The testator John Blake was buried at Saint Mary the Virgin Dover 4 February 1854. He lived on Balvert Street and he was 63 years of age. He was married by Licence at St Mary the Virgin Dover Mercy Pilcher 2 Apr 1822. Witnesses at the wedding Henry Pilcher and Miriam Pilcher. There was only one Baptism in 1790 at Dover St Mary the Virgin. A John Blake was baptized 25 Jul 1790 son of George and Margaret Blake. There was another John Blake baptized 2 Nov 1794 and he was the son of John and Mary Blake.

Elizabeth Pascall Blake was baptized 18 Mar 1823 at Dover St Mary the Virgin daughter of John and Mercy Blake (born 7 Feb 1823). She died as Elizabeth Pascall Blake the third quarter 1880 at 57 years of age.

Mariam Pilcher Blake was baptized 16 Jul 1826 at Dover St Mary the Virgin daughter of John and Mercy Blake (born 6 Jul 1826). She married Robert Thornton according to the will. An online tree mentions that they may have been at Bermondsey, Surrey.

George Blake married Margaret Kember 31 Aug 1789 at St Mary the Virgin Dover. Witnesses included Richard Lowley and Stephen Kember Junior (the Kember family witnessed marriages a number of marriages on the facing pages). George and Margaret baptized four other children at Dover St Mary:

Ann Blake baptized 4 Nov 1792
George Blake baptized 9 Oct 1796
Elizabeth Blake baptized 27 Jan 1799
Margaret Blake baptized 26 Oct 1800

George Blake was baptized 15 Oct 1759 at Dover St Mary the son of George and Ann Blake. A George Blake and Ann Polhill (spinster) both of the Dover St Mary Parish were married by Banns 19 Aug 1755.

There was a George Blake baptized at Elham Kent (20 km or 13 miles from Dover) 3 Dec 1729 son of George and Mary Blake. That was the only George Blake I found baptized locally to this area. Most of these records are from Find My Past.

The Blake family in Kent is not known to me. There were 17 marriages with one Blake spouse celebrated in Dover Registration District between 1837 and 1911 (Free BMD). On Find My Past there were 53 marriages celebrated in Dover between 1757 and 1837 with one member of the pair having the surname Blake. There were 57 marriages between 1677 and 1757. Not a large number of marriages for Blake in that time frame in that area but still a constant presence of Blake in the Dover Kent area back into the 1600s.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 4 Dec 2019
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/2185/383
Testator: John Blake, Mariner
Place: Dover, Kent
Type of Record:    Will
Date of document: 3 Oct 1854, probated 15 Feb 1854

[Margin]: John Blake 7

1    I John Blake of Dover in the County of Kent Mariner
2    declare my will to be as follows and appoint my sister in law Miriam
3    Pilcher and my friend James Worsfold of Dover Gentleman Executors thereof
4    and I bequeath to him the said James Worsfold the sum of ten pounds
5    as a small token of my regard and a trifling acknowledgement for the trouble
6    he may have in attending to this my will I devise all property held by
7    me as mortgagee or upon any confidence to them my said executors
8    their heirs and assigns Upon the trusts and for the purposes for which I
9    may hold the same And I further devise and bequeath my freehold lease
10    No 7A Great George Street Bermondsey and All other my Property
11    real and personal to them my said executors their heirs executors admin-
12    istrators and assigns with full power for them or the survivor of them
13    or the heirs executors administrators or assigns of such survivor if they
14    he or she so think it advisable from time to time to sell and convert the same into
15    money (and also to buy in and resell at their discretion) and to give valid receipts as
16    well for the purchase money as for all other money coming to them under this
17    my will which receipts shall exonerate the purchasers or parties paying such
18    money from seeing to the application thereof and I direct my said trustees to be
19    possessed of the net proceeds of any such sales and  of all other my residuary
20    estate for the time being and of the rents interest and other property arising there
21    from after payment of my just debts legacies funeral and testamentary expences
22    in trust for my two daughters Elizabeth Pascall Blake and Miriam Pilcher the
23    wife of Robert Thornton equally to be divided between them for their absolute ben-
24    efit for their several separate use free from the control of any husbands to
25    whom they may severally be married and for which their receipts alone
26    shall be good and sufficient discharges to my said executors And I direct that
27    they my said executors shall not be answerable for any loss damage or deprecia
28    tion in value of any part of my said property nor for signing receipts for contin
29    uity sake nor for any involuntary loss and that if any dispute or doubts arise
30    respecting my property or the construction of this my will they may refer the same
31    to arbitration or to some third person or persons whose decision may be final and
32    that they may pay any debt or settle any claim against me upon such evidence
33    and in such manner as they think fit and may also excuse compound allow time
34    or make terms for the payment of any debts owing to me at their discretion as
35    witness my hand this third day of October one thousand eight hundred and fifty
36    John Blake Signed by the said John Blake as his will in the presence of us
37    present at the same time who in his presence and in the presence of each other
38    subscribe hereto the words “my said executors” being first interlined over the tenth
39    line of the second page of the will Edward Elwin Solicitor Dover Henry Pilcher
40    Proved at London 18th Feb 1854 before the Judge by the oaths of Miriam
41    Pilcher Spinster and James Worsfold the Executors to whom admon was granted
42    having been first sworn by Com[missi]on duly to administer

Just working away on another Blake will (John Blake, Clerk, HMS Britannia, 1847) and was searching out the name of the Commander as it is a mite hard to read  - looks like H W Karsham - and found this neat image.

 

I have been bothered this past week with a knee that doesn't want to work with me. X-rays revealed mild osteo-arthritis. I am relieved to hear the mild that is for sure; at 74 not having medium or severe osteo-arthritis given that I have osteoporosis is good news. Both my parents had arthritis (and my grandparents) so I did not really expect to escape that particular ailment.

I think I will blog my progress just as a reminder to me.

In September I fell and banged my knee unfortunately breaking the skin and giving me a scar of about 5 centimetre diameter (2 inches). We were pretty busy working away gardening at that time and I can not say that I noticed it bothering me particularly other than the knee being very sore. The surface soreness on the knee disappeared after about two months (fortunately as I need to kneel on it now!). I continued to do my morning and evening exercises plus we were busy gardening or having a longish walk.

Perhaps two weeks ago I started noticing when I was doing my afternoon treadmill exercise (added after gardening was ended) that my knee was uncomfortable behind the knee cap.  Then a few days of Christmas shopping and my usual exercise and my knee did not want to hold me up this one morning (and it was very sore) when we had yet another busy day including a luncheon with friends which we missed unfortunately. I rested the knee solidly for four days not putting any weight on it other than what was necessitated but always using the walker and the cane 100% of the time.

Visited the doctor on Monday and I was sure that I did not break anything and pretty much verified that with the visit and the x-ray. The strain though is still there but not so bad; I can stand without an assist now. However, I am continuing to walk with the cane and walker and will start physio on Friday just in terms of looking at the consult. I am giving it a good rest although it is amazing how many of the calisthenic exercises I can still do that I like!

Next issue of my osteo blog will be my Friday physio. I do a lot of exercise for a 74 year old and perhaps it has become too much when we also go for a walk.

I do miss my exercises though and will be glad to get back to them or a perhaps modified exercise plan. Physio should help with managing my health care and recovery. Last time (2004-5) when I tore the rotator cuff I had physio and carefully practised all those exercises for five years and it completely healed. At least I believe it did I have only ever had one MRI to show the torn rotator cuff!

I can not really start physio though until I have an MRI as I do not want to affect any soft tissue damage in a detrimental way.

My Exercise Schedule

Morning Exercise (10:00 a.m.)
15 min walk
20 min biking
15 min run on the spot
1 min jumping jacks
1.5 min plank

Afternoon Exercise (4:00 p.m.)
Treadmill (15 min) and Walk at the Mall
Calisthenics:
Squats 30
Side squats 30
Arm rotation (both at once) forwards 15 backwards 15
Single Arm rotation forwards 15 backwards 15
Partial situps 60 (arms at side)
Leg fling 40
Reclining bicycle 100
Leg raises 40 each
Legs to side folded 40 each
Shoulder stand (2 min, 1 min rotate feet around ankle, left then right)
Halasana (Reclining shoulder stand feet behind) (count of 30)
Halasana (Reclining shoulder stand), knees to ears (count of 30)
Pose of Tranquility (count of 30)
Stand up using only one hand

Evening Exercise (8:00 p.m.)
Lift weights (3 lb) – five sets of six exercises (12 minutes)
Run on spot 45 minutes

The testator, Martin Blake, may be mentioned in 190 records on Find My Past. They are not all the same person. I did find a marriage of Martin Blake to Elizabeth Gatter 16 Feb 1685 at Newington St Mary, Surrey. But this would appear to be too early for this Martin Blake. A burial record for a Martin Blake 15 Oct 1767 may be him. Martin Blake Esquire buried 15 Oct 1767 at St John Southwark, Horsleydown, Surrey.

Martin Thomlinson Blake was perhaps baptized 24 Nov 1753 at St Olave Hart Street, London, England son of Martin and Eliz Blake. A will for a Martin Thomlinson Blake, Gent, Clifton Gloucestershire was probated 22 Apr 1777. He would have been just 24 years of age if this is the correct Martin Blake.

His will has been blogged earlier:

https://kippeeb.blogspot.com/2014/05/will-of-martin-thomlinson-blake-gent.html

I was not able to discover if Martin Blake was descendant of the Somerset Blake family or one of the Irish Blake families. The areas in which this family appears to have lived looking at the few records available tended to be locations where the well to do frequented in this time frame. It may only be coincidence but one of the lawyers mentioned in the will, John French Lynch, does have an Irish surname. I did check out the database that I have for the Galway Blake family but did not particularly find a Martin Blake that might fit in. There are many many Martin Blakes in the Galway Blake family.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 8 Dec 2019
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/932/368
Testator: Martin Blake
Place: Sevenoaks, Kent
Type of Record:    Will
Date of document: 29 Jul 1767, probated 16 Oct 1767

[Margin]: Martin Blake Esquire

1    I Martin Blake of Seven Oaks
2    in the County of Kent Esquire being of sound Mind Memory
3    and Understanding do make this my last Will and Testament in
4    manner following (that is to say) I give devise and bequeath
5    all my plantation Messuages Lands Tenements Negroe Slaves
6    Hereditaments Cattle and Stock both Quick and dead with
7    their and every of their appurtenances in the parish of
8    Parkham and Willoughby Bay or elsewhere in the Island of
9    Antigua (Subject nevertheless to the several Trusts created by
10    a Term of Five hundred years comprised in a certain
11    Indenture of demise bearing date on or about the Twenty
12    fifth day of October one thousand seven hundred and sixty
13    Three and from and after the said several Trusts shall be
14    fully answered and satisfied) To and to the use of my second
15    son Martin Tomlinson Blake for and during the Term of
16    his natural Life and from and after the determination of that
17    estate Then to the use of John French Lynch of Grays Inn
18    in the County of Middlesex Esquire and John Smith of
19    Princes Street in the City of London Merchant and Mariner
20    and their heirs during the Life of my said son Martin
21    Tomlinson Blake In Trust to preserve the contingent
22    remains as hereinafter limited from being defeated or
23    destroyed but nevertheless to permit and suffer the said Martin
24    Tomlinson Blake In Trust to preserve the counting out
25    remainders hereinafter limited from being defeated or
26    destroyed but nevertheless to permit and suffer the said Martin
27    Tomlinson Blake to receive the Rents Issues and profits of
28    the said Plantation Lands Tenements and hereditaments for
29    and during his natural Life and from and after the decease
30    of the said Martin Tomlinson Blake To the first and other
31    son and sons of the Body of my said Son Martin Tomlinson
32    Blake lawfully to be begotten successively according to their
33    seniority and the heirs of the respective Bodies of such Son
34    and Sons lawfully Issuing and in default of such Issue Then to and to
35    the use of my daughters Jane Blake and Sarah Town Blake
36    to be equally divided between them share and share alike to
37    take as Tenants in Common and not as Joint Tenants and the
38    several heirs of the Body and Bodies of my said two
39    daughters respectively issuing and if either of my said daughters
40    shall die without Issue then as to the Share of her so dying
41    then to and to The Survivor of them and their heirs of the Body and in default of such Issue
42    to and for the use of my own Right heirs for ever and I
43    do hereby Impower my said Son Martin Tomlinson Blake
44    when and as he shall be in possession of my said plantation
45    and Estates in the said Island of Antigua under and by virtue
46    of the Limitations aforesaid by any deed or deeds writing or`
47    writings under his hand and seal attested by two or more
48    credible Witnesses to Grant settle Limit or Appoint any part or
49    parts of my said Plantation Lands Tenements and
50    Hereditaments not exceeding in the whole the yearly Sum of
51    four hundred pounds Sterling money of Great Britain unto
52    or In Trust for or to the use of any Woman or Women with
53    whom he shall happen to Marry (either before or after such
54    marriage) for the Life or Lives of such Woman or Women for
55    her or their Jointure or Jointures or in part of Jointure and
56    also to charge the said plantation Lands Tenements
57    Hereditaments and Premisses with any sum or sums of money
58    not exceeding in the whole the Sum of four thousand pounds
59    of like lawful money for younger Childrens Fortunes or portions
60    in such Shares and proportions manner and Form as he my said
61    son Martin Tomlinson Blake shall think proper And Subject
62    also to the said Terms of Five hundred years I do hereby subject
63    and charge my said plantation Messuages Lands Tenements
64    Hereditaments and Premisses with the clear yearly sum of
65    two hundred pounds of like lawful money to be paid to my
66    eldest son John Blake or his assigns for and during the
67    term of his natural Life to be paid to him by four Equal
68    Quarterly payments in the year and it is my Will and
69    desire that my Wife shall have all her Negroes and Slaves
70    which were her property before her Marriage and the Issue
71    and Increase of the Females of such Slaves and as to all
72    my plantation Estate and Effects whatsoever and wheresoever
73    I give and bequeath the same and every part thereof unto
74    my loving wife Elizabeth Blake her Executors Administrators
75    and Assigns and I do hereby make ordain constitute and
76    appoint my said Wife sole Executrix of this my last Will and
77    Testament In Witness whereof I have to this my last Will
78    and Testament set my hand and Seal this Twenty ninth day
79    of July in the seventh year of the Reign of our Sovereign
80    Lord George the Third by the Grace of God of Great Britain
81    France and Ireland King defender of the Faith etc and in
82    the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty
83    seven Martin Blake Signed sealed published and
84    declared by the said Testator as and for his last Will and
85    Testament in the presence of us who in the sight and
86    presence and in the presence of each other and at his request
87    have set and subscribed our names as Witnesses hereto
88    Barlow Trecothick Richd Maitland Thurston Blackman
89    this Will was proved at London the sixteenth
90    day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand seven
91    hundred and sixty seven before the Right Worshipfull George
92    Hay doctor of Laws Master keeper or Commissary of the
93    Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the
94    oath of Elizabeth Blake widow the Relict of the deceased
95    and sole Executrix named in the said Will to whom Admon
96    was granted of all and singular the Goods Chattels and Credits
97    of the said deceased having been first sworn by Commission duly to ad[min]ster

Physio cancelled today, the therapist was out sick. I am now on for next Wednesday. By then I hope to have progressed somewhat. I am not actually sorry that it was cancelled. This is the same physiotherapist that my husband had and he liked her very much so will stay with her. It actually doesn't matter to me - male or female therapist.

