Early evidence for the Blades family of Maryland's Eastern Shore

The available evidence points to George Blades, born in Grinton Parish, Yorkshire, England as the sole progenitor of the Blades family of Maryland's Eastern Shore. A small handful of records give us the name of his wife, four children, and a rough idea of when he died. A large number of his descendants remained in Talbot County for the next three hundred years. The remainder spread out into the other Eastern Shore counties. I am principally concerned with the Talbot Co. branch and in this, I am endebted to Betty Seymour, my 3rd cousin and a tireless researcher, who has spent many years connecting dots to form the Talbot Co. Blades family tree. Her work forms the foundation of mine.

While it has been possible for me to directly trace some members of the Blades family from 1650 to present day, others are still a tangled mess. And so I am offering this document for other Blades researchers to use, correct, comment upon, add to, argue with, and if we are lucky, determine the connections between what are now just names on a page. Be forewarned that this document contains speculation on my part about some of these connections. The words " might be the son of . . . " are a warning that a statement is speculation and not fact! In every case, the information presented here is connected to a source document, and the reference numbers on the date line are links to the source list at the bottom of this page.

1650 - 1750

1650 #186
George Blades, son of James Blades of Spring End, is baptized in Grinton Parish, Yorkshire, England.

16xx #128
Michael Taylor sells "Harley" to Robert Humphrey, both of Talbot Co., MD

1669 #59
Robert Blades and daughter Mary immigrate from England to Maryland. Liber 15 folio 531.

21 Mar 1689 #128
Talbot Co. land records indicate that "Harley" is now the property of Robert Humphrey's widow, Frances.

19 Oct 1691 #39, #178
George Blades and his wife Frances sell "Harley" to Edward Elliott. These three land transactions form the basis of the theory that between 1689 and 1691, Robert Harley died, leaving his property to his wife Frances, who in turn married George Blades, immigrant from England.

16 Feb 1696 #308
John Blades and his wife Rebecca lease to John Flowers 50 acres of "Alexander's Place" for the term of 99 years, Dorchester Co.

21 Mar 1698 #128
Talbot Co. Judgements establish guardians for three of George Blades' four known children, strongly suggesting that George had died by this date. Daughter Mary is put in the care of Michael Russell. Sons James and Edmund are put in the care of William Dixon.

28 Jun 1702 #27
The St. Michaels parish register records the baptism of Susannah Blades, daughter of George Blades.

30 Nov 1722 #91
Edmund Blades, [son of George Sr.], Talbot Co. planter acquires half of "Warrilow's Exchange" and half of the personal property of the estate, from widow Sarah Cape, in exchange for his agreement to maintain her for the remainder of her life. Charles Hicks purchases the other half of the moiety.

12 Jun 1727 #69
Edmund Blades [son of George Sr.] is listed as next-of-kin in the probate records of Richard Collins.

1733 #79
The 1733 Talbot Co. tax rolls include Edmund Blades [son of George Sr.], paying poll tax but owning no land in Bay Hundred.

31 Aug 1741 #309
James Blades [son of George Sr.], Queen Anne's Co. planter, purchases 50 acres of "Long Range" from Joseph and Sarah Fisher of Dorchester Co. Witnessed their purchase of "Codhead Manor" on the same day.

9 Nov 1743 #48
Joseph Blades marries Mary Haddaway in Talbot Co. [Parents not certain, but appears to be the son of James Sr., grandson of George Sr.]

27 Jul 1745 #48
Joseph Blades marries Esther Eaton in Talbot Co. [Parents not certain, but appears to be the son of James Sr., grandson of George Sr.]

6 Aug 1747 #62
Edmund Blades [son of George Sr.], Talbot Co. planter, and his wife Mary, sell to Robert Spencer 14.5 acres of "Matthew Circumvented", a tract of land on the south side of the St. Michaels River. "Matthew Circumvented" is the resurveyed and renamed half-tract previously called "Warrilow's Exchange" acquired from Sarah Cape in 1722.

1748 #79
The rolls of the Talbot Co. militia, Captain Haddaway's Company include John Blades and James Blades.

