John Blott (bef. 1543 - bef. 1604)

Born before 1543 in Oakley, Bedfordshire, England [uncertain]

Husband of Margaret (Peck) Blott — married 14 Oct 1563 in Oakley, Bedfordshire, England

Died before 9 Jan 1604 at about age 61 in Oakley, Bedfordshire, England

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Biography

Birth & Baptism

A John Blott (1551- aft. 1609) was baptised on 19 Apr 1551 at Ridgmont, Bedfordshire, the son of William Blott.^[1] However, this profile is focused on the man who married Margaret Peck (not likely the one of Beccles, Suffolk) in 1563 and therefore was likely born before 1543. He may be the brother of Robert Blott (c.1555-1610) of Harrold and Podington but that is yet to be proven and now seems unlikely given that Robert Blott and his family seems to have been first of Ridgmont from 1550 or earlier through at least the mid 1570s and then later of Harrold..

It is possible though that John's christening was delayed so that he was actually born earlier than 1551, early enough to marry by 1563. Between the 1530s when Henry VIII broke from the Roman Catholic church and 1558 there were struggles between Catholics and Protestants particularly during the reign of Edward VI. John’s christening in 1551 may have been delayed because of these religious conflict. Obviously this is speculation but is an interesting point.

The John who conveyed property to his brother Robert in 1590 was "of Newton Bromswold"^[2] at that time, about 10 miles north of Harrold. Oakley is about 5 miles South East of Harrold.

Marriage & Children

John Blott married a Margaret Peck on 14 Oct 1563 at All Saints, Oakley, Bedfordshire.^[3] This was almost certainly not the John Blott christened in 1551, son of William. Many Blott records appear in nearby parishes (Ridgmont, Harrold, Podington, Grendon).

A Margaret Peck of Beccles, Suffolk (known by her father's will) is currently set up as his wife. Beccles is over 100 miles away from Ridgmont, so it seems unlikely to be the same woman.

An unsourced FindAGrave memorial (See Also section) provides this list of children which matches well with a 1563 marriage. All these christenings are found at freereg.org.uk at All Saints, Oakley, Bedfordshire with father John Blott, Blotte, Bluit and Bluet:

1. Robert Blott 15 Jan 1564/65 - 1637 eldest son listed in the will
2. Henry Blott 4 Jun 1568– after 1602, listed in the will. A Henry Blott was buried 21 Dec 1586 but without supplemental information such as "son of" or age.^[4] so likely was related to this family and possibly was the father of this John Blott.
3. Ursula Blott Franklyn 1571–1608 (christened 20 Jul 1571 at All Saints Oakley as Ursula "Bluet" daughter of John)^[5] Findagrave memorial (unsourced) 107229489 says that she married William Franklyn and died in 1608 buried at the St. Owen churchyard at Bromham, Bedfordshire and had children Elizabeth, Agnes and Ursula. He supposedly was buried 20 Jan 1631/32, testate with a will dated December 30, 1631, which was proved January 28, 1631/32, in which he mentions among other bequests, his daughter 'Urslay Odle', his daughter 'Agnes Odle', and his grandchild 'Urslay Odle'. The will is listed at the Bedfordshire Archives (Reference ReferenceABP/W1630-1/139). This seems plausible as a 16 Oct 1603 record is found for christening of Ursula "Francklyn", daughter of William and Ursula at Bromham on findmypast.co.uk. Interestingly, another Ursula Franklin was christened at the same place 24 Aug 1634 daughter of William and Mary followed by an 11 Feb 1639 burial at St. Owen of Ursula Franklin with no explanatory text. The 1634 seems possibly the daughter of William Franklin "Jr" who was christened 10 Aug 1606 at St. Owen (parents William and Ursula) and then had also son William at St. Owen in 1636. Which of the three Ursula Franklins died in 1639?
4. Possibly another daughter who married John Mason or Bason who was referred to in John Blott's will and may have been dead by 1602.
5. Christopher Blott 15 May 1578 – listed in the 1602 will.

