Will of John Blake, Clerk, Feyreford, Gloucestershire - The National Archives PROB 11/37/293, probated 4 Apr 1555

This, the will of John Blake, Cleric gives as his location Fairford, Gloucestershire but in the Diocese of Worcester. It isn’t particularly close to any known Blake area. From the Blake Pedigree Chart held at the Swindon and Wiltshire Record Office there is a John Blake Lord Abbot of Cirencester in County Gloucestershire. The time frame would be similar to this John. He does not, however, mention any family although his brother William would be living in Lacock in this time period. Feyreford is nine miles east of Cirencester. This is after the dissolution of the monasteries during the Reign of Henry VIII which continued through the Reign of Edward VI. The fate of the Lord Abbot of Cirencester is unknown and could he have moved on to Feyreford where there was a house that still remained? There was a large church there dedicated to Saint Mary.

I still have about 70 wills from the Gloucestershire Record Office and included in that group are more wills from this early time period.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 12 Apr 2014
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/37/293
Testator:  John Blake, Clerk
Place: Feyreford, Gloucestershire, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 2 Jan 1552, probated 4 Apr 1555
Condition: 16th century English, legible copy

[Margin]: T[estament] Joh[an]n Blake clerc

1    In dei nomine Amen seconde die Januarij Anno d[omi]ni Mell[is]imo quinqentisimo quinquagesimo
2    secondo et Anno Regni d[omi]ni uird Edwardi Sexti dei gracia Anglie Franciae et Hibernie Rexs fidei
3    defensores et in terra Ecclesia[e] Anglicane et Hibernice supremum capits Sexto I Joh[an]n Blake of
4    Feyreford in the dioc[ese] of Wurcestor Clerke being sicke in bodye and hole of mynd and in parfict
5    Remembrannce do make and ordeyne this my last will and testament in maner and forme folowinge
6    First I bequeathe my soule to th[e ]handes of Almyghtie god my Savior and Redemer whiche by the power
7    of his most precious blod have delyv[er]ed me from all my synnes and reconciled me unto god the father
8    by the merits of his deathe and my bodye to be buried wher yt shall please myne Executours John Hill and
9    John Dawbeney Jun[jior] my servantes and this to paye all my debts whiche I do owe And also to parforme
10    and paye all my legacies as hereafter folowith Fyrst I bequeathe and give to the poore mens boxe
11    In FeyreFord iijs viij d Item I bequeathe to John Wall my chapelyn Sixe pounds in money and A gowne
12    Item I give to Thomas Liggen gentleman xl s and his lyverie Item I give to Thomas Clarke my s[er]vant
13    Twenty shillings in money and his lyverie Item to Richard Merynge xxxv s iiij d and his lyverye Item
14    to Willyam Carter xxxiiij s and his lyv[er]ye Item to Roger Wyatt xxvj s vij d and his lyv[er]ye  Item to
15    Richard Hall xxvj s viij d and his lyverie Item to John Faregose xxxs and his Lyverye  Item to
16    Reynold Hooles xxxs and his lyverie Item to Richard Woodward xxs and his Lyverie Item to
17    Margery Levcy xxv s and one petycote Item to Faith Bryger xxiij s and one petycote Item to
18    Katheryn Ewen xxiij s and one peticote All this I give ev[er]y of them in full payment of their wages
19    and lyvereys All the rest of my goodes and cattalls moveable and unmoveable not given nor
20    bequeathed after my debts and Legacies be fully contentyd and paide and my funeral done I give
21    and bequeathe unto John Hill and John Dawbeney Jun[ior] above said my s[er]vantes whom I make and
22    ordeyne my sole Executors And further I make Overseers of this my last Will and testament Sir
23    Anthony Kyngston knight Sir Walter Buckeler knight and John George gent to the intent that they
24    shall see all my debts and Legacies abovesaid paide and fulfilled and myne Executors quyatly to
25    Incyon all the rest of my goodes above bequeathed and geven to them And they and ev[er]y of them myne
26    Overseers abovesaid to have for their Labors and paynes in the premises fower marks apece in money
27    to be paid to them by myne Executors Thes p[er]sons insigng baring wytnes of this my last will
28    Mathew Glame they being Curate Richard Stychall Richard More Thomas Smieth
29    Willyam Grene By me John Blake prest
30    Probatum fuit testum apud London coram et Capitlo Ecclie Metrovo xxi Cant
31    Sei Archie pali ibin Jain Vacan quarto die mensis Aprilis Anno domini Millesimo quingentisimo quinqua
32    gesimo quinto Juramento Johis Dawbeney Executor in humoi testament noiat ac approbatum etc
33    insumatum etc comissa fuit adminstraro omi bonor etc defuncti preset etc de bene et fideler
34    administrand ead Acde pleno Juro etc Exhibend Ao sumta dei Singelia Jurate Johanne Hill
35    Executore etiam in humoi testament moiate demortico

Will of John Blake, Clerke of Feyreford, Gloucestershire, National Archives PROB 11/37, Image Reference 291/231 , probated 4 Apr 1555

