The Bland family that settled in Northern Virginia has been extensively researched by Charles Bland, author of Vision of Unity: The Bland Family in England and America (1982), a history of the Blands in Virginia.  He has been able to distinguish the Northern Virginia Blands from the family that settled along the James River in Virginia, and the fact that they are separate families has been confirmed by yDNA evidence.

The better known James River Blands are the best documented; the reader is referred to John Frederick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person: Virginia, 1607-1624/5, Volume One (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 4th Ed., 2004) pp. 323-54.  The Northern Virginia branch is the most likely source of the first Bland Ballard, given the consistent naming patterns used in both families; you will note that nearly all of the male names appear among Bland Ballard’s descendants, particularly George, James, and Benjamin.  The name of a likely daughter in this line who married into the Ballard family has not been confirmed, and recent research points to Thomas Ballard of Stafford county, who married Mary _________, the widow of James Mann; circumstantial evidence of this is discussed here.   Researching these lines is extremely difficult due to the loss of records in King and Queen, Caroline, Stafford and Prince William counties.

The founder of this branch of the family is James Bland (born c. 1575) of Penrith, St. Andrews Parish, Cumberland County, England, who married Alice Pettison or Patterson.  Their child was:

1 James Bland (c. 1600-1651/52) of Penrith, who married Susan Cooke.    Their child was:

2 George Bland (1635-after 1675) of Penrith, who married Grace _____.  Their child was:

3 James Bland (1661-1709) of Penrith, who moved to London and to East Jersey in 1684, was in Virginia by 1687, and died in Stafford county in 1709.  He may have married twice; his wife at the time of his death was Margaret _____.   Their children were: William, James, John, Robert, Alice, Ellen, Patience, and Hannah, and are identified in his will dated 22 December 1708: “James Bland of Stafford Co., VA made his will. (2) Sons William and James were adults. Gave to son James 125 acres of land near Powell’s Creek on the Occoquan River.  Called himself sick of body. “My will and mind is that my loving wife Margt. shall peaceably possess my now dwelling plantation & the land from the mouth of the creek to the first branch above the said plantation during her natural life & after her decease to fall to my loving son Robert Bland and his heirs lawfully begot give and bequeath to my loving son William Bland 150 acres of land beginning at the upper side of the abovesaid branch and so running up the creek the full complement of 150 acres. Give to my two sons James and John Bland all the reversion of my land the said tract beginning where my son William leaves off and so running to the head of my line and to be equally divided between them when my son shall arrive to the age of 21 years. My will and mind is that my loving son Wm. Bland may have the tuition and bringing up of my Eldest Daughter Alice and my youngest Daughter Hannah. Desire my loving son James Bland to have the tuition and bringing up of my Daughter Patience and my Daughter Ellin and my youngest son Robert my daughters till they come to 18 or marryed and my son until he is 21 years old. After my debts are paid what is left to be equally divided between my loving wife Margaret & my eight children everyone to have an equal share alike when they shall come to age as afsd. I make my two sons William Bland and James Bland to be my sole executors. Signed James x Bland. Wits. John x Williams his mark, Saml. Kent Junr.

9 March 1708/9.  Will proved, Stafford Co., Virginia Probate granted to Wm. Bland & James Bland. Burr Harrison & Thos. Sandiford assumed in Court to be security with said Executors and save the Court harmless and the said will is recorded.

25 March 1708/9.  Inventory of the estate of James Bland deced which was brought before us to appraise & is appraised by us according to order of Court. Items listed valued and totalled 24842. Signed by James Bland. Appraisers Burr Harrison, John Mason, Mathew Thompson. Recorded 13 Apr 1709.

10 May 1709.  An account of the remaining part of the Estate of James Bland deced brought before us to appraise which came to hand since last appraismt and thus appraised by us, items listed valued at 1090 by appraisers Burr Harrison, Jno. Mason. This was returned into Stafford Co., VA Court 13 Jul 1709 as a supplemental acct of the Estate of James Bland by Wm. Bland.”¹  Nothing is known of the fate of last four daughters; information on the four sons appears below.

4 William Bland (c.1686-1744), eldest son of James, resided in Stafford/Prince William county.  He married (1)_____, and (2) Catherine Key.  The likely children of William and _____ were: 1. James Bland (1705-1774) of Prince William county, Virginia and New Hanover/Duplin county, North Carolina; he married Mary Buchannan; 2. Robert Bland (c.1708-1760) of Prince William and Loudon counties, Virginia, married Jane _____.  The likely children of William and Catherine Key were: 3. Moses Bland (c. 1718-1800) of Prince William county, Virginia and Randolph county, North Carolina, married Jane Wiggonton.  4. Thomas Bland (c. 1719-1788) of Fauquier county, Virginia, married Jane (English?) Smith.  5. John Bland (c.1725-1795) of Prince William county, Virginia and Nelson county, Kentucky, married Margaret Osborne.

5 James Bland (c. 1687-1756) of Prince William county, Virginia, married Mary Gwatkins.  Probably the James Bland who took out the following patents: 29 August 1711, 354 acres;² 30 January 1727-8, 165 acres on the branches of Neapsco Run, adjoining Leonard Barker;³ and 16 September 1730 for 570 acres.⁴  Their children were: 1. Benjamin Bland (c.1724-1771) of Prince William county, married Mary _____.  2. Arthur Bland (c. 1725-1763) of Prince William county, married Mary _____.

6 John Bland (c.1688-1762) of Prince William county, married Prudence _____.   Their children were: 1. John Bland (c. 1742-1807) of Prince William county, Virginia and Washington county, Kentucky, married Rachel _____.  2. Jesse Bland (1756-1835) of Prince William and Greenbrier counties, Virginia, died unmarried, presumably without issue.

7. Robert Bland, a minor at the time of his father’s will, died without issue.

Sources: Online data, primarily the research of Charles Bland.  Note that other researchers name James Bland as son of Theodorick Bland and Anne Bennett of Westover, Charles City county.

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Endnotes:

1. Stafford County, Va. Deed & Will Book 1699-1709 (The Antient Press) pp.108-110, 460, 464, 471.

2. Patent was taken by William Bland, Francis Stone & James Bland. Northern Neck Grants No. 4, 1710-12, p. 48.

3. Northern Neck Grants B, 1726-29, p. 112 folio.

4. Northern Neck Grants C, 1729-31, p. 72 folio.