Harvey and Charley family

 I decided to type the book "The Romance of the Charley Family" since it was published in the 1930s and now out of print and copyright. It is really just for my own purpose anyway. I read the book perhaps ten years ago when I bought it from a small bookstore in Somerset online. My Charley family is illusive. The priest entering the name of Mary Charly/Charley was misread as Charlie leading me astray initially way back when I first found the marriage registration on Ancestry. I was also very new to genealogy and I knew her name was verbally Charly/Charley/Charlie because my mother knew her line back a considerable distance when I was a child having learned it from her father and other family members. My mother would actually be thrilled with everything I have found out about her family but I never knew of her interest in genealogy until I moved away with my husband to Ottawa. Then in her weekly letters she started mentioning some of the things that she was doing and there it was; the occasional trip to the Family History Library and talking about her discoveries. At the time I was not really very interested in genealogy from that perspective. It did take the advent of personal DNA testing to bring me into that fold!

I read through the foreword as I was typing the author mentioned that her great aunt Emma Charley of Blakeney, a sister to her grandfather George Charley, had a daughter who married a Harvey. That of course sent me into Find My Past and I found Emma Charley the daughter of James Charley and Emma Virgo at Blakeney Gloucestershire in the Non-Conformist Register. On the census in 1841 with her brother George three years younger. By 1841 Emma the eldest had six siblings younger than her. I found Emma's marriage to William No[a]kes at Westbury on Severn, Gloucestershire December quarter 1856. Frank Charley Nokes was born Dec quarter 1859 at Bromsgrove. Rosa Clara Nokes was born Mar quarter 1864 at Bromsgrove.  Ernest William Nokes was born Jun quarter 1866 at Bromsgrove. Laura Emma Nokes was born Jun quarter 1868 at Bromsgrove. Kate Maud Nokes was born Mar quarter 1870 at Bromsgrove. 

One of these daughters married into the Harvey family. Laura Emma Nokes married Frank William Harvey Sep quarter 1892 at Bromsgrove. Most of the Charley lines in this book are tracing back to the 1840s when they arrived in Gloucestershire during the Irish Famine times and they were from Northern Ireland. 

Looking back at my Harvey and Charley families; my Harvey family was at Merton Devon where Andrew Rowcliffe married Joan Harvey 8 Jun 1720. Their son Philip married Martha Pearse 9 Apr 1760 at South Molton. Their daughter Elizabeth Rowcliffe married Robert Pincombe 7 Jun 1803 at Bishops Nympton. It was Robert Pincombe's mother Mary Charly that had married John Pincombe 8 Nov 1767 at Bishops Nympton. This Mary Charly is likely the daughter of Richard and Joan Charley born circa 1738 at Combe Martin, Devon. The Devon Charley family was in the Combe Martin area from at least 1699 on as Nutcombe Farm near Combe Martin was in their hands at that time. There does appear to have been a problem with alcohol in the family and the family suffered losses at various times due to that. The family crest that they used is similar to the one used by the then present Belfast Northern Ireland family and the belief is that they came from Belfast before 1699 to this area of North Devon. A DNA study of the Charley family would certainly be interesting. I just found it interesting to see similar names in the two families. I missed that on the first read through. Of my five siblings, the ones that have Irish in their ethnicity as tested by the various companies also have larger and more Pincombe matches than say myself where I have mostly English ancestry with some Scot, some Swedish and Northern European but the English is prominent around 70 to 80%. My Pincombe matches tend to be the smallest comparing me to my four siblings that have tested. DNA does really simplify genealogy to some extent!

Today is brick wall number 8

Brick wall number 8: Parents of Andrew Rowcliffe

I do have the parish registers for Merton where the Rowcliffe family lived.I know that Andrew was buried 3 Feb 1687 at Merton and that his wife was Mary. Their possible son Andrew was born in 1687 or earlier and he married Joan Harvey 8 Jun 1720 at Merton.I do know my ancestry coming down from Andrew Rowcliffe and Joan Harvey.

The St Paul's brief for its rebuilding from 1678 at Merton only lists an Andrew Routly, a Prissila Routly and a Sameull Routlife at Merton in this time period. This is possibly the Andrew that I have suggested as the father of my Andrew married to Joan Harvey. There is some controversy as trees exist naming a William Rowcliffe as the father of Andrew married to Joan Harvey but no William at Merton in 1678.

