Re: Corrections to Louise McDonald's Research

On p. 68 of "Blanton Family Records," LMD accepts Wingfield's assertion that John Blanton was the progenitor of the Cumberland Blantons. Although it is true that there were two John Blantons in adjacent Amelia County in the 1750s, they had both moved on by 1755.

The evidence weighs heavily in favor of Richard Blanton of Spotsylvania as the progenitor. Here is a summary:

There are three hypotheses about the identity of the progenitor of the Cumberland Blantons, (1) John Blanton of Caroline County, Virginia; (2) Robert Blanton, an immigrant to the area about 1700 and (3) Richard II of Spotsylvania County, Virginia.John Blanton was identified as the progenitor, without documentation, by Marshall Wingfield in "A History of Caroline County Virginia" in 1926. However, there is no evidence to support his identification. Robert was mentioned in a biography of Charles Armistead Blanton. There is, however, no record of a Robert Blanton in Colonial America.

Earlier researchers rejected Richard as the father because they thought he was the one who went to Woodford County, Kentucky.However, they had not researched Caroline County Court Orders, which reveal the presence of two Richard Blantons in the area. The one in Spotsylvania was almost certainly the son mentioned in the will of Richard I; the other was probably the son of William, who remained in Caroline County. The following evidence supports Richard II of Spotsylvania as the father:

1. James is mentioned as a son of Richard and Johanna (Hannah) Blanton in aSpotsylvania deed dated 12 July 1759The first Blanton to appear in Cumberland County records was James Blanton on a petition dated 10 May 1777.

2. Thomas Blanton is shown on a Revolutionary War enlistment roll for enlistees after September 1780 as 15 years old, born in and a resident in Spotsylvania County. The list was published in the Virginia Genealogical Society Quarterly Vol. II, No. 4 (1 Oct 1964) p. 66. The date is within the service period given in his application for a disability pension, although the application shows him 5 years older. There is no other Thomas Blanton of the approximate age in area records.

3. In an 1806 Spotsylvania deed, James, John, Thomas and David Blanton of Cumberland County jointly conveyed their interest in land that had been owned by Richard and Johanna. The chain of title does not indicate a conveyance to them by deed. There is no will for Richard recorded in Spotsylvania or Cumberland, so the land undoubtedly descended by intestate succession. The four would have had to be descendants, rather than collateral relatives, since Richard's brother Thomas and/or his children were alive at the time and did not inherit. Given their ages and other information, they would certainly be children rather than grandchildren.

4. Richard Blanton appears on Spotsylvania tax lists until 1785.The name next appears on a petition dated 9 November 1786 in Cumberland County with James, John, Thomas and David Blanton on the same page. It next appears on the 1787 Cumberland tax list with James Blanton,the responsible taxpayer. John Blanton, as well as two unnamed minors over 16 are also in the household. None of James' known children would have been over 16 at the time. Thomas Blanton is listed in a separate household.

5. In the Wharey letter, p. 65, Mrs. Wharey notes that her great grandmother was a Miss Anderson. It should be noted that the deed mentioned in paragraph 3 above indicates that Richard Blanton bought the land in partnership with George Anderson.