Who Jone was remains a mystery unless her surname was Jesra as she mentions a Thomas Jesra of Foskett (perhaps Foxcott).
Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 19 Feb 2014
Source: Family Search, Film # 186682, Catalogue A-377, page 163
Testator: Jone Blake, widow
Place: Enham, Hampshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 23 Mar 1527/1528
[Margin]: copied test[ament]
1 In die no[m]i[n]e Ame[n] the yer of owre lord god oon thowsand fyve hundredth xxvij the xxiij day of the month of marche
2 I Jone Blake widdow w[i]t[h] a hoyll mynde and a good memorye maketh my laste wyll and testamente in thys man[ner] Fyrste I
3 Com[m]end my soll unto allmyghty god owre lady saynt marey to all the saynts in hevyn and my Body to be buryd in
4 the chyrche or the chyrche lyttyn of saynt mykell of enahm It[em] I gyffe and bequeth onto ye mother chyrche of saynt swe
5 thyns xij d It[em] I gyvv and bequeth to ye chyrche of enahm vj s viij d It[em] I gyvv and bequeth xxvj s viij d to be dystrybute
6 unto poor pepyll in pen[n]y doyll It[em] I gyff and bequeth unto my curat Sy[r] Rychard Mersser xx d It[em] I gyff and bequethe
7 to Sy[r] John Batte xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeth to mayntenyg of the mo[r]row masse prest in Andover xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeth
8 to mayntenyg of Jhe masse in ye chyrche of Andover xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeth unto the p[ri]or of the freer Augustines
9 in wynchest[er] xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeth to Sy[r] Joh[a]n[nis] Whyte freer xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeth unto ev[er]y of freer of ye
10 sayd Augustynes th[a]t ys prest iiij d and to ev[er]y novesse ij d of ye sayd place It[em] I gyff and bequeth to ye chyrche of Fosket
11 to mayntenyg of ye light before saynt Jamys and saynt Sonday xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeth unto my dowghter Elsabet
12 mylne xx shepe beside yos y[a]t she hathe allredy and oon Cowe y[a]t I bowght of hyr and xiij s iiij d of money and my gretst
13 pan and fowre plat[t]erst I gyff and bequeth unto my son Nycolas Blake ye tabyll in ye hall and oon clothe callyd ye hallyg
14 and two yryne racks It[em] I gyff and bequeth unto my son Robert Blake oon yryne broche and xviij shepe ye wheche
15 shepe he hath in kepyng It[em] I gyff and bequeth unto Thome Jesra of Fosket oon yryne broche The resydew of
16 all my goods moveabyll and unmoveabyll I have not legate I gyff and bequeth unto my chyld[er]ne Nycolas Blake
17 Robert Blake and to Thome Jefra of Fosket and ye sayd goods to be devydytt emongys them equaly ev[er]y oon of
18 them elyke mo[r]e[or]l[e]ss It[em] I make my sonys Nycolas Blake and Robert Blake my trell executors and Thome Jefra of
19 Fosket my sup[er]visor y[a]t he see my last wyll and testament Inplet[ed] and fulfyllyd and the foresaid executors to dypo
20 se for the heylth of my soll as thay shall see moyst expedient thes wytnesses Sy[r] Rychard Mersser Syr
21 Joh[a]n[nis] Batte Nycolas Blake Robert Blake w[i]t[h] other
No probate was located for this will of Jone BLAKE, widow of Enham.
Richard BLAKE (Blayke), Knights Enham, left his will dated 12 Apr 1522 and probated 23 May 1522. Unfortunately, I have not found tax records for Knights Enham earlier than 1598 but these later records indicate only one BLAKE line as both of these individuals are descendant of Jone BLAKE whose will is blogged above. Hence I put forward the thought that this will left by Richard BLA[Y]KE was the husband of Jone BLAKE.
British History Online has a very interesting section of Knight's Enham and King's Enham which at the time of the Domesday Book was regarded as Enham but two different holdings equal in size:
https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/hants/vol4/pp377-379
Continuing to read this early history found online an interesting comment under "Manor" last line first paragraph: " At the end of the 15th century it was said, like so many neighbouring manors, to be held of the freemen of Andover by fealty (Chan. Inq. p.m. (ser. 2), xi, 110). One notes that Lord Sandys is referred to in a number of the wills of the BLAKE family at Enham (see blog posts for William BLAKE and Nicholas BLAKE). Further on under the "Manor" section:" ....SirWilliam Sandys, died seised of the manor jointly with his wife in 1496, before which date it had been entailed on them and their heirs (Chan. Inq. p. m. (Ser. 2), xi, 110). His descendants, the Lords Sandys of the Vyne, continued to hold it until the middle of the 17th century (Recov. R. Mich. 4 Edw. VI, rot. 535; Mich. 42 Eliz. rot. 172; Trin. 1649, rot. 42; Feet of F. Div Co. Trin. 1649)."
