My great grandmother Annie May (Blanton) Morris (1884-1977) is my gateway to the Blanton family. According to my grandmother she knew a lot about family history. She died when I was 13 years old, but her memory left her before I was old enough to connect with her in that way. We called her “Big Mama” and referred to my great grandfather, who died several years before I was born, as “Big Papa” because they were both tall. My mother’s paternal grandparents were called “Tiny Mama” and Tiny Papa” because – you guessed it – they were short.

Annie May lived for many years in Saunders nursing home in Gloucester County, Virginia across the York River from Yorktown where we lived. I remember our visits there. I also remember her coming to Sunday dinner at my grandparent’s house. One Sunday night we were having fried chicken for dinner and Big Mama swallowed a chicken bone, which got stuck in her throat causing her to start choking. There was instantly a lot of commotion as my parents, aunt and uncle and grandparents all sprang into action while we children sat there wide eyed. Fortunately, my father was able to dislodge the obstruction with a butter knife. Quite the childhood memory, huh? Through my genealogy pursuits, I have gotten to know Annie May much better. See my very first A Son of Virginia blog post “A May-December Romance (and a June wedding) in Jetersville, VA”: https://wordpress.com/post/asonofvirginia.blog/70

While Annie May and both of her parents were Amelia County natives, her Blanton family’s roots lie in Cumberland, Spotsylvania, Essex and Old Rappahannock Counties going back to my 7x great grandfather Thomas Blanton (c.1650-1697/8).

Remembering a genealogy field trip with my grandparents

Before we get to Thomas Blanton, I want to share a memory with you. When I was in high school, I drove my grandparents from Yorktown, Virginia out to Cumberland County, Virginia to visit the grave of my 4x great grandfather and Revolutionary War ancestor, Capt. William Walker of High Hill (1757-1840) and as my grandmother, Rebecca Blanton (Morris) Eisenbeis (1913-1994) always said, “have a nice lunch.”  

Check out my earlier blog post on William Walker and his very interesting will here: https://asonofvirginia.blog/2022/06/22/william-walker-of-cumberland-county-virginia-1757-1840/ 

We were driving through Powhatan County along Blenheim Road and spotted the name Blanton on a mailbox. My grandmother told me to turn around and we’d stop for a visit. “But Mimi, (as we called her) we don’t know these people!’” I said. Undeterred she told me to turn around, which of course I did. We pulled into the driveway and approached a beautiful old house.

We were greeted by two elderly ladies who I think were Nancy Thornton Blanton (1883-1987) and Edna Young (Blanton) Smith (1902-2001). We introduced ourselves and my grandmother told them her mother was a Blanton and that her middle name was Blanton. We were invited right in and made welcome. The ladies were very interested to learn I was very much into family history and that I had started at age 11. They telephoned another Blanton cousin to come and join us. While I cannot recollect the ladies’ names with certainty, I’ll never forget his name – Robert E. Lee Blanton (1905-2003).

One of the ladies brought out a Blanton family manuscript complied by Mrs. James Blanton of Cincinnati, Ohio in 1969. We were able to figure out how we were all related pretty quickly. Our most recent common ancestors were my 4x great grandparents David and Lucy (Johns) Blanton of Cumberland County, Virginia. We also figured out we were also related through the William & Judith (Baker) Walker family of Cumberland County. The Blantons and Walkers intermarried numerous times over multiple generations. The ladies were kind enough to give me a copy of that Blanton manuscript, which I still have.

And as my grandmother promised, we also had “a nice lunch” of homemade Brunswick stew, biscuits and iced tea provided by our gracious hosts. I was very fortunate to be able to spend so much time with my grandparents. Remembering that day always makes me smile. That old house, by the way, is called Blenheim, an historic home that is one of the oldest dwellings in Powhatan County. It was originally a Mayo plantation called Indian Camp. The original part of the house predates 1800 and it came into that part of the Blanton family in 1881.[1] Now onto our subject for today!   

