Looking at Jone Blake's will

 Jone Blake was a widow when her will was written 23 Mar 1527. I only received one page when I ordered this will although I will at some point try to find the probate. It was in very good shape; extremely readable although the language is Middle English but none the less I did transcribe it 28 Aug 2013. I re-transcribed it partially yesterday and will complete it today. There were changes; I am more efficient and less tendency to think I see the letters so removed some here and there. So Jone does not name her husband but does name her sons Nicholas and Robert in that order implying that Nicholas is older perhaps. Elizabeth is named first so suspect she is the eldest. She is married but no grandchildren were named. This will is the linchpin that connects Charlou and myself. Fascinating really. We would be 14th cousins coming down from Jone Blake and her husband likely Richard. 

Source: Family Search, Film 186682, A-377, Page 163 
Testator: Jone Blake, widow
Place: Enham, Hampshire, England
Date of document: 23 Mar 1527

[Top]: copie test[ament]

1    In dei no[min]ie Amen the yer of owre lord gode oon thowsand fyve hundredth xxvij the xxiij day of the mon[e]th of marche
2    I Jone Blake wddow w[i]t[h] a hoyll mynde a[n]d goode memo[r]ye maketh my laste wyll and testi[me]nete in thys man[ner] Fyrst I
3    com[m]end my soll unto almyghty gode oure lady saynt marie a[n]d to all the saynts in hevyn and my body to be buryd in 
4    the chyrche or the chyrche lyttyn of saynt mykell of Enahm It[em] I gyff and bequeth unto ye mother chyrche of saynt Swy
5    thnye xij d It[em] I gyff a[n]d bequeth to ye chyrche of Enahm vj s viij d It[em] I gyff and bequeath xxvj s vij d to be dystrybute 
6    unto poor pepyll in peny doyll It[em] I gyff and bequeth unto my curat Sy[r] Rychard Mersser xx d It[em] I gyff a[n]d bequethe
7    to Sy[r] John Batte xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeth to mayntenyg of the mor[r]ow masse prest in Andover xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeth
8    to mayntenyg of Jhs[us] masse in ye chyrche of Andover xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeath unto the p[ri]or of the Freer Augustines 
9    in Wynchest[er] xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeth to Sy[r] John Whyte freer xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeath to ev[er]y of freer of ye
10    sayde Augustynes a[n]y ye prest iiij d and to ev[er]y novesse ij d of ye sayde place It[em] I gyff and bequeth to ye chyrche of Fosket
11    to mayntenyg of ye light before Saynte Jamys and Saynte Sonday xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeth unto my dowghter Elsabet   
12    Mylne xx shepe besyde thoose th[a]t she hathe allredy and oon Cowe th[a]t I bowght of hyr and xiij s iiij d of money and my gretst 
13    pann a[n]d fowre plater It[em] I gyff and bequeth unto my son Nycolas Blake my tabyll in ye hall a[n]d oon clothe callyd ye hallyg
14    a[n]d two yryne racks It[em] I gyff and bequeath unto my son Robert Blake oon yryne broche a[n]d xviij shepe ye wheche 
15    shepe he hath in kepyng It[em] I gyff and bequeath unto Thomas Iesra of Fosket oon yryne broche and the [re]seydew of
16    all my goods moveabyll a[n]d unmoveabyll Above not legate I gyff unto my chyldrne Nycolas Blake
17    Robert Blake a[n]d to Thomas Iesra of Fosket a[n]d ye sayd goods to be devydytt amongys them equaly  ev[er]y oon of
18    them elyke weche It[em] I make my sonys Nycolas Blake and Robert Blake my trew executors and Thoms Iesra of
19    Fosket my sup[er]visor th[a]t he see my last wyll and testament cumplet a[n]d fulfylld a[n]d the foresayd executors to dyspo
20    se for the heylth of my soll as thay shall see moyst expedient these witnesses Sy[r] Rychard Mersser Sy[r] 
21    John Batte Nycolas Blake Robert Blake w[i]t[h] other  
 

