The Birth Family of Stephen Bland

Stephen Bland is the father of our ancestress Ann Bland, who married Robert Elliot and moved to Canada.  He was also father to Harriot Bland, wife of Daniel Pontifex, and a sword cutler in London, England.  Who were his family?

Stephen's brother, John Highlord Bland, also a cutler, left a will which names many relatives, and which is a good place to begin our information gathering.  John Highlord died before his brother Stephen did:  his will was proved in London, August 4, 1792.

"I John Highlord Bland of St. James Street in the parish of St. James and city of Westminster sword cutler do make this my will and testament in manner following..."

John Highlord Bland leaves bequests to

• "my wife Harriet Bland" 
• "My brother Stephen Bland of Hammersmith"
• "Edward Bland the son of the said Stephen" (he also refers, elsewhere in the will,  to Edward as Stephen's eldest son):  to Edward  he leaves a bequest of two hundred pounds
•  more of Stephen's children: "his [Stephen's] two daughters Ann and Harriet Bland" get a bequest of one hundred and fifty pounds each, "his son Thomas Bland" gets a bequest of sixty pounds and "his son James Bland" gets a bequest of forty pounds
•  "to my Sister in Law Mrs. Gwyn Bland"  (amount is illegible)
• "to her daughter Gwyn ten pounds (?) and to her other two daughters five pounds each"
• "my nephew Thomas Bland the son of the said Gwyn Bland I totally disinherit and put him off with a shilling" 

 He appoints his "friend and partner Robert Forster" sole executor of his will.

Thomas Bland obviously did something to irk his uncle!  I wonder what it was?

John Highlord Bland's will not only establishes that he is the brother of our ancestor Stephen and the uncle of our ancestress Ann, but also names all of Stephen's children and gives good clues to finding another sibling.  Now we have to search for a Bland man who married a woman named Gwyn and had children named Gwyn and Thomas, as well as two other girls.   I propose the best candidate is Thomas Bland, married to a Gwyn, last name unknown, who had four girls baptized in the parish of St. Dunstan in the West, London.

Gwyn Dau of Thomas & Gwyn Bland B. July 31st Whites Alley. Baptized August 5, 1764.

Sarah Daughter of Thomas & Gwen Bland Born Jan 27th Whites Alley.  Baptized February 9th, 1766.

Mary Dr. of Thomas & Gwen Bland Born April 13, Whites Alley.  Baptized April 19, 1767.

Elizabeth Catherine Dr of Thomas & Gwen Bland Born March 18, Whites Alley.  Baptized March 27, 1769.

 

Sadly, Elizabeth Catherine died at two years of age, which may be why John Highlord Bland indicated in his will that this family had three daughters.

Elizth Catherine Bland, buried Fetter Lane, from Whites Alley.  May 21, 1771. 

There is an additional birth record for a son:                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                               

John Son of Thomas & Anne Gwenn Bland born Nov. 14. Whites Alley.  Baptized Nov. 25, 1770.

This record is especially interesting because it gives an additional name for the mother;  rather than Gwen, she is referred to as "Anne Gwenn". I still don't see any sign of a Thomas Bland.

Now all I have to do is find a couple named Bland who not only had a son named Stephen but also one called Thomas and one called John Highlord.  Shouldn't be too hard, right?