Thomas Blanton of Old Rappahannock and Essex Counties, Virginia (w.p. 10 March 1697/8)  

My 7x great grandfather Thomas Blanton enters the Virginia record on 20 April 1682 when his grant for 200 acres in Old Rappahannock County [2] for the importation of four servants into Virginia was recorded. The land was described as “on the main Poquoson [marsh or swamp] & branches of Gilson’s Creeke bounded by Beech Swamp, the main Poquoson, Maj^r Robert Beverley, Francis Graves, the place first began.” [3] Like so many of my ancestors, there is no record of Thomas Blanton’s arrival into the colony, but he was likely among the 80% of colonists in Virginia during the second half of the 17^th century who were or had been indentured servants. [4]

Thomas Blanton’s 20 April 1682 grant for 200 acres in Old Rappahannock County, Virginia

There is a second grant to Thomas Blanton dated the same day also for 200 acres naming four different imported servants; however, this appears to be a duplicate entry.[6] The description is identical to the first [except for the names of the servants] and Thomas Blanton’s “200 acres” is referred to in a deed recorded on 21 Apr 1687 granting him 266 acres for importation of six persons. This second tract was described as “on the main Poquoson [marsh or swamp] and branches of Jilson’s Creek” and further described as “At the head of Beach Creek, in ye line of Francis Graves, another dividend of two hundred acres granted to Thomas Blanton, Henry Tandy, Maj. Rob^t Beverley” and mentions the 20 April 1682 grant date. This brought Thomas Blanton’s land holdings to 466 contiguous acres.[7]

Thomas Blanton used the labor of indentured servants to work on his 466 acres. On of these was John Moore, who appeared at court on 3 April 1689 and “obliged himself to serve (blank) years after his time of indenture shall be fully expired.[8] On 3 June and 9 October 1691 and on 4 February 1691/2, Thomas Blanton served on juries.[9],[10],[11] 

On 9 October 1691, the case of Jacob Moreland v. Thomas Blanton was continued,[12] and on 4 February 1691/2, a jury found there was no cause of action so the court dismissed the case and ordered Moreland to pay “all costs of suit.”[13] On 5 November 1691, Thomas Blanton was security for Mary Roberts in the amount of 10,000 pounds of tobacco in case Mary Roberts failed to justly account for the Estate of the orphans of Patrick Cammell.[14] In 1692, Rappahannock County was divided into Essex and Richmond Counties and Thomas Blanton’s land fell into the new Essex County. 

Thomas Blanton added an additional 200 acres to his holdings in a deed dated 27 May 1695 and recorded 10 March 1695/6[16], in which he paid to Harry Beverley, Gentleman, 2000 pounds of tobacco. The deed notes that this acreage was part of a patent for 3000 acres to Major Robert Beverley [Harry’s father] dated 21 September 1674 and was described as being on the south side of Road Branch. No adjacent landowners are mentioned.[17] The grant to Robert Beverley dated 21 September 1674; however, is described as “3000 acres on the South side of Rappahannock River and on the South side of the main swamp of a mill, formerly Andrew Gilson’s Mill.”[18]^,[19]  This 200 acre tract was likely adjacent to Thomas Blanton’s other tracts as Harry Beverly sold several tracts in that area around the same time. Thomas Blanton now owned 666 acres.

Extant records do not reveal anything about Thomas Blanton’s family until he wrote his will on 7 February 1697/8, which was recorded just a month later on 10 March 1697/8.[20] He was in his late forties when he died, his will naming his wife Jone, daughters Jone and Elizabeth and sons Thomas, John, William and Richard.

Transcription of the will of Thomas Blanton:

In the name of our Lord God Amen.

