Simon O. Blunden, Watch Tower Director

[Jack Ryan]

He was part of the original board of directors chosen with incorporation and continued as a director until 1908. He owned a 'fancy store', selling women's accessories. It seems to have failed and he became a traveling wholesaler, preaching as he traveled. He was arrested once on a clergyman's complaint. He preached extensively in the New York City area and in Brooklyn which was a separate city at the time.

He parted from Russell in 1908, but the details can only be surmised. A major schism arose that year over an aspect of Atonement doctrine. His resignation from the board seems connected to that. 

He and another Watch Tower evangelist started something called The New Church where Millennial Dawn readers met.

From: The Independent Press and Bloomfield [New Jersey] Citizen, November 1915.

The Independent Press [Bloomfield] May 23, 1913
 

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He is mentioned in:

Harvest Siftings II

Olin R. Moyle's appeal case against Watchtower et al

Trow's New York City Directory vol. XCIV. for the year ending May 1, 1881 he is listed

Blunden Simon O. clerk, h 443 E. 80th

Same listing for the New York Public Library color scan (better quality).

He wrote in to a news paper to publish a challenge:

• The evening world. (New York, N.Y.), 14 Aug. 1894. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030193/1894-08-14/ed-3/seq-4/>

He then bumped up the challenge prize from $50 to $100!

• The evening world. (New York, N.Y.), 11 Sept. 1894. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030193/1894-09-11/ed-3/seq-4/>

The Insurance Press No. 1,062 - Vol. XLII New York, Wednesday, January 12, 1916 pg 15 under New Jersey lists the payout from his life insurance policy at the time of his death.

Bloomfield: Simon O. Blunden.. 2,258