Ralph Blaisdell, of Lancashire, York and Salisbury

Ralph Blaisdell
Also Known As:	"Goodman Ralph Blasdel"
Birthdate:	March 11, 1593
Birthplace:	Chipping, Lancashire, England (United Kingdom)
Death:	before June 24, 1649 Salisbury, Essex County, Massachusetts
Place of Burial:	Salisbury, Essex, Mass
Immediate Family:	Husband of Elizabeth Ann Parker and Elizabeth Blaisdell Father of Henry Blaisdell; Elizabeth Blaisdell; Henry Blaisdell, Sr.; Sarah Blaisdell; Ralph Blaisdell and 2 others
Occupation:	tailor, tavern keeper, farmer

Managed by:	Christopher Garland
Last Updated:	April 27, 2022

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Immediate Family

About Ralph Blaisdell, of Lancashire, York and Salisbury

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Blaisdell-28

Disputed Origins

There has been no reliable source found that indicates origins of Ralph Blaisdell, no valid source for supposed parents Henry Blaisdell as father or Ellen (Hall) Bleasdell as mother. They have been detached. Also no source for exact birth date or place; they have been generalized.

Also detaching on Geni Henry Bleasdale, Jr and Ellen Blaisdell

http://www.familycentral.net/index/family.cfm?ref1=76050:1246&ref2=...

Ralph Bleasdell was born at Hawkshead, Lancashire, England 11 Mar 1593. His parents were Henry Blaesdell and Ellen Hall.

He married Mrs. Elizabeth Blaisdell 3 Sep 1629 at Hawkshead, Lancashire, England . Mrs. Elizabeth Blaisdell was born at Chipping, Lancashire, England 3 May 1612 daughter of Henry Parker and Mrs.Henry Parker .

They were the parents of 9 children:

Henry Bleasdale born 11 Jul 1630.
Elizabeth Bleasdale born 23 May 1631.
Henry Bleasdell born 7 Mar 1632.
Sarah Bleasdell born 17 Sep 1640.
Mary Blaisdell born 5 Mar 1641.
Ralph Bleasdell born 1642/43.
Ralph Blaisdell born Abt 1642.
Martha Bleasdell born 1644/45.
Martha Blaisdell born Abt 1646/47.

Ralph Bleasdell died 1648/50 at Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts .

Mrs. Elizabeth Blaisdell died 6 Aug 1667 at Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts .

https://vandenheedemarkfamily.wordpress.com/gilman-family/shipwreck...

A highlight in our Blaisdell family is Ralph and Elizabeth Blaisdell surviving a shipwreck on the Maine coast in 1635.

The ship which brought them to the New World from England was destroyed by a hurricane the day after its arrival.

Three or four of the passengers lost their lives. One seaman drowned. Most of the cattle perished, and the passengers lost many of their possessions.

The Blaisdell family survived.

Came to America on ship, "Angel Gabriel" 1635 . It was shipwrecked Pemaquid Maine.

The Puritan minister, Richard Mather, described the end of the Angel Gabriel in his diary, " On Sunday morning about the break of day, the Lord sent forth a most terrible storm of rain and easterly winds.... the Angel Gabriel, being then at anchor at Pemaquid, was burst in pieces and cast away in this storm, and most of the cattle and the other goods,with one seaman and three or four passengers did perish therein,besides two passengers that died by the way." ( August 15, 1635).

Ralph Blaisdell was a tailor, tavern keeper, and a farmer. He moved from Pemaquid ,to York, Maine and then to Salisbury Massachusetts.

Family

From Anderson's Great Migration Study Project.

Born by about 1607, based on estimated date of marriage. Tailor & innkeeper who came to Massachusetts Bay in 1635. First settled in York ME; moved to Salisbury MA in 1640. Died by 24 Jun 1651 (grant of administration).

Married by about 1632, Elizabeth ____ (assuming she was the mather of all his children). She died at Salisbury [blank] Aug 1667.

Their children were

Henry BLAISDELL b: 1632 in England, UK
Martha BLAISDELL b: 5 MAR 1641/2 in Salisbury, Essex, MA U. S. A.
Mary
Sarah

No son Ralph.