The Rowcliffe family can be found in the visitation of Devon in 1620:

This perhaps explains having William named as the father of Andrew.

William Rockley of Yearnscomb in the hundred of Hartland married Jone daughter of Bagbeare of Bagbeare in the county of Devon. Their children 1. Thomas Rocliff of Yearnscomb b 1554 married to Christian daughter of John Horne of High Bickington, 2. George b 1555, living 1620, 3. John, 4. Aldered ob s p, 1. Emma.

The children of Thomas and Christian: 1. Arthur ob s p, 2. Francis ob s p, 3. George Rockliffe son and heir, aet 22, 1620, 4. William aet 18, 1. Elizabeth aet 24 and 2. Avis aet 21. This was signed by Thomas Rowclieffe.

Yarnscombe is 8 miles from Merton.

Rowcliffe is largely a North Devon/Somerset name although it is most frequently found in the London area on the 1881 census.

Finding records prior to the late 1600s and after the visitation of 1620 for this family at Merton is a high priority and I need to pursue that so this brick wall may fall down easily or with difficulty!

Will of Stephen Buller, Coal Merchant of Saint Giles without Cripplegate, City of London - The National Archives PROB 11/767/394, probated 23 Feb 1748/49

Stephen Buller the testator identifies his two daughters Alice and Susannah with Alice married to Ryall Wells. His wife is identified in the Probate as Mary.

I could not find anything for this family on LDS or Find my Past including Boyd's Inhabitants of London. However on Ancestry Stephen Buller is listed with the London, England Land Tax Records in 1723 at Cripplegate within. Once again in 1735 near Crown Court in Cripplegate without. 

I also found the Marriage Bond and Allegation 27 Jul 1747 between Ryall Wells and Alice Buller mentioned in the will. The original Image is available on Ancestry and it is a full page document to be transcribed below:

Know all Men by these Presents, That we Ryall Wells of
the Parish of Saint Giles Cripplegate London Cooper and
are bolden and firmly bound to the Worshipful Thomas Salusbury
Doctor of Laws Commissary General of the Worshipfull the Dean and Chapter
of the Cathedral Church of St Paul London in and throughout the whole peculiar

Jurisdiction lawfully appointed in one hundred pounds
of lawful Money of Great-Britain, to be paid to the said Thomas
Salisbury or his certain Attorney, his Executors, Administrators,
or Assigns: To which Payment, well and truly to be made, we bind our-
selves, and each of us by himself for the whole, our Heirs, Executors,
and Administrators, firmly by these Presents. Sealed with our Seals
Dated the twenty seventh Day of July
in the Year of our Lord One thousand Seven Hundred and forty seven

The Condition of this Obligation is such, That if hereafter there shall
not appear any lawful Let or Impediment, by reason of any Pre-Con-
tract, Consanguinity, Affinity, or any other lawful Means whatsoever; but that
the above bounden Ryall Wells a Bachelor and Alice Buller
Spinster

may lawfully solemnize Marriage together, and in
the same afterwards lawfully remain and continue for Man and Wife, accord-
ing to the Laws in that behalf provided: And moreover, if there be not at this
present time any Action, Suit, Plaint, quarrel, or Demand, moved or depend-
ing before any Judge Ecclesiastical or Temporal, for or concerning any such
lawful Impediment between the said Parties: Nor that either of them be of any
better Estate or Degree, than to the Judge at granting of the License is
suggested,

And lastly, if the same Marriage shall be openly solemnized in the Church
in the License specified, between the Hours appointed in the Constitutions Eccle-
siastical confirmed, and according to the Form of the Book of Common Prayer,
now by Law established; then this Obligation to be void, or else to remain in full
Force and Virtue

Sealed and Delivered            Ryall Wells seal
in the Presence of Wal[te]r Gough

This is probably not a line for me to pursue. However Susannah can not be traced down by me.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 15 Feb 2013
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/767/394
Testator: Stephen Buller, Coal Merchant
Place: Saint Giles without Cripplegate, City of London, England
Date of document: 15 Jul 1747, probated 23 Feb 1749
Read: Electronic copy images
Document quality: 18th century English, legible copy