 I will be cleaning today and will add to this re-transcription as the day passes. The changes are very small mostly cosmetic as my reading has improved in the last decade for sure. I now think that Thomas Iesra is her son as well which hadn't occurred to me earlier. Since he is supervisor he is perhaps older which makes sense as her surname is Blake. I must have a look for a will for Thomas Iesra. Fascinating all these new thoughts. Some of the names in this will are the same as in later wills in the family. That may or may not be an assistance. I also never compared it with Richard's will which I will now do probably tomorrow between cleaning. Not mentioning grandchildren does concern a little but it is only 1527 and William (Nicholas' eldest son) died in 1582 and that is 55 years later and he does mention grandchildren. I shall have to have a look at Robert's will once again and those of his sons. I have transcribed all of them (both PCC and Winchester wills as well). 

My eavestrough has pulled away in one spot and a nail is popping so found this company that my Insurance Company has in their system that does repairs so we will see how that goes. I do hate owning a house but life just flows and one  must go with the flow. I will be owning for a while longer. It is nice to have this option in my Insurance Company recommending an agent and the quote came quickly and is reasonable given the current state of the value of money and he is coming tomorrow. That sounds really ideal. I will see if I can book him to come and clean the upper eavestroughs when it stops raining. The lower ones my daughter cleaned for me. She bought this gadget that you just stand on the ground and run it along so we might do that but having someone do the upper ones is better I think. Pulling down like that might be a problem. But it works really well for lower eavestroughs - a really good brush. 

My sister is  now in Long Term Care which I was sad to hear but her life became very complicated with her falls. I am so glad that I went to see her in 2018 when she was still herself. Going to see her now would be really difficult as I have to fly into Halifax and then figure out how to get to Prince Edward Island. So not doing that; sad to say. She is 86 now. We passed like ships in the night when I was a child mostly because I was a withdrawn child keeping to myself; living in the attic and writing my stories and reading so many books. We had more conversations in adulthood after we were both married and had children than we ever had as children (I was six years younger and a walking dictionary). Prayers continuing that she is comfortable. 

Nearly time to start cleaning and will do the Solitaire Puzzles first. It took me about an hour to figure out this setup for the company that will repair my eavestrough. 

Will of Jone Blake of Enham, Hampshire - Family Search, Film 186682, A-377, Page 163, dated 23 Mar 1527/1528

 Jone Blake, a widow, left her will dated the 23rd Mar 1527 which was just near the end of 1527 as Ladys Day 25 Mar would start the year 1528 under the Julian Calendar. Hence the double dating system in use in our time to remind us that we would now consider the 23 Mar 1527 to be 1528. I tend to just think Old Style and New Style but must be more exact when typing on a page that could be seen around the world!

Jone identifies her children as Nycolas, Robert and Elsabet (now Mylne). She identifies her place of living as Enham by the references within the will. This will helps to identify Nicholas Blake as her son who died in 1547 leaving his will identifying his place of abode as Old Hall, Enham.  

The first transcription that I saw for this will was done by someone else. I have since found the will at the Family History Library and transcribed it and basically it is the same as already transcribed with a few changes none of which alter any of the family details already mentioned. This will is written before Henry VIII established himself as Head of the Church of England severing the close ties with the Church in Rome hence the references to the Mass, Lady Saint Mary and the Augustine Friars although all of these catholic reflections continue in the Anglican Church in which I was raised. 

 Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 28 Aug 2013
Source: Family Search, Film 186682, A-377, Page 163
Testator: Jone Blake, widow
Place: Enham, Hampshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 23 Mar 1527
Condition: 16th century English, legible copy

[Top]: copie tes[tament]

