Thursday, February 6, 2014

Will of Thomas Blake, Penton Mewsey, Hampshire - Family Search 186889-I-604-7-1597 or Hampshire Record Office 1597A-011, probated 10 May 1597

The present testator is Thomas Blake of Penton Mewsey. I obtained this will through the photoduplication program of Family Search and the demographics for the search are: Film# 186889, catalogue designation I-604, year of event 10 May 1597 (proven), and number on film is 7. I received all of this information from Charlou Dolan and in total she listed just over 100 films in her text copies that she sent to me.

Charlou has named this Thomas as a son of Robert Blake (brother to Nicholas Blake and son of Jone Blake who left her will in 1527). Thomas's father would then have died in 1542 (will probated) which would make Thomas at least 55 years of age. Thomas doesn’t name any grandchildren which troubles me with regard to his being 55 years of age and just one of his three daughters married. Plus he would appear to have been still working the farm with his son John and likely he was born before 1542. I am still working on the will of Robert in 1542 and it is in Latin! Robert does say that John and Thomas are his younger sons and the land at Penton was to go to John and Thomas equally after their mother died. Richard, however, is his youngest son. Charlou has placed Thomas as the third son but the will does place him after William (Robert's will). Who else could he be is perhaps the next thought and do I have a will for Agnes their mother. I am suspicious that Agnes is a second wife and these children (Thomas, John the younger and Richard) may be a younger family.

I do have a will for John Blake at Penton Mewsey in 1611 and another for John Blake at Penton Mewsey in 1619 so that Thomas could certainly have been quite elderly and his daughters simply did not marry. I did not find that in the 1500s grandchildren were always mentioned in a will. So I am tending to agree with Charlou that this is probably Thomas son of Robert Blake. But it would be nice to find more proof. 

This will is interesting and Thomas names his daughters Elizabeth Crowch, Agnes Blake and Alice Blake and his son John Blake. He does not name his wife. The inventory is a good view of the possessions of a farmer in this time period.

Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 6 Feb 2014
Source: Family Search, 186889-I-604-7-1597 or Hampshire Record Office, 1597A-011
Testator: Thomas Blake,
Place: Penton Mewsey, Hampshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 22 Apr 1597, probated 10 May 1597
Condition: 16th century English, legible copy


1    In the name of god Amen The xxij th day of April in the xxxix th yeare of  the raigne of o[u[ most gracious and sov[er]aigne
2    Lady Queene Elizabeth I Thomas Blake of Penton
3    mewsy in the County of South[ampton] and diocese of Wintonj be
4    ing sicke in body but of good memory do make and ordeyne
5    this my last will and Testament all other heretofore made
6    disannulled first I commend my self to gods mercy therow
7    Christ Jesus and my body to Christian burial It[e]m I give and
8    bequeath to Elizabeth Crowch my daughter forty shillings
9    It[e]m to Agnes my daughter forty shillings It[em] to Alice
10    my daughter forty shillings It[e]m to my p[ar]ish church xij d
11    It[e]m to the pore of my p[ar]ish xij d All the rest of my goods
12    moveables and unmoveable cattle and chattels whatsoever
13    I give and bequeath unto John Blake my sonne whome
14    I make sole executor of this my last will and Testament
15    witnesses to this will: John Dobson se[nio]r John Lancaster
16    and John Blake the elder
17    John Blake
18    Probatum fuit testam[entu]m pres[ens]
19    in cor[am] suma per m___
20    Nichaeles Reniges Archin[atus]
21    winton decimo die maij
22    1597 com[m]issaq[u]e fuit admin[istrati]o
23    omnium bonor[um] etc Johann[is]
24    Blake filio et executori
25    soli nominat etc de bene etc
26    iurat p comisse salvo
27    iure ci___scing
    [Page 2]
28    A true Inventarie of all the goodes and chattels
29    of Thomas Blake of Penyton Mewsy in the
30    County of South[ampton] deceased the sixe and
31    twenty day of April in the yeare of o[u]r lord
32    Christ 1597 taken and equally prised by the
33    parties hereunder named of the said Penton
34    the first day of May then next ensewing
35    Imprimis his apparell    xxii s       
36    It[e]m his bedding with thappurtenances and painted clothes about his bed chamber    xl s       
37    It[e]m in his bedchamber ij coffers j old cubbard and j powdring tubb    vij s iiij d       
38    It[e]m in his hall j plank table j old cubbard j forme and ij chayres w[i]th a shelf    xiij s iiij d       
39    It[e]m in his kitchen ij little old brasse pottes    iij s iiij d       
40    It[e]m his pewter vessel is worth    vi s viij d       
41    It[e]m his pan brasse kettle brasse and j small skillit of brasse    xx s       
43    It[e]m his treene dishes and trenchers    iij d       
44    It[e]m his treene vessel of tubbes buckets barrels w[i]th such like    viij s vj d       
45    It[e]m j leather bottles    ij s       
46    It[e]m in the loft ov[er] his bed chamber old yron j up standard and about a bushel of peacevijs   
47    It[e]m in the upper househay and I cowe racke    x s ij d       
48    It[e]m in wod and tymber    xx s       
49    It[e]m ij kyne and 1 bullocke    v l vj s viij d       
50    It[e]m his plowe and cart    xxx s   
51    It[e]m in woll    xx s   
52    It[e]m corne upon the ground    viij l   
53    It[e]m j score of sheepe    vij l vj s   
54    It[e]m iiij bushels of wheat wynowed    xxvj s viij d   
55    It[e]m iij bushels of barly wynowed    xij s   
56    It[e]m wheat unthreshed worth    xxvj s viij d   
57    It[e]m vatches unthreshed    xiiij s iiij d   
58    It[e]m two old sackes    xvj d   
59    It[e]m painted clothes in the hall    xij d   
60    It[e]m sheepe in tamages keeping worth    iij l xv s   
61    It[e]m Nicholas noyce oweth him about    xiij s iiij d   
62    Summe total    xxxix l xiij s v d   
63    prised John Lancaster and John Blake the elder       
64    John Blake       

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