Basement cleaning day

 Yesterday the  main floor did get cleaned a little later in the day than usual but it is complete except for washing the floors that are linoleum and the stairs which are wooden. Today it is the basement and the Robot is doing its chore. I always check it first now to ensure it is fully charged. That is our duty as the caretaker of robots; to maintain them and keep them well appointed to do the task they are assigned. 

I did glance at the next of the last two matches to do and it is an interesting one mostly because of what is not there.  It only matches my sister and is a good Rawlings matches including at X match at FT DNA but it should also have myself in the one length (there are three interesting lengths in this match). Why am I missing, that is very unusual with FT DNA. Both are original kits with FT DNA Family Finder testing two years apart. But the interesting part is that my kit uploaded from Ancestry does match my sister so it does tell me that there is a difference in the two years with the chip used to test in those time frames. So I do match as proven with the Ancestry (taken into Gedmatch by the owner)  matching the FT DNA result. I will likely complete those two matches today and as I approach the end of the month I will start to think about using CoPilot from my new Microsoft purchase of Microsoft yearly software as I move on from Microsoft 2016. I meant to upgrade it many times but just never got to it. But now the desire to work with AI necessitates my moving on. But first I will check all the databases for anything new in the last month in terms of large matches. 

I can feel a huge cohesion developing in Canada these days as we forge ahead with our Arctic protection with the global warming affecting the accessibility to the many deep water ports in the north that belong to Canada. The ability to alter how trade moves between continents is about to take place. Really it should be a friendlier world with so much to gain from co-operation but rogue nations continue to plague that ability and create difficulties that do not need to exist in the human picture. That they exist pose the greatest threat to humanity yet really. People are too selfish that demonstrate this rogue attitude in the world. It is all about them and nothing about humanity in particular. 

I am slowly getting used to this Google takeover of FitBit which I believe they own in terms of aggressive chatter directed at the user. I have managed myself these 80 years and intend to continue doing so until I cannot. However, it is collecting the data in a way that I used to look at having collected it myself so that is probably handy. We will see but I have no interest in the Premium package as it takes up too much of my time to look at and decide it is interesting. My exercise is done on the fly so to speak. I come to a point where I decide to exercise and prefer that as it doesn't interrupt my day. At the moment I need to get my 250 steps for this hour and will stop and do it and then return to writing my blog.   

So what do I actually hope to create with my large matches file (nearly 4400 lines and includes all of the chromosomes 1 to 23)? The intent is to bring together all of my known information simply drag it into a Legacy chart and then add what I find in terms of known matches and the cousin knowledge unknown matches to see how far back this information can take me. Then all the Blake wills that help to fill in the missing items from the 1400s on will be rolled in to this chart and I will have my genealogical chart from 1400 (or earlier if the material I have warrants their addition) to probably the end of the 1800s and into the early 1900s. My father was born in 1904 and likely I will include him as a child of Samuel George Blake my grandfather born in 1875. That should work for anyone looking at the chart as the census pretty much helps everyone in my Blake line with placing themselves into the correct sibling descent with Samuel or into the John Blake family (baptized 1799) and the father of Edward Blake (born 1845) who was the father of Samuel. I do have known descendants of Thomas (father of John baptized 1799) who was baptized in 1767 and the first generation of this Blake line at Upper Clatford with his father being Joseph Blake (baptized 1730 at Andover) and the son of Thomas Blake (baptized 1709 at Andover) and the son of Thomas Blake (baptized 1685 at Andover) and the son of John Blake (baptized 1649 at Andover) and Elizabeth (unknown) with John being the son of William Blake (baptized 1615 at Andover) and Ann Hellier. William (baptized 1615) was the son of William Blake and Dorothy Madgwick and William was the son of Richard Blake and Jone Blake with this Richard the son of  William Blake and Elizabeth (unknown) and the son of  Nicholas Blake married to Margaret Blake and the wills preceding Nicholas will support this furtherance back in time to Richard Blake and then Robert Blake and potentially the John Blake found at Knights Enham in the early 1300s having likely adopted his wife's surname as his own surname. So an interesting trip for sure. It fits in with what my grandfather told me although this seven year old going on eight but not quite there has a somewhat hazy memory of some of that information prior to Joseph. Forenames all jumbled but Nicholas stood out very prominently. 

Time to check on the vacuum it has had its hour to do the rugs.  

A new week - basement cleaning

Interesting service on Racial Justice but I have to say that I think anyone that is different from the norm that is around most people does have a more difficult time in life. Some people dislike you automatically because you are different. It is a pity but perhaps it was a reflex on the part of early humans protecting themselves in a new environment - no idea on that really. The answer is just to accept people around you so long as they accept you and respect you. If not than just go your own way and make a life. But maybe that is too simplified. I, being English Caucasian, do not experience dislike because of the colour of my skin so I listen and learn. The dislike that comes my way tends to be for a different reason (unknown to me mostly as I have always lead a quiet life if I was able).  Anyway an interesting service and a welcoming one as a Church should be. When I was a volunteered secretary at Edward's Church I welcomed everyone new that came to ask queries at the table where I was standing in my capacity as volunteer church secretary. As I had learned from my mother at a young age the colour of your skin is a just a property of humanity like tallness etc. If we all felt that way it would be a better place for sure. At coming on 80 years of age I just live a very quiet life writing my books on my parent's families. 

Conrad Black wrote a very interesting editorial on Canada and I must say I am very much in agreement with what he wrote. As usual he captures the essence of the present happenings in a very readable way. 

