Will of George Buller, Chandler of Soho, London - The National Archives PROB 11/1257/39, probated 4 Mar 1795

George Buller the testator names his wife Elizabeth and his friend Samuel Legg. This is an interesting one with respect to the Somerset Buller family since George is an often used forename for this family. There is a record for the burial of George Buller at St Anne Soho 15 Feb 1795. He was only 27 years of age and his cause of death was a disorder in the Arm and he lived at Chapel Street. The cost of his burial was £1 5s 2d. His year of birth was circa 1768.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 16 Feb 2013
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/1257/39
Testator: George Buller, Chandler
Place: Soho, London, England
Date of document: 6 Feb 1795, probated 4 Mar 1795
Read: Electronic copy images
Document quality: 18th century English, legible copy

[Margin]: George
[Margin]: Buller

1    George Buller
2    of Chaple Street Soho Chandler do make this my last Will
3    and Testament I desire all my just debts and Funeral Expences
4    be paid and that whatever providence should bless me with
5    of Stock household Goods Stock in trade of whatsoever sort
6    or kind I desire to give unto my wife Elizabeth Buller and
7    I hereby appoint my said Wife and Samuel Legg of Fleet
8    Street Upholder whole and Sole Executors to this my last will
9    Witness my hand and Seal this 6th of Feb[ruar]y 1795
10    George Buller and in the presence of Sam[ue]l Legg Upholder
11    Fleet Street John Adamson
12    This Will was proved at London the fourth day
13    of March in the year of our Lord one thousand Seven hundred
14    and ninety five before the worshipful John Fisher Doctor of Law
15    and Surrogate of the Right Honourable Sir William Wynne
16    Knight Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the
17    prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the oaths
18    of elizabeth Buller widow the Relict of the deceased
19    and Samuel Legg the Executors named in the said Will
20    to whom Administration was granted of all and Singular
21    the Goods Chattles and Credits of the said deceased having
22    been first Sworn duly to Administer

Will of Julius Buller, Merchant, City of London - The National Archives PROB 11/589/230, probated 12 Feb 1723

Julius Buller the testater married Bridget Petty 16 Sep 1721 (Society of Genealogists, Faculty Office Marriage Licence Allegations on Find My Past). They were married at St Anne Blackfriars from Boyd's Marriage Index also on Find my Past. There might be a clue in one of the signers Richard Buller. As I gather information on the Buller family in London (which I will likely do given that it is beginning to look interesting) I may be able to work this line in.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 16 Feb 2013
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/589/230
Testator: Julius Buller, Merchant
Place: City of London, England
Date of document: 2 Oct 1721, probated 12 Feb 1723
Read: Electronic copy images
Document quality: 18th century English, legible copy

[Margin]: Julij
[Margin]: Buller

1    In the Name of God Amen
2    I Julius Buller of the City of London Merchant now going a Voyage
3    to the Spanish West Indies being in good health and of perfect mind
4    and memory (thanks be to God) do make and ordain this my last Will
5    and Testament I give leave and bequeath all my worldly Estate of
6    what nature kind or quality soever to my Wife Bridget Buller and
7    make and ordain her to be my heir and Executrix In Witness whereof
8    I have hereunto set my hand and Seal this second day of October
9    Anno d[omi]ni one thousand seven hundred and twenty one Julius Buller
10    Signed sealed and published in the presence of us W[illia]m Bentley Rich[ar]d
11    Buller Jo: Searle

Will of Stephen Buller, Coal Merchant of Saint Giles without Cripplegate, City of London - The National Archives PROB 11/767/394, probated 23 Feb 1748/49

Stephen Buller the testator identifies his two daughters Alice and Susannah with Alice married to Ryall Wells. His wife is identified in the Probate as Mary.

I could not find anything for this family on LDS or Find my Past including Boyd's Inhabitants of London. However on Ancestry Stephen Buller is listed with the London, England Land Tax Records in 1723 at Cripplegate within. Once again in 1735 near Crown Court in Cripplegate without. 