I am using the walker outside all the time now. My progress is slow but steady. At home I am now walking down the stairs two feet on each step (and up). That is real progress for me as I was pulling myself up the stairs backwards. Fortunately with all my weight lifting that worked out quite well.

I am looking at Revitive Ultrasound for the osteo-arthritis. The reviews are good and this would perhaps help me with my exercise routines. Treatment at the beginning and end of each exercise period might just be what my old joints need! I do not really like to give up my running and other active exercises. The biking is perhaps the gentlest although I haven't done any of these exercises now for a week. I think I am having exercise restriction feelings but the time will come I am sure when I am back running, biking and other leg exercises.

I shall chat with the physiotherapist about using ultrasound as a home care.

The testator, Paul Blake, is somewhat of a mystery. I did not particularly find any information on him other than his likely marriage given the names of his step sons and his burial. It is an uncommon forename in the Blake family in my review of the available records. He is said to be born at Woolwich, Kent and I do not particularly know of any Blake lines there in this time frame. There are records for a Paul Blake in the late 1600s in Wiltshire, England.

A Paul Blake married Mary Hussy at London St Dusntan in the West 28 Oct 1731. Paul was said to be born at Woolwich, Kent and the residence of Mary Hussey was St Dunstan in the West.  Paul Blake was buried 26 Apr 1740 at St Mary Magdalene, Woolwich, Kent, England. There were no other notations than his date of burial and his name.

A Jonas Hussey was apprenticed in 1735 to a Vintner Henry Plowman at Woolwich Kent. His father was named as Thomas.

A Thomas Hussey, Clothworker of Reading Berkshire married Mary Burgess 1 May 1723, at Fleet (Clandestine Marriage).

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 12 Dec 2019
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/932/368
Testator: Paul Blake, Victualler
Place: Woolwich, Kent
Type of Record:    Will
Date of document: 3 Oct 1737, probated 23 Apr 1740

[Margin]: Paul Blake

1    In the Name of God Amen
2    I Paul Blake of the parish of Woolwich in the County of Kent
3    Victualler being in bodily health and of sound mind memory and
4    understanding praised be God for the same Calling to mind the
5    certainty of death and considering the uncertainty of the time thereof
6    and for preventing disputes and controversies after my decease do
7    make publish and declare this to be and contain my last Will and
8    Testament in manner following that is to say First and principally
9    I command my Soul into the hands of Almighty God my Creator
10    hoping through the Meritts death and passion of his Son my
11    Saviour Jesus Christ to obtain full and free pardon and forgiveness of
12    all my Sins and to Inherit Eternal Life in the Kingdom of Heaven my
13    body I commit to the Earth to be decently Interred at the discretion of
14    my Executor and Executrix herein after named and as for and and
15    concerning such Worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless
16    Me I give devise and bequeath the same in manner and form following
17    that is to say First my Will and mind is that all and every my Just
18    Debts and Funeral Expences be paid satisfied and discharged Item I
19    give and bequeath and devise all those my Freeholds Messuages or
20    Tenements Lands and hereditaments thereunto belonging as the same
21    are Situate lying and being in the town and parish of Woolwich
22    aforesaid and in the several tenures or occupations of Robert Cavell
23    and John Rickes their undertenants or assigns unto my Loving Sons
24    in Law William Hussey and Thomas Hussey their heirs and assigns
25    for ever to be equally divided between them share and share alike or to
26    the Survivor of them his heirs and assigns for ever In case either of
27    them shall decease before he attain the age of one and twenty years and
28    my will and mind is that my Loving Wife hereafter named shall receive
29    the rents Issues and Profitts of my said Messuages or Tenements Lands
30    snd hereditaments until my said Sons shall attain their respective
31    age or ages of one and twenty years and apply the same from time to
32    time for and towards the Educating Maintaining and training up of
33    my Sons aforesaid until such that that they shall attain their respective
34    age or ages of one and twenty years Item the overplus rest residue
35    and remainder of all and Singular my Goods household goods title
36    ready money securitys for money and all other my Estate whatsoever
37    and wheresoever and of what Nature find or Quality soever I give
38    and bequeath the same unto my dear and Loving wife Mary Blake
39    for and during the term of her Natural Life and do direct that
40    immediately after my decease an Inventory of all and every my personal
41    Estate may be had and made that the same may be applied to the
42    purpose of this my Will that is to say That from and after the
43    decease of my said wife I give and bequeath the rest and residue of
44    m personal estate whatsoever (at the time of my decease) unto my
45    Sons in law Jonas Hussey William Hussey and Thomas Hussey to
46    be equally divided between them Share and Share alike and I do
47    hereby nominate and appoint my said dear and Loving Wife
48    Mary Blake and my Loving Brother in Law William Reynolds
49    Citizen and Vintner or London joynt Executor and Executrix of this
50    my last Will and Testament And I do hereby revoke disannull
51    and make void all former and other Wills and Testaments by me
52    at any time heretofore made and do declare this only to stand and
53    be for and as my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof to
54    this my said last Will and Testament I have sett my hand and
55    Seal this third day of October in the eleventh Year of the Reign of
56    our Sovereign Lord George the Second by the Grace of God of
57    Great Britain France and Ireland King defender of the Faith
58    and so forth and in the year of our Lord One thousand Seven
59    hundred and thirty Seven Paul Blake Signed sealed published
60    and declared in the presence of us who have subscribed our
61    names as Witnesses hereto in the presence of the Testator Mary
62    Barnard Jno Barnard his Clerk K Barnard Attorney at Woolwich
63    This Will was proved at London the twenty third
64    day of April in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred
65    and Forty Before the Worshipfull Robert Chapman doctor of
66    Laws Surrogate of the Right Worshipful John Bettesworth doctor
67    of Laws Master keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court
68    of Canterbury lawfully constituted By the Oaths of Mary Blake
69    Widow the Relict and William Reynolds the Executors in the said
70    Will named to whom Administration was granted of all and Singular
71    the Goods Chattells and Creditts of the said deceased being Sworn
72    duly to Administer

My First Session of Physiotherapy went well. I discovered that my meniscus was sprained and the hamstring muscle strained. Other than that I am doing very well. My four days of absolutely not stepping on my left leg with any weight worked really well for me. But I did do my calisthenics where no weight bearing was on that leg as well thus keeping myself well exercised in as much as one can be. As it turns out my osteo-arthritis is just there but not the cause of any of this except perhaps the stiff knee which I keep at bay by moving my leg to and fro as I type away.

I have two sets of exercises to do and will do them four times a day as that worked very well for me when I tore the rotator cuff years and years ago now. This was not a tear; I knew that from the beginning because you can tell you tore something from the burning sensation in your muscle. This was strain/sprain complicated by my being 74 years of age although I think my recovery has been really good.

Possibly because I worked in the hospital although must admit that is the last place that I want to be in unless I absolutely need to be there, my first thought when my leg collapsed was not to go to hospital but rather to rest and do nothing with that collapsed leg! It took six therapy sessions to get me on my way with my torn rotator cuff and then five years of doing the ten exercises four times a day to completely heal it. But I am prepared to do that length of time hoping to get back to running but I can start to do some weight bearing as it turns out and I will start using the stationery bike on low once again. I think though, if recommended, that I will do a monthly review just to make sure I am on track to good recovery given my 74 years.

I will continue using the walker because it is a strain walking any distance and do not yet feel comfortable giving up the walker especially as I can sit on it if I feel the need to stop for a bit. Not really into crutches, but I think that one should use the assists that are available and not feel that one should be brave; better to protect our muscles. I do have a little nerve damage in this leg which flared up at first but gradually subsided once again as it did years ago (I think it is more than 30 years since I had twinges of pain in that leg).

Valtoren is the greatest lotion and I used it quite liberally the first few days so that I could sleep as the leg was aching quite a bit. What a way to get acetylsalicylic acid into a wounded area. Great stuff!

Ralph Blake, the testator, was buried 6 Jan 1657 at St Mary Chatham, Kent.

No further information located at this time.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 12 Dec 2019
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/262/575
Testator: Ralph Blake, Ship Carpenter
Place: Chatham, Kent
Type of Record:    Memorandum
Date of document: 3 Jan 1656/57, probated 16 Mar 1657

[Margin]: Paul Blake

1    Memorandum that on or about the third day of Januarie one Thousand
2    Sixe hundred fifthie sixe Ralph Blake late of Chatham in the Countie of Kent Shipp
3    Carpenter deceased beinge then of perfect mind and memorie and having all
4    Intention and desire to make and declare his last will and Testament Noncupative
5    Did make and declare the same in the words and in the manner following
6    To the like effect and purpose viz [a vi]t he said that he did give and bequeath unto
7    Dorothie his wife all his goods and Chattells to be imployed and used
8    Towards her subsistence and the education of his two children John and
9    Mary Blake and desired that the said dorothie his wife should not make
10    Sale of the house which he had built but that the same should come and
11    Descend unto his said children and to them he or she after the death as
12    Two said wife which may do or to the like effect he attend and spake
13    With an intent the same should stand for and be his last will and
14    Testament in the presence of Mary Milton Margarett Holborne Mary
15    Milley The marke of Margaret Holborne
16    On the sixteenth day of March in the yeare of our Lord God carseninge to
17    The Computacion of the Church of England one Thousand sixe hundred
18    Fiftie sixe Here issueth forth Letter of Administration to dorothie Blake the Relict
19    And principall ligature named in the last will and Testament Noncupative of
20    Ralph Blake late of Chatham in the Countie of Kent deceased To administer ye
21    Goods Chattells and debts of the said deceased according to the tener and all
22    Effect of his said will For that the said deceased therein named no executor She
23    Beinge first (by Com[missi]on) sworne truely to administer

Physiotherapy today worked very well. I was overdoing it for one of my exercises so got that corrected and two more sets of exercises to do. Plus I also was on the bike. I have been nervous to try that but did so there so will now progress with that at home as well 5 to 7 minutes just to start.

The knee is actually feeling pretty good. I still finding walking any distance a strain so still use my walker whenever I am away from home and walking more than 20 feet or so. Plus it is nice and stable to use the walker now that we have snow I do not want to have to save myself from an off-balance event and turn my knee in a strange way. We do not generally walk outside anymore as my arthritis does not like the cold weather. It was minus 20 celsius here the other day and mostly quite cold but not quite as bad the rest of the days lately.

That will not be a problem for me as I am not a particularly dependent person; quite willing to give up any crutches that I might need when I feel really comfortable about that. 

I will spend the winter working my way back up to my normal exercises plus I  have a few new ones that I will incorporate into my calisthenics as they are really good stretches and will likely help my arthritis I am thinking.

I would like to eventually go once a month to review my exercises; check on my knee and keep an eye on my arthritis and how to best work around it. With both my parents and grandparents having arthritis I was unlikely to escape arthritis!

Life is getting pretty busy with my four sets of exercises for physio a day and all the things to do for Christmas. It will likely be a while before I produce more wills (likely after Christmas).

The third session of physiotherapy focused on massage of the knee and I can now bend it quite well. I am still using the walker mostly because the stores are very crowded and I do not want to be accidentally knocked down in the melee. At home I am walking for 15 minutes continuously although still somewhat of a strain but improving rapidly. My next session of therapy, the fourth, will be in a week.

Before going to the fourth session of physio I am reflecting on how far I have come in one week. I can now walk 30 minutes continuously around the house although still somewhat of a strain it is quite doable and improving since the first 30 minute session on Friday last. I am biking at 1 now for two 10 minute sessions a day and will see about going to level 2 and continuing with two 10 minute sessions and perhaps increasing that to 3 as the week passes.

I also bought a hand device to work on my hand arthritis which I shall get his view on as he recommended doing that at the last session. Ideally, as I mentioned to the physiotherapist, I would like to move to every two weeks and then every month and continue with that every month for the future. I think I am an active enough person that I could use a consult regarding the exercises that I do and the duration as I age. The cost, once I have completed the process for this knee accident, I would pay but it would be well worth it to have a knowledgeable consult monthly to keep me on track and avoid any future accidental overdo which is basically what I did this time. I had the fall and just kept on with my usual exercise but I needed some recovery time before that.

Not running yet but maybe in another month. I want to give the knee plenty of time to heal. Using the walker, I am not dependent on it at all. It is just there, I am just pushing it around and could do without it but will keep on with it until after Christmas break as the mall where we walk is quite busy. I will be glad to be free of it actually and I can see that that is within the next few weeks at the very most and perhaps as soon as one week.

We are having a 10 post challenge at the Guild of one-name studies. I will do Blake and I want to look once again at all the data I collected on the Cornwall Blake families. I never did publish any of the information and I feel I should make what I have found available in a genealogical sense. I will begin by the end of this week. I may try for publication dates of Thursday each week. The Challenge will run from the beginning of January to the end of March (that is 12 weeks but gives a little leeway especially for first namers that are still working!).

I will commence with a blog on the 1330-1550 Immigrants Database and the Blake entries found therein and what I have learned about some of these entries. I will then focus on Cornwall although I may change that to another area but at the moment I am thinking Cornwall would be most interesting. I found it quite fascinating.

My Blake line is from the Andover, Hampshire, England area with my father being born at Eastleigh and his father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great grandfather all being born at Upper Clatford. The place of birth then switches to Andover where generation six to ten are baptized (one may have been born at Penton Mewsey), and then Knights Enham where generation eleven to fourteen were born.