Ralph Blaisdell, 1593 – 1649, left from Goosnargh Parish, Lancashire, England, with his wife, Elizabeth, and three-year-old son, Henry, to go to America on the Archangel Gabriel sailing ship. The ship left June 4, 1635 from Bristol, England and arrived at Pemaquid Point the evening of August 14. The ship was destroyed by a hurricane the morning of August 15. The possessions and cattle for the 30 passengers (10 families) were lost.

Richard Mather, a Puritan divine, had been preaching near Bleasdale village and had many converts. Ralph may possibly have been one. Many of the early Bleasdales were strong Catholics, but Ralph was a Puritan. He may have gone to Bristol to sail to avoid detection, as the government at that time was critical of escaping religious refugees. Richard’s family was on the St. James, sailing close by the Angel Gabriel from June 4 to July 4. He wrote of Gabriel’s passengers, “Among them some loving and godly Christians that were glad to see us.”

Ralph first went to York – then Agamenticus – where he owned land, which abutted on Meeting House Creek. Ralph sold this land in 1642 to Mr. Robert Knight. Ralph was appointed “Atturnee” by the town of York to plead a grievance case at the Provincial Court in Saco, ME.

Ralph was 64th of the 69 founding fathers of Salisbury, MA, who held “in common” the land three miles north and 12 miles up from the sea, up the River Merrimac, hence were called “Commoners.”

In Salisbury records show that Ralph was a “Prudential man,” Constable, Farmer, Tailor, Attorney, Keeper of the Ordinary (Tavern), where town meetings were held. He was referred to as “Goodman Ralph Blasdel” and his wife as “Goody Blasdel.” Ralph was one of the eight (of the 69) to be given the title of Mr., the town’s highest honor.

Henry’s five sons, Ebenezer, Henry, Ralph, John and Jonathan carried on the family name, which was spelled 35 different ways in England and 14 ways in America. Some of our family descended from later Blaisdell/Blasdel immigrants. All are welcome to the Blaisdell Family National Assoc. Accuracy and uniformity of spelling were evidently not concerns among our forebears.

Description of lands Ralph owned:

real estate: "twenty acres of upland in Almsbury at a place commonly called Cobbet Hill," "thirty acres of land abutting upon Merrimack River in Almsbury,"; "three acres of fresh meadow at the new meadow in Salisbury," "six acres of meadow at the points in Salisbury,""four acres of meadow in the cow common in Salisbury,"; "Thirty acres of land in the division above the mills in Salisbury,"; "twenty-five acres of land in the last division on the north side of Cane's Creek in Salisbury," and "two common rights in the town of Salisbury,"

Ralph Blaisdell and his family are traditionally said to have been passengers on the Angel Gabriel which, after a long voyage from Bristol, was lost at Pemaquid in the great storm of August 15, 1635, all the passengers and crew managing to reach land. The Blaisdells went immediately to York, where Ralph obtained a grant of land abutting on Meeting House creek, and presumably worked at his trade as a tailor. Ralph Blaisdell represented York as deputy in the Provincial Court held at Saco in June 1640, but he was already making plans to leave the Province and go to Salisbury.... The move was probably made in the latter part of 1640, for Blaisdell had a grant in Salisbury in that year and became the 64th commoner of the town. Other grants from the common lands followed in 1641, 1644 and 1645. Calling himself "Taylour," he sold his York property, "one dwelling house in the Agamenticus, with all lands, as uplands, meadows, gardens, fences, timber, commonage and all appurtenances thereto belonging," to Robert Knight, mason, on July 22, 1642. (York Deeds, III:42) In 1643 Thomas Bradbury deeded twenty acres in Salisbury to him and on March 25, 1645, he bought the lands and common rights of John Harrison, a settler who moved to Boston. In addition to working at his trade, Blaisdell kept an ordinary or tavern, in Salisbury being licensed in 1645 to draw wine until the next meeting of the General Court. The license was renewed in 1646 and 1647. The tavern being a "public utility," the town granted him extra meadow

Ralph Bleasdale, 1593 – 1649, as a “tailor” was likely a trader in wool. He left from Goosnargh Parish near Bleasdale Village, Lancashire County, England, with his wife, Elizabeth (Parker) Bleasdale, and three-year-old son, Henry, to go to America on the Archangel Gabriel sailing ship. The ship left June 4, 1635 from Bristol, England, stopped at Milford Haven, Wales, and arrived at Pemaquid Point, now in Maine, the evening of August 14. The ship was destroyed by a hurricane the morning of August 15. The possessions and cattle for the 30 passengers (10 families) were lost.

