Jacob Blakeway

Jacob Blakeway (1583-?) was at the centre of a historic incident in seventeenth century England which caused a great scandal in the seventeenth century and which eventually led to the four More children being sent on the Mayflower to America in 1620.

For many years early genealogists would wonder why the More children's father, believing him to be Samuel More, would send his very young children away to the New World on the Mayflower in the care of others. It was in 1959, that the mystery was explained. Jasper More, a descendant of Samuel More prompted by his genealogist friend, Anthony Wagner, searched and found in his attic a 1622 document, which detailed the legal disputes between Katherine and Samuel More and what actually happened to the More children. It is clear from these events that Samuel did not believe the children to be his offspring. To rid himself of the children, he arranged for them to be sent to the Colony of Virginia.

Jacob Blakeway was born in July 1583 and baptised on 25 July 1583 at Stanton Long Parish in Corvedale,. He was the eldest son of Edward Blakeway (d.1610) and his wife Anceret (d.1631 – the name is from the Welsh Angharad). By 1608, the Blakeway family had been tenants of Jasper More of Larden Hall for many generations. The manor was approximately one half mile away from Brockton, where the Blakeways lived. A track way called Blakeway Hollow leads out of Much Wenlock, and drops over the Edge to Apedale, where there is still today a Blakeway Farm and Blakeway Cottage.

Jacob and Katherine More were close in age and may have known each other in their youth. Jasper More, Katherine More father's sons died leaving no male heir. The estates were held in an entail whereby inheritance was restricted to male heirs but Samuel's father, Richard, in the marriage settlement paid 600 pounds to Jasper More, so there must have been clear title. It was arranged that Katherine would marry her cousin and indeed, on 4 February 1610, (old date style) Katherine, 25, the last unmarried daughter of Jasper, married her cousin, seventeen-year-old Samuel More.

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