17 Feb 1748 #48
James Blades marries Mary Eaton in Talbot Co. [son of James Sr., grandson of George Sr.]

21 Dec 1748 #48
Samuel Blades marries Amelia Barnes in Somerset Co. [Parents not known]

1750 - 1840

20 Feb 1754 #63
Edmund Blades [son of George Sr.], Talbot Co. planter, and his wife Mary, sell to John Blades [Edmund's son], Talbot Co. sawyer, their home plantation on the tract called "Matthew Circumvented", not including the portion already sold to the Spencers.

1758 #51
The will of William Cooper identifies his daughter Elizabeth as the wife of James Blades. [son of Edmund Sr., grandson of George Sr.]

18 Aug 1755 #48
James Tucker Blades marries Elizabeth Rouse in Queen Anne's Co. [Parents not known]

24 Jun 1757 #63
Hugh Spencer sells to Robert Spencer 5 acres of "Matthew Circumvented", which he indicates he previously purchased from Edmund Blades [son of George Sr.].

10 Nov 1757 #309
James Blades [son of George Sr.] purchases 50 acres of "Sullivan's Fortune" from John and Denaire Sullivan of Dorchester Co.

28 Mar 1758 #93
Talbot Co. land records mention John Blades [son of Edmund Sr., grandson of George Sr.], the guardian of Thomas Wales. This individual is in some way a relation of John Blades' first wife, Elizabeth Wales.

1759 #77, #85, #254
The 1754 will of Edmund Blades Sr. [son of George Sr.] is filed in Talbot Co. court. Will describes him as a Talbot Co. planter, leaves all property to wife Mary.

12 Nov 1760 #310
John Waddel and Joseph Blades appear before the Justice of the Peace in Dorchester Co. and testify to a fight they had on the 6th of that month, in which Waddel bit off the ear of Joseph Blades [Parents not certain, but appears to be the son of James Sr., grandson of George Sr.].

11 Mar 1763 #310
William Lee, Sr. conveys to his son 98 acres of "Bridge North" and "Addition", described as having been purchased from Joseph Blades [Parents not certain, but appears to be the son of James Sr., grandson of George Sr.] and his wife Hesther [Esther Eaton, see 27 Jul 1845].

29 Nov 1763 #311
Joseph Blades [Parents not certain, but appears to be the son of James Sr., grandson of George Sr.] of Dorchester Co. purchase 200 acres of "End of Controversy" from John Anderson.

1764 #41
Dorothy Blades, age 30 (born ca 1734), gives a deposition in Talbot Co. [Generally believed to be the daughter of Edmund Sr.]
Edmund Blades, age 28 (born ca 1736), gives a deposition in Talbot Co. mentioning his deceased brother John and John's children. [Generally believed to be the son of Edmund Sr.]
John Blades, age 43 (born ca 1724), gives a deposition in Talbot Co. [son of Edmund Sr., grandson of George Sr.]
Mary French, age 60 (born ca 1704), mentions her sister Mary Blades in a Talbot Co. deposition. [Parents not known but it seems possible, owing to the date of birth, that this refers to the daughter of George Sr.]

23 Dec 1766 #48
Samuel Blades marries Mary Piltchard in Somerset Co. [Parents not known]

1767 #77
The will of John Blades Sr. is recorded in Worcester Co. [Parents not known]

1767 #52
The will of Archibald Jackson of Queen Anne's Co. identifies his daughter Ann as the wife of Edmund Blades. [son of James Sr., grandson of George Sr.]

1767 #41
James Blades, age 78 (born ca. 1689), gives a deposition in Queen Anne's Co. mentioning that he previously lived in Talbot Co. [Based on his date of birth, this could only be the son of George Blades, Sr.]

Mar 1767 #311
Joseph Blades [Parents not certain, but appears to be the son of James Sr., grandson of George Sr.] purchases from Peter Edmondson of Dorchester Co. a 16-year-old slave named Charles.

3 Feb 1768 #312
Dorchester Co. land transaction defines the boundries of a sale as being "...clear of the land of Joseph Blades".

25 Mar 1768 #312
Jesse Blades and his wife Rebecca, and Brawton Cullen and his wife Sarah, sell to Robert Mitchell "Andrew's Folly", which Rebecca and Sarah appear to have received as a joint inheritance.

