Will of James Blake, Newenden, Kent - The National Archives, probated 12 Apr 1553

James Blake of Newenden, Kent is the testator. I could not find his death registration on Find My Past. I did learn that Newenden is the smallest village in Kent.

In his will he mentions his sons John and James and his daughter Alice. He holds the leases on farms named Lostenham and Harenden. His eldest son is not yet 18 years of age.

The will doesn’t offer any clues about the family other than their land holdings. I could not find any Blake records for Newenden. There is a partial transcription of the will below on the Kent Historical Society Website. I have attempted to transcribe the entire will but the content provided online by the Historical Society certainly captures the will quite well although in less detail.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 29 Nov 2019
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/36/102
Testator: James Blake
Place: Newenden, Kent
Type of Record:    Will
Date of document: 10 Mar 1552/53, probated 12 Apr 1553

[Margin]: Jacobi Blake

1    This is the last Will and Testament of me James Blake of Newenden in the Countie of
2    Kent made the tenth day of Marche in the seventh yere of the Reigne of our Sovereign Lord Kinge Edward the sixth First
3    I bequeath my soule into t[he ]handes of Jesus Christ and my Bodye to be Buried in the Church yard of Newenden Item
4    I bequeath twentie shillings of monye and a seame of wheate to be geven at my buriall amonge the poore people of
5    Newenden aforesaid Item at my monethes mynde twentie shillings in Like manner to be bestowed by the discretion
6    of my executor Item I will and bequeath to Elis Blake my daughter fortie poundes of Lawfull money of Englande and
7    litle cheste wh[i]ch was her mothers w[i]th all the kerchers vailes and lynnen in the said cheste and her mothers best hooks and a
8    tach of silver the said fortie poundes to be paide to her w[i]thin a moneth next after her marriage or at her age of xxxth
9    yeres And the saide goodes to be delevered to her ymmediatlie after my decease And if it fortune the said Elis to decease
10    before her marriage or her age of xxxth yeres Then I will the saide fortie poundes to John and James Blake my sonnes
11    Item I will to George Blake my cosyn one thre yereinge heyfer w[i]th a calfe and a twelve mountinge heifer budd Item
12    to John Willerd my servaunt a two yeringe heifer w[i]th a calfe Item I bequeath to Thomas Brincker and
13    Humfrey my servaunts either of them a Cote of myne and humfrey my best white hoose Item I bequeath to James
14    Bate my servaunt a two yeringe heifer w[i]th a calfe Item I bequeath to John Springett my servaunt two peces of Lande
15    w[i]th a crofte and a forelande lyinge to the Chauncell nexte Newynden being parcell of my ferme of Harenden to have
16    and to hold unto hym his executors and assignes from the feaste of Saintt Michaell th[e]archangel nexte comynge
17    unto th[e]ende and terme of fouer yeres paying therefore yerelie unto my executore fortie shillings at the feaste of
18    th[e]annunciation of our Ladye and Saint Michael th[e]archangel by even porcions provyded that the said John shall
19    neither stripe or wast any woodes or underwoodes Item I bequeath to Elizabeth Witt my servaunt a cowe w[i]th a
20    calfe my best gowne and my wiffes best kirtle Item I bequeath to Anne my servaunt  iii yards of my Russet
21    and ii yards and a q[ua]rter of White blankett Item I bequeath to Joane Burge ii yards of Russett for to make
22    her a peticote Item I bequeath to Johan Manne my s[er]vant a cowe and a peticote cloth of Russet and a wo[r]sted
23    kirtle that was my wives Item I bequeath to John Fowle my brother from the feaste of Sainte Michaell
24    th[e ]archangel nexte all my ferme of Lostenham to have unto him his executors and assignes duringe all
25    the tyme of my life therein Item I will that John Fowle shall have of my stock the which he shall
26    requyre to the value of fortie pounds the vallue to be as he canne agree w[i]th my executor or el[s]e to have fortie
27    poundes in monye and that the said Fowle shall pay for the saide stocke or else the fourtie poundes again unto
28    my executor w[i]thin two yeres nexte the wryste thereof Item I bequeath to Thomas Donke all my ferme of
29    Herenden as well the Landes before bequeathed to John Spryngett after the yeres ended as also all the land
30    residue to have to him his executors and assignes from the f[ea]ste of Sainte Michael th[e ]archangel next
31    coming unto th[e ]ende of vij yeres he paying therefore to the use of John Blacke and James Blacke my sonnes
32    twentie poundes And after the saide vij yeres I will all the said lease and ferme of Herenden as well all
33    other lands nowe beynge in the hands of John Fowle and Thomas Donke, Richard Baylie and Thomas
34    Courte as all the Residue unto John Blake my sonne to have unto huym during all the tyme of my Leasse therein
35    And if the saide John die then I will it to James my sonne to have unto him in like manner And if James fortune to decease
36    Then I will it to Alice my daughter in Like manner. Item I bequeath to John Blake and James Blake my sonnes all my
37    brasse and pewter Cowpbordes, chestes, ij of my best Featherbeddes w[i]th ire boulsters, coverings, pillowes, w[i]th all
38    other things thereto belonging and all my lynen equallie to be devyded and delyvered unto them at either of their ages
39    of xxiij th yeres The Residue of all my goods and cattalls moveable or immovable my debtes first paide and this my
40    will fullfilled I geve and bequeathe them unto John and James my sonnes herebeit my will and full mynde is that Thomas
41    Donke shall sell them all to the best prise he canne and the monye thereof that he shall bestowe and bye Landes and
42    tenements to the use of the said John Blake and James Blacke my sonnes and of theire heires and assignes forever And 
43    that the same Donke to receave the proffitt thereof to those aforesaide Item I bequeath to the reparacions of the Church
44    of Newenden three shillinges Item I make and ordeyn the said Thomas Donke to be my sole executor of this my present
45    testament and last Will Item I make John Twisden Thomas Petter and John Fowle my overseers of this my will and
46    testament and I geve to either of them vj s vij d for theire labor Item I bequeath to everie of my godchildren vij d
47    This is the Last wyll and testament of me the saide James Blacke made
48    the day and yere aforesaide converrynge all my Lands and tenements, Rentes, Reversions, p[re]mises w[i]thin the Countie
49    of kente First I will and bequeath that John Twisden and Thomas Petter shall receave and take all the proffittes
50    and Issues the woodes and underwoodes onlie excepted of all my Lands, tenements and Rentes until John my sone
51    come to his age of eighteen yeres and that they shall sufficientlie kepe them and putt them to scole at theire discretion and
52    also shall honestly bringe and kepe upp Alice my daughter until the said John come to his age of eighteen yeres And
53    for the overplus of the proffittes of the said Landes after my children founden I will that they shall make a true
54    accompts unto the saide John and James my sones when the said John shall come to his saide age of eighteen yeres
55    and that I will all the saide Landes tenements and Rentes w[i]th the appurtenances unto the said John and James Blake
56    my sonnes and to theire heirs and assignes equallie to be devyded amonges them Item I bequeath that whereas I have
57    one Rente of thre poundes six shillings eight pence by the yere goinge out of the Landes of John Twisden and the saide
58    Rent is upon redemptions as by Indenture it appereth that if the said John Twisden has __ encumbrances and
59    assignes to redeme the said Rente and pay £60 the which quietly oute  for the said Rent that then my will is that
60    Thomas Donke my executor shall receave the said £60  And when he hath receaved it that he shall bestowe the said
61    monye upon Lands to the use of the saide John and James my sonnes and theire heirs for ever Item my will
62    is that the saide Thomas Donke my executor shall suerlie pay to Barthileme Brooke £75   at the tyme
63    as it is appropriate to bepaide for the Lands I late bought of hym This witnesse John Sharpe John Fowle John
64    Hope John Twisden
65    Probatum fuit suprascriptum testamentum unarium ultima voluntate duodecimo Aprilis Anno domini
66    millesimo quingen o guinguagesimo tertio Juramento Thome Donke executors in h[uius]m[od]i testamento nom[in]at de
67    Approbatum et insumatum et Commissa fuit Administratio omnium bonorum etc deo ___ De bene et fidelter administratio
68    eadem Ac de plano et fideli Inventario omnium bonorum etc exhibden necnon de plano et vero compo in ea parte reddend
69    Ad sancta dei Evangelis Jurat

