Another update

I have visited Matlock over Christams and searched the Marston on Dove and Church Broughton registers - a few discoveries there. I have copies of 3 marriage licences, 3 wills of Bladon husbands which have helped.

Yesterday I went to Staffrod and looked a the trial records of John Bladon. This was a settlement dispue between Sudbury and Uttoxeter. I searched the early Uttoxeter registers as well. Things are progressing slowly, but it does when you are back this far!

Update

I have had 2 visits to Matlock looking at Parish chest records for Sudbury and Doveridge. Found some useful entries that put 'flesh on the bones'. i also double checked the parish registers for Sudbury and Doveridge.

I also received the will that the Chancery Dispute is all about and this is most helpful as it mentioned married female Bladon's and relationships so I now have proof that the Bladon's who became Vicars of Hanbury and Carsington are on my tree.

Matlock Visit

I visited Matlock again last Saturday, hoping it would be the last time before Christmas, however I don't think it will be!
I ordered the Glebe Terriers for Somersal Herbert but there were noBladon's mentioned so I decided to look again at the vernon family Papers index in case I missed anything. I found the Sudbury Manor Court Rolls up to the 1640's and decided to look at those. They were full of Bladon's and this bundle only started in 1600, there are earlier ones! Typically I ran out of time so another visit before Christmas!

Chancery Dispute

It arrived a week after I had been to Kew and takes a lot of reading but is very interesting. From what I can make out, Elizabeth Bladon married John Platts and the dispute is over her uncles land - Thomas Barnes. It staes Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry Bladon and he was the eldestson of Thomas Bladon and Elizabeth Barnes, sister of Thomas. A William Bladon brought the case to dispute and it is him I am interested in.

I have since found out there is the next stage of the case at the National Archives involving interviews with family so I have this on order. There is also another part of the case from 1703 which Ialso have on order. I am hoping somewhere it will say the relationship between the Paltts and William Bladon as I am back to a William who is possibly an Uncle to Elizabeth and William also had a son William.

Kew

Been a quiet summer research wise - more internet searches on modern day records. Last Saturday I went down to Kew on the Derbyshire Family history society coach trip- which I organsied!

I had a good day. There is one exemption certificate surviving for the Heath tax for Somersal Herbert and it is for ThomasBLADON my great x 8 grandfather! Took a copy of that. Why he didn't have to pay itI don't know. HE left £30 in his will dated 1698 - over £2k in todays money.

The other piece of information was a chancery dispute between the Platts and Bladon's. Elizabeth Bladon married a John Platt and this document relates t a will of Wiliam Bladon. Elizabeths dad was Henry Bladon of Potter Somersal, possibly a brother of William my 9xgrandfather and father of Thomas mentioned above. I didn't get chance to study the document there but am waiting for a copy of it.

Vernon rental books

I hve now searched all the rental books from 1735-1810 (some earlier ones) so now I have the big task of sorting them all out and then planning my next move. There are no archives for the Fitzherberts of Somersall Herbert so it may be the Quarter Session records next - after the summer!

Archive visit

Yesterday I visited a local archive. They hold some of the early rental books relating to the Vernon family. The earliest book was from 1597 and the first Bladon was in 1620! Two other books were from the 1660's which is at the same period as the Hearth Tax so I knew there would be some them. The other books I looked at were the day book from Lord Vernons agent - some Bladon entries popped up there and a receipt book again a few entries. When I arrived back home and everything, I realised I had made an error and Bladon Crofts was oposite Somersal Hall NOT at Hill Somersall where they lived at times. I now have to put it all together.

The previous Saturday I had gone to Matlock and looked at the Easter Book for Doveridge. The Bladons of West Broughton were mentioned in that. I hope to go back to Matlock before the summer holidays.