Worked away on a few items yesterday but it was the rest day for my eyes and today is basement cleaning so will continue on the Latin documents through the day. This month of looking at the le Blak family of Normandy may provide new information that helps with my premise that the Blake family of Calne was descendant of Richard le Blak who received by patent the right to set up a market in England coming from his native Normandy in 1274. Since he was Norman it is highly likely he would quickly climb into a good position in England. Finding a Richard le Blak in Wargrave (near Windsor), Berkshire was an eye opener on the Pipe Rolls of 1301 and knowing that there was a Blake family at Speen, Berkshire in the 1500s that was familiar with/had land dealings with the Blake family at Andover does give me pause to think that linking stories between the Blake family at Calne and the Blake family at Andover may stem from this combination of incidents in the historical record. The historical records for this family have not necessarily all been examined (certainly not by me at this distance away) but finding the various items produced over time by family members and scholars has proven to be a stepping stone linking all of these incidences together and giving them a date that works better into the narrative. 

Why do I do it? Curiosity I think especially about that will of William Blake at Speen, Berkshire dated 10 Jun 1552/probated 28 Jul 1552 - "Item I give and bequeathe amonge all my chyldren to be equally devided / all my shepe and cattell that ys going upon the com[m]ons of Ando[ve]r Enh[a]m and Benh[a]m / Item I give and bequeathe anie of my said cheldren all the graynes that is unthresened and there ofe in the barnes of my holde in Knights Enh[a]m _cells in anye other of my houses then to be equally devided / Item I give and bequeathe amonge my said children all the profytts of my tenement in Knights Enh[a]m whiche William Blake of Knights Enh[a]m doth tyll for me for the somme of fyve pounds to be equally devyded / Item I give and bequeathe to Anthony Blake my sonne the Sixe houses with the ploughe and all th[e ]appurtenances there belonging now in the custody of William Blake with the leasse of my Tenements in Knights Enh[a]m / Item I will that all my goodes and cattalls whiche was removed from Enh[a]m to Benh[a]m to be Removed back agayne to Enh[a]m into the custodye of Robert Boswell my father in lawe Immediatley after my death." 

In this same will - William names his brothers as John and Richard (son is Anthony). William Blake at Knights Enham was the son of Nicholas Blake of Knights Enham who left his will in 1547. William Blake (of Knights Enham) and later at Eastonton left his will in 1582. Nicholas also mentions Robert Boswell in his will. All of these wills I have blogged earlier. The will of William Blake at Speen is very interesting as he was another William Blake with property in Andover but he is not the William Blake married to Avis Ripley mentioned on the Blake Pedigree Chart either as his wife was Ellyne. So the mystery does continue but the facts continue to come out in various documents helping to piece together this period of time and perhaps it will support the premise that I have made. Time will tell. The other part of the curiosity is that my grandfather (and father) actually mentioned this family lore that the Blake family of Andover was related to the Blake family of Calne although not with quite the same attention as they gave to the discussion on Nicholas of Old Hall, Knights Enham. Nicholas, to them, was real. I also did think that William Blake at Speen might be a son of Robert Blake brother to Nicholas Blake but this also was not true as William Blake can be located at Perwell near Andover with his wife Agnes. 

But it does suggest that at some point there was a relationship between these Blake families at Andover and Speen as this is into the 1500s and so we have a period of two hundred years since Richard le Blak was located at Wargrave with Speen being about halfway between Wargrave and Hungerford (Hungerford being in the north east of Wiltshire just over the county border but definitely on a pathway that could lead to Calne). But this William Blake at Speen does not refer to this Blake family as cousin so the relationship was not 1st or 2nd cousin but rather distant perhaps and that is consistent with the time span. 

I also have not found the parents of Robert Blake who left his will at Enham in 1521 (he was elderly for sure as his son Richard left his will in 1522 with older children of his own mentioned). Richard received property at Enham in the will of his father which is then held by Nicholas Blake. This Richard I believe to be the father of Nicholas and Robert (and their sister Elizabeth married to (unknown) Mylne).  There was a John Blake at Andover in the early 1300s and I do need to find that reference as I saw it a dozen years ago in perhaps the Manor Books. Will have to think about that but it was the first reference that I found in Andover to a Blake.

Breakfast finished and Latin next and will set up the I-robot to vacuum the rug in the basement.

The new tablet is a wonderful addition

 My tablet is working perfectly and fully equipped to suit me. The trip to get the power adapter smooth and efficient. It was lovely and thank you to the store for making it so easy. I asked if I could come and order my desktop next summer before Windows 10 maintenance disappears and no problem. So I was pleased. Thank you to Best Buy much appreciated. 

I actually did my Duolingo Latin on the tablet last evening and quite pleased with that result as well. The setup was easy and I have little to do now except update some of the apps that crossed over from my phone. That was also very efficient. Tablets have come a long way since I last used one in 2018. I always meant to replace the last one but COVID arrived and I just didn't really need one as I was pretty much home 24/7 with the desktop. My desktop though is now six years old and I was replacing it every three years so will be ready for the new one. This one still works very well but Windows 10 will no longer be supported towards the end of this year. It will not upgrade to Windows 11 but I would rather have a new one anyway. 

