Will of Joseph Blake, Timber Hewer, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire - The National Archives PROB 11/1508/245, probated 14 Feb 1810

Joseph Blake the testator is at Beaconsfield, Northamptonshire. The first will that I blogged from Buckinghamshire was by Eleanor Lavinia Blake and probated in 1830. The parents of Lavinia were Henry Blake and Sarah Hare. They had ten children at Beaconsfield and may have owned/operated the Swan Inn. This will, I suspect, adds to the story of the family of Henry Blake at Beaconsfield detailing all of his siblings (see more below).

The will of James Blake the elder, Shoemaker at Chenies was blogged on the 23rd of April 2012 and at the time I did not have any information on that family either. Chenies is 7 miles NE  of Beaconsfield and Winslow is 31 miles NW. Is the Blake family at Chenies related to this Blake family at Beaconsfield. James mentions nephews James Blake the younger at Chenies and Ezekiel Blake at Hemel Hempstead (this is only 12 miles distance with Hemel Hempstead being NNE of Chenies).  James' will was probated in 1799. The distance does make one wonder but the forenames do not fit with the families as mentioned below.

The family in this present will consists of Joseph Blake (testator) and his siblings Henry Blake, Samuel Blake, David Blake, Sarah Watts (married to Thomas Watts),  and Ann Yeates (married to James Yeates).

There is a Samuel Blake on the 1841 Census at Beaconsfield and he is listed as 60 years of age with no one living with him (hence he was born in Buckinghamshire circa 1781 and below in a family grouping there is a Samuel Blake baptized in 1777 with the rounding up or down of ages in the 1841 census this is within that year span).

The apprentice indentures (1710 - 1811) list a David Blake of Beaconsfield Wheelwright with an apprentice Joseph Blake and the date 19 June 1759. The will does mention that David Blake is a wheelwright. Another entry  in the apprentice indentures for David Blake of Beaconsfield as Wheelwright with apprentice Henry Blake 5 Feb 1762.

The 1841 census lists a David Blake (age 65 so born circa 1776 at Buckinghamshire and one of the family groupings below has a David baptized in 1775) living in Beaconsfield with his wife Mary (55 years of age) and son William 35 years of age. Also living with this family James Clifford 9 and Susanna Crouch 50. Susanna being listed as a Female Servant. David is a Publican.

From Find my Past there was a David Blake married to Mary Spring 1728 at Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire (Society of Genealogists). I could not find this marriage on Ancestry so no further details.

Moving to Family Search I found the following children for David and Mary Blake at Beaconsfield baptized between 1729 and 1743:

Andrew baptized 29 Jan 1729
David baptized 22 Dec 1731; buried 4 Jul 1743
Susanna baptized 20 Feb 1733
Joseph baptized 30 Mar 1736
Elizabeth baptized 11 Mar 1738
Hannah baptized 25 Feb 1740
Henry baptized 11 Jul 1743

I now have the thought is the David Blake who married Mary Spring in 1728 at Beaconsfield, the grandfather of Joseph the testator in the will below? Looking at the sons of this David Blake namely Henry, Andrew and Joseph the following groups can be extracted from the Beaconsfield Parish Registers on Family Search. I could not locate these marriages.

There is an Andrew Blake married to Elizabeth baptizing children at Beaconsfield:

Mary baptized 29 Aug 1760
Elizabeth baptized 30 Apr 1762; buried 27 Apr 1772
John baptized 11 Dec 1763
Joseph baptized 11 Aug 1765
David baptized 3 Jul 1767
Hannah baptized 23 Apr 1769; buried 3 Sep 1769
William baptized 17 Mar 1771
Henry baptized 16 May 1773; buried 1 Jun 1773
Elizabeth baptized 8 May 1774
Frances baptized 27 May 1776
Hannah baptized 28 Feb 1779

There is a Joseph Blake married to Anne baptizing children at Beaconsfield:

Joseph baptized 20 Sep 1767
Henry baptized 15 May 1769
Sarah baptized 2 Jan 1771
William baptized 10 Jan 1773
David baptized 15 Mar 1775
Samuel baptized 16 Apr 1777
James baptized 15 Oct 1779

This family looks the most promising to match the siblings of Joseph the testator in the will below: Henry Blake, Samuel Blake, David Blake, Sarah Watts (married to Thomas Watts), Ann Yeates (married to James Yeates) with Ann being the only missing child (of note the mother's name was Anne). There was a Joseph Blake apprenticed to David Blake in 1759 so the dates of the baptisms of the children would have followed the completion of an apprenticeship and this also fits quite well (Joseph would have been 23 years of age when he apprenticed as a wheelwright). The Joseph leaving the will below was baptized in 1767 and hence 43 years of age if this is the correct Joseph Blake.

