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mained unpatented. While in Maryland Bladen
sold at least 6,850 acres inherited from his father,
plus about 1,000 acres in Frederick and Anne
Arundel counties that he had obtained by patent
and purchase. WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: in 1780
in England. LAND: 80 acres in Charles County and
land in Baltimore County that was confiscated by
the state in 1782; holdings in England are un-
known.
BLADEN, WILLIAM (1670-1718). BORN: in
1670 in London or Yorkshire, England; eldest son.
IMMIGRATED: in 1690 as a free adult from Lon-
don, England. RESIDED: in St. Mary's County;
Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, by the mid-
1690s. FAMILY BACKGROUND. FATHER: Nathaniel
Bladen, Esq., of Hemsworth, Yorkshire, England;
a barrister who attended Lincoln's Inn. MOTHER:
Isabella (?-1691), daughter of Sir William Fairfax
(1609-1644), of Steeton, Yorkshire, England, a
cousin of Sir Thomas Fairfax (1612-1671). BROTH-
ERS: Francis; Martin (ca. 1680-1746), who was
comptroller of the mint in 1714, M.P. for Hamp-
shire from 1715 to 1734, for Maldon, Essex from
1734 to 1741, and for Portsmouth from 1741 to
1746, a Lord of Trade from 1717 to 1746, and a
director of the Royal African Company from 1717
to 1726. MARRIED first, Letitia, daughter of Judge
Dudley Loftus, vicar general of Ireland. MARRIED
second, in 1695/96 Ann, daughter of Garrett Van
Swearingen and wife Mary. CHILDREN. SONS
Thomas Bladen (1698-1780), who married Bar-
bara, daughter of Sir Theodore Janssen, Bart. (ca.
1658-1748); Christopher; William; and Martin.
DAUGHTERS Ann, who married in 1711 Benjamin
Tasker (ca. 1690-1768); Priscilla. PRIVATE CA-
REER. EDUCATION: literate; admitted to the Inner
Temple in 1687. RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Angli-
can. SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIVITIES: a member
of a prominent English family; his education
quickly brought him profitable clerkships and le-
gal business; he was hired in 1692 by Gov. Lionel
Copley to handle all of his business and legal af-
fairs. OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE: placeman; lawyer,
admitted to the following courts: Provincial Court
in 1693; Cecil County in 1693/94; Prince George's
County in 1696; Anne Arundel County by 1703.
Contractor; merchant. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLA-
TIVE SERVICE: Lower House, Annapolis, 1708A
(election voided). OTHER PROVINCIAL OFFICES:
clerk, Lower House, 1695-1698; register of the
Admiralty Court, 1698-still serving in 1703; clerk,
Council, 1698-1716; naval officer, Annapolis,
1698/99-1718; clerk, Prerogative Office, 1699-
1700; secretary of Maryland, 1701; deputy auditor
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and surveyor general of customs, 1703-1715; at-
torney general, 1704-1718; commissary general,
1708-1718. LOCAL OFFICES: clerk, St. Mary's
County, 1695-1698; clerk of Indictments, Prince
George's County, 1696; surveyor of Annapolis,
1697-1718; St. Anne's Parish Vestry, Anne Arun-
del County, 1704. MILITARY SERVICE, colonel at
death. STANDS ON PUBLIC/PRIVATE ISSUES: ac-
tively sought permanent appointment as secretary
of the colony in 1701 and years following, and led
the opposition to Sir Thomas Lawrence (ca. 1645-
1714), the incumbent secretary. WEALTH DURING
LIFETIME. PERSONAL PROPERTY: part owner of the
ship Tryon, of London, England, 1699. ANNUAL
INCOME: as clerk of the Council, one of his many
patronage positions, he received 12,000 pounds of
tobacco a year. LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: at least
6,000 acres. WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: on August
7, 1718. PERSONAL PROPERTY: TEV, £2,106.14.1
(including 26 slaves, 9 servants, a printing press,
and books, including 48 law titles); FB,
£1,646.1.2. LAND: at least 15,745 acres.
BLAKE, THOMAS (?-?). BORN: in Calvert
County, of age in 1753. NATIVE: third generation.
RESIDED: First District, Calvert County. FAMILY
BACKGROUND. FATHER: Richard Blake (?-ca.
1764), son of Capt. Thomas Blake and wife Jane
Sutton Isaac. MOTHER: Susanna Nicols. MARRIED
by June 1766, probably Barbara Bond, widow of
William Hamilton Smith. CHILDREN. SON: Thomas
Blake, who possibly married Elizabeth, daughter
of James Heighe (?-1757). PRIVATE CAREER. EDU-
CATION: literate. RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Angli-
can. SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIVITIES: Mr., 1788;
Esq., 1788. OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE: probably a
planter. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE:
Lower House, Calvert County, 1788. LOCAL OF-
FICES: churchwarden, All Saints' Parish, Calvert
County, in office 1753; All Saints' Parish Vestry,
Calvert County, in office 1761; commissioner of
tax, Calvert County, 1779-at least 1783; justice,
Calvert County, in office 1781 and 1794. WEALTH
DURING LIFETIME. PERSONAL PROPERTY: assessed
value £850.3.4, including 20 slaves and 16 oz.
plate, 1783. LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: 767 acres
in Calvert County (545 acres inherited from his
father; 222 acres probably by personal acquisi-
tion). WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: probably in Cal-
vert County, after 1795; size of estate unknown.
BLAKISTON, NATHANIEL (ca. 1663-1722).
BORN: ca. 1663 in England; first son. IMMI-
GRATED in 1698 as a free adult. RESIDED, in An-
napolis, Anne Arundel County; returned to Eng-
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