Death & Estate

A John Blott was buried 9 Jan 1603/04 as "Jn Blot alias Blewet" at St. Mary the Virgin, Oakley, Bedfordshire about 15 miles from Ridgmont.^[6] This is very likely the correct man based on a will written 14 Jan 1602 (44th year of reign of Elizabeth so 1602) listing the following:

• Wife Margaret to receive most household/moveable goods, cattle, wheat/barley etc and to have use of the house unless she remarried
• Second son Henry money
• Youngest son Christopher money
• Poor of the town of Oakley
• Eldest son Robert the remainder of all goods and named executor
• Henry King Clarke, vicar of Stevington supervisor
• Thomas Chamberlin witness
• Son in law John Mason alias Bason with a statement about Mason's will bequeathing to "the said Christopher" meaning apparently Blott's son Christopher and that if any parts of that bequest came to Blott's son Robert, that half of it should be paid to Christopher Blott. This might have applied to prior or planned bequests by Christopher Blott's un-named sister who married John Mason.

A very interesting record (non digital) from 1595 is available at the UK National Archives at Kew which may have belonged to this man and may provide some interesting details. The abstract reads as follows:

Certificate of residence showing John Blott (or the variant surname: Blewet) to be liable for taxation in Bedfordshire, and not in (county unknown), the previous area of tax liability. (Any information not given in this certificate comes from its old pouch, no 2799.)^[7]

A John Blott was also buried 21 Sep 1617 at Harrold, Bedfordshire but with the number of Blotts in the area, again we cannot be sure where he fits into these families.^[8]

If this John Blott is assumed to be the husband of Margaret, very possibly she was the Margaret Blott buried at All Saints, Oakley, Bedfordshire on 25 Nov 1616.^[9]

Research Notes

• The 1551 christening and 1563 marriages are almost certain to be different men although very possibly related.

• The 1632 will of Thomas Blott who had children in nearby Grendon and was buried in Barnwell, Northamptonshire where he wrote his will listed his wife Philippe and their children but did not list any brothers so we can't know with certainty how he related to other area Blotts.

• The 1609 will of Robert Blott (father of early New England immigrant Robert Blott) listed wife Elizabeth and children along with brothers John and Thomas.^[10] His brother John was a different man who lived in Newton Bromswold and then Harrold and was a different man than this one.
• Regarding William Franklin, husband of Ursula Blott, he appears in a 1604 assigment (feoffment) of property listed as husbandman and carpenter of Bromham, son of Emma Smith who was a sister and co-heir of Ralph Smith alias Cowper (along with another sister Marie who was married to William Savage of Clapham and yet another sister Johanne married to Robert Barrett of Wooton) so this should give some good clues to a search for William. Bedfordshire Archive Reference W3083.

Sources

1. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JQ1H-PN1 : 11 February 2018, John Blott, 19 Apr 1551); citing , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 826,473.
2. ↑ Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalog Documents/deeds & wills relating to property in Harrold. series GA926-945 1589-1708 Reference GA929
3. ↑ Bedfordshire : Oakley : St Mary the Virgin : Register of unspecified type : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5817abbce93790eb7f5c10a1 : viewed 9 Oct 2021) marriage Jn Blot to Margt Peck 14 Oct 1563
4. ↑ Bedfordshire : Oakley : St Mary the Virgin : Register of unspecified type : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5817ac52e93790ec7541127d : viewed 10 Oct 2021) burial Hen Blot 21 Dec 1586
5. ↑ Bedfordshire : Oakley : St Mary the Virgin : Register of unspecified type : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5817b4e2e93790ec8bfd7e19 : viewed 9 Oct 2021) baptism Ursula Bluit 20 Jul 1571
6. ↑ Bedfordshire : Oakley : St Mary the Virgin : Register of unspecified type : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5817ac53e93790ec75411356 : viewed 9 Oct 2021) burial Jn Blot 09 Jan 1603/4
7. ↑ UK National Archives E 115 - Exchequer: King's Remembrancer: Certificates of Residence [https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C15514174 Reference: E 115/64/116
8. ↑ National Burial Index For England & Wales Harrold, Bedfordshire, England 1617 burial for John Blott at findmypast.co.uk $subscription
9. ↑ Bedfordshire : Oakley : St Mary the Virgin : Register of unspecified type : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5817ac54e93790ec75411487 : viewed 9 Oct 2021) burial Margt Blot 25 Nov 1616
10. ↑ Penny G. Douglass, "The English Origin of Robert1 Blott of Charlestown and Boston, Mass.," The American Genealogist, 67 (Apr 1992):65-67; link for subscribers; citing FHL film #1,066,945, item 3

See also:

• Find A Grave: Memorial #182452027