THE GENEALOGY OF THE BLANDS.
From the genealogy of the Blands preserved at Jordans, we take
a few extracts, sufficient to comply with the character of these
sketches,—their religious character. It is an old and highly-respectable
English family. I leave it to others to speak of the gallant
conduct and fatal end of Giles Bland in Bacon's Rebellion, and begin
with Theodoric Bland, who settled at Westover, in Charles City,
in 1654, and died in 1671. He was buried in the chancel of the
church, which church he built and gave it, with ten acres of land, a
court-house and prison, for the county and parish. His tomb is
now to be seen in old Westover graveyard, lying between those of
two of his friends, William Perry and Walter Aston. The church is
fallen down. He was one of the King's Council for Virginia, and
was both in fortune and understanding inferior to none in the Colony.
He left three sons,—Theodoric, Richard, and John. We confine
ourselves to his son Richard and his posterity. He was born at
Berkeley, the neighbouring estate, in 1665, and married first a Miss
Swan, and secondly Elizabeth, daughter of William Randolph, of
Turkey Island. His daughters, three in number, married Henry
Lee, William Beverley, and Robert Monford. His sons were Richard
and Theodoric, who moved to Prince George and lived at Jordans
and Causons, near City Point. Richard was the one who took so
active a part in the affairs of both Church and State before and
during the war of the Revolution. He wrote a treatise on Baptism
against the Quakers, of which sect some of his ancestors or relatives
in England had been. He died in 1776, and was buried at Jordans.
He married a Miss Poythress and had twelve children. The other
son of Richard Bland, Sr., was Theodoric, who lived at Causons.
He married a Miss Bolling, descendant of Pocahontas, and had
one son Theodoric, and five daughters, who married Messrs. Bannister,
Ruffin, Eaton, Haynes, and Randolph of Roanoke, father
of John Randolph, member of Congress. At Mr. Randolph's death
she married St. George Tucker, who was afterward Judge of the
Court of Appeals. His son Theodoric was Lieutenant of the county,
Clerk, Burgess, and vestryman. He was active to the close of the
war, as his letter to Colonel Theodoric Bland, his son, shows. His
son received a complete English education, being in England eleven
years, and returning a thorough-bred physician. But, not liking
that profession, and engaging warmly in the dispute with England,
he entered the army and signalized himself. He attained to the
rank of colonel, and stood high in the esteem of Washington. His
letters to Lord Dunmore, at the opening of the war, have not a
little of the spirit and genius of Junius in them. In the year
1769, while living at Blandford, or Petersburg, and practicing medicine,
we find his name on the list of vestrymen, thus following his
father's footsteps.
Of old Mr. and Mrs. Grammar, on whom for a considerable time,
by general consent, the very existence of the Episcopal Church in
Petersburg seemed to hang, I need not speak, or seek for any
epitaph. They live in the hearts of children and children's children
yet alive, and in the memories of many others who revere
their characters and endeavour to follow their example. The social
prayer-meetings held at their house, when the old lady was unable
any longer to go to the house of God, were refreshing seasons to
ministers and people.
