Decisions

March for my studies became a throw away month whilst I contemplated the path for each of the two books. 

Pencombe became the easiest to resolve as I realized that the data that existed did not lend to the thought that Philip Pynkeham at Tawstock was related to the Pencombe family at North Molton. He is either related to an earlier Pencombe family that came to Devon from Herefordshire (not necessarily the same family which would be anticipated given the difference in y-DNA results) or is actually a member of the Tykenham family closeby but in the same hundred in this time frame. Decision made to not include Philip in the book. I will in each decade make decisions that lend themselves to the accumulated data. 

Blake ended up creating new chapters to look at Richard le Blak in Berkshire on the Pipe Rolls of 1301 and his family as it moved out of Berkshire and into Wiltshire and Hampshire. The Blake family of Calne does appear to be descendant of this Richard le  Blak and was he the Richard who received license to set up a market in England in 1274 (Calendar of Patent Rolls). This is not yet proven but I continue to look at the available data (available to me). I have added a chapter of the Le Blak family of Calne, I have also added a chapter which looks at two major Blake family documents - Blake Pedigree Chart of 1690 requisitioned by Daniel Blake of London, England with additions into the mid to latter part of the 1700s and the Blake Family Chart (additions up to the early 1920s) possibly created by Edward James Blake of Crewkerne, Somerset. This month of review was definitely worth while for the Blake family book. 

There is snow on the ground here but not a lot. Skiing may not happen! But the moisture is good for sure. 

Tea time and Latin next. 

I must continue pulling out the sets of data that I have collected for this family in the North Molton area

Memories

I did watch Prime Minister Brian Mulroney's State Funeral yesterday. It was perfect I think; so very meaningful and perhaps the most beautiful his granddaughter's song of love for her beloved grandfather. It is the hardest thing in the world I think for children to give up a parent and for grandchildren to let go of a grandparent. It wrenches the soul and tears it apart just for a little while until the healing starts. I must admit as I watched the funeral I remember that my husband would have preferred having all of his friends about him for a funeral but he did die during COVID but we actually did not have a funeral until over a year later. But I just couldn't budge myself from that very private place I had moved to and as it turned out we all wanted it to be a very private goodbye with all of us there - the priest, organist, children (including our son in law), grandchildren and myself. The organist was simply wonderful picking everything himself except I did ask for the 23rd Psalm which we all sang. The memory did come back to me as I watched and I have said to my children that when we finally pick a burial spot at Beechwood where he wanted to be buried they can do whatever they want when I pass away. A joint service if that is something they want as it was what he wanted for sure. But if they decide private is what they want then they have my blessing for that as well. Whatever suits them; to me funerals are for the living to commemorate those who died but in a way that reflects the living family. The State Funeral was perfect for Brian Mulroney; when the history books are written (and already he is in the history books) he will be one of Canada's best Prime Ministers. Could he have done more for his country; I am sure he would have said yes but he did so very much to bring us right out of being mentally attached to the British Isles (although I am very much in favour of our King and Royal Family and hope that that is also a forever part of Canada) to standing up on our own two feet as he negotiated NAFTA and tied us economically forever to our great neighbour to the south. As Canada grows and at 40 Million plus we are growing we may one day be a much much larger neighbour than we are now and I am sure that linking ourselves together will prove to be the best forward plan there could have been. Thank you Brian Mulroney. I also feel the same way about the GST; it has done Canada a lot of good; taken the strain out of running government as no need for supply bills constantly getting debated at the last minute. The government has money to fund it. Thank you Brian Mulroney for that and for Nunavut and fighting acid rain and so much more.

A lovely walk again yesterday, two days in a row. I do enjoy a good walk around the block. I did not accomplish very much on Pencombe yesterday. My mind didn't seem to settle to it. I am still perplexed about Philip Pynkeham. Who is he? Is he a Tynkeham? Why is he at Tawstock? I likely do need to do a little more searching to see if I can discover anything more. Of course he was born before the Parish Registers were kept by the Parish Priests for all the inhabitants of the parish so no help there.  I may though, check the 1524-27 Lay Subsidy for the parishes where the Tynkeham/Tinkham family lived. Perhaps then I will feel satisfied leaving him out. It does seem like I should do that. 

We were meant to have snow but the snow fell on Montreal complicating the travel from St Patrick to Notre Dame for the funeral but as usual our honour guards did a perfect job in spite of the weather. The 19 gun salute rang through the cold air and Canada said goodbye to Brian Mulroney while his family took him for a private time and burial. Brian Mulroney was proud, I am sure, of his family standing through all those hours welcoming all the people who came to say goodbye. They did it so very well.

