Will of Philemon Charles Blake, Queen Ann County, Province of Maryland, now Maryland USA, - The National Archives PROB 11/792, probated 3 May 1766

Philemon Charles Blake, the testator, was the son of Charles Blake and Henrietta Maria Lloyd born circa late 1690s.

Charles Blake’s will was blogged earlier:

http://kippeeb.blogspot.ca/2017/01/will-of-charles-blake-of-maryland.html

Philemon Charles Blake married Sarah Frisby circa late 1740s. They had four children:

Philemon Charles Blake
Elizabeth Blake
Henrietta Maria Lloyd Blake
Charles Blake

Philemon Charles Blake died 6 Feb 1761. Since the administrator of the will was appointed by Sarah Blake (widow), now named Sarah Anderson, and named William Anderson, Philemon Charles Blake must not yet be 21 years of age at the time of probate in 1766.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 29 Jan 2017
Source:  The National Archives, PROB 11/792
Name of testator: Philemon Charles Blake
Place: Queen Anns County, Province of Maryland now Maryland, United States of America
Type of Record: Will
Dated: 13 Jan 1753, probated 3 May 1766

[In margin] Philemon Charles Blake

1    In the Name of God Amen
2    I Philemon Charles Blake of Queen Anns County in the Province
3    of Maryland being sick and weak in Body but of sound Mind and
4    Memory Thanks be to Almighty God do make this my last Will
5    and Testament in manner following Imprimis I give and devise to
6    my dear Wife Sarah Blake during her natural life any one of the
7    Tracts or parcels of Land I shall be possessed of at the time of my Death
8    she shall think fit to make Choice oft Item I give and devise to my Son
9    Philemon Charles Blake and to his heirs and assigns for ever
10    my Dwelling Plantation and all the Lands adjoining originally
11    consisting of several Tracts but lately reserved by my deceased
12    Father Mr Charles Blake and called by the general Name of Blakeford
13    and likewise that part of two Tracts or Parcels of Land called
14    Lloyds Meadows and Sharps Meadows Addition given to me by my
15    Aunt Alice Lloyd and lying near the head of Wye River Upon
16    Condition that he the said Philemon Charles Blake shall
17    within eighteen Months after my Decease in case he shall
18    then be of the age of twenty one years and if he be then
19    within Age that he shall within eighteen Months after he
20    shall arrive at full age dock and effectually cut of the Entall
21    of my Land lying on Corsier Creek called Bennetts Regulation
22    and in due and legal Manner convey the same in Fee Simple
23    to my Son Charles Blake his heirs and Assigns for ever
24    And if my said Son Philemon Charles Blake shall fail in the
25    Performance of this Condition Then I utterly revoke the devise
26    aforesaid of my Dwelling Plantation and Lands adjoining called
27    by the Name of Blakeford and of my part of this aforesaid
28    two Tracts of Land called Lloyds Meadows and Lloyds Meadows addition
29    And I hereby in such case give and devise the same to my
30    said Son Charles Blake and the heirs and Assigns forever
31    Item I give to my dear Wife Sarah Blake all my wearing
32    apparel and likewise my Linnen or other Goods she may have
33    by her at the time of my decease intended for her own proper
34    wear Item I give to the Reverend Mr James Bedwall a Suit of
35    Mourning and ten pounds current Money Item all the remaining
36    part of my personal Estate my Wifes one third part thereof
37    first deducted I leave to be equally divided amonge my four
38    Children Viz[ a vi]t Henrietta Maria, Philemon Charles, Elizabeth and Charles
39    And Lastly I do hereby nominate constitute and appoint my
40    dear Wife Sarah Blake my whole and sole Executrix of this
41    my last Will and Testament In Testimony whereof I have
42    hereunto subscribed my Name and affixed my Seal this thirteenth
43    day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand seven
44    hundred and fifty three Phil Chas Blake Signed Sealed
45    published and declared by the above named Phil Charles Blake
46    to be his last Will and Testament this thirteenth day of
47    January in the year of our Lord 1753 before us Susannah
48    Tilghman Juliana Carroll Edward Neale
49    On the third day of May in the year of our Lord one
50    thousand seven hundred and sixty six Administration with
51    the Will annexed of the Goods Chattels and Credits of Philemon
52    Charles Blake late of Queen Anns County in the province of
53    Maryland deceased was granted to William Anderson the
54    lawful Attorney of Sarah Blake widow the Relict of the
55    said deceased and sole Executrix named in the said Will
56    for the use and Benefit of the said Sarah Anderson now
57    residing in Queen Anns County aforesaid he having been first
58    sworn duly to administer

Blake families of America

For the most part I do not attempt to separate out Blake families in America. It isn't that I do not think it could be done but so many books have been published and the desire to be descendant of the Blake families in Massachusetts so strong that I tend to avoid the discussions.

Finding the will of Charles Blake in Maryland was really very very interesting. He was apparently, according to some published family lore, educated in Paris at a Roman Catholic Institution. His descendants appear to still be in Maryland in 1790 and it would be easy to continue pulling them from the census records.

Why, in the late 1600s would someone choose to be educated in Paris? The Restoration of the Monarchy has eliminated the Puritan influence of the Cromwell era but restored the Church of England as the religion of the land. In neither realm would a Roman Catholic adherent have felt comfortable.

I did toy with the idea that this Charles who left his will in 1732 might be from the Wiltshire Blake family (namely the South Newton area) but I did find this family still quite intact in the Wiltshire area in the latter part of the 1600s when Charles was already in London. There was a Blake family in London in this time period and they created the Blake Pedigree Chart held by the Swindon and Wiltshire Record Office as well as by the actual creator of the Pedigree the College of Arms.

I do have an electronic copy of that chart and there was a Charles son of Thomas Blake of Finkley and Finkley was near Andover, Hampshire and he did live in London according to the chart. This chart was initially prepared in 1690 when Charles Blake, the testator of the 1732 will, was known to be living in London. Unfortunately this line was not traced down any further. This family was not wealthy but they were likely comfortable.