Continuing on with the search at Kew

Yesterday interesting details emerged from the search on le Blake and le Blak. The appearance of a le Blake in Southampton prior to the date on which Richard le Blak of Rouen Normandy received his permit to set up a market in England was a surprise as I had not noted that particular item before. There is a Blake line in the southern part of Hampshire around Southampton/Christchurch that stays pretty much in that area although gradually does appear to move upwards into Dorset and Wiltshire as well as Hampshire and there are a number of wills for the Blake family in this area and they do not appear to link to the Blake family in Andover area nor do you see mention of the Blake family members known to be descendant of the Calne Blake family. But there are a number of distinct lines in the Blake yDNA study. This is perhaps one of those that now has three members (must check on that) or more and an excellent researcher in England on that one. But I am trying not to be subjective; I just found it interesting that there was a Blake present in southern Hampshire prior to 1274 when Richard le Blak received his market permit as shown in the Calendar of Patent Rolls. 

Today I want to continue with that search and will soon be doing that. This next month could prove to be interesting as there are many many Blake documents online and forever available to researchers because they are electronic. That is perhaps the gift of our generation to the future. When I first started into computers back in the mid 1960s who would have guessed how far we would come by the mid 2020s. We must continue to be in charge; to manage AI and to make it work for us as it is not limited by the frailty of Homo sapiens and can endure through the ages. It is our gift to the future and we must improve on it every day that lies ahead of us but always be in charge. 

Why do I think Richard le Blak in particular is the ancestor of the Calne Blake family. It is because he was Norman and that would likely give him a boost immediately on his arrival in England. Going to Wargrave makes really good sense because of its proximity to Windsor. Why move towards northern Wiltshire though? Someone with more knowledge than I have would probably quickly see something that was interesting but it does appear they moved towards Speen prior to finding them in northern Wiltshire. Still following that family lore that has (perhaps) a distant connection between the Hampshire Blake family to the Blake family that was at Calne and served as Parliamentarians in 1381, 1383 and 1384. This was John Blake and his son John Blake was born circa 1388 and can be located at Blacklands (a mile SE of Calne) in 1412 when he inherited some family property (I have blogged on that and must check what I wrote). I did blog it 22 Aug 2022 "Looking at Blake and an Anne Cole who were said to have married circa 1320s" and the land was held from 1262 to 1539 by the Malmesbury Abbey. It then passed into private family hands (eventually to the Maundrell family in the late 1780s). We do know that Robert Blake had a fulling mill at Quemberford which is close to Blackland. Source: https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol17/pp17-27

The actual location of the fulling mill known to be held by a Robert Blake (father of this John and Robert) is not known to me. A google search revealed a couple of hits which could be investigated. A marker on the map (https://www.blacklandsmill.com/contact) does locate a building called Blacklands Mill that is close to the Blacklands estate.

The connection that hints towards a link to the Calne family appears in the Visitations of one line of the Blake family at Andover in the 1600s and in 1690 (with additions into the 1700s) the Daniel Blake family of London working with the College of Arms created the Blake Pedigree Chart I have mentioned a number of times where a more detailed descent was added. The Blake Museum at Bridgwater holds another large Pedigree Chart (principally linking the Somerset Blake family to the Calne Blake family) but it also mentions the Andover Blake family. Neither of them has the correct parents for William Blake of Eastonton who left his will in 1582 clearly establishing the family lines going back and forward. As do the other wills of this family. Five generations are readily established. I postulate that the connection between the Blake family that was eventually at Calne and the Blake family at Andover were related much further back in the early 1300s. That is the purpose of all this searching and I will spend the next month pursuing this idea in order to form a more concrete proof for this connection if one exists; one that makes use of all the records now available to me. 

I do not plan to publish this book outside of my family particularly but will place it into repositories with the embargo that is is available to family members and academic researchers. Because William, Prince of Wales is descendant, by way of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, of the Blake family of Calne definitely and I propose that he is descendant of the Blake family of Andover going back to Thomas Blake married to Dorothy Mayowe and the son of Thomas Blake and Eleanor Hall with William Blake married to Elizabeth (unknown) the father of John. This Thomas was the eldest son of John Blake and Margaret (Blake) Blake. Like James Sanders I will leave my thoughts to individuals who may in the future continue this research line and I do so humbly as did he! Certainly life can be very interesting in your old age as you read through all these documents from ancient times. 

My interest is primarily in that ancient ancestor of mine who likely arrived in the British Isles 8000 to 12000 years ago and was named Deer-Hunter by Ethnoancestry on the basis of the yDNA results of two of my four brothers (I could not test one as he was deceased and I really didn't need three results all the same) and this name has remained in the discussion but the more common name would have been Western Hunter-Gatherer. No surname through thousands of years and suddenly his surname is Blake. Why did he chose it? It was an established surname by that time with several families having the surname Blake already in England; I think there needed to be incentive to take on that surname personally. Marriage certainly does provide one with that sort of an incentive. That question I cannot really answer but certainly in the 1300s in England with the Duke of Normandy having conquered England and become its King there would be an asset to marrying into the le Blak family or Blake as it was commonly written by the 1300s. This ancestor was perhaps known as John of Enham in the early 1300s (the Blake family were at Knights Enham in the 1400s) so why not become John Blake of Knights Enham. Now I would say that my grandfather did not really buy into that idea that he was descendant of the Blake family at Calne. He didn't actually believe there was any relationship between Robert Blake, Lord High Admiral, of Bridgwater a line that considered itself descendant of the Blake family at Calne. But he did repeat the family lore along with the idea that the original settlers of the British Isles were one of the Lost Tribes of Israel. Family lore being what it is can sometimes have a moment of truth in it but it can also lead you astray so one proceeds very cautiously in this line of thought.