Read the Blake Book yesterday and it is already 86 pages. Found a few items here and there that I improved for the read of it but did not add much just smoothing out the read. I like it and I am not finding anything as I was a bit concerned after rereading the first Siderfin book. But I think my eyes just got very tired proofreading and I missed a few things. I did see it as many but actually it was not even an entire page of corrections/changes. Perhaps there were 15 items in total but I am a knit-picker. I have had a few thoughts on where I am going with the Blake book and I think that I do need to put in more about the Le Blak family of Rouen Normandy and see if I can actually sort out that line from their arrival along the Hampshire coast; their move inland to Berkshire and then to Wiltshire where they are eventually found in Calne. Proving that will be an interesting proposal and I know one of my co-administrators at the yDNA Blake project would really like that to happen. A lot of people have looked at this family likely because of the Pedigree Chart which the Royal College of Arms produced in concert with members of the family in 1690 with additions into the mid 1700s. There is one obvious error in that chart and the beginning is somewhat vague particularly using an item from the Calendar of Patent Rolls to discuss the progenitor of this family chart Richard le Blake and attributing to him a transfer of property that rightly belongs to Roger le Blake of Herefordshire. But it was a long time ago and the time between the creation of the Pedigree Chart and this event in the Calendar of Patent Rolls is itself a length of over four hundred years so I will proceed carefully and keep it historically accurate. It is always better to be right even if it doesn't paint quite the picture that was desired. The overall flow is pretty accurate although will check each generation carefully with the extant records. Why would I do this? I can sense my grandfather and his indignation that Nicholas Blake would be so badly used by a known fraud genealogist in the 1800s namely Horatio Gates Somerby. Nicholas was just a small holding landowner/farmer at Knights Enham who left his will in 1547. His son William amassed a considerable amount of land and holdings and lived at Eastonton (near Andover). This Blake family, likely descendant of the Robert Blake who left his will in 1521 naming his eldest son Richard and he also had sons William and Thomas, left their wills with great accuracy for five generations clearly noting siblings and children making it easy/straight forward to construct that pedigree chart. But in 1690 when the Pedigree Chart was created likely these wills were not quite so available and the Blake line that created it with the College of Arms support had left the Andover area about 100 years earlier. The Blake family (known to be of Andover) left in that area was not particularly large and no longer held the land they once did as far as I can tell. Continuing to work on that aspect as it helps with my direct line which tended to be younger sons for the most part with my great grandfather Edward Blake being the fifth and last son of John Blake and Ann (Farmer) Blake. 

There are two Pedigree Charts that claim the Andover Blake family was related to the Blake family at Calne but I propose that any linkage was actually with the le Blak family in Berkshire at a much earlier time period and wills of the Blake family in Berkshire (in the 1500s) support this idea but I need to prove it and time will tell if that is possible. I do find it intriguing that the future King of England (William, Prince of Wales) is related to the Blake family at Calne tracing back through his mother's line. I find it intriguing that he may also be descendant of the Blake family at Andover which appears to trace back to the beginnings of settlement/re-settlement of the British Isles after the Ice Age by the Western Hunter-Gatherers. One of the reasons that when I do publish this book it will be with an embargo permitting usage only by family members and academic researchers. I will place a copy in the Library of the Guild of one-name Studies where I am #4600. But I will restrict myself to the four years as I will want to move on to other lines of my family at some point in the future. 

Sunday and Church in Westminster apparently so looking forward to attending just after breakfast (nice that it is filmed five hours earlier than my time zone). It will be great if incoming President Trump does abolish daylight savings. I am looking forward to that. I do like the bright early mornings. 

Drinking my tea and soon my yoga and then breakfast.

Back to the Blake family of Andover

The entire day was spent on the Blake family of Andover. I continued pondering why my grandfather and father mentioned Nicholas of Old Hall. My grandfather could recite all the way back to Nicholas and actually beyond but this memory of an eight year old did over time lose direction and scramble some of that. It was mostly missing him and not wanting to think about him and thinking about the things he especially taught me did bring back the sadness of losing him.  Nowadays one would write it all down but memory was relied on heavily in those days still and one just didn't forget perhaps. But time passes and fortunately as I worked my way back the memory seemed to fit with the results amazingly! 

Looking at the cause of this renewed thought about Nicholas in the last twenty years in the 1800s and the early 1900s I checked the dates for Horatio Gates Somerby and he lived from 1805 to 1872. In 1881 a book was published "A Record of the Blakes of Somersetshire, Especially in the line of William Blake, of Dorchester, Massachusetts The Emigrant to New England: With one branch of his descendants from the notes of the late Horatio G Somerby." Actually this was published posthumously by W.H.W. So who was his ghost writer? I have not yet discovered that. This originally was a private publication which was produced for a particular Blake family by Horatio Gates Somerby and this family permitted the publication after the death of Somerby. Interesting really. At some point it gathered interest and many people with the Blake surname were able to trace back through their American lines and discovered Humphrey Blake who was the first well known Somerset Blake. And, most importantly, for this narrative said to be the brother of Nicholas Blake of Andover with both of these men said to be the sons of a William Blake and his wife Mary Coles. Mary said to be the daughter of Humphrey Coles of Somersetshire. The pedigree that leads to this William is also somewhat false or unknown coming down from the Calne Blake family but that is another story. Concentrating on this William said to be married to Mary Coles and have a son Nicholas of Old Hall, Eastonton, Hampshire and Humphrey (said to have moved to Over Stowey, Somerset). Nicholas does leave his will dated 31 May 1547 and probated 20 June 1547 and he is married to Margaret and has sons William and Edmund and daughters Elizabeth and Alice. However he also mentions his brother Robert and these two men are known to be the sons of Jone Blake who left her will as a widow dated 23 Mar 1527 appearing to still live at Enham, Hampshire. She mentions her son Nycolas Blake, her son Robert Blake and her daughter Elsabet Mylne. Her religious donations are to the Church at Enham. No mention of a son Humphrey and of course her name is Jone not Mary. 

At this moment in time more and more Americans were interested in finding their ancestral locations and perhaps the traffic to Andover, Hampshire in this quest had increased enough that it came to the notice of the Blake family there which resulted in discussion amongst those families which lead to the name of Nicholas known to have lived at Old Hall (which by then was a pile of rubble according to my great grandfather when he was a child). It did strike me as I was working my way back from my line at Upper Clatford that something must have caused this family to attach so much importance to Nicholas Blake at Old Hall. Joseph Blake did live in Andover before he married Joanna King at Upper Clatford (recorded by the priest in the Marriage lines) and his older son William returned to live at Andover but I have never investigated that actually so will have a look as time passes. My line comes down from the youngest son Thomas born posthumously several months after his father and older brother Thomas died. I wondered why Thomas and not Joseph for his name actually but a mother might select her baby's name over her husband's name - I can see that. There wasn't anyone from the Blake family (other than her other children) to encourage calling the baby Joseph. Both of Joseph's parents were dead and his only sibling, a brother Thomas was also deceased. Joseph's father Thomas was an only child and also deceased. So very interesting really and does provide a likely reason for the interest in Nicholas at Old Hall in the latter part of the 1800s after the publication of the above mentioned book in memory of Horatio Gates Somerby!