Richard Mather, a Puritan divine, had been preaching near Bleasdale village and had many converts. Ralph may possibly have been one. Many of the early Bleasdales were Catholics, but Ralph was a Puritan. He may have gone to Milford Haven, Wales, to board the Archangel Gabriel to avoid detection, as the government at that time was critical of escaping religious refugees.

Richard Mather’s family was on the St. James, sailing close to the Angel Gabriel from June 4 to July 4. He wrote of Gabriel’s passengers, “Among them some loving and godly Christians that were glad to see us.”

Ralph first went to York – then Agamenticus – where he owned land, which abutted on Meeting House Creek. Ralph sold this land in 1642 to Mr. Robert Knight. Ralph was appointed “Atturnee” by the town of York to plead a grievance case at the Provincial Court in Saco.

Ralph was 64th of the 69 founding fathers of Salisbury, MA, who held “in common” the land three miles north and 12 miles up from the sea, up the River Merrimac, hence were called “Commoners.”

In Salisbury records show that Ralph was a “Prudential man,” Constable, Farmer, Tailor, Attorney, Keeper of the Ordinary (Tavern), where town meetings were held. He was referred to as “Goodman Ralph Blasdel” and his wife as “Goody Blasdel.” Ralph was one of the eight (of the 69) to be given the title of Mr., the town’s highest honor.

Henry’s five sons, Ebenezer, Henry, Ralph, John and Jonathan Blaisdell, carried on the family name, which was spelled 38 different ways in England and 14 ways in America. Blaisdell, Blasdel, Blasdell, Bleasdale, Bleasdell, Blasdale and Blazo are the most common in North America. Accuracy and uniformity of spelling were evidently not concerns among our forebears. ^^^^ From: http://www.blaisdell.org/Ralph%20B.htm

Came on "Angel Gabriel" after a long voyage from Bristol, England. Was lost at Pemaquid in the great storm of 15 Aug 1635. All persons made it to land.

Ralph Blaisdell, 1593 – 1649, left from Goosnargh Parish, Lancashire, England, with his wife, Elizabeth, and three-year-old son, Henry, to go to America on the Archangel Gabriel sailing ship. The ship left June 4, 1635 from Bristol, England and arrived at Pemaquid Point the evening of August 14. The ship was destroyed by a hurricane the morning of August 15. The possessions and cattle for the 30 passengers (10 families) were lost.

Richard Mather, a Puritan divine, had been preaching near Bleasdale village and had many converts. Ralph may possibly have been one. Many of the early Bleasdales were strong Catholics, but Ralph was a Puritan. He may have gone to Bristol to sail to avoid detection, as the government at that time was critical of escaping religious refugees. Richard’s family was on the St. James, sailing close by the Angel Gabriel from June 4 to July 4. He wrote of Gabriel’s passengers, “Among them some loving and godly Christians that were glad to see us.”

Ralph first went to York – then Agamenticus – where he owned land, which abutted on Meeting House Creek. Ralph sold this land in 1642 to Mr. Robert Knight. Ralph was appointed “Atturnee” by the town of York to plead a grievance case at the Provincial Court in Saco, ME.

Ralph was 64th of the 69 founding fathers of Salisbury, MA, who held “in common” the land three miles north and 12 miles up from the sea, up the River Merrimac, hence were called “Commoners.”

In Salisbury records show that Ralph was a “Prudential man,” Constable, Farmer, Tailor, Attorney, Keeper of the Ordinary (Tavern), where town meetings were held. He was referred to as “Goodman Ralph Blasdel” and his wife as “Goody Blasdel.” Ralph was one of the eight (of the 69) to be given the title of Mr., the town’s highest honor.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Practically nothing is known of Ralph Blaisdell previous to his landing at Pemaquid Point, Maine, shipwrecked there, according to the family traditions, on August 15, 1635. The traditions however, state that he shipped from Milford Haven, on the south coast of Wales on the ship 'Angel Gabriel,' together with his wife, Elizabeth, and his small son, Henry.

There is a small town in Lancashire, northern England, named 'Bleas dale' and old records there include the name Ralph Bleasdel in the century previous to our Ralph. The name is suggestive that there was a later Ralph in this family. Moreover, in the earlier part of the seventeenth century, this region was the center of a Puritan movement which led many converted, to join the movement to the new world. There are other reasons also, to think that it was under the influence of this movement, that our ancestor determined to transfer to America.