Breakfast is next, tea is drank, solitaire puzzles all done and even a Sudoku whilst I waited for my kettle to boil and my tea to steep. 

I will continue again to add to this blog through the day. Looking at le Blake 1200-1299 and there are 20 entries 12 completed yesterday). 

Entry 13:  Adam le Blake, 1270, Shropshire Archives 465/4, Grant and quitclaim. An interesting family but I do not think they are connected to the Wiltshire Blake family.

Entry 14: Refers to property and is held by Canterbury Cathedral Archives and Library - 'la blake hege', date 27 Oct 1266 (28 Oct 1265). CCA-DCc-ChAnt/G/116

Entry 15: A similar property and individuals to Entry 14 but does mention a Thomas le Blake and I think is related to Entry 8, 9, 10 in 1200-1299

Entry 16: Refers to land belonging to a church of Blake Nhottele in Essex. 1261-1262.

Entry 17:  Roger Blake and his son Henry, 7 Mar 1294, a gift from father to son it would appear in the Blake family, Knyton, Leicestershire. This Roger Blake is perhaps living at the same time as the gift of land to the Knights Templar by a Roger Blake of Herefordshire (these two counties are fairly close). Leicestershire lies in the same area as Shropshire although somewhat distant apart with Warwickshire between them.

Entry 18. A grant in Swalecliffe once again a record in the Canterbury Cathedral Archives and Library, 20 Nov 1284 - 19 Nov 1285. Thomas le Blake again mentioned. 

Entry 19: Quitclaim (Deeds and Papers), Shakespeare Birthplace Trust DR10/254. A Thomas Blake was a witness, c 1290. There was a Blake family in the Midlands that I have mentioned in another blog and I believe the records available eliminate them from being related to Richard le Blak.

Entry 20: Estate papers of the 4th and 5th Earls of Onslow and one line mentions 1320/273 Copy letters of J Jex Blake, Warren Farm. The holdings of the Earl of Northumberland were extensive and this one refers to the Blake family of Norfolk (East Anglia).

1300 - 1399 (with 98 of these I will only really look at the documents that pertain to Berkshire, Hampshire, Wiltshire and Dorset and possibly Gloucestershire)

Entry 1: Northamptonshire

Entry 2: Worcestershire

Entry 3: Warwickshire

Entry 4: Warwickshire

Entry 5: Warwickshire

Entry 6: Somersetshire - Thomas le Blake of Milverton 1340 DD/SF/1595 (Southwest Heritage Trust)

Entry 7: Northamptonshire

Entry 8: Northamptonshire

Entry 9: same as Entry 1 1100-1199, Worcestershire

Entry 10: Roger le Blake, Madebrook and his grant of land to the Knights Templar 10 Nov 1302 - 19 Nov 1303, C 143/41/23 

Entry 11: Lancashire

Entry 12: Gloucestershire, John le Blake as a witness to the land grant made to Margery le Blake and Nicholas le Blake.3 Jan 1318. BCM/A/2/62/2 (Berkeley Castle Muniments)

Entry 13: Gloucestershire, John le Blake is identified as being of Rockhill, 26 Dec 1330, BCM/A/2/62/5

Entry 14: Lincolnshire, John le Blake and his son Gilbert le Blake, 1317, C 241/113/124

Entry 15: as Entry 14, 1317, C241/82/211

Entry 16: Warwickshire

Entry 17: same as Entry 2 1100-1199

Entry 18: Buckinghamshire

Entry 19: Northamptonshire

Entry 20: Robert le Blake to John Malewayn, grant, 1358, Wiltshire and Swindon Archives 1720/154 (his brother Adam Blake is mentioned)

Entry 21: Robert le Blake paying bond to John Malewayn of Echelhamptone, Wiltshire, 1358, Ref: 1720/152

Entry 22: John le Blake, Cam, Gloucestershire, 16 Aug 1332, BCM/A/1/60/54

Entry 23: Hugo le Blake and wife Katherine, quitclaim, Gloucestershire, 1367, D6322/4

Entry 24: Warwickshire

Entry 25: Warwickshire

Entry 26: Gloucestershire, John son of William le Blake of Rockhill, 3 May 1311, BCM/A/2/62/1

Entry 27: Middlesex, Nicholas le Blake, London, 25 Jan 1349-24 Jan 1350, E 40/1733

Entry 28: Warwickshire

Entry 29: Gloucestershire, John le Blake of Cam, acquisition of land, 1332, BCM/A/1/60/55

Entry 30: Middlesex, similar to Entry 27

Entry 31: Middlesex, London, Nicholas le Blake.

Entry 32: Richard le Blake, Haydon, Wiltshire, 25 Jan 1343-24 Jan 1344, Taxes, E326/6618,  perhaps the son of Margery le Blake. similar to Entry 2: 1100-1199.

Entry 33: Warwickshire

Entry 34: Suffolk

Entry 35: similar to Entry 34

Entry 36: Essex

Entry 37: Gloucestershire, Grant, John le Blake 25 Jan 1338 - 24 Jan 1339, E 210/7780

Entry 38: Staffordshire

Entry 39: Worcestershire

Entry 40: Robert le Blake at Stokkelegh, Wiltshire, 1347, Ref: 1720/137. I have mentioned this in another blog.