On to the day and I continue working and sorting the William Blake entries and I pulled out the Blake entries in The Hampshire Lay Subsidy Rolls, 1586, edited by C.R. Davy in 1981, Hampshire County Council. I purchased this book at Upper Clatford All Saints Church when we visited there in 2008. I actually threw out clothes so that I could get all my book purchases in on the return trip. I had had good suggestions on how to pack for a one month trip to England and really did appreciate that notion. It was a gradual thing throwing out clothes as we traveled the length and breadth of the British Isles that lovely spring of 2008. My husband was rather shocked as I never really throw anything out until it is absolutely unwearable. It always reminds me of my jumper actually that was given away when I was eight and I have always sort of clung to my clothes until there literally was no wear left. 

Hundred    Tithing    Abode    Year    Surname    Forename    Suffix    Type    Amount   
Andever    Knights Enham    Enham Militis    1586    Blake    Edward        G    15/15
Andever    Knights Enham    Enham Militis    1586    Blake    John    younger    G    5/5
Andever    Andever Extra    Penton Mewsy    1586    Blake    John    elder    G    4/4
Andever    Andever Extra    Penton Mewsy    1586    Blake    Thomas        G    3/3
Andever    Andever Extra    Charleton    1586    Blake    Nicholas        G    6/6
Andever    Andever Infra    Andever    1586    Blake    Peter    gent    L    4/5/4
Andever    Andever Infra    Andever    1586    Blake    Richard        G    3/3
Andever    Andever Infra    Andever    1586    Blake    William        G    15/15
Andever    Thorngate    West Titherly    1586    Blake    Richard        G    3/3
Andever    Thornegate    West Titherly    1586    Blake    Tristram        G    3/3
Andever    Andever Infra    Enham Regis    1586    Blake    Robert        G    4/4 

Buddlesgate    Fawley    Houghton    1586    Blake    John        G    3/3
Buddlesgate    Fawley    Sparshott    1586    Blake    John        G    6/6
Kingsclere    Pastroe    Coombe    1586    Blake    John        G    4/4

New Forest    Christchurch    Walampton and Sharprickes    1586    Blake    Richard        G    3/3
New Forest    Christchurch    Walampton and Sharprickes    1586    Blake    Thomas        G    3/3
New Forest    Christchurch    Bure    1586    Blake    widow        G    3/3
New Forest    Christchurch    Bure    1586    Blake    Henry        G    5/5      

I did attend the Ash Wednesday Service online but it was earlier in the day and a Roman Catholic Service in the United States on You-Tube. Evening is always going to be late for me as I like to not fall asleep watching the service. But one of the gifts of Internet is this ability to find a Church Service whenever you want. It is wonderful.   They addressed the online worshipers to make them feel part of the service. It was very like the Anglican Service without all the music. I watched the Anglican Service this afternoon. 

                       
 

 

Good advancement looking at North Molton

 Yesterday was a day of discovery with regard to North Molton. I actually discovered a two book thesis created by Norman Arnett in 1965 in England although the thesis itself is not online. But I did find one section looking at the population of North Molton had been reproduced in a journal. It was interesting to read through that. It would be wonderful if all of these theses could be put online as there is so much thought in them by young and eager researchers working towards advanced degrees. I may scan Edward's thesis and put it up online as his research is still ongoing around the world and he is still cited in people's work as his work was some of the initial study in his field. When I think of the waste of his entire class year that went on and did PhDs and did not receive tenured faculty positions in Canada I am truly concerned that we would educate so many students and then hire people who were from elsewhere outside the country - some for sure as diversity in research is important but not all - our own students should come first. If diversity is so great where are the Nobel prizes going; how many Canadian Nobel prizes are there in the history of Nobel prizes? Employment for our own first; diversity comes after that.

As I delve into the History of North Molton I am fortunate that British History Online has so much information available. An interesting Inquisition Postmortem for a John Pencombe was abstracted and he is the person of interest to me at the moment as I rather think it was his grandson or great grandson that came to North Molton with John Lord Zouch in the latter part of the 1480s although now I am wondering in what capacity he did come (I ordered the full document and it will come if possible to reproduce in a month or so but it is from one hundred years earlier; I just want a base to work with there in Herefordshire). Was he, the Pencombe who came, an adherent to the cause of Richard III or was he simply sent by the now King Henry VII to accompany the attainted John Lord Zouch to his relation's home in North Molton. Since the Pencombe family acquired lands in North Molton the latter does sound more likely. It could be that such a record exists in the files of King Henry VII. History is fascinating, I have always thought so actually but did not choose that as my study course, and pursuing it now in my old age is certainly a fascinating experience. 

I am gradually getting the revised Siderfin book to repositories so that it is available to researchers although the reads on my blog do indicate a large interest and this is not  a large family by any means as one would describe it as a small study. I am surprised not to have any comments with regard to my premises as I am sure lots of people have opinions but it is a very small family. It also takes time to disagree with a person.

Today is Blake research today and I  am still working on the yDNA chapter but also looking forward to talking about the early history of Andover, Hampshire, England although this family when it is first seen in the records is at Knights Enham which is now part of Andover. The John Blake that I noted in the early 1300s was a while ago and although I clearly remember seeing it I was a newbie at the time and did not properly record it. I always rely on my memory but these days I record in detail the source! Memory is good; but the written word much better.