The yDNA of my Blake line has been tested by two brothers and it is an ancient line to the British Isles (most commonly found in the central western counties of Ireland) found in several particular areas including Hampshire through to Devon. It was the Immigrants Database that alerted me to the passage from Ireland to Salisbury, England in 1425 of a Richard Blake immigrating to that area which is not that far from Andover in actual fact having traveled the roads now. The father of my 13x great grandfather was Robert Blake who died (left his will) in 1521 (and one of his sons was Richard interestingly enough). Robert Blake was elderly at the time of his death and no idea on the name of his father yet although the Manor Books for Andover are extant and they were at Knights Enham. I have noted the forename John thus far in the Latin in the 1300s and do need to read them. However, those particular records do go back earlier so it is a mystery for me and I hope one day to resolve it. It would be quite fascinating to discover that my Blake line was also found in the western part of Ireland but it does not match the known descendants of the Galway line there which is descendant of Richard Cadell. Passage of people between the Isles of the British Isles does appear to be quite fluid even in these ancient times. For instance, I noted that a number of Blake entries showed Blake members traveling from England to Ireland in this early time period and was it these men or descendants who came back to England. No ideas on that actually.

One of the best matches to my brothers lives in Ireland but I have not been able to contact him in the 12 years since I first tested my brother. It is only 12 markers but interestingly enough those 12 markers are significant for this Blake line in that there are no other perfect matches with the closest being 10 on 12. Needless to say there are no matches at 25, 37, 67 or 111!

We walked to the physiotherapy appointment (my first time outside without the walker) as it seemed safer with all that sleet/snow that came our way. I have now been walking 30 minutes continuously around the house so will not use the walker after the weekend as the mall will be considerably less busy when we go for our walks there.

I am up to biking 15 minutes and will expand that to 30 minutes by my next visit to physio. Still at level 1 but the endurance is good.

A new exercise and working on my hands now with a stress circle that I bought at Sportchek. Can do up to 15 times with the entire hand but he showed me the way to just exercise two fingers at a time and will head for that eventually. My fingers have become progressively weaker and did need to work on that. I thought that lifting weights would help but actually you need to use a tool that focuses on the fingers I have discovered.

Also added the plank back into my calisthenics which I had missed doing and managed 1 minutes 20 seconds yesterday. He suggests heading towards three minutes so will gradually expand to that. Still no running, no jumping jacks and no plies. Must increase the walking in the day to offset the running I used to do.

As 2019 ends and we move to 2020, I am now 74 years, three months and seven days old. I can remember my grandmother at this age. She was still a very busy woman gardening, doing her own cleaning, cooking, sewing her own clothes, knitting for charity, walking up to the shopping district about half of a mile from her house and carrying her shopping back with her (it wasn't a lot but still it is an effort). She tried to continue with that vigorous lifestyle too long perhaps as I can remember that by 80 she was getting quite thin and her attention span was weakening. I think she worked too hard which is what I always say to my husband and he is 76 years, 8 months and 13 days. In every hour we should take ten minutes just for a rest and then gradually increase the rest break as we age.

Of course so many other things are life controlling but rest is very very important as you age.

I am working on the Blake Newsletter and have chosen the line of Roger Blake and Mary Baynard to recount in this newsletter. I would like to bring this line down a little further than it exists on the chart at the Blake Museum. I believe that over time this family moved to Gloucestershire to a farm known as Pymbury as a Blake family does appear in Gloucestershire which I could not place with the known Somerset Blake family in that time frame but it may end up being a two part story to complete in the next newsletter along with the ten posts for the one-name study.

Along with that I am working on my first post for a ten post challenge at the Guild which I will publish tomorrow so the Newsletter might be published on Friday hopefully. Probably I should have started sooner but we were busy putting together the 3-D puzzle for Hogwarts (2 parts of nearly 900 pieces each). It is quite spectacular and was something we planned after purchasing it last summer.

With all my special exercises and the need to move about frequently, I have found it difficult this month to get everything done!

To begin my set of 10 Blogs on my one-name Study for the BLAKE family (in this particular blog I will also mention my second one-name Study for the PINCOMBE family), I will examine the Immigrants Database 1330-1550. The project is a collaboration between the University of York, The National Archives and the Humanities Research Institute, University of Sheffield.

http://www.englandsimmigrants.com/search/results?keyword=blake&startDate=1300&endDate=1600&col1=name&col2=nationality&col3=date&col4=origin&col5=residence&page=1

I, of course, searched on BLAKE and PINCOMBE. PINCOMBE does not appear as that spelling or as Pencomb/Pencombe/Pincomb and, in general, this is thought to be a name of English origin which arose in England particularly in the west counties.

 Blake Newsletter
Table of Contents
1.    Guild of one-name Studies Posting Challenge
2.    Blake Pedigree Chart – Blake Museum at Bridgwater, Somerset
3.    Queries from Study Members and responses
4.    Blake Surname Study – Progress
5.    Blake autosomal DNA Study at FT DNA (Family Finder)
6.    Andover, Hampshire, England Parish Registers

1.    Guild of one-name Studies Posting Challenge
A ten post Challenge has been issued to Guild members and I have accepted the Challenge. One is to produce ten blogs in the next twelve weeks on our particular studies. I opted to do my BLAKE study and will look eventually at the BLAKE family research that I have put together in south-west England (namely Cornwall with some Devon perhaps). In 2015 and 2016 I spent some time extracting all of the Blake entries from the Online Parish Clerks Cornwall site. I built trees from all of this information and the Legacy file has 4848 individuals and 1540 families. At some point towards the end of all this research I had a couple of comments from people with regard to publishing this material which I had suggested linked the Blake family in the Bodmin area to a Jean Blake who came from Breton prior to 1525. Living in Canada, we are definitely a land of immigrants. The First Nations arrived here about 13,000 years ago and the Inuit perhaps 5,000 years ago and they represent about 5% of the present day Canadian population. When Metis are added it could be as high as 10% I could not find present day statistics. But that means; the other 90% of us came here from somewhere else. The world is a constantly moving evolving population and who knows what the world will be like 100 or a 1000 years from now. Hopefully over the next 10 years we will all get our ducks in line and decrease/prevent any more global warming. Our descendants deserve to have the same kind of world full of plants, fish, birds and animals etc. (and better since one always wants to do better for one’s children) that we inherited. But back to the topic at hand, I decided with the comments that I should set aside the Cornwall research to another time; another era of thought and I think that perhaps that time has arrived.

I will first blog about the 1330-1550 Immigrants Database (https://www.englandsimmigrants.com/ ) which was an absolute eye opener with regard to the BLAKE family in the British Isles when I first discovered it. The research was a joint effort funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, research thanks to the Humanities Research Institute, University of Sheffield, and the University of York with assistance from HRI Digital and the National Archives of the United Kingdom. The project itself was funded between February 2012 and 2015 as mentioned by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

The posts will be published on my blog (https://kippeeb.blogspot.com/ ) and I expect to have the first one up on the 2nd of January 2020.  The set of ten posts will form the central part of the next issue of the Blake Newsletter (1st of April 2020).

2.    Blake Pedigree Chart – Blake Museum at Bridgwater, Somerset and these charts are on their website: http://www.bridgwatermuseum.org.uk/

The Blake Museum has given me permission to put these charts in the newsletter and will look at Blake Pedigree Chart 8 in this Newsletter. This chart is referring to the Blake family found in Wiltshire partially. This Blake family descendant of the marriage of Robert Blake and Mary Baynard is well documented with a number of wills that I have already transcribed and can be found on my blog (http://kippeeb.blogspot.com). I will insert and refer to several of them in this section.

 *
* Used with permission
Perhaps what makes this story most interesting is two Blake siblings married two Baynard siblings. It has left me with the thought that the individual who produced this Chart used the Blake Pedigree Chart produced by the College of Arms in 1690 for the Blake family at Calne/Pinhills/Quemberford, Wiltshire. Robert Baynard married Anne Blake and Roger Blake married Mary Baynard and the parents of the two Baynard siblings were Philip Baynard and Jane Stuckley. The parents of the Blake siblings were Robert Blake and Margaret Inglefield.

At this point, British History Online has some helpful information about the Blake family at Calne: https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol17

“Calne. Manors and other Estates:

“Pinhills was reputed a manor in 1504, when it was held at his death by John Blake. Although John's heirs were his grandson Richard Dauntsey and his daughter Joan Wroughton, Pinhills apparently passed to his brother Robert Blake (d. 1515) and in the direct line to Roger (d. 1557), Thomas (fn. 64) (d. by 1599), Roger, Henry (will proved 1653), and Henry Blake (d. 1660), who devised it to his grandson Henry Blake (fn. 65) (d. 1731). Henry held Pinhills in 1698, (fn. 66) apparently not in 1728, when it was 157 a. (fn. 67)

64. Cal. Inq. p.m. Hen. VII, ii, pp. 549-50; iii, p. 436; P.R.O., C 142/31, no. 53; ibid. PROB 11/39, ff. 364v.-365.
65. Wilts. Pedigrees (Harl. Soc. cv/cvi), 21-2; P.R.O., C 2/Eliz. I/W 21/25; ibid. PROB 11/230, f. 161; PROB 11/ 301, ff. 230-1.
66. P. Buckeridge and J. D. Pocock, Pinhills, 25-8.
67. Bowood Mun., map 19; ibid. survey of tithable lands, 1728.”

Calne. Economic history:

It is always handy when actual documents exist which provide a timeline and in this case a Robert Blake owned a fulling mill in Quemerford (Quemberford) and that this Robert Blake died in 1515 and that the record was an Inquest into the death of Robert Blake held in 1516. The description states that Blake died 11 Dec 1515 and that his son Roger is his nearest heir and is 18 years and more old. (Public Record Office (now National Archives (Kew)), C 142/31, no. 53) This would appear to be referring to the Robert Blake married to Margaret Inglefield and Roger his son married to Mary Baynard. In 1560 Robert’s grandson Thomas Blake conveyed the estate which included the fulling mill to Henry Chivers. (Public Record Office, CP 25/2/239/2 and 3 Eliz. 1 Mich.: W.R.O, 649/2, view 5 Oct 1594) The Thomas Blake mentioned was the eldest son of Roger Blake and Mary Baynard. I was not able to locate the will for Henry Blake (proven 1653). It is not with the Wiltshire Wills but there is a will for a Henry Blake in Gloucestershire (Tetbury) but dated 1663.

Roger Blake left his will dated 1 Jun 1557 and probated 16 Nov 1557.

