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
 

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.

BLAKE - Calendar of Patent Rolls Henry III to Henry VI (1230 - 1452)

The online repository that had the Calendar of Patent Rolls was a freely searchable set of files made available as a project of Professor G.R. Boynton and the University of Iowa Libraries. Thanks to them for making this set of documents available at that time.

I extracted 210 items with the surname le BLAKE, BLAKE, le BLAC, BLAC, and BLAYKE from the Calendar of Patent Rolls with the earliest item being 30 Jan 1230 and the latest item being 16 Jun 1452. The time period covered the reigns of Henry III, Edward I, Edward II, Edward III, Richard II, Henry IV, Henry V and Henry VI. I was able to utilize 207 of these entries (3 entries did not have sufficient data to place the item into a particular location). Most  of the locations were in the Counties of England, a few items in Ireland and Wales and one particularly interesting one from France.

Berkshire 3
Buckinghamshire 3
Cambridgeshire 2
Cheshire 1
Cornwall 4
Cumberland 1
Devonshire 36
Dorsetshire 2
Durham 1
Essex 9
Gloucestershire 5
Hampshire 13
Herefordshire 3
Hertfordshire 11
Kent 9
Leicestershire 4
Lincolnshire 7
London 15
Norfolk 14
Northamptonshire 2
Oxfordshire 6
Shropshire 1
Somersetshire 13
Staffordshire 1
Suffolk 1
Surrey 6
Sussex 3
Warwickshire 1
Wiltshire 5
Worcestershire 12
Yorkshire 5

Ireland  8
Wales 1
France 1

I found a free map online and inserted the numbers into the counties:

The Devon numbers are very large because John BLAKE/BLAK was Clerk of the King's Works during the reign of Richard II and suffered confiscation of his estates so that the number of records directly related to him include 21 of the 36 leaving a substantial number of records nevertheless for Devonshire. There is a clustering around Worcestershire. There are a substantial number of entries in "traditional" BLAKE area across Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire. London has BLAKE entries dating back to 1342. The Blake family was located at Swaffham Norfolk in 1450 with Simon BLAKE being named as keeper of the seal in the town, lordship and warren of Swaffham (28 Henry VI, volume 5, page 329). Hampshire having more entries than Wiltshire rather surprised me and a good number of these were from the Portsmouth/Southampton area.

There is some clustering but it is noticeable that even in this early time period the BLAKE family could be found in many of the counties of England.

The surprise find though was the entry concerning France. I am including it in its entirety because the entry (although only one BLAKE) is from 30 May 1274 and located on membrane 15 in the 24th year of the reign of Edward I, volume 3, page 189. The entry below includes Richard le BLAK of Rouen. Rouen is located in Normandy on the River Seine and is the capital of Upper Normandy in modern times and was the historic capital city of Normandy.

"Licence, until Michaelmas, for Walter le Aketon, merchant of Rouen, to
come to England to trade and to carry his wools and merchandise to the
usual fairs and markets by the public streets and common ways, provided
he do not carry or cause to be carried his wools or merchandise out of the
kingdom, nor deal with the Flemings or others of the power of the countess
of Flanders in the kingdom, or in any way communicate with them, during
the contention between the king and the said countess.
[30 May 1274 Westminster, 2 Edward I, volume 1, pages 51 - 52, Calendar of Patent Rolls]

