#1248 The Blake Family - Gloucestershire Notes and Queries Volume 3

1248. The Blake Family (Discussion inserted)

1. In St. Stephen's Church, Bristol, there is a marble tablet with the following inscription: "Near this place, in the same vault with his father and mother, William and Rebecca Blake, lie the remains of Richard Blake, Esquire, who died August 6th, 1829, aged 69." And above, on a small tablet, is an inscription to his widow, Anne Augusta, described as the daughter of the Very Reverend Charles Harward, of Hayne, County Devon, Dean of Chichester, etc. She died November 4th, 1847, aged 84. Arms - Ar. a chev. between 3 garbs sa. empaling gu. a crosse crosslet or. Creet - On a cap of maintenance gu. turned up erm. a martlet sa.

The will of Anne Augusta Blake was blogged:

 http://kippeeb.blogspot.ca/2014/04/will-of-anne-augusta-blake-widow.html

Richard Blake, husband of Anne Augusta Blake, was the son of William and Rebecca Blake according to the memorial in St Stephen's Church, Bristol. Now, the question is, can I discover the parents of William Blake. Richard would have been born circa 1760. The coat of arms mentioned on the memorial tablet do not appear to be the registered arm of the Harward family. The first mentioned coat of arms does belong to the Blake family. An Alphabetical Dictionary of Coats of Arms Belonging to Families ....., volume 2 has "Gu. on a cross croslet arg. betw. four gouttes d'eau five annulets az. Harward, Hayne, Co. Devon; a heiress m. Blake." I have little knowledge of heraldry although I am starting to look at a little because of the Blake coats of arms.  I did find on Family Search the baptism of Richard Blake 1 Dec 1760 at Bristol with parents William and Rebecca Blake. They also baptized a son William 3 Dec 1757 and a daughter Rebecca 21 Apr 1759 both at Bristol. Interestingly there is a marriage of a William Blake to Rebecca Milles 12 Jun 1754 at Duloe, Cornwall. Since this is a known Blake area it is possible that this line is from Cornwall. There is a will for William Blake (1792) at Bristol to come.

2. In St. Werburgh's Church, Bristol, there was this inscription: "To the memory of Mr Richard Blake, many years an inhabitant of this parish, who died the 3rd day of January, 1771, aged 70. In the same vault where his remains are deposited, also are interred Mary Blake, his mother, Samuel and Mary Greenway, whose ony daughter he married, and five of his children, who died in their infancy. Likewise the remains of Mary, his wife, who died the 21st October, 1781, aged 82."

I found this reference most interesting as I am in the midst of transcribing the will of Mary, the widow of this Richard Blake who was the father of Susanna Woodward and Hannah Deverell. The mother of this Richard was Mary Greenway and in the will of Mary there is mention of a Joseph Greenway.  Put together with the reference at Chipping Sodbury, is this the same family? That Richard would have been born circa 1646, died 1724 (aged 78).  Chipping Sodbury is nine miles ENE of Bristol. Still to come is the will of Richard Blake who died in 1771 and another Richard Blake will from 1642 which may help to fill this family line in.

3. In Chipping Sodbury Church there are (or were) the following inscriptions: " To the memory of his father, Richard Blake, late of this town, and of his brothers Joseph and Samuel, whose remains are interred near this place. This monument is erected by Richard Blake, of the city of Bristol." "In memory of Richard Blake, Senior, who was buried April 19th, A.D. 1724, aged 78." "In memory of Joseph Blake, son of Richard and Mary Blake, of this borough, who deceased the 18th day of May, A.D. 1715, in the 23rd year of his age." "Thomas Coombe died September 26th, 1724, aged 42. Joanna Coombe, his wife, died February 27, 1748/49, aged 63. Joanna Blake, relict of Robert Blake, and daughter of Thomas and Joanna Coombe, died April 20th, 1790, aged 82."

From Aubrey's Collections for North Wilts I find that Robert Hungerford, of Studley, near Calne, by his will (1754) bequeated his parsonage of Avon (between Chippenham and Christian Malford) to his nephew George, after of Studley, for his life - in tail to Robert Blake, of Sodbury, who had married one of his nieces.

4. In St. John's Church, Glastonbury, there was an inscription to Elizabeth, the wife of Francis Blake, of Clifton, Gent.; she died January 1st, 1736, aged 50. This Francis Blake died at Glastonbury in 1768, having been ten times mayor of that borough, from 1717 to 1768. He had a son William, who predeceased him, having resided in the parish of Clifton.