I also found the Marriage Bond and Allegation 27 Jul 1747 between Ryall Wells and Alice Buller mentioned in the will. The original Image is available on Ancestry and it is a full page document to be transcribed below:

Know all Men by these Presents, That we Ryall Wells of
the Parish of Saint Giles Cripplegate London Cooper and
are bolden and firmly bound to the Worshipful Thomas Salusbury
Doctor of Laws Commissary General of the Worshipfull the Dean and Chapter
of the Cathedral Church of St Paul London in and throughout the whole peculiar

Jurisdiction lawfully appointed in one hundred pounds
of lawful Money of Great-Britain, to be paid to the said Thomas
Salisbury or his certain Attorney, his Executors, Administrators,
or Assigns: To which Payment, well and truly to be made, we bind our-
selves, and each of us by himself for the whole, our Heirs, Executors,
and Administrators, firmly by these Presents. Sealed with our Seals
Dated the twenty seventh Day of July
in the Year of our Lord One thousand Seven Hundred and forty seven

The Condition of this Obligation is such, That if hereafter there shall
not appear any lawful Let or Impediment, by reason of any Pre-Con-
tract, Consanguinity, Affinity, or any other lawful Means whatsoever; but that
the above bounden Ryall Wells a Bachelor and Alice Buller
Spinster

may lawfully solemnize Marriage together, and in
the same afterwards lawfully remain and continue for Man and Wife, accord-
ing to the Laws in that behalf provided: And moreover, if there be not at this
present time any Action, Suit, Plaint, quarrel, or Demand, moved or depend-
ing before any Judge Ecclesiastical or Temporal, for or concerning any such
lawful Impediment between the said Parties: Nor that either of them be of any
better Estate or Degree, than to the Judge at granting of the License is
suggested,

And lastly, if the same Marriage shall be openly solemnized in the Church
in the License specified, between the Hours appointed in the Constitutions Eccle-
siastical confirmed, and according to the Form of the Book of Common Prayer,
now by Law established; then this Obligation to be void, or else to remain in full
Force and Virtue

Sealed and Delivered            Ryall Wells seal
in the Presence of Wal[te]r Gough

This is probably not a line for me to pursue. However Susannah can not be traced down by me.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 15 Feb 2013
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/767/394
Testator: Stephen Buller, Coal Merchant
Place: Saint Giles without Cripplegate, City of London, England
Date of document: 15 Jul 1747, probated 23 Feb 1749
Read: Electronic copy images
Document quality: 18th century English, legible copy