The like for the following :—
Peter de Bules, merchant of Rouen
William Burnell, merchant of Rouen
Hugh le Coynte, merchant of Rouen
Robert le Balauncer, merchant of Rouen
William de Toftes, merchant of Rouen
Matthew de Walle Richeri, merchant of Rouen
Richard le Mynnot, merchant of Rouen
William de Cryel, merchant of Rouen
Nicholas Veisin, merchant of Rouen
Antonin de Beuvays, merchant of Rouen
Nicholas de Fovill, merchant of Rouen
John de Alneto, merchant of Rouen
6 June [1274 Westminster etc]
Richard le Vilein, merchant of Rouen
Henry Lovet, merchant of Rouen
Walter Peitevin, merchant of Rouen
Hubin de Sancto Martino, of Huy.
John Tafurnawe, of Huy, merchant of Almain.
Henry le Soriz, of Huy, merchant of Almain.
Ralph de Leges, merchant of Leges.
John Henneman, merchant of Leges.
Libert de Leges, merchant of Leges.
John Nicholas, merchant of Deu.
Herewail, merchant of Huy.
Cono Dain, merchant of Huy.
Donrician Daundevale, merchant of Huy.
John Fox, of Brabant, merchant.
John Proppe, merchant of Malins.
John Perewez, of Huy, merchant of Brabant.
John Nicard, merchant of Huy.
Peter de Sauveye, merchant of Rouecestre.
Peter Cosyn, citizen of London.
Reginald de Menachato, merchant of Piacenza.
Conrad Nerbode, merchant of Almain.
Arnold de Dik, merchant of Malyns.
Nicholas Flambard, merchant of Rouen.
John de Torpmimie, merchant of Almain.
Geoffrey Aungevyn, merchant of Rouen.
William Cirurgyen, of Northampton.
William Bek, of London,
Henry Lovet, of Rouen.
Atinus Pruudalis, of Piacenza.
Hugelin Hugelinell, fellow of Nicholas Teste.
Nicholas Teste, fellow of Aldebrand Malagale.
John Winterman, merchant of Almain,
Luke de Lukes, merchant of Lucca.
Gotmar de Lubek, merchant of Almain.
Conrad de Affle, merchant of Almain.
Godschalc le Wyse, merchant of Almain.
Christopher de Munchy, merchant of Beuvays
Robert de Messegewell, merchant of Rouen.
John Donadeu, merchant of Cahors.
Everard de Duncy, merchant of Amiens
James Piket, merchant of Amiens
Warin Piket, merchant of Amiens
Warin Reinevall, merchant of Amiens.
Giles de Mundider, merchant of Amiens
Jacomin de Sancto Fuscencio, merchant of Amiens
Everard le Franceis, merchant of Amiens
Richard le Blak, merchant of Rouen.
Reyner de Furnar', merchant of Florence.
John Weremund, merchant of Caumbrey,
Alan de Sakintot, merchant of Rouen.
John Parwale, merchant of Malines.
Henry de Laghene, merchant of Malines.
Henry de Lewe, merchant of Brabant.
John de Mes, merchant of Amiens.
Walter Aketon, merchant of Fouen,
John Dunadeu, merchant of Cahors.
John de Burgundia, merchant of Amiens
Drogo Malherbe, merchant of Amiens
John Dare, merchant of Amiens
Ingelram Beremere, merchant of Amiens
Gilbert Bonnavel, merchant of Amiens"

The earliest BLAKE entry (prior to the one for Richard le BLAK from Rouen, France) is for Willelmum le BLAKE and he was located in Hertfordshire during the reign of Henry III and the time period is the 30 Jan 1230. The entry is in Latin:

Hertford.—Adam filiis Willelmi, Petrus de Goldinton, Petrus de
Welles et Johannes de Marcham justiciarii ad assisam nove dissaisine
capiendam apud Hertford in octabis clausi [Pasche], quam Radulfus de
Wudiford aramiavit versus Petrum de Essewell, Walterum Coleman,
Augustinum Juvenem, Willelmum le Blake, Walterum filiurn Geroldi,
Ricardurn Stiward et Galfridum de Sandon de tenemento in Eswell;
salvis etc. Teste rege, apud Westmonasterium, xxx die Januarii.[1230]

I believe that it concerns a land dispute and one of these days I will translate it into English but putting it into a translator online:

Hertford.-the sons of Adam, William, Peter de Goldinton, Peter of
Welles and John MARCH of justices of assize of novel restored
taken at Hertford in the octave closed [Easter], which Ralph de
Wudiford aramiavit against Peter de Essewell, Walter Coleman,
Young Augustine, William le Blake, his son Walter Gerold,
Ricardurn Stiward and Geoffrey of Sandon Eswell tenement in;
compliance etc.. Witnessed by the king, at Westminster, on the thirtieth day of January.