18 Nov 1769 #320
John Blades witnesses the will of Benjamin Henderson, Worcester Co.

8 Dec 1769 #312
Joseph Blades [Parents not certain, but appears to be the son of James Sr., grandson of George Sr.] of Dorchester Co. purchases from Peter Webb of Talbot Co., 105 acres of "Webb's Point", formerly called "Robin's Grange".

1770 #77, #320
The will of Joseph Blades [Parents not certain, but appears to be the son of James Sr., grandson of George Sr.] is recorded in Dorchester Co. The will names his wife Esther, and children: George, Thomas, Levin, John, Mary (Clark), Dorothy, Elizabeth [wife of John Blades Jr., son of John Blades Sr., grandson of Edmund Sr. great-grandson of George Sr.], Sarah and one child unborn.

30 Oct 1773 #73
The administration account of John Blades [son of Edmund Sr., grandson of George Sr.] lists as administrators John's wife Elizabeth [Cooper] and another John Blades [parents not known - probably John's son].
An additional entry for this administration account lists Edmund Blades [son of Edmund Sr., grandson of George Sr.] and Dorothy Blades [sister of John & Edmund Jr., daughter of Edmund Sr., granddaughter of George Sr.].

28 Jan 1775 #48
Levin Blades marries Betsy Newnam in Caroline Co. [Parents not known]

19 Feb 1775 #89
George Blades is one of the appraisers of the estate of Habakkuk Morgan of Caroline Co. [Parents not known]

1776 #60
Revolutionary War militia rolls of the Talbot Co. 38th Battalion include: Edmund Blades Sr., Edmund Blades Jr., and William Blades in the Miles River Company. Benjamin Blades, Edmund Blades, Thomas Blades and Levi Blades in the United Company.

3 Sep 1776 #23
The household of John Blades is recorded in the Talbot C. 1776 census. It includes 2 males ages 16-50, 1 male under age 16, 1 female age 16-50 and 1 female under age 16. No other Blades families are recorded in the county.

5 Feb 1777 #25
The General Assembly of Maryland passes a law requiring its citizens to take an Oath of Allegiance to the State of Maryland and the cause of freedom. The only Blades in Talbot County recorded as having taken the oath is Edmond Blades Jr.

Jan 1788 #80
Serving in the Continental Service during Revolutionary War: John Blades (POW) and James Blades (MIA) in the 2nd Regiment. William Blades in the 7th Regiment. Thomas Blades and John Blades of Talbot Co.

1782 #41
Arnold Blades, age 28 (born ca 1754), identifies himself as the son of James Blades in a Caroline Co. deposition.

1783 #24
The 1783 tax list for Talbot Co. records the following individuals: John and Elizabeth Blades, both owning a portion of "Matthew Circumvented" and both with a household of 5 persons. Thomas Blades, a single man owning no property, and his security, John Blades.

1783 #141
The 1790 Federal Census of Maryland records the following Blades households:
Caroline Co.: Tilghman, John, Joseph, Levin, Thomas, Anderton, Mary
Talbot Co.: Isaiah, James (2), Edmund (2), John
Worcester Co.: Benjamin, Samuel, John

1786 #41
Levin Blades, age 31 (born ca 1755), gives a deposition in Caroline Co. [Parents not known]
Thomas Blades, age 33 (born ca 1753), gives a deposition in Caroline Co. [Parents not known, although there are several possibilities]

30 May 1796 #19
Benjamin Blades [son of John Sr., grandson of Edmund Sr., great-grandson of George Sr.] marries Ann Sewall, Talbot Co.

1797 #52
Will of Henry Turner of Queen Anne's Co. identifies his daughter Lucretia as the wife of John Blades. [Parents not known]

26 Jan 1801 #142
The 1800 Federal Census of Maryland records the following Blades households:
Talbot Co: Edmund (2)

26 Mar 1801 #19
George Blades [son of Edmund Jr., grandson of Edmund Sr., great-grandson of George Sr.] marries Sarah Jackson, Talbot Co.

23 Dec 1802 #19
John Blades [son of John Jr., grandson of John Sr., great-grandson of Edmund Sr,. great-great grandson of George Sr.] marries Lydia Armstrong, Talbot Co.

19 Sep 1805 #19
Levin Blades [son of John Sr., grandson of Edmund Sr., great-grandson of George Sr.] marries Anne Ruark, Talbot Co.

