Biographies B
Thomas H. Blades
Thomas H. Blades, Muhlenberg County, is a native of England, born in Durham, November 9, 1842. He is a son of James Blades, who was of Irish birth, born in Dublin, and died in England in 1846, aged twenty-eight years. He was married to Mary J. Hardy, of County Durham, in 1841. She died in 1850, leaving three children: Elizabeth (who died in England in 1855); Mary Jane and Thomas H., who came to America in 1860. James Blades was a son of Thomas Blades, a native of Ireland. Joseph Hardy, the grandfather of our subject, was an Englishman, and by profession a soldier; his wife was Eliabeth Burdale, she died in 1869, aged seventy years.
Thomas H. Blades was left an orphan at the age of three years, and in the seven following years had no fixed home, but was cared for by his friends, living for a short time with each one who would care for him. When ten years old, he became an inmate of the home of William King, with whom he lived for twelve years, and was employed in various kinds of work, principally mining, which he has followed ever since; he came, with Mr. King, to America in 1864, came to Kentucky and on the 9th of September of that year, married Elizabeth Foster, of Muhlenberg County. They have four children living: Robert B., Thomas, Mary J. and William. Mrs. Blades is a member of the Christian faith.
Mr. Blades is a liberal thinker in religious views, and is a member of no church. He bases his religious views on honesty and fair dealing. He votes with the national Greenback party, but is not a politician, and has no political aspirations. He is a reader and is interested in the cause of education and temperance. He had a considerable property left him by his mother's people in England, but through the dishonesty of those who had it in charge, he never received but a small portion of it. He is now, however, in comfortable circumstances.
Source: Battle, J.H., W.H. Perrin, and G.C. Kniffen. Kentucky: A History of the State. Louisville, KY: F.A. Battey, 1885. Page 897.
Updated July 6, 2018