Entry 41: Roger Blake, Bodmin, Cornwall, 6 May 1344, C 241/118/364. This is interesting as I have done a number of writeups on the Blake family of Cornwall; must check and see if I have this particular item.

Entry 42: similar to Entry 41: Roger le Blake, 3 May 1343, C241/117/256

Entry 43: John Blake, Gloucestershire, 1391, D2762/T5. Also rather interesting and will check to see if I have looked at this one earlier.

Entry 44: Robert Blake, Stokkelegh, Wiltshire, 1347, Ref 1720/139. Also in another blog.

Entry 45: Warwickshire, place name is Blake Furlong.

Entry 46: John Blake at Whetham, Wiltshire, 1387, Ref: 1720/202

Entry 47: Robert le Blake, Quemerford, 1353, Ref: 1720/148

Entry 48: Humphrey le Blake, Margarethis wife, Roger his son, and John le Blake, Shaftesbury, Wiltshire, Inquisition Ad Quod Damnum, 25 Jan 1347-24 Jan 1348, C 143/286/3.

Entry 49: Lincolnshire

Entry 50: Swaffham, Norfolk, Simon Blake, 1474

Entry 51: Robert le Blake, witness; Grant of Land. 1334, Ref 1720/120.

Entry 52: John le Blake of Rockhill, Shropshire, Nicholas le Blake of Stoke. 19 Jan 1321, Ref: BCM/A/2/62/4.

Entry 53: similar to Entry 52

Entry 54: John Blake, witness, 1395, Ref: 1720/213

Entry 55: Henry le Blake, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, 1343, C 241/117/176

Entry 56: Adam le Blake, London, 1330, Ref: SC 8/92/4572

Entry 57: Leicestershire

Entry 58: Suffolk

Entry 59: Herefordshire

Entry 60: Gloucestershire, Alexander le Blake, 0 Aug 1337, Ref: D326/T171/3.

Entry 61: Warwickshire

Entry 62: Cheshire

Entry 63: Buckinghamshire, Yorkshire

Entry 64: Kent

Entry 65: John le Blake and Alice his wife, 1347, Twyverton, Ref: DD/WHb/583.

Entry 66: Warwickshire

Entry 67: Herefordshire

Entry 68: Robert le Blake, witness, 1345, Ref: DD/WHb/1027-1028, East Coker, Somerset.

Entry 69: Murder of William le Blake, Ogbourne, Wiltshire, 1302,  Ref: SC 8/50/2463 (one of the King's Ministers). I did not see this one before, interesting. 

Entry 70: Suffolk

Entry 71: Lincolnshire

Entry 72: Warwickshire

Entry 73: Robert le Blake, of Kemerford (old word for Quemerford), quitclaim, 1364, Ref: DD/WHb/813 (blogged this item earlier).

Entry 74: John le Blake, witness, Quitclaim, Lega, Hampshire, 17 Oct 1331, Ref: 44M69/C/67

Entry 75: Leicestershire/Rutland

Entry 76: Suffolk

Entry 77: same as Entry 3: 1100-1199

Entry 78: Essex

Entry 79: Suffolk

Entry 80: Warwickshire

Entry 81: Robert le Blake, witness, 1363, Ref: 1720/164, Wiltshire

Entry 82: Christine, widow of Roger le Blake, John le Blake their son, Indented grant by the abbess of Lacock and the messuage is at Lacock. 1350 Dec 30, K H Rogers, Lacock Abbey Charters (Wiltshire Record Society, 1979), no 204. This is quite interesting as John is found at Lacock in a later record. Is he the John Blake that was the ancestor of Humphrey Blake, grandfather to the Admiral Robert Blake on the Blake Pedigree Charts? 

Entry 83: Suffolk

Entry 84: Cheshire

Entry 85: West Sussex

Entry 86: East Sussez

Entry 87: Herefordshire

Entry 88: Leicestershire

Entry 89: John le Blake, Stoke, Devon, witness quit claim, 1341, Ref: 1038 M/T/4/15.

Entry 90: Staffordshire

Entry 91: East Sussex

Entry 92: Warwickshire

Entry 93: Staffordshire

Entry 94: Staffordshire

Entry 95: Staffordshire

Entry 96: Warwickshire, Buckinghamshire

Entry 97: Kent

Entry 98: Essex

le Blak

1200-1299

Entry 1: Thomas le Blak, witness, mentioned in a grant of land, Milverton, Somerset, circa 1280. Very interesting to find a record for Thomas le Blak in Somerset. Reference DD/SF/1591. I think this is the first record I have found for a le Blak in Somerset this early.

Entry 2: Thomas le Blak, Swalecliffe, near Canterbury Cathedral, witness, grant, 20 Nov 1294 x 19 Nov 1295, CCA-DCc-ChAnt/T/17.

Entry 3: Thomas le Blak, Swalecliffe, Quitclaim, 19 Dec 1293, CCA-DCc-ChAnt/T/8.

1300-1399

Entry 1: Nottinghamshire

Entry 2: Thomas le Blak, Milverton, Somerset, grant of land from Thomas to Wm. Vycery, 1321-1322, Ref DD/SF/1593.

Entry 3: Nottinghamshire

Entry 4: William Blak, chaplain, Nottinghamshire, 16Aug 1315, C 241/81/147.

Entry 5: John son of Gilbert le Blak, Lincolnshire, 1333 Mar 26. C 241/104/23

Entry 6: Staffordshire

Entry 7: Suffolk

That completes that run through the National Archives looking at le Blak and le Blake.I will do a search on Blake itself as there are a number of records not caught with this search. 

