American politicianThis article is about the American statesman from Virginia. For other people named Richard Bland, see Richard Bland (disambiguation).

Richard Bland (May 6, 1710 – October 26, 1776), sometimes referred to as Richard Bland II or Richard Bland of Jordan's Point, was an American Founding Father, planter, and statesman from Virginia and a cousin of Thomas Jefferson. He served for many terms in the House of Burgesses, was a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1774 and 1775, and signed the Continental *ociation.

Contents

• 1 Family and early life
• 2 Marriage and Issue
• 3 Early political career
• 4 Colonial rights advocate
• 5 Founding the state of Virginia
• 6 Death and legacy
• 7 Notes
• 8 References
• 9 External links

Family and early life

His father, Richard Bland, was a member of one of the patriarchal First Families of Virginia and was related to many of the others. This branch of the Bland family first came to Virginia in 1654, when Theodorick Bland of Westover, emigrated from London and Spain. After the death of his older brother Edward Bland in 1653, Theodorick moved to Virginia to take over management of the family mercantile and shipping enterprises there. Theodorick established Berkeley Plantation and Westover Plantation, both properties survive still, side by side, as working plantations on the banks of the James River. Theodorick served several terms in the House of Burgesses and was its speaker in 1660 when he married Anna Bennett, the daughter of Virginia Governor Richard Bennett. Before he died in 1671 Theodorick and Anna had three sons: Theodorick, Richard, and John.

Being the second son, Richard Bland moved further up river and started his own plantation, on land purchased by his father in 1656. This property became known as Jordan's Point Plantation near the current Jordan Point in Prince George County, Virginia. The land was originally the location of Jordan's Journey Plantation, settled by Samuel Jordan in 1620. Richard married first Mary Swann, they had seven children but none of them survived their mother who died in 1700. In 1702, Richard married Elizabeth Randolph (1680–1720), daughter of William Randolph. Together they had five children:

• Mary Bland (1703), married Capt. Henry Lee I
• Elizabeth Bland (1706), married William Beverley
• Richard Bland (1710)
• Anna Bland (1711) (married Robert Munford)
• Theodorick (1718)

When Richard II was born on May 6, 1710, at either Jordan's Point or "Bland House" in Williamsburg, he was heir to the farm and lived there his entire life. He inherited it early, as both his parents died just before his tenth birthday in 1720. His mother died on January 22 and his father on April 6. His uncles, William and Richard Randolph, looked after his farm and early education and raised, as guardians, Richard and his siblings. It was likely during his young years that he developed his close relationship with his first cousin, Peyton Randolph, that would last throughout their lives, often sitting side by side during their years of service in the House of Burgesses, the Committee of Safety, and the First and Second Continental Congresses. Another of Richard's and Peyton's first cousins, Jane Randolph Jefferson, had a son Thomas Jefferson who followed his cousins and mentors to the House of Burgesses and the Continental Congresses. Richard attended the College of William & Mary and, like many of his time, completed his education in Scotland at Edinburgh University. He was trained in law and was admitted to the bar in 1746, but never offered his legal services to the public. He held an extensive library for his time, much of which was preserved by its acquisition after his death by Jefferson and his nephew-in-law St. George Tucker and made its way to the Library of Congress as part of Jefferson's personal library donation in 1815.

Marriage and Issue

Bland married Anne Poythress (December 13, 1712 – April 9, 1758), the daughter of Colonel Peter and Ann Poythress, from Henrico County, Virginia. The couple married at Jordan's Point on March 21, 1729, and made it their home. Together they had twelve children:

• Richard Bland(b. 20 February 1731)
• Elizabeth Bland (b. 17 March 1733)
• Ann Bland (b. 15 August 1735)
• Peter Bland (b. 2 February 1737, d.16 February 1781)
• John Bland (b. 19 October 1739)
• Mary Bland (b. 15 January 1741)
• William Bland (b. 26 December 1742)
• Theodorick Bland (b. 28 September 1744)
• Edward Bland (b. 16 December 1746)
• Sarah Bland (b. 19 September 1750)
• Susan Bland (b. 20 February 1752)
• Lucy Bland (b. 22 September 1754).