[Margin]: Stephen
[Margin]: Buller

1    In the Name of God Amen
2    I Stephen Buller of the parish of Saint Giles without
3    Cripplegate London Coal Merchant being of Sound and
4    disposing Mind Memory and Understanding do make and
5    declare this my last Will and Testament as follows Whereas
6    upon the Contract of the Marriage of my Daughter Alice
7    with Ryall Wells of the parish of Saint Giles without
8    Cripplegate London aforesaid Cooper I entered into one
9    Bond or obligation to the said Ryall Wells bearing date
10    the fifteenth day of July instant in the penal Sum of Six
11    hundred pounds with Condition thereunder Written for
12    securing to the said Ryall Wells the Marriage portion
13    intended and agreed by me to bee given and paid to him
14    with the said Alice my Daughter at and upon the Contingencies
15    in the said Condition mentioned Now in pursuance of the
16    said Condition I do hereby give devise and bequeath all my
17    Freehold Estate in Golden Lane in the parish of Saint
18    Giles without Cripplegate London aforesaid in part of
19    which I now dwell and also all other my Real Estate whatsoever
20    unto my good Friends William Grant of the Burrough of
21    Southwark Waterman and Simon Ring of the Parish of
22    Saint Giles without Cripplegate London aforesaid Cook and
23    their heirs upon Trust to permit and Suffer my loving Wife
24    Mary Buller to receive and take to her own use the Rents
25    Issues and Proffitts of the said premisses during the Term of
26    her natural Life and as to my personal Estate my Debts
27    and Funeral Charges being thereout first paid I give the
28    same and every part thereof to my said Friends William
29    Grant and Simon Ring and the Survivor of them and the
30    Executors and administrators of such Survivor upon Trust to
31    permit and Suffer my said Wife to hold and enjoy the
    [Page 2]
32    same for and during the Term of her natural Life and from and after
33    the Decease of my said Wife in Case my said Daughter Alice shall
34    have any Issue of her Body then living Then I give devise and
35    bequeath the one half part of all my Estate both Real and personal
36    after the payment of my Debts and Funeral Expences unto the said
37    Ryall Wells and my said daughter Alice To hold to them their
38    heirs Executors Administrators and Assigns forever and the other
39    part thereof I give devise and bequeath to my Daughter Susannah
40    To hold to my said daughter Susannah her heirs Executors
41    Administrators and Assigns forever But if it shall happen that
42    my said Daughter Alice shall not have any Issue of her Body
43    living at the time of the Decease of my said Wife then from
44    and after the decease of my said Wife I give all and Singular
45    my Estate both real and Personal of what nature kind or Quality
46    soever the same be or shall consist at the time of the decease
47    of my said Wife as aforesaid unto my said Daughter Susanah her
48    heirs Executors administrators and assigns forever she paying
49    unto the said Ryall Wells thereout the Sum of Two hundred
50    pounds of lawful Money of Great Britain in Three Months next after
51    the Decease of my said Wife and I do hereby charge my whole
52    Estate both Real and personal with the payment thereof and I
53    give the said William Grant and Simon Ring Ten pounds each for
54    Mourning and I do make ordain Constitute and appoint my said
55    Wife Sole Executrix of this my Will and I do revoke all former
56    and other Wills by me at any time before the date of these
57    presents made and do declare this only as and for my last Will
58    and Testament and none other In Witness whereof I the said
59    Stephen Buller the Testator have hereunto set my hand and
60    Seal this fifteenth Day of July in the Twenty first Year of the
61    Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Second by the Grace
62    of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King Defender
63    of the faith and so forth and in the year of our Lord one thousand
64    seven hundred and forty Seven Stephen Buller Signed
65    Sealed published pronounced and declared by the said Stephen
66    Buller the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament In the
67    presence of us who Subscribed our Names as Witnesses hereunto
68    in his presence and at his request Tho[ma]s Stagg attorney in Red
69    Cross Street London Tho[ma]s Harvey Willm Shield Cl to Mr Stagg
70    This Will was proved at London the Twenty third Day of
71    February in the Year of our Lord one thousand Seven hundred
72    and forty eight before the Worshipful George Hay Doctor of
73    Laws Surrogate of the Right Worshipful John Bettesworth also
74    Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative
75    Court of Canterbury lawfully Constituted by the Oath of Mary
76    Buller the Relict of the said and Sold Executrix named in
77    the said Will to whom administration was granted of all
78    and Singular the Goods Chattells and Creditts of the said
79    deceased being first Sworn duly to administer.

