Richard Bland - Prince George County, VA - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

Richard Bland (May 6, 1710 - October 26, 1776) was a Virginia statesman, a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, and a delegate to the First and Second Continental Congresses.

Bland was born and raised at Jordan's Point, which is located in Prince George County, Virginia on the south bank of the James River. He inherited the plantation and surrounding lands at the age of ten after his parents passed away. His relatives helped with the farm work and saw to his education. He studied law at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg and studied abroad in Scotland.

Bland was Justice of the Peace in Prince George County, served in the Virginia militia, and was elected to the House of Burgesses in 1742, a position he would maintain until the American Revolution. During this time, Bland earned a reputation as a negotiator and skillful writer, but his oration skills were not a strength. His first significant contribution was a pamphlet related to the Parson's Cause in which he argued against pay raises for Anglican clergy.

The idea of "no taxation without representation" is generally credited to other statesmen, but the groundwork appears to have originated in Bland's article "An Inquiry into the Rights of the British Colonies", which was published in Virginia and England. Many of the ideas Bland expressed were incorporated in the Declaration of Rights drafted at the First Continental Congress in 1774, which Bland attended.

Though initially opposed to war with England, Bland continued to serve as a delegate at the national Congress. His views became more radical over time, and he even proposed hanging the royal governor of Virginia, Lord Dunmore. Due to poor health, Bland left Philadelphia and returned to Virginia where he helped draft the Virgnia constitution and was elected to the House of Delegates.

On October 26, 1776, Bland passed away in Williamsburg (Virginia's capital at that time). He is buried in the family cemetery at Jordan's Point. Bland County in Virginia and Richard Bland College in Petersburg are named after him.

Description: Delegate to First and Second Continental Congresses Member of Virginia House of Burgesses Elected to Virginia House of Delegates Date of birth: 05/06/1710 Date of death: 10/26/1776 Area of notoriety: Historical Figure Marker Type: Plaque Setting: Outdoor Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link] Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Not listed

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