Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Will of Thomas Blake of West Lavington - SWRO P1/1 Reg/28A, probated 26 Feb 1573/74

An interesting will that perhaps a lot of people will find interesting as he must be a merchant of some kind and has provided a list of those who owe money to him and living perhaps primarily in West Lavington. This Thomas Blake is brother to John Blake who left his will at Earlestoke (2.6 miles WNW of West Lavington) which was probated 26 Apr 1574:

http://kippeeb.blogspot.ca/2012/10/will-of-john-blake-of-erlestoke-yeoman.html

Needless to say I was most excited to find this will which links together the Earlestoke and the West Lavington Blake families. Both wills mention their mother Jone/Johane Blake (widow), both mention their sister Agnes and their brothers Robert and John. No distinction is made between the two John Blakes in this family. He has a godson Thomas Dikes. Too bad he doesn't mention the names of his brothers' children.

There was a Robert Blake vicar of Winterborne Monkton from 1561 to 1583 from a plaque in the church: http://www.oodwooc.co.uk/ph_wm_v.htm .

I cannot find him in the Oxford or Cambridge Alumni Rolls nor is he in the Church of England Clergy database. Interesting that he is remembering him and Winterborne Monkton is 14 miles NNE of West Lavington. Perhaps more interestingly Winterborne Monkton is only 7 miles east of Calne Wiltshire. Do these families fit into the Blake family at Calne? Looking at the Pedigree Chart of the Blake family in this time frame we have Roger Blake married to Mary Baynard and Roger died in 1556 at the age of 57 years so born around 1500. His children and grandchildren are contemporary to this time period. He is known to have had a son Thomas who lived at Pynnells married to Edith Ivy, a son John who lived at Hilcot Wiltshire (no further information on his family although he did marry and Hilcot is nine miles north of Winterborne Monkton), a son Robert who lived at Calne but did marry Alice Smyth of Lacock (they had four children Roger, Anthony, Joane and Mary). There is another son claimed for this Roger Blake and Mary Baynard - William Blake married to Avis Ripley and they had several sons namely Peter Blake (Inner Temple did not marry), John married to Margaret Blake and this is not one of the Johns we are looking at), and William. More digging needs to be done in the records of this area particularly the manor records to see the Blake lines that are not on the Pedigree Chart or if not then discovering where these Blake families have their ancient ancestry. Manor Books are a tool I have not utilized a lot yet but do plan on getting into them after I complete my task with wills.

List of names owing money/goods to Thomas Blake from his will below

Thomas      Bacone       
John          Bayly       
John          Benet    of      Iscote (Eastcott perhaps)
Richard      Bonham       
Bengie          Brodbancke       
Phillip          Burse       
John          Chesmane       
William      Clerke      alias      Rogerson
Father          Comlin      of      Cheverell
Phillip          Comlin       
William      Cotterell       
Richard      Davis       
John          Eldrege       
Edmond      Everet       
Nicolas      Eves       
John          Filkines       
Margerye      Hake       
John          Heale       
Meram          Heskins       
Christofer      Heyns       
Henry          Hill       
Nicolas      Hookes       
Robert          Hoper       
John          Horner       
Richard      Horner       
John          Hudde       
John          Hudes    the      elder
Sir     John      Hule   
Robart          Killet       
John          Mathew      of      Iscote (Eastcott perhaps)
John          More       
Robart          Pears       
John          Pile       
William      Potter       
John          Pratte       
John          Renes       
John          Smith       
John          Specke       
Thomas      Stille       
Thomas      Uinderwod       

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 23 Oct 2012
Source:  Swindon and Wiltshire Record Office P1/1Reg/28A
Name of testator: Thomas Blake
Place: West Lavington, Wiltshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated:  probated 26 Feb 1574 
Read: Electronic file images
Condition: 16th century, middle English, legible  bold lettering
[top] Test[a]m[ent] Thome Blake de Lavington
[Margin] 28A

1    In the name of god Amen I Thomas Blake of Weste Lavington in the countie
2    of Wiltis beinge sike of bodye but of good and p[er]facte remembrance
3    thanks be geven to god do make and ordaine this my last will and
4    testament in manner and forme folowinge First and principallye
5    I geave and bequeath my soule to allmightie god my creature and
6    to Jesus Christ my savioure by whose deathe and passione I truste
7    to be savide and my bodye to be buried in the church yarde of weste
8    Lavingtone aforsayd Item I geave unto the church of west lavinton
9    aforesayd xij d Item I geave unto the poremens boxe ij s Item I
10    geave unto every one of my brother Robarte Blake his childrene
11    iij s iiij d Item I geave unto every one of my brother John his children
12    iij s iiij d Item I geave unto my mother Jone Blake a sake of malte
13    Item I geave unto Willia[m] dikes a sake of mault and al my weringe
14    aparell Item I geav unto my godsone Thomas Dikes iij s iiij d
15    Item I geav unto Sir Robart Blake vicare of winterborne monncton
16    the vi l xiij s iiij d w[hi]ch he doth owe unto me Item I geave all the
17    rest of my goodes moveable and unmoveable to my brother John
18    Blake of earle stocke and my sister agnis blake to be equally devided
19    betwixt them w[i]th all my dettes w[hi]ch shall remayne my owne dettes
20    and legacies discharged whom I do make and ordaine to be mine
21    executors of this my last will and testament I do make oversears
22    Mr. Chever and robart Flaver and I geav to eyther of them for
23    ther paynes iij s iiij d Debts owinge unto me Imprimis John Mathew
24    of Iscote oweth me xiiij s Item John benet of Iscote aforsaid owith
25    me one quarter of maulte Item John Pratte owith me ij s j d
26    Item margerye hake owith me iiij s xi d Item John Heale owithe
27    me xiiij d Item John Hudden owith me iiij s Item John Bayly
28    owith me xiij d Item Willia[m] potter owith me xj s iij d Item Robart
29    Killet a bushell of rye Item Meram Heskins iij d x d Item nicolas
30    hookes ij s iij d Item John smith halfe a bushell of wheat Item John
31    pile vj d Item willia[m] clerke otherwise canled Rogerson iij s vj d
32    Item John Hudde v s ij d Item Sir John Hule ij s Item thomas
33    bacone iiij s Item John hudes th[e ]elder xxj Item richard horner iiij d
34    Item willia[m] cotterell ij s Item henry hill vi s iiij d Item nicolas
35    eves ij s vj d Item John horner xxiij d Item John eldrege viij d
36    Item Robert hoper xij d Item John more iij s Item christofer
37    heyns xxiij d Item John Renes ij s ij d Item John specke ix s vi d
38    Item Robart pears vj s and a bushell of malte Item John chesmane ij s vi d
39    Item Thomas stille ij s iij d Item John filkines iiij s iiij d Item Richard
40    davis owith me vij d Item Thomas Underwod owith me iij s j d Item Richard
41    Bonham owith me vi d Item father comlin of cheverell vi d Item Phillip
42    comlin vj d Item bengie brodbancke ij s ij d Item Phillip burse xix s
43    Item Edmond everet x d Item Robart Blake viij s vij d
44    written in the p[re]sents of Richar dotshon vicar of lavinton John
45    saynsburye John Blacke and others

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