This will precedes the first will for Dorset because that will is for Elizabeth Blake second wife of Peter Blake who was a grandson of Richard Blake, Linen Draper of Andover.
Richard Blake, Linen Draper, of Andover left his will dated 10 Sep 1622 and it was probated by his wife Jone/Joane 15 May 1623. It is easy to tell who his children are as he names all of them and some of his grandchildren are also named. Unfortunately he does not name his siblings nor does he give a hint on his parent’s names. Naming his brothers in law as Nicholas Blake and William Smith is perhaps a clue to the ancestry of his wife Jone Blake as her surname was Blake before marriage.
Names mentioned in the will:
Jone Blake, wife of testator
William Cooke, tenant
Mr. Palmes, land owner
Mr. Thomas Fittiplace, land owner
Sir Francis Neale, land owner
William Blake, eldest son
John Blake, son
Nicholas Blake, son
Richard Blake, son
Peter Blake, son
William Blake, grandson, second son of William Blake
Peter Blake, grandson, son of William Blake
Mr. Richard Venables, land owner
Jone Bayly, daughter
Dorothie Burmingham, daughter
Ellnor Hinxman, daughter
Margarett Savage, daughter
Mr. Peter Noyes the elder, cousin
Mr. Nicholas Blake, brother in law
Mr. William Smith, brother in law
Joseph Hinxman, son in law
Hugh Marshall, witness
Nicholas Blake, witness
John Elton, witness
Richard names his eldest son as William which is helpful since the parish registers for Andover have not yet begun when he is baptized.
Baptisms and marriages for the children at Andover:
William Blake married Dorothy Madgwick 6 Feb 1606 (likely born before 1586)
Jone Blake married Richard Bayly 6 May 1605 (likely born by 1585)
Elizabeth Blake married John Hapgood 18 Jun 1605 (likely born by 1585)
Dorothy Blake married Peter Burmingham Apr 1608 (likely born by 1588)
Elenor Blake baptized 23 May 1589, married to Joseph Hinxman 10 Dec 1610
Margaret Blake baptized 25 Apr 1592, married to Richard Savage Apr 1616
Richard Blake baptized 30 Sep 1593 (lived at Tower Ward, London)
Peter baptized 25 Jul 1596
Edward baptized 21 Feb 1598 and buried 2 Mar 1599
John baptized 25 Oct 1601
Nicholas baptized 27 Mar 1604
Alice buried 11 Sep 1613
Since the eldest children are likely born by 1585 the possible date of marriage for Richard Blake and Jone Blake would be circa 1584 or earlier. That would give a likely date of birth for Richard of the early 1560s. I believe this Richard to be the son of William and Elizabeth Blake with William Blake leaving his will in 1582 at Eastontown, near Andover. William does not mention grandchildren in his will but to place him in a family he does mention his brother and sisters. He is definitely the son of Nicholas and Margaret Blake of Enham.
Will blogged for William Blake probated 14 Nov 1582:
http://kippeeb.blogspot.ca/2012/09/will-of-william-blakeyeoman-of-andover.html
and he mentions his siblings which clearly places him in the family of Nicholas and Margaret Blake of Enham. His brother Edmund mentioned in his father’s and his mother’s will quite disappears from the records although said to have a son Stephen. William has a large family as seen in his will. It is this large family along with his cousin Robert’s family that form the nucleus of the Blake family in this area of Hampshire. Robert being a brother to Nicholas and named in their mother’s will and if I am right about Richard Blake who left his will in 1522 also named in his will.
