Will of Edward Buller, Nettlecombe, Somerset - The National Archives PROB 11/954/363, probated 19 Feb 1770

The first of the Somerset wills is for Edward Buller of Nettlecombe.

The next set of wills are from Somerset and there are eight of them:

Edward Buller, Gentleman, Nettlecombe, PROB 11/954/363, 19 Feb 1770
George Buller, Gentleman, Nether Stowey, PROB 11/1331/22, 1 Oct 1799
Jenkins Buller, Gentleman, Nether Stowey, PROB 11/1270/21, 8 Jan 1796
John Buller, Lillesdon, North Currie, PROB 11/79/212, 3 Mar 1592
Mary Buller, Spinster, Nether Stowey, PROB 11/1152/355, 31 May 1787
Sarah Buller, Widow, Hether Stowey, PROB 11/951/315, 2 Oct 1769
Thomas Buller, Gentleman, Staple Fitzpayne, PROB 11/51/16, 22 Jan 1569
William Buller, Soap Boiler, Nether Stowey, PROB 11/1137/59, 31 Jan 1786

Edward names his children John, Edward, William and Mary and his wife is also Mary. No sign of Christopher here so not my line but interesting none the less as he does not appear on any Visitation that I have looked at thus far.

Edward Buller married Mary Otway 13 Dec 1752 at Pitminster Somerset (Family Search I07999-7).

Baptisms of the children:

John Buller baptized 16 May 1753 at Nettlecombe
Edward Buller baptized 11 Sep 1755 at Nettlecombe
William Buller baptized 28 Dec 1758 at Nettlecombe
Mary Buller baptized 23 Feb 1763 at Nettlecombe

At probate his eldest son John was sixteen years of age, Edward was fourteen years of age, William was eleven years of age and Mary only seven years old.

No ideas on the parents of Edward Buller (testator) as he names his brother in law John Oatway as his other Executor and Guardian for his children. However, Pitminster marriages of 1718 list John Buller of Taunton marrying Mary Lock of Pitminster 19 Apr 1718.

An interesting write up for Seavington St Mary, Somerset in British History online:
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=117097

The Buller family, tenants from the 14th century, held meadow at the 'Farthyng' which they exchanged with their lord for similar property at 'Landemede' and elsewhere. (fn. 87)

The Bullers were successors to a number of substantial families which held small freeholds in the parish. Walter de Thornhull had an interest in a virgate in 1268; (fn. 88) the Brooks, lords Cobham, were there in 1505, (fn. 89) and the Seymours, in the persons of Sir John and Sir Edward Seymour, between 1528 and 1560. (fn. 90) Robert Buller (d. 1506) occupied a capital messuage in Seavington Vaux manor, (fn. 91) and John Buller held it at his death in 1592. (fn. 92)

Seavington St Mary being 14 miles SSE of Nettlecombe and 11 miles WNW of Pitminster. Lillesdon is considered the main property of the Buller family in Somerset and it is 8 miles NW or Seavington St Mary. Looking at the Visitation is this perhaps John Buller who married Elizabeth daughter of Sir Edward Strangwais?

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 6 Mar 2013
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/954/363
Testator: Edward Buller
Place: Nettlecombe, Somersetshire
Date of document: 8 Oct 1769 , probated 19 Feb 1770
Read: Electronic copy images
Document quality: 18th century English, legible copy

