Continuing with the Andover Hampshire Wills

I am saddened to see that a bill has been put forward in the Congress of the United States to withdraw themselves from the United Nations. The original intent (and Canada was one of the original signatories to the decision to create the United Nations)  was to prevent wars and give a place to discuss any items that were inflammatory. The United Nations has become involved in so many other aspects of life around the globe with which I myself disagree. Some of the additions have been good - support for children with UNICEF is one. But there are others that are suspect especially because they did not report to the United Nations what was going on in Gaza before the attack on Israel. Supporting Gaza through three generations has not worked and something should have been done there long ago. They are not self-sufficient and have made not any attempt apparently to become self-sufficient and they supported Hamas' barbaric attack on their neighbour. Billions of dollars have gone to them with really nothing to show for it. I would like to see the United Nations continue but there does need to be changes.   

Hamas did not return the body of the mother of the two small children but rather a substitute - that is an insult to the dead and unacceptable. They are such satanic people with no regard for human life.

The Americans are our friends; we share thousands of miles of border with them. The current situation will come to a remedy. Although NAFTA was interesting it has cost Canada most of her manufacturing industries which I think we should restore as quickly as possible. If our neighbour is choosing to close up shop then we need to be as self-sufficient as we were when I was a child. Then trade mostly amounted to driving across the border and buying an American item that we paid duty on when we returned to Canada! It worked. Although I think NAFTA and CUSMA made both countries wealthy in the long run (and Mexico also gained a great deal). God bless the North American continent and all who dwell therein. I think there are tremendous benefits to the United States for us to be an independent country - we will always be their friend. The Conservative party does intend under the leadership of Pierre Poilievre to build CFB Iqaluit, double the number of Rangers and more icebreakers for the North (that should see us come much closer to 5% of GDP). I also like the idea of high speed rail between Quebec City and Toronto (myself I see that also as a military venture to be honest) and the eventual extensions that will come on either end of that. The new pipelines will bring us closer together as provinces and will increase our ability to ship oil and gas around the world. This will be a great time of growth and we must knuckle down to the costs and make it happen. 

Coming along with this will and it had a few surprises for me because I haven't looked at it for a a long time (plus my latin has improved enormously). First of all Robert only names Thomas and Richard as his sons - Richard is executor of the will. The other Blake members mentioned are Andrew who receives a tenement for life (implies a sort of close relationship), Robert who receives a cow. His sister in law receives a ring (husband not identified). William Blake receives a cow. So interesting for sure. I wasn't entirely dependent on him having a son Robert it just struck me when I first read the will that Robert was his son. 

The wills of Thomas and Richard will be next. Over time I will perhaps fill in the blanks but they do not alter anything in this will.

Recorded: 3 Jan 2014
Source: Hampshire Record Office, 1522B-04 

Testator: Robert Blake
Place: Enham, Hampshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 16 Dec 1521

[Margin]: 1522B-04 

1. In the name of God, Amen, the 16th day of December 1521 I Robert Blayke, in sound mind and memory  

2. have written my will in this way. First of all, I give and bequeath my soul to the almighty father God, my body to be buried in the cemetery

3.  of the parish Church of Saint Michael of Enham. Also I give and bequeath to the Mother Church 12d. Also I give and bequeath to the Church of Enham

4. xl s  and one cow. Also I give and bequeath to the Church of Andever xl sheep or pork ___ ____ _____ _____

5. have in custody I give and bequeath to my wife  £10 which Johannes Howton owes I give and bequeath  to my wife 10

 6. acres of corn/grain and 20 of barley I give and bequeath to my son Thomas 200 of the same I give and bequeath to Andrew Blake one tenement 

7. free for life I give and bequeath to Thomas Longe one plow and one chamber I give and bequeath to my son Thomas one cart and one whipblade

8. with parts and one part ____ just now I give and bequeath to my son Thomas one good arable sowing property

9. with  ___ and ____ I give and bequeath to Wylliam Gelzeyr one toga I give and bequeath to Richard Golding another toga I give and bequeath to

10.  Robert Tary one shirt I give and bequeath to my only sister in law a ring I give and 

11. bequeath to my son Thomas  two rings I give and bequeath to Robert Galavay one toga I give and bequeath to Thomas

12.  my son two plows I give and bequeath to William Blake one cow I give and bequeath to my son Thomas two chickens

13. and two rams Also William Fuynere owes me first eight bushels of wheat and any bushels 16d I also assign 

