George Bledsoe (abt. 1635 - 1705)

Born about 1635 in England

Husband of Anne (Jennings) Bledsoe — married 1670 in Colony of Virginia

Husband of Elizabeth (Morton) Bledsoe — married 1698 (to 1705) in Colony of Virginia

Descendants

Died 15 Aug 1705 at about age 70 in Wicomico, Northumberland County, Colony of Virginia

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George Bledsoe resided in the Southern Colonies in North America before 1776. Join: US Southern Colonies Project Discuss: southern_colonies

Biography

Birth

George Bledsoe (Bletsoe) was probably the son of Lewis Bletsoe (abt.1601-1638) and Isabell (Pridmore) Bletsoe (abt.1603-1637), who was baptized 8 April 1632 in Barton Seagrave, Northamptonshire, England.^[1][2] Sadly, both his parents died when George was very young. His father remarried after George's mother died but whether his step-mother, Dorothy (Sawford) Bletsoe, continued to care for the orphaned Bletsoe children after she remarried is unknown.

Emigration

The emigrant ancestor, George Bledsoe (ca. 1635-1705), came to America from England, probably in the year 1652.^[3] He appears in Northumberland Co., Va. in 1672. He was reportedly married twice: (1) to Anne (ca. 1652-1698) ca. 1670; and (2) to Elizabeth (ca. 1656-1708) ca. 1698. While sources referencing George's marriage to Elizabeth have been found,^[4][5] no original or derivative source has been found to substantiate his marriage to Anne, though she is mentioned in unsourced authored genealogies.^[6]

George's descendants soon migrated through the expanding American colonies and can be found in Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Texas, Georgia and elsewhere.

Children

All Children listed in Will. According to his will, George had five sons.

1. William Bledsoe, b. Between 1677 and 1685, Northumberland County, Virginia d. 19 Apr 1770, Bromfield Parish, Culpeper County, Virginia -
2. Abraham Bledsoe, b. Between 1678 and 1679, Northumberland County, Virginia d. 29 May 1753, Granville County, North Carolina
3. John Bledsoe, b. 1681, Northumberland County, Virginia d. 1728, Northumberland County, Virginia
4. George Bledsoe, b. 1683, Northumberland County, Virginia d. 1719, Northumberland County, Virginia
5. Thomas Bledsoe, b. Abt 1690, Northumberland Co., VA d. Aft 15 Jul 1719, Northumberland Co., VA.
   

Interestingly, these sons have names that correspond to three of George's siblings. He had brothers named: Abraham, Thomas, William, Humphrey and Lewis.

Will

Will of George Bledsoe:^[4]

In the name of God, Amen, I George Bledsoe of the county of Northumberland: in the colony of Virginia, being sick and weak of body, but of sound and perfect memory, do make this my last will and testament, revoking and dis-annulling all former will and wills by me heretofore made.

Imprimis: I bequeath my soul to God, my Maker, hoping to be saved by the merits of the blessed Savior, Jesus Christ, and my body I commit to the earth there to be buried in decent and Christian manner as my executors hereafter named shall think meet and convenient, and my worldly estate I dispose of as followeth:

Item: I give to my loving wife Eliza. Bledsoe all that estate she finds upon the plantation she brought along with her, and if she thinks it not convenient to leave the same estate and take her proportionable part with the rest of my children and likewise allow one cow and the negro Nan, and if it please God to call me home before the crop is disposed of that she shall have her share with my children of the aforesaid crop.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my son John Bledsoe the proportionable part of my land lying and adjoining Mr. Thomas Damerone, Senr's land and my will is that my son George Bledsoe have liberty to work upon the said land withouth trouble or molestation of the said John, provided he take care to manage the same during his natural life, but not to make waste of havoc of the same nor rent, sell or embezzle it to any one.

Item: I give unto my son William Bledsoe the plantation I now live upon and his part of land, together with all houses, fences, orchards, etc. that are upon it.

Item: I give unto my son, Abraham Bledsoe, my proportional part of land lying and adjoining next to John Nickless and running along the ridge next to the school house and my will is that if any of the three sons: Abraham, William and John Bledsoe should die without issue lawfully begotten of their body, that then their said land or lands to fall to my son Thomas Bledsoe his heirs and assigns forever.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my son Thomas Bledsoe one feather bed and my will is that my three sons: Abraham, William and John be at equal charge to keep my son Thomas three years at school, and to hire upon the plantation along with William till he comes to the age of 2l years, and for the remainder of my personal estate my will and desire is that my good friends: Mr. James Waddy, Mr. John Nickless and James Richardson, divide it proportionally to the best of their judgments and discretion amongst my children.

Item: My will and desire is that what hogs I die possessed with not be shared amongst my children, but be left for the use and benefit of those that live upon the plantation.

Lastly: I do hereby ordain and appoint my two sons: Abraham and William Bledsoe, sole executors of this my last will and testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this 23d day of January 1704/5 Signed, sealed and declared to be his last will and testament in the presence of us:

James Richardson: John Nickless; Tho. Dameron, Jr . Aug. 15, 1705.

