The Bladon one name study commenced in 1990 when as a teenager I decided to research my maiden name.  It didn't take long to research back to my 5 x great grandfather when I then hit a 15 year brick wall.  I then began gathering all occurrence's to the name and constructing other Bladon trees along the way. after knocking my brick wall down, several of these trees have been incorporated into my tree which is now back to the late 1400's - my 13 x grandfather!  At long last I have got round to making my research an official one name study. In addition I have self published a number of books on the Bladon family and these are available via Amazon.

Research has shown the early Bladons appear in the Derbyshire parish of Newton Solney (on the Derbyshire/Staffordshire border) during the 1300's.  A lost hamlet of the parish was known as Bladon and a hill in the parish is known as Bladon Hill today.  It is thought the surname originates from here rather than Bladon in Oxfordshire.  The Bladen spelling also has its origins in Newton Solney and this family relocated to Shropshire and the Black Country.  It is a locative name.

Adam de Blawdon 1438 of Newton Solney one of the earliest Bladons

Thomas Edward Bladon 1849-1928 my 1st cousin 4 x removed

Thomas Edward Bladon, founder of TE Bladon and Son Ltd of Birmingham. Upon leaving school, Thomas Edward became an apprentice at Mr CT Shaw diamond mounter in Birmingham. After some business partners, Thomas Edward then went alone and became a lamp manufacturer at 4 James Street, which by 1907 became Thomas Edward Bladon & Son. By now the business was manufacturing cart lamps, ship, hand, cycle, window and street lamps, oilcans and feeders, tin and iron plate workers. On 20th January 1916, the business was registered as TE Bladon and son Ltd. He died in 1928. On the death of Thomas Edward, his son William Edward became the director and during World War Two, the factory was used for essential war work.

Items manufactured by TE Bladon and Son Ltd

Blow lamps – petrol and paraffin of all sizes
Sentinel Heaters
Railway Lamps
Oilcans
Brazing lamp
Detector Lamps
Horse singeing tool
TE Bladon and Son also manufactured the above for the following companies, GPO, Military, diamond brand and the various railway companies.  An interesting note is that one of his grandsons, James Arthur Roberts, son of his youngest daughter Sarah Amelia, is an architect known for the Rotunda in Birmingham, Ringway Centre Birmingham, St John’s Centre Liverpool, West Bromwich manor (Civic Trust award) to name a few.

Joseph Bladon 1822-1850 half brother of my great x 4 grandfather

Joseph and his twin Mary were 18 months old when their father Edward Bladon (my great x 5 grandfather) died at the age of 61 in 1824. Their mother moved to Birmingham and remarried two years later to James Hoskins at Aston, Warwickshire. On Thursday 24th August 1848, (days before his sons first birthday), Joseph sailed from Liverpool at 5am aboard the 1300 ton baroque White Diamond Line ‘Ocean Monarch’ bound for Boston.  At around midday as the ship sailed six miles off the Great Orme, the captain was informed that smoke was coming out of one of the ventilators. Upon investigation, smoke was also found coming from the main cabin. Despite efforts to put out the fire, another part burst into flames. Several ships were in the area and rescued many passengers using their own boats but 178 passengers and crew perished. By 3pm, nothing was left of the Ocean Monarch. The cause of the fire was thought to be smoking amongst the passengers or as other reports give, a passenger making a fire in a wooden ventilator on the third deck. Many bodies were washed up along the coast of England and Wales, sadly many were never identified. On the evening of Friday 8 September and Saturday 9 September, five bodies were washed ashore at Formby being three men and two women and were buried on the 12th at St Peters Church, Formby, only one was identified, that being Joseph Bladon. 

According to the ONS database, there are 889 Bladons as of September 2002, with the name being the 7262 most common name in the UK.

In 1881, the most populous county for the Bladon name was Staffordshire with 206 followed by nearby Warwickshire 57, Worcestershire 47 and Derbyshire 38, hardly any change to when parish records began with Staffordshire and Derbyshire being the populous counties for the name then.

England and Wales

All the GRO entries, Census 1841-1911, 1939 Register and Wills have been recorded along with various Parish Register entries for Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire (including Birmingham) and Worcestershire.  Twenty five other Bladon trees on file with corresponding information.

Scotland

GRO entries and 1841-1911 census

Australia

Births, marriages and deaths available online and wills

Canada

Births, marriages and deaths available online and the census

USA

Census 1850-1940

New Zealand

Births, marriages and deaths available online 

DNA Y project newly started.  Early evidence shows a genetic link between Bladens and Bladons

My Bladon web site can be found here

Bladon Family History – Web site for the family history of the Bladon family (wordpress.com)