartlett,
50    I give to each of them tenn pounds Item unto the widdowe Owen of Bridg-
51    water the Relict of Mr Owen, Minister, I give tenn pounds Item unto
52    Eleanor Potter, widdowe, I give tenn pounds All the rest of my goods and Chattells
53    I doe give and bequeath unto George Nicholas and Beniamin Blake my brothers
54    aforesaid And also to Alexander Blake my brother to be equally divided among
55    them whome I doe appoint and ordaine to be the executors of this my last will
    [Page 2]
56    and testament Robert Blake Signed and sealed aboard the Naseby March the thirteenth one
57    thousand sixe hundred Fiftie five in Ellnis Road in the presence of Roger Outton J Hynd
58    Antho: ______ John Bowne
59    This will was proved at London before the Judges for Probate of wills and granting
60    administra[t]iene lawfully authorized the twentieth day of August in the yeare
61    of our Lord God one thousand six hundred fiftie seaven by the oathe of George
62    Blake Beniamin Blake and Alexander Blake the natural and lawfull brothers of the
63    said deceased and three of the Executors named in his said will To whome was
64    p[er]mitted Administra[t]ion of all and singular the said deceased goods Chattells and
65    debts, They being first in due forme of law sworne well and truly to administer the
66    same Power is nevertheless hereby reserved to make the probate and grant like
67    administra[t]ion to Nicholas Blake his brother also and other executor therein named
68    whensoever he shall come and legally desire the same
69    The same will was againe proved at London before the Judges for
70    probate of wills and granting Administra[t]ene lawfully authorized the second day of
71    September in the yeare of our Lord God one thousand sixe hundred Fiftie
72    seaven by the oath of Nicholas Blake the brother also and other executor therein
73    named To whome likewise Administra[t]ion of the said goods Chattells and debts of the
74    said deceased was granted and committed he being in like manner first sworne
75    well and truly to administer

Will of Francis Buller Esquire, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey and Richmond, Surrey - The National Archives PROB 11/355/436, probated 22 Nov 1677

The testator is Francis Buller and he is married to Thomasin Honywood (of Elmsted Kent). They were married 21 Nov 1625 at St Stephen's by Saltash according to The Visitation of Cornwall. According to the LDS he died 17 Nov 1677 at Ospringe, Kent (I01453-6 Family Search). Francis and Thomas had a very large family according to the Visitation (12 sons and three daughters - Howard, Rowland, George, Alexander, Hayward, Thomas, Thomas, Thomas, William Richard all died young, as did Thomasine Alice and Maria). The only surviving children of this couple were Francis Buller of Shillingham and Isleham (married first to Elizabeth Grosse and secondly to Katherine Rushout (widow of John Maynard) and John Buller of Morval and the Isle of Thanet.

Both of the wills for these men have been blogged:

http://kippeeb.blogspot.ca/2013/02/will-of-francis-buller-esquire-of.html
http://kippeeb.blogspot.ca/2013/02/will-of-john-buller-esquire-of-morval.html

Francis (the testator) was the eldest son of Sir Richard Buller of Shillingham and Alice daughter of Sir Rowland Haiward, Knight.

His will was also blogged:

http://kippeeb.blogspot.ca/2013/02/will-of-sir-richard-buller-knight-of.html

John Buller (executor of this will) is eventually the inheritor of all the properties of the descendants of his brother Francis and he is at Morval.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 12 Mar 2013
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/355/436
Testator: Francis Buller
Place: Kingston upon Thames, Surrey
Date of document:  7 Dec 1672, probated 22 Nov 1677
Read: Electronic copy images
Document quality: 17th century English, legible copy

[Margin]: T[esta]m[ent]
[Margin]: Francis
[Margin]: Buller
[Margin]: Confirmatur p Sinam
[Margin]: 2 Andrcie 1677
Page 2
[Margin]: _oucerdatium orilib Testo et Codicille

