Will of John Blake of Erlestoke, yeoman - WRSO P2/5 Reg/188A, probated 26 Apr 1574

The will of John Blake at Erlestoke, Wiltshire in 1574 rather caught my interest last April and I did publish it on my blog at that time but have decided to add it to this blog once again rather than refer back and forth between the two.

Erlestoke, Wiltshire is commonly called Earl Stoke these days and it is located about 6 miles NE of Westbury and to give it a location with respect to the Blake family of Calne and Quemberford it is 11 miles S. A few places are mentioned in the will, namely; Imber which is 3.4 miles south of Erlestoke, East Lavington (now Market Lavington) is 3 miles east, Devize (now Devizes) is 6 miles north north east, Kelvel (now Keevil) is 3.9 miles north west, Easterton is perhaps East Town and it is 5 miles west. How this John Blake relates to the Blake family at Calne in this time period is still unknown to me at this time of writing.

Unfortunately he only mentions his mother's name Johane, his brothers Robert and John (interesting to have a brother called by the same name and this does happen in the Blake family), his sister Agnes Blake, his daughters Margaret and Alice, and his friends/workers. John, and Robert are very usual names in the Blake family. The reference to Alice Wight daughter in law is a mystery - has he been married twice and acquired a step child. Searching the National Archives site I did find that in 1393 John Blake had witnessed a Grant at Wodelond  for a croft called Chynnokescroft at Stokke near the close called Ynlond which rather caught my interest but didn't answer the question of whether this was the Blake family at Erlestoke in 1574!

Erlestoke is 15 miles NNW of South Newton and 23 miles NNW of Martin just to place this testator with respect to the testators for whom I have published transcriptions of their wills the last couple of days. Since the name Blake has now been in use as a surname for over three hundred years it is less likely that someone will choose it spontaneously I keep thinking but would they have done so when it was necessary to take on a surname? An interesting thought and one not easily answered I rather suspect.


Once again I am back to the yDNA study which can really answer that question best of all. Our genes tell the deep ancestry of our paternal family line. Because we have such a varied group of results in the yDNA study increasing the number of members is vital to really understanding the distribution of the Blake surname. Our study is at FT DNA:

http://www.familytreedna.com/public/blake/default.aspx?section=yresults



Looking at the IGI for this Blake family at Erlestoke revealed no information on this family in the time period of interest. 

 Reading through several items in Wiltshire Notes and Queries was interesting but again did not add to knowledge of this Blake family at Erlestoke.


Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 19 Oct 2012
Source:  Swindon and Wiltshire Record Office P2/5 Reg/188A
Name of testator: John Blake
Place: Erlestoke, Wiltshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated: 10 Apr 1574, probated 26 Apr 1574
Read: Electronic file images
Condition: 16th century, middle English, clear copy (few smudges)
[Margin] Blake
[Margin] 188 A

