• General Notes

  Burial: Buried at Bland family graveyard at Jordan's Point, Prince George County, Virginia
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  He was called either "The Virginia Antiquary" or simply "the Antiquarian," for his work preserving early history of the Virginia.
  
  Member of the Continental Congress
  He would have signed the Declaration of Independence, but he became ill, and Francis Lightfoot Lee signed instead.(1]
  
  He was the author of many pamphlets prior to the revolution, some which are considered by many to have formed part of the intellectual underpinnings of the war.
  
  Thomas Jefferson, the President, bought many of Richard Bland's Papers from his estate after his death.
  These papers are part of the collection now at the Library of Congress. Some can be viewed on line.
  
  Thomas Jefferson and Richard Bland were first cousins once removed.
  
  Richard Bland member of the Virginia Committee of Correspondence in 1773; took a leading part in the Revolutionary War; Member of the Continental Congress in 1774 and 1775; again chosen, but declined to serve; member of the Revolutionary conventions of 1775 and 1776; died in Williamsburg, Va., October 26, 1776; interment in a private cemetery on the Jordan Point plantation, on the James River.
  
  Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774-1949
  Biographies
  
  1] Malone, Dumas, 1892- The story of the Declaration of independence /Bicentennial ed. New York : Oxford University Press, 1975. 288 p. : ill.; 29 cm.
  
  Writings by Richard Bland
  Richard Bland College of the College of William and Mary
  http://www.rbc.edu/library/SpecialCollections/Richard_Bland.htm#writing ______________________________________________________________________
  Brief Chronology of Richard Bland's life:
  
  Born May 6, 1710
  Son of Richard Bland I of Berkeley and Jordan's Point, Virginia and Elizabeth Randolph, daughter of William Randolph of Turkey Island.
  Orphaned in 1720 and later raised by uncles, William & Richard Randolph.
  Educated by tutors, largely self taught.
  Attended College of William & Mary and possibly the University of Edinburgh.
  Married 3 times, 12 children by first wife Anne Poythress.
  Served as Justice of the Peace.
  Entered the militia in 1739.
  Studied law, admitted to the Virginia bar in 1746.
  1742-1775 member of the House of Burgesses from Prince George County.
  1773 appointed to Committee of Correspondence.
  1750s to 1770s involved in many issues pertaining to the rights of citizens and taxation.
  1760 wrote "A Letter to the Clergy on the Two-penny Act."
  1764 wrote "The Colonel Dismounted: or the Rector Vindicated."
  Part of Virginia delegation to First Continental Congress.
  1775 elected to Second Continental Congress.
  1775-1776 member of Virginia Committee of Public Safety - helped to write the first constitution of Virginia.
  1776 wrote "An Inquiry into the Rights of the British Colonies"
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  The Virginia county of "Bland" was named for this Richard Bland
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  From Daniels, "The Randolphs of Virginia," p. 73:
  "In October 1764, scholarly Richard Bland, grandson of William Randolph the family founder, had helped draft an address to the King, a memorial to the Lords and Remonstrance to the Commons, protesting the taxation of Virginia by any other power than its Assembly. This Richard could hardly be regarded as a conservative. He had taken the lead in a move to strictly regulate the pay of the Anglican clergy in relation to the prices planters got for their tobacco. Still as one who revered the past he became known as the 'Virginia Antiquary' for his work in saving historic papers from fires, house cleanings, rats and insects."
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  Richard II, son of Richard I, married Anne Poythress. He was a man of great intellect, and was a political writer of note. He wrote "Letters to the Clergy."
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Details of Richard  (Jr) 's family with Martha  MACON

Details of Richard  (Jr) 's family with Ann Abigale POYTHRESS

Details of Richard  (Jr) 's family with Elizabeth Bland  BLAIR