Looking at the Visitation of Hampshire in 1686 which has been a rather confusing item in that Peter (a great grandson of William above (son of Richard the fifth son of William who left his will in 1582) Peter states that his father was William Blake of Andover and he has some sort of a legal action obt Ao 1647 mentioned and that he died before 11 Jul 1642 and was married to Dorothy Madgwick. He only mentions himself as a child of this couple and John the youngest brother who was apprenticed to Robert Mason of Southampton, merchant 11 Jul 1642. Peter states in the Visitation that the father of William married to Dorothy Madgwick was Richard Blake of Andover and that he had married Joane daughter of William Blake of Easton Town. He mentions only two of Richard’s children namely William (his father) and Richard of Tower Ward, London. This is the interesting part in that he moves back another generation and names William Blake as the father of Richard which is correct but this William Blake he has married to Anne daughter of Thomas Tutt of Chilbolton rather he should be naming William Blake of Easton-Town married to Margaret Hibberd because I am beginning to wonder if William Blake married to Anne Tutt and Jone Blake married to Richard Blake are siblings. Further I am wondering if William who left his will in 1582 was married twice otherwise I would be having Richard marrying his elder brother William’s daughter Jone so technically his niece. Not unheard of in this time frame but not very usual. The marriage records for this time period do not exist in the Parish Records at Andover so no help there as I have already transcribed them.
Peter Blake who wrote up the Visitation was baptized 5 Apr 1619. He would have been twelve years old when his grandmother Jone Blake died so presumably would have heard from her the ancestry of the family although William Blake and Ann Tutt were still likely living but their children were more than 10 years older than him. It remains an interesting dilemma why he has recorded his lineage in this way. But I continue to look for possible scenarios that could have resulted in him doing so. There is of course a second confusing marriage in this family where John the eldest son of William Blake (leaving his will in 1582) marries a Margaret Blake daughter of William Blake of Eastontown. This from the Blake Pedigree Chart which names John as the son of William Blake and Avis Ripley of Eastontown and Margaret (his wife) as the daughter of William Blake of Eastontown. This William at Eastontown is also said to have died in 1582 but the children of the two Williams do not match the will of 1582. If instead Margaret is the daughter of William married to Avis Ripley (and that William is said to be the son of Roger Blake and Mary Baynard of Pinhills, near Calne, Wiltshire) then it does simplify that chart. However, I digress. I am publishing the will of Richard Blake, linen draper of Andover, who left a charity which benefitted many many schoolchildren in Andover through the years.
On the other hand and a much simpler relationship would be that Jone Blake was descendant of Robert Blake (brother to Nicholas Blake of Enham). Indeed the eldest son of Robert Blake may be the Robert Blake who left his will in 1605 at Andover and one of my purchases will be this will. His possible children are Richard Blake and Nicholas Blake and two unknown daughters one of whom could be Jone and the other married to William Smith. But in that case the Visitation is entirely incorrect beyond Richard and one notes that the Visitation of London of 1633-34 which is quoted as the source for the material does not go back before Richard Blake married to Joane Blake (daughter of William Blake of Eastontown).
You definitely need to love mysteries to do genealogy!
While investigating the next will I came across an interesting item in Notes and Queries for Somerset and Dorset, Volume 10, Frederic William Weaver and Charles Herbert Mayo, Sherborne: J.C. Satwell, published 1907 (pages 309-327):
http://archive.org/stream/notesqueriesfor05unkngoog/notesqueriesfor05unkngoog_djvu.txt
"William Rolfe, of Enford, married Sara, daughter of John Blake, of Estontown, Hants, who married his cousin, Margaret Blake, and had issue William Rolfe who died in 1646, having married Sarah Deane, and Sara Rolfe, who married George Dyer. Sara Rolfe (the mother), was married, secondly, to John Gerle, of Enford, who came from a well-known Hampshire family. He was one of the witnesses to George Dyer's marriage.
The will of John Gerle, of Long street in the parish of Enford, gentleman, is dated 26 Sep 1633 and proved 13 Feb 1633/34 (FCC 20 Seager). In his will he metions his niece Mary Dycke, his sons, Alexander and Thomas, son-in-law (stepson) William Rolfe, Esq., and William Tipper, of Seene (Seend): Witnesses, Henry Colepepper and others.