1    In the name of God Amen The first daye of June, in the yere after the
2    incarnation of Christe a thousande fyve hundred fiftie and seven. I Roger Blake of pynne
3    hilles in the parrishe of Caln in the countie of Wiltes[hire] esquier being of whole mynde and of
4    good and parfite memorye thancks therefore be geven to allmighti God. knowing nothing to be
5    more certynne than death and the tyme thereof most uncertayne mynding therefore to prevente
6    the same with good deliberacion and advise doo ordeyne and make this my last will and testa[men]t
7    in manner and forme following that is to say First I comitte my soule unto the mercye of
8    allmighti God the father obtayned throughout the merites of his deere sonne Jesus Christe
9    my savior the whiche with t[he ]holly goost I do acknowleadge and confesse to be one verye true
10    and everliving god. And my bodie when it shall please allmighti God to call me out of this
11    transitory worlde I will decentlye to be buryed w[ith]in the parrishe of Churche of Calne aforesaid
12    And as touching my goods and cattalles I will them to be ordred and distributed as shal[l ]be
13    hereafter limited and expressed that is to say First I geve and bequeath to myn eldest sonne
14    Thomas Blake all my leases and termes for yeres that I have of and in certiyne groundes
15    por[t]ionnes and tithes w[i]thin the feeldes parrishes and townes of Calne and Cheriell w[i]thin the
16    said countie of Wiltes[hire] provided alwais that Mary my wif shal[l ]have and enioye to her
17    owne use the possession and occupa[t]ion of all the said grounds por[t]ions and tithes w[i]thin the
18    said feeldes and parrishes of Calne and Cheriell. And all the revenues yssues and profitts
19    growing comyng or yerelie renewing out of the same and of ev[er]ye parte thereof ymmediately
20    from and after my decease so long as the same Mary shal live soole and unmarryed paying
21    therefore to the lordes the yerelie rente And also I geve unto my said sonne Thomas all
22    my goodes housholde stuff and stocke of sheepe and cattell that I have in and uppon my Farme
23    of Pynburye w[i]thin the Countie of Glouc[estershire] paying therefore w[i]thin nyn[e] yeres after my deacese
24    the somme of three score and one pounds and tenne shillinge of currant money to the church
25    wardens of the parrishe of Calne aforesaid. And furthermore I geve and bequeath to
26    my nephew Roger Blake the eldest sonne of my sonne Thomas all suche porcion of my plate
27    housholde stuff and ymplements of householde being w[i]thin and aboute my mansion house of
28    Pynhills. And suche sheepe oxen kyen and other cattell young and pasturing uppon my
29    groundes belonging to the same mansion house and at Shawe as ar written in an Inven-
30    tarye indented and signed w[i]th myn owne hande whereof th[e ]one parte remayneth in the
31    custodye of my cousen Edward Baynard and th[e ]other parte w[i]th my cousen John Willow-
32    by provided alwaies that my wif Mary Blake shall have the possession custody and
33    occupacion of all the saide plate houshold stuff ymplements of housholde and the said sheep
34    oxen kyne and other cattell conteyned w[i]thin the said inventarye during her life And that
35    after her decease my said sonne Thomas Blacke shal[l ]have the possession occupacion and
36    custodye of the same during his lief. And furthermore I do geve will and bequeathe
37    all my landes tenementes and hereditamentes with all and singular their app[ur]ten[an]ces
38    called or known by the name or names of Slowcrofte Blaaks pen or pensett lying and
39    being w[i]thin the parrishe of Calne in the said countie of Wiltes[hire] to Edward Baynard John
40    Erneley Harry Brancker Esquiers Vincent Goddard John Willoughby Richard Ussenham
41    Harry Rogers Antony Goddard Robert Baynard Henry Bull Laurence Baynard and
42    their heires to th[e ]uses following that is to saye First to those of the said Edward Baynard
43    John Erenley Henry Brancker Vincent Goddard John Willoughby Richard Ussenham
44    Harry Rogers Anthony [Goddard] Robert Baynard Henry Bull Laurence Baynarde and their heires
45    shall take and levie of th[e ]issues and profittes of the said landes tenements and hereditaments
46    called Slowcrofte Blakes pen or pens[ett] the som[m]e of two hundred pounds of currant money of
47    England whereof 60 pounds first to be levyed shal[l ]be to th[e ]use of Antony Goddard my sonne in lawe one hundred with the other parte of the said somme of cc pounds paide shalbe to th[e ]use of Mary Blake my youngest daught[er]
48    for her advancement and preferrement in marriage provided alwaies that if the said
49    Mary my daughter happen to marrye without the consent of my cousen Edward Baynard and
50    Mary my saide wif. That thenne fortye poundes parcel of the said dowrie shal[ ]be to th[e ]uses
51    of my saide wife and of my said sonne Thomas and the residwe of the saide som[m]e of cc pounds
52    shal[l ]be to th[e ]use and for the payment of the debtes of me the saide Roger. And after the said somme
53    of twoo hundred pounds by the said Edward Baynard John Erneley Henrye Brancker
54    Vincent Goddard John Willoughby Richard Ussenham Henry Rogers Antony Goddard Robert
55    Baynard Henrye Bull Laurence Baynard or their heirs to th[e ]uses aforesaid levied the
56    said Edward Henry John Vincent John Richard Harry Anthony Robert Henry and Laurence
57    and their heires shall ymmediately from thenceforth stand and be seazed of and in all th[e ]aforsaid
58    landes tenements and hereditaments called Slowcrofte Blakes pen or pens[etts] w[ith]all and
59 singuler th[e ]appurtenances and of ev[er]y parte parcell and membre thereof to the soole and only
60    use of my said sonne Thomas Blake and of his heires for[ev]er provided alwaies that
61    Marye my wife shal[l ]have and enioye to her own use the whole possession occupacion and
62    ferme of all the said landes tenements and hereditaments within th[e ]appurtenance called Slowcroft
63Blakes pen or pen so long as she shall live sole and unmarryed paying therefore yeralie to the
64    said Edward Baynard John Ernley Henry Brancker Vincent Goddard John Willoughby
65    Richard Ussenham Henry Rogers Anthony Goddard Robert Baynard Henry Bull Laurence
66    Baynard and their heires fourteen pounds of currante money of England at two tymes in
67    the yere, that is to say at the feasts of Th[e ]annunciation of our Ladye and Sainte Michaell
68    th[e ]Archangell by even porcionnes unto suche tyme as the said somme of two hundred pounds
69    be by the said Edward John Henry Vincent John Richard Harry Anthony Robert Henry Laurence
70    or their heires fully levied to th[e ]uses and intentes before expressed And after the said somme
71    of two hundred pounds by the said Edward and the others before w[i]thyn named the said
72    Marye my wif shall pay the said yerelie rent of fourty pounds to the said Thomas Blake
73    and his heires at the dayes appointed so long as she shal[l ]have the possession and occupacion
74    and ferme of the said lands tent[ement]s and hereditaments called Slowcrofte Blakes pen
75    or penne The rest of my goodes not bequeathed I doe geave to my said wif Mary Blake
76    Whome I make my soole and whole executrice And overseers of this my last will I doo appoint
77    and ordayne Edward Baynard and Henry Brancker esquiers and Robert Blake of Lavyng
78    ton And in token of profe that this is my very last will I have hereunto subscribed and sette
79    my seale the day and yere above written in the presence of Edward Baynard John
80    Willoughby Anthony Goddard W Asheman and other By me Roger Blake
81    Probatum fuit suprascriptum testamentum coram duo apud London 16th de mensis
82    Novembris Anno domini millesimo quingentesimo quinquagesimo septimo Iurament Petri
83    Johnson Curate procur[ator]is marie Relec et executricis in h[uius]modi testamento no[min]at[e] Ac approbatu[m]
84    Et insinuatum etc comissa fuit administrac[i]o omnium bono[rum] iur[ium] et creditor[um] dicti defuncti etc p[re]fate
85    Relec etc de bene etc Ac de pleno et fideli Inventario conficiend etc necnon de plano et vero
86    Computo reddendo etc Ad sancta dei Evangelia in p[er]sona dei procuris iurat

Unfortunately Roger only names his eldest son Thomas, his grandson Roger and his daughter Mary along with his wife Mary in this will. He actually does mention his son in laws Henry Bull (married to Sybell) and Anthony Goddard (married to Joan) but not that they are his sons in law. Chart 8 lists the children of Roger Blake and Mary Baynard as James married to Edith Ivy, Robert married to Alice Smyth, John married to Joan/Jane Clark, Sybill married to Henry Bull, Joan married to Anthony Goddard and Mary married to Edward Langridge. Two of these children’s descendants are also noted on Chart 8.

The children of Thomas Blake and Edith Ivy are named Roger married to Wraxed Gastrell, Michael, Giles, Francis and Robert. The children of Robert Blake and Alice Smyth are named Roger, Anthony, Joan and Mary.

The children of Roger married to Wraxed Gastrell are Henry, Roger (b c 1593), Elizabeth married to ____ Powell and Frances married to Philip Bull. The child of Henry married to Frances Pigot was Joan (b c 1611) and the children of Henry married to Abigail Stringer were Henry (b c 1617), Roger (b c 1618), Ambrose, and Abigail (b c 1620) married to William Parry and they had a daughter Lettice Blake Parry. The dates listed above were taken from the Blake Pedigree Chart prepared by the College of Arms in 1690.

Trying to learn more about the descendants of Roger Blake and Mary Barnard did not prove to be an easy task. However, Mary Blake also left a will dated 28 Nov 1569. I had not yet transcribed the probate but felt it would add greatly to this story if I did do so and hence the delay in publication. In her will Mary mentions her husband Roger Blake, her son Thomas, her son Robert, her daughter Jone Goddarde and her son in law Anthony Goddarde, her daughter Sibill Bull and her son in law Henrie Bull.   

[Margin]: Mary Blake
[Margin]: wid[ow]

1    In the name of god so be it the xxviij th day of novembre in the
2    yere (after the Jncarnations of Christe) 1569 and in the xij th
3    yere of the Raigne of o[u]r most gracious sovergine Lady Elizabeth
4    by the grace of god Quene of Englande France and Ireland
5    defender of the faith etc I Mary Blake of Pynhills in the
6    countie of Wiltes widowe Late the wife of Roger Blake Esquyre
7    decessed beinge of p[er]fit mynde and good remembrance thanks
8    be therefore geven to almightie god knowinge nothinge to be more
9    certen in this wordle then deathe the time whereof ys most
10    uncerten myndinge therefore to p[re]vente the same w[i]th delyverations
11    and good advise do ordeyne and make my last will and testa[men]t
12    in manner and forme as folowith And first calling to my
13    remembrance my duetie to almightie god the father unto
14    whose mercy I comitt my swole in full trust and confidence
15    that I have therein by and through the merites of the death
16    and passion of his deare sonne Jesus Christ my only
17    and sole savior and redeemer for w[hi]ch w[i]th the holie gost I
18    to acknowledge and confesse to be one very trewe eternall
19    and ev[er]lyvinge god and my body when it shall please god to caule
20    me out of this frale and trancsytorie worlde (in remembrance
21    that yt shall ryse againe) I will itt decentlie to be buried
22    w[i]thin the p[ar]ishe churche of Calne, and towchinge my goods and
23    cattalls I will them to be distributed as shalbe hereafter
24    in this my last wille mentioned and expressed And firste
25    renounsyinge all other wills before this tyme by me made
26    I will that the last will and testament of my late husbande
27    Roger Blake Esquyer decessed be in all points fully p[er]formed
28    according to the trewe intent and meanynge of the same
29    by the order of the oversears of this my last will whom I
30    will hereafter appointe And that all my due detts be paide
31    according to equytie and right It[e]m I will that ther be geven
32    amongest the poore people w[i]thin the p[ar]ishe of Calne xl s
33    and to the poore people in perell xx s It[e]m I geve to my eldest
34    sonne Thomas Blake a standinge bedstead that I bowght of
35    Late w[hi]che standith in the newe chamber ande the parlor
36    w[i]th the curtens and fringe of blewe sage and yelowe
37    I geve him also twentie powndes in money It[e]m I geve to
38    my sonne Robert Blake twentie pownds in money It[e]m I
39    geve to my nephew his sonne Roger Blake fowrtie pownds
40    in money It[e]m I geve to his daughter Marie beinge my goddawghter
41    vj pounds xiij s iiij d in money It[e]m I geve to my nephew John
42    Willoughbie of Piddle towne in the countie of Dorset xiij s iiij d
43    It[e]m I geve to my sonne in Lawe Anthonie Goddarde and to my
44    dawghter Jone his wife a Flanders cheste w[i]th two locks
45    w[hi]che standith in the two bed chamber and all sutche lynnen
46    as ys therin conteyned And alsoe one standing bedstead w[i]th
47    curtens of Pell Sage and grene standing in the chamber
48    where I lye and one fetherbedd one boulster of fethers twoe
49    pillows of downe one flockbed one peyre of blankets a cov[er]lett
50    a carpet clothe for a cobarde a longe cysshen of crimson
51    velvet a rowde borde and a cheste standings next the
52    maydens chamber dore It[e]m I geve to my said dawghter Jone
53    Goddarde all my pewter vessels and brasen vessels over and
54    beside sutche pewter and brasse as ys due to my nephewe
55    Roger Blake the eldest sonne of my saide sonne Thomas Blake
56    w[hi]ch ys mensioned and expressed in an Jnvetore sygned w[i]th
57    my saide husbands hande It[e]m I geve to my dawghter Sybell
58    Bull my seconde best cassocke and kertell and fyve poundes in
59    money It[em] I geve to Henrie Bull the sonne of my saide dawghter
60    Sybell Bull fyve pownds in money It[e]m I geve to Marye
61    Goddarde one of the dawghters of my sonne in lawe Anthony Goddarde
62    and of my dawghter Jone a little coffer standing in the closett
63    and all sutche thinges as are therin and halffe a dosen of silver
64    spones It[e]m I geve to my goddawghter Emery Somers vij pounds xiij s
65    iiij d in money a fetherbedd w[i]th a canvas tye a peyre of blanketts
66    a coverlett a peyre of sheates two pillows of flocke and two
67    pillowbers of canvas It[e]m I geve to my goddawghter Marie
68    Baynarde the dawghter of my nephewe Edwarde Baynarde xx s
69    in money It[e]m I geve to my goddawghter Marie Baynarde the
70    dawghter of my nephewe Robert Baynarde furtie shillinges
71    in money It[e]m I geve to my servant Henrie Baynton fourtie
72    shillinges in money It[e]m I geve to my boye Will[ia]m Pleyer a
73    flocke bed a flocke bolster a peyre of sheates a peyre of
74    blanketts a coverlett and fourtie shillinges in money The Rest
75    of all my goods and cattalls moveable and unmoveable by this
76    my last will not geven nor bequeathed my due detts and funerall
77    chardgs paide I do wholly geve and bequeathe to Edwarde Goddarde
78    and Elizabethe Goddarde two of the childrene of my sayd sonne
79    Antonye Goddarde and my dawghter Jone w[hi]ch Edwarde and Elizabethe
80    I do appoynte constitute and make my onlye and whole executors And
81    for the better p[er]formance of this my laste will and testament
82    I do appoynte and even so do specyally requeste my sonne Thomas
83    Blaake my sayd nephew John Willoughby and my sonne in lawe
84    Antony Goddarde to be overseers of this my laste will trusting
85    that they and e[ve]ry of them will bestowe their endevour and
86    good helpe towardes the p[er]formance of this my last will and
87    testament according to the special trust I put in them
88    And for a more certen poffe that this my verie last will
89    w[hi]ch ys conteyned in two sheates of paper and a halffe
90    I have caused my name to be wryten beneathe the wrytinge
91    of ev[er]y of the saide leaves and to the last leaffe of my saide
92    will I have w[i]t[h] my owne hande sett my seale in the presens
93    of thos whose names ar underwryten Mary Blake
94    John Willoughbye Anthony Goddarde Robert Blake Roger Pstrs
95    Will[ia]m Sneaddon
96    Decimo septimo die mensis octobris anno domini 1570 comissa fuit administra
97    Omnium et singulorum bonorum iurium et creditorium procuratoris dicti Marie Blake vid
98    Defuncti ____ minori etate Edward Goddard et Elizabeth Goddard
99    Executor nominat in dicti testament necnon ________ ______
100    Edward et Elizabeth dore minori etate du viro Anthonie Goddard
101    Supervisori nominat in dicto testamento in debit iuris forma iurat etc
102    De bene et fideli administrando etc Ac de soluend debit dicti defuncti et
103    _______ in _______ suprascript etc necnon de exhibend inventori etc et inde reddendo reput etc
104    Reservata potestate ittendi similem ad perfat Edward et Elizabeth quoad eandem petitur
105    _________ jurat cum venerit etc

3.    Queries from Study Members

a.    FTDNA lists my final SNP as YP-5320, but YFull lists me as YP-943, upstream from YP-5320.  My earliest Blake ancestor I can trace is John Blake (c. 1590-1650) who I believe was born in Surrey, England.  L-664 as a group is West Germanic, probably arriving in the Isles with the Angles, Saxons, Jutes, and Frisians, or later with the Normans. Can you tell me why my name is included in the East Anglia group?  My kit no. is .  At the eighth allele, DYS388, my reading is "10"...The rest of the kits show a reading of "12", a much more common reading at that allele.  I am part of the tiny northwestern European L-664 group.  I believe the different allele readings preclude our having a common ancestor.

Response: I have created a new group L-664. Trying to decide the title of this group and any assistance greatly appreciated.

b.    Thank you for the recent Blake newsletter. In your listing of the members of the Blake groups that have done some level of DNA testing you have two categories of Irish Blake: Galway Blakes, and descendants of Sir Thomas Blake. I am an Irish Blake and do not belong to either of these groups. Alex Williamson shows me in a distinct category, along with a testee by the name of Shepherd. We are part of the group called Clan Colla, which traces its ancestry back to the 7th century in Ireland. Perhaps future records could include this information.   
   