The last Will & Testament of Thomas Blanton being very sick & weak yet in perfect sense & memory.  First, I bequeath my Soul to the Lord that gave it to me & my body to the earth from whence it came.  It. I give to my Daughter Jone Blanton to heifers one marked already and the other a whit pied heifer about three years old. I give to my other Daughter Elizabeth Blanton one heifer marked already and another which is about three years old being a branded heifer and I give one Town Gray Mare being about two years old branded with my brand and the said mare to run & her increase for the benefit for these two Daughters & I give to my four sons, Thomas and John & William & Richard Blanton, all my land it to be equally divided unto them and if either of them shall die before he shall come of age then his part shall come to the others and so in case of them all & my Son, Richard Blanton shall have my plantation in his part & give to my Daughters before mentioned each of them a young Sow and I give my loving wife Jone Blanton, all the remaining part of my Estate so long as she shall remain a widow and when she shall marry, from the said Estate shall equally be divided unto the remaining part of my Children and my Wife shall have a Childs part with them and shall have the Plantation for her life [words missing?] sealed in the [seems like some words were omitted] as Witness my hand this Seventh day of February 1697/8                                                                                                        Thomas (“T” his mark) Blanton

Wit: John Dougherty, Peter Himan, John Butcher

Proved by the oaths of Jn^o Doughty & Jn^o Butcher in Essex County Court ye 10^th day of March Ano Dom 1697/8.

On the same day Jane Blanton and her securities James Boughan and John Doughtie posted bond for her to serve as administrix[21] of her husband’s estate obligating her to “make or cause to be made a true and perfect inventory.” [22]     

Jane Blanton’s administrix bond dated 10 March 1697/8

On 12 Jul 1698, just a few months after his death, Thomas Blanton’s widow, Jane, who had already married Thomas Sanders, presented her late husband’s estate inventory.[23] 

Jane (poss. Macguffie) Blanton Sanders

Jane (poss. Macguffie) Blanton Sanders outlived her second Thomas Sanders whose inventory she presented at Essex County court on 11 January 1708/09.[24]

Was she Joan or Jane?

Thomas Blanton’s wife is referred to as Jone in his will. However, she is referred to as Jane Blanton when she posted bond to serve as administrix of her husband’s estate. This record immediately follows Thomas Blanton’s will and is in the same handwriting. As she is also Jane when she presents Thomas Blanton and Thomas Sanders estate inventories, I conclude Jone was as error and her name was Jane.             

Some researchers have suggested that Jane (poss. Macguffie) Blanton Sanders married Richard Hill as her third husband. Thomas and Jane’s son John Blanton sold Richard Hill 47 acres in 1719 mentioning it was part of his father’s land.[25] Another son, Thomas Blanton, confirmed the sale to Hill’s widow Jane Hill and her son John Hill in 1724.[26] This strikes me as very unlikely. Jane (poss. Macguffie) Blanton Sanders is not known to have had any children with Thomas Sanders and was likely much too old to have given birth to a child after her second husband died about 1708.  Jane’s birth year is not known; however, if she was having babies by the early 1680s (see below) she was probably born around 1660. She would have been in her late 40s when her second husband died. I think it more likely that Jane Hill is Thomas Blanton’s daughter Jone Blanton. Perhaps the scribe referred to both mother and daughter as Jone in error.  

My Blanton line:

Thomas Blanton (c.1650-1697/8) m. Jane (poss. Macguffie)

Richard Blanton (c.1688-c.1734) m. Elizabeth ———-

Richard Blanton (c.1720-c.1809) m. Hannah Anderson

David Blanton (c.1765-1823) m. abt. 1793, Lucy Frances Johns

Reuben Blanton (c.1808-1853) m. 1827, Ann Jane Elizabeth Ligon

William Edward Blanton (c.1845-1885) m. 1879, Mary Thomas Webster

Annie May Blanton (1884-1977) m. 1901, John Stewart Morris

Rebecca Blanton Morris (1913-1994) m. 1939, James Irvin Eisenbeis

Rebecca Suzanne Eisenbeis (1943-2009) m. 1961, Paul Franklin Craig

Paul Steven Craig (1964-       ) m. 1990, Brenda Kay Gran

Some of my more recent Blantons will be featured in future blog posts!  