[Margin]: Stephen
[Margin]: Buller

1    In the Name of God Amen
2    I Stephen Buller of the parish of Saint Giles without
3    Cripplegate London Coal Merchant being of Sound and
4    disposing Mind Memory and Understanding do make and
5    declare this my last Will and Testament as follows Whereas
6    upon the Contract of the Marriage of my Daughter Alice
7    with Ryall Wells of the parish of Saint Giles without
8    Cripplegate London aforesaid Cooper I entered into one
9    Bond or obligation to the said Ryall Wells bearing date
10    the fifteenth day of July instant in the penal Sum of Six
11    hundred pounds with Condition thereunder Written for
12    securing to the said Ryall Wells the Marriage portion
13    intended and agreed by me to bee given and paid to him
14    with the said Alice my Daughter at and upon the Contingencies
15    in the said Condition mentioned Now in pursuance of the
16    said Condition I do hereby give devise and bequeath all my
17    Freehold Estate in Golden Lane in the parish of Saint
18    Giles without Cripplegate London aforesaid in part of
19    which I now dwell and also all other my Real Estate whatsoever
20    unto my good Friends William Grant of the Burrough of
21    Southwark Waterman and Simon Ring of the Parish of
22    Saint Giles without Cripplegate London aforesaid Cook and
23    their heirs upon Trust to permit and Suffer my loving Wife
24    Mary Buller to receive and take to her own use the Rents
25    Issues and Proffitts of the said premisses during the Term of
26    her natural Life and as to my personal Estate my Debts
27    and Funeral Charges being thereout first paid I give the
28    same and every part thereof to my said Friends William
29    Grant and Simon Ring and the Survivor of them and the
30    Executors and administrators of such Survivor upon Trust to
31    permit and Suffer my said Wife to hold and enjoy the
    [Page 2]
32    same for and during the Term of her natural Life and from and after
33    the Decease of my said Wife in Case my said Daughter Alice shall
34    have any Issue of her Body then living Then I give devise and
35    bequeath the one half part of all my Estate both Real and personal
36    after the payment of my Debts and Funeral Expences unto the said
37    Ryall Wells and my said daughter Alice To hold to them their
38    heirs Executors Administrators and Assigns forever and the other
39    part thereof I give devise and bequeath to my Daughter Susannah
40    To hold to my said daughter Susannah her heirs Executors
41    Administrators and Assigns forever But if it shall happen that
42    my said Daughter Alice shall not have any Issue of her Body
43    living at the time of the Decease of my said Wife then from
44    and after the decease of my said Wife I give all and Singular
45    my Estate both real and Personal of what nature kind or Quality
46    soever the same be or shall consist at the time of the decease
47    of my said Wife as aforesaid unto my said Daughter Susanah her
48    heirs Executors administrators and assigns forever she paying
49    unto the said Ryall Wells thereout the Sum of Two hundred
50    pounds of lawful Money of Great Britain in Three Months next after
51    the Decease of my said Wife and I do hereby charge my whole
52    Estate both Real and personal with the payment thereof and I
53    give the said William Grant and Simon Ring Ten pounds each for
54    Mourning and I do make ordain Constitute and appoint my said
55    Wife Sole Executrix of this my Will and I do revoke all former
56    and other Wills by me at any time before the date of these
57    presents made and do declare this only as and for my last Will
58    and Testament and none other In Witness whereof I the said
59    Stephen Buller the Testator have hereunto set my hand and
60    Seal this fifteenth Day of July in the Twenty first Year of the
61    Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Second by the Grace
62    of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King Defender
63    of the faith and so forth and in the year of our Lord one thousand
64    seven hundred and forty Seven Stephen Buller Signed
65    Sealed published pronounced and declared by the said Stephen
66    Buller the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament In the
67    presence of us who Subscribed our Names as Witnesses hereunto
68    in his presence and at his request Tho[ma]s Stagg attorney in Red
69    Cross Street London Tho[ma]s Harvey Willm Shield Cl to Mr Stagg
70    This Will was proved at London the Twenty third Day of
71    February in the Year of our Lord one thousand Seven hundred
72    and forty eight before the Worshipful George Hay Doctor of
73    Laws Surrogate of the Right Worshipful John Bettesworth also
74    Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative
75    Court of Canterbury lawfully Constituted by the Oath of Mary
76    Buller the Relict of the said and Sold Executrix named in
77    the said Will to whom administration was granted of all
78    and Singular the Goods Chattells and Creditts of the said
79    deceased being first Sworn duly to administer.

Reviewing Blake articles published in NEHGS and TAG and other items

Putting together a family tree for the Blake family at Andover means looking again at the various articles written about this family. First publication examined is Paul Reed's article in The American Genealogist (TAG), volume 74, pages 15 - 28 published in 1999. A second publication was reviewed written in 1916 in the New England Historic Genealogical Society by Edward Leodore Smith where he has abstracted several Blake wills in this time period and a copy of notarial records prepared in Massachusetts with reference to Joane Sedgewicke (daughter of William Blake and Dorothy Madgwick). The third item is the Pedigree Chart which was produced in 1690 (with additional material added in the early 1700s) by the College of Arms (UK) showing the descent of the Blake family at Calne Wiltshire and linking the family at Eastontown Andover Hampshire to it. This publication is not tainted by Somersby's work and is the oldest compiled genealogical data for the Blake family that I have found thus far. The fourth item includes the Parish Registers for the Andover Registration District which I am slowly transcribing and will eventually put up a chart on my webpage of all the Blake entries found in this Registration District.The fifth item includes the books written by Francis E Blake in the late 1800s on the Blake family of Boston Massachusetts USA which links the Blake Family of Boston back to the Blake family of Somerset. The sixth item includes a number of books written on the Blake families in the United States which have used the incorrect linkage which Horatio Somerby produced tracing the Somerset Blake family back to the Hampshire Blake family and thence to the Wiltshire Blake family. The seventh item but primarily to refute it, the book edited by William H. Whitmore, A Record of the BLAKEs of Somersetshire, specially in the Line of William BLAKE, of Dorchester, Mass., the Emigrant to New England: with One Branch of His Descendants, from the Notes of the Late Horatio G. SOMERBY (Boston, 1881) (Whitmore stated on p. 4 that "[t]he work of the editor, in the main, has been merely to arrange Mr. SOMERBY's pedigrees in paragraph form" - this quote from Reed's article).