[Margin]: Edward
[Margin]: Buller

1    In the Name of God Amen
2    I Edward Buller of Tor ________ parish of
3    Nettlecombe and County of Somerset Gentleman being
4    sick and weak but of sound Mind and Memory Do make
5    and Ordain This to be my last Will and Testament In the
6    first place I resign my Soul into the hands of Almighty
7    God hoping believing the merits and Intercession of my Lord
8    and Saviour Jesus Christ to receive full pardon and
9    Remission of all my Sins and my Body I Commit to the
10    Earth to be Decently Interred according to the Discretion
11    of my Executors hereinafter named I give Devise and
12    bequeath (Subject to the provisoe and conditions hereinafter
13    mentioned) unto Mary Buller my Dear and loving Wife
14    and my Brother in Law John Oatway and to the Survivor of
15    them and to the Executors and Adm[inistrat]ors of such Survivor
16    all and Singular my Leasehold Estates and all and Singular
17    other my Goods and Chattels Rights Credits and Personal
18    Estate and Effects whatsoever and wheresoever for and during
19    all my Right Title Term and Terms of years and Interest
20    therein respectively Upon Trust that they the said Mary
21    Buller and John Oatway or the Survivor of them or the
22    Executors of Adm[inistrat]ors of such Survivor do and think imediately
23    on my Decease or as soon after as conveniently may be Sell
24    and dispose of all or any of my Leasehold Estates all
25    or any part of my living or Dead Stock as they in their
26    Discretion Shall think most adviseable and with the moneys
27    arising by such Sale or Sales to pay and Discharge my
28    Funeral Expences and all and Singular my Debts of what
29    nature or kind soever and from and after payment of my
30    Funeral Expences and all my Debts I give Devise and
31    bequeath (Subject to the provisoe and Conditions herein
32    after mentioned) the overplus of the Moneys arising by such
33    Sale or Sales (if any) and all there wise and whereunder
34    of my Leasehold Estates and of all other my Goods
35    Chattels Jewels Credits and personal Estate and Effects
36    unto my said Dear Wife and unto John Buller Edward
37    Buller William Buller and Mary Buller my Children
38    to be equally Divided bedtween them Share and Share
39    alike when and as my said Children shall respectively
40    attain their respective Ages of Twenty one years and in
41    Case any or either of my said Children John Buller
42    Edward Buller or William Buller and Mary Buller shall happen
43    to dye unattaining the Age of twenty one years or in case
44    my said Wife shall happen to Dye before all my said
    [Page 2]
45    Children shall attain their respective Ages of Twenty
46    one years then and be either of such cases I give
47    Devise and bequeath the Share or Shares of him her
48    or them so Dying unto the Survivors and Survivor of
49    them the said Mary Buller my Wife John Buller Edward
50    Buller William Buller and Mary Buller my Daughter and
51    my Will is and I do hereby Declare it to be the such that
52    in case my said Wife shall happen to live untill all
53    my said Children (or such of them as shall happen to
54    live) shall attain their respective Ages of Twenty one
55    Years that She shall be at Liberty to Give and Dispose
56    of her Share of my Effects unto such person or persons
57    as she shall think proper subject nevertheless to the
58    provisoe hereinafter mentioned and in regard my said
59    Children are all in their Minority I do entreat my said
60    Wife and Brother in Law John Oatway to be Trustees
61    and Guardians for my said Children And I do hereby
62    Nominate and Appoint my said Wife and Brother in
63    Law John Oatway Trustees and Guardians of my said
64    Children until they shall respectively attain their respective
65    Ages of Twenty one years Subject nevertheless to the
66    provisoe hereinafter mentioned. Also I make constitute
67    and Appoint (Subject to the provisoe hereinafter mentioned)
68    my said Wife and Brother in Law John Oatway Executors
69    In Trust of this my last Will and Testament provided
70    allways and my true intent and meaning is and I do hereby
71    Declare it to be such that in Case my said Wife shall
72    at any time after my decease Marry with any other Man
73    that as well the Gifts Devises and Bequests aforesaid
74    in favour of my said Wife as also all and every other
75    Geft Devise and bequest to her herein either upon
76    Trust or other reason all the powers and operations
77    thereof either in Law or equity shall respectively cease
78    and be void and the share of my Estates and Effects
79    herein before Given to her I do in such Case Give
80    Devise and bequeath unto my said Children John
81    Buller Edward Buller William Buller and Mary
82    Buller equally to be Divided between them or such of
83    them as shall be living when their said Mother shall mary
84    as aforesaid and in case my said Wife shall think
85    proper at any time after my decease to Marry with any
86    other Man then my Will is that her Guardianship of
87    my said Children and all the Trust hereby reposed in her
88    shall cease and be void and I do in such case nominate
89    and appoint my said Brother in Law John Oatway Sole
90    Guardian for my said Children until they shall respectively
91    attain their respective Ages of Twenty one years And I do
92    in such case make constitute and appoint my said
93    Brother in Law John Oatway Sole Executor in Trust
94    of this my last Will and Testament and I do also in such
95    Case Impower my said Brother in Law John Oatway solely to
96    Sell and Dispose of all or any of my Leasehold Estates and
    [Page 3]
97    other my personal Effects for payment of my Debts and
98    Funeral Expences any thing herein mentioned to the contrary
99    notwithstanding Lastly I revoke all former wills by me
100    made and Appoint this truly to be my last Will and
101    Testament In Witness whereof I the said Edward Buller
102    the Testator hereto this my last Will and Testament
103    contained in two Sheets of paper to the first Sheet Subscribed
104    my Name and to the last Sheet Subscribed my Name and
105    Affixed my Seal the Eighth day of October in the ninth
106    year of the Reign of King George the Third and in the
107    year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and Sixty nine
108    Edw[ar]d Buller Signed Sealed Published and Declared by
109    the said Edward Buller the Testator as and to be his last
110    Will and Testament in the presence of us and by us subscribed
111    as Witnesses thereto in his presence and at his request and
112    in the presence of each other Grace Dibble Fr[anci]s
113    Leigh
114    This Will was proved at London the
115    nineteenth Day of February in the year of our Lord One
116    thousand seven hundred and Seventy before the Right
117    Worshipful George Hay Doctor of Laws Master Keeper
118    or Commissary of the prerogative Court of Canterbury
119    lawfully Constituted by the Oaths of Mary Buller Widow
120    the Relict of the deceased and John Oatway the Executors
121    named in the said Will in whom administration was Granted
122    of all and Singular the Goods Chattels and Credits of the
123    said deceased they having been first Sworn by Commission
124    Duly to Administer