Response: I have created a new group: Irish Ancestry R-BY23867 - Clan Colla

*As I created these two new groups I am realizing that I need to change the labelling of all the groups and will work away at that. Any suggestions greatly appreciated. It is true that I could continue learning all of this new material on Y DNA but my interests are leading me elsewhere and this is a project that I would hand on to others in terms of the R haplogroup in particular. I will continue working on the I-L161 and I-L460 haplogroups myself, Bill Bleak manages the I-M253 and Susan Osborne manages the I-M223 group. The Galway group is managed by a member of that group.

4.    Blake Surname Study – Progress: One Name Blake Study at the Guild of One-name Studies was originally undertaken by another researcher. In 2011, I became the researcher for the Blake-one-name Study at the Guild. There was already a pre-existing yDNA project run by Bill Bleak and he continues as the main administrator of the project. As can be seen below 23 members of the study have completed a Big Y (SNPs testing for deep clade determination) making it virtually impossible to do more than has been done with some of the groups.

Project Statistics
Total Members                               193
Big Y                                                   23
Combined GEDCOMs Uploaded      12
Paternal Ancestor Information     129
Predicted Y-DNA Haplogroups       25
Y-DNA12                                         111
Y-DNA25                                           94
Y-DNA37                                           91
Y-DNA67                                           66
Y-DNA111                                           38

The task of managing these groups is large and I will gradually work away at converting them to the new standard of placing individuals by their deep haplogroup testing. I have not made any progress since the last report. If anyone is willing to look at the R1b groups and come up with a better display I would greatly appreciate it. I would recommend that all members join the relevant haplogroup project to learn more about your haplogroup. Surprisingly we have not grown at all since the last newsletter. I think getting more order into the R1b kits is essential but I have no familiarity with some of these lines. Still hoping for someone to volunteer to look at these groups.

5.    Blake autosomal DNA Study at FT DNA (Family Finder)
In some cases these are large matches and in other cases relatively small but that is the way with the inheritance of autosomal DNA. With each generation chunks of autosomal DNA can either be broken into smaller units or passed as a large chunk relatively intact. It is a purely random event. Due to privacy concerns it is not possible to produce a chart of the members who do have matches with other members of the group but each member is able to check that for themselves in their account. What would be helpful is adding a family tree to your account thus making it much more possible to find matching autosomal DNA cousins in your research.

6.    Andover, Hampshire, England Parish Registers (Baptisms – set 8)
Andover, Hampshire, England has often been said to be the “home of the Blakes” when I have been writing to people in Hampshire through the years. I would say that Calne, Wiltshire perhaps has a stronger hold on that particular title although there are a number of other areas in England where the Blake family has been for centuries. When I decided to transcribe the Parish Registers of Andover I was surprised to find that yes there are a number of Blake entries but there are far more Blake entries in Parish Registers in other parts of England as mentioned. In this issue, I will publish the baptisms for Blake in the Parish Registers. These records are taken from fiche which have scans of the original parish registers. The registers for baptisms begin in 1588 and have provided me with a lot of details on the Blake family in Andover in the late 1500s and into the 1600s/1700s. Eventually I hope to complete my project of transcribing these Parish Registers for St Marys Andover beyond the early to mid 1700s.

Baptismal Registers commenced in 1588 and I will start publishing these transcriptions for Andover.
Number    Surname    Forename    status    Fathers surname    Fathers forename    Mothers surname    Mothers forename    Year    Month    Day    Year    Month    Day    Details

