Mary "Polly" Hanna was the daughter of Matthew Hanna and Martha Montgomery. On 3rd Jun 1799, Rev. Samuel Houston married her to Rev. Daniel Blain, in Lexington, Virginia. In 1814, she became a widow, yet she remained at their Lexington home another 20 years. She then moved in with her children in Lewisburg, where she died. Lewisburg, was then in Virginia, later becoming West Virginia.

1898: She was her husband's "helper in all his cares, industrious, neat and careful, but finding time for the cultivation of her mind." He believed there were about 21 Presbyterian ministers decended from this family. Lots of data in this source on the Blains: 5 Jan 1898 issue of the Lexington Gazette, article written by A.R., Central Presbyterian.

See a lovely article in the 5 Jan 1898 issue of the Lexington Gazette, published every Wednesday by Barclay (Maj Elihu H Barclay editor) and Company, on page 2. It was titled An Old House and a Noble Family. The first 3 columns describe Matthew Hanna and family, including Rev. Daniel Blain and his kin. It was written by "A.R., Central Presbyterian." The eldest (daughter) of these became the wife of Rev. Daniel Blain, so long Professor of Languages at Washington College, and an acceptable and useful minister in the congregations to which he preached in Rockbridge. He supplied Oxford, and I think for some years Timber Ridge also, though still finding his place in the college. This wife was his helper in all his cares, industrious, neat and careful, but finding time for the cultivation of her mind. Mr. and Mrs. Blain were married in the spring of 1799. For some time Mr Blain had been assistant teacher in the New London Academy. When in April, 1799, Mr. Baxter, the principal removed to Lexington, Mr. Blain with his bride, took their places in the in the nearest house, and Mr Blain continued the school for some months longer. But in the fall of 1799 being appointed Professor of Languages in Washington Academy, he left New London and rejoined his former colleague in Lexington......

1791: "Conrad M. Speece letter, Collection Identifier: WLU-Coll-0467, Scope and Contents: This collection contains a letter from Professor Conrad M. Speece to Polly Hanna, daughter of prominent Lexington citizen Matthew Hanna, dated 1791 and a transcription of an article in the Rockbridge County News in which the letter was printed. The letter addresses gender roles of the 1700s, specifically the perceived innate characteristics of women and their ability and desire to learn." It's at the Washington and Lee University, University Library, Special Collections.

1791: The long article titled A Liberty Hall Professor Philosophized on the Ladies was published in the Rockbridge County News, Volume 49, Number 17, 23 February 1933, p 4. It was addressed to Miss Polly Hanna at Liberty Hall, on 9 Jan'y, 1791. It's most of the entire column. "The recipient of the letter was the great-great-grandmother of the children of Mrs. Randolph H. Blain of Lexington."

1791: "Ten Years Ago November 27, 1952, Five old letters, three of them pertaining to the family of Robert E. Lee, have been presented to Washington and Lee by Col. and Mrs. Stanton Blain of Lexington. The oldest letter, dated Dec. 9, 1791, was written by Conrade M. Spence, a professor in Liberty Hall Academy, to Miss POLLY HANNA, daughter of Matthew Hanna, a prominent citizen of early Lexington. Two of the letters were written by Gen. Lee's daughter, Miss Mildred Lee, to Miss Lucia BLAIN. The fourth letter was written by Mrs. R. E. LEE, Jan. 9, 1871 to Mrs. Susanna Isham BLAIN thanking Mrs. BLAIN for a letter and book received shortly after the death of Gen. Lee." Published in the News-Gazette, Vol 162, #22, dated 28 Nov 1962 (see photo).

