Edward Bland Family Coat of Arms By Glasshouse - Crozier's General Armory. 1904; rpt. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co, 1972, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=133569674
Edward Bland was born in 1613. He received an education at Westminster, and he spoke in a few different languages. Soon after obtaining his education, in 1643, Edward labored as a merchant in Spain. Edward then became the first Bland family member to relocate to Virginia. During his time in the colony, Edward gathered several people together, such as Abraham Wood, to explore the western parts. As he explored, Edward arrived at a falls section of the Roanoke River close to present-day Clarksville, Virginia. Both Edward and Abraham Wood believed they had surpassed the boundaries of Britain's Virginia and named the novice section of land "New Brittaine." They also called the falls "Blandina." Although they wanted to keep going, Edward and Abraham Wood heard rumors that hostile Native Americans were encroaching upon them, so they decided to vacate the area and head back home. He published his findings in a pamphlet he named "The Discovery of New Brittaine."
By 1649, Edward Bland had gained more than 11,000 acres of land in Virginia, and such plots of land included parts of Surry County, Charles City County, and Kymages. While in Virginia, he wished to plant sugar and tobacco, and he had to sway the higher ranking officials in Britain to agree with his wishes. Luckily, the British officials permitted the planting of sugar and tobacco, especially after they read Edward's composition entitled "The Discovery of New Brittaine." They also allowed for and funded a second expedition out to the western part of Virginia, but Edward sadly passed away before the expedition could start. Before his death, Edward was wed to his uncle's daughter Jane Bland. Together, the couple had one son who they named Edward.