Col. Martin Bladen 1680-1746
The following is in response to a recent posting "Bladens in London …" ref Wayne Bladen's enquiry.
COLONEL MARTIN BLADEN 1680-1746
MUSGRAVE'S OBITUARY
Martin Bladen of Abrey-hatch, Essex.Commissioner for Trade, poet, M.P. for Portsmouth 14 February 1746 (Whincop; Biog. Dram.; G.M. 107; L.M. 101; Parl Reg; Jacob 1, 282).
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(There may be errors in my transcription of this will, the original can be viewed on-line via the UK's Public Records Office, who charge a nominalfee.I would welcome being notified of any corrections)
Public Records Office - The National Archives
Catalogue Reference Prob 11/754
WILL FOR THE HONOURABLE MARTIN BLADEN
In the Name of God Amen
I Martin Bladen of Hanover Square in the County of Middlesex Esquire being in good state of health and sound mind and memory praise be God therefore do make this my Last Will and Testament as follows hereby revoking all Wills by me formerly made, I leave my body to be buried at the discretion of my Executors hereafter named and as to what worldly state it hath pleased Almighty God to bless me with all I dispose as follows imprims?? I give devise and bequeath all my manors lands tenements hereditaments and estate in the county of Northumberland by what names or titles so ever the same are desired to my daughter Isabella Bladen for and duringthe tenure of her natural life without impediment or for any manner of waste and after her demise to the first of her body lawfully begotten and the heirs of such first for ever but in case my said daughter Isabella shall die without issue of her body lawfully begotten I give and devise the same to my nephew Thomas Bladen Esquire and his heirs for ever.Item, I give devise and bequeath to my very good friend John Porter of London, gentleman, all my manors lands tenements hereditaments in the parish and estates in the parish of Ketton or elsewhere in the county of Rutland held by lease from the prebend of Ketton for three lives during the tenure of her natural life in lieu and full satisfaction of an annuity or rent charge payable to her of £200 which I have by indenture and poll charged my estates with all and all other items and demands she may by any way have upon my estate whatsoever except a legacy of £500 thereafter given her by this my will and mind and intention is that the five to be paid upon my death for the renewal of the Ketton Estate to be paid by my Executors out of my estate and the said John Porter's name put into fill up the three lives and after the death of the said John Porter I give devise and bequeath the said premises in the county of Rutland to John Porter, Martin Porter and Jane Porter infants and children of the said John Porter to be divided between them share and share alike in case any of them should be dead them to the survivors and if but one living I give the same to such survivor and his or her heirs for ever and my mind and will is often afterwards as any of the lives drop in the lifetime of the said John Porter the mother the same to be filled up by my executors hereafter named and all charges and expenses of such renewals and renewals be paid out of what I have given by this my will to the said three infants and allow by them or such of them who are entitled to have the benefit of the said premises after the death of their said mother and in case all the said infants die in the lifetime of their said mother without leaving some lawfully begotten then I give and devise the same premises in the county of Rutland aforesaid to my nephew Thomas Bladen and his heirs for ever from whereas I stand charged by fines, deed poles or bonds and am obliged to pay the several annuities or rents charges following viz to Mrs Stephenson wife of Alexander Stephenson Esquire the sum of £50 per annum during the tenure of her natural life and to Mrs Mary Wilson the sum of £40 per annum during the tenure of her natural life and to Mrs Gertrude Hanrock?? The sum of £20 per annum during the tenure of her natural life and to Mrs Shelley, widow, the sum of £40 per annum during the term of her natural life and whereas I have thought fit to devise and to hereby give devise and bequeath to Mrs Sarah Lloyd of St George's Hanover Square in the county of Middlesex £20 per annum during the tenure of her natural life.And to my niece Mrs Hawk the sum of £10 per annum during the tenure of her natural life and to my sister Elizabeth Sharp the sum of £20 per annum during the tenure of her natural life.And to the said John Porter, Martin Porter and Jane Porter the infants the sum of £20 per and to each of them during the lifetime of their said mother towards their maintenance and education now for the better