It was not easy for such a person to get permission to leave England from the main ports where careful watch was kept. Possibly for this reason, or possibly because of ease of access, Ralph is supposed to have joined the ship 'Angel Giabriel' at Milf'ord Haven, Wales, rather than at Bristol, England, from which point the ship started; thus accounting for his name not appearing on the ship's roster of passengers.

The subsequent history of Ralph's adventure is commonly known. He was caught in the great storm which visited the Atlantic seaboard on August 15, 1635, and was shipwrecked on Pemaquid Point, from which place he made his way to York, Maine, the community where he first settled. Not being satisfied with conditions there he soon became one of the original settlers of Salisbury, Massachusetts, where he was one of the more prominent citizens. There is a tradition that late in life he moved to Lynn and that his death occurred there about the year 1650. He left one son, Henry, who was one of the original settlers of Amesbury, Mass., which was long the family center. Later an early descendant returned to Maine and became the progenitor of the great company of Maine Blaisdells.

A descendant of Ralph, a few years ago visited the town of Bleasdale, England, and rnet some of that name who received him most cordially. Others of the Family going to England should make it a point to visit this country district in Lancashire, which was probably the community from which our ancestor came.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The Angel Gabriel was a 240 ton English passenger galleon. She was commissioned for Sir Walter Raleigh's last expedition to America in 1617. She sank in a storm off Pemaquid Point, near the town of Bristol, Maine, on August 15, 1635. The sinking occurred during the middle of the Great Migration.

The ship was initially built as the Starre in 1615 and renamed the Jason by Sir Walter Raleigh for use in his second expedition to Guiana (then under control of the Spanish) in 1617. Following Raleigh's return it was seized and became a merchant ship, renamed the Angel Gabriel.

A stout ship designed and built to cope with combat, even as a merchant ship the Angel Gabriel was involved in many further skirmishes between 1618 and 1635, including a notable engagement in 1627 off Cales where it was boarded several times but was able to clear its decks each time and eventually beat off three Spanish ships. This was possible because the defenders were able to retreat into the forecastle and sterncastle which had reinforced bulkheads fitted with gunports for small cannon and shoulder weapons.

In 1635 it was caught at anchor just after dawn by an unusually powerful early season hurricane and destroyed. See the Great Colonial Hurricane of 1635. A plaque commemorating the loss was dedicated August 8, 1965 at Pemaquid Point, Maine. Some of the passengers survived the sinking.

Passengers on the last voyage:

Capt. Robert Andrews, Ship's Master, Ipswich, Massachusetts

John Bailey, Sr., weaver from Chippenham, England to Newbury, Massachusetts

John Bailey, Jr. b. 1613

Johanna Bailey (possibly came on a later ship)

Henry Beck

Deacon John Burnham

Thomas Burnham

Robert Burnham

Ralph Blaisdell of Lancashire, settled in York, Maine
Mrs. Elizabeth Blaisdell
Henry Blaisdell

William Furber

John Cogswell, age 43, Westbury Leigh, Wiltshire, England, settled in Ipswich, Massachusetts

Elizabeth, (Thompson) Cogswell about age 41, Westbury Leigh, Wiltshire

Mary Cogswell, about age 18, Westbury Leigh, Wiltshire

William Cogswell, about age 16, Westbury Leigh, Wiltshire

John Cogswell, about age 13, Westbury Leigh, Wiltshire

Hannah Cogswell, about age 11, Westbury Leigh, Wiltshire

Abigail Cogswell, about age 9, Westbury Leigh, Wiltshire

Edward Cogswell, about age 6, Westbury Leigh, Wiltshire

Sarah Cogswell, about age 3, Westbury Leigh, Wiltshire

Elizabeth Cogswell, infant Westbury Leigh, Wiltshire

Samuel Haines, about age 24, apprentice to John Cogswell, settled in Greenland, New Hampshire

William Hook

Henry Simpson

John Tuttle Dover Ipswich later Dover NH

Taverner

Moved to York Village, Maine in 1635.

About English (default) history Came to America on ship, "Angel Gabriel" 1635 . It was shipwrecked Pemaquid Maine.

