Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

SITE OF THE BLAND HOUSE

^{1933 - Obsolete}

The site of Williamsburg was Middle Plantation, and in gathering material on Williamsburg it has been our practice to trace all Middle Plantation land grants and deeds. Through this work we have determined the exact boundaries of the land of John Page, from whom the majority of land for the City of Williamsburg was purchased.

We have a survey of Page's land dated 1683, which covers most of the present site of Williamsburg, all of the present Duke of Gloucester Street fell within the Page grant at this time. There were houses on Page's land which stood in the middle of the new Duke of Gloucester Street (J.H.B., 1702-12, p. 55) which were ordered razed in 1704 "that the prospect of the street between the Capitol and Colledge may be cleer." He was paid £ 3 damages and the bricks were laid upon his lot. He was not paid for any other houses.

In 1683 all of Page's lands acquired from various owners from 1655 until 1683, were patented at the Land Office. This patent follows:

State Land Office
Book 7
Page 280 1683.
[Thomas, Lord Culpeper to John Page.]

... give and grant unto John Page Esqr one of his Maj his Councill, Three hundred and thirty Acres of Land lying in the Middle plantation of York County Bounded as foll: Two hundred and Eighty Acres part thereof beginning att a meare Stone that Stands in the Trench where the old pales stood on the north 2 Side of the Roade, that leads through the middle plantation towards James Citty, and from thence Running East by South one hundred poles to a marked white oake, thence East Eight degrees South, one hundred seventy two poles to a Corner Red oake, that Divides this land from the land of William Dyer thence North by East Sixty poles to a Corner Red oake, thence East nine degrees South, one hundred thirty three poles and a half to a meare Stone att the head of this Land, thence North by East Sixty two poles to a forked Poplar, thence West by North one hundred and Eight poles to a marked Hickory in a Valley, thence north-west westerly one hundred and sixty poles to a Corner of a Ditch, where ye old pales stood, thence South west five degrees, west one hundred poles to an old Poplar Stump, thence along the old pales trench South west Eight Degrees west one hundred fifty nine poles, to the place first Specified, one hundred Acres of the Said Land bought of Coll. George Reade, as by Deed appeared dated ye twenty fifth of June Sixteen hundred fifty five, and one hundred and ninety acres of the above said Land bought of William Newman, formerly belonging to George Lake Dec^d One hundred and fifty Acres of ye Said one hundred and ninety acres did Escheat to his most Sacred Majs^ty ye Sixth of May Sixteen hundred eighty-two, but by Survey now made found sold but two hundred Eighty Acres, Including in the Same ten Acres of Land belonging to Mr. William Sherwood, and Thomas Rabley, Two hundred and Eighty Acres part thereof being sold unto the said John Page Esq^r ... as foll (Viz^t) one hundred Acres by Pattent Granted to Lewis Burwell and Lucy his wife the thirteenth of October Sixteen hundred fifty two, being purchased by Maj^r George Read of William Bernard Esq^r and Lucy his wife, heire to Cap^t Robert Higginson the twenty Eight of November Sixteen hundred fifty three, and by y^e Said Read Sold to John Page Esq^r... by deed June y^e twenty fifth Sixteen hundred fifty five, and one hundred Acres of Land purchased by Thomas Lucas and Thomas Gregory of Cap^t Richard Popeley the first of February Sixteene hundred forty one, and by them sold to Thomas Heath, and by him Assigned to George Lake and George Wyat the twenty ninth of January Sixteen hundred forty three, and four hundred Acres being likewise purchased by ye said George Lake and George Wyatt of the Said Cap^t Richard Popeley by deed of Sale under his hand and Seale the tweleth of April Sixteen hundred forty two, and then the said five hundred Acres equally divided between y^e Said Lake and Wyat, the one halfe being two hundred and 3 fifty Acres Granted by Pattent to George Lake y^e fourth of October Sixteen hundred forty five, one hundred Acres of which land the said George Lake sold to John Moody by deed y^e twenty eight of October Sixteen hundred forty six, and by John Moody assigned - sold to Nicholas Harryson y^e twenty second of November Sixteen Hundred fifty one, and by Nicholas Harryson Assigned to William Newman The nineteenth of May sixteen hundred fifty two, and by William Newman Assigned to Henry Waller the seventeenth of January Sixteene hundred fifty two, and by Henry Waller Sold fifty of y^e said one hundred Acres to John Maler in June Sixteen hundred fifty four now in the tenure of William Dyer and Reassigned the Deed to William Newman the fifty of September Sixteen hundred fifty Seven, and the said Newman Sold about ten Acres of y^e said Hundred to William Plumtree now in the Possession of M^r William Sherwood, and M^r Thomas Rabley, And the Residue being one hundred and ninety Acres was Sold by William Newman and Priscilla his wyfe, to y^e Said John Page Esq^r ... by deed the twentieth of January Sixteene hundred Sixty nine, but ye Said George Lake dying without heire or will, one hundred and fifty Acres of y^e Said Land was found to Escheat ... ye Sixth of May Sixteene hundred Eighty-two, and Granted to the Said John Page Esq^r ... which sales of fifty Acres by Waller to Maler and about ten Acres to William Plumtree, being Excepted, there ought of Right and should have been two hundred & ninety Acres of Land due to the said John Page Esq^r ... but upon an Exact Survey is found but two hundred and Eighty Acres, Including in the Same, the Land sold to Plumtree now in the Possession of William Sherwood and Thomas Rabley, And Also fifty Acres of land part of the two hundred granted by Pattent to Lewis Burwell and Lucy his wife The thirteenth of October Sixteene hundred fifty two lying and being without the old Pallisado att Middle plantation bounded northwest upon the land of Peter Efford now in Possession of Edward Malyn, along the Run of a Swamp, and South East upon the Pallisado, purchased by Maj^r George Reade of William Bernard Esq^r and Lucy his wyfe heire to Capt Robert Higginson the twenty Eight of November Sixteene hundred fifty-three, and by y^e said Reade sold to John Dickinson by Deed y^e twenty fourth of September Sixteen hundred fifty five, and by y^e said Dickinson Assigned to Abraham Spencer the tenth of December Sixteen hundred fifty five, and by Thomas Spencer Son and heire of y^e said Abraham Spencer sold to John Page Esq^r ... by deed the fourth of November Sixteen hundred fifty seven ...

