Woodlawn Cemetery, the Bland family cemetery in Fayette county, is still in use by the Williamson family. The farm surrounding it is owned by Neville R. Seay, a Bland descendant. Rev. Peter R. Bland started the cemetery in June, 1834 when four of his young children died of diptheria. His nephew, R. T. Brodnax, is buried there along with most of his family; however, he is the only one with a marker. Mrs. Martha Wallace Nash Bland Taylor, a niece of Rev. Bland, and her two daughters are buried there. Both daughters married Williamsons who were not kin to each other. Others are T. Roper Williams and his wife, Virginia Bland Williams. In 1873 R. T. Brodnax sold “Woodlawn” to Richard Rives (son of Rev. Richard Augustus Rives, you can read his bio here). In the deed there was a provision for five acres for the purpose of a graveyard.
Marshall, John Walker. The Early History of Mason. John Walker Marshall, 1985.
Richard Thomas Brodnax
Woodlawn Cemetery began as the burial place for the family of Rev. Peter R. Bland, a Presbyterian minister from Virginia, and his sister, Sallie Brodnax, who came to Fayette County about 1830. Peter Bland purchased a large tract of land to create a plantation he called “Woodlawn”. All of Rev. Peter’s children died in infancy, except one. Many of his sister-in-law’s descendants, the Williamson family, continue to be buried at this place.
A cemetery started for his slaves, the “Bland Cemetery”, is about 100 yards to the south, and still in use by their descendants.