The complaint of Mary Dyke, of Chizenbury, Wilts, dated 14 June, 14 Car. I. states that John Gerle, late of Long street in the parish of Enford, gentleman, became on the 10 March, 6 Car. I, bound to the complainant for the payment of ___ at his decease, but in his will only ___ were left to her. He appointed Alexander Gerle, his son, executor. His estate was valued at _______ and more. The complainant sued Alexander Gerle in 1637, and obtained judgment against him, but in order to avoid payment he conveyed his estates to Robert Blake, of Estontown, Hants, gentleman, and George Dyer, of Heytesbury, Wilts, gentleman, in trust for his children.
George Dyer and Robert Blake deny the facts of the complainant's case except regarding the legacy, saying the estate was not sufficient to satisfy the claims on it. ......l..
On 28 Nov 1645, William Blake, citizen and vintner of London, complainant, William Dyer, of London, gentleman, and ...... Cross and Sarah, his wife, otherwise Sarah Blake, executors to the will of Thomas Gerle, gentleman, (dated 27 Mar 1643) who bequeathed his estate to his cousin William Dyer, his cousin William Blake, his cousin Sarah Blake, and John Walker, and they to be executors. Proved 2 May, 1643 (PCC 35 Crane). "
This continues on for several pages as the estate is contested into the 1700s. This I find very interesting as it is the first mention of a relationship between John Blake of Eastontown near Andover and his wife Margaret Blake. That they are cousins. I collected all the paperwork and will have a longer look at it.
Transcribed by: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 22nd February 2008
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/141/491
Place: Andover, Hampshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Testator: Richard Blake, Linen Draper
Place: Andover, Hampshire, England
Dated: 10 Sep 1622, probated 15 May 1623
Read: Electronic copy
Condition: scan, smudges, old English writing good, contrast medium
[Margin]: T[estament] Richardi
[Margin]: Blake
1 In the name of the eternall and everlivinge
2 God father sonne and holly ghost, In whose name I was baptized in whome only I hope and beleive
3 to bee saved Amen The tenth daie of december in the yeare of our lord god one thousand six
4 hundred and two and twentie And in the yeares of the raigne of our soueraigne Lord James
5 by the grace of god king of England France and Ireland, defender of the faith etc the twentith
6 and of Scotland the six and fiftieth I Richard Blake of Andever in the Countie of South[amp]t[on]
7 lynnen drapier aged of yeares being sicke in boddie but of good and perfitt memorie I thancks
8 my god the giver and preserver thereof doe make and ordayne this my last will and testament
9 as followeth Revokinge hereby both in deede and in lawe all former and other wills heretofore
10 made by mee And first with a free hart and willing mind I doe yield and render my soule
11 into thee hands o[f] father sonne and holye ghost I doe acknowledge with all my hart and doe
12 confesse I am a greate sinner and have neede of the grace mercy and favor of God and I hope
13 that I shall find both grace and merrit of god the father for his beloved Christs sake in him
14 I believe, hee is my redeemer hee liveth for ever and ever and maketh intercession for sinners
15 and this I knowe that now I am a corruptible body but I hope throughe Jesus Christ to rise an
16 Incorruptible boddie and I believe that the lord will have mercie uppon mee for hee first made
17 mee soe this I believe whether I live or dye I am the lords to whome bee all honor glory power and
18 dominion both now and for evermore Amen As concerning my boddie I bequeath itt to the earth
19 from whence itt came Item I give to Trynitie Church in Wynton – ij s vi d and to the church
20 of Andever xx s Item I give and devise to Joane Blake my loving wife my house wherein I
21 now dwell in Andever and all the lands w[i]th th[e ]appurten[a]nce thereunto belonging And all that
22 my house and lands thereunto belonging in Andever aforesaid heretofore called the Bleu Ancker and