The Puritan minister, Richard Mather, described the end of the Angel Gabriel in his diary, " On Sunday morning about the break of day, the Lord sent forth a most terrible storm of rain and easterly winds.... the Angel Gabriel, being then at anchor at Pemaquid, was burst in pieces and cast away in this storm, and most of the cattle and the other goods,with one seaman and three or four passengers did perish therein,besides two passengers that died by the way." ( August 15, 1635).

Ralph Blaisdell was a tailor, tavern keeper, and a farmer. He moved from Pemaquid ,to York, Maine and then to Salisbury Massachusetts.

GEDCOM Note

{geni:about_me} Came to America on ship, "Angel Gabriel" 1635 . It was shipwrecked Pemaquid Maine.

The Puritan minister, Richard Mather, described the end of the Angel Gabriel in his diary, " On Sunday morning about the break of day, the Lord sent forth a most terrible storm of rain and easterly winds.... the Angel Gabriel, being then at anchor at Pemaquid, was burst in pieces and cast away in this storm, and most of the cattle and the other goods,with one seaman and three or four passengers did perish therein,besides two passengers that died by the way." ( August 15, 1635).

Ralph Blaisdell was a tailor, tavern keeper, and a farmer. He moved from Pemaquid ,to York, Maine and then to Salisbury Massachusetts.

Family

From Anderson's Great Migration Study Project.

Born by about 1607, based on estimated date of marriage. Tailor & innkeeper who came to Massachusetts Bay in 1635. First settled in York ME; moved to Salisbury MA in 1640. Died by 24 Jun 1651 (grant of administration).

Married by about 1632, Elizabeth ____ (assuming she was the mather of all his children). She died at Salisbury [blank] Aug 1667.

Their children were

Henry BLAISDELL b: 1632 in England, UK
Martha BLAISDELL b: 5 MAR 1641/2 in Salisbury, Essex, MA U. S. A.
Mary
Sarah

No son Ralph.

Ralph Blaisdell, 1593 – 1649, left from Goosnargh Parish, Lancashire, England, with his wife, Elizabeth, and three-year-old son, Henry, to go to America on the Archangel Gabriel sailing ship. The ship left June 4, 1635 from Bristol, England and arrived at Pemaquid Point the evening of August 14. The ship was destroyed by a hurricane the morning of August 15. The possessions and cattle for the 30 passengers (10 families) were lost.

Richard Mather, a Puritan divine, had been preaching near Bleasdale village and had many converts. Ralph may possibly have been one. Many of the early Bleasdales were strong Catholics, but Ralph was a Puritan. He may have gone to Bristol to sail to avoid detection, as the government at that time was critical of escaping religious refugees. Richard’s family was on the St. James, sailing close by the Angel Gabriel from June 4 to July 4. He wrote of Gabriel’s passengers, “Among them some loving and godly Christians that were glad to see us.”

Ralph first went to York – then Agamenticus – where he owned land, which abutted on Meeting House Creek. Ralph sold this land in 1642 to Mr. Robert Knight. Ralph was appointed “Atturnee” by the town of York to plead a grievance case at the Provincial Court in Saco, ME.

Ralph was 64th of the 69 founding fathers of Salisbury, MA, who held “in common” the land three miles north and 12 miles up from the sea, up the River Merrimac, hence were called “Commoners.”

In Salisbury records show that Ralph was a “Prudential man,” Constable, Farmer, Tailor, Attorney, Keeper of the Ordinary (Tavern), where town meetings were held. He was referred to as “Goodman Ralph Blasdel” and his wife as “Goody Blasdel.” Ralph was one of the eight (of the 69) to be given the title of Mr., the town’s highest honor.

Henry’s five sons, Ebenezer, Henry, Ralph, John and Jonathan carried on the family name, which was spelled 35 different ways in England and 14 ways in America. Some of our family descended from later Blaisdell/Blasdel immigrants.All are welcome to the Blaisdell Family National Assoc. Accuracy and uniformity of spelling were evidently not concerns among our forebears.

Description of lands Ralph owned:

real estate: "twenty acres of upland in Almsbury at a place commonly called Cobbet Hill," "thirty acres of land abutting upon Merrimack River in Almsbury,"; "three acres of fresh meadow at the new meadow in Salisbury," "six acresof meadow at the points in Salisbury,""four acres of meadow in the cow common in Salisbury,"; "Thirty acres of land in the division above the mills in Salisbury,"; "twenty-five acres of land in the last division on the north sideof Cane's Creek in Salisbury," and "two common rights in the town of Salisbury,"