Will of William Blake of Chilhampton, South Newton - SWRO P2/8Reg/125B, probated 1 Jun 1610

The last will of this series from the Swindon and Wiltshire Record Office.

The will of William Blake of Chilhampton South Newton names his sons John and Charles Blake and his daughters Edith, Dorathie, Anconett, Agnis, and Margaret. As I work on this will I realize I have not yet posted the will of Maud Blake although I did post it yesterday. They are in the same hand writing not that that is particularly significant but it is interesting. Maud is not the wife of William because she doesn't have any daughters and has sons Henry, Severan (sp), John and Robert. She does mention Charles as one of her overseers and perhaps he is this Charles who is a son of this William.

There was another image for a probate for a William Blake in 1616 again in the same handwriting as the will of this William and Maud. The probate doesn't offer much information other than that the William Blake lived at Ambrosbury and that is widow is Joanne Blake. Ambresbury/Ambrosbury was an earlier name for Amesbury which is 7 miles north of Salisbury so again the same general area and 7 miles north east of South Newton.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 24 Oct 2012
Source:  Swindon and Wiltshire Record Office P2/8Reg/125B
Name of testator: William Blake
Place: Chilhampton, South Newton, Wiltshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated: 24 Nov 1609, probated 1 Jun 1610
Read: Electronic file images
Condition: early 17th century, middle English, bold script writing (some bleed through)
 [Margin] Blake 125B

1    In the name of God Amen The
2    fower and twenteth day of November Anno d[o]m[ini] one thousand
3    six hundred and Nine. I William Blake of Chilhampton
4    w[i]thin the p[ar]ish of Southnewton, beinge weake in body but
5    p[er]fect in memory (thanked be god for it) doe here make my
6    last will and testament in manner followinge First I comett
7    my sowle into the hands of almightie god my savior and redeemer
8    and my body to be buried in the Churchyarde of Southnewton
9    Item I give unto the Church of Southnewton twelve pence
10    Item I give to the poore of the p[ar]ish of Southnewton three
11    shillings and fower pence
    [Page 2]
12    Item I give unto my sonne John Blake twoo bushells of wheate
13    and fower bushells of barley Item I give unto my sonne William
14    Blake twoo akers of wheate of tenentry land and twoo akers of
15    barley of tenentry land Item I give unto my daughter Edith
16    Blake twentie pounds in lawfull money my best cov[er]lett also
17    Item I give to my daughter Dorathie Blake twentie pounds
18    in lawfull money. Item I give all my lynnen unto my twoo
19    daughters Edith and Dorathie equally to be devided betwene them
20    at the discretion of my sonne Charles Blake. Item I give unto
21    my daughter Anconett Burges three shillings and fower pence
22    Item I give unto my daughter Agnis Henstitch three shillings
23    and fower pence. Item I give unto my daughter Margarett
24    Hayter three shillings and fower pence. Item I give unto William
25    Hayter my daughter's childe a sheepe worthe five shillinges
26    Item I give unto my sonne John his childe a sheepe worthe five
27    shillinges. Item I give unto William Burges my daughters
28    childe a sheepe worthe five shillings.  All the rest of my
29    goods unbequeathed I give unto my sonne Charles Blake
30    whome I make sole Executor of this my last will and testament
31    Also I appoynt Henry Blake my neighbour of Chilhampton
32    to be ov[er]seer of this my last will and testament to whome I
33    give twelve pence Item I give unto Thomas Good our Vicar
34    twelve pence Lastly I doe appoynt all those legacies to
35    be payd within one halfe yeare after my decease In Witnes
36    whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seale the day and
37    yeare first above written. Witnesses at then sealinge
38    Thomas Good vicar of Southnewton John Adlam his
39    marke Witnes George Symes, John Champion his marke
40    William Blake his marke

Will of John Blake, husbandman, Chilhampton, South Newton - P2/8 Reg/149, probated 20 Sep 1610

John Blake is the testator of this will which was written 26 August 1610. This is perhaps a grandson of the John Blake who left his will in 1572 at South Newton who had sons John, William and Thomas Blake. John continues to be a very common forename in the Blake family at South Newton. By 1641/42 there are nine Blake males over 18 (possibly one minor) at South Newton and in total 37 males sign the document so the Blake family there is about 25% of the male population.