23 is now called the Phenix in the possession of William Cooke And all other my lands and ten[emen]ts in
24 Andever aforesaid ^ w[hi]ch I purchased severally of Mr Palmes and of Mr Thomas Fittiplace and alsoe that house or tenement in Andever aforesayd wherein Walter Waight shoomaker now dwelleth And alsoe all that my messuage
25 or ten[emen]ts and one acre of land in Sopstreete alias Soplane in Andever aforesaid and allsoe
26 all that my mannor and farme of Cricklades with the water mill thereof in Andever
27 aforesaid and all the lands rents profitts and com[m]odities whatsoever thereunto belonging
28 And allsoe all that my messuage and Farme of Gallacre al[ia]s Gavellacre and all the lands
29 rents profitts and com[m]odities whatsoever thereunto belonging And allsoe all those my lands ten[emen]ts and
30 hereditaments which I purchased of Sir Francis Neale lyeing in Forton in the p[ar]ish of Longe
31 parish And all and ev[er]ie in the rents of the said sev[er]all mannors messuages lands tene[men]ts and p[re]misses
32 referred upon anie lease or leases thereof or of anie p[ar]te thereof made To have and to hould all
33 and singular the said mannor messuags farmes mill lands tene[men]ts and p[re]misses unto the sayd
34 Joane my wief for and during her naturall life if shee shall soe long continue and keepe her self sole
35 and unmarried And after her decease or marriage w[hi]ch shall first happen I devise and bequeath
36 all and singular the saide mannor messuags farmes mill lands ten[emen]ts and p[re]misses and the rev[er]cion
37 and remaynder of them and ev[er]ie of them in manner and forme following that is to saie I give and
38 devise unto Will[ia]m Blake my eldest sonne my saied dwelling house and all that my saied mannor and
39 Farme of Cricklades together with the mill thereof and all the lands thereunto sev[er]allie and respectively
40 belonging and all the houses and lands with theire appurten[an]ces which I purchased of Mr Thomas
41 Feffiplace aforesaide To have and to hould to him the saide Will[ia]m Blake and his heires for ever
42 And I give and devise unto John Blake my sonne All that my said messuage or ten[emen]te called
43 the Bleu Ancker or Phenix aforesaide and all other the messuags lands and ten[emen]ts w[hi]ch I purchased
44 of Mr Palmes in Andever aforesaide and alsoe all that my said house or ten[emen]te wherein Walter
45 Waight aforesaide now dwelleth and all the lands thereunto belonging To have and to hold unto
46 my saide sonne John Blake and to the heires of his boddie lawfullie begotten and for defaulte of
47 such issue the Remaynder thereof to my said sonne Will[ia]m Blake ad his heires for ever
48 And I give and devise unto my sonne Nicholas Blake All those my lands ten[emen]ts and hereditaments
49 lyeing in Forton aforesaid w[hi]ch I lately purchased of Sir Frances Neale to have and to hold unto
50 [Page 2]
51 unto my saide sonne Nicholas his heires and assignes for ever Uppon this condition that my
52 saide sonne Nich[ol]as Blake and his heires shall paie to ev[er]ie of his brothers and sisters twenty pounds
53 apeece within two yeares next after the decease of Joane my saide wife And further I give and
54 devise unto my saide sonne Nich[ol]as Blake All that my messuage and Farme of Gallacre alias
55 Gavellacre and all the lands ten[emen]ts and hereditam[en]ts thereunto belonging and the rev[er]cion and Remaynder
56 thereof with their appurt[en[ancs To have and to hould unto my sayde sonne Nicholas Blake and
57 to the heires of his boddie lawfullie begotten and for defaulte of such yssue the Remaynder thereof
58 to my sayde sonne Will[ia]m Blake and to the heires of his boddie lawfullie begotten and for defaulte
59 of such yssue the Remaynder thereof to him and his heirs for ever provided allwaies and my will
60 is that if itt shall happen my saide Farme and lands of Gallacre to come unto my sayde sonne
61 Will[ia]m Blake or to his heires for defaulte of heires of the boddie of my sayde sonne Nicholas lawfullie