A couple of surprises and I may order them just to see what is in the items. I have looked up records a number of times so have seen some of these already and worked my way through them. I made a map showing the number of hits in the Calendar of Patent Rolls per country for Blake.

 

 The time span for these records is 30 Jan 1230 to 16 Jun 1452. I have a copy of every one of these records and generally have used them looking at the families through the last few years but I decided to pull the records from the National Archives although most of them I have seen but this way I know that I have looked at all of them. 

Finished for the day, yoga done, running done, just weight lifting and that is next. No more work today. 

 

 

 

Will of George Blake, Mariner, Salisbury, Wiltshire - The National Archives PROB 11/401/249, probated 9 Oct 1690

George Blake, Mariner, is the Testator. A check of ships of the line revealed only one website which mentioned the Rose and the Oxford but no further information. He has left all of his property to Hugh Grove a Mariner living at Portsmouth, Southampton (Hampshire).

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 30 Nov 2013
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/401/249
Testator: George Blake, mariner
Place: Salisbury, Wiltshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 3 Feb 1685, probated 9 Oct 1690
Condition: 17th century English, legible copy

[Margin]: T[esta]m[ent]
[Margin]: Georgij Blake

1    To All People to Whome
2    this present writing shall come I George Blake of the Citty of Salesbury
3    mariner for a valuable consideration had and received of Hugh Grove of
4    Portsmouth in the County of South[amp]ton Marriner before the unsealing and deli-
5    very hereof have granted bargained aliened assigned and transferred and by
6    this present writing doe fully grant bargaine alien assigne transfer and
7    consigne unto the said Hugh Grove all such wages as appears to be due to
8    mee by Tickett or otherwise for Service done on board his Majesties Shipp
9    Oxford and my whole Estate Right Title Interest property claime and demand
10    of in and to the same to have and to hold the said wages and every part thereof
11    unto the said Hugh Grove his Executors Administrators and Assignes to
12    his and their owne proper use and behoof and as his and their owne
13    proper goods and Chattells for ever together with my whole power
14    and Authority to ask demand and receive the same of the Right hono[ra]ble
15    the Treasurer of his Majesties Navy or whome else it may concerne
16    all and singular which said granted premises I the said George Blake
17    for my selfe my Executors and Administrators doe covenant and pro-
18    mise to warrant and defend unto the said Hugh Grove his Executors
19    and Administrators against the claime and demand of any person
20    or persons and free and cleare of all former or other guifts grants
21    Assignment or Incombrances whatsoever by any meanes act consent
22    or procurement likewise as a further Security to the said Hugh Grove
23    for the consideration by him made to mee the said George Blake I
24    hereby ordaine and appoint this my last will and Testament and the
25    said Hugh Grove Sole Executor thereof unto whome I give and be-
26    queath all such wages as may appeare to bee due to mee for service
27    in his Majesties Shipp the Rose unto which I now belong In witnesse
28    whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and Seale this third day of
29    February Anno domin one thousand six hundred eighty five Annoqz
30    R[egn]is Jacobi S[e]c[on]di nunc Angl etc primo Signu George Blake Signed Sealed
31    and delivered in the presence of Wm Eddy Rich: Hale

Will of Cicelie Beaver, Widow, of Kingsclere - The National Archives, probated 15 Jun 1619

The spelling of the surname in this will is Beaver and Cicelie Beaver widow lived at Ecchinswell near Kingsclere which is just 10 miles WNW of Basingstoke and 12 miles NE of Andover so again rather interesting as this is 1618 and my Anthony Beaver/Bever was probably born around 1680 (earlier or later) and I have no information on him prior to his marriage with Susanna Johnson 20 Jul 1710 at Upper Clatford. There are 25 Bever wills and 71 Beaver wills (5 of these overlap). At the time that I picked them I was choosing on the basis of location but glancing once again there are probably several interesting ones but they will wait for another time.

This is the sort of will that you wish all of your relatives would leave naming so many of her kinsmen and kinswomen. What a treasure for her family. I have no idea if she is related to my Bever/Beaver family at Upper Clatford and Goodworth Clatford. This is too early as Anthony Bever married Susanna Johnson 20 Jul 1710 at Upper Clatford nearly one hundred years later. Interesting though the reference to Fareley as one of my great grandfather's sisters married David Farley in 1853. Perhaps I should attempt to trace David back - I know his parents were John Farley and Mary Yeates who married 25 Jul 1822 at Andover.

Cicely only names her side of the family it would appear and does not mention any children. There is a Bever/Beaver family at Kingsclere on the IGI. I discovered the birth of an older brother to my Dinah Bever on the IGI Anthony baptized 5 Nov 1710 at Upper Clatford.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 21 Jan 2013
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/133/693
Testator: Cicelie Beaver, widow
Place: Kingsclere Hampshire, England
Date of document: 11 Dec 1618, probated 15 Jun 1619
Read: Electronic copy images
Document quality: 17th century English, legible copy