Breakfast time is soon but a little more work first and I am charging up my Fitbit as it was running out. The Fitbit though needs replacing one of these days, it is over two years now since it was given to me and the newer ones are interesting. Does it control my life? not really as I can do without it but it is nice to have the 24 hour reflection on how I spent the day as exercise is important to me. I must start looking at the newer ones. 

The Spring Equinox and Into the Night

The Bible Reading today quite captured me in this time of tension in the world. God said to "let Love be your guide" (Ephesians 5:1-14).

Today is the Spring Equinox (about 5:30 pm today actually) and the world around me is slowly melting its huge piles of snow as the sun becomes more and more direct upon this part of the world. You can feel the heat through the windows and it is a welcome to the birds as they slowly return to their summer lodgings. 

I have been watching a show on Netflix while I am doing my fourty minute run every day and it is called "Into the Night." It is a story of a sun gone rogue sending gamma rays towards Earth and the light of the sun destroys human life as sunrise begins in the day on this particular day and a group of people are on an airplane still in the dark and are warned of the danger so they take off into the night and continue flying around the world trying to find a place of refuge from the sun. Absolutely fascinating story; some of these story lines that are developed in the sort of fantasy-science fiction world are amazing. I must say my reading for most of my life did not include fantasy or science fiction - I am not really a fan of that type of writing. I prefer reality but the film industry has managed to capture my attention with all of these interesting movies/series/documentaries. We must not mistreat the earth; it has been our home for thousands of years and we must protect it. We do not know all the measures of the universe and how it works and so we must live with nature not always be butting up against it. The First Nations peoples lived by that creed through the centuries in the Western Hemisphere (all of it). We do well to listen and learn since the Eastern Hemisphere has allowed itself to be at war so much in the past centuries. War is devastating to the earth; we must prevent wars. That isn't to say we shouldn't be prepared to defend ourselves; that should be paramount in our minds at all times. Funding the military properly is so very important. Helping countries defend themselves against an Evil Empire extremely important. But also we do not know what is out there in the heavens; we know there is goodness God is there but what lurks in the dark; that we do not know. I am finding Netflix and Prime to be wonderful additions to my television watching - I used to just watch the news and weather but this past couple of years have greatly expanded my watching variety. 

I must say that one did not regard Hitler as a Nazi Psycopath when he first arrived on the scene but attacking sovereign nations and murdering the inhabitants - children in great number, women and men is seen as criminal as is the deportation of children/unlawful transfer of children. If you play the part then you get the name whomever you are and in particular the leader of such a nation deserves to be seen that way - he represents his country and in the case of Hitler was the main cause along with his adherents of that dreadful World War II. They all deserved the fate that was dealt out to them at Nuremberg or that they chose to do to themselves (Hitler chose suicide).  The Russians are lucky; so far only two people have had arrest warrants issued against them by the International Criminal Court Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova for what they have done to the children of Ukraine (the two of them deserve it). Too bad that the death penalty has been mostly eradicated from the democracies. 

I also do find it rather interesting that North Korea dumps a missile into the Ocean and there is an earthquake in Ecuador. Please do stop bombing or testing bombs. The earth has really had enough of bombing.

Today is cleaning day - every Monday and Tuesday - so not a lot of work on Siderfin today. Yesterday I almost completed the Blake Newsletter and there has been a guest article submitted which is most interesting. I have given it the lead position (first article) as I will all interesting articles submitted. My own article is a bit shorter and looks at a puzzle I have been working on for a bit with two Latin wills - the first Robert Blake of Enham in 1521 and then the will of his son Richard early in 1522. Enham does quite fascinate me mostly because I have heard about Old Hall at Knights Enham since childhood and so I continue searching out all the information available to me. 

Happy Spring Equinox to everyone; the slide into summer has begun but first there is Spring better known as Mud Season in my part of the world (and likely in many other parts of the world). I am ever mindful of just how small our world is now. When I was a child, one thing my grandfather loved to do was to lie in the grass and look up at the clouds. As they danced along above us he would tell me about Upper Clatford and that these clouds would move across the sky looking down first on us and then the ocean and then Upper Clatford where he lived as a child until he went to work at Eastleigh near Southampton. There was a sadness in my grandfather; he missed his home country but there was also a happiness as he loved his grandchildren (there were so many of us) and I think it made up a little for all the deaths that he heard about far away in England of his loved ones. 

A little bit of work then breakfast and cleaning. Another beautiful day in God's world and I have great hopes for this day. Prayers for Ukraine.

Up to Page 35 on the Siderfin Hits

 Yesterday continued my project looking at the Siderfin hits on the FMP website and I have completed Page 34 and working on Page 35. I will soon have to begin working on the Blake Newsletter so it will be into April before I complete this task. But already I could write up the 5th generation of the Siderfin Family and may work at that alternately over the next little while just to keep up to date with the actual revision of the Siderfin book. 

Almost to the Spring Equinox and with daylight savings in place it is brighter in the evening. Given the choice I would like to have Standard Time permanently if we ever move to a fixed time (i.e. no changing the clocks twice a year forward and back). I like the darker evenings. The snow is starting to pull back from the buildings and the fences; generally a first sign that spring is on its way. Still quiet though; not that many birds as it is still cool in the night. But the squirrels are out and about. The huge piles of snow are still with us and we need a good hot sunny day to make a dent in that (i.e. maybe six or seven degrees celsius with no clouds. But I am patient waiting for spring. The mud season that precedes the planting time is not the easiest time of the year for sure. Lots of land; so lots of mud. But it is a delight for the little ones to finally get out of the house and play in the great outdoors without heavy clothes. Winter is hard on little ones. 

