Blagden appears to have been of the family of Sir Charles Blagden (1748-1820), MD, Secretary of the Royal Society, of whom Dr Johnson, speaking of his copiousness and precision of communication, said, “Blagden, Sir, is a delightful fellow”. He was a friend of Horace Walpole and had a large and fashionable practice. Richard Blagden practised at 26 Albermarle Street, Piccadilly, and on his retirement at some time before 1855 removed to Percy Street, Bath, where he died on March 31st, 1861. The *Medical Circular* speaks of him in the following qualified terms: “Mr Blagden is a gentleman who, without acquiring any literary or scientific distinction or holding any high professional appointment, has succeeded, by the exertion of an influence that may be rather surmised than known, in obtaining the honourable offices of Surgeon to the Duchess of Kent, and Surgeon-Extraordinary to the Queen. We have no doubt that Mr Blagden is as well qualified to grace these distinctions as many other gentlemen who appear to possess superior professional claims, for nothing is more delusive than the attempt to adjudge professional merit merely by the evidence of popu¬larity. The special appointment held by Mr Blagden is that of Surgeon-Accoucheur to Her Majesty, and since there are only two Fellows of the College of Surgeons who practise midwifery as a speciality, and physicians dare not perform operations, the appointment of Mr. Blagden became a necessity. We should scarcely, however, think that he would have been recommended to fill such an important post, if the advisers of the Court had not considered him to possess adequate qualifications, as the office involves a responsibility towards the Crown, the profession, and the public, which would make an injudicious selection perilous and unpardonable. On this supposition we regard Mr Blagden’s appointment as a ground of encouragement to others similarly situated, and an evidence that it is possible for merit to break down the artificial distinctions with which conventionalism has barred up the road to offices of professional eminence and emolument.” PUBLICATION:- Blagden’s sole contribution appears to have been: “A Case of a Fatal Hæmorrhage from the Extraction of a Tooth.” - *Med.-Chir. Trans.*, 1817, viii, 224.