North Carolina Genealogy

The county was formed in 1734 as Bladen Precinct of Bath County, from New Hanover Precinct. It was named for Martin Bladen, a member of the Board of Trade. With the abolition of Bath County in 1739, all of its constituent precincts became counties.

Originally, Bladen was a vast territory with indefinite northern and western boundaries. Reductions in its extent began in 1750, when its western part became Anson County. In 1752 the northern part of Bladen County was combined with parts of Granville County and Johnston County to form Orange County. In 1754 the northern part of what was left of Bladen County became Cumberland County. In 1764 the southern part of what remained of Bladen County was combined with part of New Hanover County to form Brunswick County. In 1787 the western part of the now much smaller county became Robeson County. Finally, in 1808 the southern part of Bladen County was combined with part of Brunswick County to form Columbus County. Source Wikipedia

The county seat of Bladen County is Elizabethtown. Bladen county is comprised of the following townships: Abbotts, Bethel, Bladenboro, Brown Marsh, Carvers Creek, Central, Colly, Cypress Creek, Elizabethtown, East Arcadia, Frenches Creek, Hollow, Lake Creek, Turnbull, White Oak, and Whites Creek.

Bladen is considered the “mother of counties” because it’s original extent was divided and used many times to create new counties in the state of North Carolina. There are state parks now at Jones Lake and Singletary Lake. Bay Tree Lake and White Lake have seen commercial and private develop respectively. At one time there were 1000 lakes within the borders of Bladen County, today there are just 7 due to the territorial cessions to other counties. The Cape Fear River runs through Bladen County.

Bladen County USGenweb site

Bladen County Historical Society
P.O. Box 849
Elizabethtown, NC 28337

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Bladen County Courthouse
PO Box 1048
County Courthouse
Elizabethtown, NC 28337

Census

1790 Federal Census transcription

1790 Federal Census transcription – Wilmington district

Cemeteries

USGS listing of cemeteries in Bladen County

Cemetery Transcriptions

Query Forums

Bladen County, NC Query Forum

Latest North Carolina Genealogy Query posts for Bladen County from the Forum:

Bladen County, NC at Genforum

Cities and towns of Bladen County:

Bladenboro
Butters
Clarkton
Council
Dublin
Elizabethtown (County Seat)
Emerson
Kelly
Tar Heel
White Lake
White Oak

News related to Bladen County, NC