14.  to my son Thomas one of the tenements vacant at Rawkyns I also give and bequeath that one presbyter celebrates in the Church and Parish of Enham

15. for the salvation of my soul and for the Church for the space of one year I also give and bequeath to Robert Blake one cow and the remainder

16.  of all my goods, movable and immovable, by testament I also give and bequeath to my son Richard whom I appoint as my true executor that

17. that he may dispose for the salvation of my soul, in the presence of these witnesses, Father John Battey, Thomas Blake, Robert Tarry

18. and others

19.    Also I reserve to my sonne Richarde my farme and my tenemente hereat I do dwelth nowe

This will did not have the Probate details although it could have just been attached to the land records since land was passed or discussed. 

I am quietly working away on this project which combined with the earlier work on the le Blak family may yet prove to converge. I also need to review the will of the Blake family at Speen which works together with this family at Andover. 

The property given to Thomas Blake at Rawkyns is interesting because it remains in this family for a number of generations. 

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 13 Aug 2013
Source: Family Search – 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
Condition: 16th century English, legible copy

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 Ego Richardus blayke cy[m]pos

1. In the name of God Amen 12 day of April AD 1522 I Richard Blake being of

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]

2. sound mind and memory but sick of body I make and arrange my will voluntarily  following

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

 3. in this manner In the first instance, I pray to omnipotent God the Father, to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to all the saints

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

4.  My body to be buried in the parish cemetery of the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel of

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

5. Enham  I give and bequeath to the Mother Church of Winton xij d I give and bequeath to the poor at the Church of 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

6. I give and bequeath to the parochial Church of Andover xx d I give and bequeath to my brother Thomas Blake 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

7.  so that I may be seen

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____
22    iiij Juin
 

Ukraine

Prayers for Ukraine; God bless and you are forever in my thoughts. The continuing attacks by Russia on the Ukrainian people is a blot on the history of Russia taking away from them the glory that they won when they helped to destroy the Nazis in World War II. But the Iron Curtain that Russia as the Soviet Union created enslaving all those European peoples for fourty plus years after the second World War was cruel - it must not happen again. It is nearly three years since Russia attacked Ukraine and in 2014 an unsupervised election was held in Crimea which Russia claimed to win; Russia quickly brought in troops and took it over and the Donbas in Ukraine has been in constant turmoil by Russian agents since 2014 (eleven years). I believe that Hamas was emboldened by Russia's attack on Bucha (revenge taken out on a Ukrainian city because Ukraine fought back) - the slaughter was dreadful and Hamas thought they could get away with the same thing in Israel and the world would just look on. Hamas and Putin and his enablers are just Satanic - they are not human. They both deserve Hitler's fate (the coward's death). Two babies were delivered dead to Israel today - held hostage by the satanic Hamas. This kind of people alone are responsible for their deaths. They think they can steal someone else's land. No one should get away with it in this modern world.

Finally I am getting back to the will of Robert Blake made in 1521. This was grocery day (every three weeks in the winter or so, it has even stretched to four sometimes) and I spent my time once again checking the labels in case that information is needed. My usual menu in the winter is chicken stew for four days and then eggs and then salmon for the other two days. So I freeze the meat into packages and that is all done. I bought turnip, cabbage, onions, carrots, potatoes as I was pretty much out of everything. There is a sweet potato to go with the salmon. We store a lot of vegetables in Canada in the winter. I also found bags of frozen spinach which I love and will put a clump in the stew. So I have frozen broccoli, cauliflower, peas and corn for my stew as well if I so choose. My refrigerator was almost empty but full again. I could go every week but I actually hate shopping and going out if I can avoid it. I like the fresh air but I just find that my work takes up all my time and I do not want to have to organize for a shopping trip every week. Shoveling the snow off the porch and patios gives me lots of fresh air in the winter and then lots of walks in the summer. 

I actually got my family to give me a pile of wills I already bought for Christmas that year (2014) as I couldn't think of anything that I wanted. This was one of them.