We have platted the various units of the Page grant, as well as the entire Page patent of 1683 in Middle Plantation. We find no trace of any Bland lands within the Page grant, and are relatively certain no house would have been built by Bland on Page's lands in 1660, or on any of the lands of other owners which became Page's before 1683.

In 1699 Page was paid for the land taken up for the city, in 1704 he was paid for his old houses razed from the Duke of Gloucester Street. In 1705 the "Act directing the building of the Capitol & City of Williamsburg" was passed. The lots laid out in the Theodorick Bland survey of 1699 were confirmed again in 1705. (Hen. Stat. - Vol. 3, pp. 422-5; 426-431) exempting lots in Middle Plantation where houses were standing from being taken up by the proprietors of the city, specifying in this particular 4 lots owned by Benjamin Harrison which had some buildings on them.

Lots 20 and 21 on Duke of Gloucester Street were however, taken up by the proprietors for the City of Williamsburg and were assigned numbers in the town plan. The first deed to these lots in our records from York County was made May 23, 1716 by Richard Bland to Benjamin Harrison and was for lots 20 and 21, with all houses ... "where he lately lived."

Since the lots were part of the town plan they were probably numbered in 1699 or 1705 and Bland acquired them about that time. Not all deeds to Williamsburg property in York County are available, as residents of the city were privileged to record them at the General Court, which many did, and all the General 5 Court records were destroyed in Richmond during the War Between the States.

The later owners of the lots are known and the full chain of title for the 18th century is available. Washington mentions stopping in this tavern on a number of occasions when it was owned or operated by different proprietors. Among his visits to this house which can be authenticated are the following:

May 7, 1771 - Dined at Mrs. Dawson's & spent the evening at Anderson's.
Nov. 3, 1771 - Dined at Anderson's ...
Nov. 30, 1773 - Spent the Evening at Anderson's.
June 6, 1774 - Dined at Rich'd Charlton's & supp'd at Anderson's.
June 8, 1774 - Spent the evening at Anderson's.
June 13, 1774 - Spent the evening at Anderson's.
14, Spent the evening at Anderson's.
16, Spent the evening at Anderson's.
17, Dined at & spent the evening there also. [Fitzpatrick, John C. - editor]
Diaries 1748-1799, of George Washington