Minus eight degrees celsius, clear and will be sunny. Another crisp winter day with no snow. We are in drought for sure and will be a rough summer perhaps of forest fires. Time will tell. Hopefully everyone will be especially careful to keep them to a minimum. 

Sunday, Palm Sunday, and Church on You Tube. I am looking forward to being at the Cathedral once again. It has been a thoughtful Lent and the Lenten Readings have been most thought provoking particularly as they have very much brought my thoughts to Israel and Gaza. A solution is there but Hamas destroys any solution because they are evil thinking only of themselves and their greed and their hatred for the Jewish people. They desire to commit genocide against the Jewish people and it really must end; they must be sent somewhere where they cannot hurt the Palestinians or the Jews. 

Prayers for the people of Russia, those killed in the attack by ISIS and those injured and fighting for their lives in the hospitals. May God be merciful and help them through this tragic time. 

God bless the world. 

Teatime and Latin. It is a day of rest for my eyes.

Snow 5 cm is predicted

There is a 5 cm snowfall predicted for the end of the week. That would be a nice end to winter for sure. It has been a strange winter here. Climate Change is having an incredible effect on Canada with out polar regions being a large part of our country. Perhaps one more day of skiing is in the works.

Today is a Pencombe day and I have a few more thoughts on Philip Pynkeham at Tawstock that I will check out. I do not want to just wantonly discard him from the book but do need to have more information to encourage me to put him in. The forename is definitely unusual to the William, John and Thomas forenames that I am finding generally in the 1300s/1400s for the Pencombe family of Herefordshire. 

Perhaps some searching of the archives to continue today with Pencombe. Perhaps getting back to actually writing the book as I have only been blogging my abstract thoughts as they come to me. 

Verified my appointment with the surgeon for cataract surgery - preliminary examination for surgery in late May hopefully. Actually looking forward to this being done and getting back to my books after a couple of months off perhaps. Time will tell. I have no idea. I have never really known anyone who had cataract surgery other than my parents (and my sister but she too is far away and did not really go into details and I like to just follow the flow for such things) and I was here and they were 700 kilometres away during all of that so no really close information.  But it is good to be enthusiastic likely. I have had no actual surgery in my life; just lucky likely and only a couple of procedures other than the delivery of two children. But I really do think people should get their surgeries sooner rather than later if they need them. So all verified and on to the appointment. My eyes are actually my only weak item but I have lived with them for 78.5 years and glasses for 77+ years. Apparently I did not walk free until glasses were put on me when I was just eighteen months. I hung on the furniture, people, the dog whatever to get around before then apparently. I have no idea why glasses suddenly made my world visible/steady enough for me to get up and walk across a room unaided. But I do remember having dizzy spells as a young child sometimes when my lenses were changed and perhaps that was it. But I made up for it as once mobile I had to be followed (the dog was good at that and bringing me back home) as I was on the move. We were inseparable the dog and I apparently and the dog seemed to know I was not like my three older siblings none of whom wore glasses as children because he would hold on to my clothes to take me home again my grandmother said. I have no memory of the dog as he was put down when I was around three years of age. I think he was about about ten years old - a large border collie. I do not remember the touch of his fur even. Seems strange really when he was so much part of my life until I was nearly three. 

On to the Archives and I shall record anything interesting but also have a look at what I have written thus far in this chapter on the de Pencombe family of Herefordshire.  

Just a day of reading and exercise. Tomorrow Blake.

The 18th Prime Minister of Canada - Brian Mulroney

Rest in Peace Brian Mulroney you did your task very well and created a new Canada that still flourishes due to your foresight with the 7% GST (although I consider mistakenly taken to 5% by Prime Minister Harper) and NAFTA. Both enriched Canada by making anything possible in those years following their enactment.  I watched during the day while the coffin of our 18th Prime Minister was Laying in State here in Ottawa. He will be sadly missed by all of the current politicians of the day; he was a great Canadian with a reach down through the ages. I will watch his funeral on Saturday.