62 begotten That then my saide sonne Will[ia]m Blake or his heire which att that time shalbe shall
63 paie unto Richard Blake my sonne two hundred pounds, to Peter Blake my sonne one hundred pounds
64 and to John Blake my sonne one hundred pounds of currant english money to bee paid w[i]thin two
65 yeeres nexte after the said land shall come unto my saide sonne Will[ia]m or to his heires as aforesaide
66 And yf my sayde sonne Will[ia]m or his heires to whome the sayde land shall happen to come for defaulte
67 of heires of the body of my said sonne Nich[ol]as shall make default of payment of the sayd sev[er]all
68 som[m]es of money unto my said sonnes Richard, Peter and John in manner as is aforesayd That
69 then I give and devise the saide Farme of Gallacre and lands thereunto belonging unto my sayde sonne
70 Richard Blake and his heirs uppon condition likewise that the said Richard Blake or his heires
71 shall paie unto my said sonnes Peter and John one hundred pounds apeece, And I give and devise
72 unto William Blake my grandchilde second sonne of my sonne Wyll[ia]m All that my saide messuage
73 or ten[emen]te in Soperlane al[ia]s Soperstreete aforesaid and one acre of land thereunto belonginge
74 and the rev[er]cion and Remaynder thereof To have and to holde unto him and to the heyres of his bodye
75 lawfully begotten and for defaulte of such yssue the Remaynder thereof to Peter Blake his brother
76 one other of my grandchildren and to his heires for ever Item I give and devise unto Jone Blake
77 my sayde wife All that my moyety p[ar]te and porcion of the Farme of Upclatford and the rents
78 thereof which I sometymes held together w[i]th Mr Richard Venables To have and receive the rents
79 and profitts thereof for and during all the estate and terme of yeeres therein yet to come
80 and unexpired (if shee shall soe long live and keepe her self widdowe and unmaryed and after
81 her decease or marriage which shall first happen I give and devise all my estate and terme of
82 yeares therein then to come and unexpired with the rents and profitts thereof unto my sayde
83 sonne John Blake his executors and assignes; provided my will and meaning is that my said
84 wief shall paie out of the rents and proffitts of the sayd Farme of Clatford unto my sayd sonne
85 John Blake for his mayntenance att Oxforde the some of xxiiiij li by the yeere yearly Item
86 I give and bequeath unto my sonne Richard Blake fower hundred pounds of currant
87 english money over and above all such moneys as hee hath allreadie had of mee to bee paied unto
88 him by my executrix in manner following viz [a vi]t one hundred pounds thereof within six months
89 next after my decease and soe within ev[er]ie six moneths next following one hundred pounds
90 untill the sayd some of fower hundred pounds bee fullie paied Item whereas I promised to
91 give unto my sonne Peter Blake upon his marriage with his now wief the some of Five
92 hundred pounds (Three hundred pounds whereof I have allreadie paied unto him my will is
93 that my executrix shall paye unto him one hundred pounds more within one yeere next
94 after my decease and in full satisfaction of the said Five hundred pounds I give unto my
95 sayd sonne Peter my lease and terme of yeares of the Salteren or Salthouse in or neere
96 the towne of Southampton if hee shall accept thereof in satisfaction of the sayd
97 500 li Item I give to ev[er]ie of the children of Jone Bayly my daughter x ls a peece
98 Item I give unto Dorothie Burmingham my daughter x li and to ev[er]ie of her children
99 40 s apeece Item I give unto Ellnor Hinxman my daughter one hundred pounds in
100 regard her porcion hath beene lesse then the rest of her sisters and to ev[er]ie of her children
101 40 s apeece Item I give unto Margarett Savage my daughter xx li and to ev[er]ie of her
102 [Page 3]
103 children 40 s apeece Item I give to ev[er]ie of my sonne William Blakes children 40 s apiece Item the residue
104 of all my goods credditts debts cattells and chattells whatsoever not given nor bequeathed moveable and un-