After Anne's death, Richard married twice more. On January 1, 1759, Bland married Martha Macon M*ie, the widow of William M*ie, who died eight months after their marriage. In 1760 he married for a third time to Elizabeth Blair Bolling, widow of John Bolling and sister of councilor John Blair. Elizabeth died late in April 1775. Richard Bland survived all of his wives. There were no children of the 2nd and 3rd marriages.

Early political career

Bland served as a justice of the peace in Prince George County and was made a militia officer in 1739. In 1742, he was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses, where he served successive terms until it was suppressed during the American Revolution. Bland's thoughtful work made him one of its leaders, although he was not a strong speaker. He frequently served on committees whose role was to negotiate or frame laws and treaties. Sometimes described as a bookish scholar as well as farmer, Bland read law and was admitted to the Virginia bar in 1746. He did not practice before the courts but collected legal do*ents and became known for his expertise in Virginia and British history and law.

Bland often published pamphlets (frequently anonymously), as well as letters. His first widely distributed public paper came as a result of the Parson's Cause, which was a debate from 1759 to 1760 over the established church and the kind and rate of taxes used to pay the Anglican clergy. His pamphlet A Letter to the Clergy on the Two-penny Act was printed in 1760, as he opposed increasing pay and the creation of a bishop for the colonies.

An early critic of slavery, though a slaveholder, Bland stated "under English government all men are born free", which prompted considerable debate with John Camm, a professor at Bland's alma mater, the College of William & Mary.

Colonial rights advocate

When the Stamp Act created controversy throughout the colonies, Richard Bland thought through the entire issue of parliamentary laws as opposed to those that originated in the colonial *emblies. While others, particularly James Otis, get more credit for the idea of "no taxation without representation", the full argument for this position seems to come from Bland. In early 1766, he wrote An Inquiry into the Rights of the British Colonies, which was published in Williamsburg and reprinted in England. Bland's Inquiry examines the relationship of the king, parliament, and the colonies. While he concludes that the colonies were subject to the crown and that colonists should enjoy the rights of Englishmen, he questions the presumption that total authority and government came through parliament and its laws. Jefferson described the work as "the first pamphlet on the nature of the connection with Great Britain which had any pretension to accuracy of view on that subject.... There was more sound matter in his pamphlet than in the celebrated Farmer's letters."

In 1774, the Virginia Burgesses sent Bland to the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia. A number of the views he had expressed in An Inquiry into the Rights of the British Colonies found their way into the first session of the Congress and were included in its Declaration of Rights. Bland signed the Continental *ociation, served as a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1774 and 1775, and thus is considered one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.

Founding the state of Virginia

Virginia Dept. Historic Resources sign at Jordan Point near the burial place of Richard Bland, on the south bank of the James River near Hopewell.

In 1775, as revolution neared in Virginia, the Virginia Convention replaced the Burgesses and the Council as a form of ad-hoc government. That year he met with the Burgesses and with the three sessions of the convention. In March 1775, after Patrick Henry's "Give me liberty, or give me death!" speech, he was still opposed to taking up arms. He believed that reconciliation with England was still possible and desirable. Nevertheless, he was named to the committee of safety and re-elected as a delegate to the national Congress. In May, he travelled to Philadelphia for the opening of the Second Continental Congress, but soon returned home, withdrawing because of the poor health and failing eyesight of old age. However, his radicalism had increased, and by the Convention's meeting in July, he proposed hanging Lord Dunmore, the royal governor.

In the first state convention meeting of 1776, Richard Bland declined a re-election to the Third Continental Congress, citing his age and health. However, he played an active role in the remaining conventions. He served on the committee which drafted Virginia's first cons*ution in 1776. When the House of Delegates for the new state government was elected, he was one of the members.

Death and legacy

Bland died while serving in the state House on October 26, 1776, at Williamsburg. In November he was buried in the family cemetery at Jordan's Point in Prince George County. Bland County and Richard Bland College, junior college of the College of William & Mary, are named in his honour.

Notes

References

External links

• United States Congress. "Richard Bland (id: B000543)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Richard Bland at Encyclopedia Virginia
• Richard Bland, Revolutionary Philosopher Press Release by Marjorie Solenberger (July 1994)
• An Inquiry into the Rights of the British Colonies at the Internet Archive