I must admit the demise of the NDP would suit me very well; I have never considered them to be an effective party but rather concentrating on one segment of the population only; the one that they think will vote them in. Folded back into the Liberal party where they belong they would continue giving that far left wing of the Liberal party a voice plus the percentage of our tax that goes to support democracy (i.e. the parties with enough seats in the house) would not be diced up quite so much. The idea of the individual tax payer having a box to check for their taxes to be directed at their discretion (or one could have a checkbox for the status quo) is an interesting idea that came to me yesterday as I considered the amendment to the bill first put forward by the mis-guided NDP member. Put more effort into getting the children out of Gaza and here where there is lots of food and no bombs and less into supporting the terrorists Hamas who live on hatred of the Jewish people. That the bill passed in the house is simply a matter of politics - the Block want to be there to vote for an independence movement (as they see it) as they see their own and has little to do with Gaza likely (breaking up Canada is their aim), the NDP serve no purpose as far as I can see but are simply Liberals with a different name and would save tax money being thinned out if they are the same party and the Green Party (although I am a great believer in greening Canada I think voting for this particular item was a poor choice - abstaining could express your horror at the state of Gaza better - it at least supports Israel's right to defend itself). So I am left with the Conservatives, which I am actually but their inability to leave the GST alone or at least put it back up to 7% or 10%, it is a wealth tax after all (lots of exempt items that are necessities), has put me into the Liberal camp where I do not really belong but they are getting the job done. The military is getting more hardware and support (but more is needed); we got through COVID relatively unscathed and our economy is moving along nicely. I have no objection to the Carbon Tax - we have to pay to green Canada and that is a fact (last year we had the worst air of any place in the world; the smoke was swirling around in our backyard here and all over the Ottawa Valley). Taxes are one of the great truths of life - death and taxes!

Cleaning day all accomplished and today will be a research day. Just debating on which one to work on today. I am still sorting Pencombe in my mind and concentrating on the descendants of the North Molton Pencombe family and leaving the Philip Pynkeham at Tawstock for another (although I know I will keep having a look here and there during the remainder of the throw-away month). Finding him on the 1524-7 (as well as the 1543-45 Lay Subsidies as a tax payer) as a wage earner was interesting. The individual on the line above him was not a relative and I can not see anything that helps me with who he is as he is likely at least 15-18 years of age in 1524 so born in the same time frame as the first generation's Pencombe children (but does not appear to belong to anyone at Tawstock (the forename Philip is somewhat unusual in this family although there was one in my 2x great grandfather John Pincombe's family; his youngest brother Philip but he had an uncle Philip and grandfather on his mother's side!)). Probably I should still consider alternative searches as this is my throw-away month to look at possibilities and work on the Blake family. Here I am looking at the Le Blac family of Rouen, Normandy and were they the ancestors of the Calne Blake family? Can I prove that the Richard (who actually belongs at the top of the Blake Family Chart (Blake Museum, Bridgwater) I do believe) Blague/Blaake was the same Richard who applied for a license to set up a market in England in 1274? I think continuing with my search through the Blake records would be a good step today.

Continuing the look at the Discovery Catalogue at the UK National Archives for the unfinished group of Blake beginning with John Blake.  Publication of The Harleian Society Volume LXXIX (1928). There are Blake entries namely John Blak, Rawlyn Blak, Richard Blak, Andrew Blake, Edmond Blake, Edmund Blake (6 entries), John Blake (4 entries), Simon Blake (2 entries), Thomas Blake (4 entries), Walter Blake, William Blake (3 entries). 

Name                      Page              Suit#

John Blake           16                 10

John Blake           20               103 

John Blake         204               490

John Blake         295              353

Simon Blake      144              240

Simon Blake      238              174

Thomas Blake   134              329

Thomas Blake   285               74

Thomas Blake   293             307

Thomas Blake   390               13

Walter Blake     154             505

 William Blake   30             131

William Blake    30             148

William Blake  166              88

I have completed the first group of Blake way back last week; my the time passes quickly. I shall continue that process looking up these items on the Discovery Catalogue at Kew today (I shall continue adding to this post all day). 

Teatime and Latin first. 

 John Blake (77 items - 11 relevant)

1.  C136/83/5 and it is the Inquisition Postmortem for John Blake I (MP for Calne). This would be an interesting document and I may yet order it.

2. Grant (at Calne) by Geoffrey Symple of Wynterbourne Whitcherch (Dorset) to John Blake of Quemerford, of an acre of land in the field called Westytone. 1386 Reference: 1720/199

3. 1395; John Blake witnesses a document (Whetham (a parish in Calne), Wiltshire, lease). Reference: 1720/213

4. Eaaster, 1395. Attorney: By John Blake of Quemerford to Robert Welyknowe to deliver seisin to Rober Saleman and his co-feoffees of pasture of his manor of Shawe and other lands there. Reference: DD/WHb/2026.

5. 1393. John Blake witnessed a Grant (at Wodelond) by  .... Reference: 1720/210

6. 1390. Quitclaim (at Calne), witnessed by John Blake Reference 1720/206

7. 1393. Quitclaim (at Calne), witnessed by John Blake. Reference 1720/207

8. 1384. Grant (at Whetham), witnessed by John Blake. Reference: 1720/193

9. 1387. Grant (at le Northehethe), witnessed by John Blake. Reference: 1720/202

10. 1460 Aug 18. John Blake (Nether Wallop), Robert Blake (Calne), Alexander Blake (Calne), sued by a London merchant. Reference C241/243/39

11. 1463; lease, widow of Robert Blake (Calne), Avice Blake, and John Blake, Robert Blake her sons, for 13 years to Nicholas Redeman of a barn and pasture at Sohawe. Reference DD/WHb/2144.