[Margin]: Cicelie
[Margin]: Beaver

1    In the name of God Amen The eleaventh day
2    of December Anno D[o]m[ini] 1618 I Cicelie Beaver of Ecchinswell in the parish of Kingsclere
3    and countie of South[amp]ton widdowe beinge weake of Bodye but of good and perfect remembrance
4    thanks be unto God, doe ordaine and make this my last Will and Testament in manner and
5    forme followinge, utterlie frustratinge, cancellinge, and makinge voyde all former
6    wills, and testaments whatsoever heartofore by mee made First and above all things
7    I bequeath my soule unto Almightie God my maker trustinge most assuredlie to bee
8    saved by the death, passion and bloudshedinge of Jesus Christ my onlie savio[u]r and Redeemer
9    and my Bodie to be buried in the Churchyarde of Kingsclere aforesaid. Item I give and
10    bequeath to the Mother Church at Winchester fouer pence. Item I give and bequeath to
11    the parish church of Kingsclere two shillings. And to the Chappell of Ecchinswell
12    twoe shillings Item I give and bequeath to widdowe Robnnt twelve pence. Item I give and bequeath
13    to all the other poore people in Ecchinswell aforesaid fouer shillings to be bestowed at the
14    discre[t]ion of my overseers. Item I give and bequeath to everie of my Godchildren iiij pence apeece
15    Item whereas I lent unto my sister Elizabeth Helyer, the some of three pounds, longe since
16    I doe freelie give and forgive her the said Elizabeth the sayd three poundes. Item I give
17    and bequeath unto Jane Fareley my sister the wife of William Fareley, the somme of Tenne
18    poundes of lawful money of Englande, my best gowne, my best hatt, one brasse pott of
19    two gallons, one brasse kettle of fouer gallons, or upwards and one other lesser kettle
20    w[i]thout abassed, three pewter platters, one lockram sheete, and one canvas sheete, a bed
21    w[hi]ch is in her owne custodie, a feather boulster, one greene saye aprone, and one cofer
22    Item I give and bequeath to Jane Farelie, the daughter of Jane Fareley, my sister,
23    the some of Tenne poundes of lawfull money of Englande, my Fustian waistcoaste, and a
24    brasse pott neare aboute a pecke, one brasse chaffinge dish, one skillett neare aboute
25    a quarte, one payre of tonges, and Fiershovell, my best cofer, and my beste petticoate
26    Item I give and bequeath to Agnes Fareley, one other of the daughters of the said Jane
27    Fareley, my sister, the some of Tenne poundes of lawfull money of Englande, one Feather bed
28    and feather boulster, my best coverlett, my Joyned Bedstede, one brasse kettle aboute a
29    pecke, my second best Gowne, my seconde best cofer, one canvas sheete, and one Table
30    cloth neare aboute three ells. Item I give and bequeath to my sister Jane Fareley,
31    her two daughters, all my weareing linnen aparell to be equallie devided amongest them
32    Item I give and bequeath to John Fareley the sonne of the said Jane Fareley my sister
33    the some of three pounds of lawfull money of England, and one cofer Item my Will
34    and true meaninge is that the money hearein given to my sister Jane, and her children
35    shal[l ]be paid one yeare nexte after my decease yf either of them shall dep[ar]te this life before
36    the same shal[l ]be payable, I doe notwithstandinge, ordayne and appoint that he, she
37    or they soe dyinge shall have full power to give, and bequeath, or otherwise assigne
38    the portion to him, her, or them to be due, w[hi]ch shal[l ]be paid accordinglie as if the partie
39    hearein named, were lyvinge, and at the time hearein appointed. Item I give and
40    bequeath to John Lingam my kinsman, the some of Seaven poundes of lawfull money
41    of England, to be paide w[i]thin sixe monethes next after my decease, And to his daughter
42    Agnes, tenne shillings. Item I give and bequeath to John Burneface my kinsman
43    the Twentie shillings w[hi]ch he oweth mee, To John the sonne, tenne shillinges, to Mary
44    his daughter, tenne shillings, To Jane his daughter twentie shillings, And to
45    Dorothie his daughter, my goddaughter, Thirtie shillings. Item I give and bequeath
46    to John Stone th[e ]elder, the twentie shillings w[hi]ch he oweth me, and other twentie
47    shillings. And to Dorothie his daughter my kinswoman, Fortie shillings Item I
48    give and bequeath to Eedie P[en]tone my kinswoman, three poundes of lawfull money
49    of England, to be paid w[i]thin sixe monethes nexte after my decease. Item I give, and
50    bequeath to Dorothie Smyth, the wife of William Smith, x s w[i]thin three
52    monethes next after my decease w[hi]ch I will shee shall ymploye to p[ro]vide her cloathes
    [Page 2]
53    Item I give and bequeath to Walter Camber the younger Twentie shillings Item I
54    give and bequeath to William Winckworth the Twenty shillings w[hi]ch he oweth me And to
55    Ellen his weiffe Tenne shillings Item I give and bequeath to Grahame Legatt my
56    kinsman Twentie shillings Item I give and bequeath to John Stone the younger
57    Twentie shillings The residue of my goodes and chattells unbequeathed my debtes
58    legacies and funeralls discharged and paid I give and bequeath to Richard Walter
59    my kinsman, whome I doe make my sole and onelie executor of this my will and testament
60    Item I ordaine and appointe Overseers of this my will and testament to see it
61    performed and kept Nicholas Winckworth and Richarde Clemence th[e ]elder
62    And I give to them for their paines Five shillings a peece, Those bearing witnes
63    Abraham Walter John Rumboule John Penton William Winckworth John
64    Stone th[e ]elder and Walter Camber Cicely Beaver's marke
65    The sixteenth day of December Anno D[omi]ni 1618 I the above named
66    Cicelye Beaver doe adde this followinge to be p[ar]cell of my will and testament
67    And I charge my Executors to performe it Item I give and bequeath to Alice
68    Kember otherwise Camber my kinswoman Thirtie shillings Item I give and
69    bequeath to William Painter Thirtie shillings Item I give and bequeath to
70    the fouer children of Paule Stone my kinsman deceased Fortie shillings to
71    be equallie devided amongst them And my true meaninge is that the stock
72    shal[l ]be p[er]formed for them untill they shal[l ]be of the age of Twentie one yeares and the use
73    thereof towardes theyre breedinge Item I give and bequeath to Marye Pinnocke ten
74    shillings Item I give and bequeath to William Fareley my brother in lawe twentie
75    shillings Item I give and bequeath to Jane Farelie my sister Three poundes of lawfull
76    money of England above her portion formerlie given and one brasse panne, my cloke
77    and my newe red petticoate Item I give and bequeath to Agnes Fareley my kinswoman
78    Fortie shillings above her former portion and one brasse pott neare about a gallon
79    Item I give and bequeath to John Lingam the younger Tenne shillings Item I give
80    and bequeath to Nicholas Walter my kinsman Fouer poundes of lawfull money of
81    Englande If Richarde Walter shall heareafter refuse to be my Executor, then I
82    nominate Richarde Clemence and Jane Fareley my sister to bee ioynt Executors to
83    performe this my will and testament Item I give and bequeath to Alice Martin
84    Twentie shillings Item I give and bequeath to widdowe Francklin Five
85    shillinges Cicelie Beavers marke. Witnesses so are into Nicholas
86    Winckworth and Walter Camber and Ellen Francklin