Richard mentions his wife (but not by name), his son Nichi[las]. He mentions his brothers Robert and Thomas who are still living at this time. He does not mention his son Robert or his daughter Elizabeth as far as my rough transcription of Latin seems to indicate.
Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 13 Aug 2013
Source: Family Search – Film 186681, A-658 and Item 195
Testator: Richard Blayke
Place: Knights Enham, Hampshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 12 April 1522, probated 23 May 1522
Wrapper: 1522 Rich[ard]us Blake De Enham
Wrapper: P[ro]batu[m] fuit xxiij de Maij mu[ ]day infra villa de Andev[er]
1 In die no[min]e Ame[n] xij die m[en]si[s] d’Ap[ri]lis Anno d[omi]ni M ccccc xxij Ergo Richardus blayke cy[m]pos
2 me[n]t[i]s sane q[ue] memorie t[ame]n eg[e]r corpore condo et ordino testament[um] meu[m] de mea[m] labor[aci]on[em] volu[n]tat[em]
3 in h[u]nc modu[m] In p[ri]mis et lego A[n]i[m]am mea[m] deo patri o[mni]pote[n]ti be[ate] marie v[ir]gini o[mn]ibus s[anc]tis
4 Corpus q[ue] meu[m] sepeliendu[m] in cimitt[er]io p[a]rochialis eccl[es]ie s[anc]ta michaelie archang[e]li de
5 enham It[e]m lego mat[ric]e eccl[es]ie winton xij d It[e]m lego p[re]dute eccl[es]ie de enham xl d
6 It[e]m do eccl[es]ie p[a]rochiali[s] de Andov[er] xx d It[e]m lego fr[atr]i meo Thome Blayke xl s
7 ut ip[s]e videar ____ mea vlv volunt[at]us suit testam[entu]s in Jurius duslerat et p[er]vient
cum tenementas It[e]m volo q[uod] Uxor[i] mea habeat
8 Firmam mea p[ro] tempo exp[re]sso in endentua iux[ta] as[s]ignatorum Roberti Blayke pri[mi]s
9 mei nichi et uxori mee de h[er]edibus u[ost]ris fait It[e]m do p[ar]ochiali presbicto[rum] xl d w[i]t[h]
10 ip[s]e oret p[ro] salute ai[nim]e mee It[e]m volo q[uod] uxor mea h[ab]eat custodia[t] talus mei
11 dura[n]te vita sua et post decessu[m] p[r]imo yedder sup[ra]dict eccl[es]ie de enham It[e]m lego
12 unicuiq[u]e Filiora[m] meor[um] cowes It[e]m do matri mee xl d ac volo q[uod] h[ab]eat victu et
13 vestitu[m] de bo__e meus q[uod] duo vixit It[e]m lego et unicuiq[ue] filior[am] meor[um] unden
14 vacta[ ] et vi[su]m lactu[ ] cum p[er]tin[en]ces Residuum v[er]o omn[ium] bonor[um] meor[um] do et lego uxori
15 mee qua[m] ordino de constituo executore[m] mea[m] et mi[ni]strare ut ipsa h[ab]eat acinde
16 Disponat p[re]sente die mee et sua ep[iscop]a utilitate s[ic]ut ei melius videbit[ur] insutu[r]
17 expedire deo place[r]e et an[im]e mee p[ro]fice[re] d[omi]ni dat[um] die Anno sup[ra]dict[i]s p[ertin]entibus
18 d[omi]no J[o]h[n]e battey curat[e] Thoma Blayke and Richarde Goldyn cum aliis dimis[s]is
19 P[ro]batu[m] fuit xxiij de me[n]sis maij in
20 cum du sup[ra]dicta in Capella infra villa de Andev[er]
21 Ergo fuit B bo____
The will of Robert BLAKE of Enham, written in Latin and following), does have one line at the end in English which is rather interesting. "Also I reserve to my sonne Richarde my farme and my tenemente that I do dwelth nowe." Finding these wills as I worked my way back in time through the BLAKE family from Upper Clatford back to Andover and then back to Enham was amazing. Robert was likely quite elderly when he died so born in the mid 1400s more or less. There were BLAKE names in the Manor Books of Andover but I have yet to tackle those "all in Latin" documents but do plan to make that attempt in the future. The earliest record that I found was in 1305 and that is a whole other story which I have discussed in my blogs through the years.
Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 3 Jan 2014
Source: Hampshire Record Office, 1522B-04 (should be 1521B-??)
Testator: Robert Blake
Place: Enham, Hampshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 16 Dec 1521
Condition: 16th century English, legible copy
[Margin]: 1522B-04 (should be 1521B-??)
1 In die no[m]i[n]e Ame[n] xvj die dece[m]b[r]is An[n]o d[omi]ni M ccccc xxj Ergo robertij blayke co[m]pos me[n]t[i]s et sane memoyre
2 asti[pula]tus testame[n]tu[m] [i]n hunc modu[m] In primis do et lego a[n]i[m]am mea[m] deo p[at]ri o[mn]ipote[n]ti corpus qu[e] meu[m] sepeliendu[m] [i]n cimit[t]erio
3 p[ar]ochialij eccl[es]i[a]e s[an]cti michaels de Enh[a]m It[e]m do et lego ad mat[ri]ce ecclesie xii d It[e]m do et lego ecclesie de enh[a]m
4 xl s et una[m] vaccam It[e]m do et lego ecclesis de andever xl oves vef p[or]cus eap quod er iij £ quas yearly kyne
5 habet i[n] custodia Item do et lego uxori mee x £ q[uod] joh[han]es howton debet It[e]m do et lego uxori mee x quarte
6 _uas frume[n]ti et xx ordeu[m] It[e]m do et lego tome filio meo cc omn[ia] It[e]m do et lego andre blayke una[m] tenem[entum]
7 gra[tia] victus It[e]m do et lego tome longe unu[s] diplade et una came[ra]cia It[e]m do et lego tome filio mee una bictel[ ] and una whipblade
8 cu[m] p[ar]ts et un[u]m par[ ] notay monay It[e]m do et lego thome filio una ara[bilis] terra que vocato bene semers
9 cu[m] ______ It[e]m do et lego Wyllimo gelzeyr una[m] toga[m] It[e]m do et lego rycardo goldyng alia[m] toga[m] It[e]m do et lego
10 Robarto tary una tunica[m] It[e]m do et lego unicum que suor[or] meor[um] videlicet viro[rum] ac mulier[is] una[m] ane[llus] It[e]m do et
11 lego tome filio meo duas diplades ab It[e]m do et lego robarto Galavay una[m] toga[m] It[e]m do et lego tome
12 filio meo duas diplades It[e]m do et lego Wyllmo blayke una[m] vacca[m] It[e]m do et lego tome filio meo duas pullos
13 et duo verv[ex] It[e]m wyllmo Fuynere debet m[eo] ppt viij modios frume[n]tie et quoliket modio[s] xvi s It[e]m Assigno
14 Tome filio meo una t[enement]a que vacat[o] Rawkynys It[e]m do et lego volo q[uod] una[m] p[re]sbite[r] celebr[at] et in ecclie par[is]h de Enh[a]m
15 p[ro] salute a[n]i[m]e meo et p[ro] ecclie _______ p[ro] spac[iu]m un[ius] anni It[e]m do et lego robarto blayke una[m] vacca[m] et residuum om[n]i[um] bonor[um]
16 meor[um] test[amentu]m mobilium q[uam] immobilium It[em] do et lego ricardo filio meo quo[s] ordino meos veros executores ut
17 ip[s]e disponat p[ro] salute a[n]i[m]e meo hiis testib[u]s d[omi]no johane battey thoma blayke robarto tary
18 et aliis
19 Also I reserve to my sonne Richarde my farme and my tenemente that I do dwelth nowe
I do have copies of the wills of Thomas and Robert sons of Robert Bla[y]ke which I have read but not yet transcribed. One is left to ponder did my line choose the surname Blayke which gradually became BLAKE? Or did they acquire the surname BLAKE by marriage.
This concludes my recitation of the BLAKE family of Andover and surrounding area. In hopes that as I continue to blog on and talk about this BLAKE family the errors made by Horatio Somerby Gates will gradually disappear from genealogies of BLAKE families. Nicholas BLAKE earned his place in history and it is a proud although small part that he played. If I accomplish nothing else with my BLAKE one-name study I at least feel that I have informed, over time, a wide audience of the actual descendancy of this BLAKE family of Andover and area. My own line lived its life mostly within a couple of kilometres of the centre of Andover. My father was born at Eastleigh but his memories of Upper Clatford/Goodworth Clatford were strong as he visited with his grandparents often and knew all of his cousins before coming to Canada as a child of nine years of age with his parents (Samuel George BLAKE and Ada Bessie Cotterill Rawlings (aka Edith Bessie Taylor)) in 1913.