With these items in mind, I need to move forward with this tree. I have hesitated to put up my tree for a number of years as I worked through what I considered to be a weak link between William Blake (baptized 1615) to his son John Blake (baptized 1649) to his son Thomas (baptized 1685) to his son Thomas (baptized 1709) and then to his son Joseph (baptized 1730). Up to William Blake from the earliest records of the Blake family at Andover is proved readily by wills, parish records and from Joseph down to my present family is proved by parish records and census. The Parish Records exist at Andover to link the Blake families from the baptism of William Blake in 1615 to the baptism of Joseph Blake in 1730 but there are no wills or other records that clearly link this family from father to son. William (b 1615) did not leave a will when he was buried in 1696 (85 years of age). The priest does not note in his burial that he had been a Clerk (Priest) so I struggled with that for a bit but it was nearly 62 years since he had been a priest and perhaps no one remembered.

All that is known about this William is that he lived at Foxcott at the time of his burial; in an Indenture of 1649 (between Lord Sandys and Nicholas Blake) the lease of the East Fields and West Fields (as they are known) in Andover were sold to Nicholas Blake (cousin of William) and that William had been either living or occupying these fields (at least since they were feoffed to him in the will of his father William Blake, Lynnen Draper 1641; he married Ann Hellier (daughter of Hugh Helyer) in 1644 at Andover; he was at Cambridge University - Matric. pens from ST CATHARINE'S, Michs. 1633. Of Hampshire. B.A. 1637-8; M.A. 1641. Fellow, 1638. Taxor, 1645. Ord. deacon (Peterb.) June 5, 1642; priest (Lincoln) June 16, 1644. I finally discovered what Taxor refers to and that is literally how it sounds - he collected taxes. Why does he leave the priesthood after being ordained at Lincoln 16 June 1644? He married Ann Hellier 5 Sep 1644 but their first child is not baptized at Penton (Andover Parish Register) until 9 Aug 1647. Does he leave being the priesthood in favour of becoming tax collector? I need to find records to substantiate that. By 1645 the time of Charles I is rapidly coming to a close and the "Roundheads" under Cromwell are about to take over the Kingdom and turn it into a Republic. Perhaps he did not wish to leave his Church of England for this more Puritan Church and simply walked away from all of it never to return. By the time Charles II was restored to the monarchy in 1660 he would have then been 45 and perhaps he did not wish to take up the priesthood once again. He had his leases to live off of and he certainly seemed to be doing that viz a viz the sale of the West and East Fields to his cousin Nicholas Blake in the Indenture of 1649. Eventually he is at Foxcott which belongs, at this time, to his cousin Joseph Hinxman who was Lord of the Manor. I do not find a burial for Ann Blake (his wife) at Andover; no burial for her at Penton Mewsey but she could have died after him elsewhere. There is a burial for a John Blake in 1706 at Penton Mewsey (the last child of John and Elizabeth Blake was baptized in 1705 at Andover. This John Blake does not leave a will either and if he is William's son then he would have been 57 years of age. His eldest son Thomas would have been 21 years of age and indeed he would die in 1714 at 29 years of age.

The abstract of the documents sent by the notary for Major General Sedgewick are revealing about this family. This is retyped from the Aspinwall Notarial Records (Boston Records Volume 32: A Volume relating to the early history of Boston containing the Aspinwall Notarial Records 1644 to 1651. Compiled by John T Hassam. Printed: Boston Municipal Printing Office 1903).

The entries in the printed Aspinwall Notarial Records, already referred to, read as follows:

"23 (8) 1650 I attested a Copie of a Lre attorney from Jane Blake of Andover to Mr. Wm Twisse to recover what is due from major Robt Sedgwick Dat. 27 Mar 1650" (Notarial Records, p. 332.)

"6 (12) 1650 Recd this 18th of Octob. 1850. of Robt Sedgwick in goods, the sume of three hundd & fourteene pounds seventeene shillings & foure pence sterl. As also one hundd & eighty pounds more in money sterl which is by severall legacies left him unto his wife and children by his father Mr William Blake and by his mother Mrs Dorothie Blake both deceased, & by Mrs Martha Blake deceased, both which sums together is 494 li, 17 s, 4d. The which is do acknowledg to received to and for the use of Mrs Jane Blake of Andover by vertue of a lre of Atturney made by her unto me, & doe hereby acknowledge that the above specifyed summes to be red in full satisfaction of all dues and demands whatsoever either due to Mr Wm Blake of Andover or to Mrs Dorothie Blake his wife both deceased or to Mr Richard Blake deceased & of all dues and demands unto Mrs Jane Blake of Andover executrix unto her husband Mr Richard Blake. I say Recd in full of all accounts and Reckonings the summe of 494 li 17 s 4 d.