2100    Baley    Clemantt    son    Baley    William            1628    July    17               
2101    Barber    Martha    daughter    Barber    Edward            1628    July    29               
2102    Powell    Joane    daughter    Powell    Henry            1628    August    5               
2103    Cornelies    Sara    daughter    Cornelies    William            1628    August    10               
2104    Bath    James    son    Bath    Thomas            1628    August    12               
2105    Smith    John    son    Smith    John            1628    August    24               
2106    Waight    Walter    son    Waight    Abraham            1628    August    20               
2107    Thurman    Edward    son    Thurman    John            1628    August    31               
2108    Fedges    Annes    daughter    Fedges    William            1628    August    31               
2109    Twitchin    George    son    Twitchin    Andrew            1628    September    7               
2110    Kentt    Nathaniel    son    Kentt    Thomas            1628    September    14               
2111    Kerry    John    son    Kerry    John            1628    September    24               
2112    Venables    Dorothy    daughter    Venables    Mr. Nicholas            1628    October    2               
2113    Gouldinge    Francis    son    Gouldinge    Thomas            1628    October    12               
2114    Tannare    Dorothy    daughter    Tannare    Thomas            1628    October    12               
2115    Torner    George    son    Torner    John            1628    October    19               
2116    Rime    Jone    daughter    Rime    William            1628    October    24               
2117    Pedinge    Elizabeth    daughter    Pedinge    John            1628    October    24               
2118    Dynes    William    son    Dynes    Robartt            1628    November    9               
2119    Harfeeld    Margery    daughter    Harfeeld    John            1628    November    9               
2120    Scullard    Margery    daughter    Scullard    William            1628    November    16               
2121    Beaser    John    son    Beaser    Toby            1628    November    18               
2122    Huser    Joane    daughter    Huser    Austin            1628    November    18               
2123    Collye    Margery    daughter    Collye                1628    November    18               
2124    Hancocke        daughter    Hancocke                1628    November    23               
2125    Shercom    Mary    daughter    Shercom    Waltere            1628    November    23               
2126    Henxman    Edward    son    Henxman    Thomas            1628    November    30               
2127    West    Dority    daughter    West    Anthoney            1628    December    4               
2128    Benton    Robertt    son    Benton    Robert            1628    December    6               
2129    Jenkins    Richard    son    Jenkins    Richard            1628    December    9               
2130    Palmar    William    son    Palmar    William            1628    December    10               
2131    Petman    Robertt    son    Petman    Edward            1628    January    1               
2132    Payne    Barbra    daughter    Payne    Richard            1628    January    3               
2133    Horn    Annes    daughter    Horn    James         1628    January    9        born 7th January 1628
2134    Paynter    Elizabeth    daughter    Paynter    Robert            1628    January    11               
2135    Rabonson            Rabonson    John            1628    January    16               
2136    Alfard    Cathren    daughter    Alfard    Bengaman            1628    January    22               
2137    Childes    John    son    Childes    Mores            1628    January    25               
2138    Pyper    James    son    Pyper    James            1628    February    1               
2139    Penton    Debra    daughter    Penton    William            1628    February    1               
2140    Bucher    John    son    Bucher    William            1628    February    5               
2141    Ward    Richard    son    Ward    Robert            1628    February    9               
2142    Green    Elizabeth    daughter    Green    Jeffery            1628    February    10               
2143    Dowse    Gylbord    son    Dowse    William            1628    February    19               
2144    Hornn    William    son    Hornn    Simman            1628    March    1               
2145    Kach    John    son    Kach    William            1628    March    1               
2146    Tomknes    Martha    daughter    Tomknes    Gyles            1628    March    8               
2147    Godden    Margreat    daughter    Godden                1628    March    8               
2148    Knowles    Mary    daughter    Knowles    John            1628    March    15               
2149    Bath    Annes    daughter    Bath    Christo            1628    March    17               
2150    Daves    Mary    daughter    Daves    Merida            1628    March    17               
2151    Barrick    William    son    Barrick    William            1628    March    18               
2152    Thurman    Nicholas    son    Thurman    Edward            1629    March    30               
2153    Julians    Thomas    son    Julians    William            1629    March    31               
2154    Blake    William    son    Blake    Mr. William            1629    April    9        of Estowntown
2155    Bennet    Barbra    daughter    Bennet    Thomas            1629    April    11               
2156    Noyse    John    son    Noyse    James            1629    April    15               
2157    Tommlin    Nathanaell    son    Tommlin    Mr.            1629    April    21               
2158    Charde    Joane    daughter    Charde    Edward            1629    April    26               
2159    Knightt    William    son    Knightt    William            1629    April    28               
2160    Spannell    Elizabeth    daughter    Spannell    Sericke            1629    April    28               
2161    Moringe    John    son    Moringe    John            1629    May    3               
2162    Monday    Andrew    son    Monday    Anthony            1629    May    3               
2163    Holeyday    Richard    son    Holeyday                1629    May    5               
2164    Skotsdean    John    son    Skotsdean    John            1629    May    5               
2165    Spannell    Elizabeth    daughter    Spannell    Sericke    1629    May    6    at  his house at Charlton private baptism
2166    Coop[er]            Coop[er]    Alixander            1629    May    22               
2167    Wigmoor    John    son    Wigmoor    Thomas            1629    May    29            0f Widhearn
2168    Liveley    Joane    daughter    Liveley    John            1629    June    14               
2169    Borde    Roger    son    Borde    Roger            1629    June    16               
2170    Scullard    Thomas    son    Scullard    William            1629    July    5               
2171    Kempe    Susane    daughter    Kempe    Jacob            1629    July    6               
2172    Kempe    Grac    daughter    Kempe    Jacob            1629    July    6               
2173    Feelder    John    son    Feelder    Richard            1629    July    7               
2174    Foster    Thomas    son    Foster    John            1629    July    11               
2175    Gould    Mary    daughter    Gould    William            1629    July    26               
2176    Russell    Christopher    son    Russell    William            1629    July    26               
2177    Small    Mary    daughter    Small    Robert            1629    July    28               
2178    Warner    Elizabeth    daughter    Warner    John            1629    August    9               
2179    Turner    John    son    Turner    John            1629    August    16               
2180    Livlocke    Steven    son    Livlocke    William            1629    August    16               
2181    Beare    Ezekell    son    Beare    Gylbord            1629    August    16               
2182    Garret    Jane    daughter    Garret    Bartholomew            1629    August    23               
2183    Backer    Jacob    son    Backer    Robert            1629    August    24               
2184    Froud    Kathreen    daughter    Froud    George            1629    August    30               
2185    Froude    Mary    daughter    Froude    George            1629    September    6               
2186    Gooddall    Margeary    daughter    Gooddall    Richard            1629    September    12              
2187    White        son    White    Richard            1629    September    12               
2188    Collere    Joane    daughter    Collere    John            1629    September    13               
2189    Frances    Elennore    daughter    Frances    John            1629    September    15               
2190    Cleefe    John    son    Cleefe    John            1629    September    27               
2191    Brdgley    Susane    daughter    Brdgley    Thomas            1629    September    27               
2192    Browne    John    son    Browne    John            1629    October    11               
2193    Hopgood    Susane    daughter    Hopgood    Robertt            1629    October    18               
2194    Payne    Marten    son    Payne    Robertt            1629    October    24               
2195    Beves    Richard    son    Beves    Richard            1629    October    25               
2196    Beazer    John    son    Beazer    Tobyas            1629    October    28               
2197    Watterman    Annes    daughter    Watterman    John            1629    November    10               
2198    Somers    Jane    daughter    Somers    John            1629    November    11               
2199    Littell    Margery    daughter    Littell    Edman            1629    November    29               
2200    Miles    Annes    daughter    Miles    Richard            1629    December    3               
2201    Tomkins    Jane    daughter    Tomkins    John            1629    December    5               
2202    J    Rebecke    daughter    J    William            1629    December    6               
2203    Crosse    Annes    bastard daughter            Crosse    Mary    1629    December    13               
2204    Jadgg    Robertt    son    Jadgg    John            1629                       
2205    Buttler    Tobias    son    Buttler    Henry            1629    January    3               
2206    Cook    Dorothy    daughter    Cook    John            1629    January    3               
2207    Berry    Thomas    son    Berry    Mr. Thomas            1629    January    4               
2208    Miller    William    son    Miller    William            1629    January    12               
2209    Church    Phillipp    son    Church    Thomas            1629    January    19               
2210    Jones    Joane    daughter    Jones    John            1629    January    24               
2211    Thurman    ammy    daughter    Thurman    Nicholas            1629    January    24               
2212    Cleetter    Anthoney    son    Cleetter    Anthoney            1629    January    27               
2213    Noyse    John    son    Noyse    Mr. Petter            1629    January    28               
2214    Owserye    Elene    daughter    Owserye    John            1629    January    28               
2215        Mary    bastard daughter                    1629    February    5               
2216    Julians    Hugh    son    Julians    Thomas            1629    February    7               
2217    Tannare    Elizabeth    daughter    Tannare    William            1629    February    11               
2218    Oswell            Oswell    Frances            1629    February    18               
2219    Twitchin    Bengeman    son    Twitchin    Mr. Andrew            1629    February    23               
2220    Raines    Alice    daughter    Raines    John            1629    February    24               
2221    Penton            Penton    William            1629    February    28               
2222    Palmare        son    Palmare    William            1629    March    2               
2223    Barbar    William    son    Barbar    Edward            1629    March    7               
2224    Charde    Edward    son    Charde    Edward            1629    March    14               
2225    huse    Jane    daughter    Huse    Astin            1629    March    21               
2226    Joyce    Frances    daughter    Joyce    John    `        1629    March    21               
2227    Paynter    William    son    Paynter    Robert            1630    March    27               
2228    Mountayne        son    Mountayne    Robert            1630    March    29               
2229    Ectton        daughter    Ectton    Richard            1630    March    30               
2230    Francis    Joane    daughter    Francis    John            1630    April    11    John the younger
2231    Houldway    John    son    Houldway    Henry            1630    April    11               
2232    Fuller    William    son    Fuller    John            1630    April    12               
2233    W.    Amy    daughter    W.    Robert            1630    April    12               
2234    Ventham    Paul    son    Ventham    Richard            1630    April    13               
2235    Figgitt    Richard    son    Figgitt    William            1630    April    14               
2236    Salmon    John    son    Salmon    Peter            1630    April    15        of Widhern
2237    James    Hughe    son    James    John            1630                       
2238    Brod    William    son    Brod    William            1630    April    25               
2239    Kent    Robertt    son    Kentt    William            1630    April    25        of Enham
2240    Pedden    Elen    daughter    Pedden    John            1630    May    4               
2241    Scullard    Robertt    son    Scullard    Thomas            1630    May    9               
2242    Moringe    Elias    son    Moringe    Edward            1630    May    17               
2243    Wayght    Abram    son    Wayght    Abramm            1630    May    23               
2244    Knight    Rebecka    daughter    Knight    Richard            1630    May    25               
2245    Holdway    Mary    daughter    Holdway    John            1630    May    25               
2246    Carde    Richard    son    Carde    Thomas            1630    May    29               
2247    Bonday    John    son    Bonday                1630    June    1               
2248    Combes    Ann    daughter    Combes    John            1630    June    2               
2249    Henxman    Nicolas    son    Henxman    Mr. Joseph            1630    June    6               
2250    Eves    Joane    daughter    Eves    Robert            1630    June    14               
2251    Green    Anes    daughter    Green    Mathew            1630    June    8               
2252    Yonge    Joane    daughter    Yonge    Thomas            1630    June    8               
2253    Hicscocke    Elizabeth    daughter    Hicscocke    Thomas            1630    June    15               
2254    Smith    Jane    daughter    Smith    Robert            1630    June    20               
2255    Palmer    Mary    daughter    Palmer    Gylbert            1630    June    24               
2256    Longe    William    son    Longe    W G            1630    June    27               
2257    Cleetson    Joane    daughter    Cleetson                1630    June                   
2258    Nash    Jane    daughter    Nash    Valentine            1630    July    1               
2259    Matkin    Thomas    son    Matkin    Mr. Frances            1630    July    3               
2260    Tomlin    Hanna    daughter    Tomlin    William            1630    July    4               
2261    Mercett    George    son    Mercett    George            1630    July    18               
2262    Dowse    Mary    daughter    Dowse    William            1630    July    25               
2263    Smith    Thomas    son    Smith    John            1630    July    27               
2264    Childes    William    son    Childes    Morise            1630    July    29               
2265    Purdue    George    son    Purdue    George            1630    August    17               
2266    Woodman    James    son    Woodman    Samuell            1630    August    31               
2267    Moringe    Margreatt    daughter    Moringe    John            1630    September    5               
2268    Mody    Ann    daughter    Mody    Robert            1630    September    5                of Foxcot
2269    Dowse    Maria    daughter    Dowse    Thomas            1630    September    5               
2270    Reeves    Frances    daughter    Reebes    John            1630    September    9               
2271    Pearse    William    son    Pearse    Nicholas            1630    September    12               
2272    Hachat    Mary    daughter    Hachat    John            1630    September    17               
2273    Blake    John    son    Blake    Edward            1630    September    19                of Foxcot
2274    Venables    Nicholas    son    Venables    Mr. Nicholas    1630    October    14                borne 4 October 1631
2275    Pursear    Thomas    son    Pursear    John            1630    October    31               
2276    Heller    Isacke    son    Heller    Nicholas            1630    November    14               
2277    Beare    Margreat    daughter    Beare    Thomas            1630    November    10               
2278    Backer    Richard    son    Backer    Robert            1630    November    21               
2279    Donford            Donford    William            1630    November    30               
2280    Garrett    Bartholomew    son    Garrett    Bartholomew            1630    December    14               
2281    Segrove    Elizabeth    daughter    Segrove    Rowland            1630    December    14               
2282    Prince    Thomas    son    Prince    John            1630    December    19               
2283    Gould    ….r    daughter    Gould    William            1630    December    26               
2284    Dowse            Dowse    John            1630    January    2               
2285    Scullard    Jane    daughter    Scullard    Sackrey            1630    January    8               
2286    Scullard    Alce    daughter    Scullard    William            1630    February    2               
2287    Ratey            Ratey    John            1630    February    2               
2288    Cop[er]    Alixander    son    Cop[er]    Alixander            1630    January    23               
2289    Blake    Dorothy    daughter    Blake    Peeter            1630    February    10               
2290    Houldway    Robertt    son    Houldway    Robert            1630    February    18               
2291    Cardy    Joseph    son    Cardy    John            1630    February    19               
2292        Thomas    son        John            1630    February    26               
2293    Presey    Skeney    daughter    Presey    William            1630    March    8               
2294    Tannare    Joane    daughter    Tannare    Thomas            1631    March    27               
2295    Cooke    Annes    daughter    Cooke    Alixander            1631    April    7               
2296    Gouldinge    Rebecka    daughter    Gouldinge    Thomas            1631    April    12               
2297    Barricke    John    son    Barricke    William            1631    April    14               
2298    Harfeeld    John    son    Harfeeld    John            1631    May    14               
2299    Kerrey    Mary    daughter    Kerrey    John            1631    May    19               
2300    Alder    Margreatt    daughter    Alder    John            1631    May    21                of Wodhouse?
2301    Orome    William    son    Orome    William            1631    May    26                of Winchester
2302    Frampton    Thomas    son    Frampton    Robert            1631    May    28               
2303    Coper    Jane    daughter    Coper    William            1631    May    31               
2304    Tredgould    Nicholas    son    Tredgould    Nicholas            1631    June    2               
2305    Blake    Peetter    son    Blake    Mr. William            1631    June    5                of Eastowntown
2306    Feelder    Arthar    son    Feelder    Richard            1631    June    21               
2307    Jenkens    John    son    Jenkens    Richard            1631    June    23               
2308    Powell    William    son    Powell    Henry            1631    July    31               
2309    Matkyn    Frances    son    Matkyn    Mr. Frances        1631    August    1 borne 25 July 1631  (James Gibson)
2310    Beare    Joane    daughter    Beare    John            1631    August    4               
2311    West    Joane    daughter    West    Anthoney            1631    August    14               
2312    Sweettapell    Ann    daughter    Sweettapell    Robert            1631    August    19               
2313    Pyper    Mary    daughter    Pyper    James            1631    September    3               
2314    Tomkins    Gyles    son    Tomkins    Gyles            1631    September    4               
2315    Hopgood    Dorothy    daughter    Hopgood    John            1631    September    4                of Hatherden
2316    Modye    Mary    daughter    Modye    Robert            1631    September    4               
2317    Thurman    Charles    son    Thurman    Nicholas            1631    September    5               
2318    Henxman            Henxman    Thomas            1631    September    11               
2319    Fedges    Dorothy    daughter    Fedges    William            1631    September    13               
2320    Neale    John    son    Neale    John            1631    October    9               
2321    Farrantt    Jane    daughter    Farrantt    Peetter            1631    October    9               
2322    Thurman    Dorothy    daughter    Thurman    John            1631    October    10               
2323    Littell    James    son    Littell    Edmond            1631    October    14               
2324    Butcher    Ana    daughter    Butcher    William            1631    October    16               
2325    Cornelies    Josias    son    Cornelies    William            1631    October    23               
2326    Knight    Ann    daughter    Knight    William            1631    October    25               
2327    Raty        daughter    Raty    Thomas            1631    November    12               
2328    Roubotomm    Isacke    son    Roubotomm    John            1631    November    13               
2329    Knowles    Jacob    son    Knowles    John            1631    November    13               
2330    Spratbery    Mary    daughter    Spratbery    Richard            1631    November    13               
2331    Dowse    Ann    daughter    Dowse    Thomas            1631    November    18               
2332    Finey    John    son    Finey    John            1631    December    5               
2333    *Collines    Mary    daughter    Collines    Ralphe        Mary    1631    December    8               
*Mary the daughter of Ralphe Collines (and Mary his wife where his wife was brought to bedd in Rowland Hopgoods house) of Sherbourne in the County of Dorset sheire yeoman was baptized in Andover
2334    Scullard    Thomas    son    Scullard    Thomas            1631    December    11               
2335    Hopgood    Peeter    son    Hopgood    Robert            1631    December    13               
2336    Mody    Mary    daughter    Mody    Steven            1631    December    23               
2337    Heath    William    son    Heath    William            1631    December    23               
2338    Julians    Mary    daughter    Julians    William            1631    December    29               
2339    Payne    Ann    daughter    Payne    Richard            1631    January    4               
2340    Payne    Mary    daughter    Payne    Richard            1631    January    4               
2341    Huse    Jockeet    daughter    Huse    Augustin            1631    January    5               
2342    Sweepapell    Robertt    son    Sweetapell    Richard            1631    January    9               
2343    Bedgans    Mary    daughter    Bedgans    William            1631    January    14                of Enham
2344    Froud        daughter    Froud    George            1631    January    20               
2345    Mountayne    Mary    daughter    Mountayne                1631    January    24               
2346    Childes    Alixender    son    Childes    Morish            1631    January    25               
2347    Houchins    John    son    Jouchins    John            1631    February    2               
2348    Tytcom    Margrett    daughter    Tytcom    John            1631    February    5               
2349    Cox    Robertt    son    Cox    Robert            1631    February    9               
2350    Joyce    John    son    Joyce    John            1631    March    5               
2351    Moringe    Thomas    son    Moringe    Edward            1631    March    16               
2352    Harrice    Thomas    son    Harrice    Thomas            1631    March    16               
2353    Doulinge    Edward    son    Doulinge    Edward            1631    March    23               
2354    Hopgood    John    son    Hopgood    Thomas            1632    April    2               
2355    Fedges    Thomas    son    Fedges    Thomas            1632    April    2               
2356    Burnote    John    son    Burnote    Robert            1632    April    3               
2357    Beare    William    son    Beare    Selvester            1632    April    6               
2358    Beare    John    son    Beare    Thomas            1632    April    9               
2359    Wayght    Kathren    daughter    Wayght    Abraham            1632    April    10               
2360    Barbar    Tobyas    son    Barbar    Edward            1632    April    15               
2361    Jones    John    son    Jones    William            1632    April    15               
2362    Mylles    Henry    son    Mylles    Richard            1632    April    15               
2363    Whitt    Mary    daughter    Whitt    Richard            1632    May    6               
2364    Tornar    Joane    daughter    Tornar    John            1632    May    7               
2365    Woodman    John    son    Woodman    Samuell            1632    May    8               
2366    Colly    Brudgatt    daughter    Colly    William            1632    May    10               
2367    Venables    Jane    daughter    Venables    Mr. Richard            1632    May    17               
2368    Bord    John    son    Bord    Phillepp            1632    May    22               
2369    Buttlar    Mary    daughter    Buttlar    Henry            1632    May    29               
2370    Cornelis    Henry    son    Cornelis    Henry            1632    June    3               
2371    Watterman    Rebecke    daughter    Watterman    Thomas            1632    June    9               
2372    Tannore    Robertt    son    Tannore    Sedrick            1632    June    16               
2373    Browne    Anes    daughter    Browne     Alece            1632    June    22               
2374    Blake    Peeter    son    Blake    Edward            1632    June    25               
2375    Bath    Mary    daughter    Bath    Thomas            1632    June    30               
2376    Ecton    Andrew    son    Ecton    Jerome            1632    July    1               
2377    Waltredg    John    son    Waltredg    Watter            1632    July    1               
2378    Penton    Robertt    son    Penton    William            1632    July    3               
2379    Lovegrove            Lovegrove    John            1632    July    5               
2380    Coller    John    son    Coller    John            1632    July    12                of Hathernden
2381    Jones    Ann    daughter    Jones    John            1632    July    15               
2382    Hatchatt    John    son    Hatchatt    John            1632    July    16               
2383    Sweettapell    Elen    daughter    Sweetapell    John            1632    July    26               
2384    Wattes alias Measer    Thomas    son    Wattes alias Measer                1632    August    3           
2385    Beves    Elizabeth    daughter    Beves    Richard            1632    August    27               
2386    Feelder    Henry    son    Feelder    Richard            1632    August    29               
2387    Scullard    Edeth    daughter    Scullard    William            1632    September    2               
2388    Longe    Robertt    son    Longe    William            1632    September    9               
2389    Budglye    Thomas    son    Budglye    Thomas            1632    September    16               
2390    Hellyer    Jon    daughter    Hellyer    John            1632    September                   
2391    Cooke    Edward    son    Cooke    Edward            1632    September    30               
2392    Cooke    Mary    daughter    Cooke    Edmond            1632    October    2               
2393    Ematte    Thomas    son    Ematte    Thomas            1632    October    7               
2394    Spanell    Mary    daughter    Spanell    William            1632    October    9               
2395    Pittman    Mary    daughter    Pittman    Edmond            1632    October    11               
2396    Bampton    Alce    daughter    Bampton    Edward            1632    October    11               
2397    Fuller    Martha    daughter    Fuller    John            1632    October    14               
2398    Wimbltonn    Annes    daughter    Wimbltonn    Lymell            1632    October    24               
2399    James    Mary    daughter    James    William            1632    October    28           

Any submissions, queries for the journal please submit to Elizabeth (Blake) Kipp by the 15th of March for the 1st April issue.

Elizabeth Kipp, kippeeb@rogers.com

Member #4600: Guild of one name studies – studying Blake and Pincombe
Blog: http://kippeeb.blogspot.ca/

Robert Blake, testator, was a Mariner living in Barnstape, Devon. He is perhaps the Robert Blake baptized 27 Jul 1744 at Barnstaple son of John and Susanna Blake. Although his will was duly probated and listed in the Index to Death Duty Registers, I did not find his burial.

Likely his daughter Ann Blake was baptized 6 Nov 1765 at Barnstaple daughter of Robert and Ann.
A Susanna Blake was baptized 24 Jan 1773 at Barnstaple daughter of Robert and Ann. Susanna was buried 2 Oct 1775 at Barnstaple.
Possibly his daughter Jenny (Jane) Blake was baptized 28 Jul 1776 at Barnstaple daughter of Robert and Ann.
A Susanna Blake was baptized 15 Apr 1781 at Barnstaple daughter of Robert and Ann.

A Robert Blake married Ann Dimon 23 Oct 1764 at Barnstaple. The records on Find My Past do not mention if he was a Mariner. 

Ann Blake married Charles Jordan 6 Aug 1786 at Barnstaple.
Jane Blake married Walter Gribble 11 Oct 1797 at Barnstaple.
Susanna Blake married John Pearse 13 Jan 1804 at Barnstaple.

I do not normally trace down the children of Blake unless their father was a Blake. That includes me as it turns out since my husband’s surname is Kipp.

Two sons were born to a Robert and Ann (Dimon likely in the case of John) Blake and baptized at Barnstaple:

John Dymon Blake was baptized 8 Nov 1767
George Blake was baptized 17 Dec 1768

I did not locate any burials for John Dymon Blake or George Blake.