The entry for Richard le BLAK merchant at Rouen, France was a rather interesting entry. Many of the BLAKE families in England were involved in the wool trade either as farmers or tradesmen. At this early point in time finding a William le BLAKE already involved in land dealings as early as 1230 and then a Richard le BLAK a merchant from Rouen, France in 1274 were certainly very interesting entries. It does suggest the possible entry into England of BLAKE families over a time period. Have these names been anglicized for entry into the rolls? A lot of questions arise from these Calendar Rolls. If BLAKE came in 1066 would you see such a wide distribution of families in several hundred years? With surnames coming later to the British Isles, can one assume that all of the early members of the le BLAKE, le BLAK families were originally from France? A few interesting queries and I do now wonder if French Archives would add to the information on this family.To add to this is the family head on the Blake Pedigree Chart held at the Swindon and Wiltshire Record Office is named Richard Blaake/Blake/Blague living in the time period of Edward I and Edward II. The Chart does include the note with respect to the property in Essex which was deeded to Knights Templar but the document held by The National Archives has a Roger le Blake in that transaction. Possibly an error in reading the old document at the time that the chart was produced (1690) or a misunderstanding or is Roger related to Richard. I am thinking it is an error and that two distinct Blake lines were confused at the time of the making of the Chart especially as Roger was living in Herefordshire and not Wiltshire whereas it is known that a Robert Blake (married to Avis Wallop) was in Wiltshire  at Quemerford in the late 1400s and early 1500s (buried circa 1515). It is this line that traced back to Richard Blake living during the reigns of Edward I and Edward II.


Searching on the National Archives of the UK site gives three documents for le Blak and 55 for le Blake but none earlier than 1286. Finding the document for Richard le Blak of Rouen, France has given me more pause for thought with regard to the deep origins of the Blake families of the British Isles.

The distinct haplogroups for Blake in the Blake yDNA study are even more interesting with respect to the distribution for Blake/Blak found in an examination of the Calendar of Patent Rolls. More people testing their yDNA for Blake can only lead to a greater understanding of the deep ancestry of the Blake family of the British Isles. 

http://www.familytreedna.com/group-join.aspx?code=A70410&Group=Blake

Along with the other Administrators of the yDNA project, we are slowly revising the headings for the various groupings of the BLAKE family. But definitely BLAKE has arisen in the British Isles from a number of founders given the difference in the haplogroups for lines where more than one individual has tested.

BLAKE - Will of Jone BLAKE, widow, Enham - Consistory Court of Winchester, Register D, folio 118, will dated 23 Mar 1527

Continuing with the story of the BLAKE family at Knights Enham near Andover. Nicholas BLAKE's will was blogged last blog (along with the will of his widow Margaret (BLAKE) Munday). Moving back one more generation it was possible to locate the will of the mother of Nicholas. 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 believe her husband to be Richard BLAKE who left his will in 1522 and Jone was a widow in 1527. 

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

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

[Margin]: copied test[ament]

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

No probate was located for this will of Jone BLAKE, widow of Enham.

Richard BLAKE (Blayke), Knights Enham, left his will dated  12 Apr 1522 and probated 23 May 1522. Unfortunately, I have not found tax records for Knights Enham earlier than 1598 but these later records indicate only one BLAKE line as both of these individuals are descendant of Jone BLAKE whose will is blogged above. Hence I put forward the thought that this will left by Richard BLA[Y]KE was the husband of Jone BLAKE.

