dren were his children, I cannot decide, but should judge not, by the summary manner in which he disposes of them. "I give to Anna Leager my Wife the third part of all my Estate, during her Life & I give to my two Daughters Bethia Leager, & Hannah Leager, the other two thirds, to be equally divided when they arrive at Eighteen years of age, or in case of marriage before that time. At the wife's death the daughters to have, her thirds. In case both daughters die before marriage, one half the Estate to be equally divided between my sister Maye's children in England, & the other half to Jacob Walker ten pounds, to Joseph Walker, ten pounds, to Elisha Thuston, ten pounds, and that which remains shall be given to an Almes house, & to my second wife's children, I give twelve pence a piece, to be paid them at their demand. I hereby empower William Parks Deacon of Roxbury & Robert Walker of Boston, to see this will performed. Witness. Nov. 1, 1662. John Pers, Jacob Walker, Benjamin Thuston. JACOB LEAGER. Will proved and Administration granted to Anne his relict, March 19, 1662-3." Inventory of the Estate of Jacob Leager, of Boston, taken March 12, 1662-3. Whole amount of Inventory £182–05–03. Signed by Thomas Pyon." In the Records of the Colony of the Massachusetts Bay, in New England, in June, 1663, I find the following Order of the Court. "In ans" to the petition of Anne Legar, relict of Jacob Legar, it is ordered, that she shall haue liberty to sell out of the estate of hir late husband to pay the debts, & that then there be a diuission of the rest of the estate into thirds, of wch the widdow to haue one third part as hir oune for euer, this to be donne by the advise & asistance of the ouerseers, and the other two thirds to be improoved by the said ourseers for the releife of the children." June 6, 1663. It appears by the Will above, that Jacob and Anne (Blake) Legar left but two children, and they were daughters, Bethia and Hannah, and we find, twenty-six years later, viz., 1688-9, John Blake, of Boston, who was their uncle, left the most of his estate to his nephews and nieces. In his Will he says, "I give unto my loveing Cosin Bethia Shaw and her children thirty pounds. I give unto Hannah Walker, daughter of John Walker dec'd, five pounds. I give unto my loveing kinswoman Hannah Wiswell wife of John Wiswell, ten pounds, and my great Bible." Thus I take it for granted, that Bethia Legar married a Shaw, and had children; and Hannah Legar married John Walker, and he died, leav ing one daughter, named Hannah; and the widow married, for second husband, John Wiswell. Thus we find that the children of William and Agnes Blake (who came from England with their parents, the eldest being but ten years of age, and the youngest not more than two years), were four sons and one daughter, and all of them subsequently married, and four of them had children. William had nine children; four sons and five daughters. Four of the daughters married, and their husbands names were, Gilbert, Willis, Carver and Briggs. James had four sons and two daughters; one daughter married to Jeremiah Fuller. Edward had eight children; three sons and five daughters, and the daughters all married. Their husbands' names were, Picher, Richard Talley, Kilton, Nathaniel Wales, and Obadiah Swift. John, it is presumed, had no children, as we can find no mention made of any. Anna, who married Jacob Legar, had two daughters, and one married a Shaw. The other married (i.) John Walker, and (ii.) John Wiswell. I now present a copy of the Will of JOHN BLAKE, of Boston. Who this John can be, it has baffled all my researches to ascertain. By the reading of the Will, I conclude he was a young man. He speaks of property in England, of rents due for a number of years, &c.; therefore it is highly probable that he was not born in New England. Whether he was a connexion of those here, remains in doubt. He mentions his son Richard, who undoubtedly was quite young, and whether he lived to be a progenitor of some of the race here, is altogether uncertain. He gives as a reason for making his Will, that he was "bound for England speedily, and not knowing how it may please the Lord to deal with me, upon my Voyage." It is not likely that he ever returned to New England, as about two years from the date of the Will, administration was granted to Sarah Pool, relict widow of the deceased. "In the name of God, Amen, the Eighth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand Six hundred ninety & two, I John Blake of Boston, joyner, being in good bodily health, and of sound mind & memory, and being bound hence to England, speedily, & not knowing how it may please the Lord to deal with me, upon my Voyage, Do therefore make & ordain this my last Will & Testament. After my Debts & Funeral Expences are paid, I give & bequeath unto my Son Richard Blake, my great Bible, which was given me by my Father. I give all my property in England & in New England, whatsoever, unto my dren were his children, I cannot decide, but should judge not, by the summary manner in which he disposes of them. "I give to Anna Leager my Wife the third part of all my Estate, during her Life & I give to my two Daughters Bethia Leager, & Hannah Leager, the other two thirds, to be equally divided when they arrive at Eighteen years of age, or in case of marriage before that time. At the wife's death the daughters to have, her thirds. In case both daughters die before marriage, one half the Estate to be equally divided between my sister Maye's children in England, & the other half to Jacob Walker ten pounds, to Joseph Walker, ten pounds, to Elisha Thuston, ten pounds, and that which remains shall be given to an Almes house, & to my second wife's children, I give twelve pence a piece, to be paid them at their demand. I hereby empower William Parks Deacon of Roxbury & Robert Walker of Boston, to see this will performed. Witness. Nov". 