Will of John Blake, Mariner, Redderith Surrey -- The National Archives PROB 11/171/26, probated 8 May 1636

The first of my five wills for Blake family members in Surrey with John Blake as Testator and he is a mariner living at Redderith (or Rotherhithe or Rotherhithe St Mary).

The other four wills include:

Will of Humfry Blake, Nailsmith of Saint Olave Southwark, probated 15 Feb 1638
Will of Elizabeth Blake, widow of Ebbisham, probated 16 Mar 1647
Will of Ellen Blake, widow of Croydon, probated 10 Jul 1647
Will of Elizabeth Blake, widow of Rederith, probated 11 Sep 1654

After yesterday's difficult will this one was a pleasure to transcribe.

The testator identifies his brother Peter Blake, his sons John and James Blake and his wife Mary/Marie Blake. Interestingly he identifies his mother as Johan Hamond and his father in law as John Hamond and his mother in law as Francie Browne. That sounds like an interesting story and perhaps explains the comment in his will if his wife makes a second choice if he is dead and remarries. The mother in law is confusing though as divorce was pretty unusual in those days. There are a few other names in the will but they are not related to the testator as far as one can tell in the reading.

As always I go to the Family Search website to see if there is any information on this family.
There is a burial for Peter Blake 26 Nov 1643 at St Mary Rotherhithe Surrey and a marriage 5 Jun 1620 for Peter Blake and Abigail Mulford at St Mary Rotherhithe Surrey. Nothing conclusive on the rest.

An interesting finding with regard to William Blake, Poet Laureate, England, and he was born 28 Nov 1757 in St James parish, Westminster. The grandfather of William Blake was a James Blake from Rotherhithe. The older brothers of William were James and John. History records that James Blake, a gentleman of Rotherhithe was sufficiently prosperous to pay sixty pounds to apprentice his son James Blake (father of William above) as a draper but this son would have been born in the 1720s so not likely the son of the testator above plus his brother Peter Blake was also living in Rotherhithe but it is rather interesting. As time permits I will try to collect more information on the Blake families in Surrey.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded:  27 Nov 2012
Source: The National Archives PROB 11/171/26
Testator: John Blake, Mariner
Place: Redderith, Surrey, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated: 25 Jan 1632, probated 8 May 1636
Read: Electronic copy images
Condition: middle English writing legible, bold copy