1    In the name of god Amen the tenthe daye of Aprill in the yere of o[u]r lorde god
2    one thousand fyve hundred three score fowertenne I John Blake of Erlestoke
3    in the countie of Wilts[hire] y[e]oman beinge vizited w[i]th sicknes how be it of good and
4    p[er]fitt remembrance I prase god therfore do ordaine this my present testa-
5    ment concerninge therein my last Will in manner and forme folowinge first
6    I bequeathe my sowle to Almightie god my creato[u]r  and maker hopinge to be
7    saved by the only mearitts of Christ my saviour and Redeamer and my bodye to
8    the earthe to be buryed in the churche of Erlestocke forsaid and for that I geve
9    to the said churche iiij busshells of malte and a busshell of wheate And as
10    towchinge my worldly goods my will is to be disposed as folowethe Imp[ri]mis I
11    gyve and bequeathe unto Alice Wrighte my daughter in lawe three yewes
12    to be delyvered unto her presently after my deceasse It[e]m I geve and bequethe
13    unto my Sister Agnes Blake vij s viij d that Ambrose Losse of East lavington
14    dothe owe me to be paide at St James Daye and twoo busshells of pure
15    wheate that Will[ia]m Potter of Easterton dothe owe me to be paid att
16    harvest next It[e]m I geve and bequeathe unto the same Agnes Blake my
17    Sister a quarter of barley to be paide att harvest next and a blacke casso[c]ke
18    It[e]m I geve unto my mother Johan Blake eighte busshells of barley to be paide
19    presently after my deceasse and also a cassocke and a hatt It[e]m I geve and
20    bequeathe unto Will[ia]m Tinker my daye man one acre of pease sowen at
21    Imber and one acre of oats It[e]m I geve and bequeathe unto John Blake my
22    brother one acre of wheate in the shorte claye And one acre acre of beanes
23    shottinge upon broke halve and all my apparrell save my best coate It[e]m I geve
24    and bequeathe unto Thomas Crosse the thirde of one halve of beanes and
25    the thirde of one acre of pease against the hill It[e]m I gyve unto Thomas
26    Grannte a busshell of beanes It[e]m I geve unto Richarde Tyllye a busshell of beanes
27    It[e]m I geve unto John Gylle my father xij d It[e]m I gyve unto the goodwiffe Bolter
28    a busshell of wheate and a busshell of mawlte It[e]m I gyve unto the goodman
29    Bolters twoo children John Bolter and Trystram either of them a sheape It[e]m
30    Mr. Frannces of the Devize owethe me xx s the w[hi]ch I do forgyve itt him
31    It[e]m Richarde Wodshall of Kelvel owethe me for seven quarters of mawlte
32    at xiiij d a busshell and three quarters of wheate meale at xviij d p[er] busshell
33    the w[hi]ch dett igyve the one half of it unto Chr[ist]ofer Cromwell and the
34    other halff I fogyve him if he will paye the one halff ymyetly otherwise
35    I gyve the whole dett unto the said Chr[ist]ofer Cromwell It[e]m I gyve
36    unto the said Chr[ist]ofer Cromwell a busshell of beanes It[e]m I owe unto
37    Henry Yevans of Earlestocke xxx s vj d for a mare that I bought of him
38    It[e]m the said Henry Yevans owethe me for iiij dosen of Reede at vi d ob
39    a dosen cometh to ii s ij d Item I do owe unto Richard Coke v l vj s viij d to
40    be paid at and in the feast of St Michaell th[e ]archangell next cominge
41    It[e]m I owe unto Chr[ist]ofer my servante xj s vj d and a paire of shooes
42    if he serve forthe his covenante It[e]m I gyve unto ev[er]y one of the Ringers
43    xij d a peece All the rest of my goods moveables and unmoveables my detts
44    and legacies beinge paid I geve and bequeathe unto my two children Margarett
45    Blake and Alice Blake my daughters whom I do make ordaine and make
46    my whole executo[r]s ioyntly of this my last will and testament to be equally
47    devyded betwixt them by my overseer And I do appoint Mr Edward
48    Longe to have the tuition and bringinge upp of Margarett Blake my daughter
    [Page 2]
49    and her portion of goods until she be of the age of fowertenne yeres And then
50    she to have the use and proffitt of it her selff And the other of my daughters
51    Alice Blake I do appoint Robert Blake my brother to have the use and tuition
52    and bringing upp of my said daughter and her portion of goods untill
53    that she come to the age of fowertenne yeres And then she to have the use
54    and proffitt of her said goods And if any of my said children do dye before
55    they come to the age of fowertenne yeres that then her portion of goods
56    shall remayne to the other lyvinge And if bothe my said children do dye
57    before they come to the age of xiiij yeares that then I will that their
58    two portions of goods to remayne unto Robert Blake my brother It[e]m
59    I geve unto my brother Robert Blake my best coate And I do request
60    and appoint the right Worshyppfull Mr William Bruncker esquyer
61    to be my overseer of this my last will and testament to see my detts
62    and legacies paid and my will p[er]formed And I do gyve unto the said
63    Mr William Bruncker my best cowe for his paynes Theis bearing
64    wittnes Chr[ist]ofer Cromwell [signed] Thomas Grante [signed] Richard Teye [signed] w[i]th others

Will of John Blake of Stoweford, South Newton - SWRO P2/5 Reg/160A, probated 20 Mar 1572

Another will by a John Blake at Stowford, South Newton but dated 9 Mar 1572. John is older as he is mentioning grandchildren in his will. John Blake's will at Stowford South Newton was dated 1545/46 (missing probate) and he mentions his son John and his son Thomas and wife Edith. Perhaps this is that John's son John now writing his will and it is 26 years later. That will be an interesting linkage of the generations.

John the current testator mentions his children John his eldest son and William and Thomas  and also his daughter Johan (perhaps married to Jeffrey Aben), his eldest daughter Alyce Blake (married with children) and another daughter (probably deceased) with a daughter Grace. John and Thomas his sons both have children. He has a son in law Jeffrey Aben (short form but will have to work at the full name). Another grandson John Aben and he is also his godson. Jeffrey's wife's name is not mentioned but possibly Johan.