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[1] Blenheim. National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form, U.S. Dept. of the Interior, National Park Service; https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/VLR_to_transfer/PDFNoms/072-0003_Blenheim_1986_Final_Nomination.pdf   

[2] Rappahannock County was created out of Lancaster County in 1656. In 1692, Rappahannock County was divided into Richmond and Essex Counties becoming extinct. A new Rappahannock County was created out of Culpeper County in 1833. The first Rappahannock County is called Old Rappahannock County to distinguish the two.    

[3] Land Grant 20 April 1682, Land Office Patents No. 7, 1679-1689 (v.1 & 2 p.1-719), p. 163 (Reel 7), Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia

[4] Indentured Servants. Virginia Studies, an online course for K–12 teachers created by the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media (RRCHNM) at George Mason University with funding from the Virginia Department of Education, https://virginiastudies.org/content/indentured-servants

[5] Browne, C. (1685) A new map of. [London: Sold by Christopher Browne at the Globe near west end of St. Paul’s Church,?] [Map] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2005630923/.

[6] Land Office Patents No. 7, 1679-1689 (v.1 & 2 p.1-719), p. 175 (Reel 7), Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia

[7] Land Office Patents No. 7, 1679-1689 (v.1 & 2 p.1-719), p. 613 (Reel 7), Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia

[8] (Old) Rappahannock County, Virginia 1686-1692, p. 146, Reel 22, p. 146, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia

[9] (Old) Rappahannock County, Virginia 1686-1692, p. 295, Reel 22, p. 295, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia

[10]  (Old) Rappahannock County, Virginia 1686-1692, p. 327, Reel 22, p. 327, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia

[11] (Old) Rappahannock County, Virginia 1686-1692, p. 146, Reel 22, p. 341, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia

[12] (Old) Rappahannock County, Virginia 1686-1692, p. 328, Reel 22, p. 327, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia

[13] (Old) Rappahannock County, Virginia 1686-1692, p. 328, Reel 22, p. 341, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia

[14] (Old) Rappahannock County, Virginia 1686-1692, p. 328, Reel 22, p. 336, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia

[15] Berman, M., Nunez, K., Killeen, S., Rudnicky, T., Bradshaw, J. G., Hendricks, J., Stanhope, D., & Hershner, C. (2018) Essex County, Virginia – Shoreline Inventory Report: Methods and Guidelines. Special Reports in Applied Marine Science and Ocean Engineering (SRAMSOE) No. 472. Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary. https://doi.org/10.25773/r6pp-sd72

[16] The new year began on 25 March prior to 1752.

[17] Essex County, Virginia Deed Book No. 9 1695-1699, p. 16; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9P6-3WYH?i=200&cat=413447

[18] Land Office Patents No. 6, 1666-1679 (pt.1 & 2 p.1-692), Library of Virginia, p. 525 (Reel 6).

[19] Andrew Gilson was a Justice of the peace in Lancaster, Rappahannock and later Stafford Counties.

[20] Essex County Willand Deed Book No. 9, p. 160; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9P6-3WGB?i=272&cat=413447

[21] Thomas Blanton’s will did not name an executor, so his wife was an administrix instead.

[22] Essex County Willand Deed Book No. 9, p. 161; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9P6-3WGB?i=272&cat=413447

[23] Essex County Willand Deed Book No. 9, p. 211; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9P6-3WP6?i=297&cat=413447

[24] Essex County, Virginia Deed Book No. 13 1707-1713, p.175; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9P6-K9VW?i=98&cat=413447

[25] Essex County, Virginia Deed Book No. 16 1718-1721, p. 180;   https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89P6-KQX3?i=106&cat=413447

[26] Essex County Deed Book No. 17 1721-1724, p. 310; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89P6-KQNM?i=362&cat=413447

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