Will of John Blake of Martin - SWRO P2/6 Reg/58, probated 23 Feb 1581/82

This will of John Blake testator precedes that of his wife Elizabeth (1583) blogged a few days ago. John Gerrett and Agnes are to be married in this will and married in her mother's will. John ends his will with the comment on the four pounds which he held in trust for someone who is now deceased and announces that if anyone can claim the amount they may do so when the will is probated.

Again this is a family that has daughtered out in the 1500s as no son is mentioned who will carry the Blake surname down into the next generation. I still wonder if this is John Blake the son of Agnes Blake widow who left her will in 1562 at Martin. Still to be read at Martin is the will of William Blake 1545. There are no other wills at Martin for the Blake family on the website.

Searching in Access to Archives at the National Archives I did not find any information on the Blake family at Martin, Salisbury. Perhaps one day I will be able to link this family with other Blake families in nearby Wiltshire but for the moment they must be just a small grouping at Martin for whom the only descendants of John and Elizabeth Blake do not carry the Blake surname. Since I do not trace past one generation of a daughter marrying then about all I will do with the information at the moment is to see if I can locate marriages for the daughters and to see if there are any grandchildren.

There was a Blake family at Martin on the 1841 census: George Blake (farmer) 35, Sarah Blake, Matilda Blake and Mary Blake. Perhaps he is a descendant of William whose will I have not yet transcribed or a cousin to the earlier family.When Family Search comes up again I will have a look for George Blake married to Sarah to see if I can find any information and will add it to this blog.

Looking at the wills for Martin there is a will by George Blake P1/1817/25 dated 1817 and he was an innholder at Salisbury (comes up with a search for Martin) and another will in 1803 for a James Blake also an innkeeper at Salisbury which might prove interesting to anyone searching these families. They are available for purchase at the Archives. Probably one day I will purchase unless I get to the office first!

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 20 Oct 2012
Source:  Swindon and Wiltshire Record Office P2/6 Reg/58
Name of testator: John Blake
Place: Martyn, Wiltshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated: 15 Jan 1581/82, probated 23 Feb 1581/82 (new style)
Read: Electronic file images
Condition: 16th century, middle English, clear copy (few smudges)
[Margin] Blake 58

1    In the name of god Amen the xv th day of Januarij in the xxiiij th yere
2    of her ma[jes]ties reigne I John Blake of Martyn w[i]thin the countie of Wilts[hir]e
3    beinge sicke in body but of good and p[er]fecte memory (thanks be unto god) doe
4    make and ordayne this my last will and testament in mann[er] and forme folowinge (That is
5    to say) First I geve and bequeth my sowle into t[he ]hands of Christ Jesus my only
6    Savio[u[r and redem[er] and my body to be buried w[i]thin the churche yard of martin
7    aforsaid It[e]m I geve and bequethe unto o[u]r Lady churche in Sa[lisbur]y iij d and to the
8    p[ar]ishe churche of Martyn aforsaid a xii d It[e]m I geve and bequethe iiij d apeece
9    to ev[er]y godechilde I have It[e]m I geve unto my daughter Katheryn thirtie sheepe one
10    cowe and the greatest brasse panne to be deliv[er]ed unto her att the age of fouer=
11    tenne yeres It[e]m I geve and bequeth unto my daughter Margarett fifte new
12    sheepe one cowe and one of the littell brasse pannes yf either of them
13    happen to decease before shee come to lawfull age or be married the
14    other to have her legacie and portion It[e]m I geve and bequithe unto my daughter
15    Agnes one platter and one pottenger one barrell one cowle and the cubberd
16    next to the chamber doore It[e]m I geve and bequethe  xii d apeice unto bothe
17    my men servants It[e]m I geve and bequethe unto John Kinge iiij d To Will[ia]m
18    Macler iiij d To John Bacheler iiij d And to Mother Bayley iiij d It[e]m
19    I ordayne make and appoynt my wel[l ]beloved in Christ Will[ia]m Hu[r]st and George
20    Weiks to be my overseers of this my last will and testament to whom I
21    geve and bequethe xij d a pice for their paynes All the rest of my goods
22    moveable and unmoveable unbequethed and not geven All my debtts what=
23    soev[er] in ev[er]y respecte fully paid and levied my body buried my fun[er]all
24    expens[e]s discharged And all things conteyned in this my last will and testame[n]t
25    dewly p[er]formed accordinge to the trewe purporte and playne meaninge thereof
26    in all things I geve and bequethe unto Elizabethe my wife whom I make my
27    full and whole executrix Thes beringe witnes Richard Wall clerk W[illia]m
28    Hurst  and George Weiks My debts I owe are these Imprimis to John
29    Gerrett my sonne in lawe tenne sheepe to be deliv[er]ed to him att sheare tyme
30    next tyme to him more the tyllinge of his bargayne this barley seade
31    also sufficient meate drinke washinge and other necessaries therto belonginge
32    for him and his wife untill michaelmas next accordinge to my p[ro]mis to him
    [Page 2]
33    with the marriage of my daughter Agnes his wife and no otherwise It[e]m
34    I owe to John Androse my ten[a]nte xv li of money It[e]m ther was a claryne
35    legacie of fouer pounds of money left in my hands upon truste by Henry
36    Mowlon to the use and behalfe of John Grigge decessed w[hi]ch said somme my
37    will is shal[l ]be paid p[ri]v[a]tely to suche as of and by any lawfull right shall
38    att any tyme clayme the same hereafter

Jonson family at Abbotts Ann

There is also a Jonson family at Abbotts Ann. I have not yet found the baptism for Susannah Johnson (possible daughter of Roger Johnson and Mary and the wife of Anthony Beaver at Upper Clatford. Notably in 1586 there is a Roger Jonsone baptized at Abbotts Ann and the son of William Jonsone. There is a Roger Johnson married to Margaret and they baptized Roger Johnson 30 May 1641 at Upper Clatford. I shall have to make note of the Jo[h]nson family at Abbotts Ann. There is only one line of the Johnson family at Upper Clatford.

The Hurst family dominates the parish registers at Abbotts Ann in this time period. Harry Hurst is Churchwarden in this time period. There are a number of Hurst  families with heads of household being Henry Hurst, John Hurst, Richard Hurst, Roger Hurst, Thomas Hurst, and William Hurst in the period from 1561 to 1587 where I currently am transcribing. The marriages may help to separate these men into fathers and sons although they could be different families just sharing the same surname.

Most years there are less than ten baptisms in this early time period. No new Blake baptisms and checking the IGI there does not appear to be a lot of Blake baptisms before the 1700s.

I am thinking about the Research Interests webpage for BIFHSGO. I manage the Research Interests and I like the idea of a new method of recording. Devon FHS has a very nice setup where you enter all the material yourself. You have a password and can update or remove at will. I think this is a good system and must think of how to write that up. The system would still require a coordinator to assist with problems entering, monitor the webentries and lost passwords. It would be nice to be able to have a search function that would let you pull up particular names and perhaps even be able to choose the county you wish to search.