This John Blake is in the wool business and that was where money was to be made certainly in this century and the centuries following. The earlier wills in this area both by a John Blake will be an interesting match. The will of John Blake probated 1553/54 is John Blake husbandman but does not say that he is of Stowford only of South Newton nor does he have a son John his sons being Walter, Gylys, William, Edward and Robert. The will of the John Blake at Stowford probated 1545/46 (no probation lines on the will so the year the will was written is used as mentioned by the Record Office) again mentions sheep as the primary wealth. That particular John Blake has sons Thomas (with son Robert) and John. Are these two John's related that live at South Newton? It is possible that the father of this John (current testator) is John Blake whose will was said to be probated in 1545/46.


Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 19 Oct 2012
Source:  Swindon and Wiltshire Record Office P2/5 Reg/160A
Name of testator: John Blake
Place: Stowforde, South Newton, Wiltshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated: 9 Mar 1572, probated 20 Mar 1572
Read: Electronic file images
Condition: 16th century, middle English, copy bleeding through from page opposite
[Margin] Blake

1    In the name of god Amen The ix th day of Marche Anno D[o]m[ini] a thousande fyve hundred
2    threescore and twelve I John Blake of Stowforde in the parryshe of South
3    Newton beinge sycke in bodye and p[er]fett of remembrance thanks be to god do make
4    my laste will and testament in manner and forme folowinge Firste I bequeathe my
5    sowle to almyghtie god and my bodye to be buryed in Christyan buryall It[e]m I geve
6    to the poore mens boxe of South Newton vi d It[e]m I geve to my parrayshe churche of
7    Newton a weather sheape It[e]m I gyve to Johan Elyott fouer weather sheape and an
8    yerlenge It[e]m I gyve to grace my dawghters childe fower weather sheape and a
9    yerlenge It[e]m I gyve to John Blake my eldiste sonnes childen eche of them a lamb
10    It[e]m I gyve to my sonne Thomas Blake chylde a lambe It[e]m I gyve to Alyce
11    Blake my eldiste dawghters children eche of them a Lambe It[e]m I gyve to
12    my dawyghter Johans Chylderen eche of them a Lambe It[e]m I geve to Alice
13    Movne a Lambe It[e]m I geve to Thomas Blake and Will[ia]m Blake a pyle of
14    Clystes by the streate yeate It[e]m I gyve to Thomas my sonne a whitche
15    a heiffer of twoo yere olde halfe a score of weather sheape and three halfes
16    of wheate in brockfurlande It[e]m I gyve to Jherom yonge a Lambe It[e]m I geve
17    to Jeffrey Aben my sonne in lawe three busshells of wheate and halfe an acre
18    of wheate lyinge in the bottom It[e]m I geve to Will[ia]m Blake the beste bedd w[i]th
19    th[e ]app[ur]ten[an]cs therto belonginge a brasse pott a panne a littell cawldron halfe
20    a dosen of pewter dishes and a candelsticke It[e]m I gyve to John Blake and
21    Will[ia]m Blake xl s that Alixender Pearcy owethe me It[e]m I geve  to John
22    Hughes clerke a weather sheape It[e]m I gyve all the reste of my woole
23    to John Blake save one cartloade that John shall delyver to his brother 
24    Will[ia]m Blake It[e]m I gyve to John Aben my dawghters chylde and my godson
25    a hogg of a yere olde All the reste of my goods bothe moveable and unmoveable
26    I gyve to John Blake and Will[ia]m Blake whom I do make my full executo[r]s
27    of this my laste will and testament to see my debts payde my legacies fulfylled
28    and p[er]formed and also to bwoye the yard lande where John Blake now dwellithe
29    for Will[ia]m Blake my sonne w[i]th the aforsayd goods Also I do ordayne and
30    constitute my wel[l ]beloved in christe Will[ia]m Bonldye and John Love to be
31    my overseers of this my laste will and testament to whom I do gyve in
32    consyderacions of their paynes eche of them a weather sheape In wytnes
33    wherof thes p[er]sons hereafter named Mr Walter Bonan Mr Will[ia]m Hinde
34    p[er]son of Wisheforde Ralffe Wrighte and Thomas Kingman p me Johem Hughes