Arthur Blake, the testator, is part of the Humphrey Blake family at Overstowey. He identifies his brother as Humphrey and his Uncle as Edward Blake. His mother in law is Martha Tomms. His wife is Joane and two daughters Mary and Elizabeth. Neither daughter is 21 years of age.
Just to place him into the tree for this family, Arthur is the son of Humphrey Blake and Elizabeth Giles and the grandson of Humphrey Blake and Agnus/Ann James. That takes him back to his great grandfather John Blake the elder married to Johan who was a son of Humphrey Blake and Agnis and they are the beginning of this line (thus far) with Humphrey buried at Over Stowey 28 Dec 1558.
Arthur is likely the third son with John the eldest, Humphrey next and then Arthur. His younger brothers appear to be much younger with Richard baptized 6 Dec 1629 at Over Stowey (nearly ten years after Arthur’s approximate date of birth in Nov 1619) and John (I have not yet located a baptism date for him). Arthur’s wife is Jane or Johane Tomms as noted in the will and her mother was Martha Tomms.
The will verifies the family links as he also identifies his uncle as Edward and going back to the siblings of his father Humphrey Blake (born circa 1580 and married to Elizabeth Giles) they were:
John baptized 25 Apr 1583 at Over Stowey
Mary
Richard baptized 17 Sep 1585 (married to Alice Martyn)
Jone baptized 23 Sep 1587
Edmund
Robert baptized 8 Jun 1589
Arthur baptized 22 Jun 1592; buried 25 Jun 1592
The parents of these children were Humphrey Blake married to Agnus/Ann James 23 Oct 1578 at Over Stowey.
Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 25 Sep 2013
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/231/323
Testator: Arthur Blake, Gentleman
Place: Wiveliscombe, Somerset, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 3 Nov 1652, probated 16 Jun 1653
Condition: 17th century English, legible copy
[Margin]: The Will of
[Margin]: Arthur Blake
[Margin]: 13
1 In the name of God Amen
2 the Third day of November in the yeare of our Lord God
3 One Thousande six hundred fifty and two I Arthur
4 Blake of Wivelscombe in the Countye of Somersett Gent
5 being at this Instant tyme of sounde and perfect memory thankes
6 therefore be given to God doe make and ordaine this my last
7 Will and Testament in manner and forme following That is to
8 say First I give and bequeath my Soule to Almighty God my
9 only Maker and Redeemer and my Body to the Earth by a decent
10 and Christian burial with a full Assurance after my departure
11 out of this miserable World of a ioyfull resurrection into the Kingdom
12 of heaven by the death and passion of Jesus Christ my only Saviour
13 and Redeemer First I give and devise unto Tenne of the most
14 impotent old people within the parishe of Wivelscombe which
15 live out of the Almehouse Tenn shillings equally to be divided
16 and againe I give unto the most impotent poore people of Over-
17 Stowey Tenn shillings, Againe I give and devise unto Arthur Blake
18 my Nephew and Godsonne my best Ewe sheepe Againe I give and
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19 devise unto my Two youngest Bretheren as a Toaken of my love
20 five shillings a peece Againe I give and devise unto Mary
21 Blake my youngest daughter all my estate in loste and whole
22 Terme of yeares determinable upon lives which shall be to come
23 and endureing after my decease in a certaine Tenement and Over
24 Land called Fursey Moore late conveyed and sett unto Robert
25 Slone and John Charles to be accountable for the yearely rente
26 thereof after my decease for there terme unto my overseers to ye use of the said Mary my daughter paying yearely out of the p[re]misses to come unto Joane
27 Blake my now Wife the full summe of six pounde Towards her
28 subsistence and lively hood and for so long time as Martha Tomms
29 Widdow Mother of the saide Johan shall live and no longer And if it
30 shall so happen that both my saide daughters to dye and my Wife
31 survive That then by this my Will I doe give and devise the saide Tenem[en]t
32 and Overlande unto the said Joane for all the Terme then therein to
33 come and unexpired as shall appeare by the Originall deeds of purchase
34 Againe I doe give and devise unto Mary my daughter the summe of
35 Twenty poundes And againe I give and devise unto Joane my
36 Wife the summe of Thirty pounds And againe I doe further give and
37 devise unto my saide Wife All that one Mewe or Slagg of Wheate or Corne
38 standing in a Close called the Legre next to the house alloweing out
39 of the same to Martha Tomms Twenty and five bushels towards
40 her house And againe I doe further devise and give unto Joane my
41 Wife one gray Mdare and one great goldes hogge pigg And againe I doe
42 give and devise unto Martha Tomms my Mother in Law Fowre
43 Milch kine six Lambs eight Ewe Sheepe Three calves Two great
44 Hoggs Two Shootes And againe all other my goods chattels not formerly
45 given and bequeathed my debts Legacies and funeral expences payde
46 and performed I give and bequeath unto Elizabeth Blake my daughter
47 who I make and ordaine my whole and sole Executrix of this my last Will
48 and Testament And my expressed Will and meaning further is and
49 hereby doe declare my Intent and purpose That if my Executrix shall
50 happen to dye in the tyme of her Infancye having no fulnes of Capacity
51 by p[er]fection of yeares to dispose of her Estate Than then all such goods
52 Chattells and personal Estate by me formerly devised shall be and
53 remaine unto Joane my Wife Mary my daughter and my Two youngest
54 brothers equally to be divided by my Overseers or the Survivour or
55 Survivours of them and I doe hartily desire my Uncle Edward Blake
56 my Brother Humphrey Blake and John Michell of Wivelescombe to be Overseers
57 of this my last Will and Testament to be aiding and Assisting unto
58 my Executrix touching the probate and due execution thereof unto
59 whome I give a payre of gloves of five shillings a peece And also
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60 desireing theire fathfull Love and Care to my Wife and Tuition of
61 my Children In Witnesse where of I the saide Arthur Blake To this
62 My last Will and Testament in writing have sett my hand and seale
63 the day and yeare above written revoaking and annihilating all former
64 Wills as Frustrate and voide The marke of Arthur Blake Signed
65 sealed confessed and acknowledged to be the last Will and Testament
66 of the within named Arthur Blake in the presence of Robert Wynter
67 the marke of Richard Burdy
68 The sixteenth day of June one Thousand six hundred fifty
69 and Three Administration issued forth to Edward Blake Humphrey
70 Blake and John Michell Overseers and Trustees named in the
71 Will of Arthur Blake late of Wivlescombe in the County of Sommerset
72 Gent dec[ease]d having goods etc to administer the goods Chattells and
73 debts of the said dec[ease]d according to the Tenor and effect of the Will
74 to the use and benefit and during the minority of Elizabeth
75 Blake daughter and Executrix To whome Administration was
76 committed They being sworne by Commission truly to administer
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