Witnes John Thompson                       p William Twisse

Tristram Coffin

"Recd this 16th of Octob. 1650 of Major Robt Sedgwick the summer of fye pounds for Mrs Dorothie Smith being so much to be paid out of the said legacies given to Mrs Sedgwick I say Recd by me

William Twisse"

(Notorial Records, p 371)

A pedigree of the Blakes of "Eston towne," c. Hants, the family to which the father of Joanna (Blake) Sedgwick undoubtedly belonged, may be found in the Visitations of Hampshire, published by the Harleian Society in 1913.

Brookline, Mass. Edward Leodore Smith

The request for recompensation by Jane Blake (wife of Richard Blake deceased 1648) is an interesting one. By now I believe the family is not doing well financially and this request for money from across the ocean right down to five pounds is really rather pointed if not absolutely penny pinching. It, I think, marks the point of digression of this family from the more well to do lines of the family although ultimately many of these family lines also fell on hard times. The reference to the pedigree of the Blake family of Eastontown in the Visitation is somewhat provocative.

Paul Reed in his article in TAG agrees the proof that I also presented that Nicholas does  not have a brother Humphrey that went to Somerset and married Mary Cole. Nicholas is not the son of William necessarily; at the moment his father is unknown. He does bring up a piece of information that is rather interesting. William Blake, yeoman died at Benham Berkshire leaving a will dated 10 June and proved 28 July 1552 that states his son was Anthony who did not prove his majority until 18 May 1571. This William had brothers Richard and John and he had land in Kings Enham. Indeed this William Blake is the son of Robert (brother to Nicholas Blake). One point he makes with which I do not agree - he says the subsidy does not list a William Blake at Andover and this is incorrect. But definitely he is right that the Blake family at Andover in the 1500s is a very complex one with lands at Andover, Kings Enham, Knights Enham, Penton Mewsey and Clatford. There is another section of his paper that I will relate to later as I am still not sure of what he is saying.

The Pedigree Chart for the Blake family of Wiltshire held at the Swindon and Wiltshire Record Office is another tantalizing clue on the Andover Hampshire Blake family. The Preamble states:

"The genealogie of the ancient and worthy family of BLAGUE, BLAAKE or BLAKE, of great antiquity in the county of Wilts, where they had large possessions in Quemberford, Calne and Hilcot with a fair mansion house called PINHILLS, now the seat of the family, a younger branch whereof transplanted themselves into Hantshire and settling at Easton Town, were owners of that and divers other mannor from whence the BLAKEs of Middlesex, etc. are immediately descended faithfully collected out of the several visitation books of the said counties remaining in the College of Arms and deducted to the issue of Daniel BLAKE of London, Anno 1690"


Clearly a link between the Calne and Andover families (Easton Town lies beside Andover to the east of the city along the London Road) but the question remains were all the Blake families in the Andover area related? The y DNA testing, if it ever catches on, may be the only means of separating out different lines if indeed they are different.

Further discussion including the Parish Registers which have thus far been transcribed in the Andover Registration District to follow.

Richard Blake Will of 23 Mar 1643

I completed the transcription of Richard Blake of Tower Ward London's will and I am still trying to resolve the belief of some researchers that Richard Blake lynnen draper is the son of William Blake and Ann Tutt rather than the son of William Blake and Elizabeth the family of whom I have him as a member. This William Blake (married to Elizabeth) is the son of Nicholas Blake and Margaret . One of the reasons for this being put forward is the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Visitation of 1686 by Peter Blake, High Sheriff of the County of Southampton (b c 1620). The Visitation is linear and I think that I and II refer to brothers perhaps just to denote the family to which this Blake belonged. Age wise it does not make sense and I will go into this in the blog today. William and his brother Richard (discussed below) are likely the second child and definitely the tenth child in the William and Elizabeth Blake family of Eastontown respectively. Richard was the youngest son in the family of ten children and William second eldest son. The age difference would be hard to determine accurately but is not likely greater than 16 years. William died in 1606 and Richard in 1622. William in his will of 1606 mentions: sons William (eldest [known to be married to Ann Tutt]), Peter, Nicholas and Thomas.

 http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=blake-andover&id=I250

This World Connect tree will be revised in the next little while with all the will transcriptions available online. I am nearly finished proofreading them. It is five generations of the Blake family at Andover descendant of the marriage of Blake and Jone (Jone leaving a will in 1527 naming her sons Robert and Nicholas and daughter Elizabeth Mylne). 

