Will of Elizabeth Blake, widow, 1711 (proved 1716)

Centre for Bucks Studies D/A/We/55/11

In ye Name of God Amen I Elizabeth Blake of Winslow in ye County of Bucks Widdow being weakly of Body Butt of Sound and perfect Mind & Memory (Praise be therefore Given to Allmighty God) doe make and ordaine this my Last Present Will And Testament in Manner & Forme following That is to Say First & Principally I Com(m)end my Soul into ye Hands of Allmighty God My Creatour hopeing through ye Meritts Death & Passion of my Saviour Jesus Christ to have full & free pardon & forgiveness of all my Sins and to Inheritt Everlasting Life and my body I Com(m)itt to ye Earth to be decently buryed Att ye Discretion of my Executrix in trust hereinafter named And as Touching ye Disposition of Such Worldly Temporall Estate as it Hath pleased Allmighty God to bestow upon me I Give & dispose thereof as followeth Imprimis I will that any Debts and funerall expences shall be all paid and Discharged Item I Give & Bequeath unto my Son Thomas Blake my Wedding ring Item I Give & Bequeath unto my Son in Law Richard Barton ye sum(m)e of one shilling of Lawful money of Greate Brittaine to be paid to him by my Exec(utri)x within one yeare after my Decease Item I Give & Bequeath unto my Grandson John Barton One Bedsted and bedding and Three pair of Sheets Item All ye rest and Residue of my Household Stuff  & Implem(en)ts of Household whatesoever (Except my other \two/ Gold rings nott herein before Given and Disposed of) I Give & bequeath unto my Grandaughter Mary Barton Item I farther Give and bequeath unto ye said Mary Barton ye Least of ye before excepted Gold rings Item I give & bequeath unto my daughter Ann Stone ye other of my Said Excepted Gold rings  Item I doe further Give & bequeath unto ye said Ann Stone her Executors and Assignes all ye residue & Remainder of my Goods Chattells rights Creditts debts and all other my personall Estate whatsoever (nott herein before otherwise given & Disposed of) In Trust to ye use benefitt & Behoof of my Three Grandchildren Richard Barton John Barton & Mary Barton for Theire Maintenance & Education and to & for no other use intent or purpose whatsoever And upon this further Trust and Confidence in ye said Ann Stone reposed That ye Use & Interests onely of ye one hundred pounds Due to me upon Bond from my Son Thomas Blake
[p.2] And No more than ye said Twenty Pounds of ye Principall Money of ye said hundred pounds shall be Imployd and Bestowed by ye said Anne Stone her Executors & Assignes for ye Maintainance and Educacon of my said Three Grandchildren dureing their non age But my Will & True Meaneing and Desire  is That ye Sum(m)e of Eighty Pounds (ye remainer [sic] of ye said Principall) Shall Shall be Kept entire and Distributed Unto & among my Three said Granchildren [sic] in manner and proportion hereafter mentioned That is to Say unto my Grandson John Barton forty pounds part thereof to be paid him by my Executrix when he shall attaine ye age of one and twenty yeares Unto my Grandson Richard Barton ten pounds more thereof to be paid him when he shall attaine ye Age of one & Twenty yeares And unto my Grandaughter Mary Barton Thirty pounds Residue thereof to be paid her when She Shall attaine ye Age of one & Twenty yeares And I doe Give and Devise ye said Hundred Pounds unto my Three Grandchildren to be Imployd bestowed Distributed and paid accordinly [sic] any Thing before in This my Last Will contained to ye Contrary in Any wise nott withstanding Item I doe Constitute & Appoint ye said Ann Stone full & Sole Executrix (In Trust) of This my last Will & Testament And I doe Hereby revoke disannul and make void all former Wills & other Wills by me heretofore Made  In Wittness whereof I ye said Elizabeth Blake have to this my Last Will & Testame(n)t sett my hand & Seale this Seaven and twentyeth day of September  in ye tenth year of ye Reigne of  our Sovereigne Lady Ann  by ye Grace of God Queene of Greate Brittaine France and Ireland Defender of ye Faith &c Annoq Domini 1711 Ye Marke of Eliz \Elizabeth/ Blake Signed  Sealed owned acknowledged published and declared by ye said Eliz \Elizabeth/ Blake ye Testatrix to be her Last Will in ye p(re)sence of Tho(mas) Wainright Deborah Wainright Sarah Wainright

[Latin] The will of Elizabeth Blake late of Whitchurch in the archdeaconry of Buckingham widow was proved, approved and enrolled on 7 April 1716 before Isaac Ladington clerk MA surrogate of the Venerable Thomas Wood LLD commissary and official in and through the whole archdeaconry of Bucks legitimately appointed etc. by the powers and force of the same duly and legitimately pronounced and declared, and the burden of execution of the said will etc. was committed to Ann Stone natural and legitimate daughter of the deceased, named executrix in the will, having previously been sworn in due form of law, notwithstanding anyone’s right.

Notes

For more on Elizabeth Blake see the Blake Family page (she was the wife of Thomas 2; see his will proved in 1711). She seems to have come from Ambroseden, and was married in Oxford in 1679. After her husband's death she apparently went to live in Whitchurch, which is why her will was proved at the Bucks Archdeaconry Court and not at St Albans. She was buried at Winslow on 11 Jan 1715/16. She must have felt that her son had been provided for sufficiently, hence the focus on her Barton grandchildren. The will suggests that her daughter Elizabeth had already died and that she did not trust her son-in-law to look after her grandchildren's interest.