Yesterday working through the pages I did not find anything significantly new to me which is often the case; just a few gems every now and then to help me in this pace backwards from my known line looking for any sign of the other lines that came down from Robert (William 2, John 1). He had such a large family and also his son William's family was large. But only the daughters of William's children multiplied into the future. Interesting really how a paternal family line dies out even when the number of sons is large - but I can see that in my own family with my brothers not having any sons and the sisters (and myself) not having any female granddaughters. Two lines stretching way back into the past of the British Isles end with us although there are other siblings of our grandparents and great grandparents who do carry those signatures into the future so not lost just lost from our line. DNA has certainly made genealogy a much more exciting pursuit in my eyes and over the last twenty years it has become the accepted norm to have DNA results in the one-name studies. Interesting to see these ancient lines come down from thousands of years ago; one can imagine our hunter-gatherer ancestors making the trek across Doggerland into the now British Isles once joined to mainland Europe. In my case that is true of the Blake y-DNA line carried by my brothers and our mt-DNA line carried by all of us from our maternal grandmother. I do have results on some of the other lines feeding down into our generation and most are ancient to the British Isles thus far but we do have Huguenot lines coming from France. Anything else is still shrouded in time but over the years to come more unraveling and revealing perhaps of our ancient heritage. 

Today I continue working on the Siderfin hits but I need to start thinking about the Blake Newsletter. This will be Volume 12, Issue 2 and I still have not yet made it to the Family History Library to look at the Somerset Subsidies although I did do some work on the Subsidies which I have. I also looked at the new Devon Subsidies which I purchased and they pertain to the article I wrote in the last Newsletter which discussed James Blake of Knights Enham and the suggestion that he founded the Blake line found in Devon which I believe to be incorrect -  individuals with the Blake surname came to both Devon and Cornwall in the early 1500s but one can not discount the possibility that some of these Blake lines found in Devon and Somerset may have come from the Calne Blake family where there is once again folklore that this is so including the Pedigree Chart produced by the College of Arms for the Blake family (circa 1690 with additions into the 1700s). Charlou Dolan, a Blake researcher, has produced a chart on the descendants of Robert Blake who was mentioned clearly in his father's will (Richard Blake 1522 and Richard was mentioned in his father Robert Blake's will of 1521 (he was fairly elderly at his death)) and I will likely do that but also look at Devon and the information gleaned from the 1524-27 Subsidy of Devon listing the Blake families of Devon. I will also organize any new Blake y-DNA members. I do not do anything with the mtDNA Blake results and will leave that for an adventuresome person in the future. The autosomal DNA results can be rather interesting but again I leave that for another in the future. 

Today we are promised a little snow but it is cooler yesterday and minus 3 degrees celsius feeling like minus 6 degrees celsius. The humidity is high and it is cloudy. Not much melting today. The hills of snow have quite a bit of ice under them now from the melting. Good for the earth for sure; lots of moisture. It was pretty dry by the end of the summer last year. 

On to breakfast and the day.

Will of Jone Blake of Enham, Hampshire - Family Search, Film 186682, A-377, Page 163, dated 23 Mar 1527/1528

 Jone Blake, a widow, left her will dated the 23rd Mar 1527 which was just near the end of 1527 as Ladys Day 25 Mar would start the year 1528 under the Julian Calendar. Hence the double dating system in use in our time to remind us that we would now consider the 23 Mar 1527 to be 1528. I tend to just think Old Style and New Style but must be more exact when typing on a page that could be seen around the world!

Jone identifies her children as Nycolas, Robert and Elsabet (now Mylne). She identifies her place of living as Enham by the references within the will. This will helps to identify Nicholas Blake as her son who died in 1547 leaving his will identifying his place of abode as Old Hall, Enham.  

The first transcription that I saw for this will was done by someone else. I have since found the will at the Family History Library and transcribed it and basically it is the same as already transcribed with a few changes none of which alter any of the family details already mentioned. This will is written before Henry VIII established himself as Head of the Church of England severing the close ties with the Church in Rome hence the references to the Mass, Lady Saint Mary and the Augustine Friars although all of these catholic reflections continue in the Anglican Church in which I was raised. 

 Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 28 Aug 2013
Source: Family Search, Film 186682, A-377, Page 163
Testator: Jone Blake, widow
Place: Enham, Hampshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 23 Mar 1527
Condition: 16th century English, legible copy

[Top]: copie tes[tament]

