Theodorick Bland (judge)
| Theodorick Bland | |
|---|---|
Chancellor Theodorick Bland (1776–1846)
by John Wesley Jarvis |
|
| Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland | |
|
In office November 23, 1819 – August 16, 1824 |
|
| Appointed by | James Monroe |
| Preceded by | James Houston |
| Succeeded by | Elias Glenn |
| Chancellor of Maryland | |
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In office August 16, 1824 – November 16, 1846 |
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| Preceded by | John Johnson, Sr. |
| Succeeded by | John Johnson, Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 6, 1776 Dinwiddie County, Virginia |
| Died | November 16, 1846, age 69 Annapolis, Maryland |
| Nationality | American |
Theodorick Bland (December 6, 1776 – November 16, 1846) was an American lawyer, statesman, and federal judge in Maryland.
Born in Dinwiddie County, Virginia, Bland was admitted to the bar in 1797. He was in private practice of law in Danville, Virginia, then in Tennessee and Kentucky, and finally in Baltimore, Maryland. Around 1800, he settled in Baltimore after reportedly after "becoming dissatisfied with life on the frontier". He was elected a member of the Maryland House of Delegates in 1809 where he helped to write a new criminal code for the state. He was secretary of the Committee of Public Safety for Baltimore, beginning in 1812. On October 10, 1812, Bland was appointed an associate judge for the 6th Judicial District of Maryland, which included Baltimore and Harford Counties, and served in that capacity until 1817. During the War of 1812, he was Secretary of the city's Committee of Safety, and was active in defense of the city at the time of British invasion.
Along with Caesar Augustus Rodney and John Graham, Bland was selected by President James Monroe in November 1817 for a special diplomatic mission to South America, the South American Commission of 1817–1818. He was endorsed for the slot by the secretary to the Commission, Henry Marie Brackenridge. Bland suggested to Monroe that at least part of the Commission be authorized to visit Chile and authorization for this was given by U.S. Secretary of State John Quincy Adams two-weeks before setting sail. Under the command of Commodore Arthur Sinclair, the USS Congress sailed on December 4, 1817 and arrived at Rio de Janeiro on January 29, 1818. In Montevideo, Bland introduced botanist William Baldwin, who accompanied the Commission as the ship's surgeon, to exiled Chilean general José Miguel Carrera. In April, Bland left Buenos Aires and went overland to Mendoza, Argentina then across the Uspallata Pass to Santiago, Chile. Meanwhile, the rest of the group departed the Isla Margarita on June 25, 1818 and returned to Norfolk, Virginia on July 8. A week later, Bland left Valparaíso and arrived in Philadelphia on October 29, 1818. The findings of the commissioners differed widely so much that they offered independent statements rather than one joint statement. Regarding the Government of Buenos Ayres, Secretary of State Adams summarized in his memoirs that "Bland holds them in abhorrence and contempt". Unlike the reports of the others who commented nearly only on political, military, and commercial matters, Bland's were longer and provided more discussion on geography and agriculture. He was impressed by the agricultural possibilities of Chile.
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