Simon Blake  - 14 records - 13 Norfolk, 1 Devon

Thomas Blake - 21 records - 1 Kent, 1 Suffolk, most Norfolk, some London

Walter Blake - 1 record - East Anglia

William Blake -  20 Records - Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Sheffield,

1. early 1400s. Mortgage of tenement in Salisbury, Wiltshire. William Blake, plaintiff (might be interesting since the grandfather of Robert (fulling mill at Quemerford) Blake was said to be a William Blake. Reference C 1/6/131 (must check and see if this is one that I imaged at Kew in 2013).

2. 1404-1426. Same as above. Reference C 1/6/148

3. 1489, Letter of Attorney - Wheddon in Cutcombe, Somerset which William Blake holds. Reference: 1782/M/T 21 (two entries)

The William Blake records could be interesting as it is the first that I have found for a William Blake in the right area. The John Blake records are expected in that John Blake I and John Blake II were both Members of Parliament. 

William being in Salisbury especially interesting because Whiteparish is just south of Salisbury and if  the unknown Blake (grandson of William, son of Henry) who moved from Whiteparish to Andover area (dying there in 1471) it could prove quite interesting. Although the third record itself is in Cutcombe, Somerset so curious mostly. Will consider ordering these three records if I do not already have them.

Looking at that particular item once again from the Blake Family Chart, Blake Museum. Bridgwater:

This unknown Blake is said to be the grand son of William Blake and Elizabeth (Power) Blake.

 I will look at this chart next Blake day and review the problems that exist when one looks at the wills for these individuals. They kindly left them! Interesting in a way that this chart was created for the Hampshire Blake Family. The actual chart doesn't use it. It doesn't help anyone with the Blake Pedigree Chart at Swindon - perhaps just throwing a little fat into the fire type of thing. It does use some of the material from the Blake Pedigree Chart though one does notice that. It would be interesting to discover the origin of the first generations  

Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine - Volume 9

Nearly spring and the snow is all gone pretty much here. The ground looks dry instead of muddy like it usually is. Time will tell. A yellow sunrise in God's world in the east. What is God thinking as He looks at the world spread out in front of Him? He must have wept for Alexei Navalny - one of His children.  The people of Russia deserve so much more than they are getting - a war is always hardest on its people. Those at the top just live in luxury already greedy for more. The Palestinians here have not brought any children to Canada as far as I can see - they could be safe and well fed here and with very little difficulty since they are little and not a worry; They will not cause any problems for our 600,000 + Jewish people. I think the children is the saddest part; they did nothing to bring this on and it is usual to protect the children and I have a hard time understanding why they are not being protected by people who have all the luxuries of living in Canada. Protest marches are a waste of time - feed the children; bring them to safety.

Very busy working this last week as I spend this "throw-away" month looking at two possibilities - one that Richard le Blak was the founder of the Calne Blake family and two that the Pencombe family at North Molton was descendant of the Pencombe family in Pencombe, Herefordshire. Both have interesting possibilities but provable that is the question. I have looked and looked at the Blake Family Chart on the Blake Museum website (Bridgwater, Somerset) and finally I suddenly saw that perhaps Richard and Robert were interchanged at the top of the Chart and the "proof of life" details for Robert (who has a number of items in various records) did perhaps reveal that they are accidentally interchanged with Richard actually being the father of Robert. There were just too many generations between the two Roberts and not enough years. Perhaps I noted that before but I needed more data on Robert to really see it. With the Pencombe family, not finding a lot of new details but I am just getting into that. Still trying to link Philip Pynkeham at Tawstock but I think one needs to look at land documents to really sort him out. That is not going to happen in my study likely; time will tell.

The Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine, Volume 9 (Pages 223-224) which was published in 1866 and is also available from Internet.Archive.org

 http://archive.org/details/wiltshirearchaeo09arch

There is an article in this particular magazine which discusses descent and arms of families and was produced from the notes of the Richmond Herald at the College of Arms about 1693 although he was not appointed Richmond Herald until 1721. The article Wiltshire Arms and Descents was written by Mr. Clarence Hopper and the author of the notes was Robert Dale ( he was perhaps an heraldic painter prior to his appointment is suggested ). The comment is made that the information was principally from the Visitations of 1620 time period.

