Will of Katherine otherwise Catherine Blake, Eccles Street, Dublin, Ireland - The National Archives PROB 11/1666, probated 26 Feb 1823

I located the will of Elizabeth Hamilton, sister of the present testator, Katherine otherwise Catherine Blake. That may help to locate this testator in terms of her state (i.e. married, spinster).

According to Elizabeth Hamilton’s will she was a spinster at the time of writing the will. She lived at Harrowgate, Yorkshire. She mentions her sister Katherine Blake.

In that I am mostly interested in the Blake surname I will not continue investigating this Blake line as I can not find the marriage of Katherine otherwise Catherine Blake.

Elizabeth Hamilton’s will was proved twice, once by Mary Anne and Elenor Crawford 25 Sep 1816 and following their deaths by Steward Crawford the 7th July 1821.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 15 Feb 2017
Source:  The National Archives, PROB 11/1666
Name of testator: Katherine otherwise Catherine Blake
Place: Eccles Street, Dublin, Ireland
Type of Record: Will
Dated: 23 Nov 1822, probated 26 Feb 1823

[In margin] Katherine otherwise Catherine Blake 9
[Top] Extracted from the Registry of his Majestys Court of Prerogative in Ireland

1    I Katherine Blake at present
2    residing in Eccles Street Dublin being blessed be God in
3    tolerable health and in possession of all my faculties aware
4    of the uncertain continuance of these mercies and of life
5    itself think it my duty to make this my last will and
6    Testament which I write with my own hand and declare
7    to be as follows in consequence of the lamented decease of
8    my beloved relatives Mary Anne and Elenor Crawford
9    who by the will of my late Sister Elizabeth Hamilton
10    were appointed heirs and successors at my death to her
11    moiety of a sum in the Navy five per Cent Government
12    Stock I consider that the disposal of said stocks reverts to me
13    as her nearest of kin together with my own moiety of
14    said property which was held by my Sister as my trustee
15    as appears by the will of my said Sister I therefore bequeath
16    to the Reverend Thomas Crawford and to John Crawford
17    the brothers of the late Mary Ann and Elenor Crawford
18    that Moiety of joint property which was by the will of my
19    late Sister bequeathed to the said Mary Ann and Eleanor
20    Crawford to be divided between the said Thomas and John
21    Crawford share and share alike I bequeath to the Reverend
22    Thomas Crawford the sum of four hundred pounds to be
23    paid out of my Moiety of property as above described but
24    now by Act of parliament removed into the four per Cents
25    and held for my benefit in the name of Stewart Crawford
26    Esquire of Bath surviving trustee and Executor to the Will
27    of my late Sister I bequeath to my Cousin John Crawford
28    the whole residue of my Moiety of property as already
29    mentioned as being in the four per Cents I also bequeath
30    to the said John Crawford the whole amount of my
31    property in the three per Cent Government Stock in England
32    which was vested by my desire in May 1819 in the name
33    of Mary Anne and Eleanor Crawford as acting trustees to
34    the Will of my late Sister Elizabeth Hamilton the said
35    bequest to remain subject to an annuity of ten pounds per
36    annum to my Cousin Ann Crawford during the term of
37    her life to be regularly paid by her Nephew the said John
38    Crawford my Books plate prints with all articles of household
39    furniture of which I may die possessed I leave to my Cousins
40    the Reverend Thomas Crawford and John Crawford
41    excepting such as I may hereafter specify to be equally divided
42    between them or sold as they may think fit I desire that all
43    my debts including death fees and funeral expences shall
44    be discharged as soon as possible after my death and after
45    which I constitute my Cousin John Crawford residuary
46    Legatee to my remaining property inpowering him as
47    Executor to this my will to enforce payment of whatever
48    sum or sums may be due to me at the time of my death
49    and it is my request that he will accept and discharge the
50    office of Executor to this my Will which I doubt not he will
51    most faithfully perform
52    Bartholomew Maziere of No 6 Hardwich Street in
53    the County of the City of Dublin Esquire make the oath
54    on the holy Evangelists and saith that he knew and was
55    well acquainted with Katherine Blake late of Eccles
56    Street in the County of the City of Dublin aforesaid deceased
57    and with her usual Character and manner of handwriting
58    having often seen her write and deponent having carefully
59    viewed perused and examined a paper Writing hereunto annexed
60    purporting to be the last Will and Testament or Testamentary
61    disposition in Writing of said deceased beginning “I Katherine Blake
62    at present residing in Eccles Street Dublin” and ending “which I
63    doubt not he will most faithfully perform” saith that every word
64    letter and figure in said will or Testamentary disposition in writing
65    is all of the proper handwriting of the said Katherine Blake
66    deceased to the best of deponents Judgement and belief Bartholomew
67    Maziere Sworn this 23rd day of November 1822 before us I Radcliff
68    Proved at London 26th February 1823 before the worshipful
69    Jesee Addams doctor of Laws and Surrogate by the Oath of John
70    Crawford Doctor of Medicine the sole Executor to whom Admon
71    was granted limited so far only as concerns all the Right Title
72    and Interest of her the said Katherine otherwise Catherine
73    Blake deceased in and to all her separate Estate and Effects over
74    which she had a disposing power by virtue of a certain deed
75    of Separation bearing date the 10th day of July 1787 and hath
76    disposed of accordingly and all benefit and advantage to be
77    had received and taken there from but no further or otherwise
78    being first sworn duly to administer

Will of James Blake, Yeoman of Speen, Berkshire - The National Archives PROB 11/1457/169, probated 13 Mar 1807

The will of James Blake of Speen, Berkshire was a must read given that I had looked at a will for William Blake of Speen from 1552: http://kippeeb.blogspot.ca/2012/05/will-of-william-blake-yeoman-of-speen.html.