1    In dei no[min]ie Amen the yer of owre lord gode oon thowsand five hundredth xxvij the xxiij day of the mon[e]th of marche
2    I Jone Blake wddow w[i]t[h] a hoyle mynde and A goode memo[r]ye maketh my laste wyll and testi[me]nte in thys man[ner] Fyrst I
3    com[m]end my soll unto almighty gode And lady seynt mary and to all the seynts in hevyn and my body to be buryd in
4    the chyrche or the chyrche lyttyn of seynt mykell of Enahm It[em] I gyve and bequeath unto ye mother chyrche of seynt Swy
5    thnye xij d It[em] I gyff and bequeath to ye chyrche of Enahm vj s viij d It[em] I gyff and bequeath xxvjs viij d to be dystrybute
6    unto poor pepyll in peny doyle It[em] I gyff and bequeath unto my curat Syr Rychard Mersser xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeath
7    to Syr John Batte xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeath to mayntenyg of the morrow masse prest in Andover xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeath
8    to mayntenyg of Jhsus masse in ye chyrche of Andover xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeath unto the p[ri]ror of the Freer Augustines
9    in Wynchest[er] xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeath to Syr John Whyte freer xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeath to ev[er]y freer of ye
10    sayde Augustynes th[at] ys prest iiij d and to ev[er]y novesse ij d of ye sayd place It[em] I gyff and bequeath to ye chyrche of Fosket
11    to mayntenyg of ye light before Seynte Jamys and Seynte Senday xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeath unto my dowghter Elsabet   
12    Mylne xx shepe beside thoose she hathe allredy and oon Cows th[a]t I bowght of hyr and xiij s iiij d of money and my gretst
13    pann and fowre plater It[em] I gyff and bequeath unto my son Nycolas Blake my tabyll in ye hall and oon clothe callyd ye hallyg
14    and two yryne racks It[em] I gyff and bequeath unto my son Robert Blake oon yryne broche and xviij shepe ye wheche
15    shepe he hath in kepyng It[em] I gyff and bequeath unto Thomas Iesra of Fosket oon yryne broche and the [re]seyde of
16    all my goods moveabyll and unmoveabyll above not legate I gyff unto my chyldrne Nycolas Blake
17    Robert Blake and to Thomas Iesra of Fosket and ye sayd goods to be devydytt amongs them equaly  ev[er]y oon of
18    them elyke weche It[em] I make my sonys Nycolas Blake and Robert Blake my trew executors and Thoms Iesra of
19    Fosket my sup[er]visor th[a]t he see my last wyll and testament cumplet and fulfylld and the foresaid executors to dyspo
20    se for the heylth of my soll as thay shall see moyst expedient these witnesses Syr Rychard Mersser Syr
21    John Batte Nycolas Blake Robert Blake w[i]t[h] other  

When I went through the film at the Family History Library there wasn't a probate for this will.

Will of Jone Blake, widow, Enham, Hampshire - Family Search, Film #186682, Catalogue A-377, page 163, dated 23 Mar 1527/1528

This will of Jone Blake, widow, of Enham in 1527 was most kindly written in English; my latin skills are weak at best and the treat of discovering that this will was indeed in English was marvelous. I did blog this will from the copy of Charlou Dolan earlier but I always intended to transcribe it for myself and have now done so. The blog from the earlier will:

http://kippeeb.blogspot.ca/2012/09/will-of-jone-blake-hampshire-record.html

Ever since I found this particular will in Charlou’s work I have wondered who her husband was and the father of Robert, Nicholas and Elizabeth (Mylne). I believe it to be Richard now who left his will in 1522 and hence Jone was a widow in 1527. I tend to think in terms of the old calendar so do not always enter the double dating just as a reminder to any readers.

Who Jone was remains a mystery unless her surname was Jesra as she mentions a Thomas Jesra of Foskett.

Although this might appear to wrap up all the wills in this very early time period there are still a few old ones in this time period that I will be transcribing which may help to locate these families and place them into their lines. The will of William Sylver in 1533 mentions Nycholas Blake and Thomas Blake.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 19 Feb 2014
Source: Family Search, Film # 186682, Catalogue A-377, page 163
Testator: Jone Blake, widow
Place: Enham, Hampshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 23 Mar 1527/1528
Condition: 16th century English, legible copy

[Margin]: copied test[ament]