Will of Robert Blake woollen draper of Saint Pauls Covent Garden, Middlesex - National Archives PROB 11/402/16, probated 20 Nov 1690

In Middlesex there are a lot of Blake families and these are just the few wills that were the oldest that I will transcribe over the next few days. There are in total 143 wills with the oldest one being from the early 1660s and this particular on by Robert Blake having been probated 20 Nov 1690. I will be doing only the first 10 wills in Middlesex which I am rather regretful of and hope to improve on that with our next trip to Kew.

Will of John Blake, Mariner of Stepney, Middlesex probated 4 Sep 1660
Will of Ann Blake of Kensington, Middlesex probated 15 Mar 1664
Will of Joseph Blake, Mariner and Cooper of Whitechapel, Middlesex probated 31 July 1669
Will of Christopher Blake of Kensington, Middlesex probated 11 Apr 1672
Will of Nicholas Blake, Mariner of Saint Clement Danes, Middlesex probated 16 Nov 1673
Will of Bridgett Blake, Spinster of Stepney, Middlesex probated 12 Jan 1674
Will of Humphrey Blake, Gentleman of Saint Giles without Cripplegate, Middlesex probated 9 Jul 1679
Will of Rebecka Blake, Widow of Hampstead, Middlesex probated 18 Mar 1682
Will of Sir Richard Blake of Saint John, Middlesex probated 19 Oct 1683


I must admit to being hopeful that the two for Kensington are the children of William Blake of the Inner Temple whose will was published on the blog earlier and will discuss that when I reach them if they are his children.

However back to Robert Blake woollen draper of Saint Pauls Covent Garden. Woollen draper always catches my eye because the Blake family at Andover included drapers.

