Theodorick Bland (1719 - 1783)

Born 19 Dec 1719 in Williamsburg, Virginia

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 16 Jul 1783 at age 63 in Amelia County, Virginia

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Colonel Theodorick Bland performed Patriotic Service in the American Revolution.

Biography

THEODORICK BLAND Ancestor #: A011133
Service: VIRGINIA Rank(s): CIVIL SERVICE,
PATRIOTIC SERVICE
Birth: 12-2-1708 PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY
Death: 10-28-1784 AMELIA CO VIRGINIA
Service Source: JOURNAL COUNCIL OF THE
STATE OF VA VOL 3 P 115;
ABERCROMBIE & SLATTEN, VA REV
PUBLICK CLAIMS VOL 1 P 57,63,64
Service Description: 1) JUSTICE OF PEACE
CONTRIBUTED MONEY

SPOUSE
1) FRANCES BOLLING
(2) ELIZABETH RANDOLPH YATES ^[1]

Bland of Cawsons overlooking the Appomatox River in Prince George County, click here for a description of the property ^[2]

Colonel Bland was well known in Virginia, having served at different times, as Lieutenant of the County of Prince George, Clerk of the Court, and Representative in the House of Burgesses. He used his influence in the Revolutionary cause, actively supporting the Revolutionary war against England, secretly taking guns and ammunition from the Government Stores in anticipation of the conflict to come. His son Theodorick and son-in-law John Randolph sold slaves to buy gun powder for the Revolutionary army. Many of his letters and papers as Clerk for the county of Prince George have been preserved.^[3]

A son, Theodorick, and four daughters, Elizabeth. Mary, Anna & Jenny. ^[3]

From Find A Grave: "Major Theodorick Bland (aka Theodorick Bland of Cawson's and Theodorick Bland Sr.) was orphaned by both parents in 1720, and was likely born in Williamsburg VA and baptized at Bruton Parish Church like his elder siblings. Before their demise, his parents sold their store in Williamsburg and moved to the family seat at Jordan's Point Plantation. Along with his siblings, he was raised by his mother's two brothers, William and Richard Randolph. He inherited "Cawson's Plantation" from his father, and after gifting Cawson's to his married son, he moved to his "Springfield Plantation" in Amelia County VA, where he lived out his later years.

After the "Gunpowder Incident" at the beginning of the American Revolution, Bland, along with his son, Theodorick Bland Jr, and his son-in-law, John Randolph, offered 40 slaves for sale to raise funds to replace the gunpowder seized by Lord Dunmore from the magazine in Williamsburg, Virginia.[ Around January 1781, St. George Tucker assisted Bland, his father-in-law, in escaping the advancing British Army commanded by Benedict Arnold. A few months later, the British Major-General William Phillips ordered that his troops not harm Bland's property.

Maj. Bland is the father of Col. Theodorick Bland Jr. (Congressman) and the grandfather of John Randolph "of Roanoke."

"Campbell says of him [Theodorick Bland] that he was a plain, practical man, with slender advantages of education, but a man of good fortune and character. Nothing is known of his education, but it is illogical that he should have not had advantages equal to his older brother Richard. Governor Faquier in 1758 appointed Theodorick as colonel of the Prince George County Militia, and he was also clerk of the county and in several terms, a member of the Burgesses from the county."

Research Notes

Conflicting birthdates. Birth Date: 1719. ^[4]See DAR record.

Will

Will of Theodorick Bland. Amelia County, Virginia.

Wife Elizabeth
Son Theodorick
Granddaughter Anna Bland Eaton
Daughter Frances Tucker
Grandson John Bannister
Grandson Theodorick Bland Ruffin
Executors: Wife Elizabeth, son Theodorick Bland, son in law [i.e., step-son] William Yates, St. George Tucker
Wit: Edward Randolph (Yates?), Peter Bland, William Beverly Fitzhugh, Edward Bland

WB 3, pp. 289-291, w. 16 Jul 17?, p. 28 Oct 1784
Digital image at Ancestry.com - https://ancstry.me/2QFYSnC

Sources

1. ↑ Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed May 6, 2022), "Record of Theodorick Bland", Ancestor # A011133.
2. ↑ The Life of John Randolph of Roanoke The Life of John Randolph of Roanoke by Hugh H. Garland ch:1 pub:1856
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} The Bland Papers: Being a Selection from the Manuscripts of Colonel ... By Theodorick Bland
4. ↑ Dr. Reginald B. Henry, VA Genealogies #3, 1600s-1800s, Genealogies of Virginia Families, Volume III, Ruffin Chart (originally published in "Tyler's Genealogical Quarterly" ca. 1941.

• Find a Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/59329951/theodorick-bland?_gl=1*1buww3d*_ga*MjA0OTEwOTAyNi4xNjQ3MjY3NzUz*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTY3MTgxMTE3NS42MzguMS4xNjcxODExMzQxLjM5LjAuMA..

See also:
Bland, Theodorick, (1840) The Bland Papers: Being a Selection from the Manuscripts of Colonel Theodorick Bland JR. of Prince George County, Virginia, Vol 1. Petersburg [Va.] : Printed by E. & J.C. Ruffin, https://archive.org/stream/blandpapersbeing12blan#page/n3/mode/2up Archive.org

Theodorick Bland of Cawsons. Wikipedia.

Acknowledgments

• This person was created through the import of indygrandma.ged on 02 January 2011. The following data was included in the gedcom. You may wish to edit it for readability.