24 Sep 1805 #87
Garretson Blades of Dover Ferry, Caroline Co. offers a reward in the newspaper for a missing horse.

9 Sep 1806 #55
William Jackson of Greensborough, Caroline Co. petitions for confirmation of a deed given by Edmund Blades [son of Edmund Sr., grandson of George Sr.] to Henry Casson.

3 Dec 1807 #162
The will of Edmund Blades Jr. [son of Edmund Sr., grandson of George Sr.] is written, Talbot Co. Names wife Elizabeth and nine children, two of whom had already died: Edmund III, Mary, Francis, Rebecca, John, George, Sarah, Betsy (dec'd), James (dec'd).

22 Feb 1810 #19
Thomas Blades marries May Greenhawk, Talbot Co.

20 Oct 1810 #19, #166
Edmund Blades [son of Edmund Jr., grandson of Edmund Sr., great-grandson of George Sr.] marries Mary Fairbanks, Talbot Co.

15 Oct 1811 #346
Garretson Blades listed as First Captain of the 1st Battalion of the 19th Regiment, Caroline Co. Militia during the War of 1812. [See May 1831 entry for the estate of same]

21 Apr 1812 #100
Joseph Blades marries Polly Blades, Dorchester Co.

4 Mar 1813 #19
James Blades marries Deborah Larrimore, Talbot Co.

14 Apr 1813 #38
Serving in Capt. Joseph Kemp's militia company during the War of 1812 from Talbot Co.: Perry Blades (1st Corporal), Edmund Blades Jr., Levin Blades, John Blades Jr., Cooper Blades, John Blades Sr., Edmund Blades Sr. (listed as over age 45).

3 Jan 1814 #100
Eli Blades marries Margaret Banning, Dorchester Co.

20 Oct 1814 #38
Serving in Capt. Joseph Kemp's militia company during the War of 1812 from Talbot Co.: Levin Blades, John Blades Jr., John Blades Sr.

20 Nov 1814 #38
Serving in Capt. William Jordan's militia company during the War of 1812 from Talbot Co.: Thomas Blades.

3 Oct 1815 #19
Benjamin Blades [son of John Sr., grandson of Edmund Sr., great-grandson of George Sr.] marries 2nd wife, Mary Ann Reed, Talbot Co.

1818 #52
Caroline Co. land records of Thomas Walker identify his daughter Nancy as the wife of Jesse Blades. [son of John Sr., grandson of Edmund Sr., great-grandson of George Sr.]

18 Dec 1818 #101
Rachel Blades and Charles Thompson, Dorchester Co.

6 Jan 1819 #19
James Blades marries Mary Harris, Talbot Co.

6 Apr 1824 #19
John Sewall Blades [son of Benjamin, grandson of John Sr., great-grandson of Edmund Sr., great-great grandson of George Sr.] marries Elizabeth Andrews, Talbot Co.

1 Oct 1824 #19
Cooper Blades marries Margaret Dawson, Talbot Co.

1825 #52
Caroline Co. land records of Thomas Walker identify his daughter Margaret as the wife of Thomas Blades, Jr. [Might be the son of John Sr., grandson of Edmund Sr., great-grandson of George Sr.]

20 Jan 1829 #101
Margaret Blades marries Thomas Morain, Dorchester Co.

May 1831 #58
Newspaper reports the ratification of the sale of Caroline Co. land from the estate of Garretson Blades. Mentioned in this article are Thomas Blades, Elizabeth Ann Blades, Alexander Blades, and Nancy the widow of Garretson Blades. [family line not known]

14 Aug 1832 #58
Newspaper prints a list of land owners who owe taxes for 1830 and 1831 in Talbot Co. This list includes Levin Blades [probably the son of John Jr., grandson of John Sr., great-grandson of Edmund Sr., great-great grandson of George Sr.] and John Blades Sr. of District 2.