British History Online has a very interesting section of Knight's Enham and King's Enham which at the time of the Domesday Book was regarded as Enham but two different holdings equal in size:

https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/hants/vol4/pp377-379

Continuing to read this early history found online an interesting comment under "Manor" last line first paragraph: " At the end of the 15th century it was said, like so many neighbouring manors, to be held of the freemen of Andover by fealty (Chan. Inq. p.m. (ser. 2), xi, 110). One notes that Lord Sandys is referred to in a number of the wills of the BLAKE family at Enham (see blog posts for William BLAKE and Nicholas BLAKE). Further on under the "Manor" section:" ....SirWilliam Sandys, died seised of the manor jointly with his wife in 1496, before which date it had been entailed on them and their heirs (Chan. Inq. p. m. (Ser. 2), xi, 110). His descendants, the Lords Sandys of the Vyne, continued to hold it until the  middle of the 17th century (Recov. R. Mich. 4 Edw. VI, rot. 535; Mich. 42 Eliz. rot. 172; Trin. 1649, rot. 42; Feet of F. Div Co. Trin. 1649)."

Richard mentions his wife (but not by name), his son Nichi[las]. He mentions his brothers Robert and Thomas who are still living at this time. He does not mention his son Robert or his daughter Elizabeth as far as my rough transcription of Latin seems to indicate.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 13 Aug 2013
Source: Family Search – Film 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

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 Ergo Richardus blayke cy[m]pos
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]
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
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
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
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
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
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____


The will of Robert BLAKE of Enham, written in Latin and following), does have one line at the end in English which is rather interesting. "Also I reserve to my sonne Richarde my farme and my tenemente that I do dwelth nowe." Finding these wills as I worked my way back in time through the BLAKE family from Upper Clatford back to Andover and then back to Enham was amazing. Robert was likely quite elderly when he died so born in the mid 1400s more or less. There were BLAKE names in the Manor Books of Andover but I have yet to tackle those "all in Latin" documents but do plan to make that attempt in the future. The earliest record that I found was in 1305 and that is a whole other story which I have discussed in my blogs through the years.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 3 Jan 2014
Source: Hampshire Record Office, 1522B-04 (should be 1521B-??)
Testator: Robert Blake
Place: Enham, Hampshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 16 Dec 1521
Condition: 16th century English, legible copy

[Margin]: 1522B-04 (should be 1521B-??)

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 Ergo 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    _uas 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

I do have copies of the wills of Thomas and Robert sons of Robert Bla[y]ke which I have read but not yet transcribed. One is left to ponder did my line choose the surname Blayke which gradually became BLAKE? Or did they acquire the surname BLAKE by marriage.

This concludes my recitation of the BLAKE family of Andover and surrounding area. In hopes that as I continue to blog on and talk about this BLAKE family the errors made by Horatio Somerby Gates will gradually disappear from genealogies of BLAKE families. Nicholas BLAKE earned his place in history and it is a proud although small part that he played. If I accomplish nothing else with my BLAKE one-name study I at least feel that I have informed, over time, a wide audience of the actual descendancy of this BLAKE family of Andover and area. My own line lived its life mostly within a couple of kilometres of the centre of Andover. My father was born at Eastleigh but his memories of Upper Clatford/Goodworth Clatford were strong as he visited with his grandparents often and knew all of his cousins before coming to Canada as a child of nine years of age with his parents (Samuel George BLAKE and Ada Bessie Cotterill Rawlings (aka Edith Bessie Taylor)) in 1913.

A few thoughts on the Blake line(s) at Andover

As I work my way through these transcriptions for the Border Reivers in the West and Middle Marches along the border between England and Scotland, I was thinking about my Blake line at Andover. The spellings of the names for the Border Reivers is not really all that different from the late 1500s to the present. A few changes but minor really.

