William Bladen

Background

William Bladen was born on February 27, 1673, at Hemsworth, Yorkshire, England, the son of Nathaniel Bladen and his wife Isabella, daughter of Sir William Fairfax, a general of Cromwell's time.

Career

Bladen came to Maryland in 1690, and soon became active in public affairs. In 1692 the Archives of Maryland record an allowance of 4, 000 pounds of tobacco to Bladen for transcribing the laws. In 1695 he was recompensed for "fair Copy of the Laws sent for England, 2 Journalls, 2 Copyes of the Court house act, " and in 1696 the records again reveal his clerical activities. Meanwhile, he was made clerk of the House of Assembly, and in 1696 he proposed to the Assembly the advantages of a printing-press for printing the laws and offered to send for press and appurtenances if the governor would give his permission for their use. Upon receiving the sanction of assembly, council, and governor, Bladen, "at Great Charge and Trouble, " as he informed the officials on May 4, 1700, finally procured "printing press Letters papers Inck printer &c. " For his assistance an ordinance was passed making obligatory the use of legal papers printed by Bladen and fixing the price thereof. The printing of the "body of Laws, so that every person might easily have them in their houses without being troubled to go to the County Court house to have recourse thereto" was arranged for, and it was also ordered that "every County be Oblidged to take one faire Coppy endorsed and Titled to be bound up handsomly" for which Bladen was to receive from each county 2, 000 lbs. of tobacco.

Evidently an inefficient printer had been obtained, as the committee that compared the printed laws with the original found many errata, and Bladen was required to have these printed and sent to the several counties. In 1698 he became clerk of the governor's council and Gov. Nicholson paid him tribute in a letter to the Board of Trade. Apologizing for his delay in forwarding journals, etc. , Nicholson says: "Another Reason is the great scarcity of good Clarks; (so that I am allmost forced to make according to the proverb Bricks without straw) only Mr. Wm. Blaiden whome I have found the most capable in all Respects, I have removed from being Clark of the House of Delegates, to that of the Council. " Collector of port and district of Annapolis, surveyor of port, register of court of admiralty, clerk of the free school, attorney-general of Maryland at a salary of 8100 a year, and clerk of council of state at a fee of 12, 000 lbs. of tobacco, are titles indicating some of the other offices in which Bladen served his generation. The exact date of Bladen's death is uncertain, but he was buried on August 9, 1718.

Achievements

• William Bladen has been listed as a noteworthy publisher, colonial official by Marquis Who's Who.

Connections

Bladen married Anne Van Swearingen in 1696; a son, Thomas, became proprietary governor of Maryland.

Father:

Nathaniel Bladen

Mother:

Isabella (Fairfax) Bladen

Spouse:

Anne (Van Swearingen) Bladen

Brother:

Martin Bladen

Grandfather:

Sir William Fairfax

Son:

Thomas Bladen