1, 1662. John Pers, Jacob Walker, Benjamin Thuston. JACOB LEAGER. Will proved and Administration granted to Anne his relict, March 19, 1662-3." "Inventory of the Estate of Jacob Leager, of Boston, taken March 12, 1662-3. Whole amount of Inventory £182-05-03. Signed by Thomas Pyon." In the Records of the Colony of the Massachusetts Bay, in New England, in June, 1663, I find the following Order of the Court. "In ans" to the petition of Anne Legar, relict of Jacob Legar, it is ordered, that she shall haue liberty to sell out of the estate of hir late husband to pay the debts, & that then there be a diuission of the rest of the estate into thirds, of wch the widdow to haue one third part as hir oune for euer, this to be donne by the advise & asistance of the ouerseers, and the other two thirds to be improoved by the said ourseers for the releife of the children.” June 6, 1663. It appears by the Will above, that Jacob and Anne (Blake) Legar left but two children, and they were daughters, Bethia and Hannah, and we find, twenty-six years later, viz., 1688-9, John Blake, of Boston, who was their uncle, left the most of his estate to his nephews and nieces. In his Will he says, "I give unto my loveing Cosin Bethia Shaw and her children thirty pounds. I give unto Hannah Walker, daughter of John Walker dec'd, five pounds. I give unto my loveing kinswoman Hannah Wiswell wife of John Wiswell, ten pounds, and my great Bible." Thus I take it for granted, that Bethia Legar married a Shaw, and had children; and Hannah Legar married John Walker, and he died, leav ing one daughter, named Hannah; and the widow married, for second husband, John Wiswell. Thus we find that the children of William and Agnes Blake (who came from England with their parents, the eldest being but ten years of age, and the youngest not more than two years), were four sons and one daughter, and all of them subsequently married, and four of them had children. William had nine children; four sons and five daughters. Four of the daughters married, and their husbands names were, Gilbert, Willis, Carver and Briggs. James had four sons and two daughters; one daughter married to Jeremiah Fuller. Edward had eight children; three sons and five daughters, and the daughters all married. Their husbands' names were, Picher, Richard Talley, Kilton, Nathaniel Wales, and Obadiah Swift. John, it is presumed, had no children, as we can find no mention made of any. Anna, who married Jacob Legar, had two daughters, and one married a Shaw. The other married (i.) John Walker, and (ii.) John Wiswell. I now present a copy of the Will of JOHN BLAKE, of Boston. Who this John can be, it has baffled all my researches to ascertain. By the reading of the Will, I conclude he was a young man. He speaks of property in England, of rents due for a number of years, &c.; therefore it is highly probable that he was not born. in New England. Whether he was a connexion of those here, remains in doubt. He mentions his son Richard, who undoubtedly was quite young, and whether he lived to be a progenitor of some of the race here, is altogether uncertain. He gives as a reason for making his Will, that he was "bound for England speedily, and not knowing how it may please the Lord to deal with me, upon my Voyage.' It is not likely that he ever returned to New England, as about two years from the date of the Will, administration was granted to Sarah Pool, relict widow of the deceased. "In the name of God, Amen, the Eighth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand Six hundred ninety & two, I John Blake of Boston, joyner, being in good bodily health, and of sound mind & memory, and being bound hence to England, speedily, & not knowing how it may please the Lord to deal with me, upon my Voyage, Do therefore make & ordain this my last Will & Testament. After my Debts & Funeral Expences are paid, I give & bequeath unto my Son Richard Blake, my great Bible, which was given me by my Father. I give all my property in England & in New England, whatsoever, unto my beloved Wife Sarah Blake & to her heirs & assigns forever. And do constitute & appoint my beloved Wife Sarah, the Executrix of this my last Will & Testament. Published & declared in JOHN BLAKE James Barton, Thomas Creese, Eliezer Moody sen. and a Seal. Administration granted to Sarah Pool, Relict Widow of the dec'd & Executrix named in the Will, Oct. 11th 1694." I have frequently found instances, where it is supposed that a widow has married again, before her deceased husband's estate was settled, and administration granted to her in her new name, and she would be called the relict widow of the deceased. A list of the Births, Marriages and Deaths, of persons by the name of Blake, from the year 1630 to 1800, found on the Dorchester Town Records. Samuel, son of William Blake, Elizabeth, daughter of James Blake, Experience, daughter of William Blake, Elizabeth, daughter of James Blake, Jr., Hannah, daughter of James Blake, Jr., James, son of James Jr. and Ruth Blake, Nathaniel, son of Joseph and Mehetable Blake, February 22, 1657. February 28, 1665. April 26, 1687. April 29, 1688. January 11, 1690. September 26, 1691. September 6, 1692. |