Martin Blake (clergyman)

[10] Shortly thereafter his elder brother William Blake died, and their father sought to recall Martin, now the eldest son and heir apparent, to the family business in Plymouth.

Martin persuaded the Bishop of Oxford to ordain him Deacon, which put an end to his father's plans, and indeed won his approval.

During the Siege of Plymouth he wrote a letter to that town's mayor Philip Francis urging him to stay loyal to the king,[15] and he was suspected by the mainly Parliamentarian townspeople of Barnstaple of having been instrumental in its capture by Royalists.

[17] A letter dated 12 October 1646 was sent on behalf of Blake by Richard Ferris, Mayor of Barnstaple, and other aldermen to Sir John Bampfylde, 1st Baronet[18] (c.1610-1650) of Poltimore and North Molton and Tamerton Foliot, one of Devonshire's Parliamentarian leaders during the Civil War.

[21] The will of Gilbert Paige (c.1595-1647) of Crock Street,[22] Barnstaple, and Rookabeare House in the adjoining parish of Fremington,[23] Devon, a merchant who was twice Mayor of Barnstaple in 1629 and 1641, dated 1640, bequeathed to his "kinsman Master Martin Blacke the summe of two and twentie shillings, the residue of all my goods and chattailes whatsoever not before given and bequeathed".

Rev. Martin Blake, detail from the mural monument he erected to his young son Nicholas Blake (d.1634) in St Peter's Church, Barnstaple
Mural monument to Nicholas Blake (d.1634), 9 year-old son of Rev. Martin Blake, erected by his father in St Peter's Church, Barnstaple
Old Vicarage, Barnstaple, built originally in 1311 at the entrance of Barnstaple Priory . The surviving building, entirely re-built "at his own great charge" by Rev Martin Blake (with 19th c. additions and restorations) today occupies the same site [ 1 ]