Thomas Bladen

Thomas Bladen (* 1698 in the later US state of Maryland ; † 1780 in England ) was a British politician, member of the House of Commons and colonial governor of the Province of Maryland .

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Thomas Bladen was born as the eldest son of William Bladen (1672-1718), who had lived in Maryland since 1690. In 1712 Thomas Bladen traveled to England, where he attended Westminster School . In the following years he stayed in England. His family were influential and he was related by marriage to Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore , owner of the Province of Maryland. Through his influence, he managed to be elected to the British House of Commons, to which he belonged between 1727 and 1734 and then again from 1735 to 1741. There he first represented the constituency of Steyning and then the district of Ashburton.

In 1742 he was appointed the new colonial governor by his brother-in-law, Lord Baltimore. In this role he replaced Samuel Ogle , who had other duties in the motherland to perform during the War of Jenkins' Ear . Thomas Bladen held his new office between 1741 and 1747 before he was replaced by Ogle. During his time as governor, he held other higher colonial offices in personal union. He negotiated a peace treaty with the Iroquois and was anxious to settle a border dispute with the Province of Pennsylvania . But the latter was not crowned with success. A breakthrough on this issue was not achieved until 1767. Only then was the dispute between the two colonies and the two dominant families Penn and Calvert settled with the establishment of the so-called Mason-Dixon line . Meanwhile, the conflict continued subliminally. He also hosted one of the first ice cream parties in what would later become the United States of America. But he did not succeed in becoming really popular as governor in Maryland. His behavior, described as tactless and contentious, made him increasingly unpopular with the colonists. This eventually led to his recall in 1747. He then returned to England, where he spent the rest of his life. In 1751 he was the executor of Lord Baltimore's will after the death of Lord Baltimore.

Web links

• Thomas Bladen in Virtual American Biographies