[Margin] T[estament] Johannis
[Margin] Blake

1    In the name of God Amen
2    the Five and Twentith daie of Januarie Anno Dom[ini], one
3    Thousand Sixe hundred Thirtie Two. And in the Eight yeare
4    of the raigne of our soveraigne Lord Charles by the grace
5    of God kinge of England, Scotland, Fraunce, and Ireland
6    defender of the faith etc I John Blake of Redderith in the Countie
7    of Surrey Marriner being att this p[oi]nte in good health, and p[er]fecte
8    memorie (thankes bee therefore given unto Almightie God, But
9    being nowe bound for sea, and my returne being uncertaine, doe
10    therefore make, and declare this my last will, and Testament in
11    wrytinge in manner and forme followinge, That is to saie First and
12    principallie I doe com[m]end my soule into the hands of my most
13    gracious and mercifull God hopeing and undoubtedlie beleevinge
14    through the merritts death passion and resurrection of my Lord and Saviour
15    Jesus Christ to have free pardon, and forgivenes of all my Sinnes, and to
16    enioy everlasting blessednes with him in the kingdome of heaven hereaft[e]r
17    And my Body I committ the same to the Earth to bee buried in decent
18    manner att the discretion of my Executrixe hereafter named, And
19    as for such lande, goods, and estate whatsoever which it hath pleased God
20    to lend to mee I doe dispose of the same manner and forme following
21    That is to say Imprimis I doe give and bequeath unto my Lovinge wife
22    Mary Blake All those my Three messuages or Tenements with their
23    appurten[an]cs, and the Garden and wharfs thereunto adioyninge and
24    belonging which I latelie purchased to mee and my heires and
    [Page 2]
25    and assignes forever of Robert Osborne Cittizen and draper of
26    London scittuate lying and being in Redderith beforesaid in the said
27    countie of Surrey and now in the severall tenures or occupa[t]ions of M[aste]r
28    Berrisford Mr Preston and Goodman Burroughes, To have and to
29    hold the saiid Three messuages or Tenements, and other the premiss[e]s
30    unto the said Marie my wife, and her assignes for and duringe her
31    naturall life And from, and after the decease of the said Marie
32    my wife, Then I doe give and bequeath the sake Three messuages, or
33    Tenements with th[e ]appurten[an]cs and the said Garden and wharfe
34    unto my Two sonnes namely John Blake and James Blake equallie
35    betweene them to be devided, To have and to hould unto them my said
36    sonnes John Blake and James Blake equally betweene them, and to
37    their heires, and assignes forever. Item I doe give and bequeath unto
38    my said Two sonnes John Blake, and James Blake the lease of my
39    nowe dwellinge house in Redderith aforesaid to mee grannted from my
40    father in lawe James Hamond with my Interest tytle and terme of
41    yeares of in and to the same house with th[e ]appurten[an]cs equallie betwixte
42    them, To have, and to hold the same my dwellinge house with th[e ]appurten[a]ncs
43    unto them my said Twoe sonnes equallie betweene them, and their executors
44    and assignes for and duringe all such terme as shal[l ]bee to come, and unexpired
45    by vertue of the Indenture of Lease by which I hold the same att the tyme
46    of my decease provided alwaies that they my said sonnes doe pay
47    and performe such Rent Covenants and agreements as if my Executors
48    and assignes are, and stand charged to pay by vertue of the said lease
49    provided alsoe that they my said sonnes doe permitt and suffer the said
50    Marie my wife peaceably and quietly to have and enioy the same my
51    dwelling house with th[e ]appurten[a]ncs for, and during her naturall life
52    upon condition that shee or her assignes doe pay the rent and performe
53    the covenante, conteined in the said Lease. Item I doe desire my said
54    wife to permitt, and suffer my said sonne John Blake to have and enioy
55    the noyety or one halfe of my said nowe dwellinge house ymediately
56    from and after my decease for, and duringe the naturall life of her
57    my said wife, hee payinge his rateable share of the rent, and for the
58    repara[t]ions thereof. But yf shee the said Mary Blake my wife shall
59    refuse to suffer my said sonne to have and enioy the moyetie of my
60    said dwellinge house as aforesaid, Then I doe give and bequeath unto
61    my said sonne John Blake his executors and assignes one Annuity
62    or yearelie payment of Fyve pounds of lawfull money To bee
63    paid unto him my said sonne John his executors and assignes
64    halfe yearelie out of my personall estate duringe the life of the
65    said Marie my wife. Item I doe give and bequeath unto my said
66    sonne John Blake the somme of One hundred pounds of lawfull
67    money of England, To be paid unto him within Twentie dayes next
68    after the marriage of the said Mary my wife (yf in case shee shall
69    make a second choice) or within Twenty daies next after her decease
70    which shall first, and next happen, And if in case the said John my sonne
71    shall fortune to decease before the same one hundred pounds shal[l ]be
72    due, and payable unto him as aforesaid, Then I doe give the same
    [Page 3]
73    One hundred pounds unto, and amongst such children as my said
74    sonne John now hath or shall have of his body lawfully begotten equally
75    amongst them share and share like. And if my said sonne John shall
76    then have noe child or children livinge, Then I doe give the same one
77    hundred pounds unto my said sonne James Blake his Brother Item
78    I doe give, and bequeath unto my said sonne James Blake the somme
79    of One hundred pounds of Lawfull money of England, To be paid unto
80    him within twenty daies next after the marriage of the said Mary my
