Although I have read through these particular fiche a number of times (1714 to 1746), I have never extracted the Blake entries. I believe that the Joseph Blake baptizing children at Andover is a brother to my Thomas but I am not entirely sure of that. The Manor Book for Andover may help me out with that so I will have to investigate acquiring that film if available from the LDS. I do have about 100 images for Upper Clatford Manor Book which will help me with the Blake families that had land there from the 1500s on and indeed they are Nicholas' children/grandchildren who are there. Joseph Blake (my 4x great grandfather) moved to Upper Clatford from Andover where he married Joanna King (daughter of Thomas King and Mary Carter). Mary Carter was from Andover.
Thomas King in his will mentions only his son in law and grandchildren although his daughter Joanna is still alive and after Joseph's death in 1767 married Thomas Collins in 1781:
In the Name of God Amen. I Tho[ma]s King of
Upp[er] Clatford in the county of Southampton, Farmer being sick and weak in
Body but of sound and perfect mind and memory do this twenty ninth day of September
in the year of our Lord one thousand seven Hundred and sixty two make and
ordain this my Last Will and Testament in manner following. First I
commend my soul into the Hands of Almighty God hoping for a glorious
Resurrection thro’ the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ And my Body I commit to the
ground to be decently buried according to the direction of my Executor hereafter
named. And as for my temporal Estate I give and Bequeath in manner following
Item I give and Bequath to Mary Blake – daughter of John Blake of Abbotts
Ann malster one guinea Item to Tho[ma]s Blake son of Joseph Blake of
Upp[er] Clatford Six and thirty shillings Item to Ann Blake Daughter of the
said Joseph Blake Six and Thirty Shillings to be paid by my Executor
herein after named within one month after my decease All the rest of my
estate with Reall and personal goods Chattels stock and household there of what
nature or kind soever or thereever I give to my son in Law Joseph Blake
and I do nominate and appoint the said Joseph Blake sole Executor of this
my Last Will and Testament. And so revoke all former Wills by me heretofore
made and declare this to be my Last Will and Testament in Witness thereof
the said Thomas King have hereunto set my hand and seal the day
and year first above Written.
The will was probated 15 March 1763 and Thomas had been buried 10 Oct 1762 at Upper Clatford. The gravestones in the King family plot at Upper Clatford did not yield further information on Thomas. Joanna was not buried in the King family plot. Visiting All Saints Church at Upper Clatford was an incredible experience. My grandfather, the last couple years of his life, talked about Upper Clatford and his family there. I felt as if I knew the village when we went there even to the winding road with the back track that took you to the Church. The Churchyard looked as he mentioned it including the lynchpin gate at the entrance to the graveyard. Probably the only new addition since he lived there was a set of heavy glass doors that protected the original wooden doors into the Church and formed somewhat of a small vestibule into the Church. The church did not have a porch but went directly into the nave and still on the left hand side were the desks and chairs reminiscent of the schoolhouse where my grandfather and his siblings went to school. The Church had been built in three sections at least with the oldest section dating back to the early 1100s.
Surprisingly, Joseph Blake (and his above mentioned son Thomas) died in 1767 just five months before my 3x great grandfather Thomas was born. He did not leave a will thus far in my searching. Why did Joseph go from Andover to Upper Clatford. Gradually I am unraveling that mystery. It is possible that Joseph's mother was Ann Carter and possibly related to Mary Carter his wife's mother. They were both from Andover. There is a burial at Penton Mewsey of an Ann Blake and then two days later of an infant Thomas Blake in 1734. When the priest records the baptism of Thomas Blake at Andover in 1734 he has left the mother's name off (she died in childbirth (or at least the same day). Joseph's father Thomas remained at Andover but I do not know what his occupation was there. I am not sure when he died as there are several burials that could be his at Andover. William (older brother to my Thomas 3x great grandfather) returned to Andover to live as a young man and was there at least by 1792 as he is mentioned in John Blake (malster Abbots Ann)'s will. By then William would have been 28 years old. I am not sure if he married but there is a will of a William Blake at Andover probated in 1832. He does not mention siblings only his wife. Hence I need to return to Andover Parish Registers and continue transcribing them after I do Penton Mewsey.
I have started a Reading List Blog and will be writing Book Reports of all the books that I read from 1 January 2011 onwards. Unfortunately I did not have this thought many years ago when I first started to read at the age of three years but better late than never.
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