His notes on the Blague/Blake/Blaake family

Dorsetshire, 27. Blague, alias Blaake, now Blake of Quemberford [Quemerford], Calne and Pynhills - 1st, arg. a chevron between 3 garbs, sab. (this is the usual arms associated with the Blake family). 2nd, arg. on a pile, az. 3 martlets, sil. both by this name. Crest on a chapeau, gu. turned up erm. a martlet, arg. Kent 83.

Blague of Lacock, a second branch from Quemberford. Kent 83

Blague of Hilcot, a third house from Calne. Kent 83

This fits in with the Visitation of 1565 which states that Roger Blake and Mary Baynard had three sons - Thomas at Pynnell, Robert at Lacock and John at Hilcott which matches the information found in the Wiltshire Arms and Descents article mentioned above.

I did review "Index of Persons Named in Early Chancery Proceedings 1385-1467" produced as The Publication of The Harleian Society Volume LXXIX (1928).There are Blake entries namely John Blak, Rawlyn Blak, Richard Blak, Andrew Blake, Edmond Blake, Edmund Blake (6 entries), John Blake (4 entries), Simon Blake (2 entries), Thomas Blake (4 entries), Walter Blake, William Blake (3 entries). 

Name                      Page              Suit#

John Blak                62                 243

Rawlyn Blak          176               345

Richard Blak          62                243

Andrew Blake         3                  69

Edmond Blake      238              174

Edmund Blake     134               319

Edmund Blake     134               325

Edmund Blake     144               240

Edmund Blake     158               606

Edmund Blake     221              164

Edmund Blake     239              204

John Blake           16                 10

John Blake           20               103 

John Blake         204               490

John Blake         295              353

Simon Blake      144              240

Simon Blake      238              174

Thomas Blake   134              329

Thomas Blake   285               74

Thomas Blake   293             307

Thomas Blake   390               13

Walter Blake     154             505

 William Blake   30             131

William Blake    30             148

William Blake  166              88

I will check for Wiltshire, Hampshire, Berkshire in Discovery Catalogue at the UK National Archives for all of these entries.

 John Blak - 13 records from 1300-1499 -  10 are mostly from Norfolk with one from Devon

1. 1400s. Ogbourne St Andrew, Wiltshire C 1/1495/32, grandson William Blake plaintiff. 

2. 1382. Document witnessed by John Blak (dealt with Calne area, Wiltshire).

3. 1489. Thornbury, Gloucestershire E 40/13329-13344. Joan wife of Thomas Pacche daughter and heir of John Blak. Interesting in that the Blake family of Calne is found in Gloucestershire after leaving Calne area.

Rawlyn Blak -  1 record from 1400-1499 - Leicestershire

Richard Blak - 1 record from 1400-1499 - Norfolk

Andrew Blake - 2 records from 1300-1499 - Kent, Sussex

Edmond Blake - 0 records from 1300-1499

Edmund Blake - 12 records from 1300-1499 - 10 Norfolk, 1 Essex, 1 Surrey

To be continued the next Blake day.

Calendar of Patent Rolls and my first task is to check for Robert le Blake and Robert Blake and this is between  1230 and 1452:

1357 21 Oct Westminster  (membrane 12)

Pardon in like terms to John Gosegh merchant of Salisbury on,

his outlawry in the county of Wilts for non-appearance to answer

touching a plea of Robert Blake, Thomas son of Walter de Hungerford

Edward Cokerel and Henry Flemyng,executors of the will of Henry

Russel, citizen of Salisbury, late executor of the will of John

Godhyne late burgess and merchant of Marlebergh that he render

to them 110 l

31 Edward III, volume 10, page 630

One mention only of Robert Blake and it involves a case in Salisbury and Marlebergh which is likely Marlborough and not too far from Calne and Devizes so an interesting find to have a Robert, adult since he is  the executor of a will (although there are exceptions but generally so), in 1357. Continuing proof of life for this Robert and since he is not named at all in the Chancery Proceedings commencing in 1385 he is likely deceased by then as his likely wife Joan and son John were involved in a land transaction in 1386 where Joan is named as a widow. The land mentioned is Shawe by Savernake. I did locate a Shaw in Wiltshire  which is Shaw cum Donnington and of all things it is not too distant from Speen which I mentioned as being another Blake location associated with the Andover Blake family (A genealogical Gazetteer of England, Frank Smith, Baltimore, 1987). It is also close enough to Marlborough which is east of Calne and Devizes. An interesting find perhaps. 

I will have a look for Richard la Blak or Richard Blake in the Calendar of Patent Rolls. The one in Rouen, Normandy,  in 1274 is known as that was his permission to set up a market in England. Any of the references have no connection to Wiltshire. 