1    Jn die no[m]i[n]e Ame[n] the yer of owre lord god oon thowsand five hundredth xxvij the xxiij day of the month of marche
2    J Jone Blake widow w[i]t[h] hoyll mynde and a good memorye maketh my laste wyll and testmente in thys man[ner] Fyrste J
3    commend my soll unto allmyghty god owre lady saynt marey to all the saynts in hevyn and my Body to be buryd in
4    the chyrche or the chyrche lyttyn of saynt mykell of enahm Jt[em] J gyffe and bequeth onto the mother chyrche of saynt swe
5    thyns xii d Jt[em] J gyvv and bequeth to the chyrche of enahm vj s viij d Jt[em] J gyvv and bequeath xxvj s viij d to be dystrybute
6    unto poor pepyll in pen[n]y doyll Jt[em] J gyff and bequeth unto my curat Sy[r] Rychard Mersser xx d Jt[em] J gyff and bequethe
7    to Sy[r] John Batte xx d Jt[em] J gyff and bequeth to mayntenyg of the morrow masse prest in Andover xx d Jt[em] I gyff and bequeth
8    to mayntenyg of Jhs masse in the chyrche of Andover xx d Jt[em] J gyff  and bequeth unto the p[ri]or of the freer Augustines
9    in wynchest[er] xx d Jt[em] J gyff and bequeth to Sy[r] Joh[a]n[nis] Whyte freer xx d Jt[em] J gyff and bequeth unto ev[er]y of freer of the
10    seyd Augustynes th[a]t ys prest iiij d and to ev[er]y novesse ij d of the sayd place Jt[em] J gyvv and bequeth to the chyrche of Fosket
11    to mayntenyg of the light before saynt Jamys and saynt Aidan xx d Jt[em] J gyff and bequeth unto my dowghter Elsabet
12    mylne xx shepe beside thyos th[a]t she hathe allredy and oon Cowe th[a]t J bowght of hyr and xij s iij d of money and my gretst
13    pan and fowre plat[t]erst J gyff and bequeth unto my son Nycolas Blake the tabyll in the hall and oon clothe callyd the hallyg
14    and two yryne racks Jt[em] J gyff and bequeth unto my son Robert Blake oon yryne broche and xviij shepe the wheche
15    shepe he hath in kepyng Jt[em] J gyff and bequeth unto Thome Jesra of Fosket oon yryne broche The resydew of
16    all my goods moveabyll and unmoveabyll J have not legate J gyff and bequeth unto my child[er]ne Nycolas Blake
17    Robert Blake and to Thome Jesra of Fosket and the sayd goods to be devydytt emongys them equaly ev[er]y oon of
18    them elyke mo[r]e[or]l[e]ss Jt[em] J make my sonys Nycolas Blake and Robert Blake my trell executors and Thomas Jesra of
19    Fosket my sup[er]visor th[a]t he see my last wyll and testament Jnplet[ed] and fulfyllyd and the foresaid executors to dypo
20    se for the heylth of my soll as thay shall see moyst expedient the witnesses Sy[r] Rychard Mersser Syr
21    Joh[a]n[nis] Batte Nycolas Blake Robert Blake w[i]t[h] other

Will of Jone Blake, Hampshire Record Office -1528B-06, probated 1528

This will is not my transcription. It was transcribed by Charlou Dolan a Blake researcher who has been doing genealogy for over thirty years. One of my projects is to purchase this will and others from the Hampshire Record Office. Hopefully next winter will see me do that as I would like to transcribe it myself although Charlou does an excellent  job of transcription.

Jone Blake was the widow of (unknown) Blake although some researchers have given him the forename William and placed him as a son of Robert Blake and Avice Wallop. The Pedigree Chart for the Blake family held at the Swindon Wiltshire Registry Office does not list William as a son of Robert Blake and Avice Wallop. Rather they list a William Blake married to Avis Ripley as a son of Roger Blake and Mary Baynard with the father of Roger Blake being Robert Blake married to Margaret Inglefield. This Robert was a son of Robert Blake and Avice Wallop.  The Visitation for the Blake family at Calne (namely Robert Blake and Avice Wallop). The 1623 Visitation of Wiltshire which has a Visitation for the Blake family does not list a son William for Robert Blake and Avis Wallop: children listed for this couple include Elizabeth, Alice, Joane, John, Gilbert, Alexander and Robert.  It is somewhat of a mystery why the Pedigree Chart which is built from the Visitations does add in a son William which I hope to solve one day.

