The Story of the Descendants
of
William Blanding I
by Charles L. Ketchum, Jr.
This is my story of William Blanding I and his descendants, primarily emphasizing the lineage which has led to my family.
William Blanding I is said to be the Common Ancestor of all Blandings in America. This surname has been variously spelled in records found in Massachusetts and around the world, Blanton, Blantine, Blandin and Blanding. William Blanding I, our immigrant ancestor came from Upton, upon the Seavern, Worcestershire, England, to Boston, MA, as early as 1639 and was admitted to the church there on October 8, 1642. He was a carpenter by trade. William was admitted a freeman, on May 10, 1643, a member of the Grand Inquest of the Colony during 1643-1648, and was a Deputy to the Plymouth Court during 1646-1651. He married Phebe ______ in 1641 and was a land owner at Muddy River (Brookline, MA) and held shares in the Taunton Iron Works. The general court granted him permission to keep a cook's shop "toward Roxbury" in 1647. William died at Boston on June 15, 1662. The Will he made, dated April 16, 1662, bequeathed all his property to his wife Phebe and his children, except William II. For not giving his son William more, he gave as his reason, "because he will not hearken to my counsel." He added that after the death of his wife, all property would go to his two daughters, and in case his daughters should die all his property was bequeathed to his older brother Ralph, and if Ralph should die without issue, his brother John of Upton, England, was to inherit his property.
2nd Generation - William Blanding II
My sixth great grand-father William Blanding II was born May 10, 1643 in Boston, MA. He settled in Rehoboth, MA, when a young man and married Bethiah Wheaton there on September 4, 1674.
William gave money to the Town of Rehoboth in 1675-1676 to assist in the defense against the Indians in King Philip's War. After the war the Town Council granted William land. The town records of May, 1680 read: "It is agreed upon that William Blanding should be granted one half acre of land upon the common, to build a house on the edge of Rocky Hill." William and Bethiah resided in Rehoboth for their entire life, raising seven children.
3rd Generation - Noah Blanding I
Noah Blanding I was my fifth great grand-father, born March 7, 1690 in Rehoboth, MA. He married his first wife Sarah Perry on March 28, 1713. Misfortune happened during this marriage. His first daughter, Sarah was born on April 17, 1714 and died May 31, 1714. Then his second daughter, which he also called Sarah was born the following year, on August 23, 1715, but complications arose from this birth, and his wife died on September 14, 1715.
He married his second wife, Rebeckah _____ on June 15, 1719. Noah and his wife Rebeckah were listed as members of the 2nd Congregational Church of Attleborough, Massachusetts, in full Communion.
Noah was a cattle farmer during his lifetime, and raised his five children including Sarah from his first wife, in the County of Bristol, MA.
4th Generation - Noah Blanding II
Noah Blanding II was my fourth great grand-father, born on September 12, 1721 in Rehoboth, MA. He married his first wife Martha Cooper on January 4, 1738 in Rehoboth. She died February 14, 1752 and six years later he married his second wife Bridget French on November 23, 1758.
Noah was listed as a Continental Soldier in the War for Independence. He took part in the war during several alarms.
Noah and his wife Bridget were listed as members of the 2nd Congregational Church of Attleborough, Massachusetts, in full Communion, in 1776 and all their children were baptized there.
5th Generation - Joseph Blanding
My third great grand-father Joseph Blanding was born on March 2, 1766 in Attleborough, MA, and married Huldah Martin there on April 26, 1790.
In 1794 he left his native home in Massachusetts, for the "settlement of the Nine Partners" in Susquehanna County, PA, afterwards called Harford. Five years later after preparing his homestead he brought his family there. This was at the infancy of the settlement, and Joseph was given a share in the privations and hardships which, in a large measure, fell to the first settlers of this region.
In 1813 Joseph united with the Congregational Church. Down to the closing years of his life he loved to attend its public worship, its meetings for business and prayer, and cherished an abiding interest in its prosperity. His conversion to Christ and His truth, dated back to1803. Before that time he had been imbued with skeptical opinions, and had not failed to give open expressions of his aversion to the truth and worship of God.
During a brief season of missionary labor performed at Harford, by Rev. Seth Williston, and while attending a conference meeting to which he had gone for the purpose of caviling, Joseph was awakened to a just view of his own ways. His conversion was the first one in an interesting revival of religion commenced at that time. Then, to his last hours, as far as he had the power of intelligible utterances, he showed unwavering faith in Christ and love to His truth, much patience in infirmities, and a consoling hope of a better inheritance. His death was believed to be a great loss of one of the communities church fathers.
6th Generation - Reba Blanding
My second great grand-father Reba Blanding was born in 1801 in Harford, Susquehanna County, PA. He moved to Wayne County, PA early in his life and married Beulah Ann Grenell from Clinton, Wayne County, PA on September 4, 1826.
Reba bought property in Wayne County from Beulah Ann's brother Homer and his wife Lydia Grenell on August 28, 1828, for $96.00 and purchased a larger parcel with buildings and water rights for $200.00 on February 26, 1846.
In the1850 Wayne County, PA Census, Reba's real estate was worth $1,200.00, in the1860 his real estate was worth $2,500.00 and his personal worth $800.00. In 1870 his real estate was worth $4,000.00 and his personal worth $980.00.
7th Generation - Chester Blanding
Chester Blanding was my great grand-father born on March 31, 1840 in Clinton Township, Wayne County, PA. He married Kate E. Van Fleet at the Methodist Episcopal parsonage, Kirkwood, NY, on December 9, 1885, by Rev. J. H. Weston, both living in New Milford, PA at that time. On June 8, 1888 my grand-mother Beulah Jane was born and the family was residents of New Milford, Susquehanna County, PA for many years..
Chester Blanding died at the home of his sister, Marietta Darling in Clinton, Wayne County, PA, on Tuesday, October 3, 1905, aged 65 years and 6 months. His death was caused by disease of the heart.
8th Generation - Beulah Jane Blanding
Beulah Jane Blanding was my grand-mother, was born on June 8, 1888. She was married first to George Luther Ketchum on May 18, 1904 and second to Thomas A. Joyce. My father was born in 1904, when Beulah was married to George. In 1912, she divorced him for desertion.
This ends the Blanding part of my family.
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