given me pecuniary aid in publishing it, I return my hearty thanks, trusting that they will all feel that they have done something for which their posterity will be grateful. And with those who have turned away with indifference, I shall not quarrel, but leave them to settle the matter with their own consciences, and as their own feelings dictate. It is very difficult to get at facts of long standing. There is a great discrepancy in dates. If in a printed oration a wrong word creeps in through mistake, the intelligent reader will readily correct it; but in a genealogy, if the wrong figure occurs, it leads the reader astray, it is an error without a remedy, and, rather than have it such, it would be better that it were a blank. I have endeavored as far as possible, in this small work, to get the dates, and that with accuracy; but I find that family records, town records, and grave-stone inscriptions, in many cases disagree. I have, as much as possible, taken my dates from the original family records, believing they would not be so likely to err as the copies. After giving all the information I could gather of our ancestors in England, I begin with William Blake, who was the pioneer of the family in this then new world. He, with his wife and children, were early here. I have followed the line down in direct succession to Samuel Blake, who died in Dorchester, May 1, 1754, and who with his wife, Patience (White), left five children who lived to marry and have families, and I flattered myself that I should get an account of every one of their descendants. I think I have found nearly all, but I lack more dates than I had anticipated. The orthography of christian names, and in a few instances of surnames also, will be found to vary. I have followed the record from which I copied, conceding to all persons their undoubted right to call their children by what name they please, and spell that name as they fancy. I have adopted the plan of the "Book of the Lockes," by J. G. Locke, Esq., which is the most perfect genealogy that I have ever had the pleasure of perusing, and with him I say that the daughters and their descendants are as important, in the history of a family, as the sons. The numbering of the families and their children, will be explained hereafter. The etymology of the name, Blake, was furnished me by JOHN H. BLAKE, Esq., of Roxbury, and is as follows: "The ancient and respectable family of BLAKE, is of British extraction, and traditionally descended from APLAKE, whose name appears as one of the Knights of King Arthur's round table. Succeeding generations, however, seem to have paid little attention to the orthography of the name, so variously do we find it written. In the first instance, by dropping the initial letter it was rendered. P-LAKE, and then, by compression, PLAKE, one entire word, both of which, alike, produce a sound and utterance uncouth and unharmonious. It was corrupted into BLAGUE, to the confusion of all etymological explanation, had it so continued, but chance or design applied a remedy by substituting BLAAKE, and ultimately BLAKE, which latter reading took place many centuries back, and has continued invariably the same from that period to the present day." The Appendix contains much that is interesting to antiquaries, being abstracts of Wills, Inventories and other matter, in which some members of the Blake family were the principal actors. Through the whole work, it has been my object to bring in much collateral matter in relation to persons, places and events. I have constantly kept in view the utility of placing landmarks along the line, from generation to generation, to guide those who would know something of their ancestry. In future years, it is to be hoped that there will be many inclined to follow back their pedigree to William Blake, who left Dorchester, in Dorset, Old England, for an unknown home in New England, which was subsequently called Dorchester, in Massachusetts Bay. It does not require a great prophet to foretell, that as our country proceeds from infancy towards maturity, there will be an increasing desire to study the history of the men and times that have passed before us. The people will not be so completely absorbed in acquiring wealth, and indulging in luxury, and making a show; neither will there be a necessity for so much personal exertion to acquire a competence, as the nation advances in age and resources. This work, though it be small and imperfect, I place before my kinsfolk and the public, feeling assured that, as they contemplate the difficulty of the task, they will readily excuse the errors that occur, and I shall then feel that I have not spent my time in vain, nor labored for nought. Samuel Blake Dorchester, December 4, 1856. * It was mentioned on page 16, that Mr. Blake was a beautiful penman. The signature from which the autograph was taken (on page 119), was made when he was aged and very EXPLANATION. The Roman numerals, in the left hand column, denote the generation to which the children of each family belong. The first column of figures denote the number of each individual, and this numbering is carried through the work. Figures before the head of each family, in the same column, and enclosed in parentheses, thus (29), denote the number of the paragraph or family. Figures immediately after the first name in each paragraph (and in a few instances after the second name also), in brackets, thus [61], refer back to the individual in the family in which he or she is first named. Figures at the extreme right hand of the page, included in parentheses, thus (29), refer forward to the paragraph where that individual's family are traced out. Example.-On page 44, in the left hand column, you find at figure 61, Samuel Blake married Betsey Fay; figure (29), at the end of the line, refers to paragraph (29) on the 59th page, where you find an account of the family of Samuel Blake. In the same paragraph (29), the second line, it reads "She was daughter of Samuel and Lucy (Mayo) Fay," which shows that Mrs. Lucy Fay's maiden name was Lucy Mayo. ABBREVIATIONS, b., born; d., died; m., married; dau., daughter; chil., children; Dor., Dorchester; and other common abbreviations, which will be readily understood by the reader. When a town is named, it must always be understood that it is in Massachusetts, unless some other State is mentioned. |