For Francis Blake buried at Glastonbury this is a known Blake line which is collateral to the Admiral Robert Blake line according to the Potbury Blake website:  http://www.portbury-hundred.co.uk/admiralreport.htm . This Francis Blake who was married to Elizabeth Porch 14 Feb 1708 at Wells. He was the son of Roger Blake and Susannah Taylor with Roger's father being Humphry the elder who married Elizabeth Upton. This Humphry was the son of Humphry Blake who married Elizabeth Giles. Continuing back this Humphrey was the son of Humphrey Blake and Agnus/Ann James. Then John Blake the elder and his wife Johan were the parents of Humphrey and this John Blake was a brother to Admiral Robert Blake. I have blogged on this line several times and I am confident that indeed this Francis Blake is related to Admiral Robert Blake.

I shall be glad to be supplied with any information relative to any of these Blakes, and particularly as to the parentage of Francis and Elizabeth Blake, and whether they were connected with the Bristol and Gloucestershire family. Francis was, I know, related to the Blakes of Spaxton, Somerset, and bore for arms, Ar. a chev. between 3 garbs, sa.

Edward Fry Wade, Axbridge, Somerset.

Will of Thomas Blake of Wedmore, Somerset (images from the National Archive #32

Carrying on with the wills that I photographed at Kew when we were there in October 2010. The will of Thomas Blake at Wedmoore in 1581 is a treasure if you are interested in the names of the people who lived in the area around Wedmoore and in Wedmoore itself. Some of the nearby villages include Mark, Weare, Eastbrente, Southbrente, Glastonbury, Huntspill, Lympsham, Burnham, and Heath House. The greatest portion of the will is a list of the individuals who owe money to Thomas Blake. Is he perhaps a store keeper as well as a farmer? He describes himself as a yeoman in the will. He and his wife Isabell have four children: Thomas, John, Luce and Elizabeth. He has a brother John. At the time of the Protestation Returns in 1641-42 there is a John Blake at Kingston St Mary who could possibly be one of the sons of this Thomas as land was left to the eldest son Thomas at Kingston St Mary. This is the same area of Somerset as Humphrey Blake was living in up to the mid 1500s but Overstowey about 17 miles away and closer to Devon. There was also a Blake family in Devon that I have only just started to look at.

I decided to do the wills that remain in Somerset that I have acquired in order of number although the number is not significant; it just happens that this is listed as the oldest will in Somerset at the National Archives Documents on line site.

The will of Thomas Blake at Wedmoore in Somerset.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 12 Apr 2012
Source:  The National Archives (images by me of #32) PROB 11/63
Name of testator: Thomas Blake
Place: Wedmoore, Somerset, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated: 17 Dec 1577, probated 27 Jan 1581
Read: Electronic file
Condition: smudges, 16th century, bold copy, script

