Will of Nicholas Blake, Merchant of Plymouth

Proved 9 April 1646

© Crown Copyright

PROB 11/195/466, Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury

Transcribed by Elizabeth Kipp

1 In the Name of God Amen The. 
2 Twentieth day of September in the third yeare of the raigne of our Soveraigne
3 Lord Charles by the grace of god Kinge of England Scotland France and Ireland
4 defender of the faith etc Anno D[o]m[ini] One thousand six hundred twentie seven I Nicholas
5 Blake of Plymouth in the County of Devon Merchant beinge in perfect health and memory
6 praise and laude be given to Almighty god for the same doe make and ordeyne this my last
7 will and testament in writinge in manner and forme followinge First and principally I committ
8 and comend my soule into the handes of Almighty god my maker and to his onely begotten
9 sonne Jesus Christ my saviour and redeemer hopinge and assuredly trustinge by his
10 merritts death and passion onely to have pardon and for remission ofe all my sinnes And my
11 body I committ to the earth from whence it came to be buried in Christian buriall at the
12 discretion ofe my Executors hereafter named. And as touchinge my worldly goods and
13 estate which god of his infinite goodnes hath bestowed on me I give and bequeath as
14 followeth, First I give and bequeath unto Jane Blake my now wife the dwellinge house
15 wherein I now dwell lyinge within the Borough of Plymouth in Streete there called
16 Whymple Street with all the household goods in the same as now standeth duringe hir
17 naturall life Alsoe I give and bequeath unto the said Jane my wife the rent of Catdowne
18 duringe hir naturall life with the invertion of the same ife it fall by hir life tyme to lett and
19 sett at hir best profit and beheese at a rent or tyme for ther lives or one and Twenty yeares
20 in possession soe as the rent be preserved as it is now sett for unto my heire hereafter
21 nominated in this my will Alsoe I give and bequeath unto Jane my wife all the said profit
22 and benefitt ofe my third parte that may be made of my liveinge at higher Toire
23 duringe hir naturall life either for the Rent reserved ife it be leased or in hand to count
24 their lives or one and Twenty yeares reservinge the old rent unto my said heire and
25 in possession Alsoe I give and bequeath unto the said Jane my wife the profitt and
26 benefitt of all those fyve houses or Tenements at Britton side within the B_____h
27 abovesaid mentioned the Landes of Percy too and duringe his naturall life, Alsoe I give
28 and bequeath unto the said Jane my wife the rent ofe one close of Land at the Stone House Poole Pike
29 neare Stone house Mill poole now in the Tenure of John Nicholson with power
30 to sett and lett the same reservinge the yearely Rent that now itt yeildeth if itt
31 happen to fall duringe hir life for one two or three lyves or for one and twenty
32 yeares and that in possession. Item I give unto Judeth Blake my eldest daughter
33 the summe of Tenn poundes sterlinge. Item I give and bequeath unto Robert Blake
34 my third sonne the summe of fifty poundes sterlinge to be paid by my Executor hereafter
35 named within two yeares after my death by Twenty five poundes per Annum.
36 I give and bequeath unto Nicholas Blake my fourth sonne the summe of Tenn
37 poundes sterlinge to be paid by my Executor within one yeare after my decease
38 Item
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39 Item I give and bequeath unto William Blake my fifth sonne begotten on the body
40 of the said Jane my now wife my foresaid dwellinge house lyinge in Plymouth
41 aforesaid in the said Streete called Whymple Streete, And alsoe the aforesaid
42 Tenement called Catdowne withall and singular the Appurten[an]ces thereunto
43 belonginge now in the possession of Phillip Andrew the elder of Plymouth
44 abovesaid Merchant his Assignee or Assignees together with a house or tenement
45 there allso beinge now in the possession of one Robert Rancke Shipwrighte which
46 he holdeth in lease from me. And alsoe the thirde parte of all that the foresaid
47 Tenement called higher Toire with all and singular the Appurten[an]ces. And likewise
48 all the aforesaid houses or Tenement at Britton side aforesaid sometimes the lands
49 of the aforesaid Priory with all and singuler the Appurten[an]ces thereunto
50 belonginge. And alsoe all that the aforesaid close of land called Stonehouse
51 poole parke lyeinge neare Stonehouse Mill poole. To have and to hold all and
52 singular the above said bequeathed premisses with there and every of theire
53 Appurten[an]ces unto the aforesaid William Blake and to his heires and Assignes
54 forever to hies and these onely proper use and beheese for evermore Reservinge the
55 abovesaid perticuler estates bequeathed to my said wife in manner as aforesaid
56 And I doe here by make and ordeyne the abovesaid William Blake my full and
57 whole Executor of this my last will and Testament. And I doe nominate and
58 appointe my truley and wel[l ]beloved freindes Thomas Flinch and Stephen Conntie
59 to be my Overseers in the execu[t]ion of the same And for theire paines in that
60 behalfe I give to each of them Tenn shillinges In witnes whereof I have hereunto
61 sett my hand and seale the day and yere first above written Nicholas Blake, Signed
62 Sealed and published in the presence of us James Pruvis Richard Clapper
63 Richard Sisdon

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