This will was probated in Northumberland Court to be the last will and testament of George Bledsoe, deceased: by the oaths of John Nickless and Tho. Dameron, Jr., two of the witnesses thereto and same is recorded.

Research Notes

Disputed Origins

A previous version of this profile claimed, without sources, that George was the son of William Bletsoe and Alice Cobb. Lacking evidence or reliable sources for these parents, they have been detached.

Other Children

According to an entry in a derivative source extracted from an authored source, George Bledsoe also had a daughter named Sarah Bledsoe who married Thomas Dameron.^[7][8][9]

Negative Search Results

• Northumberland County, Virginia, Church Records of Births and Deaths, 1610-1810, pp. 8-13, FSL digital film 007645577, images 9-17, page by page search of the "B" surnames, no entries for Bledsoe.
• Northumberland County, Virginia, Deeds and Orders, 1650-1652, "B" index pages, FSL digital film 007645577, no entries for Bledsoe.
• Virginia Colonial Abstracts, volumes 2 and 3, Northumberland County, index, Volume 2, FSL digital film 007644648 and Volume 3, FSL digital film 007644648, no entries in index for Bledsoe.

Sources

1. ↑ "Northamptonshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1532-1812," database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/9198 : 5 July 2023) > Barton Seagrave > Parish Registers > 1609-1810 > image 30, George Bletsoe son of Lewis Bletsoe, 8 April 1632.
2. ↑ Francis Henry Bledsoe, The English origins of George Bledsoe of Virginia (1632-1705), (Greenville, SC: Author, 2001), 9-14; imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/viewer/443160 : 7 July 2023) > images 13-22 of 47.
3. ↑ Nell Marion Nugent, Cavaliers and pioneers: abstracts of Virginia land patents and grants, 1623-1800, in five volumes, (Richmond, VA: The Dietz Printing Co., 1934), 263; digital copy, Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/cavalierspioneer00nuge/page/262/mode/2up : 9 July 2023). Col. Hugh Gwin (Gwyn) was awarded acreage on 6 December 1652 under the headright land system for transporting George Bletsoe from England to the Virginia colony. Headright land was generally awarded within a year of the transported individual's arrival.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Northumberland County (Virginia), Record Book 1706-1720, pp. 16-17, George Bledsoe; image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/search/film/007645576 : 9 July 2023) > digital film 007645576 > image 482.
5. ↑ "Virginia, U.S., Marriages of the Northern Neck of Virginia," database, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/5063 : 18 July 2023) > image 50, George Bledsoe and Elizabeth Lattimore (wid.); citing, Robert K. Headley, Jr, Marriages of the Northern Neck of Virginia, (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2003), 43.
6. ↑ John Bennett Boddie, "Bledsoe of Spottsylvania, Virginia," in Historical southern families, 3 volumes, (Redwood, CA: Clearfield Co., 1959; Reprinted, Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1967), 3:117; digital copy, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/48275 : 18 July 2023) > image 114.
7. ↑ Robert K. Headley, Jr., Married well and often, marriages of the northern neck of Virginia, 1649-1800, (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2003), p. 100, Thomas Dareron, son of Lawrence & Dorothy Dameron, and Sarah Bledsoe, dau. of Geo. Bledsoe; images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/5063/images/gpc_marriedwellandoften-0114 : 15 August 2023).
8. ↑ Helen Foster Snow, The Dameron-Damron genealogy; the descendants of Lawrence Dameron of Virginia, with notes on the related Northumberland county families of Gaskins, Harvey, Bledsoe, Tignor, Ball, Coppedge-Coppage, Waddy, Taylor, Smith and the John Ladd Family originating Lower Norfolk county, Virginia, (Madison, CT: Author, 1953), pp. 52-53; images, HathiTrust (https://hdl.handle.net/2027/wu.89062874920?urlappend=%3Bseq=233%3Bownerid=13510798900457022-237 : 15 August 2023) > images 233 and 235 of 868.
9. ↑ Bryce O. Templeton,"A Bledsoe Genealogy," Virginia Genealogical Society Quarterly, (Richmond, VA: Virginia Genealogical Society, 1963- ), vol. 10, no. 2 (April 1972), p. 41; images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/6131/images/VGS_1972_01_01_0044 : 15 August 2023), Sarah Bledsoe.

See also:

• FamilySearch Person: LTN2-YXW
• Banks McLaurin, Bledsoe family quarterly. Check [WorldCat] listing of libraries holding this periodical. WikiTree genealogist Martin-32982 indicated he has a complete set of this journal publication.
• North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000
• The Bledsoe family in America. compiled by Banks McLaurin, Jr. Authors: McLaurin, Banks, 1888-1962 (Main Author) Publication: Dallas, Texas : B. McLaurin, Jr, c1993-
• John T. Bledsoe, [The Bledsoe family], [FamilySearch Catalog Listing]
• Banks McLaurin, [The Bledsoe family in America], [FamilySearch Catalog Listing]