Will of James Gladsdale Blake, Godmanchester, Huntingdonshire - The National Archives PROB 11/2023 probated 19 Sep 1845

A William Blake Pridgeon was baptized 25 Jun 1805 at Whaplode son of Abraham and Mary Pridgeon. Abraham Pridgeon married Mary Blake 13 Nov 1804 at Whaplode Drove, Lincolnshire (Family Search). This is not the sister of the testator and William his brother.

William Blake of Whaplode and Mary Gladsdale of Whaplode had published their banns commencing 12 May 1782 at Whaplode, Lincolnshire. They were married 30 May 1782 at Whaplode, Lincolnshire. Their son James Gladsdale Blake was baptized 23 Feb 1783 at Whaplode Drove, Lincolnshire son of William and Mary (Gladsdale) Blake. James Gladsdale Blake married Ann Richardson 10 May 1808 at Kingscliffe, Northamptonshire.  James died 19 Sep 1845 Godmanchester, Huntingdonshire. Ann widow of James Gladsdale Blake of Godmanchester died 13 Dec 1867 (aged 83 years) (Find My Past).

William and Mary (Gladsdale) Blake baptized the following children:

James Gladsdale Blake baptized 23 Feb 1783 at Whaplode Drove, Lincolnshire
William baptized 29 Jul 1784 at Whaplode Drove, Lincolnshire
Martha baptized 16 Dec 1788 at Whaplode Drove, Lincolnshire; buried 1 May 1791
Mary baptized 19 Sep 1790 at Whaplode Drove, Lincolnshire
John baptized Mar 1794 at Whaplode Drove; buried 21 Sep 1794 Whaplode Drove

William brother of the testator is mentioned in the will below along with a  Mary (Blake) Pridgeon who had married Abraham Pridgeon. 

Trees online have William (father of the testator) as the son of James Blake (of Crowland or Whaplode Drove) and Elizabeth Bernard. Crowland borders the parish of Whaplode Drove.  James and Elizabeth married 23 Jun 1742 at Whaplode Drove, Lincolnshire (Find My Past) and the following children were baptized:

Sarah 28 May 1746 at Crowland, Lincolnshire
John baptized 28 Feb 1755 at Crowland, Lincolnshire
Michael 4 Sep 1761 at Crowland, Lincolnshire
William baptized 4 Sep 1761 at Crowland, Lincolnshire

There was a James Blake baptized 23 Mar 1719 at Crowland, Lincolnshire son of James and Sarah Blake. There was a James Blake married 13 Jul 1717 to Sarah Dixon at Cowbit, Lincolnshire. It is 6.5 miles from Crowland to Cowbit. No other children were discovered for this couple.

Online there is an Inventory for James Blake Senior of Crowland published 17 October 1743

http://www.lincstothepast.com/Untitled/1318492.record?ImageId=564464&pt=S

At this time, his son James would have been 24 years of age and already married to Elizabeth Bernard.

Decided to investigate James Senior to see if I could find his parents/baptism. No discovery of Blake family at Crowland/Cowbit/Whaplode Drove prior to this marriage in 1719.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 9 Jan 2017
Source:  The National Archives, PROB 11/2023
Name of testator: James Gladsdale Blake
Place: Huntingdonshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated 30 Dec 1841, probated 19 Sep 1845
Read: Electronic file images

[In margin] James Gladsdale Blake 7

1    In the Name of God Amen
2    I James Gladsdale Blake of Godmanchester in the county of
3    Huntingdon Gentleman being of sound and disposing mind, memory and
4    understanding do make publish and declare this my last will and
5    Testament in manner and form following that is to say First I give
6    devise and bequeath unto my Brother William Blake all those my
7    freehold messuages lands tenements hereditaments and premises with
8    the appurtenances situate lying and being in Whaplode Drove in the
9    Parish of Whaplode in the County of Lincoln and now in the tenure of
10    the said William Blake and his undertenants Mary Pridgeon and
11    William Blake Pridgeon to have and to hold all and every the said
12    lands tenements and hereditaments with the appurtenances situate as
13    aforesaid to him the said William Blake his heirs and assignes for
14    ever and I give and bequeath unto my dear wife Ann Blake all the
15    plate linen china household goods and Furniture of all kinds which
16    shall be in my dwelling house at the time of my death and also I
17    give and bequeath to my said wife by and out of the rents issues and
18    profits of all my said estates an annuity or yearly sum of Fifty pounds
19    for and during her natural life and the said annuity to be paid and payable
20    by half yearly payments on the first day of May and on the first day of
21    November in each year by even and equal portions the first payment of the same to
22    begin and be made on such of the said days as shall first happen after
23    my decease And also I give and bequeath to my Sister Mary Griffin the
24    Wife of Richard Griffin of Easton in the County of Northampton by and
25    out of the said rents issues and profits of all my said Estates an annuity
26    or yearly sum of Ten pounds for and during her natural life And the
27    said annuity to be paid and payable by half yearly payments on the
28    first day of May and on the first day of November in each year by even
29    and equal portions the first payment of the same to begin and be made
30    on such of the said days as shall first happen after my decease And I give
31    and bequeath all my money securities for money and all my Personal
32    Effects and not before given unto my said Brother William Blake
33    And I do nominate constitute and appoint my said Brother William
34    Blake whole and sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament
35    having revoking and making void all and every other Will or Wills at
36    anytime heretofore by me made and do declare this to be my last Will
37    and Testament In witness whereof I the said James Gladsdale Blake
38    have hereunto set my hand and seal this thirtieth day of December
39    1841 James Gladsdale Blake Signed, sealed published and
40    declared by the within named James Gladsdale Blake as and for
41    his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who at his request and
42    in his presence have subscribed our names as witnesses thereto
43    Jonathan Jacob Thomas Talbot George Edis Huntingdon
44    Proved at London 19th September 1845 before the Worshipful
45    Augustus Frederic Bayford doctor of Laws and Surrogate by the Oath
46    of William Blake the brother the sole Executor to whom admon
47    was granted having been first duly [sworn] to administer