One of my problems with the William Blake and Ann Tutt marriage is the timing. Going back one generation the parents of the William Blake married to Anne Tutt are William Blake and Margaret Hibberd. Margaret (Hibberd) Blake was buried 12 Sep 1613 at Andover. Her husband William left a will dated 1 Aug 1606. I know that he is the son of William Blake and Elizabeth because of the lands mentioned in the will and I prepared a chart to assist me in that regard. Several distinct pieces of property pass from father to son to grandson. In each will the descendant is named as a son hence I feel that the line is correct from Nicholas and Margaret Blake to William and Margaret Blake and thence to William and Ann Blake. 

Nicholas left his will in 1547 (his mother Jone in 1527 and his brother Robert in 1542). Trying to give a lifespan to these three is helpful at this time. Both sons Nicholas and Robert are named as executors (of their mother Jone's will) and Jone's daughter Elizabeth is married (Mylne). In 1527 Nicholas and Robert are 21 years or greater. In Nicholas' will he mentions that his younger son Stephen is under 21 and his daughter Elizabeth is not yet married (she married Munday before 1558). However William his eldest son is executor so over 21. Working back Nicholas had to be around 20 or greater in 1526 so giving us a possible birth time period from 1500 to 1506.

Moving on to William and Elizabeth's eldest sons John (married to Margaret Blake likely)  and William (married to Margaret Hibberd) just to try and give a physical timeframe to this next generation. William left his will in 1582 and his wife was buried in 1589. They had ten children  one of whom Mary Blake was buried 1 Sep 1612 at Fareham having baptized her last child in 1596. She had ten children (Rigges) with the first recorded baptism Elizabeth Rigges in 1591 at Farnham and she was number 8 child. Giving roughly 2 years between children would take us back to the late 1570s for a marriage date and an approximate date of birth for Mary around 1550. Mary was child number 8 in her family (parents William Blake and Elizabeth ). Moving back from Mary to John (eldest) could give an approximate date of birth for him of the mid to late 1530s. His father then William Blake son of Nicholas would have an approximate date of birth around 1510 and hence Nicholas must have been born in the latter part of the 1400s (1480s to 1490s). This would make him between 40 and 50 when his mother left her will in 1527. 

We then move to the second son (William) of William and Elizabeth Blake and William was the second (or so) eldest so born in the mid to late 1530s. This William is known to have married Margaret Hibberd and it was their son William who married Ann Tutt. William could have married between 1555 and 1565 and their son William was their eldest son. He could have married between 1575 and 1585. Their children would hence be born in the 1570s or 1580s on. One of these children was a Richard Blake and some researchers have him married to Jone Blake (parents of the Richard Blake Tower Ward London - the will writer first mentioned yesterday and subject of today's blog again). However this Richard and Jone (parents of Richard Blake Tower Ward London) were baptizing children before 1589 and until at least 1604. The first baptism recorded at Andover for this couple was Elenor Blake baptized 23 May 1589 and she was child number five. Estimating two years between brings us back to the late 1570s or early 1580s. An estimated birth date for this Richard (married to Jone Blake) would be mid 1550s to late 1550s. Since Richard is not named as a minor in his father's will of 1582 (William Blake married to Elizabeth ) he must be at least 21 and hence born by 1561. It is simply not possible for this Richard (married to Jone Blake) to be the son of William Blake and Ann Tutt and for them to be grandparents of the Richard Blake of Tower Ward London.

As I work through these Blake families though I realize more and more that it is a complex family and that there could be several different Blake lines at Andover or they could all be descendant of the Wiltshire Blake family arriving at Andover in different generations possibly by inter marriage between the Wiltshire and the Hampshire Blake families in the 1500s.

The next step is to place all of the people named in Richard's will as relatives in their family groupings to see if I can figure out the family of his mother Jone Blake. Initially I had thought it was Robert Blake but I am moving away from that thought having now transcribed this will and looked at the Visitation. 

