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Virginia Prominent Families Vol 1-4
Theodoric Bland, youngest child of Richard Bland, of Jordan's Point, and Elizabeth, née Randolph, b. 1720, just before his mother died.
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Sorry, Folks,

1) I need to correct one sentence in my previous message. For those
interested in the families mentioned, the information in the following
sentence is "backwards."

<<James Duke appears to have been the brother of William Byrd II's wife Mary.>
>

It should read, "James Duke appears to be the husband of William Byrd II's
sister, Mary Byrd."

2) The URL for the RIVER-JAMES list archives is:

http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/river-james

3) Yes, Theodorick Bland, Jr. and his brother John (sons of Theodorick Sr.,
who arrived in VA in 1653 and became Speaker of the House of Burgesses) were
the first owners of the Berkeley and Westover Plantation sites. Benjamin
Harrison II and William Byrd I bought the properties from the Blands.
Theodorick Bland, who owned Westover, is buried there, along with Willi
Byrd I, Byrd's wife Mary Horsmanden Byrd and their daughter Evelyn; and
Captain William Perry, who died August 6, 1637 (Perry's tombstone is the
third oldest known tombstone in America). The third Bland brother, Richard,
married Elizabeth Randolph, aunt of Peyton Randolph, president of the
Continental Congress and father of Edward Randolph, Governor of Virginia
1786-1788. Peyton Randolph, by the way, married Elizabeth Harrison, daughter
of Benjamin Harrison IV (son of Ben III) and Ann Carter, sister of Col.
Charles Carter, who married Ann Byrd, daughter of William Byrd II--!

The following is from the Harrison Heritage, March 1982, newsletter, which is
online at:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~harrisonrep/hhdocs/82marhh.htm#immigr

ants

Benjamin Harrison III "became the owner of Berkeley, following the death of
Giles Bland, son of John Bland, the previous owner, when he was hang
Governor Sir William Berkeley in 1676, after participating in the Rebellion
under Bacon. Although Benjamin Harrison, 3rd, was only three years old at the
time, it is probable that his father, the Hon. Benjamin Harrison, 2n
Wakefield, purchased it for him while he was still young.

"Berkeley Hundred [the orginial settlement] was comprised of about eight
thousand acres on the James River in Virginia, and was a land grant of the
London company, in 1618, to Sir William Throckmorton, Sir George Yeardley and
Richard Berkeley and John Smith of Nibley. It was named for Richard Berkeley.
In 1619, the "good ship Margaret" of Bristol sailed for Virginia and brought
thirty-five settlers to the new "Town and Hundred of Berkeley." In 1622, a
terrible massacre took place and nine people were brutally slain at Berkeley.
For several years thereafter, the plantation lay abandoned, until Willi
Tucker and others got possession of it in 1636, and it became the property of
John Bland, a merchant of London.

"Benjamin Harrison, 3rd, lived at Berkeley."

4) About Westover Parish:

"At a meeting held December 20, 1739, it was agreed to build a church 'on the
land the Hon. William Bird, Esq.. 60 feet long and 25 feet broad.' Richard
Randolph, gentleman, was the contractor. The sum of 300 pounds to be paid for
same."

Above from Genealogies of Virginia Families II, Cl-Fi, Genealogy of the Cocke
Family in Virginia, Page 127

Another web site offers more information (maybe more than you want to know)
on Westover Parish. The following "is transcribed from a copy of a newspaper
article 'Century of Old Fontaine Estate,' by Mary Lytle Byers (maybe fr
Courier Journal?) from 1914 (this date based on wording in text) The copy was
in poor condition. Unreadable text is shown as ..... in the transcripti
below. It could be more than one article, as the pieces were fragmentary and
hard to read. J. Scott, April 1999.

"Pierre Fontaine had the good fortune to become the rector of Westover parish
and chaplain to that 'prince of the lordly manor of Westover,' the
distinguished Col. William Evelyn Byrd. In a novel by Marian Harland, called
'His Great Self,' founded on the Westover manuscripts of Col. Byrd, Pierre
Fontaine is shown to be a familiar member of the household, and an intimate
friend of the beautiful Evelyn. He is described as 'a polished scholar and
courtly gentleman of winning manners, with an olive complexion, clearly
chiseled features, soft, dark brilliant eyes, 'a true descendant of the
handsomest man in Navarre.'"

"Romance says he was in love with the ill-fated Evelyn Byrd, but realizing
the hopelessness of his own suit aided her by every means in his power in her
unfortunate love affair with her English lover, Lord Peterborough.

Both Pierre Fontaine and his brother, Capt., John Fontaine, were members of
Gov. Spottesswoode's famous expedition across the blue Ridge in 1716, which
ended on their return in the institution of the "Knights of the Golden
Horseshoe," Gov. Spotteswoode presenting to each member a miniature gold
horseshoe inscribed with the motto "Sic Juvat transcendere Montes." The
journal of Capt. John Fontaine had been preserved, in which he gives an
account of the party reaching the top of the range of mountains, and drinking
a health to King George and the royal family.

Above from: http://juch.org/gedpage/nti/nti04511.asp

Best,
Francine
<FModderno@@aol.com>
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A LIST OF LETTERS Remaining in the Post Office, Dumfries, which, if not
taken out by the 1st of October next, will be returned to the General Post
Office.

JOHN HUIE, a letters; HENRY WASHINGTON; CHARLES TYLER, merchant, near the
Red House; WILLIAM BRENT, Fauquier county; The Clerk of Dumfries district
court, 2; JOHN McCALLY, Fauquier; Mrs. MARY GRAHAM; The Coroners of Prince
William; The Executors of WILLIAM GRAYSON, deceased; JAMES G. TALIAFERRO,
Brent Town; THEODORICK BLAND, near Dumfries, 2; THOMAS SWAN, Esquire;
THOMAS MONTGOMERIE, 2; ZACHARIAH COX, Esq. 2; RICHARD ROE, near Fauquier
court house; ALEXANDER BROWN Esq.; The Rev. SPENCER GRAYSON; LANDON
CARTER, care of C. WILSON; BERNARD HOOE, Sen. Esq.; JAMES GWATKIN, ROBERT
RANDOLPH, Fauquier, Mrs. ANNA HANSON, at Doctor HORNER’s, Fauquier;
WILLIAM GUNYON, EDWARD CARTER, Esq.; Prince William; Colonel JOHN COOKE;
G. F. STRAS; NATHANIEL H. TRIPLETT.

TIMOTHY BRUNDIDGE, Post Master Dumfries, July 1, 1795