Winslow History | Wills of John Blake, baker, 1804 (proved 1815) and Sarah Blake, widow, 1807

Will of John Blake, baker, 1804 (proved 1815)

John Blake's will was proved at St Albans on 3 May 1804 (effects under £600). It must have been found that he held property in another diocese, as the will was proved again at the PCC in 1815. Thanks to Jenny Hacker for the information and some transcriptions.

Herts RO, 240AW2

Office Copy Will of Mr John Blake
     Dated 2nd February 1804
     Proved 3rd May 1804
     6th January 1815
The original Will (for which this is a true copy) sent to Messrs Adderly and Box of Doctors Commons with instructions to make the proper deposit thereof agreeable to the within Monitions [signed] J.L. Story

Extracted from the Registry of the Ecclesiastical Court of the Archdeaconry of Saint Alban:

In the Name of God Amen I John Blake of Winslow in the County of Bucks Baker being of sound mind and Understanding (praised be God for the same) Do make and publish this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following First I give and bequeath unto my two Daughters Susanna Blake and Martha Blake the Sum of One hundred and Twenty pounds each and to my Son John Blake the Sum of Eighty Pounds of lawful money of Great Britain to be paid to them respectively by my Executrix herein after named when they shall attain the Age of Twenty one years Also I do nominate constitute and appoint George Jones of Winslow in the said County Bucks Lace buyer sole Trustee of this my last Will and Testament Also I give and bequeath unto my beloved Wife all that Messuage or Tenement situate standing and being in Great Horn Street in the Parish of Winslow in the said County of Bucks (now in my own occupation) with all and every the rights & Members and Appurtenances thereunto belonging to hold to my said Wife Sarah Blake for and during the term of her natural life and from and immediately after her decease then I do hereby give and devise the same Premises to the said George Jones his executors Administrators or assigns (In Trust) that he do with all convenient speed sell and dispose of the same for the best price that can or may be had or gotten for the same either by Public Auction or private Contract and the Money arising by sale of such Premises as aforesaid to be equally divided between such of my said Children as shall be living at the time of her decease And Lastly I do hereby nominate constitute and appoint my said Wife full and sole Executrix of this my last Will and Testament hereby revoking and making void all former and other Wills by me at any time heretofore made and do declare this to be my last Will and Testament only In Witness whereof I the said John Blake the Testator have to this my last Will and Testament set my hand and seal this second day of February One Thousand Eight Hundred and four the mark of John Blake Signed sealed Published and Declared by the said John Blake the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the Presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our names as Witnesses thereto at the request and in the Presence of the said Testator and also in the Presence of each other Matt. Mead Robt. Ivatts Tho. Rawbone
Sworn under £600.0.0 Proved in the Ecclesiastical Court of the Archdeaconry of Saint Alban the third day of May 1804 by the Oath of Sarah Blake the sole Executrix J.L. Story [signed] Register

Letter to J. L. Story Esq. Librarian St. Albans
St. Albans
11th. Jan'ry 1805
I have sent the Will of John Blake to my Proctors Messrs Adderly and Box of Doctor Commons with instructions to deliver the same agreeable to the Monitions. You will have the goodness to settle my charges with them.

National Archives PROB 11/1564/128

1. In the Name of God Amen
2. I John Blake of Winslow in the County of Bucks Baker being
3. of sound Mind Memory and Understanding Praised be God for the
4. same do make and publish this my last Will and Testament in
5. manner and form following: first I give and bequeath unto my
6. two daughters Susanna Blake and Martha Blake the Sum of one
7. hundred and twenty Pounds each and to my Son John Blake the Sum
8. of Eighty pounds of lawful Money of Great Britain to be paid to them
9. respectively by my Executrix hereinafter named when they shall attain
10. the Age of Twenty one years Also I so nominate constitute and appoint
11. George Jones of Winslow in the said County Bucks Lace Buyer sole
12. Trustee of this my last Will and Testament Also I give and bequeath unto
13. my beloved Wife All that Messuages or Tenement situate standing and
14. being in Great Horn Street in the Parish of Winslow in the said County
15. of Bucks now in my own Occupation with all and every the Rights
16. Members and Appurtenances thereunto belonging to hold to my said
17. Wife Sarah Blake for and during the term of her natural life and from
18. and immediately after her decease then I do hereby give and devise of the same
19. Premises to the said George Jones his Executors Admors or Assigns In Trust
20. that he do with all convenient speed sell and dispose of the same for the
21. best Price that can or may be had or gotten for the same either by Public Auction
22. or Private Contract and the Money arising by Sale of such Premises as
23. aforesaid to be equally divided between such of my said children as shall be
24. living at the time of her decease And Lastly I do hereby nominate constitute
25. and appoint my said my said Wife full and sole Executrix of this my
26. last Will and Testament herby revoking and making void all former
27. and other Wills by me at any time heretofore made and do so declare this
28. to be my last Will and Testament only In Witness whereof the said John
29. Blake Testator have to this my last Will and Testament set my hand and
30. Seal this second day of February One thousand eight hundred and four
31. The Mark of X John Blake LS Signed sealed published and declared
Page 2
1. by the said John Blake the Testator as and for his last Will and
2. Testament in the presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our
3. Names as Witnesses thereto at the request and in the presence of the
4. said Testator and also in the presence of each other Mattw Mead
5. Robt Ivatt – Tho Rawbone