1    In dei no[min]ie Amen the yer of owre lord gode oon thowsand five hundredth xxvij the xxiij day of the mon[e]th of marche
2    I Jone Blake wddow w[i]t[h] a hoyle mynde and A goode memo[r]ye maketh my laste wyll and testi[me]nte in thys man[ner] Fyrst I
3    com[m]end my soll unto almighty gode And lady seynt mary and to all the seynts in hevyn and my body to be buryd in
4    the chyrche or the chyrche lyttyn of seynt mykell of Enahm It[em] I gyve and bequeath unto ye mother chyrche of seynt Swy
5    thnye xij d It[em] I gyff and bequeath to ye chyrche of Enahm vj s viij d It[em] I gyff and bequeath xxvjs viij d to be dystrybute
6    unto poor pepyll in peny doyle It[em] I gyff and bequeath unto my curat Syr Rychard Mersser xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeath
7    to Syr John Batte xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeath to mayntenyg of the morrow masse prest in Andover xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeath
8    to mayntenyg of Jhsus masse in ye chyrche of Andover xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeath unto the p[ri]ror of the Freer Augustines
9    in Wynchest[er] xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeath to Syr John Whyte freer xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeath to ev[er]y freer of ye
10    sayde Augustynes th[at] ys prest iiij d and to ev[er]y novesse ij d of ye sayd place It[em] I gyff and bequeath to ye chyrche of Fosket
11    to mayntenyg of ye light before Seynte Jamys and Seynte Senday xx d It[em] I gyff and bequeath unto my dowghter Elsabet   
12    Mylne xx shepe beside thoose she hathe allredy and oon Cows th[a]t I bowght of hyr and xiij s iiij d of money and my gretst
13    pann and fowre plater It[em] I gyff and bequeath unto my son Nycolas Blake my tabyll in ye hall and oon clothe callyd ye hallyg
14    and two yryne racks It[em] I gyff and bequeath unto my son Robert Blake oon yryne broche and xviij shepe ye wheche
15    shepe he hath in kepyng It[em] I gyff and bequeath unto Thomas Iesra of Fosket oon yryne broche and the [re]seyde of
16    all my goods moveabyll and unmoveabyll above not legate I gyff unto my chyldrne Nycolas Blake
17    Robert Blake and to Thomas Iesra of Fosket and ye sayd goods to be devydytt amongs them equaly  ev[er]y oon of
18    them elyke weche It[em] I make my sonys Nycolas Blake and Robert Blake my trew executors and Thoms Iesra of
19    Fosket my sup[er]visor th[a]t he see my last wyll and testament cumplet and fulfylld and the foresaid executors to dyspo
20    se for the heylth of my soll as thay shall see moyst expedient these witnesses Syr Rychard Mersser Syr
21    John Batte Nycolas Blake Robert Blake w[i]t[h] other  

When I went through the film at the Family History Library there wasn't a probate for this will.

BLAKE - Will of Jone BLAKE, widow, Enham - Consistory Court of Winchester, Register D, folio 118, will dated 23 Mar 1527

Continuing with the story of the BLAKE family at Knights Enham near Andover. Nicholas BLAKE's will was blogged last blog (along with the will of his widow Margaret (BLAKE) Munday). Moving back one more generation it was possible to locate the will of the mother of Nicholas. This will of Jone Blake, widow, of Enham in 1527 was most kindly written in English; my latin skills are weak at best and the treat of discovering that this will was indeed in English was marvelous. I believe her husband to be Richard BLAKE who left his will in 1522 and Jone was a widow in 1527. 

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.

Joseph Blake (1730 - 1767)

52 Ancestor Challenge - Challenge 2

Blake, King, Coleman, Pearce, Farmer, unknown, Lambden, Sarah (unknown), Knight, Ellis, Knight, Vincent, Butt, Durnford, Arnold, Molton, Cotterel, Bartlett, Alderman, Ann (unknown), Sherwood, unknown, Habberfield, Collings, Rawlings, Tanner, Dove, Morgan, Lywood, Canham, unknown, Peck, Pincombe, Charley, Rowcliffe, Pearse, Rew, Moggridge, Siderfin, Kent, Gray, Hilton, Cobb, Sproxton, Routledge, Tweddle, Routledge, Routledge, (unknown) Buller, unknown, Beard, Hemsley, Welch, Brockhouse, Cheatle, Woodcock, unknown Taylor, unknown, Harborne, Lewis, Roberts, Croxall, Lawley, unknown

This week's ancestor challenge is one of my great finds. I could remember my Grandfather talking about his ancestral line and knew my way backwards from his father Edward to his father John to his father Thomas and then I thought I remembered that his father was Joseph. But I wasn't sure. I bought the parish register fiche for Upper Clatford (and Andover, Abbots Ann, and Kimpton) in 2008 but prior to that I had found on the BVRII from the LDS that there was a Joseph Blake married to a Joanna King  8 Jun 1757 at Upper Clatford. This was the only Blake marriage at Upper Clatford in this time frame and my grandfather thought his families had been at Upper Clatford for a very very long time. In essence he was correct some of his lines have been in the Upper Clatford area for centuries and centuries back to the beginning of the parish registers there.

However the LDS didn't at that time carry all the Andover information for the children of the children of Joseph and Joanna. Buying the parish records for Upper Clatford was such a good idea. I found my Grandfather's baptism (including his date of birth although I already owned the birth registration anyway) readily but did not find my father's which was a surprise although in retrospect I could remember that my father had said he was baptized at Kimpton (and it was there in the records in 1904). I also found the baptism for Edward my great grandfather in 1845, then his father John's baptism in 1798. Then back to 1767 for the baptism of Thomas - John's father. Thomas was baptized posthumously as his father died five months earlier and just two weeks apart from his son Thomas who was then six years old. Now that was a surprise as Grandpa had not mentioned that I am fairly sure. He had mentioned a number of baby deaths in Thomas' children and that had stuck in my mind. So probably he did not know that there had been two babies named Thomas.

Back to Joseph and the reward for buying the parish register fiche was discovering that Joseph Blake was of Andover as noted by the priest and not of the parish of Upper Clatford (Joanna was the daughter of Thomas King and baptized at Upper Clatford but more on Joanna later). One has to be quite careful with this Joseph Blake. There was a Joseph Blake in this time frame who was educated at Oxford and I knew that this was not my Joseph although they shared a similar time frame and location and eventually I discovered they had common ancestry several generations back.