Will of Alexander Blake, Timber Merchant of Southampton - National Archives PROB 11/531/294, probated 11 Feb 1713

From the IGI Alexander Blake was buried 7 Jun 1712 in Hampshire (RG6_1027 The genealogist co uk). Alexander the son of Alexander and Mary Blake was baptized 15 Sep 1706 (RG6_1027 IBID) (both from the non-conformist record indexes). I also found a record of one of Alexander's and Mary's other children: Hannah born 24 Jul 1704 Hampshire (RG6_1027 ibid). I have not yet found a child named "Massey" or a child named "Mary."

There was a John Futcher living in the Romsey/Southampton area with a marriage in the early 1690s from the Non-Conformist Record Indexes. Likewise an Abraham Messer living in a similar area to Alexander also from the Non-Conformist Record Indexes. Richard Burges is perhaps the eldest and he too was living in the Romsey area. All of these men are merchants or tradesmen. The three mentioned have families living in the Romsey and Southampton area.

If the children did survive to adult hood I have not yet found any records of their marriages that I can truly match to this family. What a sad story is contained in this will. Alexander and his wife dying and leaving their four children in the care of their fellow merchants and tradesmen.

No ideas yet on the parents of Alexander Blake.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 3 Oct 2012
Source:  The National Archives, PROB 11/531/294
Name of testator: Alexander Blake, Timber Merchant
Place: Southampton, Hampshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated:, 7 Apr 1712, probated 11 Feb 1713
Read: Electronic file images
Condition: modern English, 18th century, clear copy
[In margin] T[esta]m[ent]
[In margin] Alexander Blake

1    I Alexander Blake of the Town and
2    County of South[amp]ton Merchant being sick and weake in
3    body (but through the mercies of almighty God) of sound mind
4    perfect sense and disposing memory do make and declare my last
5    Will and Testament in manner following (that is to say) First
6    I desire my friend John Futcher of Romsey Extra in the
7    County of South[amp]ton Clothyer Thomas Curtis of the said Town
8    and County of South[amp]ton Salesman Abraham Messer of the said
9    Town and County Currier and Richard Burges of Romsey Extra
10    aforesaid Clothier to take care that my body be decently interred
11    in Christian like manner And as for my Worldly Estate I dispose
12    thereof as follows Imprimis I give and bequeath unto my
13    daughter Mary Blake a peice of old Gold a Silver Chain and a
14    Bible all which were her deceased Mothers Item I give and
15    bequeath All that my Messuage or Tenement with the Backside
16    outhousing and appurtenances thereunto belonging scituate
17    lying and being on the South side of the Castle Lane within the
18    said Town and County of South[amp]ton now in the possession of
19    Daniel Pennington and his assigns unto the said John Futcher
20    Thomas Curtis Abraham Messer and Richard Burges and to
21    their heirs and assigns to be by them sold and disposed of for the
22    best price or prices that can be got for the same and the  moneys
23    arising by the sale thereof to be by them applyed towards the
    [Page 2]
24    payment of my debts defraying my Funerall Expences and the
25    educating and breeding up of all my children Item all the rest
26    of my Goods Chattells Shipping and all other my Estate Reall and
27    personall whatsoever I give devise and bequeath unto them the
28    said John Futcher Thomas Curtis Abraham Messer and Richard
29    Burgis and to their heirs Executors administrators and assigns
30    to be by them sold and dispossed of to the best advantage that can
31    be got for the same and every part thereof and the moneys arising
32    by the sale of the same to be by them appropriated towards the
33    payment of my debts discharging my Funerall Expences and for
34    and towards the breeding maintaining and educating of all my
35    children as aforesaid untill they shall attaine to their respective
36    ages of one and twenty years And my will and meaning is that
37    the overplus of all my Estate after my debts and Funerall
38    Expences are paid and defrayed and all my children bred up to
39    their respective ages of one and Twenty years apeice shall be
40    divided amongst my three youngest children viz[ a vi]t Alexander
41    Massey and Hannah Blake or so many of them as shall attaine
42    to their said ages of one and Twenty years untill their and each
43    of their Shares shall amount unto fourty pounds apeice and the
44    Remainder (if any shall be after that) I will shall be equally
45    shared and divided amongst all my four Children Mary Alexander
46    Massey and Hannah Blake or so many of them as shall attain
47    to their said ages of one and Twenty years And I do hereby
48    nominate and appoint the said John Futcher Thomas Curtis
49    Abraham Messer and Richard Burges Executors In Trust of
50    this my Will and Guardians to all my said Children with full
51    power and authority to educate breed up place and dispose them
52    each and every of them untill they each and every of them shall
53    attain to their said severall ages of one and twenty years apeice
54    as they the said John Futcher Thomas Curtis Abraham Messer
55    and Richard Burges their Executors and Administrators shall in
56    their discretions see fitting and convenient In witness whereof
57    revoking and making void all former and other Wills by me at any
58    time heretofore made I have hereunto set my hand and Seale
59    the seventh day of April in the Eleventh year of the Reigne of
60    Queene Anne of Great Britain etc Anno Domini 1712
61    Alex: Blake [signed] Signed sealed published and declared to be the last
62    Will and Testament of the said Alexander Blake in presence of
63    Arthur Atherley [signed] Jeremiah Dobey [signed] W: Waller [signed]