[In margin] T. Thomas
[In margin] Blake

1    In the name of god amen The sevententhe daie of the monnethe of decemb[e]r
2    the yeare of our Lorde god a thousande fyve hunderthe and sevene seven, I Thomas Blake of the parishe of Wedmoore
3    within the diocese of Wells, in the countie of Sommersette, yeoman beinge of whole minde and in good and perfecte
4    Remembrancing laude and prayse be to allmightie god, make and ordeyne this my presente testamente concerning herein
5    my laste will, in manner and forme followinge. That is to saie, Firste I commend my soule unto allmightie god
6    my maker and redemer and my bodye to be buried in the parishe churchyarde of Wedmoore. And I bequeathe to sainte
7    Andrewe  his Church in Wells fouer pence Item I geve to the churche of Wedmoore twenty pence Item I geve
8    to my sonne Thomas the leasse and tearme of yeares of all my ground sette lyenge and beinge within the p[a]rish of
9    Knigstone, and fortie poundes of lawfull englishe monneye and also all my debtes whiche Richard Holne and William
10    his sonne dothe owe unto me Item I geve unto my daughter  Luce fyve acres of grounde of maister Elworthes
11    helde within the mannor of Blackeforde, So that my sonne Thomas doe suffer her quicklie to houlde and occupye
12    the saide five acres. And if my sayde sonne doe refuse so to doe, That then I will that my saide daughter Luce shall
13    iointlye houlde and have withe my saide sonne Thomas the foresaide lease and tearme of yeares of all my foresayde
14    grounds beinge and lyinge within the p[a]rishe of Knigston aforesaide. And also I geve to my saide daughter Luce
15    fortie poundes of lawfull englishe monneye. Item I geve to my sonne John the lease and tearme of yeares of
16    eleven acres of grounde called Bycham sette lyenge and beinge within the parishe of Estbrente and also fortie
17    poundes of lawfull englishe monneye. Item I give to Elisabethe my daughter the lease and tearme of yeares of
18    my grounde called Cotham sette lyinge and beinge within the p[a]rishe of Huntspill and also fortie poundes of lawfull
19    englishe monney Item I will that all the foresayde gooddes and parcells of grounde (geven unto my children) be after
20    my deceasse fully and wholye delyvered and bestowed to the moste proffite and use of my sayd chyldrenne. Allso my
21    will is that if anye of my childrenne doe deceasse before thee be of consent age and before that they be not married
22    That then his parte or her parte of share sowe essuinge shall remayne to the other of them then survivinge or lyving
23    Item I geve to William Vowles fortie shillings sterlinge of the whiche there is twentie shillinges with his master
24    Roberte Webbe Item I geve to Edwarde Vowles fortie shillinges sterlinge. The residue of all my gooddes chattels
25    and debts after my funerall expenses performed and theise my legacies (conteyned in that my present testamente)
26    fullfilled I wholie geve and bequeath to Isabell my wief whome I make and ordeyne of this my laste will my
27    executrix. And I make and ordeyne William Baber and my brother John Blake ov[er]seers. Item Richarde Longe
28    and Roberte Dodd of Burnham owethe unto me fyve poundes. Item Thomas Bynsham of Shypham owethe unto me fyve
29    poundes tenne shillinges. Item John Binsham of Estbrente owethe unto me fyve poundes. Item William Brodrippe of
30    Glaston[bury] owethe unto me twentie poundes. Item Thomas Sayarde and Thomas Gisee of Lympsham owethe unto me
31    seven poundes. Item Thomas Hares and John Vincente of Estbrente owethe me twentie poundes. Item Roberte
32    Hobbes of Mark owethe me sixe poundes six shillinges eight pence. Item Blase Stearte of Estbrente or William Griffyn
33    owethe unto me (bothe) three poundes. Item Richarde Holne and William his sonne of Southbrente owethe unto me
34    a hundrethe and tenne poundes. Item Adam Elsworthe and Richarde Holne of Southbrente owethe unto me tenne
35    poundes. Item John Gyllinge of Southbrente owethe unto me nynetene poundes. Item Arthure Collyngs of
36    Lympsham owethe unto me tenne poundes. Item Robart Symons of Esbrente owethe unto me sixe poundes
37    tenne shillinges. Item Thomas Moore and John Moore of Southbrente owethe unto me thirtie three shillinges.
38    Item Roberte Hobbes and John Leyk of Mark owethe unto me seeven poundes sixe shillings eight pence. Item
39    Thomas Moore Robert Symons of Eastbrente owethe unto me three pound sixe shillinges eight pence. Item
40    Thomas Moore and John Tuckey of Burneham owethe unto me seven poundes nyme shillinges eight pence
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41    Item John Vyisham[sp] of Estbrent owethe unto me fyve poundes. Item Thomas Crypes owethe unto me thirtene shillinges
42    four pence. Item Thomas Crouch owethe unto me twentie three poundes. Item John Sommersett of Southbrent
43    owethe unto me fifteene poundes. John Lacham of Theale oweth unto me twentie poundes. Item William Welche
44    of Weare owethe to me fyve poundes. Item Thomas Bick [sp] owethe unto me seven poundes three shillings Item
45    Edwarde Gyles oweth unto me twentie shillinges. Item John Smithe of Blackefoorde owethe unto me twentye
46    shillinges. Item William Brodrippe of Glaston[bury] owethe unto me fortie shillings. Item John Boorde oweth
47    unto me tenne poundes. Item Thomas Pyle of Huntspill oweth unto me fiftie shillinges. Item William Teyles oweth unto
48    me fortie and fyve poundes sixe shillinges eighte pence. Item Andrewe Crouch oweth unto me seven and Thirty
49    sixe shillinges eight pence. Item Richard Corrington of Mark oweth unto me sixe poundes. Item Frances Sheppherd
50    of Mark owethe unto me fyve poundes tenne shillinges. Item John Chamber of Estbrente oweth unto me thirty three
51    shillinges fouer pence. Item Phillippe Kinge of Estbrente oweth unto me three poundes. Item John Sage of  Heath
52    house owethe unto me twentie sixe shillinges eight pence. Item William Bringlett of Huntspill owethe unto me
53    twentie shillinges. Item Robert Tuxwell of Huntspill oweth unto me three poundes. Item Robert Symons owethe
54    me for a Bull twentie eighte shillinges. Item Christopher Corringtone oweth unto me seven poundes tenne
55    shillinges. Item John Whitinge of Mark oweth unto me eight poundes. Item the above named John Boorde
56    oweth unto nowe fourtie poundes thirtene shillinges seven pence. Witnesses William Baber Thomas Wat
57    John Blake Andrewe Wesbur and Thomas Howlett