So I think Robert le Blake is now verified and the wife of Robert was likely Joan and at least one son John. 

I am tempted though to suspect that Robert is a son of Richard le Blak located at Wargrave, Berkshire in 1301 on the Pipe Rolls of the Bishopric of Winchester. Richard Blague does not bring up any hits on the Discovery catalogue. Is it possible that Robert should come after Richard as his son although not mentioned on the Pipe Rolls at Wargrave but there is a John Blak at Wargrave (although he is not named as a son of Richard in that record). But Robert was not likely born until 1313 or shortly before that and he does name a son John. 

Jumping ahead to Robert Blake  of Quemberford and dates online are 1412-1474 for his lifespan. I was not successful on Wednesday with the middle members of the chart above namely Henry, William and Henry but whipping ahead might be helpful. So if we have a date for the first Robert let us say of 1313 to 1386 then this Robert is born 100 years later approximately. If we eliminate Richard from this line coming down then we are left with Henry, William and Henry. This would have Henry as a son of the first Robert (and I suspect he is born before 1313 so Henry born circa 1330s and a William born circa 1350s and a Henry born circa 1380s and that is likely a reasonable span of years for most generations  (actually short when I consider my own generations). But I am suggesting that Richard le Blak is the father of the first Robert and the two just need to be interchanged. 

Quemberford is rather interesting because a Robert Blake is said to have owned a fulling mill in Quemerford. Looking at the British History website (https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol17/pp17-27 ), and Blackland in particular there is a small map on this page which is rather interesting:

In the writeup about Blacklands the Manor and House both known as Blackland was held by Richard de Canville in 1194 and before that date was part of the King's large estate called Calne. At some point after 1086 the land was part of the Calstone estate and was granted away giving some prehistory to Richard de Canville holding the property in 1194. It then descended in the Canville line with a little bit of interesting history and was given or sold to Malmesbury abbey before 1262. It was then held until 1539 by the Abbey until it was dissolved and the manor then passed to the Crown. It then passed into several families until the late 1780s when it passed to the Maundrell family who apparently held property in Compton Bassett which was called Blake. Somewhat interesting but it does not appear that a Robert (le) Blake held Blacklands at any time. 

Continuing to look at British History Online under Calne:Economic History (originally published by Victoria County History, London, 2002) and Mills, Trade and Industry (Source: 'Calne: Economic history', in A History of the County of Wiltshire: Volume 17, Calne, (London, 2002) pp. 79-94. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol17/pp79-94 [accessed 12 March 2024])."A fulling mill in Quemberford belonged to Robert Blake (d. 1515 (Public Record Office, C142/31, no. 53)) and was on the estate at Quemerford conveyed by Robert's grandson Thomas Blake to Henry Chivers in 1560." 

 Robert Blake married to Avis (Wallop) (Malwyn) Blake's son John named his brother Robert (married to Margaret Englefield) as heir to the property which included the Fulling Mill at Quemberford in 1504. Their son Roger Blake married to Mary Baynard had a son Thomas who is noted above as inheriting the mill and selling it. This is seen clearly on the Blake Pedigree Chart held by the Swindon and Wiltshire Record Office.

The value of these two charts is quite huge even if over time one notes difficulties with the Chart but overall the parts of the chart that can be verified by records are a great addition to this Blake family. The intent of the Blake Family Chart at the Blake Museum Bridgwater is to illustrate the Blake Family in Somerset and it does it very well actually. I have blogged on it in the past. I did not see it but I am sure it is a treasure to do so especially if you descend from the Somerset Blake line. 

So today finding the Robert Blake record near Speen is most interesting and continues my thought that at some point in the far past (I suspect late 1200s early 1300s) the Calne Blake and the Andover Blake families were related on the female side and their friendship is still seen in the wills in the 1500s. Having so much material in one place whether you might not quite agree with all the entries is a great asset to the Blake family. 

But I  have still not actually proven that Richard Le Blak is the progenitor of the Calne Blake family but I think there are not a lot of choices looking at the Blake records in the 1200s/1300s. The 1274 permit to set up a market was a great opportunity for Richard le Blak in England but there is an effigy in the Rouen Cathedral in Normandy and it wasn't possible to determine exactly who this person was. Perhaps a look at the French records might be in order.

Rain beautiful rain

If there is one thing Canada really needs at the moment it is rain particularly in Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia where fires are raging. Over 1M hectares have burned in Alberta since this fire season began so fast after the winter snowmelt had begun. Rain is good here as well because the ground is dry in spite of the heavy snowfall last year. The rivers are still high though so lots of water here we just need it to keep falling from the clouds to enrich the land that has lost its snow cover. The sun is baking Canada for sure; climate change affects the northern (and southern but there are fewer of them) areas the most. 