securing the payment of all the said annuities my mind and will is that my two houses in Panton Square and Albermarle Street in the county of Middlesex at present rented byWalter Esquire and the Viscountess Dowager of Castlemaine in the Kingdom of Ireland each of them the said house let at the sum of £150 per and be charged and made payable for the payment of the respective annuities before mentioned amounting to the sum of £260 per and Item all the rest and residue of my lands tenements and heriditaments and houses and real copy hold and leasehold estates and all my personal estate wheresoever and whatsoever and of what nature and kind so ever I give devise and bequeath to the same to my executors hereafter named to be sold and disposed of and the money arising by such sale in the first place applied in payment and discharge of my just debts funeral expenses and the costs and charges my executors shall be in relation to the execution of this my Will and afterwards in payment of legacies hereinafter mentioned.Item I give devise and bequeath to the said Jane Porter the mother the sum of £500.Item to Mr John de Arboledarone £100.Item to my brother in law George Harman Esquire the sum of £100.Item to my sister Harman £20.Item to my nephew Hawk £20.Item to my niece Hawk the sum of £20.Item to my niece Pallem £20.Item to said nephew Bladen Esquire the sum of £200.Item to Sir John Shadwell Torso?? In physic £50.Item to Mr Braithwaite £20.Item to my coz Jackson, widow, £20.Item to every person in my service at the time of my demise a year's wages above what be done to them from the poor of the parish of Sunbury in the county of Middlesex £50.Item to the poor of the parish of St Georges Hanover Square in the county of Middlesex £50.Item to the poor of the county of Ketton in the county of Rutland £50.Item to JesseBadenhop of Hanover Square aforesaid, gentleman, £50.Item to William Triggs of the Inner Temple London Esquire the sum of £100.Item to Josiah Linborde of the parish of Marylebone in the county of Middlesex, gentleman, the sum of £100.Item to David Sant of the parish of St James Westminster in the county of Middlesex, Esquire, the sum of £100 and after payment of all my just debts funeral expenses and costs and charges in relation to the execution of my Will and all my legacies the rest and residue of the money arising from such sales shall be paid and equally divided between my daughter Isabella Bladen and John Porter, Martin Porter and Jane Porter the infants share and share alike, but in case any of them shall be dead to be divided amongst the survivors of all, but one be dead then to be paid to such survivor and my mind and will is that after the death of my respective administrator the said two houses be sold and the money divided between my daughter Isabella Bladen, John Porter, Martin Porter and Jane Porter the infants and in case any of the said be dead then to be divided and paid to the survivor or survivors and I make my daughter Isbella Bladen, John Porter, Martin Porter and Jane Porter the infants or the survivors or survivor of them my residuary legatees or legator and I do nominate and appoint the said Jane Porter the mother, William Triggs, Josiah Linborde and David Sant beforenamed Executors of this my will bearing date the fifth day of January anno domini 1726 Martin Bladen.Signed sealed published and declared being upon two sheets of paper in the presence of us who subscribed as witnesses to the request in his presence.Thomas Showell Junior, Henry Triggs and Thomas Pair.
On the 15th day of May in the year of Our Lord 1747 administration with the will annexed of the goods chattels and credits of the Honourable Martin Bladen late of the parish of St George Hanover Square in the county of Middlesex Esquire deceased was granted to the Revered John Emerson Clerk Creditor of the said deceased being first sworn duly to administer Jane Porter, William Triggs and David Sant three of executors named in the said Will dying in the lifetime of the said testator Josiah Laborde otherwise Labordes otherwise Lubirdo Esquire the other executor having renounced the execution thereof Isabella Tinker heretofore Bladen wife of John Tinker Esquire one of the residuary legatees named in the said Will having renounced the letters of administration of the said Will annexed of the goods and said deceased John Porter otherwise Bladen another of the residuary legatees being first duly cited and in no wise appearing Martin Porter and Jane Porter the other residuary legatees dying in the lifetime of the said testator and Frances Bladen, widow, the relict of the said deceased having renounced the said letters of administration with the said Will annexed of the goods and the said deceased.