I learn a little about Joseph from Thomas King's will in 1762:

In the Name of God Amen. I Tho[ma]s King of

Upp[er] Clatford in the county of Southampton, Farmer being sick and weak in

Body but of sound and perfect mind and memory do this twenty ninth day of September

in the year of our Lord one thousand seven Hundred and sixty two make and

ordain this my Last Will and Testament in manner following. ....And as for my temporal 

Estate I give and Bequeath in manner following

Item I give and Bequath to Mary Blake – daughter of John Blake of Abbotts

Ann malster one guinea Item to Tho[ma]s Blake son of Joseph Blake of

Upp[er] Clatford Six and thirty shillings Item to Ann Blake Daughter of the

said Joseph Blake Six and Thirty Shillings to be paid by my Executor

herein after named within one month after my decease All the rest of my

estate with Reall and personal goods Chattels stock and household there of what

nature or kind soever or thereever I give to my son in Law Joseph Blake

and I do  nominate and appoint the said Joseph Blake sole Executor of this

my Last Will and Testament. And so revoke all former Wills by me heretofore

made and declare this to be my Last Will and Testament in Witness thereof

I the said Thomas King have hereunto set my hand and seal the day

and year first above Written   The mark of  X Tho[ma]s King

Signed ......                                             

[signed] William Deo

[signed] Richard Gould

[signed] Jos[eph] Niends                                           

The 15^th Day of March 1763

Joseph Blake the Sole Executor named in the above written Will ....

Thomas only mentions one of his two grandchildren in the will. Thomas is an infant at the time of writing (the first Thomas who died in 1767). A number of people connect to this first Thomas even though they have his death date in 1767. Some have written to me and I have given them the correct linkage. I wonder if it is because he wants to remember both of his grand daughters and more on that towards the end of this story.

Thomas also only mentions his son in law although his daughter Joanna is living and will have three more children.  His daughter Mary was married to John Blake and she was buried at Abbots Ann. The memorial stone is very difficult to read and her burial was in February but the year is not distinct. However he didn't mention his daughter Joanna who was alive so not particularly illuminating. 

Thomas King was married to Mary Carter and the parents of Joseph were Thomas Blake and Ann Carter. Research on the Carter family has led me to Richard Carter and Elizabeth Musprett who married 4 Aug 1701 at Andover and baptized two daughters at Andover Mary 27 Feb 1711 and Ann 18 Nov 1713. Although the distance between Upper Clatford and Andover is short the Blake family lived at the north end of Andover closest to Penton Mewsey and one wonders how they all met in retrospect. John Blake was in Abbots Ann before he married Mary King although they married at Upper Clatford as well 15 Dec 1753. What prompted these two Blake males to marry the daughters of Thomas and Mary Carter at Upper Clatford?  John was older than Joseph; probably born around 1714 and likely the son of Robert Carter and Elizabeth Russell of Abbots Ann (formerly of Penton Mewsey and before that Andover!). 

Joseph was baptized 21 Oct 1730 at Andover the son of Thomas Blake and Ann Carter who were themselves married 8 Dec 1728 at Penton Mewsey. I have struggled with this set of marriage lines but now feel confident for reasons outlined earlier in my blog that indeed Joseph's father Thomas is the Thomas who married Ann Carter. In 1734 the infant Thomas Blake (son of Thomas and Ann Blake) and his mother Ann are buried at Penton Mewsey the 22 Dec 1734 and the 20 Dec 1734 respectively. The baptism of Thomas Blake (father of Joseph) was 4 May 1709 at Andover the son of Thomas Blake and Mary Spring and they were married 6 Nov 1708 at Andover and Thomas is the only child baptized to them. Thomas (father of Thomas) was buried 29 Jan 1714 at Andover and Mary (Spring) Blake was buried 2 Apr 1734 also at Andover. It is curious that Ann and Thomas were buried at Penton Mewsey but perhaps There is a Blake plot there although the parish registers do not go back this far unfortunately. Thomas (buried 1714) was baptized 21 Feb 1685 at Andover. His parents were John and Elizabeth Blake (Elizabeth's birth surname is unknown even after eight years of searching for it) and their marriage is not in the parish registers for Andover (likely they married around 1683/4 as their first child was baptized 6 Feb 1684 and buried 15 Feb 1684 at Andover (old calendar). John\s baptism was recorded by his father William 10 May 1649 in the Andover Parish Registers but this Blake family lived at Penton Mewsey. John was the second son of William Blake and Ann Hellier who were married 5 Sep 1644 at Andover. The older brother William remains unknown at this time but could he be the father of Robert Blake who married Elizabeth Russell at Andover 15 Jul 1694?

I had not thought of that before so is a new avenue to explore for the Blake family at Abbots Ann. 

Joseph died young at 37 years of age just  two weeks before his son Thomas who had been baptized 29 Mar 1761 at Upper Clatford. No mention of the cause of death for either of them but there were measles epidemics at this time in Upper Clatford as mentioned in the story on John Coleman. 

My ancestry including Joseph Blake:

1. Elizabeth BLAKE
2. Ernest Edward George BLAKE (b 2 Oct 1904) - Eastleigh Hampshire England
3. Samuel George Blake (b 10 Feb 1875) - Upper Clatford Hampshire England
4. Edward Blake (b 2 Jan 1845) - Upper Clatford Hampshire England
5. John BLAKE (b 25 Feb 1799) - Upper Clatford Hampshire England
6. Thomas BLAKE (b 25 Oct 1767) - Upper Clatford Hampshire England
7. Joseph BLAKE (b 21 Oct 1730) - Andover Hampshire England
8. Thomas BLAKE (b 4 May 1709) - Andover Hampshire England
9. Thomas BLAKE (b 21 Feb 1685) - Andover Hampshire England
10. John BLAKE (b 10 May 1649) - Andover Hampshire England
11. William BLAKE (b 9 Aug 1615) - Andover Hampshire England
12. William BLAKE (b c 1580s) - Andover Hampshire England
13. Richard BLAKE (b c 1550s) - Eastontown Hampshire England
14. William BLAKE (b c 1510s - 1520s) - Knights Enham Hampshire England
15. Nicholas BLAKE (b c 1490s) - Knights Enham Hampshire England
16. Richard BLAKE (husband of Jone who left a will in 1527 naming her children and his will of 1522) - Knights Enham Hampshire England
17. Robert BLAKE (left his will in 1521, he was elderly, possibly b c 1450s)  - Enham Hampshire England