I did not find a reasonable marriage for the possible parents of Robert Blake, John and Susanna Blake.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 4 Jan 2020
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/1566/154
Testator: Robert Blake, Mariner
Place: Barnstaple, Devon
Type of Record:    Memorandum
Date of document: 27 Apr 1804, probated 10 Mar 1815

[Margin]: Robert Blake 39

1    I Robert Blake of Barnstaple in the County of
2    Devon Mariner do make my last Will and Testament in manner
3    following that is First I give and bequeath unto my daughter Jane
4    wife of Walter Gribble of Barnstaple aforesaid Mariner the Sum of
5    twenty pounds of lawful British Money Current in England to be
6    paid her by my Executrix hereinafter mentioned within one Month
7    next after my decease Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter
8    Susanna Wife of John Pearse of Barnstaple aforesaid Mariner
9    the one fourth part of the Brigantine Jupiter together with the
10    one fourth part of her Stores Rigging and Stock and all my right
11    Title Property and Interest I have in the said Brigantine Jupiter
12    to be delivered to my said daughter Susanna Pearse by my Executrix
13    hereinafter mentioned immediately after my decease Item I give
14    and bequeath unto my two daughters Jane Gribble and Susanna
15    Pearse and unto my two sons in law Walter Gribble and John
16    Pearse a Suit of Mourning each to be provided by my Executrix
17    herein after mentioned immediately after my decease Item I give
18    and bequeath unto my Grandson Robert Gribble my Watch and
19    Silver Buckles to be delivered to him by my Executrix when
20    he attains his age of twenty one years or before as to her shall
21    seem meet Also I further order and direct that my Executrix do
22    maintain educate and bring up my said Grandson Robert Gribble
23    until he shall attain his age of fourteen Years and then I give and
24    bequeath my said Grandson Twenty pounds of lawful British
25    money to bind him out as an Apprentice and for finding him
26    apparel during his Apprenticeship which Sum to be paid by my
27    Executrix and she to bind him to such Master or Mistress as she
28    shall approve of Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Anne
29    Jordan All that Messuage Tenement or dwelling house situate in
30    Well Street wherein I now reside and which I hold for the
31    remainder of a Term of Sixty Years by and under the Feoffees of
32    the Long Bridge of Barnstaple aforesaid to hold the same with
33    all and singular its appurts unto my said daughter Anne Jordan
34    for and during her natural life or until her second Marriage
35    and from and immediately after her decease or second Marriage
36    which shall first happen Then I give and bequeath the said
37    Messuage Tenement or dwelling house with its Appurts unto my
38    daughter Susanna Pearse during the then rest residue and the
39    remainder of the said Term of Years that may then be to come
40    and unexpired I give and bequeath unto my said daughter Anne
41    Jordan the moderate use of all my household Goods plate Bed
42    and Table linens and Furniture of every description whatsoever
43    during her natural life or until her second Marriage and from
44    and immediately after her decease or second Marriage which shall
45    first happen I give and bequeath all my said household Goods
46    and Furniture Plate Bed and Table Linen as aforesaid unto my
47    two daughters Jane Gribble and Susanna Pearse equally between
48    them share and share alike Item I give and bequeath unto John
49    Dennis of Barnstaple aforesaid Ironmonger and John Baker of
50    the same place Tanner and to the Survivor of them and to the
51    Executors Admors and Assigns of such Survivor All such Sum
52    and Sums of Money as I now or may hereafter have laid out placed
53    or vested in the Stocks Funds or upon Government Security or
54    Securitys and all and every or any which Stock Funds or Government
55    Security or Securities shall and may be from time to time or at any
56    time by and with the Consent and Approbation of my daughter
57    Anne Jordan alter or transferred assigned and disposed of and the
58    monies thereby arriving again invested and placed out upon new
59    or other Security or Securities Stocks Funds or Government Security
60    or Securities as to them the said John Dennis and John Baker or
61    the Survivor of them or the Exors Admors and Assigns of such Survivor
62    shall seem meet (by and with the Consent and Approbation of
63    my daughter Anne Jordan during her natural life or until her second
64    marriage that is that they the said John Dennis and John Baker
65    and the Survivor of them and the Exors Admors and Assigns of such
66    survivor do and shall from and immediately after my decease during
67    the natural Life of my daughter Anne Jordan or until her second
68    marriage which shall fir happen pay all the dividends Interest
69    and annual produce of all such Sum or Sums of Money as shall
70    or may be invested or placed in the Stocks Funds or on Government
71    Security or Securities (as the same shall become due) into the hands
72    of my said daughter Anne Jordan or into the hands of such person
73    or persons as she shall by any Note in Writing to be by her signed
74    with her own hand from time to time direct and appoint and from
75    and immediately after the decease or second Marriage of my daughter
76    Anne Jordan which shall first happen Then and as for and concerning
77    all such Sum or Sums of Money as placed or invested in the Stocks
78    Funds or on Government Security or Securities as aforesaid shall or
79    may be invested or placed And also all such dividends or annual
80    produce as shall happen to be then due and owing In Trust for
81    One Moiety or half of all such dividends and annual produce of
82    all such Sum and Sums of Money be invested or placed as aforesaid
83    for my daughter Jane wife of Walter Gribble during her natural life
84    and from and immediately after her decease In Trust that they the
85    said John Dennis and John Baker and the Survivor of them and the
86    Exors Admors and Assigns of such Survivor shall and do from and
87    immediately after the decease of my daughter Jane Gribble pay assign
88    transfer and make over the Moiety or one half of all such capital
89    Stock Funds or Government Security or Securities wherein or upon
90    which the same shall or may be invested or placed together with all
91    such dividends or annual produce as may then happen to be due
92    after the decease of my daughter Jane Gribble to all and every of her
93    Children then living equally between them share and share alike but
94    if one Child only shall be then living then to such only Child and to
95    his or her Exors Admors or Assigns but if one or more of my daughter
96    Jane Gribble’s Children shall die before my daughter Jane Gribble
97    leaving Issue lawfully begotten then the Issue of such her Child or
98    Children so dying to be entitled to the Share or Share of his her or
99    their parent or parents so dying as aforesaid and from and immediately
100    after the decease or second Marriage of my daughter Anne Jordan
101    which shall first happen Then as for and concerning the other Moiety
102    or one half of the dividends or annual produce of such Sum and
103    Sums so invested or placed in the Funds Stocks or upon Government
104    Security or Securities as aforesaid In Trust that they the said John
105    Dennis and John Baker and the Survivor them and the Exors
106    Admors and Assigns of such Survivor do and shall from thenceforth
107    during the natural Life of my daughter Susanna Pearse pay the other
108    Moiety or one half of all such dividends or annual produce thereof
109    (as the same shall become due) into the hands of my daughter
110    Susanna Pearse during her natural life and from and immediately
111    after her decease In Trust that they the said John Dennis and John
112    Baker and the Survivor of them and the Exors Admors and Assigns
113    of such Survivor shall from and immediately after the decease of my
114    said daughter Susanna Pearse pay assign transfer and make over the
115    other Moiety or one half of all such Capital Stocks Funds or Government
116    Security and Securities wherein or upon which the same shall or may
117    be invested or placed together with all such dividends or annual
118    produce as may then happen to be due after the death of my said
119    daughter Susanna Pearse to all and every of her Children then living
120    equally between them share and share alike but if one Child only
121    shall be then living then to such only Child and to his or her Exors
122    Admors or Assigns But if one of more of my daughter Susanna
123    Pearse’s children shall die before his her or their Mother leaving Issue
124    lawfully begotten then the Issue of her Child or Children so dying to be entitled to the share or shares of his her or their parent or parents so dying as
125    aforesaid But if either of my Children Jane Gribble or Susanna Pearse
126    shall die without Issue lawfully begotten Then In Trust that they the said
127    John Dennis and John Baker and the Survivor of them and the Exors
128    Admors and Assigns of such Survivor shall from and immediately after
129    the decease of either of them so dying without Issue pay assign
130    transfer and make over such the Moiety of her as dying without Issue
131    of all such Capital Stock Funds or Government Security or Securities as
132    aforesaid together with all such dividends or annual produce as may
133    then happen to be due to all and every of the Children of the Survivor
134    of them then living equally between them share and share alike if
135    but one Child then living then to such only Child and to his or her
136    Exors Admors and Assigns Item all the rest residue and remainder
137    of my Good Chattels personal and testamentary Estate and Effects
138    whatsoever and wheresoever and of what kind or Sort soever after the
139    payment of my just debts Legacies and Funeral Expences) I give and
140    bequeath the same and every part and parcel thereof unto my daughter
141    Anne Jordan and I do hereby nominate constitute and appoint my
142    said daughter Anne Jordan whole and sole Executrix of this my last
143    Will and Testament But in case my said daughter Anne Jordan shall
144    marry or intermarry again after my decease then from and immediately
145    on such second Marriage taking place or effect I then nominate constitute and
146    appoint my two daughters Jane Gribble and Susanna Pearse joint and
147    Sole Executrixes of this my last Will and Testament immediately on
148    such second marriage and I hereby revoke and make void all former
149    and other Will and Wills by me at any time or times heretofore made
150    and Lastly I hereby declare that they the said John Dennis and John
151    Baker or either of them or their or either of their Exors Admors or
152    assigns shall not be charged with or accountable for any more Monies
153    Estate or Effects than he or they shall respectively receive by Virtue of
154    this my Will nor the one of them for the other nor for the acts deeds
155    receipts defaults or disbursement for one for the other but each of
156    them for his own Acts deeds receipts defaults or disbursements
157    and that it shall be lawful to and for each of them my Trustees
158    and the Survivor of them and the Exors Admors and Assigns of such
159    survivor in the first place by and out of the Trust Estate to deduct
160    and reimburse him and themselves all such loss Costs Charges and
161    Expences as they or either of them shall sustain expend or be
162    put at for or by reason of the Trust hereby in them reposed or
163    in the management thereof In Witness whereof I the said Robert
164    Blake the Testator to this my last Will and Testament contained
165    in this and the three preceding Sheets of paper have set my hand
166    and my hand and Seal to this last Sheet the twenty seventh day
167    of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred
168    and four Robert Blake Signed sealed published and
169    declared by the said Robert Blake the Testator as and for his
170    Last Will and Testament in the presence of us who have hereunto
171    subscribed our Names as Witness in his presence and at his request
172    and in the presence of each other Samuel Lee W Westelley
173    Whereas I Robert Blake of Barnstaple in the County of
174    Devon Mariner ave made my last Will and Testament in writing
175    bearing date the twenty seventh day of April in the year of our Lord one
176    thousand eight hundred and four Now by this Codicil to my said
177    Last Will and Testament I do give and devise all that my Messuage
178    or dwellinghouse with the outhouses Curtilage and Garden and other
179    appurts thereunto belonging situate lying and being in Barnstaple
181    aforesaid in a certain Street there called Silver Street and now in the
182    several occupations of William Watts and John Pearse (and which
183    I lately purchased of Mr John Hodge) unto my daughter Ann
184    Jordan *in my said will named and unto her heirs and assigns for
185    ever and I hereby ratify and confirm my said Will and all the Gifts
186    Devises Bequests Matter and Things therein contained (whereby
187    altered) And I do hereby decare this Writing to be a Codicil to my
188    said Will and direct it to be accepted and taken as part thereof as
189    fully as if the same had been actually inserted therein and also
190    direct it to be annexed thereto In Witness whereof I the said
191    Robert Blake have to this Codicil to my said last Will and Testament
192    set my hand and Seal this fifth day of March in the Year of
193    our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seven Robert Blake
194    Signed sealed published and declared by the above named Robert
195    Blake as and for a Codicil to his last Will and Testament in the
196    presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our Names as
197    Witnesses thereto in his presence at his request in the presence of each other Robert Westacott
198    Robert Yeo John Foller
199    Whereas I Robert Blake of Barnstaple in the County
200    of Devon Mariner have made and duly executed my last Will
201    and Testament in writing bearing the twenty seventh day of April
202    in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and four and
203    have also made and duly executed a Codicil annexed thereunto bearing
204    date the fifth day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand
205    eight hundred and seven and whereas by my said Will I have
206    given and bequeathed unto my daughter Jane the then Wife but
207    now Widow of Walter Gribble of Barnstaple aforesaid Mariner
208    the Sum of twenty pounds to be paid her by my Executrix thereinafter
209    mentioned within one Month next after my deceae Now I do hereby
210    revoke and make void the said Legacy of twenty pounds so made and
211    bequeathed by my said Will unto my said daughter Jane Gribble
212    in as far as concerns the time and manner of payment of the same
213    and instead thereof I do will and direct that the said Sum of
214    twenty pounds shall be paid to my said daughter Jane Gribble
215    by my said Executrix in my said Will mentioned in weekly Sums
216    after the rate of two shillings a week until the whole Sum of twenty
217    pounds be fully paid the first weekly payment of two shillings to commence
218    and be made within one week next after my decease And I do ordain
219    and declare this present Writing to be a second Codicil to my said Will
220    and that the same shall be annexed thereto and taken part thereof
221    and do confirm my said Will and former Codicil in every particular
222    thereof that is not hereby altered In Witness whereof I have to this
223    Codicil set my hand and Seal the seventh day of October in the
224    year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fourteen Robert
225    Blake Signed sealed published and declared by the said Robert
226    Blake as and for a Codicil to be annexed to his last Will and Testament
227    in the presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our Names as
228    witnesses thereto in his presence at his request and in the presence of
229    each other William Gribble William Henry Thorne
230    Proved at London with two Codicils 10th March 1815 before the
231    Judge by the Oath of Anne Jordan Widow the daughter and sole
232    Executrix to whom Admon was granted having been first sworn by
233    Comm[issi]on duly to administer

This second blog of ten blogs on my BLAKE one-name study will look once again at England's Immigrants Database 1330-1550 and the individuals who emigrated to the south-west of England from Breton.

This is the citation for this particular set of documents.  England’s Immigrants 1330 – 1550 (www.englandsimmigrants.com, version 1.0, 15 February 2015).

In my search last Thursday I found:

 Surname    Forename    Nationality    Day    Month    Year    Residence

 Blake    John                  Breton         bef 16    Feb    1525    Cornwall, Bodmin

 Blake    William             Breton                 4    Apr    1524    Devon, Morchard Bishop

Fortunately the arrival of these two individuals from Breton is just 13 and 12 years before the commencement of Parish Registers in England. The records for Bodmin, Cornwall commenced in 1558 and are available at the Church of the Latter Day Saints (as well as the Cornwall Record Office) in their original form as fiche (the Online Parish Clerk (OPC) system is very active in Cornwall (https://cornwall-opc-database.org/home/) and these records are available online). The records for Morchard Bishop, Devon commenced in  1660 so are not quite as handy for looking at this ancient line in Morchard Bishop, Devon.

