Bland Family Visit

On a very hot, muggy Friday, July 8th, approximately 20 members of the 32nd National Bland Family Reunion group participated in a tour arranged by Ms. Susan Richardson, a Bland descendant. The visitors were from as far away as Texas, Oklahoma, and California. They first toured the Tavern Museum and the Courthouse Green Historic District. After lunch catered by the King and Queen County Women’s Club, via bus they visited various places connected to the Bland families of King and Queen.

At each of the 4 homes, the bus was greeted by a descendant of the home. Mr. Carlisle Bland spoke on his families’ history of Blandville at Shanghai. Ms. Betsy Martin Guy met the bus in the Centerville area to talk about Airville, the only home not standing. Hunter and Stacy Richardson, met the bus at their newly acquired home, Aspen Grove and Anne Trevilian Bland told about her grandparents home, Buena Vista at Cologne. Ms. Martha Edwards Hart who married a Bland descendant met the bus at Shackelfords Chapel. She gave a brief history of the church at Plain View and told of over 10 sections of Bland family plots in the cemetery. Refreshments were served before the tour returned home.

Ms. Richardson distributed a handout that contained pictures and notes about the home and churches on the tour and a genealogy of the associated Bland families.