105 moveable I give and bequeath fully and wholly to Jone Blake my sayde wief whom I make and ordeyne to
106 bee my only and sole executrix of this my last will and testament to paie all my debts and discharge all
107 my legacies hereby given and bequeathed and to see my bodye decentlie buried Item my will is that all the
108 waynskott glasse benches shelves table bordes and ioynestooles of my dwelling house shall after my
109 sayd wifes decease remayne and bee unto my said sonne William unde[r]saied My overseers of
110 this my last will I desire to bee my Cossen Mr Peter Noyes th[e ]elder, my brother in law Mr Nich[ol]as
111 Blake my brother in law Mr Will[ia]m Smith and my sonne in law Joseph Hinxman and I
112 give unto each of them xx s a peece giving willing and graunting unto them and the longest li-
113 ver of them full power and authoritie to determyne decyde and end all ambiguities doubtes
114 questions and debates whatsoever which shall arise amongest my sayd children or anye of them
115 And further my will is that my executrix shall become bound by obligacion to my overseers as
116 they shall thincke reasonable before my will bee proved to p[er]fourme and paye all the legacyes be-
117 fore given and bequeathed w[hi]ch yf shee shall refuse to doe Then my will is that Will[ia]m Blake my
118 sonne shall bee my executor of this my last will becominge bound as aforesaide to perfourme
119 the same provided allwaies and my will is that yf itt shall happen after my decease anye of my
120 sonnes or anye other to whome I have limited to enioye anye p[ar]te of my lands or goods aforesaide
121 not to content himself or themselves with such porcion of lands or goods in such manner and
122 sort as I have before given and bequeathed the same or shall attempt practise or endeavour to
123 disturbe alter chaunge frustrate or made voide in anie respect or point this my last will
124 and testament and the contents of the same or anie p[ar]te thertoof that then my sayd sonnes he or
125 they and every other person and persons to whome I have given and graunted to have and enjoy anye
126 p[ar]te of my lands goods and chattells shall for ever lose the benefitt of this my last will to all
127 intents and purposes and the legacies to them or any of them by the same given and devised
128 And then I doe give and devise the same porcion of my lands and goods to the residue of my sayde
129 sonnes not soe offendinge to be equallie and indifferentlye divided amongest them Item my will
130 and meaning is that my sayde wief shall receive and have all the rents and p[ro]fitts of my
131 lands given unto her as is aforesayde towards the paiement of the legacies in this my will
132 contayned yf my goods and chattells shall not suffice to satisfie the same And lastely I give and
133 bequeath unto the corporacion of the towne of Andever and theire successors for ever Thirty
134 pounds of currant english money uppon condicion that the Baylief and approved men for the
135 time being of the sayde corporacion shall with the same money either purchase land in Fee
136 simple to the use of the poore people of the same towne accordinge to the proporcion of the sayd somme
137 of Thirtie poundes and paye the rent thereof yeerelye unto the sayde poore people or els that the
138 sayd Bailliffe and approved men shall give securitie unto my executrix and overseers or the s[ur]vivors
139 of them by rent chardge or otherwise by some other assurance as shal[l ]bee by my sayd executrix and
140 overseers or the survivor of them or theire counsell learned devised to paye unto the sayd poore
141 people such as have most neede and to soe manie of them as the sayd Bailliffe and approves
142 men shall thinke fitt the some of fourty shillings att the feast of St Thomas theapostle yerely
143 for ever And further I give towards the paving of the waye to the Free scoolhouse in Andever
144 the some of twentie shillings In witnes whereof I have to this my last will and testament sett
145 my hand and seale the daie and yere above written Richard Blake witnesses hereeunto Hugh
146 Marshall Nich: Blake John Elton