There is a Henry Blake married to Margaret baptizing children at Beaconsfield:

Joseph baptized 10 May 1778
Mary baptized 10 May 1778
David baptized 22 Mar 1780

I did find a query online concerning Sarah Blake (born 2 Jan 1771 at Beaconsfield)  married to Thomas Watts 3 Sep 1794 at Beaconsfield and their children: Joseph baptized 21 Sep 1795 in Beaconsfield, Isabella baptized 29 Jan 1797 in Beaconsfield, Ann baptized 24 Jun 1800 in Beaconsfield, Samuel baptized 27 Dec 1801, James baptized 26 Mar 1804 and Eliza baptized 8 Feb 1807.

There is a tree online at in the World Connect Project which looks at this Beaconsfield family

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=mjb&id=I013

This tree adds two more children to this family of Joseph and Ann Blake namely Anne baptized 24 Oct 1781 and Benjamin baptized 30 Jan 1785. The submitter has the parents of these children -Andrew, Joseph and Henry in boldface above  as David Blake and Mary Spring with marriage date 6 Jan 1728 (old style) with the notation that David was baptized 7 Mar 1703 in Beaconsfield. The parents of David are listed as John and Elizabeth Blake. The burial for David is listed as 26 Sep 1784 in Beaconsfield. No further information on John and Elizabeth Blake.

The informant has listed descendants for Andrew, Joseph and Henry sons of David Blake and Mary Spring. She has Elizabeth Wade as the wife of Andrew Blake and their marriage 31 Dec 1759 in Beaconsfield. No marriage date or surname for the wife of Joseph Blake married to Ann. Henry is listed as married to Margaret Roman 21 Oct 1776 in Beaconsfield. There are another ten children listed for this couple: Henry baptized 6 Jun 1781, Sarah baptized 26 May 1782, Nancy baptized 18 Sep 1783, Thomas baptized 30 Oct 1785, Margaret baptized 25 Nov 1786, Sarah baptized 25 Nov 1786, Benjamin baptized 27 Mar 1789, Elizabeth baptized 1 Apr 1791, William baptized 27 Feb 1793, and John baptized 10 Oct 1795 all in Beaconsfield. She also lists the marriage of David (baptized 22 Mar 1780) to Sophia Watts and their children: Elizabeth baptized 31 Mar 1809, Mary baptized 14 Oct 1810, Ann Watts 29 Jul 1812, Joseph baptized 7 Jul 1816, Margaret baptized 7 Jun 1818, William baptized 12 Sep 1819, Charlotte baptized 8 Sep 1821, and James baptized 20 Jul 1828 all in Beaconsfield. William (baptized 12 Sep 1819) is listed as marrying Louisa (from Free BMD this is Louisa Bragg and they were married September quarter 1850 in Amersham RD) and their children: George born 1852, Sophia b 1853, Laura b 1855, William b 1856, Eliza b 1858, Henry b 1859, David b 1861, and Mary b 1864 all in Beaconsfield. George (b 1852) is shown as marrying Elizabeth (from Free BMD this is George David Blake and Elizabeth Butcher who married Sep quarter 1875 at Wallingford and with children: Albert b 1880, Annie b 1879, Ethel S b 1877, Harry J b 1886 (twin), Jessie b 1886 (twin), Lizzie b 1884, Margaret b 1882 and Nellie C b 1888).

Although the name James has been used in this Beaconsfield family I do not see anything to connect the Blake family at Chenies/Hemel Hempstead with the Blake family at Beaconsfield.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 26 Apr 2013
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/1508/245
Testator:  Joseph Blake, Timber Hewer
Place: Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document:  28 Oct 1809, probated 14 Feb 1810
Condition: 19th century English, legible copy