Initially (once I completed the transcription of the PCC wills for the BLAKE families in Cornwall) I had looked at the BLAKE families in western Cornwall hoping to find a centre that led me back in time.  Shortly thereafter and finding that centering on a particular area was not working, I became aware of the England Immigrants Database. After adding up all of the entries for baptism, marriage and burial in the various parishes, I then moved to the Bodmin area and located the earliest records and then constructed trees for the families through the generations as far down as was possible using the Parish Registers and the Census from 1841 on. I tend to not work much beyond the time period when my grandparents were born (1872 to 1886) and in this case I brought records down to 1881 where I was able to do so in the different family lines that emerged from the records (thus maintaining a goodly period of privacy for living descendants of the BLAKE family in Cornwall).


My Legacy BLAKE families file for Cornwall now stands at 4,848 individuals and 1540 marriages between the earliest records and the 1881 census. Because John BLAKE, a Breton, came to Bodmin as noted in the England's Immigrant Database, I selected Bodmin as my starting point. I also included St Just in Roseland because that was the earliest record in the OPC records.

Appointments one week apart now for physiotherapy. Will be happy to move to two weeks and then one month apart. That gives me time to work on the exercises and increase my number of steps per day. The FitBit is working really well that I started using at the beginning of the month. I was actually doing almost 10,000 steps per day but I am gradually increasing that daily and I am at 13000 yesterday. I was doing 18000 to 22000 steps per day when I last used my FitBit December 2018. I stopped using it because I felt like it was running my life. However, in retrospect I was still in charge but I likely needed a FitBit that did more to make it useful to me having beyond a basic fitbit.

I started doing the Bridge instead of one of the exercises the physiotherapy gave me and he felt that it was a good move. I refined one of the knee exercises at the appointment yesterday and I feel that it is much more beneficial; probably I couldn't have done it quite so readily a couple of weeks ago and the in-between stage got my knee ready for harder stuff. I can walk 2 km without a walker now and the knee just gets a tired soreness as opposed to actually hurting and in pain. I expect that will continue for a while as I rebuilt the muscle system in the knee area and around it.

In the meantime I have added back all of the exercises I was doing in my Calisthenics routine and happy for that; I was missing them. I am not yet running but I am up to 25 minutes at Tension 1 on the bicycle. Perhaps I will move to Tension 2 next appointment. I was only ever at Tension 3 but perhaps this is the way to move forward towards running. Once I am at Tension 3 then I could perhaps run again.

I can see myself continuing with appointments monthly just to enhance my exercise routines with new ideas and to check on the progress of my arthritis which is mild yet but given my parents both having arthritis likely to progress as it did with them although they managed it very well. My mother did Yoga until she passed away at 86 (she had a fall or she might be with us yet although at 104 she might not be doing Yoga - hard to say). My father was 95 but confined to a wheel chair the last couple of years due to a stroke. But before that he walked for miles most days. I did not live near him so not really sure why he had a stroke as his diet was excellent; just the luck of the draw I guess.

I can say that my second time in physiotherapy has been most successful. Just over a month ago I couldn't stand on my leg without total assistance and now I am out and about walking. My first time in physiotherapy was fifteen years ago for a torn shoulder rotator cuff. I did those exercises for five years and I would never know that I did that damage as it completely healed.

With all my generations of English blood running through my veins, I did think it was most interesting that Prince Harry (and of course his wife and child) have elected to come to Canada. Members of the Royal Family are welcome to come to Canada at any time but to actually contemplate spending a period of time here is quite amazing.

I would absolutely support the idea of Prince Harry becoming our Governor General. He has learned the art of Government from the best teachers in the world - his father and his grandmother the Queen herself. Growing up in the shadow of his elder brother can be both an exhilarating and a cautionary experience. From an early age he would have known that his brother was destined to be King one day and he would always be the spare. But that has its advantages; if you are the eldest then that is where you are and you just have to contend with it. But as the younger child (I was fourth in my family) you get to watch, learn and listen to how the world goes from the experiences of those who grow up before you do. It can be a most beneficial place to be looking at the world.

The other big ticket item for Prince Harry being a Governor General is the experience he brings to the task. He has served in the armed services and been in combat. He has led his men and well knows how to manage that type of service (as does our current Governor General). He would want a couple of years here perhaps to become familiar with our style but not absolutely necessary. But I do have a thought for those couple of years.

And the other thought for him; he could go to University. It is the one item that he has not pursued in his career (and it makes coming here for him quite straightforward!). Now that he has a family he will always want to be one step ahead of his child/children and what better way than to immerse himself in learning for a couple of years. Whatever large city he chooses in Canada he would be close to a top notch university (we do not have the history that Oxford and Cambridge have but we do have really great universities) so that he could do his studies and still have plenty of time with his little one (ones).

He strikes me as a person who would always want to be able to help his children through life and I am a firm believer in a University education to broaden your horizons, expand your mind and allow you to explore your intellect.

I think everyone should go and then with that fresh mind and thirst for knowledge pursue your dream whether it be an electrician, engineer, scientist, or carpenter. My grandfather, a blacksmith, loved to read far beyond the level that one would expect given his background and would chat for hours on a subject that interested him. We all need to be like that I rather think.

Last week this blog looked at the BLAKE families in the Bodmin area and in the St Just in Roseland area. These areas were chosen because of the England's Immigrant Database which included a John BLAKE, a Breton, who arrived at Bodmin before 16 Feb 1525. No direct descendants have been established for this John BLAKE as far as I am able to determine. Is it possible to say that the descendants carrying the surname BLAKE in this area just two generations later are his descendants? Probably not with a paper trail as I have thus far discovered but from the viewpoint of the evidence presented it would appear that they are his descendants.


Working with the number of BLAKE entries in the Online Parish Clerks (OPC) database created by volunteers (worldwide the website states -  https://cornwall-opc-database.org/) I extracted into the maps below all BLAKE entries in the Cornwall OPC database for baptism, then marriage, then burial. I have already put the maps for baptism and burial into last weeks blog but will add the marriages as well to this blog. There were 30 marriages for males with the BLAKE surname and 19 marriages for females with the BLAKE surname up to 1600 recorded by the transcribers of the Parish Registers in Cornwall. Some of the registers in Cornwall do not begin in 1538 so some marriages would be missing but the transcribers supplemented this data with other resources and that can be seen on their website. But even with all of that, marriages were likely missed I suspect but this study initially was just an overall look at BLAKE in Cornwall and the availability of records from the 1500s on.



Along the Cornwall-Devon border there are seven marriages in total with five marriages having BLAKE as the groom and two marriages have BLAKE as the bride. At a later time I will attempt to see if these marriages were members of the Devon BLAKE family marrying in Cornwall.

Again the clustering can be seen around Bodmin with four marriages at Bodmin, 19 at St Breock, and another 15 closeby to this particular area (a number of transcribers provided this information and their names can be located on the website). I do not follow the female BLAKE lines (including my own) for the BLAKE study. I record only the marriage itself.

Interestingly, the website Domesday Book Online (http://domesdaybook.co.uk/cornwall.html) does not list the BLAKE family but there were no surnames in England prior to the Norman Conquest in 1066 and the Domesday Book was initiated following the Conquest by William the Conqueror. I note that this is a for profit website and would note that I have no connection to this website other than accessing it with regard to the list of names which it includes. However, it is an interesting website.

I do happen to have Thomas Hinde's Edition of "The Domesday Book: England's Heritage, Then and Now, " 1995, Godalming, Surrey, England: ISBN 1-85833-440-3. The section on Cornwall is seven pages. The Exchequer version of the Domesday Book listed 248 manors and the Exon version listed 288 manors in Cornwall (an interesting item that appears to have been produced for or by The John Rylands Library: R. Welldon Finn, MA, "The immediate sources of the Exchequer Domesday" was quite handy to give me a better understanding of this difference, https://www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk/api/datastream?publicationPid=uk-ac-man-scw:1m1937&datastreamId=POST-PEER-REVIEW-PUBLISHERS-DOCUMENT.PDF). The county was mentioned as being poor and sparsely populated in The Domesday Book as mentioned above (edited by Thomas Hinde). Ten of the manors listed were less than one acre. Bodmin is mentioned and it was noted by the Editor that this was a wealthier area and originally a religious settlement. The Domesday Book mentioned there were 68 houses there amongst other details. The OPC database for Cornwall, notably, lists 2,812 baptisms for Bodmin up to 1600, 3,474 burials for Bodmin up to 1600 and 1,488 marriages. At the time of the 2011 census Bodmin is said to have a population of 14,736 persons. From the Genuki website for Cornwall the population in Bodmin in 1811 was 2,050 persons, in 1821 population was 2,902 persons, in 1831 population was 3,375 persons and in 1841 population was 4,205 persons. We did travel through Bodmin when we were in England and it is a built-up area but I saw so many villages that I can not really mention anything in particular that I noted. We did not stop there unfortunately.


The four marriages at Bodmin for BLAKE from the OPC Cornwall database:

Thomas Skele married Elizabeth BLAKE 18 Oct 1562

Robert BLAKE married Kathren Cocke  28 May 1581

John Chapell married Maude BLAKE 2 Nov 1581


John BLAKE married Margett Maye 18 Nov 1588

None of the seven baptisms at Bodmin up to 1600 coincide with the names of the groom above except one baptism for a Roger BLAKE son of Robart baptized 21 Oct 1582 (as mentioned in last week's blog).


There are eight burials at Bodmin commencing in 1582 and they do not include any of the adult BLAKEs mentioned above with three being mentioned as the children of Thomas BLAKE.

Moving on into the next century at Bodmin, the baptisms commenced in 1626 and the priest has, in a number of cases, recorded the mother's first name. Thomas and Mary[e] BLAKE baptized the first five children noted and then another child in 1638 (they may have baptized one more child in 1643 but the name of the mother was not mentioned). A child, perhaps their child, was buried in 1643. At this point, it seemed reasonable as I worked my way through the records to try and discover where Thomas and Mary[e] could have been married.

A Thomas BLAKE married Mary Burne at Bodmin 25 Oct 1624.Thomas BLAKE (possibly the Thomas BLAKE baptized at Whitstone 12 Oct 1599 son of George BLAKE) and was buried 29 Dec 1676 at Bodmin. Thomas BLAKE and his wife Mary Burne baptized the following children at Bodmin:

Elizabeth BLAKE baptized 11 Jun 1626
Eustes BLAKE baptized 8 Jun 1628 and married Christopher Hawke 15 Apr 1661 (Bodmin)
Thomas BLAKE baptized 7 Feb 1629 and married Elizabeth Bond 29 May 1676 (Bodmin) and they appear to have had three known children. Thomas and Elizabeth were buried at Bodmin 10 Jan 1708 and 26 Oct 1708 respectively
William BLAKE baptized 22 Jun 1631 and buried 27 Nov 1632 (Bodmin)
Mary BLAKE baptized 27 Jan 1632
Nathaniel BLAKE baptized 5 Nov 1638
William BLAKE baptized 19 Mar 1643
Jane BLAKE buried 22 Oct 1643 (Bodmin)

The children of Thomas BLAKE and Elizabeth Bond were baptized at Bodmin:

Eustis BLAKE baptized 28 Oct 1677 and buried 8 Oct 1678 (Bodmin)
William BLAKE baptized 18 Feb 1679
Ezekiell BLAKE baptized 10 Nov 1685

I did not find marriages for Eustis or Ezekiell but did find a possibility for William.There was a marriage William BLAKE and Katharine Bennet 8 Jun 1700 (Bodmin) and three children baptized at Bodmin Nicholas 22 Apr 1701, Benjamyn 15 May 1704 and William 25 Feb 1707 but only the father was named.

The BLAKE family has been at Bodmin pretty much continuously through the centuries and Free BMD lists 212 births between 1838 and 1967, 136 marriages between 1837 and 1986 and 191 deaths between 1838 and 1983.

Curiosity led me to continue looking at the early records in the area around Bodmin. The next largest count on the map for marriages was St Breock. St Breock is about 11 kilometres from Bodmin as the crow flies and 15.3 km by road. The parish church at St Breoch was dedicated to St Briocus in 1259. Baptisms exist from 1563 on, Burials from 1561 on and Marriages (Boyd's Marriage Index) from 1561 on. The earliest records at St Breoch for Baptisms commence in 1700 and there was only 1, Burials commence in 1561 and there are 39 up to 1600, Marriages commenced in 1571 and there were ten where the groom was a Blake and eight where the bride was a Blake, Interesting that there were no baptisms at St Breock.

I did build family trees for these marriages where I could find all of the information.


Christopher BLAKE married Johan Cowche 21 Jun 1579 at St Breock.
Elizabeth BLAKE, daughter of Christopher living at Penhall, was buried 18 Apr 1581 (St Breock) (the transcriber Karen Duvall reports this as an other transcript, source unknown).
John BLAKE, son of Christopher, was buried in 1587 (St Breock) (a similar notation for this transcription as well).
John BLAKE, son of Christopher, was buried 1 Sep 1588 (St Breock) (again a similar notation for this transcription). No baptisms at St Breock, no further children for this couple mentioned at St Breock.
The wife of Christopher, Johan, was buried 18 Sep 1588 (St Breock) (similar notation for transcription).
A Christopher BLAKE was buried 8 May 1598, residence Tregonow (St Breock) (similar notation for transcription).

But again the BLAKE family at St Breock has 62 baptisms between 1700 and 1880,  137 marriages between 1574 and 1904 and 120 burials between 1561 and 1935.

I could see at this point in time that I really needed to examine the Manor Books for these areas in Cornwall to see what I could learn there about the BLAKE family. I did not like to jump to the conclusion that all of these BLAKE records belonged to individuals descendant of the one immigrant from Breton, John BLAKE arriving in Bodmin before 16 Feb 1525.

It is most interesting that the BLAKE records do appear most abundant in this area of Cornwall with a centre being locally in the area which includes Bodmin and St Breock. The Domesday Book does not have a BLAKE entry in Cornwall but that doesn't necessarily prove that all the BLAKE lines in the Bodmin/St Breock area descend from John BLAKE arriving in Bodmin before 16 Feb 1525.

The next blog will look at the BLAKE families that appear before 1600 along the border between Devon and Cornwall. I started first looking at these families but could not find a centre to this data which would help me to look at the BLAKE family overall in Cornwall particularly the large clusters in the Bodmin/St Breock area. I will investigate the possibility that these BLAKE families had migrated over the Devon border into Cornwall.