Will of Arthur Blake, Writing Clerk of Briton Street Canal Walk, Southampton, Hampshire, National Archives PROB 11/1945, Image Reference 125/110, probated 7 May 1841

This is likely the Arthur Blake who died June quarter of 1838 at Southampton from Free BMD.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 11 May 2012
Source:  The National Archives PROB 11/1945, Image Reference 125/110  (images by me)
Name of testator: Arthur Blake, Writing Clerk of Briton Street Canal Walk Southampton, Hampshire
Place: Southampton, Hampshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated:  25 Apr 1838, probated 7 May 1841
Read: Electronic file
Condition: 19th century, bold lettering
[In margin] Arthur Blake 4

1    This is the last Will and Testament
2    of me Arthur Blake Writing Clerk now residing with George
3    Mitchell of Briton Street Canal Walk in the Town and County of
4    Southampton Tailor was and published this twenty fifth day of
5    April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty
6    eight First I will that all my just debts and funeral expences shall be
7    fully paid and satisfied I release Joseph Buelman of Portsmouth
8    from all interest monies which may be due from him to me at the
9    time of my decease all the Rest Residue and Remainder of`
10    my estate and effects I give devise and bequeath unto Ann Mitchell
11    Wife of the said George Mitchell her heirs executors adm[instrato]rs and assigns
12    according to the nature of the same estate and effects whatever real or
13    personal to and for her own absolute use and benefit and I nomi=
14    nate and appoint the said George Mitchell and Ann his wife as
15    Executor and Executrix of this my will and lastly I revoke all for-
16    mer Wills and declare this to be my last Will and Testament In
17    Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day
18    and year first above written. A Blake [seal] Signed sealed published
19    and declared by the testator Arthur Blake as and for his last Will
20    and Testament in the presence of us who in his presence and in
    the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as
21    witnesses Benj[ami]n Jones Clerk to Cha[rle]s __ires Sol[icito]r Southampton
22    Henry Wallis Bricklayer St Michaels Square Southampton
23    Proved at London 7th May 1841 before the Judge by the oaths
24    of George Mitchell and Ann Mitchell Wife of the said George Mitchell
25    the Executors to whom Adm[inistratio]n was granted having been first sworn
26    by Commission duly to administer.

Routledge family and an email on Hampshire

An interesting request for information on Southampton, Hampshire and I put together a list of some of the interesting resources for this English county that I have at hand and decided to share it with my blog.

Depending on how far back the association with Southampton is, there are a number of interesting published records for Hampshire which include:

The Hampshire Hearth Tax Assessment of 1665 and in the case of Southampton it is the Hearth Tax Assessment of 1670 that is published in this particular book. This book is a good birds eye view of Hampshire in this time period.

West Hampshire Lay Subsidy Assessments, 1558-1603 (Andover, Kingsclere and New Forest Divisions), edited by Douglas F Vick (Family History Library). I copied Andover Hundred only as that was my interest but the New Forest is in the Southampton area so might be interesting. A valuable resource in this time period (my Blake line goes back to the late 1400s in the Andover area so have looked at a lot of the records in this area back to this time period).

The Parish Records are particularly good in Hampshire and can be purchased directly from the Hampshire Record Office at a very reasonable price (microfiche) and a lot of them do go back to the beginning of the Parish Registers (1538) and can be purchased right up to the present if that is helpful.

In general Hampshire is not available on any of the major providers (FindMyPast, Ancestry, Origins, etc.) as they have published a lot of their own records through the Hampshire Genealogical Society. I was a member for eight years and will be again but traveling about as we have done for the last four years I cancelled most of my subscriptions. The articles in their journal tend to be on families of the 1800s on so depending on the time period you are looking at your may find it interesting looking at their journal (available at Allen County Public Library and Family History in Salt Lake City). Federated Family History Societies holds their material for sale: http://www.genfair.co.uk/supplier.php?sid=59

Their are a number of books published on individual cities/towns in Hampshire but Southampton has been a large city for at least one hundred and fifty years. My father was born at Eastleigh (now a suburb of Southampton) in 1904 and he recalled as a child going into Southampton and that it was a large city even then with Eastleigh itself being a substantial town. The New Forest lies in Dorset but right across the Southampton Waters from Southampton. This is an area like Dutchess County (my enquirer was from the United States) with peoples from the west and north west of England moving towards the more economically viable area of Southampton/Portsmouth through the last two hundred years and the only practical way was through the New Forest which is honeycombed with roads going everywhere plus the railroad.