Will of Caroline Blake, Huntingdonshire - The National Archives PROB 11/1702, probated 25 Aug 1825

The testator Caroline Blake died the 11th November 1824 (buried the 16th Nov 1824 at Hartford, Huntingdonshire) and was identified as the daughter of the late Mr Cawthorn Blake of Sapley Heath and niece to Mr John Wood nurseryman in the Stamford Mercury published 19 Nov 1824 in Stamford, Lincolnshire. 

Cawthorn Blake married Ann Wood (Aunt and Uncle Wood mentioned in the will) 19 May 1785 at All Saints Huntingdon, Huntingdonshire.

Children of Cawthorn Blake and Ann Wood:

James
Charles 1788, buried at Pidley Cum Fenton 18 Mar 1817 aged 28 years (not mentioned in the will below)
Ann 1790 (married to John Edward Barnett)
Mary 1793, buried at Pidley Cum Fenton 5 Apr 1806 aged 13 years (not mentioned in the will below)
Caroline 1799, died 11 Nov 1824
Elizabeth
Samuel

Cawthorne Blake, husbandman of Hartford, Huntingdonshire, died by 16 Nov 1805 when his will was proved at Huntingdon (IR 26/370/84). A document held in the Norris Museum (UK) is the lease of Sapley Farm by L.W. Brouncker of Great Canford, Dorset to Samuel and Cathorne Blake of Sapley, Huntingdonshire for seven years, 2 Jul 1804.

John Edward Barnett (brother in law to the testator) married Ann Blake 7 Sep 1816 at St Marys and St Benedicts, Huntingdon, Huntingdonshire. The children of John Edward Barnett and Ann Blake mentioned in the will:

Ann
John 1819
But also probably includes Robert 1820, Thomas 1822 and Edward 1823 not mentioned directly by name.

Cawthorne Blake (baptized 28 Dec 1757 at Godmanchester, Huntingdonshire) was the son of Cawthorn Blake (baptized 29 Oct 1722 at Glatton, Huntingdonshire son of Cawthorn Blake and Mary Sayer) and Ann Seward who married 3 Jul 1753 at Great Paxton, Huntingdonshire.

Cawthorn baptized 28 Dec 1757
John 1762
William 1766
Catherine 1769
Charles 1770

A Cawthorne Blake was buried 19 Apr 1679 at Godmanchester, Huntingdonshire.

A Cawthorne Blake was buried 28 Jul 1782 at Godmanchester, Huntingdonshire, farmer.

A Cawthorn Blake of Knapwell, Cambridgeshire (married to Mary Sayer of Conington, Huntingdonshire 11 Dec 1716 at St Benedicts, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire)) was perhaps baptized 29 Aug 1682 at Glatton, Huntingdonshire son of John and Hannah Blake.

Unable to determine the origin of this Blake family with the unusual forename of Cawthorne with records back into the 1600s at Godmanchester, Huntingdonshire.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 8 Jan 2017
Source:  The National Archives, PROB 11/1702
Name of testator: Caroline Blake
Place: Huntingdonshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated 20 June 1824, probated 25 Aug 1825
Read: Electronic file images

[In margin] Caroline Blake 11

1    In the Name of God Amen
2    June 20th 1824 I Caroline Blake do will and bequeath to my eldest Sister Ann
3    Barnett the sum of £50 to her husband John Edward Barnett a mourning ring
4    To James Blake elder brother  65 to Elizabeth Blake younger sister 60 to Samuel Blake
5    younger brother 40 to my Aunt and Uncle Wood 20 To my Cousin James Wood 5 To Ann
6    the eldest daughter of John Edward Barnett 10 To John his eldest Son 5 The
7    remaining children 5 Clothes books Jewells etc to be equally divided between my two
8    Sisters Ann Barnett and Elizabeth Blake the latter to have Grand Mothers wedding ring All
9    to have an equal share in the payment of debts and funeral expences any money coming in
10    from estates or land to be equally divided between my brothers and sisters aforesaid my remains
11    to be interred at Hartford in the County of Huntingdon Executor and Executrix Mr John
12    Edward Barnett and Elizabeth Blake Sister Caroline Blake Elizabeth Hayes and Mary Wadland
13    Witnesses
14    Proved at London 25th August 1825 before the Worshipful John Danbery Dr of Laws
15    and Surrogate by the oath of John Edward Barnett one of the Executors to whom Admon
16    was granted having been first sworn duly to administer power reserved to Elizabeth Blake the
17    sister the other Executor