1. THOMAS1 BLOWGATE was born Abt. 1490 in England, and died Abt. 1560 in Haughley, County Suffolk, England.
Notes for THOMAS BLOWGATE:
THOMAS BLOWGATE: born ca 1490. died ca 1560 at Haughley, County Suffolk, England.
This is the earliest Blodgett ancestor who has been identified. He was the great grandfather of the emigrant, Thomas.
His will, dated 1 November 1558, proved 5 June 1660, provided that his body be buried in the churchyard of St. Mary at Hawley. He gave "to Robert, my son, house and land where I now dwell, he to pay thereout legasies following:
To every one of my children outcetp (except?) Andrewe and John my sons, 6 pounds ls 4d, namely to Johan my daughter, Thomas my son and Margaret my daughter, Johan to be paid first, Rose next, Thomas next, Marrgaret last, as the ferme (rent) of said house and land may bare.
To John my son, my house and land in New Street Hawley, he to pay 5 pounds 5 within a year after my decease in deeds of charity. If Robert my son depart my sonne John to have house and to fulfill legacies and if John depart the world without heirs, then Thomas my son."
Executors were Robert Blowgate & Martyne Ruttman. Witnesses were Wm. Smythe of Haughley, Thomas Borrone and John Stannard.
(Ipswich Probate Office: Archdeaconry Sudbury Book 1560. Paynter Vol. 67)
Reference: Thompson, Rev. Franklin C. BLODGET-BLODGETT GENEALOGY, Descendents of Thomas of Cambridge. LDS Film # 0896868.
Apr 08 from "Blodget-Blodgett descendants of Thomas of Cambridge", by Brady Deforest Thompson & Franklin Condit Thompson, published 1955, found at Heritage Quest Online:
"Preface - English Origins
Although the intermediate forms of the name are well known there is some doubt about the earlier forms of the name. Mr. Rush Maxwell Blodget has sponsored the extensive search made in recent years. As agent for Mr. Blodget, the late Vincent B. Redstone searched the parish registers and the archives of Suffolk.
Mr. Blodget concludes that the original form was Eu, which in turn became Bel Eu, Bel Eu Gate, Blogate, Blowgate, Blowgatt, Blogatt and finally Bloggett in England.
Mr. Blodget says: "Eu is a Sanskrit root signifying at times, pleased surprise and at times, high praise. I found in translation of an old History of the Chateau d'Eu that 'Eu' was the name given to a beautiful section of the Normandy coast when it was invaded by Rollo, a Viking from Norway about 875. 'Bel' was a French appellation for a man of dignity and standing, but having no royal title. 'Gate' is a Scandinavian word for road or highway."
Robert, Count d'Eu, in 1066 came with William the Conqueror to England, with the title of Marshall. He was given large grants in the north of England. From his family have come various branches: de Belleu, Bellewe, Ballou, Bellows and others. By the contraction of Belleu to Blo and the addition of the place names, such forms as Blonorton, Blosutton, Blofield, Blomont and Blogate have been derived.
In his letter to us, Mr. Blodget also says: "A good genealogist should have a road map of the area as it was during the period he is studying. Our people went from York south along the Danelaw, across Nottinghamshire and thence south across East Anglia to mid-Suffolk. The references to the de Bel Eu and the de Blogate families, during their migration southward, are fragmentary, but they do show that the movement was not over fifteen miles in a generation and that the lane of migration was not over ten or fifteen miles wide.
"Many wills, birth, death and marriage records were destroyed during religious upheavals. Therefore the record of father-son continuity of descent was interrupted for a period of several hundred years---but we can be sure that the Eu family with its prefixes and suffixes, migrating southward through a narrow territorial channel, has maintained its family-continuity."
As an example of the fragmentary data found by Mr. Restone, we have abstracted from his report the records of a court case. An unknown de Blogate, born about 1170 died about 1210, left a widow Rose, who about 1248 sold land in Athelington to her son Hugh de Blogate born about 1200. Hugh sold it to his brother Richard. Then Richard de Suddene brought suit against Richard, ** ("Feet of Fines of Suffolk" and supplementary sources in the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology, examined by Mr. Redstone), claiming that Rose had had only dower rights and could not dispose of the property. This litigation lasted three generations. In 1272, Matilda and Philip, children of Hugh, were involved, as was also, in 1323, Richard son of Philip.
Coat of Arms
American Blodgetts are not entitled to a coat of arms because of their Blodgett ancestry. Their last four generations of English ancestors are known to have been glove makers, inn keepers and farmers.
The arms of the early Bel Ue family were a gold fret on a black shield (sable fretty or); the crest, an arm embowed habited, the had ppr. grasping a chalice pouring water into a basin, also ppr.; the motto, Tout d'en haut.
Following 1487 a number of records point to the rapid improvement of a John Blowgate of Ipswich, who left a son and grandson John. A descendant of this original John, Edmund, assumed about 1530 an entirely different coat of arms: three bugle horns Sa., with cords Or on a shield Ar. Edmund lived in Stowe Langtaft, county Suffolk. On the marriage of his daughter Elizabeth to James Noone, gentleman, of Badwell Ashe, Norfolk, these arms were quartered with Noone's. In 1555, Yaxley of Thrandiston, Suffolk, quartered his arms with the Blodgett arms also. Note that the Bellew and Ballou families also use, correctly, the ancient Sable Fretty Or, being remote cousins.
The Ancestors of Thomas Bloggett, the Emigrant
The Blogget-Blogate ancestor of Thomas, the emigrant, lived in the western part of County Suffolk, at Stowmarket and Haughley, villages about two miles apart and ten to twelve miles northwest of Ipswich. Thomas the emigrant was the great grandson of Thomas Blogate of Haughley, born about 1490, died in 1560. His will, dated Nov. 1 1558, proved June 5, 1560, provides that his body is to be buried in the churchyard of St. Mary at Hawley. He gives "to Robert my son, house and land where I now dwell, he to pay thereout legacies following: To every one of my children outcep (except?) Andrewe and John my sons, L6 1s 4d, namely to Johan my daughter, Thomas my son and Margaret my daughter. Johan to be paid first, Rose next, Thomas next, Margaret last, as the ferme (rent) of said house and land may bare. To John my son, my house and land in New Street Hawley, he to pay 5 L 5 within a year after my decease in deeds of charity. If Robert my son depart, my sonne John to have house and to fulfill legacies and if Hon depart the world without heirs, then Thomas my son."
Executors were Robert Blowgare & Martyne Ruttman/**(Ipswich Probate Office; Arch. Sudbury. Book 1560. Paynter Fol. 67).
Witnesses were Wm. Smythe of Haughley, Thomas Borone& John Stannard.
Thomas Blowgate of Haughley will dated Nov. 1, 1558; proved June 5, 1560
Ch.
1. Thomas m. Elizabeth Ainsworth 1573 - ch. Giles and Elizabeth
2. Joan
3. Margaret
4. Andrew
5. John
6. Rose
7. Robert*"
