History of Prince George County Virginia United States of America

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Theodoric Bland, soldier, was born in Prince George county, Va., in 1742. He was fourth in line of descent from Pocahontas, his mother being Jane Rolfe. At the age of eleven he was sent to England to be educated, pursuing his preliminary studies at Wakefield, and obtaining his A.M. and M.D. degrees at Edinburgh university. He returned to the United States in 1764 and engaged in the practice of his profession. He led the band of volunteers who reclaimed by force the arms and ammunition which Governor Dunmore had removed from the public arsenal to his palace, and, under the pseudonym "Cassius," he published several letters denouncing the action of the governor. He took an active part in the enrollment of troops and when, in 1777, he joined the main Continental army he was appointed lieutenant-colonel. He later rose to the rank of colonel, and gained the friendship and respect of the commander-in-chief by his wise and gallant action. He fought in the battle of the Brandywine and Saratoga, and was given command of the prisoners in their long march to Charlottesville, Va. He sat for one term in the Virginia senate during the war period, and in the Continental Congress from 1780 to 1783. He opposed the adoption of the Federal constitution, but represented Virginia in the 1st Congress. His death was the first to be publicly announced in the house of representatives. The "Bland Papars," collected and edited by Charles Campbell (1840-'43), contain many valuable memorials of the revolution, and are accompanied by a memoir of Theodoric Bland. He died in New York city, June 1, 1790.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Henry W. Conner, representative, was born in Prince George county, Va., in August, 1793. He was graduated at South Carolina college in 1812. He was aide to Gen. Joseph Graham in the expedition against the Creek Indians in 1814 and saw considerable service. He then settled in Falls Town, Iredell county, and in 1823 removed to Sherrill's Ford, Catawba county, N. C. He was nominated by the Democratic party as representative in the 16th congress but failed of an election. He was a representative in the 19th-26th congresses, 1821-41. In 1848-49 he served in the state senate. He died at Sherrill's Ford, Catawba county, N. C., Jan. 15, 1866.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Jesse Lee, pioneer Methodist, was born in Prince George county, Va., March 19, 1758; son of Nathaniel and Elizabeth Lee. His father was one of the pioneer Methodists, and at the meetings held at his house Jesse was accustomed to speak and exhort while a mere boy. In 1777 he removed to North Carolina, where he engaged in farming and was appointed a class-leader in the Roanoke circuit. He preached his first regular sermon Nov. 17, 1779, and in 1780 he was drafted in the state militia. His religious convictions would not allow him to carry a gun and he was placed under arrest but the next day was detailed as driver of a baggage-wagon. He subsequently served as sergeant in charge of prisoners and he received his honorable discharge, Oct. 29, 1780. He was a circuit preacher, 1780-83; attended the Virginia conference of 1782 and on May 6, 1783, was admitted to the conference on trial. He served in the Caswell and Salisbury circuits; journeyed to Charleston, S. C., with Bishop Asbury in 1785; travelled Kent county, Md., circuit, 1786, the Baltimore circuit, 1787, and the Flanders circuit, New Jersey and New York, 1788. He helped to introduce Methodism in New England in 1789, and reached Boston in 1790, where he found no meeting-house open to him and preached under the "Elm Tree" on the Common. He attended the New York conference in 1790, being ordained deacon privately October 4, and elder publicly, Oct. 5, 1790. He laid the cornerstone of the first Methodist church in Boston, Aug. 8, 1794; visited the Southern States as a substitute for Bishop Asbury, in 1798, and attended conferences and visited circuits both North and South. In 1800 he obtained a tie vote with Richard Whatcoat for bishop, and on the next vote was defeated by Whatcoat by two votes. He was presiding elder of the Norfolk, Va., district, 1801-03; of the Williamsburg, Va., circuit, 1804-07, and of the Cumberland, Md., circuit, 1807-16. He was chaplain of the U.S. house of representatives in the 10th and 12th congresses, 1807-09 and 1811-13, and of the U. S. senate in the l3th and 14th congresses, 1813-16. He is the author of History of Methodism in America (1809). His nephew, the Rev. Leroy Madison Lee (1808-1882), a prominent Methodist in Virginia, published Life and Times of Jesse Lee (1848). He died in Hillsboro, Md., Sept. 12, 1816.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Prince George County Virginia

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