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My comments:
The first major bequeath is "all my manors lands tenements hereditaments and estate in the county of Northumberland" to daughter Isabella.I found an article in Notes & Queries (Vol 7, 3rd S. (173) of Gentlemans Magazine dated 22nd April 1865 (page 326) "Hawke and Bladen Families" which referred to Martin being one-time owner of Barmoor Castle in the parish of Lowick, Northumberland-this is way up north-east close to the border with Scotland and close to Holy Island/Lindisfarne.I imagine Martin inherited this property from his father, Nathaniel who himself inherited from his maternal grandfather (Nathaniel Birkhead - born c.1575-1649.The Birkheads held substantial land/property/business in the north of England.There "may" be reference to Barmoor Castle within Nathaniel Birkhead's will, (Prob/11/211) but I'm struggling to read it clearly.I don't know what became of Barmoor Castle - it could perhaps have been sold during Martin's lifetime because I'm not aware of daughter Isabella living there.Had Isabella died prematurely, Martin intended nephew Gov. Thomas Bladen to be next in line.
Next major bequeath is "all my manors lands tenements hereditaments in the parish and estates in the parish of Ketton or elsewhere in the county of Rutland" … "to my very good friend John Porter".This, I find, very intriguing.Rutland is very close to where I live and even today is an extremely desirable place to live.There are lots of mansion-type houses still there (many as nursing homes), but on the Ketton Park estate itself (which still survives, with Keepers Lodge etc) there is now no house standing, but it was clearly an enormous estate.It seems absurdly generous to leave such a huge estate to a "friend".And this is where I could speculate about whether he was only a friend; in the last few lines of the will it refers to "John Porter otherwise Bladen".This to my mind suggests that John Porter was either known by the Bladen name at one time, or perhaps was a Bladen relative.There is also provision in the will for the education of John Porter's children (one of whom was called Martin).The article I earlier referred to, dated 1865 in Gentlemans Magazine, actually states that Martin had two daughters by his first wife Mary, daughter of Col. Gibbs.However, this is the only source I have seen to make this claim, but if it were true then it would be logical for his bequeath of Rutland to perhaps be connected.Again nephew Thomas Bladen is 2nd in line to this property.In fact, at his death, it is Isabella who takes up residence at Ketton, Rutland.In "Antiquities & History of Rutland" by Blore (1811), Blore describes how "Martin Bladen Esq had purchased this estate before the year 1723, and, on 22nd May 1723, obtained a renewal of the lease from Henry Green, then prebendary for the lives of Martin Bladen, Richard Smelt, son of Sarah Smelt, and Isabella Bladen, daughter of Martin Bladen".Isabella's grandson, Martin Bladen Tinker Esq sold this estate on 30th November 1786 to Gerard Noel-Edwards".
The third property, isn't a bequest but it is worth mentioning; Martin's residence (presumably his London town house) St George Hanover Square in London.I think that in 1746 or 47, after Martin's death, Gov Thomas Bladen returns to the UK from the US and I think he takes up residence in Martin's house.
To my knowledge, the Will for Martin's father, Nathaniel Bladen (1643-1704+), has never been found.Considering he was a lawyer, and inherited substantial land-holdings during his life-time, it seems very strange that he wouldn't produce a will.Another researcher, Shane Ware, has attempted to locate the will in the UK without success.I'm not aware that Nathaniel ever travelled abroad, but if (by some miracle) you hear of such a will existing in the USA - I'd be extremely keen to know about it.
I'd welcome anyone's comments on the above, additions or corrections would all be welcome.
Karen
More Replies:
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Re: Col. Martin Bladen 1680-1746
John Ferguson 3/29/09
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Re: Col. Martin Bladen 1680-1746
Karen Proudler 3/29/09
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Re: Col. Martin Bladen 1680-1746
John Ferguson 3/29/09
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Re: Col. Martin Bladen 1680-1746
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Re: Col. Martin Bladen 1680-1746