Will of George Blake of Old Cleeve, Somerset probated 21 Jan 1636 (my images of #62, National Archives PROB 11/170)

George Blake, yeoman of Old Cleeve, left a non-cupative will dated 26 Jun 1635 and probated 21 Jan 1636. George identifies his brother as William Blake and his wife as Marie Blake. His recorders were Nicholas Dibble and George Evens.

Checking Old Cleeve Parish Register Transcriptions on Martin Southwood's site (http://www.wsom.org.uk/Parreg.html) and They do not begin until the beginning of the 1700s unfortunately. At that early part of the 17th century no Blake baptisms or marriages and just one burial for an Ann Blake up to the 1750s.

We know he is not Humphrey (married to Sarah Williams)'s son as his son George died at Plymouth, Devon in 1667. Again the Devon Blake family is just over the border in Devon and I have not done enough work on that family to know if this is a Devon Blake line or a Somerset Blake line or other. Working back this far the Blake families did have concentrations and eventually as I draw out the records I will be able to map those concentrations. I think that is somewhat in the future although the Blake family in the Andover Hampshire area is slowly taking shape in my mind and eventually on paper and will add to my website.

Old Cleeve is 3 miles NWN from Dunster, 2 miles WNW from Carhampton, 5 miles E of West Quantoxhead, 5 miles ESE Stogumber,  10 miles ESE of Over Stowey, 17 miles E of Bridgewater and just to locate this village with respect to some of the places where Blake families are found. It is certainly close enough to some of the descendants of Humphrey Blake of Over Stowey in this time period.

Once I have completed my transcription of the set of wills I have from Somerset and extracted the information from the Abstracts of Somersetshire Wills copied from the Manuscript Collections of the late Rev. Frederick Brown, M.A., F.S.A. which I happen to have on fiche I will then check to see which parish records I am missing in the areas around Over Stowey in the earliest time period (the abstracts of Rev. Brown are now available on internet archive so I am able to quote them fully and will do so). Many of these are not yet transcribed but Somerset Record Office does permit the purchase of their Parish Records on Fiche. I have most of the Parishes in the Selworthy, Somerset area including Minehead which also have Blake entries. I have not looked at these fiche for several years and need to return to them now with the Blake one name Study. My interest in them was my Siderfin/Rew/Kent/Question/Moggridge/Vicary/Snow/Marton/Davies/Beague/Millet/Webber/Foster and the new surname Harmon which I have not yet investigated. Of course, I continue to be very interested in my 2x great grandmother Elizabeth Rew's ancestry. To most people who have been doing genealogy for years my pursuit of Elizabeth Rew over a more than two year period must seem very short but to me it seemed to take forever to finally discover that she wasn't a Devon native at all (in spite of that being "in stone" on her gravestone!) but rather was born and raised to adulthood in Somerset at Bratton just outside of Minehead.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 14 Apr 2012
Source:  The National Archives (images by me of #62) PROB 11/170
Name of testator: George Blake
Place: Old Cleeve, Somerset, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated: 26 Jun 1635, probated 21 Jan 1636
Read: Electronic file
Condition: smudges, 17th century, bold copy, mixture of middle and modern English

[In margin] T. Georgij
[In margin] Blake

1    In the name of God Amen I George
2    Blake of Old Cleve in the Countie of Somersett yeoman the Sixe-
3    and Twentith day of June Anno domini, one Thousand six hundred
4    Thirty five, doe make this my Noncupative last will and Testament in
5    manner and forme following (viz [a vi]t0 being sicke in bodie, but of perfect memory
6    praises be my God. First I commend my soule to God my creator, Trustinge in
7    Christs merritts to be saved, and my bodie to christian buriall Item I give and,
8    bequeath unto my Brother William Blake all my wearing apparrell, All
9    the rest of my goods and chattells I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife
10    Marie Blake whome I make my whole and sole Executrix. Testibus Nicholas
11    dibble, George Evens