6. On the 11th January 1815 Admon (with the Will annexed) of the
7. Goods of John Blake late of Winslow in the County of Buckingham
8. Deceased was granted to Susanna Blake Spinster the natural and lawful
9. Daughter and one of the next of kin of the said deceased having been
10. first sworn (by Com(missi)on) only to administer Sarah Blake Widow the
11. Relict and Sole Executrix died without having taken upon her the Probate
12. and Execution of the said Will and no Residuary Legatee being named
13. in the said Will.

Will of Sarah Blake, widow, 1807

National Archives PROB 11/1458/282

1. In the Name of God Amen
2. I Sarah Blake of Winslow in the County of Bucks
3. Both being of sound Mind Memory and understanding
4. praise be God for the same do make and publish
5. this my last Will and Testament in manner and
6. form following first I give and bequeath unto my
7. Son John Blake the Sum of Seventy pounds of
Page 2
1. good and lawful Money of Great Britain to be
2. paid him by my Trustee hereinafter named
3. when he shall attain the Age of Twenty one
4. years Also I give unto my said Son John Blake
5. our Bed and Bolster, two pillows, two blankets
6. one pair of sheets our Bed quilt our Bedstead
7. and Curtains our Silver table Spoon and Six Silver tea
8. Spoons his Father's Clothes Box and watch one
9. pair of Silver Buckles One pair of Silver Shirt
10. Buttons one Gold Ring and the Bureau[?] standing
11. up Stairs Also I give and bequeath unto my two
12. daughters Susanna Blake and Martha Blake
13. all the Residue and Remainder of my personal
14. Estate or Estates of what Nature or Kind soever
15. they may be at the time of my decease after my
16. just debts and Funeral Expenses are paid
17. and discharged Share and Share alike as near as
18. can be to be paid therein by my trustee hereinafter
19. named when they shall attain the age of twenty
20. one years And Lastly I do hereby nominate constitute
21. and appoint William Richardson of Thornborough
being in the Parish of Thornborough [inserted in original]
22. in the said County of Bucks Miller and George
23. Jones of Winslow in the said County of Bucks a
24. Yeoman joint Trustees to this my last Will and
and ?? [inserted in original]
25. Testament hereby revoking ^ all former and other
26. Wills by me at any Time heretofore made and do
27. declare this to be my last Will and Testament
28. only In Witness whereof I the said Sarah Blake
29. the Testator have to this my last Will and Testament
30. set my Hand and Seal this twenty ninth day of
31. January One thousand eight hundred and seven
32. Sarah Blake LS - Signed sealed published and
33. declared by the within named Testator to be her
34. last Will and Testament in the presence of us who
35. have hereunto subscribed our Names in the
36. presence of the Testator and in the presence of
37. each other – Robert Corbett – Tho: Rawbones
38. This Will was proved at London the
39. thirtieth day of April in the year of our Lord
40. One thousand eight hundred and seven before the
41. Right Honourable Sir William Wynne Knight doctor
42. of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the
43. prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted
44. by William Richardson and George Jones the Executors
45. according to the Tenor of the said Will to whom
46. administration was granted of all and singular
47. the Goods Chattels and Credits of the said deceased
48. the said William Richardson having first made
49. a solemn and sincere declaration or affirmation
50. according to act of Parliament and the said
51. George Jones having been first sworn (by Commission)
Page 3
1. duly to administer

Notes

For more on John Blake see the Blake Family page (he is John 5). The messuage mentioned in the will was 8-10 Horn Street.