[Margin]: Joseph
[Margin]: Blake

1    In the Name of God Amen
2    I Joseph Blake of Beaconsfield in the County of
3    Bucks Timber hewer being weak in body but of sound
4    and disposing mind memory and understanding praised
5    be Almighty God for the same do make this my last
6    Will and Testament in manner following (that is to say)
7    my Just debts Funeral and Testamentary Expenses being
8    first
    [Page 2]
9    first paid and satisfied Then I give devise and bequeath
10    all those my five Cottages or Tenements with their
11    appurtenances in the several occupations of Margaret
12    Blake William Freeman Martha Dean David Blake
13    Wheelwright and Mary Floyd situate on the South side
14    of the Street or end called London End in Beaconsfield
15    aforesaid and all other my real Estates wheresoever situate
16    unto my Brothers and Sisters Henry Blake Sarah the
17    wife of Thomas Watts David Blake Samuel Blake and
18    Ann the wife of James Yeates their heirs and assigns for
19    ever as Tenants in common and not as joint Tenants Also
20    I give and bequeath unto my said Brothers and Sisters the
21    said Henry Blake Sarah Watts David Blake Samuel
22    Blake and Ann Yeates all and singular my household
23    Goods and Chattels ready Monies Bonds Notes and
24    Securities for Money and all other my Personal Estate
25    and Effects whatsoever and wheresoever situate and being
26    to be equally divided between them Share and Share
27    alike and I do hereby nominate and appoint my said
28    Brothers Henry Blake and Samuel Blake Executors of
30    this my Will hereby revoking and making void all former
31    and other Wills and Codicils by me at any time
32    heretofore made hereby declaring these presents to be and
33    contain my last Will and Testament In Witness
34    whereof I the said Joseph Blake have hereunto set my
35    hand and Seal the twenty Eighty day of October in the
36    year of our Lord one thousand Eight hundred and nine
37    The Mark of X Joseph Blake Signed Sealed
38    published and declared by the said Testator Joseph
39    Blake as and for his last Will and Testament in the
40    presence of us who in his presence at his request and
41    in the presence of each other have subscribed our Names
42    as Witnesses hereto George Slatter of Beaconsfield Cordw[ainde]r
43    Jno Charsley  J Randall both of the same place
44    Att[orne]ys at Law
45    This Will was proved at London on the
46    fourteenth day of February in the Year of our Lord
47    One thousand Eight hundred and ten before the
48    Worshipful Samuel Pearce Parson doctor of Laws and
49    Surrogate of the Right honorable Sir John Nicholl
50    Knight and doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary
51    of the prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted
52    by the Oath of Henry Blake the Brother and one of the
53    Executors named in the said will to whom administration
54    was granted of all and singular the Goods Chattels and
55    Credits of the deceased he having been first sworn duly
56    to administer power reserved of making the like Grant
57    to Samuel Blake the Brother also and other Executor
58    named in the said Will when he shall apply for the same

Will of Eleanor Lavinia Blake, singlewoman, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire - The National Archives PROB 11/1770/446, probated 14 May 1830

The next set of Blake wills is from Buckinghamshire. Eleanor Lavinia Blake is a singlewoman of Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. She has brothers Richard and William Blake. Her sister is Cornelia Blake. Her mother Sarah has remarried to Joshua Grimmet 17 Jun 1817 at Beaconsfield, Buckingham (M04168-1, Family Search) .

Eleanor Lavinia Blake was born 10 Nov 1807 and baptized 3 Jan 1808 at Beaconsfield Buckingham England the daughter of Henry Blake and Sarah Hare (C04168-1, Family Search).

Children of Henry Blake and Sarah Hare baptized at Beaconsfield, Buckingham (red highlighted children not named in will)

Joseph baptized 10 Apr 1797
Mary baptized 12 Feb 1798; buried 11 Mar 1813
Richard baptized 21 Jul 1799
Benjamin baptized 1 Feb 1801
William baptized 12 Apr 1802
Cornelia baptized 25 May 1804
Simeon James baptized 6 Jul 1806 (born 20 May 1806)
Eleanor Lavinia baptized 3 Jan 1808 (born 10 Nov 1807)
Emma Louisa baptized 28 Mar 1810 (born 24 Feb 1810)
Elizabeth Anne baptized 1 Dec 1811 (born 12 Sep 1811)

Perhaps Henry Blake managed/owned an Inn as Sarah Blake of Swan Inn, wife of Henry Blake at Easter in 1811 was a witness to an individual who supposedly used counterfeit shillings.

On the 1851 Census at Beaconsfield, District 2a, page 14, Simeon James Blake 42 with his wife Susanna 44 and children: Richard Benjamin 19, Elisa Sarah 16, Mary 16, Emma 12, Lavinia 11 and Joseph 8. Simeon is a Butcher and all are born in Beaconsfield. He is the only one of the sons listed at Beaconsfield.