24 May 1834 #100
Coleman B.P. Blades marries Maria D. Wingate, Dorchester Co.

20 Jun 1839 #100
George Blades marries Sarah Ann Helsby, Dorchester Co.

Sources

19. Talbot Co., MD Marriage Licenses 1794-1824, Raymond B. Clark Jr. & Sara Seth Clark
23. Maryland Records, Colonial, Revolutionary County and Church from Original Sources (1776 Census of Maryland), Gaius Marcus Brumbaugh, M.S., M.D.
24. 1783 Tax List of Maryland, Part 1, Talbot Co., MD, Bettie Stirling Carothers
25. Maryland Oaths of Fidelity, 1777-1778, Vol. 1, Bettie Stirling Carothers
27. Pennsylvania Magazine of History & Biography, Vol. 29, 1905, Register of St. Michael's Parish, Talbot Co., MD, Atherton Leach
38. Maryland Militia, War of 1812, F. Edward Wright
39. A Tavern in the Town, R. Bernice Leonard
41. More Maryland Deponents 1716-1799, Henry C. Peden Jr.
48. Maryland Marriages 1634-1777, Robert Barnes
51. Maryland Marriage Clues, Vol. 1, Irma Sweitzer Harper
52. Maryland Marriage Clues, Vol. 2, Irma Sweitzer Harper
53. Maryland Marriage Clues, Vol. 3, Irma Sweitzer Harper
55. Maryland Eastern Shore Newspaper Abstracts, Vol. 2, 1806-1812, F. Edward Wright
58. Maryland Eastern Shore Newspaper Abstracts, Northern Counties, Vol. 7 1830-1834, F. Edward Wright
59. Early Settlers of Maryland, 1633-1680, Gust Skordas
60. Maryland Militia in the Revolutionary War, S. Eugene Clements & F. Edward Wright
62. Talbot Co., MD Land Records, Book 9 1745-1751, R. Bernice Leonard
63. Talbot Co., MD Land Records, Book 10 1751-1758, R. Bernice Leonard
69. Abstracts of the Inventories of the Prerogative Court 1726-1729, V.L. Skinner
73. Abstracts of the Inventories of the Prerogative Court, Vols. 110-118, 1772-1774, V.L. Skinner
77. Index of Maryland Colonial Wills, 1634-1777, James M. Magruder Jr.
79. Citizens of the Eastern Shore, Vol. 1, 1659-1750, F. Edward Wright
80. Muster Rolls and Other Records of Service of Maryland Troops in the American Revolution, 1775-1783, Maryland Historical Society & the Archives of Maryland, originally published in 1900
85. Maryland Calendar of Wills, Vol. 11 1753-1760, F. Edward Wright
87. Maryland Eastern Shore Newspaper Abstracts, Vol 1 1790-1805, F. Edward Wright
89. Maryland Colonial Abstracts: Wills, Accounts & Inventories, 1772-1777, James M. Magruder Jr.
91. Talbot Co., MD Land Records, Book 5 1712-1725, R. Bernice Leonard
93. Talbot Co., MD Land Records, Book 11 1758-1765, R. Bernice Leonard
100. Dorchester Co., MD Marriage Licenses 1780-1855, Katherine H. Palmer
101. Marriage References, Circuit Court, Dorchester Co, MD 1780-1867, B. Jean Woolston
128. Helen E. "Betty" Radcliffe Seymour (Blades family)
141. 1790 Census
142. 1800 Census
162. Will of Edmund Blades Jr., Talbot Co., MD, JP6 pp. 181-183, 3 Dec 1807, transcription
166. The Thomas Blades of E. Family Bible, photocopy of original
178. Maryland Genealogies, Vols. I and II, Thomas L. Hollowak
186. The Register of the Parish Church of Grinton in Swaledale, County York, Yorkshire Parish Register Society, Vol. 23, F. William Slingby
254. Will of Edmund Blades Sr., Talbot Co., MD, Book 16, pg 119, SR4423-1, 14 Feb 1741, photocopy of original
308. Abstracts from the land records of Dorchester Co., MD, Volume B, James A. McAllister, Jr.
309. Abstracts from the land records of Dorchester Co., MD, Volume C, 1732-1745, James A. McAllister, Jr.
310. Abstracts from the land records of Dorchester Co., MD, Volume E, James A. McAllister, Jr.
311. Abstracts from the land records of Dorchester Co., MD, Volume F, James A. McAllister, Jr.
312. Abstracts from the land records of Dorchester Co., MD, Volume G, 1767-1771, James A. McAllister, Jr.
320. Abstracts of Maryland Will Book #38, Vol. 2, Annie Walker Burns & Bettie Stirling Carothers
346. Caroline Co., MD Militia in the War of 1812, F. Edward Wright