Yesterday I completed the cleaning and preparing the back garden for planting in the morning. Then my daughter moved the garden soil from the big yellow bag and we planted in an area where we are not likely to collect very much carrots, radishes, beets and dill. The rabbits will probably beat us to most of that for sure but it is hidden behind the raspberry bushes so we are less visible and might keep them away from the top of the garden although we will fence that with chicken wire. It does appear that one of the rabbits (perhaps the male) is somewhat tame (a domestic rabbit that has been let free perhaps) and the female rabbit is producing litter after litter! The newborns were in the raspberries yesterday for a while but back safely with the mother once again. Do I mind? Not actually it is funny watching their antics in the yard. Before we mowed yesterday they could run freely all through the deep grass and were less visible but now they will have to be cautious or the hawks will get them as the lawns are now mowed; the bees have so many flowers now that cutting down the dandelions and other wild flowers will not be missed by them plus they are coming to the end of their flowering cycle as well. Today rain and tomorrow the top of the garden will be planted and it is perhaps 50% larger than the bottom portion and we will put in onions (do not need to fence them) and then lettuces, green beans, spinach, herbs - parsley, basil and dill. Then the next big project to prepare the areas for the cherry tomatoes and the green peppers for ourselves and cucumbers at the back for the racoon since that does seem to keep it back there somewhat or it just stops coming because it is eating better elsewhere. Haven't seen it for a few days since the neighbours and ourselves chased it off - perhaps it took the hint that sitting on our bird feeder was not desirable. 

As well I got a start on the Pincombe/Pinkham Newsletter. At the moment I am still toying with the idea that Philip Pynkeham is a brother to John, William and Thomas Pencombe. The spelling is interesting on the 1544 Subsidy. Philip is located in Tawstock which is to the west of North Molton and this is the area (Barnstaple/Bideford) where Pinkham first appears in the records other than this 1544 record. On the 1581 Subsidy the name is recorded as Edward Pencombe in the same area. Perhaps a son of Philip? 

The distance from North Molton to Tawstock (and the main road does flow this way) but there are also back roads with the average distance being 16 miles (25 kilometres). The River Taw has a tributary the River Mole which flows into the Taw River at Barnstaple having traveled from the Exmoor which is located just north of North Molton so the likely means of transportation perhaps in the 1500s. The River Mole (Wikipedia) takes its name from the market towns of North and South Molton and was known as the Nymet. One can see how the movement out of North Molton for the Pencombe family was a logical and gradual one (my line was at Bishops Nympton just to the east of South Molton). 

I am hoping that the document which I ordered from the National Archives (Inquisition Postmortem for John de Pencombe in Herefordshire) might just arrive in the next couple of days as I would like to see which forenames of Pencombe appear in this document. Although it is early in the time period I would really like to look at; it will be interesting to see the document. I continue with my duolingo latin lessons and will try to keep that up every day now. I was working slowly from text books before COVID but this online course is rather interesting. 

The morning is passing quickly and to keep on track must do my breakfast now (but first the second set of jumping jacks!) and then I will be ready for my Latin Lesson at 9:00 a.m.

I have to say that I think Past Governor General David Johnston gave good advice following his appointment as a special rapporteur to examine the need for a public inquiry into foreign influence in our elections. First and foremost he saved us from yet another circus on TV in Ottawa and this one being very problematic because it involves our security arm of the government - CSIS. They are accountable to the public yes but their methods are best kept somewhat private although I do agree that we should receive more information when there is known interference that would not otherwise hinder their investigations. The Conservative party refused to talk to David Johnston which was somewhat of an expected stand given that when they were last in power they did nothing about foreign influence. The NDP want to spend millions of Canadian taxpayer money on an inquiry simply as an election gamble (people might think they are responding and vote for them when they wouldn't otherwise); the money is best spent elsewhere they are the first to complain the government isn't giving enough freebies to the less fortunate amongst us. And so I am quite content that we are not going to waste all of that money on a public inquiry which would create more questions than answers. This is simply because all of the information can not be given to us publicly. I do hope we can move on now. Time for my Latin Lesson.
 