On the 1861 Census at Beaconsfield, District 7, Page 10, Simeon J Blake 53 with his wife Susannah 56, Eliza S Lever 26, Mary Blake 24, Emma 22, Lavinia 20 and Simeon is still a Butcher and all are born in Beaconsfield. Both sons are missing.

The next eight wills are for Buckinghamshire. There isn't one for Henry unfortunately. The earliest one is for Priscilla Blake 1656, then Thomas Blake 1711, John Blake 1761, William Blake 1796, James Blake 1799, Sarah Blake 1807, Joseph Blake 1810 and John Blake 1815.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 22 Apr 2013
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/1770/446
Testator:  Eleanor Lavinia Blake commonly called Levina Blake, singlewoman
Place: Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 8 Dec 1829, probated 14 May 1830
Read: Electronic copy images
Condition: 19th century English, legible copy

[Margin]: Eleanor
[Margin]: Lavinia
[Margin]: Blake
[Margin]: S

1    This is the last Will and Testament of me
2    Eleanor Lavinia Blake commonly called Levina Blake of Beaconsfield in the
3    County of Bucks Singlewoman though weak in body being of sound and disposing
4    mind memory and understanding praised be God for the same First I give and
5    bequeath unto my Sisters in Law Sarah the Wife of my Brother Richard
6    Blake and Mary the wife of my Brother William Blake all such Clothes and
7    wearing apparel in the nature of Mourning which I possess also I give and
8    bequeath unto my dear Sister Cornelia Blake all the rest of my clothes and
9    wearing apparel and all such Books and small Trinkets which I may possess at
10    my decease also I give and bequeath all the rest residue and remainder of my
11    Estate and Effects whatsoever and wheresoever the same being all personally unto
12    my brother the said Richard Blake uncle John Hare of Beaconsfield aforesaid Farmer and my friend James
13    Williams of Beaconsfield aforesaid Coal Merchant their Executors adm[inistrat]ors and
14    assigns upon Trust after payment of my just debts Funeral and Testamentary
15    Expences to continue placed out at Interest in the public Funds of this Kingdom
16    such part of my said personal estate as is now placed out in the said public
17    funds and with the consent of my dear mother Sarah the Wife of Joshua
18    Grimmet to change and transpose such Funds for other Funds or Stock or with
19    such consent place such my said residuary personal Estate out at Interest on
20    good real Security nevertheless upon Trust also to pay the Interest and dividends
21    of such my said residuary personal Estate into the proper hands of my said
22    Mother Sarah Grimmet during the term of her natural life for her own
23    peculiar use and benefit free from the control debts or engagements of her present
24    or any future husband whose receipt alone notwithstanding her coverture
25    shall be a good discharge for the same from time to time and from and after
26    the decease of my said Mother then upon Trust to pay and divide the principal
27    money so constituting my said Residuary personal Estate unto and equally
28    between my dear Brothers and Sister the said Richard Blake William Blake
29    Cornelia Blake and Simeon James Blake which I give and bequeath unto
30    them their Executors administrators and assigns accordingly as Tenants in
31    common and not as joint Tenants and I do nominate constitute and appoint
32    the said Richard Blake John Hare and James Williams Executors of this my Will hereby
33    revoking all other Wills by me heretofore made and declaring these presents
34    only to be and contain my last Will and Testament and I do declare that my
35    said Executors shall be answerable only for such money as shall come to
36    their respective hands and not for each other nor for any involuntary loss by
37    the Government Securities being paid of or otherwise and that they my said
38    Executors shall deduct and retain all reasonable expences that they may
    [Page 2]
39    sustain or be put unto in or about the execution of this my Will In Witness whereof I
40    have hereunto set my hand and seal this eighth day of December in the year of our
41    Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty nine Eleanor Lavinia Blake Signed
42    sealed published and declared by the said Testatrix as and for her last Will and
43    Testament in the presence of us who at her request in her presence and in the presence
44    of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses the name Cornelia
45    between the sixth and seventh lines being first substituted for that of Carlonine and
46    the words "John Hare of Beaconsfield aforesaid farmer" having been first substituted between
47    the tenth and eleventh lines and the name Richard Blake between the twenty ninth and
48    thirtieth lines having been also first substituted for that of John Hare William Child
49    Beaconsfield Builder Jno Charoley of the same place Solicitor
50    Proved at London 14th May 1830 before the Worshipful William Caverley Curteis
51    doctor of Laws and Surrogate by the Oath of Richard Blake the Brother one of the
52    Executors to whom administration was granted having been first sworn duly to
53    administer power reserved of making the like Grant to James Williams the other
54    Executor when he shall apply for the same