Recorded: 3 Jan 2014
Source: Hampshire Record Office, 1522B-04 

Testator: Robert Blake
Place: Enham, Hampshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 16 Dec 1521

[Margin]: 1522B-04 

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 Ego Robertij  Blayke co[m]pos me[n]t[i]s et sane memoyre

1. In the name of God, Amen, the 16th day of December 1521 I Robert Blayke, in sound mind and memory 
 

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
 

2. have written my will in this way. First of all, I give and bequeath my soul to the almighty father God, my body to be buried in the cemetery

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
 

3.  of the parish Church of Saint Michael of Enham. Also I give and bequeath to the Mother Church 12d. Also I give and bequeath to the Church of Enham

4    xl s et una[m] vaccam It[e]m do et lego ecclesis de andever xl oves vel p[or]cus eap quod et iij ls quas yearly kyne

4. xl s  and one cow. Also I give and bequeath to the Church of Andever xl sheep or pork ___ ____ _____ _____

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

5. have in custody I give and bequeath to my wife  £10 which Johannes Howton owes I give and bequeath  to my wife 10

6    rodas 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]

 6. acres of corn/grain and 20 of barley I give and bequeath to my son Thomas 200 of the same I give and bequeath to Andrew Blake one tenement 

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 biga and una whipblade

7. free for life I give and bequeath to Thomas Longe one plow and one chamber I give and bequeath to my son Thomas one cart and one whipblade

8    cu[m] p[ar]ts et un[u]m par[ ]  _otap nonap It[e]m do et lego thome filio una ara[bilis] terra que vocato bene semers

8. with parts and one part ____ just now I give and bequeath to my son Thomas one good arable sowing property

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

9. with  ___ and ____ I give and bequeath to Wylliam Gelzeyr one toga I give and bequeath to Richard Golding another toga I give and bequeath to

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

10.  Robert Tary one shirt I give and bequeath to my only sister in law a ring I give and

11    lego tome filio meo duas annulas It[e]m do et lego robarto Galavay una[m] toga[m] It[e]m do et lego tome

11. bequeath to my son Thomas  two rings I give and bequeath to Robert Galavay one toga I give and bequeath to Thomas

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

12.  my son two plows I give and bequeath to William Blake one cow I give and bequeath to my son Thomas two chickens

13    et duo verv[ex] It[e]m wyllmo Fuynere debet m[eo] first viij modios frume[n]tie et quo[d]libet modio[s] xvi s It[e]m Assigno

13. and two rams Also William Fuynere owes me first eight bushels of wheat and any bushels 16d I also assign 

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

14.  to my son Thomas one of the tenements vacant at Rawkyns I also give and bequeath that one presbyter celebrates in the Church and Parish of Enham

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]

15. for the salvation of my soul and for the Church for the space of one year I also give and bequeath to Robert Blake one cow and the remainder

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

16.  of all my goods, movable and immovable, by testament I also give and bequeath to my son Richard whom I appoint as my true executor that

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

17. that he may dispose for the salvation of my soul, in the presence of these witnesses, Father John Battey, Thomas Blake, Robert Tarry

18    et aliis

18. and others

19    Also I reserve to my sonne Richarde my farme and my tenemente hereat I do dwelth nowe

One item I notice is that Robert only refers to Richard and Thomas as being his sons. That is very interesting as I thought Robert was also his son. Does it matter? Somewhat because the larger Blake family at Andover is descendant of Robert Blake who leaves his will in 1542. I shall go over his will more thoroughly to see what I can discover. It is possible that this Robert (who received everything that hasn't been named) is his son at least I think so as it would be unusual to give all your possessions to a non direct relative. 

So I still need to clean up the latin a little more but I think I have captured the gist of the will although the will is difficult and has a lot of cross outs and tiny text inserted so we will see how much I do add but for the moment I will move on to the wills of Richard Blake, Robert Blake and Thomas Blake. The one item of note is his only sister in law which would leave one to think he has a brother but one would not think the brother would also be called Robert but nothing surprises me in the Blake family with its many John the elder and John the younger. 

Busy day but I am quietly working away on this project which combined with the earlier work on the le Blak family may yet prove to converge. I also need to review the will of the Blake family at Speen which works together with this family at Andover. 

The property given to Thomas Blake at Rawkyns is interesting because it remains in this family for a number of generations. We do not know who Andrew Blake is but the tenement free for life gift does imply a close relative or who William Blake is but he only receives a cow so maybe not that close or could be a child at this time.

Rowing finished, running finished so maybe do a bit of weightlifting we will see. But I am more or less finished for the day. 

 

Will of Thomas Blake, Knights Enham, Hampshire - Hampshire Record Office 1541U-06, probated 15 Jun 1541

The testator is Thomas Blake of Enham and he names his children John, Robert and Margaret. His wife is unnamed and not mentioned in this will so is likely deceased. Thomas names Alys Munday as one of his legatees and is she perhaps his daughter with husband Richard Munday?