1    In the name of God Amen
2    I Francis Buller of Kingstone upon Thames in the County of Surrey Esq[uie]r doe make and ordaine
3    this my last Will and Testament being through the mercies of God in perfect and disposing
4    mind and memory First I surrender my soul to the most gratious God hopeing by the
5    Meritts of my Saviour to life Everlasting in his Kingdome and my body I dispose to a Speedy
6    private buriall at the discretion of my Executor and I shall direct in my life time First I give to
7    my eldest sonne Francis Buller Foure pounds And alsoe I give to each of his children Foure
8    pounds and to my Granddaughter Margret my eldest sonne's daughter my Iron chist in which
9    there is but little money the key of which I will leave with my wife or some trusty freind Alsoe
10    I give to the poore of the parish where I am buried Fower pounds to the poor of St Johns in
11    Thanet the Summe of Fower pounds and Alsoe I give to my deare and affectionate wife my Coach and
12    horses and the use of all my household goods and furniture dureing her naturall life and the
13    Summe of One thousand marks but soe as at her death she shall dispose of the same to one or more of
14    my sonne Johns Children as shee shall thinke fitt and as an addition to her Joynture I give and
15    bequeath to my said wife the Summe of One hundred pounds per Annum dureing her life out of
16    my Lease in Thanet aforesaid if the said Lease soe long indures and alsoe all my houses and
17    Lands in Kingstone upon Thames dureing her naturall life Alsoe I give to every one of servants
18    whoe shall be with me at the tyme of my death one quarters wages over and above all such wages
19    and Sallary that shall bee then due to them Alsoe I give devise and bequeath my Lease of all
20    that Rectory Parsonage and Grante of Sampson cum deane otherwise called Sampson alias
21    Deane and the said Parsonage Rectory and Grange of Sampson and deane with all the rights
22    members and Appurtenances belonging to it in Thanet aforesaid Granted to me or my trustees
23    for my use by the now Lord ArchBishop of Canterbury and all my Estate interest and equitable
24    right therein unto my sonne John Buller his heires Executors or Assignes dureing all the time
25    and terme therein yett to come And I doe desire and request Crammer Harris Esq[uie]r and
26    Isaack Honiwood Esquire my Trustees of the same Lease to execute the trust in the said Lease
27    to my said sonne John Buller accordingly And whereas my said sonne Francis owed me and
28    is indebted unto mee at this time the sume of above 2 thousand and 2 hundred pounds for
30    arreares of my Annuity Rent Charge due from him I do hereby give and grant the said
31    arreares and debt unto my sonn John Buller Alsoe I give unto my sonne John and unto his
32    heires all m y houses and Lands in the parish of Kingstone Except the former grant to
33    my wife But my Will is that if my said sonne Francis shall within three Months of my
34    decease pay and satisfie unto his said Brother John the said debt and arreares of rent now due
35    unto me and that shall be due to mee at my decease then my said sonn John is to convey my
36    said houses and Lands in Kingstone to my Grandsone Francis Buller and his heires sonne
37    of my said sonne Francis and not otherwise And I doe desire my trustees in whose name the said
38    houses and Lands in Kingstone were purchased to execute their said trust and convey the same to
39    my sonne John Buller and his heires upon his request Alsoe I give and bequeath unto my
40    sonne John Buller and his heires all my Lands and Tenements in the Isle of Thanet which
41    hath been purchased in my said sonne John name or in any other name in trust for me
42    Alsoe I give to each of the children of my sonn John Buller the Summe of Foure pounds And doe
43    hereby
    [Page 2]
44    Hereby declare what ever Bonds or Bills I have taken in other names that the
45    same be to the use of my Executor hereafter named Lastly I doe make constitute and appoint
46    my sonne John Buller my full and sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament Revoking
47    and anulling all former and other Wills or bequiths by me heretofore made In witness
48    whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and Seale the Seaventh day of december In the twenty
49    Foureth yeare of our Sovereigne Lord King Charles the second King of England Scotland
50    France and Ireland Anno and one Thousand Six hundred Seaventy to 1672 Franc: Buller
51    Published and declared and sigtned and Sealed in the p[re]sence of Rich: Griffith James Robertson
52    The marke of Thomas Marshall In the name of God Amen
53    Francis Buller of Ospringe in the County of Kent Esq[uie]r and late of Surbiton in Surrey doe hereby
54    ratifie and confirm my last Will and Testament dated the Seaventh day of december One thousand
55    Six hundred Seaven and two And require my Executor hereafter named to pay the Legacies
56    thereby given And I doe hereby give devise and grant all my Lands Tenements and hereditaments
57    and Leases and Chattells reall or personall whatsoever purchased by me in my own name or his the
58    name of any other to my use within twenty years last past or that I shall at any time hereafter (in my owne name or the name of any other person or persons) before my death purchase unto my sonne John Buller of
59    Morvall and to his heires and Executors and Assignes and I doe hereby constitute and appoint
60    the said John Buller to be my sole and only Executor Witnes my hand and seale this twelfth
61    day of June In the Nine and Twentyeth yeare of the raigne of King Charles the second
62    Annoqz d[omi]ni 1677 Fran: Buller Signed Sealed and delivered and published in the
63    p[re]sence of Robert Martyn, Edward Rinsey Robt: Avery Giles Hamley