Lancashire, England, 1593 — Salisbury, Massachusetts, 1681
Who Was Ralph Bleasdale?
Wool trader, Puritan, founding father — and the progenitor of every Blaisdell family in America.
Born
March 11, 1593
Birthplace
Hawkshead, Lancashire
Arrived America
August 14, 1635
Died
Salisbury, MA, 1681
"All in all, he must have been a man in whom the family should take abundant pride as, let us hope, he might, in turn, take pride in the family which he founded."
The Name Itself: A Place, A Family
The Blaisdell surname traces directly to a hamlet in Lancashire, England called Bleasdale — a small settlement five miles west of Chipping and ten miles north of Preston, the county seat of Lancashire County. The earliest recorded mention of the family name appears in the Parish Church of Chipping: "John Bleasdale" on October 15, 1559, with a baptism of "Henry Bleasdell" on the same date. Between 1559 and 1584, all known Blaisdell entries in Lancashire are found in the Chipping and Goosnargh parish records — 136 and 124 entries respectively, out of roughly 500 total across the county.
During this period, there were at least 34 documented ways to spell the family name. The most dominant forms that survive today are: Bleasdale in England, Blaisdell in America, and Blasdell in Canada.
Bolton and the Puritan Influence
The given name "Ralph" is unique to Bolton, a town known as "The Geneva of England" for its strong Calvinistic and Puritan leanings. An influential family in Bolton was the Shuttleworth family, whose household accounts include an entry for a "Rauffe" [Ralph] Bleasdale as early as 1582. This connection to Bolton's Puritan culture would prove decisive — it was the religious and political pressures of the era that ultimately drove Ralph to seek a new life across the Atlantic.
Rev. Thompson, who later preached and ministered in York, Maine, was active in the same circles as Ralph Bleasdale during his years in England. The Puritan movement's deep impression on Ralph shaped not only his personal convictions but the entire trajectory of his family's future.
Ralph the Man: Birth, Trade, and Marriage
Ralph Bleasdale was born in Hawkshead on March 11, 1593. He was born into — or achieved through industry — a measurable degree of comfort through the wool trading business, a major industry in Lancashire at the time. He was a man of more than common education for his era, literate and capable of navigating both commerce and civic life.
He married Elizabeth Parker of Chipping on September 3, 1629. Before departing England, the couple had one son, Henry, then age three. It would be Henry's five sons who would perpetuate the Blaisdell family name in America. Within four generations, Ralph's progeny numbered 410 descendants.
The Escape Route to the New World
As a wool trader, Ralph was familiar with sea travel and likely had made the short crossing from Lancashire to Ireland. His chosen route to America was deliberate and careful: rather than travel overland to Bristol — the most common departure point for New England-bound ships, and one more easily watched by authorities — Ralph traveled to Milford Haven in Wales, where he could board a vessel with less scrutiny.
His ship, the Angel Gabriel, had originally departed Bristol on June 4, 1635. Ralph and his family boarded at Milford Haven, Wales, on June 9, 1635. After a crossing of more than two months, they arrived at Pemaquid Point, Maine on August 14, 1635. The very next morning, August 15, the Angel Gabriel was destroyed in the Great Colonial Hurricane — one of the most powerful storms to strike New England in the seventeenth century.
Life in the New World
Pemaquid sat at the northern edge of English land claims in America, bordering French territory — a frontier position that brought frequent friction and instability. Ralph and his family did not remain long. They moved south to York (then called Agamenticus), where Ralph owned land, and then onward to Salisbury, Massachusetts in 1640.
In Salisbury, Ralph became the 64th of 69 founding fathers who held the town's land "in common" — earning the title of "Commoner." Salisbury records describe Ralph in remarkable breadth: he served as a "Prudential Man," constable, farmer, tailor, attorney, and keeper of the ordinary (tavern), which also functioned as the town hall. He was addressed as "Goodman Ralph Blasdel," his wife as "Goody Blasdel." Ralph was among the select group of founders granted the honorific title of "Mr." — the town's highest civic distinction.
His Legacy: 390 Years and Counting
Ralph Bleasdale died in Salisbury, Massachusetts in 1681, having lived 88 years — a remarkable lifespan for the seventeenth century. In the nearly four centuries since his arrival at Pemaquid Point, his descendants have spread across North America, carrying with them the 37 known spelling variants of his family name.
The Blaisdell Family National Association was founded in 1935 — exactly 300 years after Ralph's arrival — to preserve and celebrate this heritage. Today, the BFNA maintains genealogical records, publishes the Blaisdell Papers, and holds reunions that connect thousands of Ralph's living descendants. His story is not merely history; it is the living foundation of every Blaisdell, Blasdell, Bleasdale, and variant-spelling family in America.
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Related Stories
The Family Patriarch
A deeper account of Ralph Bleasdale's life, family, and civic achievements in colonial New England.
The Angel Gabriel
The story of the Bristol merchantman that carried Ralph and his family to America — and was wrecked the very next morning.
Pemaquid Point
The rocky Maine shore where the Blaisdell story in America began on August 14, 1635.
One Name, Many Spellings
The Blaisdell 37
Ralph's surname has been recorded in at least 37 different spellings across four centuries and two continents. Explore every known variant of the Blaisdell name.
Explore The Blaisdell 37