Margaret does not survive to be one of his executors so Robert is named the sole executor of the will in the probate (I believe I am correctly translating the latin in this case).

This Thomas, present testator, is likely the son of Robert Blake whose will was probated in 1521. Robert names his son Thomas and gives him Rawkins for his own use for ever. Thomas has passed this to John his other son. Thomas then is a contemporary of Nicholas Blake and Robert Blake sons of Richard Blake whose will was probated in 1522 and blogged and he mentioned his brother Thomas:

http://kippeeb.blogspot.ca/2014/02/will-of-richard-blayke-knights-enham.html


The next time that I see Rawkins mentioned in a will it is for William Blake whose will was probated in 1606 son of William Blake whose will was probated in 1582. Now why did Rawkins pass from John Blake to his 1st cousin twice removed? William was not even the eldest, his brother John was the eldest. There is always the possibility that it was sold.

The next generation will be second cousins and Thomas mentions in this will his sons John and Robert (John inherits Rawkins). Nicholas has two sons William and Stephen. Robert has six sons and he was the eldest in that family (Robert and Nicholas). Robert’s sons were Robert, John the elder, John the younger, William, Thomas and Richard. The sons of Robert brother to John are not known. I still have a few wills to transcribe in the time period that these men lived so will wait until they are all done before commenting further but it is rather interesting to see this property end up with William son of William who was the son of Nicholas.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 17 Feb 2014
Source: Hampshire Record Office, 1541U-06
Testator: Thomas Blake
Place: Enham, Hampshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 15 Oct 1540, probated 15 Jun 1541
Condition: 16th century English, legible copy

[Margin]: 1541U-06

1    Jn die no[m]i[n]e Ame[n] Jn the yere off owr Lorde MDXLI the 15th
2    day off October J Thomas Blake sykke off bodye and hole off mynde
3    and memorye make my testament and last Wyll yn maner and foorme
4    foloynge first j bequeth my sowle unto almygthty god to owr Lady
5    saynt marye and to the hole c[o]mpanye off heven And my bodye
6    to be buryede yn the chyrchyard off Andev[e]r j bequethe and gyve
7    unto the hye altare off the sayd churche off andev[er] xij d Item
8    to alys munday j bequethe a cowe and vj yoongs j wyll also that
9    at my morytlie myade be bestoede upon the powr pepull a
10    quarter off whete Item j wyll th[a]t Joh[ann]is my soone have and holde
11    the howse at Enam callyd Rawkyns w[i]th all the aporte[nancs] and th[a]t he
12    also have and ynioy all the grownde and landys ther w[i]thyn the sayd
13    Enam the w[hi]ch j do holde off my lorde Sandy he yn as good a state
14    and ryghte as j have the same ferdermore j gyve unto rychard
15    Munday and Jhon[nes] Blake my soone x ps for to ov[er]see thys my testament
16    And also j make my soone Robert and my dowrther Margaret myn
17    executors off all my goods not bequeathed moveabyll and unmoveabyll
18    provydyde th[a]t my dettys due unto the sayd rycharde munday the
19    w[hi]ch ys 6 nobles iij s iiij d and unto John[nes] Blake my sonne the w[hi]ch ys
20    x ps be payd off my goods by my execytors The rest off
21    all my goods and catell j gyve holely unto my execytors
22    to se yt bestoed and dysposyd for the helthe off my sowle att
23    ther al byteremente and plesuere In wytnesse off all thys ys m[r]
24    Thomas Brotwynge Vycare off Andev[er] and Sy[r] Johan[nes] Patye mo[r]row masse
25    pryst ther the w[hi]ch were att the makyinge hereof present
26    P[ro]bat[um] approbat[um] et insinuat[um] fuit p[rese]ns testam[entum] apud
27    winton cora[m] Mag[is]tro Edmundo Stuarde doctere
28    Rev[er]end in xxo pris etc xv t[h] die Junij Anno d[omi]ni
29    1542 Comissaq[ue] fuit adm[in]strat[io] om[nium] et sing[u]lor bonor[um]
30    sup[ra]script[um] defuncti Margaret Blake un[a] execut[oribus]
31    in h[uis]mo[d]i test[amentum] no[m]i[n]at[orum] insat[  ] etc Res[er]uata p[otes]tat cons[er]ter
32    administer[ando] conf[e]rend Roberto Blake alteri execut[oribus] etc