The Census of Hampshire is very complete (few areas are missing) from 1841 to 1911 and available on FindMyPast and Ancestry (FindMyPast has better transcriptions but Ancestry has a really powerful search engine techniques but you can search the 1911 census returns on the UK government website and do remarkable searching just there).

The Electoral Registers would also be a good source although I have not yet looked at them for Hampshire. I suspect that involves a trip to Hampshire Record Office which is in Winchester (an amazing collection of mediaeval buildings still exist in this city including ancient walls and it is not hard to find your way about). The database at the Hampshire Record Office is online and has a good search engine  (http://www3.hants.gov.uk/archives/catalog.htm). They will do hard copy or images and they are most reasonable and make excellent copies.

There are Pollbooks for Southampton (the county was called Southampton and depending on how long ago a family name is associated with Southampton it could have meant the county) which can be helpful in the 1700s.

This is off the top of my head and certainly the Hampshire Genuki webpages have a lot of material that might be helpful (I used to manage these but passed them on to a local Hampshire resident fortunately!). http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/HAM/

The yDNA Hampshire Study has not been overly successful. About 1/4 of the people only have a paper trail back to Hampshire. Most of the members are American. I have been trying to get a couple of people who live in England interested in taking over the study as they could encourage more people who trace back to Hampshire to test. My line (Blake) is one of the few where the actual location of the ancestor is known.

Kew (Public Record Office in London, England) has an excellent online website: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ The holdings for Hampshire are quite extensive there as well although Winchester is the best place for Hampshire records.

I have a lot of Hampshire material but it is generally in the Andover Hundred/Registration District where my families have lived for over six hundred years. I have not yet seen the surname Grooms in this area to my knowledge but will over the coming days check some of the excel transcription files that I have produced.

Back to Routledge and Tom Routledge has sent me a couple of new documents to transcribe. I have begun and noted that Jock Routledge is mentioned in this document. It is from 1543 and not one of the common transcription documents so no help online for this one likely. I will again post it to the blog as I transcribe it and correct the document as I move along with it.

The Gathering of the Clans is now set for July 2014 and we hope to attend. That is as always dependent on my husband's health. Perhaps that will be the time when we sell our house and in between we will do a bit of traveling. Sounds very interesting actually!

Nicholas Blake Will of 20 Nov 1641

The Will of Nicholas Blake of Eastontowne proved to be very interesting. I had him placed as a son of William Blake and Margaret Hibberd and that proved to be substantiated by his will. The children of this couple too proved to be as I had pulled them from other records. They had four sons and one daughter. At the time of the writing of the will three sons and one daughter are living. Their father died in 1606 and their mother was buried in 1613. These Blake men were long living for the most part. I estimate his father was 66 when he died. In his will he does not mention that any of his children are less than 21 years of age which would mean that Nicholas is at least 57 years of age at the time of the writing of this will. His brother Peter must have died as he did not mention him. He mentions only his eldest brother William and his youngest brother Thomas and his sister Dorothy married to William Smith.

He clearly refers to my ancestor William Blake of Andover as his cousin and his eldest son Richard is also mentioned. They are asked to help the Hibberd sisters if need be (perhaps they live near them) and Joseph Hinxman and his son are not available to do so. They do live in Andover whereas Eastontown is closeby but not directly connected to Andover.

He also remembers members of the Hibberd family linking him to his mother's family but his father had identified his mother as the daughter of Robert Hibberd anyway. The mention though also helps to ensure that the linkage is correct. He refers to his older brother William and to William's son William as his cozen (William Blake of Eastentowne) which is somewhat peculiar in that he was his uncle but I have seen that before in these early wills. I have added all the children of William Blake at Eastontown married to Ann Tutt (William, Sara, Nicholas, Anne, Thomas and Mary) into my Legacy file. They receive the largest legacies along with his kinswoman Mary Warberton of Southampton and her five children. Since Nicholas is unmarried I am curious who Mary is. I shall try to investigate that family somewhat.

Nicholas also mentions Joseph Hinxman his cousin. Nicholas' father William is brother to Richard Blake who was the father of Eleanor who married Joseph Hinxman. Hence their children are his first cousins namely Joseph (and others). My William, his son Richard and Joseph, his son Joseph are the only descendants of Nicholas' Uncle Richard that Nicholas mentions in his will.He does not mention Richard though in his will. He does not mention anyone who is not living and again I have noticed that before in these early wills. Perhaps because they are no longer part of the world and have passed beyond worry about wills and such.

A little more work on the will and I will post it tomorrow for anyone who wishes to have it. There are a number of Blake wills in this time period and I will continue to transcribe them for the benefit of other Blake researchers in the Hampshire area. Although I am quite satisfied that I have proven the link Thomas (b 1709) to Thomas (b 1685) to John (b 1649) to William (b 1615) to William (b c 1580s) to Richard (b c late 1550s) William (b c 1510s) to Nicholas (b c 1580s), I will continue to collect material on these Andover Blake families and now for a purpose - my one name study for Blake at the Guild of one name studies.

Once I complete the Hampshire wills I will move on to the London Blake family (moved from Hampshire to Surrey to London) and see what information I can add to the known material for that particular family.