Again, I chose this will to photograph at Kew because it was the earliest Blake will in Gloucestershire. Date in 1552 and probated in 1555. I can not find him on the Clergy database for England nor is he listed as a graduate of Oxford University. However he may appear in the Wiltshire and Swindon Pedigree Chart listed as John Blague Abbot of Cirencester in County Gloucester. He is, from the chart, the son of David Blague and Joanne Mallet with this David being the son of John Blague and Margaret Denham/Dyncham/Dinham. John was the son of Robert Blake and Avice Wallop and was mentioned in his mother's will as being over 40 with her will being probated in 1474. The timing does work  with John born in 1434 or earlier, then his son David born before 1474 and his son John being born in the late 1400s or early 1500s. You might wonder why John doesn't mention his family but he has been in this diocese prior to the Dissolution of the Abbeys by King Henry VIII as he is named as Abbot at the time of Dissolution. The people closest to him were probably his servants and the gentry of his area which included Sir Anthony Kyngston and Sir Walter Buck[e]ler. The reference to John Blake as Abbot can be found in the chapter "Gloucestershire-Lincolnshire" by Thomas Cox, Anthony Hall and Robert Morden and part of the book Magna Britannia Antiqua and Nova: or a new exact and comprehansive Survey of the Ancient and Present State of Great-Britain, Volume II, Caesar Ward and Richard Chandler Booksellers: Ship without Temple Bar, 1738.


Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 5 May 2012
Source:  The National Archives PROB 11/37, Image Reference 291/231  (images by me)
Name of testator: John Blake, Clerk of Feyreford
Place: Feyreford, Gloucestershire, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated: 2 Jan 1552, probated 4 Apr 1555
Read: Electronic file
Condition: old writing, 16th century, bold copy
[In margin] Testam[ent] Johne Blake clerc

1    In dei nomme Amen seconde die January Anno d[o]m[ini] Millesim[o] quingentesimo qu[i]nqu[a]gesimo
2    secundo est Anno Regin dic[t]i n[upe]r Edwardi Sexti dei gracia Anglie Francie et Hibernie Regis fidei
3    defensore et in terra Eccles[ie] Anglicane et Hibernice suprem[um] Capits Septo / I John Blake of
4    Feyreford in the divi[sion] of cirencester clerke being sicke in bodye and hoole of mynd and in perfect
5    Remembrance do make and ordeyne this my last will and testament in maner and forme folowinge /
6    First I bequeathe my soule to t[he ]handes of Almightie god my Savior and Redemmer which by the power of
7    his most precious blood have delyv[er]ed me from all my synnes and reconsiled me unto god the Father / By
8    the merits of his deathe / and my bodye to be buried wher yt shall please myne Executors John Hiet and
9    John Dawbeny jun[io]r my servemts / And they to paye all my debts whiche I do owe / And also to perform
10    and paye all my legacies as hereafter foloweth / First I bequeathe and geve to the poor mens boxe
11    ii s Fyreford aforesaid / Item I bequeathe to John Wallan Shapelyn Sept pounds in money and clyowne
12    Item I give to Thomas Ligges gentleman x lsand his lyvere / Item I give to Thomas Clark my servent
13    twenty shillings in money and his lyvere / Item to Richard Merynge xxxv s iiij d and his lyverye / Item
14    to Willyam Carter xxx iiij s and his lyverye / Item to Roger Wyatt xxvj s iiij d and his lyverye  / Item to
15    Richard Hall xxvj s viij and his lyvere / Item to John Farges xxx s and his lyverye / Item to
16    Reynold Hooles xxx s and the lyvere / Item to Richard Woodward xx s and his lyvere  / Item to
17    Margery Livey xxv s and one petycote / Item to Faithe Brywater xxiij s and one petycote / Item to
    [Page 2]
18    Katheryn Grey xxiij s and one peticot / All this I give every of them in full payment of their wages
19    and lyvereys / All the rest of my goodes and cattalls moveable and unmoveable not gyven nor
20    Bequeathed after my debts and Legacies be fully contentyd and paide / and my funeralls done / I geve
21    and bequeathe unto John Hall and John Dawbeny Jun[ior] above said my serv[an]ts whome I make and
22    ordeyne my sole Executors / And further I make Overseers of this my last will and testament Sir
23    Anthony Kyngston Knight Sir Walter Buckeler Knight and John George gent to the intent that they
24    shall see all my debts and Legacies abovesaid paide and fulfilled and myne Executors quietly to
25    inioy all the reste of my goodes above bequeathed and geven to them / And they and ev[er]y of them myne
26    Overseers abovesaid to have for their labors and paynes in the premisses fouer markes a peece in money
27    to be paid to them by myne Executors. Thes p[er]sons nis__yng beareing wytnes of this my last will
28    Mathew Glam they being Curate / Richard Stiyhall / Richard More / Thomas Smith
29    Willyam Greene By me John Blake pr[i]est