Whether or not this James Blake is a descendant of William Blake can not be determined from this will. William Blake had a son Anthony and brothers John and Richard.

A look at British History online for the Parish of Speen does not have any Blake entries. The Englefield family held Speen at the time of William Blake in the 1500s. With no mention of Blake and the knowledge that this Blake family also lived at Andover in some time period, I wonder if they have a similar descent to my line prior to Nicholas Blake who left his will in 1547 at Enham.

From the Spanswick one name study there is a marriage of James Blake to Elizabeth Spanswick 13 Dec 1733 at Speen. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~dutillieul/SpansCounty/Berkshire/Speen.html

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 5 Apr 2013
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/1457/169
Testator:  James Blake, Yeoman
Place: Speen, Berkshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document:  9 May 1805, probated 13 Mar 1807
Read: Electronic copy images
Condition: 19th century English, legible copy

[Margin]: James
[Margin]: Blake

1    This is the last Will
2    and Testament of me James Blake of Speen
3    in the County of Berks yeoman made this ninth
4    day of May in the year of Our Lord one
5    thousand eight hundred and five as follows (that
6    is to say) First I direct all my Just debts Funeral
7    and Testamentary charges and Expences to be paid and discharged
8    and after payment thereof and of every part
9    thereof and subject thereto I direct that my Estate and
10    and Effects of what nature soever be sold and
11    disposed of and converted into Money in such way
12    so my Executor herein after named shall in his
13    discretion think proper and the Money arising
14    and to be made by Sale thereof as also all my
15    Money in the Stocks or Funds and all other my
16    Monies and personal Estate whatsoever I give
17    and bequeath unto William Graham of Newbury
18    aforesaid Draper his Executors and Administrators
19    Upon Trust the said William Graham his Executors
20    or Administrators shall and do within six Calendar
21    Months next after my decease place out and
22    invest the same or any part thereof upon good
23    security or securities or continue the same or
24    any part thereof in and upon such Stocks Funds
25    or Securities as the same or any part thereof
26    may be invested in or upon at the time of
27    my decease as he in his discretion shall think
28    proper and pay and apply the Interest or
30    proceeds of the said Monies so to be placed
    [Page 2]
31    out as aforesaid unto my beloved wife Ann
32    Blake and her assigns or permit and suffer
33    her to receive and take for the same for and
34    during the Term of her natural Life and from
35    and immediately after the decease of my said Wife
36    or as soon after as conveniently m ay be upon
37    Trust that he my said Trustee his Executors or
38    Administrators shall and do call in and pay
39    and divide all and singular the said Monies so to
40    be placed out as aforesaid and all Interest which
41    shall be then due thereon between and amongst my
42    daughter Jane Brown (the Wife of Bartholomew
43    Brown of Newbury aforesaid Pig Cutter whom I
44    had by a former Wife, my Son in Law George
45    Crawford of Grays Inn Lane London Lapidary and
46    Glass Cutter and my daughter Jane Blake) and all
47    and every other Child and Children I may have
48    by my present Wife in equal proportions share
49    and share alike But in case any one or more
50    of them the said Jane Brown George Crawford
51    and Ann Blake or any other Child or Children I
52    may have by my said Wife shall die before
53    his her or their share or shares shall become
54    payable then upon Trust to pay the share or
55    shares of him her or them so dying unto the
56    survivor or survivors of them And I do declare
57    that the Receipt of my said daughter Jane
58    Brown shall be a good discharge to my said
59    Trustee for her share without the concurrence
60    of her husband And I do hereby nominate
61    constitute and appoint the said William Graham
62    sole Executor of this my Will and I do hereby
63    declare that it shall Be lawful for my said Executor
64    and Trustee his Executors and Administrators
65    to deduct and retain to himself and themselves all
66    such costs charges and Expences as he or they
67    shall sustain or be put to in the Execution
68    of the Execution of the Trust of this my
69    my Will and that he or they shall not be
70    answerable or accountable for any more
71    Money than he or they shall actually receive
72    And I do hereby revoke all former and other
73    Wills by me at any time heretofore made and
74    do declare this to be my last Will and Testament
75    In Witness whereof I the said James Blake the
76    Testator have to this my last Will and
77    Testament contained in two Sheets of paper set
78    my hand and Seal to wit my hand at the bottom
79    of the preceding Sheet and my hand and Seal
80    to this Sheet the day and Year mentioned at
81    the beginning of the preceding The Name or Mark
82    of James Blake James Blake the testator The writing
83    contained
    [Page 3]
84    contained in this and the preceding Sheet of
85    paper was signed sealed By the said James Blake
86    the Testator and by him published and declared
87    as and for his last Will and Testament in the
88    presence of us who in his presence and in the
89    presence of each other and at his request have
90    subscribed our Names as Witnesses thereof William
91    Woodward Jno Barfield
92    This Will was proved at London the
93    thirteenth day of March in the Year of Our
94    Lord one thousand Eight hundred and seven before
95    the Right Honourable Sir William Wynne Knight
96    Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of
97    the prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully
98    constituted by the oath of William the sole executor
99    named in the said Will to whom administration
100    was granted of all and singular the Goods Chattels
101    and Credits of the deceased having been first sworn
102    by Commission duly to administer.