81    wife (if in case shee shall make a second choice) or within Twenty
82    dayes next after her decease which shall first, and next happen, And
83    yf in case the said James my sonne shall fortune to decease before
84    the same One hundred pounds shal[l ]be due, and payable unto him
85    as aforesaid, Then I doe give the same One hundred pounds unto
86    and amongst such child or children as it shall please God my sonne James
87    to have of his bodie lawfully begotten equally amongst them and the
88    survivors of them share and share like. And if my said sonne James
89    shall then have noe child or children livinge, Then I doe give the same
90    One hundred pounds unto my said sonne John his brother. And if my
91    said sonne John shal[l ]bee then dead, Then I doe give the same One
92    hundred pounds unto, and amongst such child or children as my said
93    sonne John now hath, and then shall have of his body lawfully begotten
94    share, and share like Item I doe give and bequeath unto my said
95    sonne James One hundred pounds more of lawfull money of
96    England, To be paid unto him my said sonne James at such tyme,
97    and when as he shall attaine to the full age of Twenty and one
98    yeares. And yf in case my said sonne James shall decease before
99    hee shall ataine the said age Then I doe give the same one hundred
100    pounds unto my said sonne John. And yf hee shal[l ]bee then dead
101    Then I doe give the same one hundred pounds unto and amongst
102    such child or children as my said sonne John shall then have of his
103    Body lawfully begotten equally, and propor[t]ionably share and
104    share like. Item I doe give and bequeath unto my said Twoe sonnes
105    John Blake and James Blake the moyety, or one half of such
106    plate as I shall have att the tyme of my decease, or Twenty pounds
107    in money at the election and choice of the said Mary my wife equallie
108    betwixt them share and share like. Item I doe will and appoint that my
109    Executrix hereafter named shall find provide and allow unto my
110    said sonne James meate, drinke, Apparrell, and other necessaryes
111    duringe his minoritie, and shall keepe him att schoole, Item I doe
112    give and bequeath unto John Blake sonne unto my said sonne John
113    Blake the somme of Fiftie pounds of lawfull money of England
114    To be paid unto him my said grand sonne within Twentie daies next
115    after the decease of the said Mary my wife. And if my said grand sonne
116    shal[l ]bee then dead then I doe give the same Fifty pounds unto
117    and amongst such child or children as my said sonne John shall
118    then have equally, and propor[t]ionablyshare, and share like, And yf
119    my said sonne John shall then have noe child, or children livinge
120    Then I doe give the same Fifty pounds to my said sonne John, And
121    yf hee shal[l ]bee then dead, Then I doe give the same Fifty pounds to
122    my said sonne James Blake. Item I doe give and bequeath unto my
    [Page 4]
123    Brother Peter Blake the somme of Five pounds of lawfull money
124    of England, To bee paid unto him within Twentie dayes next after
125    the decease of the said Mary my wife, And if my said Brother Peter
126    Shal[l ]bee then dead Then I doe give the same Fyve pounds unto, and
127    betwixt my said Two sonnes John Blake and James Blake equally, and
128    the survivor of them. And yf they shal[l ]bee then both dead then I doe give
129    the same Five pounds unto and amongst such children as my said sonnes
130    shall then have lyvinge equally amongst them. Item I doe give unto my
131    mother Mrs. Johan Hamond Fortie shillings, To my Father in lawe James
132    Hamond Twenty shillings, And to my mother in law Francie Browne
133    Twenty shillings, To be paid unto them, or such of them as shal[l ]bee lyvinge
134    within twenty dayes next after the decease of the said Mary my wife.
135    Item I doe give, and bequeath unto all my Godchildren that shall bee
136    lyvinge Twenty dayes next after my said wives decease the somme of
137    Twenty shillings apeece. All the rest and residue of my goods chattells
138    shipping money, plate household stuff, wages, and estate whatsoever
139    after my debts paid, and my funerall expences discharged I doe give
140    and bequeath unto my kind and Lovinge wife Mary Blake, And I
141    doe hereby make ordaine and appoint the said Mary my wife to bee
142    sole executrix of this my Last will, and Testament intreatinge her of
143    all Loves heretofore betwixt us, And as I have beene kind to her in
144    giveinge unto her the greatest part of my estate by this my will,
145    That soe shee would be kind to my sonnes duringe her life and
146    liberall to them att her death And I doe nominate, and appointe
147    my said Brother Peter Blake, and my said sonne John Blake to
148    bee overseers of this my will intreating them to bee aydinge and
149    assistinge and assisting unto my said wife in the due execu[t]ion thereof
150    And I doe hereby renounce, anihilate, and Revoke all former wills
151    and testaments by mee made, And I doe pronounce this pre[sen]te to
152    be my last will and Testament In witnes whereof I the said John
153    Blake th[e ]elder to this my Last will and Testament have putt my
154    hand and seale geven the day and yeare first written p[er] me Jno
155    Blake, This present will concisting of Nyne sheets was by the said
156    John Blake, signed sealed, and delivered as his Laste will, and
157    Testament after the interlyninge of the word Fyve in the seaventh
158    sheete of his Brother Peters Legacie in the p[re]sence of us, John Davids
159    Scr John Harvey Cittizen and Merchantaylor of London dwellinge in
160    Saint Swithins Lane in London, Fra: Harrison servant to the said Scr

