BLADEN, Thomas (?1698-1780), of St. James’s, Westminster.

Born in Maryland, the son of a prominent local official,Maryland Hist. Mag. v. 297-9; Amer. DNB (Bladen, Wm.). Bladen disposed of his Maryland property on his father’s death. Brought into Parliament in 1727 for Steyning by the Duke of Chandos at the request of his uncle Martin Bladen,Duke of Chandos to Martin Bladen, 7, 22 Aug. 1727, Chandos letter bks. he voted with the Government. Soon after his marriage he bought the Glastonbury Abbey estate from the Duke of Devonshire for £12,700.Phelps, Som. i. 540. Defeated at Amersham in 1734 and again in February 1735 he came in on a vacancy at Ashburton, where he was defeated in 1741. Soon afterwards he returned to Maryland as deputy governor on the recommendation of his brother-in-law, Lord Baltimore, the proprietor of the colony. Often at variance with the Maryland assembly, in 1746 he relinquished his office,Proc. and Acts of Assembly 1740-7 (Maryland Archives, xlii, xliv.). returning for good to England, where he died 2 Feb. 1780.