Working on the charts

The first group on page 1 of the images went fairly quickly yesterday and I am back working on this image again today. Aaron Pincombe (baptism verified on Find My Past) is an interesting one (son of Richard Pincombe and Maria Peardon). A descendant of this family matched one of my Pincombe cousins on Ancestry which does tell me that the family at Roborough by Torrington is possibly descendant of the North Molton family. Given the smallness of the population there is a potential for being related on another line and only one match when I have six sets of data does tend to make me want to find more. Tracing his line back from Richard (baptized 16 Dec 1744 at Roborough by Torrington verified) to his possible father John (baptized 13 Jun 1709 at Roborough by Torrington) and married to Mary Ridley 29 Apr 1737 at Landkey (this is the only marriage for a John Pincombe in Devon in this time slot of 1737 on find my past and the banns read John Pincombe of Swymbridge and Mary Ridley of Barnstaple). It is interesting to find two people from different places marrying at Landkey. Just to get a placement to these villages - Barnstaple to Swimbridge is 4 miles so fairly close. Swimbridge related to North Molton 6.5 miles apart. Looking at the map below one can see that Barnstaple to Swimbridge is just 7 kilometres which is a good walk for sure. Landkey lies between so perhaps the two families wanted the marriage in their own village and compromised on Landkey - no idea on that. So is this the correct parents for Richard baptized at Roborough by Torrington - John baptized at Roborough 1709 and Mary married 1737 at Landkey? I actually have transcribed the parish registers for Landkey. The interesting part of all of this is the match with my cousin of apparently this Aaron Pincombe's descendants in America. There is a John Pincombe baptized at Landkey son of Hugh Pincombe and Sarah. This Hugh is a brother to my 7x great grandfather William Pincombe. This becomes very interesting actually as Hugh married a Sarah unknown possibly at Swimbridge and I am still trying to find that record. But they lived at Landkey.  There were three Pincombe marriages at Landkey 1728, 1737 and 1746. The first two were John and the latter Richard. Because Hugh's son John was of Swimbridge and the 1737 marriage is groom of Swimbridge and bride of Barnstaple I have always assumed that Hugh's John married Elizabeth Leye. Their children Elizabeth and John were baptized at Landkey but John died as an infant. Because the distances are small it is difficult to really prove this line readily. I do have Land Tax assessment at Landkey in 1798 and there were not any PIncombe families in Landkey in 1798. Which is a plus as Hugh's line on the male side has daughtered out. So Aaron is not of this line. The Pincombe's farmed property all over north east Devon and they moved short distances here and there but does that prove the marriage of John Pincombe to Mary Ridley as the parents of a Richard Pincombe with a son Aaron? Will have to comtemplate that.

The line above continues back from John Pincombe and Mary Ridley back to a John Pincombe and Margaret Holmes possibly. I shall pursue this particular one to see if I can prove the link back from John married to Mary Ridley to John married to Margaret Holmes. This information from Chart 6 of the work of the two original researchers for the Pincombe/Pinkham family. So can I add to that given the availability of material online. The chart deadends with this couple so doesn't help much in the long run but I will see if I can find the marriage of John Pincombe and Margaret Holmes. But first there are no records for baptisms in the 1709 plus or minus 20 in the Swimbridge Records on Find My Past. The John Pincombe baptized 13 Jun 1709 at Roborough by Torrington is the son of John Pincombe and Margaret. The only marriage in this time frame was between Johannes Pinkcombe and Maria Blatchford 14 May 1706 at Northlew. Doing a search from 1690 to 1720 only reveals this marriage. Going to Ancestry there are no marriages in this time frame for Pincombe in Devon for a John Pincombe. Since Ancestry will return quite a variety of possibilities one is left with nothing particularly in this quest. Northlew is near the Dartmoor area of Devon (to the south). Another reason to highlight this particular line as this is early to have migrated so far from North Devon.

Since I do have the singleton atDNA match with this line with a known fourth cousin, the possibility exists that this would take us back to a common ancestor. I have printed out the image and will mark this particular entry as unknown as it does not link back to the known Pincombe family at North Molton and I want to have some sort of a record that shows this is a potential line that should go back to North Molton. 

The next individual is a baptism at Roborough by Torrington and is on Chart 6 as well.  Abraham Pincombe son of John Pinckome baptized 7 Apr 1595 at Roborough by Torrington son of John according to Chart 6. This baptism is not on Find My Past. In Ancestry there are no original records to go with the entries. The father is said to be John. There are very few records for Roborough on Find My past in the 1500s. Who is this John Pincombe at Roborough by Torrington. in the latter part of the 1500s. I do have the tax subsidy for Devon and  no Pincombe entries for Roborough but one at Tawstock which is also in Fremington Hundred in 1543/44 although there are two blanks so can not be 100% on that. But the individual is Philip Pynkeham. On the 1581 Subsidy Edward Pencombe is at Tawstocke. Looking for a John according to this first image received. I will continue looking at this tomorrow. I do not know the parentage of Philip Pynkeham.