Full Genetic Scans on mitochondrial DNA

I continued working on the subgrouping of the T_FGS study group and completed the assignments to subgroups. I now need to add the mutations that belong to the particular subgroupings to the description and decide on a colour scheme. Although this isn't my mtDNA, the sample is my husband's line, it was an interesting couple of years spent looking at the grouping for T haplogroup.

 I think that if you are interested in testing your DNA and in particular the mitochondrial DNA the most practical and efficient way is to do the Full Genetic Scan. Overall the cost has diminished greatly and it is a very practical way to test in that there are no further tests in this area. My family finder results amazed me as I have a fourth cousin or greater match with someone whose family has always been in England. I still need to sort through the material which she sent to me. I suspect that the attachment is through my mother's Buller line - perhaps Christopher's mother was of German descent. Living in London as he did plus being executor of so many wills has left me wondering about who he was. My Buller day will look some more at the Buller records at St Olave where he buried his wife, two of his children and then himself although they attended St Mary Magdalene Bermondsey and baptized their children at St Mary Magdalene.

Now having published the paper, it has freed my mind up to look at the H11 mtDNA haplogroup which is my line. Having this likely "resting spot" for my mutations in Agryllshire Scotland has set my thoughts towards how my line ended up in the Midlands of England. I remember my mother talking about her thoughts on her ancestry and she suspected Irish but could that have been Scot-Irish! Would my ancestor have emigrated from Ireland to England looking for work at some time in the past? My grandmother's mother used to sing an Irish lullaby to the children. But it was a popular lilt and a lot of people could have sung that particular tune I suspect. I really have very little to go on with my great grandmother Ellen Taylor's family other than her father being a shoemaker in Birmingham. As far as I can ascertain none of Ellen's possible sisters had daughters so any matches would have to be more distant. Ellen's likely mother did not have any sisters so I am back to her mother Ellen Lawley who was born in 1819 in Wellington Shropshire England. Other than knowing that her father was Joseph I do not have any further information yet. I am  hoping that she might have had sisters with descendants.

The Devon Genuki pages updated with the index of wills prepared by Beckerlegge, J.J. (Ed.)  Index of the Wills and Administrations relating to the County of Devon proved in the Court of the Archdeaconry of Barnstaple, 1563-1858. Since my mother's paternal family comes from this area I pulled out my families from the index: Blackmore, Bray, Burges, Charley, Harvey, Hobbs, Manning, Moggridge, Pincombe, Pearse, Rew, Rowcliffe, Snow, Stanbury, Tapp, Thomas, Upcott, Vicary, Whetson.  I also pulled the Blake entries for the Blake one name study. It would be interesting to discover the ancestry of that particular Blake family in Devon - there appears to be a thought that it might be the Hampshire Blake family from Knights Enham.

I must get back to transcribing Abbotts Ann once again. I shall put a high priority on those parish registers to complete them.

Andover Parish Register 2 - 5

Another day on the Andover Parish Registers and I was typing the burials when I discovered three pages of marriages with one upside down. I transcribed all those marriages and found one interesting Blake marriage. Widow Ann Blake married and I am still trying to decide who this widow would be. I then continued with the burials and completed to the end of 1635 (began at 1634). The marriages that were upside down were from 1641 and are missing from the IGI so a real find.