Looking at Robert Blake's kinsman William Blake of St Pauls Covent Garden and is this William the son of Thomas Blake and Eleanor Hall? There is the possibility that this Robert is a son of Humphrey Blake of Overstowey Somerset and even more interesting that he considers William son of Thomas Blake and Eleanor Hall to be a kinsman. Although much still remains to be looked at the connection is one that I have wanted to find for awhile in this particular Blake line. According to the Blake Pedigree Chart at the Swindon and Wiltshire Record Office William Blake of St Pauls Covent Garden London Esquire was the 6th son of Thomas Blake and Eleanor Hall and he was baptized 16 Oct 1619 and was living in 1690 which the will indicates as well. William was married to Margaret daughter and co heir of Thomas Fountain of Hulkot in County Buckingham and his wife was Alice the daughter of Thomas Etines of Lilford in County Northamptonshire Esquire. This couple are the parents of Daniel Blake of London who was involved with the creation of the original chart. He was born 13 October 1687 and living in 1690. He was the only son of this couple. Now Robert has referred to William as his kinsman so Robert could be a generation earlier and a quick check on the chart does not reveal any Robert Blake who could be related to William. Could there be more than one William Blake at St Pauls Covent Garden?

An interesting find in Boyd's Inhabitants of London there is a Robert Blake son of Robert Blake (of Stoye (perhaps Stowey) Somerset) and Eleanor Browne (of Taunton Somerset) married to Mary Dashwood daughter of Edmond Dashwood (of Dorchester Dorset) and he is a merchant. He has children Mary born 1630 and Robert born 1633. I did not learn anything about a William Blake at St Paul Covent Garden on Boyd's Inhabitants of London. Certainly a very interesting find though with respect to the Somerset Blake family and a linkage between the Wiltshire Blake family and the Somerset Blake family to be investigated.So a couple of possibilities for this Robert Blake.

Robert (Testator) identifies his family as wife Elizabeth and son Francis. 

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 6 Nov 2012
Source: The National Archives PROB 11/402/16
Testator: Robert Blake Woollen Draper
Place: Saint Pauls Covent Garden, Middlesex, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated: 1 Aug 1690, probated 20 Nov 1690
Read: Electronic copy images
Condition: middle English writing good, smudged but legible

[Margin]: T[esta]m[ent]
[Margin]: Roberti Blake

1    In the name of God Amen I
2    Robert Blake of the parrish of St Paul Covent Garden in the
3    county of middlesex woollen draper This First day of August in the yeare
4    of our Lord God One Thousand six hundred and ninety and in the second
5    yeare of the Raigne of our Soveraigne Lord and Lady William and Mary
6    by the Grace of God of England Scotland France and Ireland King and
7    Queene defenders of the Faith etc being in health of body and of good and p[er]fect
8    mind and memory (thanks bee to God) doe make this my last will and
9    testament in manner and forme following (that is to stay) First I bequeath
10    my Soule and Spiritt into the hands of Almighty God my heavenly Father
11    by whome of his meere and only Grace I trust to bee saved and received into
12    Eternal Rest through the death of my Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ in
13    whose precious blood I sett the whole and only hope of my Salvation My body
14    in hopes of a joyfull resurrection I committ to the Earth to bee buryed with
15    such charges and in such place as my deare wife Elizabeth Blake shall think
16    good And touching the distribution of my temporall Estate which it hath pleased
17    God to blesse mee with I dispose of the same as followeth First I will that all
18    such debts as I owe shall bee truely payd and that the rest and residue of all
19    and singular my goods chattells plate jewells and debts to mee due and
20    oweing by way of partnershipp or otherwise and ready money and all and
21    singular other my reall and personall Estate which shall in any wise belong
22    to mee att the time of my decease shall bee limitted rettained and divided into
23    two equall partes and shared between Elizabeth Blake my truely affectionate
24    wife and Francis Blake my deare and only sonne - only heire apparent -
25    share and share alike And I will that my sayd sonne Francis Blake shall
26    bee trained and brought upp in vertuous learneing or such other honest
27    vocation as it shall please God to make him capable of or that his genius shall
28    bee most prone unto And I will that Elizabeth Blake my sayd wife shall
29    have the Education and Custody of my sayd sonne Francis Blake dureing his
30    meniority And I make and ordaine the sayd Elizabeth Blake my wife and
31    Francis Blake my sonne my joynt Executors of this my last will and Testament
32    And my very deare freind and Kinsman William Blake of Bedford Street
33    in the parrish of St Pauls Covent Garden in the County of Middlesex
34    aforesayd Woollen draper I make and ordeyne Overseere of this my last
35    Will and Testament it desireing and requireing him in the name of God
36    to see this my last will and Testament performed accordingly And I doe
37    hereby utterly revoke all former wills and Testaments by me in any
38    wise heretofore made or declared In witnesse whereof I have hereunto
39    sett my hand and seale this day and yeare first above written Rob[ert]:
40    Blake Signed sealed published and declared in the presence of Charles
41    Done Alex: Harrison Tho: Buxton