There is a Thomas Blaake baptized 10 Mar 1592 at Great Wishford with father John Blaake (C15228-1 Family Search).

In the Protestation Returns for South Newton the following Blake males over 18 signed the return:

John Blake, senior
John Blake, junior,
John Blake, min. (perhaps minor)
Jeffrey Blake,
William Bake
Thomas Blake
Edward Blake
Henry Blake, senior
Henry Blake, junior

Other males at South Newton signing this return:

James Elderton
Robert Miles
Thomas Elderton
Phillipp Pearce
Thomas Austine
George Austine
Ames Durdoll
John Edmonds
Thomas Shergold
Henry Shergold
Charles Shergold
Robert Carpenter
Alexandr Pearcie
Peter Gynes
Peter Webb
Richard Sutton
Edward Holdway, Senior
Edward Holdway, junior
Thomas Beckett
John Bacon
John Noyes
Alexandr Beckett
John Godwin
Richard Watts
John Rawlins
Thomas Peirson
John Still
Christofer Whiteare

Are there a lot of Blake male descendants of the earlier testators at South Newton; it would appear so. Charles Blake is missing from this list and the name Charles always does rather interest me in the Blake family. Henry Blake senior is interesting since a Henry Blake brother is mentioned in the will. Would love to find information between John Blake testator in 1572 and this John Blake in 1610. This information on the Protestation Returns from the original return is kept in the House of Lords Library in England (I have images from the microfilm which I took at Salt Lake City).

Ancestry has 107 Blake entries at South Newton for the 1841 Census at South Newton. South Newton  has two Registration Districts (3 and 4) plus the Workhouse which is another District.

District 3
1. John Blake 30, Susanna Blake 30, Elizabeth Blake 4 and Mary 10 months
2. William Blake 45, Elizabeth Blake 40, Elias Blake 15
3. Stephen Blake 35, Louisa Blake 40, Herbert Blake 15, Mary Blake 13, Francis Blake 11, Harriett Blake 6
4. Rowland Blake 40
5. William Blake 40, Ann Blake 40, George Blake 15, Maria Blake 13, Mary Blake 12, William Blake 9, Henry Blake 7, Samuel Blake 11 mo and Jane Blake 30
6. William Blake 45, Ann Blake 45, Sarah Blake 20, James Blake 15, Eliza Blake 15, William Blake 13, Mary Blake 10, Leah Blake 8, Reuben Blake 6
7. Rachel Blake 15 (FS)
8. Elias Blake 25, Mary Blake 25, Joshua Blake 1
9. Sarah Blake 65
10. William Blake 40, Ann Blake 30, Harriett Blake 15, Sidney Blake 15, William Blake 10, Mary Blake 5, Lydia Blake 3, Henry Blake 2
11. John Blake 75, Mary Blake 70
12. Elizabeth Blake 80, John Blake 60, Ann Blake 20, William Blake 15
13. Mary Blake 13 (FS)

District 4
1. John Blake 54, Anne Blake 50, Solomon Blake 20, Louiza Blake 17, Charlotte Blake 14
2. John Blake junior 25, Ann Blake 25, Henry Blake 8, Jonas Blake 5, Maria Blake 3, George Blake 2
3. Anne Blake 14 (servant)
4. James Blake 38, Maria Blake 35, Samuel Blake 3, Jane Blake 5
5. William Blake 25
6. Simeon Blake 37, Harriet Blake 35, George Blake 16, Eliza Blake 13, James Blake 10, Percival Blake 7, Stephen Blake 4, Hurbert Blake 9, Maria Blake 1
7. Joseph Blake 53, Jane Blake 50
8. William Blake 66, Anne Blake 52, George Blake 18
9. Edward Blake 21
10. William Blake 25
11. Miriam Blake 22 (servant)
12. John Blake 77
13. James Blake 48, Sarah Blake 46, George Blake 20, Mitford Blake 16, Charles Blake 11, Solomon Blake 9, William Blake 6