I will note the new Henxman entries tomorrow night as I have closed the file for the night.

I also worked on Genealogy Wise and the Rowcliffe family. I have a second member of the group who descends from Andrew Rowcliffe and Joan Harvey. Another cousin thinks that the IGI is correct with having William as the father of Andrew. I am still ambivalent. I think that perhaps Andrew is the son of Andrew but that the entry giving his birth as 1695 is incorrect. There isn't a William on the St Pauls Brief at Merton and Andrew is definitely at Merton - he farms land at Merton. Joan is baptized in 1690 at Dolton and she is buried in 1760 giving her a lifespan of 70 years which isn't unreasonable. They marry in 1720 at Merton. More time is needed looking at the Merton and Meeth registers to see if I can find a few more answers. The first register for Merton that is extant is Parish Register 2.

Tomorrow I will continue with the Parish Registers. I would like to complete the burials this week for Parish Register 2. I am just starting page 11 of the third row which leaves me with 16 images. I have been doing about 6 per day so it is reasonable that I could complete this fiche by Thursday.

Rowcliffe, Harvey, Stanbury Families

My fingers have been itching to begin looking at the fiche that I received as Christmas presents - Landkey, Merton and Molland. I did have a look at Rose Ash but not a long one yet!

The published information on the Rowcliffe Harvey marriage has always claimed that Joan Harvey was the daughter of Edward and that she was baptized at Merton. However, the parish register for Merton shows that Joan Harvey was "of Dolton" and checking the IGI (does need to be checked against the original documents) I found a baptism for a Joan Harvey, daughter of Christopher Harvey and Mary Stanbury, 1 March 1690. Checking through the Merton register I found that her burial date was 9 Mar 1760 not 9 Mar 1730 which has been published in various sources. Joan Harvey married Andrew Rowcliffe 8 Jun 1720 at Merton, Devon.

There isn't a baptism for Andrew Rowcliffe at Merton but the parish registers do not commence until 1687 although it is Parish Register 2. Perhaps Parish Register 1 does not exist or the Meeth Devon Register covers Merton. I still need to determine that. According to the brief collected for the rebuilding of St Pauls Cathedral in London in 1678, Andrew Routly, Priscilla Routly, Jane Routly and Samuel Routlife were living at Merton. Samuel Rowcliff was buried the 2nd day of February and Andrew Rowcliff was buried the 3rd day of February, both in 1687. William Rowcliff was baptized as the posthumous son of Andrew Rowcliff and his wife Mary on the 18th day of March 1687. These are, unfortunately, on the first page of the entries for this parish. I will check the Meeth register though to see if there are Rowcliff entries there. Interestingly, at Dolton a Lewes, a Richard and a Charles Rowcliff are baptizing children between 1695 and 1725. Andrew and Joan his wife are baptizing children at Merton between 1721 and 1732 including Philip (my 4x great grandfather) baptized 4 Apr 1721. On the 1678 brief for St Pauls Cathedral at Dolton there aren't any members of the Rowcliff family listed.

That was my yesterday's work on the family tree as well as writing to my siblings to bring them up to date on a few items and Legacy has added a new feature to their picture family tree. The names of the great grandparents now appear on the tree with their picture. I prepared a four generation chart for my father and mother to send off to my siblings. My father's chart has himself, his parents, three of his four grandparents and two of his great grandparents. There is a possibility that I will be able to obtain his Knight great grandparents and his Blake great grandmother in the future. There are rumours that a picture of Samuel Knight and Louisa Butt exists and Ann Blake lived into the 1890s so always a possibility that one might appear. My mother's picture tree though is pretty empty, there is herself, her parents, her paternal grandfather and his parents (one set of great grandparents). The chances of obtaining any more are quite remote as the wife of her paternal grandfather died in the 1880s and the one picture of her that I remember as a child is missing. Any pictures of her parents appear to have gone missing. On her mother's side there aren't any known pictures of her parents or her grandparents. There may be some that exist as some of them lived into the late 1890s and even into the early 1900s but I need to find a descendant of that line and that hasn't happened yet. That means that for myself, I have my picture, my parents, all my grandparents but only four of my great grandparents.