Will of Richard Blake Tower Ward dated 23 Mar 1643.


Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 24th October 2010, revised 2 November 2012
Source: The National Archives PROB 11/192/150
Testator: Richard Blake, gentleman
Place: Tower Ward, London, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated: 23 March 1643/44, probated 19 Dec 1644
Read: Electronic copy
Condition: scan, smudges, old English writing good, contrast medium

[Margin]: T[estator] Richardi
[Margin]: Blake

1    In the name of the eternall and
2    everliving god Father Sonne and holy ghost in whose name I was baptized in
3    whome only I hope and beleeve to be saved with a free heart and willing minde I
4    doe yeeld and render my soule into the hands of Father, sonne and holy ghost and I
5    beleeve that the lord will have mercy upon my soule for he first made me; soe this I
6    beleeve that whether I live or dye I am the lords, to whome be all honour and glory
7    power and dominion fore evermore Amen, As concerning my body I bequeath it to the
8    earth from whence it came I Richard Blake of London gent[leman] being sicke and weake in
9    bodye but of good and p[er]fect memory I thanke my god the giver and p[re]server thereof
10    doe make this my last will and testam[en]t as followeth The twentie third day of March
11    one thousand six hundred forty three, Item I give to my sister Joane Baylie twentie
12    pounds To my sister Dorothie Burmingham twenty pounds, To my sister Ellen Hinxman
13    twenty pounds, To my sister Margaret Savadge twenty pounds, To my cozen Richard
14    Blake th[e ]elder twenty pounds; Item I give to my godchildren to whome I gave nothing
15    at their baptizing, To my godson Richard Blake twenty shillings, To my goddaught[e]r
16    Ellen Hinxman twentie shillings, To my godson William Poore twenty shillings, To my
17    godsonne Richard Blake at long parrish twenty shillings, Item I give to Mr. John
18    Barker and his wife each of them an enamild Ring valued twelve shillings six pence
19    To Mr. Jn[o] Glascock, To Mr Laurence Newman, To Mr Jn[o] Gatley, To Mr. Richard
20    Pettingall to each of them to each of them an enameld Ring of twelve shillings six
21    pence price To Mr. Will[ia]m Irat an enameld Ring of twenty two shillings, To Mr.
22    Samuell Edoll one enameld Ring of twenty two shillings Item I give to Mr Laurence
23    Newman my watch and doe desire him to assist my executor on his business at London.
24    Item I give to my brother Peter ten pounds and to his five children my cosens viz[ a vi]z
25    my Richard fyftie pounds To my cozen Dorothie, my cozen Jane, my cozen Mary,
26    and my cozen Joane Blake twenty five pounds apeece, To my old landlady Millicent
27    Price tenn pounds Item I give to my cozen Joseph Hinxman the younger five
28    pounds To my cozen Jone Noyes five pounds To my cozen Alice Hinxman twenty
29    shillings Item I give to my cozen Dorothie Smith forty shillings; And to each her children
30    each of them being fouer twenty shillings a peece Item I give to mjy sister Hinxman a
31    fayre diamond ring Item I give to my said sister Hinxman one faire damask table-
32    cloth a dozen diaper napkins two plane table cloths and a dozen of napkins being
33    at Mrs Prices Item I give to my sister Deborah Blake of Galligar my looking
34    glasse Item I give to my cozen Richard Blake's wife a new Beaker being at
35    Mrs. Price's Item I give to Mrs Price my bed and furniture table and stowler w[i]th
36    the great chest behind the chamber dore Item I doe make and ordaine my
37    brother Nicholas Blake of Galligar my executor and doe give him by way of
38    legacie one hundred pounds There is some residue more of my estate about two
39    or three hundred pounds where if it be gott in bee devided the one half to my
40    executor and his brother Peter Blake, the other half to my four Sisters viz[ a vi]t
41    Joane and Dorothie, Elline and Margaret, And yf any of my legatees doe
42    contend w[i]th my legacie to trouble my executor before the money can be gott
43    in to loose his part More I give to my cozen Alice Hinxman one large bible
44    bound in blue leather and guilded, and my silke grogram cloke and to her
45    brother William my rapier And I desire my cozen Richard Blake to be assistant
46    as an overseer to see the children of my brother Peter not wronged as farr as in
47    him lyeth Item I give my sister Dorothie six poundes which shee owed by debt
48    Item I give to my Executor one Fayre Turke Belt w[i]th greene leather and
49    gould wyer In witness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seale the
50    day and yeare above written Richard Blake [signed] Witnesses Richard Blake John
51    Elton

Blake one name study

Today I shall register the Blake one name study at the Guild of one name studies. It is an enormous project but a good deal of work has already been done by my two co-members of the Blake Study. The webpages are very well done by Barrie Blake in Australia. He is descendant of the Norfolk Blake family.