District Wilton Union Workhouse
1. Henry Blake 70
2. Emma Blake 13
3. Eliza Blake 23

I found 97 entries (missed 10 or they might have been duplicates) for Blake in South Newton census of 1841 with a total of 22 separate families. The three people at the workhouse could be there for many reasons including health care as that was the only hospital often in an area outside of large cities. In 1811 the population of South Newton was 223, Little Wishford 8, Stoford 64, Chilhampton 64, Burden's Ball 112, and North Ugford 45 (total 516). If the population was similar in 1841 then the Blake family represented a sizeable portion of the population in this area roughly 20% which is interesting giving the 25% of Blake males in this area in 1641/42. An interesting webpage on the South Newton area in Wiltshire:
http://history.wiltshire.gov.uk/community/getcom.php?id=204
The Testator John Blake mentions his wife Edith, son Richard and daughters Alice, Elizabeth, Annis and Edith. He also mentions his brother Henry Blake.

There was a marriage 28 Nov 1608 at South Newton of Henry Blake and Alice Walles (I06136-8 Family Search). There was a marriage between Henry Blake and Ellen Homans 20 Sep 1624 at South Newton (I06136-8 Family Search). There was a burial of Henry Blake 7 Oct 1638 at South Newton (I06136-8 Family Search).

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 22 Oct 2012
Source:  Swindon and Wiltshire Record Office P2/8 Reg/149
Name of testator: John Blake, husbandman
Place: South Newton, Wiltshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated: 26 Aug 1610, probated 20 Sep 1610
Read: Electronic file images
Condition: 16th century, middle English, clear copy (few smudges)
[Margin] Blake 149

1    In the name of God Amen,
2    The six and twenteth day of Agust Anno Dom[i]n[i] 1610 I John
3    Blake of Chilhampton w[it]hin the p[ar]ishe of Southe Newton in
4    the Countie of Wilts[hire] husbandman, beinge weake in body but
5    p[er]fect in memorie (thankes be to god for it) doe here make
6    my last will and testament in manner followinge First I
7    bequeath my swole into the hands of our Saviour Jesus
8    Christ and my body to be buried in the Churchyard of
9    Southnewton. Item I give to the Church of Southnewton
10    twelve pence. Item I give to my daughter Alice fouer
11    pounds in monie. Item I give to my daughter Elizabeth
12    fouer pounds in monie. Item I give to my daughter Annis
13    fouer pounds in monie to be paye unto these my children
14    by my executrix hereunder named, when they shall come
15    to the age of sixteene, yf  ev[er]y one of them doe or shall
16    live so longe. And yf any of them doe dye before they come
17    to the age of sixteene then theire portion or portions to
18    remayne to the longest liver. Item I give my sonne
19    Richard Blake one bushell of wheate and one bushell of
20    barley. Item I give my daughter Edith Guye one bushell
21    of barley. Item I give my daughter Annis cheldren x pence.
22    Item I give unto my daughter Edith her fouer children
23    each of them twelve pence. Item I appoynt my Execut[rix]
24    to pay unto William Able three shillings fouer pence
25    for a weanelinge calfe due unto him and twelve pence
26    for an old posnett. All the rest of my goods undisposed
27    I give unto my wife Edith Blake whome I doe make
28    sole Executrix of this my last will and testament. In
29    witnes whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seale
30    the day and yeare first above written. Then I appoynt
31    Henrie Blake my brother and George Simes and
32    Charles Blake ov[er]seers of this my last will and testament
33    unto whome I give twelve pence a peece. Witnesses
34    hereunto Thomas Good, Henrie Blake George Symes,
35    Charles Blake, Thomas Blake, William Crouch