Finding that my Nicholas Blake was likely the son of Richard Blake who left his will in 1522 and the grandson of Robert Blayke who left his will in 1521 has been a rather fascinating experience over the last couple of months. Along with the results of the BritainsDNA all my ancestry tests, my line is very ancient to the British Isles. They are called the Deer Hunters by BritainsDNA and the latest find in Scotland of a skelton dating back 14,000 years is most exciting. As the ice sheets retreated and formed across the British Isles, I can imagine my people there at the edge hunting and living their hunter gatherer existence. Through thousands of years they just used a single name likely. What prompted them to move to a surname and why did they choose Blake? I find that the question intrigues me more and more. It didn't intrigue me quite so much a year or so ago but the results of the yDNA study at both Gen2.0 and BritainsDNA giving me virtually duplicate results have set my mind racing much further back in time with respect to my yDNA line.

How significant is it that my furtherest back ancestor used the surname Blayke although his son did use Blake? This Robert Blake was likely born in the mid 1400s but I still do not know where? But I know that he lived at Enham in the last years of his life.  The Manor Books eventually might provide answers to my queries but gaining those will be a project for a couple of years down the road I expect. First I must get through what I have acquired thus far. When I return to blogging it will be looking at the Gloucestershire Blake family which is descendant of the Wiltshire Blake family. Can I find a relationship between these Blakes and the Blake family in Somerset? The Blake Pedigree chart at the Swindon and Wiltshire Record Office shows the relationship between the Wiltshire Blake family and the Somerset Blake family to be further back. The traceback from Gloucestershire to Wiltshire is a fairly direct one as far as I can tell thus far occurring in the latter part of the 1600s.

Today was the Zoomer Show in Ottawa and my husband and I volunteered to do a three hour stint from opening at 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. A number of people did come by the Genealogy stand (Ontario Genealogy Society, British Isles Family History Society of the Greater Ottawa area, and the City of Ottawa Archives shared this stand) and I had several longish chats with people about DNA results and how they play into genealogy. Really, you can not do your genealogy without doing your DNA. I am fully convinced of that and recommend that to everyone that I meet. The latest tests from Gen 2.0, BritainsDNA and FT DNA looking at autosomal ancestry can give you insights into how your genes have traveled through time. Without that knowledge, unless you are like myself and know exactly all of your ancestor's immigration stories, pinpointing the origin of your family prior to migration can be quite a difficult process. DNA studies can eliminate some of this uncertainity if you do autosomal testing along with the standard yDNA and mtDNA testing. Or you can just do autosomal as it looks at all your genetic makeup given to you by your parents/grandparents/greatgrandparents/etc. Even better persuading your siblings to all test can give you a well rounded look at the genetic compliment especially if you have a number of siblings (I have six). It would be nice to have my parent's DNA but having siblings helps in that regard.

I mostly spoke to people with British Isles Ancestry but also a number with French (French Canadian), German, Norwegian, Portuguese, African and Chinese. A most interesting couple of hours and I wanted to mention as I did to them that I personally think the best way to begin your genealogy is to download the free software program from Legacy Family Tree and enter in your data. If you want the bells and whistles (and I do) you can pay for the advanced program later or there are other programs on the market. You can just extract all your information into a gedcom and move to whatever program you wish. Taking 42 courses at the National Institute for Genealogical Studies has been extremely valuable to me in my research but it was my cousin asking me to write a profile on my mother's family (Pincombe) that actually inspired me to do so. I knew nothing about genealogy in 2003 when he first asked me although had watched my husband work away at his genealogy for over 40 years (so knew about census, parish records but not much more!). But I needed English ancestry and my husband was into American ancestry mostly at that time although he is now back on the continent with French/Dutch/German/English and others. He is a true early American colonial descendant although Canadian for seven generations and more!

Back to transcription of the Border Reivers documents. Still quite a bit to do and they are not really that clean. My cousin knows these places much better than I do so I am giving him a quick transcription and he can make the changes that he needs to make use of them. I might go back one day and revise them but will only blog them if he doesn't publish them in his book.