I have collected about half of the marriages for Blake now in England between 1837 and the 1940s from FreeBMD - a somewhat daunting task but once I have them all in Excel then I can add the partners where I can find them and it will give me a starting point to then look at the census. I have to decide how to manage all of these different Blake family lines as there will be thousands of them in the 1800s. That will be my work for a while although eventually I will hope to tie them back to the Blake families of the 1700s. I can do this in Hampshire not too badly once I get started using the census I suspect but time will tell. The same is probably also true of Somerset and Wiltshire, I will have Barrie's help with the Norfolk family and one of the Guild members has researched her Suffolk line extensively. The London group are descendant of the Hampshire Blake family but there will be others there as well. The Kent and Surrey Blake families may also be descendant of the Hampshire Blake and we will work on that. I have all of these extractions from FreeBMD in Excel and have now managed to put all the marriages for Hampshire into year and quarter with their own columns - it is a major task just doing that. However, it will let me now put in the partner where it is obvious and for the remainder I will need to go to the census and try to determine the name of the spouse.

My first article for the newsletter in April will be an article on deep ancestry of the Blake lines thus far that are part of the Blake project at FT DNA. I will also do a second article on published books and articles on the Blake family. I have quite a bit of information on that but it will require some more pulling of information.

I continue with the Upper Clatford Parish Register. Again the priest in the 1770s has rewritten a Parish Register in this case Parish Register 2 and placed it at the front of Parish Register 3. It is handy and I have proofread all the marriages. The changes were minimal actually but much more legible. I am now working on the baptisms. Then the end of Parish Register 3 takes us from 1776 to 1812. Parish Register 2 had taken us up to 1776 in Baptisms and Burials with the marriages going to the new form in 1754.

Canoeing

Yesterday, we decided to take the canoe out and for me this was the first time I have been out canoeing in seven years. A little stiff today but we had a good trip around the bayou at Pelee Island.

My accomplishments yesterday on family tree research were very low although I had a response from my query on the Sproxton family to a member of Genes Reunited and Ancestry (I believe it was the same person). She is descended from the brother of Ann (both children of Richard Sproxton and Ann Harland Sproxton). That would make us sixth cousins. It is the first time that I have tried to locate descendants of that line (especially as the spelling I had for Ann's surname was Sprowston (incorrectly transcribed from the register). Having read the register I can see how the error occurred!

I did not start the wills transcription but will do so either today or tomorrow. I need to read away at them for a couple of days before I start to transcribe if they are a bit faint or blurry. Sometimes I can directly read one as soon as I download it but usually they are very old copy and have areas of lightness and blurriness.

We are still busy watching JAG and All Creatures Great and Small. We are into the 7th season of JAG and the 3rd season of All Creatures Great and Small. We managed to watch for nearly 4 hours yesterday. I guess we were tired of working away on our family trees and my husband has been putting together his two journals.

Today I shall read on the wills and perhaps do some more extracting of Sproxton from the various databases. It is a most interesting family and they are primarily found in Yorkshire well into the 1800s. My branch (Elizabeth Cobb daughter of John Cobb and Ann Sproxton Cobb was the mother of Robert Gray junior) emigrated to Canada in 1832 from Yorkshire where Robert Gray junior had been a farmer but was having problems renting farmland and so decided to try his luck in Canada. He farmed here successfully until his death in 1876 and the farm that he was on still continues to be farmed by Gray descendants here in Middlesex County (London Township) although the City of London is growing outwards creeping forward towards the farm lands of my Gray and Routledge ancestors. It has already absorbed the farmland that my Pincombe family was on although it is still farmland but very much part of the City of London. The Gray family is interesting and three sons emigrated, two sons stayed as did the two daughters. One son became a clergyman and I need to glance at the others once again but they were all quite successful in their vocation. I think perhaps farming was just difficult with enclosure.