Nugent'a "Cavaliers and Pioneers" (BK #843) also shows on page 128 that a patent was listed
to Richard Jackson of Isle of Wight County, Virginia, March 13, 1641 for 450 acres, 350 by
assignment from Thomas Stamp and John Sweet of their rights from transporting seven persons,
and 100 acres for transporting two persons at their own cost. The list includes the name of
Mathew Bletstowe.
The Maryland Historical and Genealogical Bulletin, (BK#844) Vol. 7, p. 48 shows the name of
Roger Bletsoe, servant in 1641. ABH 27. (It is suggested that the ABH 27 may indicate the
book and page in the county records).
The names Mathew Bledsoe and Roger Bledsoe do not show in any of the English records, but
there is one Robert Bletsoe, half brother of William Bletsoe (#3) who was probably born about
1590 to 1595. He would have been rather elderly to have come to Virginia in 1664.
The four or five men named Bledsoe undoubtedly came from England to America, but the
records do not show which William or Robert or Matthew or Roger came here or where they
came from. The records show that they arrived but do not show what became of them, whether
they stayed here or went back to England. As nothing is known about any of them it does not
seem possible to figure that any one of them could have been the father of the Bledsoes in
America. The possibility cannot be completely ruled out, because there are Bledsoe names that
crop up in later years that have so far not beenconnected with the parts of the family that have
been traced, so there is a chance that one or more of those named may have stayed in America
and raised a family. It is also possible that some of these unconnected names may be due to later
arrivals from England. Also in the parts of the family that have been traced there are places
where additional names can fit in and there is no assurance that all of the children in some of
these families have been listed or accounted for, so it may be found that the unconnected names
belong to those lines.
The lack of proof of connection with the English family and the uncertainty of the records of
some of those who stayed in America caused Miss Maud McLure Kelly to say some years ago
that "The Bledsoes are so sweet - so vague as to proof."
It is not known what part of England this George Bledsoe may have come from but he was
brought to Virginia by Hugh Gwin who must have had a base of operations at some English port
where he assembled groups to come with him to America. If the name of Gwin's home port and
the name of his ship could be found it might provide a good starting place from which to trace
this George Bledsoe and find his connection with the English Bledsoes.
This is the only place where George as a first name for a Bledsoe has been found in the records
of the English family. But the name George does show as George Bledsoe who left a will dated
Jan. 23, 1704/5 in Northumberland County, Virginia. Some have assumed that the George
Bledsoe of 1652 is the same George Bledsoe who left the will in 1704/5, but when the few
available records are carefully examined, it seems that there must have been two George
Bledsoes, very probably father and son.
There is no record of the birth of the George Bledsoe who left a will, but a study of that will and
other records seems tio indicate that he must have been born about 1655. Then there is a Sarah
Bledsoe who has been "positively identified" as a daughter of George Bledsoe (which one not
stated) who married Thomas Dameron who was born in 1650. It has been generally assumed
that she was the daughter of the George Bledsoe who left the will in 1704/5 but niether she nor
her children were named in that will. Generally when a man had grandchildren, he referred to
them in his will even though his daughter may have died before the will was written or may have
received her share of the estate when she married.
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