The Will itself which is found below states that Jone Blake is a widow of Enham and remembers her three children Elizabeth (married to Mr. Mylne), Nicholas and Robert. The Overseer Thomas Jefra (sp) of Foxcott is rather interesting to me.  I wonder how he fits into this family grouping/friend grouping. Other than that there isn't a lot of information in the will that helps one to place Jone into a birth family.  The purpose of publishing this will is to establish that Nicholas was the son of (unknown) Blake and Jone Blake widow. That she died in 1527/1528 by which time her daughter was married so that she is likely over 40 years of age. She does not mention if her sons are married but we do know that both are married because of the wills of Nicholas and Robert. There are grandchildren because Nicholas mentions that his son William has children in his will in 1547 so William is likely born before 1527.

Having laid down the timeline for this Andover family Jone Blake widow to Nicholas Blake to William Blake I will now move on to the next will in order in Hampshire. I will likely transcribe with a few thoughts on each will as I remember it linking to another if it does and with lookups in the parish registers if I have them or the IGI. Once I have transcribed all of the Blake wills in my possession and there are quite a few left then I will return to a more thorough look at them.I have replaced all of the "Ampersand" with "and" because blogger adds in additional information when ampersand is used.

A-****  LDS FHL Film 186,682 will #163

Jone Blake, widow, Enham; will dated 23 Mar 1527 [old style?]

Sir Rychard Mersser, curate

Sir John Whyte, friar

daughter Elsabet Mylne

son Nicholas Blake, executor

son Robert Blake, executor

overseer: Thoms. Jefra of Fosket [Foxcott?]

witnesses:  Sir Richard Mersser  Sir John Batte  Nycolas Blake  Robert Blake

Consistory Court of Winchester, Register D, folio 118:

     In dei no'ie Amen  The yere of o'r lorde gode ml vc xxvii the xxviii day of m'che I Johane Blake, wydow w't a hole mynde and a gudde memory make my last wyll and testament in this man'

     First I com'end my soule to all myghty gode, o'r lady seynt mary and to all the seynts in hevyn and my body to be buryed in the Churche or in the churche litten of seynt Michaell of Enahm[sic]

     It'm I gyve and bequeth unto the mother churche of seynt Swyth' xiid

     It'm I gyve and bequeth to the churche of Enah'm vis viiid

     It'm I guve and bequeth xxvis viiid to be distribute unto pore people in peny dole

     It' I gyve and bequeth to my Curate S Ryc Mersser xxd

     It' I gyve and bequeth to S John Batte xxd

     It'm I gyve and bequeth to the maynteyning of the morow masse prest in Andov' xxd

     It'm I gyve and bequeth to the mayntenyng of Jhus masse in the churche of Andov' xxd

     It'm I gyve and bequeth to the p'ror of Freers Augustines in Wync' xxd

     It'm I gyve and bequeth to s John' whight freer xxd

     It'm I gyve and bequeth to ev'y freer of the seid augustines that ys a prest iiiid and to ev'r noves iid of theseid place

     It'm I gyve and bequeth to my douzter Elsabeth mylne xxli shepe beside those she hath All'redy and one cow th't I bouzt of her and xiiis iiid of money and my gretyst panne and foure platters

     It'm I give and bequeath unto my son Nycholas Blake the tabull in the hall and one clothe called the hallyng and ii Iron rakks

     It'm I gyve and bequeath unto my son Rob't Blake one Iron broche and xviii shepe the wheiche shepe he hath in his kepying

     It'm I gyve and bequeth to Thoms Iesra off foskett one Iron broche

     The residue of my goos moveable & unmoveable above not legate I gyve and bequeth unto my children Nycholas Blake Robt Blake and to Thoms Iesra of Foskett and theseid goods to be devyded amongs them equally evy of them lyke moche

     It'm I make my sones Nycholas Blake and Robt Blake my trewe executors and Thomas Iesa of Foskett my supviso'r that he se my last wyll and testament Implete & fulfilled & theseid execut to dispose for the heithe of my soule as the shall se most expedyent

These witnesse S Ryc Mersser

S John Batte

Nycholas Blake

Robt Blake w't