VIRGINIA VIGNETTES BY GEORGE WEST DIEHL, F. L A. G. (Editor's Note—The following is the sixth of a series of articles dealing with the early founders of Rockbridge, giving their contributions to the way of life of a few years ago, and (showing the influence of the church upon the residents.) "The Awakening Comes To Rockbridge—1789" PART V (Continued From Last Week) Meanwhile the revival spirit in Bedford was flaming and the moving force was the Rev. James Mitchell. For two years he had been pastor of the Peaks Presbyterian Church which he was to serve for fifty-five years, a pastorate closed by his death in 1841. He sent an invitation to the Revs. John Blair Smith and WILLIAM GRAHAM, to Nash Legrand and others, to visit him for a sacramental meeting he was planning. They accepted and rode off toward the Blue Ridge. Upon their arrival, they were impressed by the religious interest and enthusiasm of the people, a condition due to the fervent preaching of Mitchell and the zealous exhortations of James Turner. But the Rev. Mr. Graham was profoundly moved to find that a group of young people, mostly women, had ridden ever the Blue Ridge from Lexington to attend the services. Their visit was motivated by the rumors that vile and sinful characters were being converted into strong exponents of the Christian way of life—they had come to see. Among the young women was POLLY HANNA, the eldest of the five daughters of Matthew HANNA, a leading citizen of Lexington who had married Martha Montgomery, of the Oxford Church congregation. His tannery is gone as is the house he erected for his family and where the newly created Lexington Presbytery often met. Polly married the Rev. Daniel BLAIN on June 3, 1799, and the Rev. Samuel Houston was the officiating clergyman. Her husband, one of the founders of Ann Smith Academy, was a professor at Washington College and pastor of Timber Ridge and Oxford Churches from 1800 until his death in 1814. Perhaps one of the most delighted of the young people was Polly's sister Elizabeth for already there were indications of a deepening interest between her and young Samuel Wilson, Mr. Graham's companion on this trip, in 1814; they were married. He became the Rev. Samuel B. Wilson, D. D., professor of Systematic, Pastoral and Polemic Theology, at Hampden Sydney, from 1841 until his death in 1869…" Published in the Lexington Gazette, Vol 152, #47, dated 19 Nov 1952 (see photo).

1952: "W&L Given Letters By Col. Blain, Light Is Shed On Lee Family, Five old letters, three of them pertaining to the family of Robert E. Lee, have been presented to Washington and Lee by Col. and Mrs. Stanton F. Blain of Lexington. The announcement of the gift was made by Dr. Allen W. Moger, professor of history and archivist in charge of the Lee Collection in the McCormick Libbrary at Washington and Lee. The oldest letter, dated Dec. 9, 1791, was written by Conrade M. Spence, a professor in Liberty Hall Academy, to Miss Polly Hanna, daughter of Matthew Hanna, a prominent citizen of early Lexington. Miss Hanna, who married the Rev. Daniel Blain in 1799, was the great-great-grandmother of Col. Blain, professor of Spanish at the Virginia Military Institute. Two of the letters were written by General Lee's daughter, Miss Mildred Lee, to Miss Lucia Blain. On Aug. 4, 1865, Miss Lee wrote from "Derwent" in Powhatan County about mutual friends, hopes and disappointments of the heart and personal loneliness, relieved by much reading. In the letter she tells Miss Blain, "I will give your kiss to Papa when he returns" and she adds " I walk to the spring every evening with Pa and Custis. Agnes is still confined to the house." Pa, of course was General Lee, Custis a son and Agnes a daughter. Early in February, 1866, about two months after Mrs. Lee and the family had come to join General Lee at Washington College, Mildred wrote that the people of Lexington had been very kind, but that she had met very few of them. "The number of old maids here quite appals me," she wrote. "My fate was decided from the first moment I put my foot on shore. . . . You ought to see the beautiful black silk dress I have got all trimmed with steel beads." Dr. Moger observed that Miss Lees remark about putting foot on shore here was literally true. She arived in Lexington by canal boat. The fourth letter in the collection was written by Mrs. R. E. Lee, Jan. 9, 1871 to Mrs. Susanna Isham Blain thanking Mrs. Blain for a letter and book received shortly after the death of General Lee. Mrs. Blain was the great grandmother of Col. Blain. Mrs. Lee wrote, "The kindness and sympathy of so many friends, indeed I may say of the whole country has been very grateful to me.He couldn't have been more lamented or his fame brighter had he lived a thousand years, and I ought to be content to pursue my weary pilgrimage alone." Mrs. Blain was the wife of the Rev. Samuel Wilson Blain and the fifth ite min the Blain collection is a certificate signed in August, 1850, by George Junkin, president of Washington College, granting the privileges of a "family scholarship" to the Rev. Samuel Blain, for this the latter had paid the college $80. Commenting on the gift of the letters, Dr. Moger said, "We are always delighted when people turn over historical letters to us fro safe keeping and we are especially pleased to have these interesting and valuable items."" Published in the Rockbridge County News, Vol 69, #8, dated 27 Nov 1952.

Sources were Rev. J.A.M. Hanna's book Hanna of Castle Sorbie, page 317. My copy says Mary was born in "1778" and the 2nd source is an "Unknown writer "Handwritten note in the files of the Rev, James Stanton Forman Blain," Ancestor Box #1, Daniel file." No other details were given. BS believes she was born on 15 Dec 1772 in Lexington, VA, which I haven't been able to verify as yet.

There is a sketch of her from an old etching in Hanna of Castle Sorbie, Scotland, and Descendants," by Rev. James Arthur M. Hanna, Edwards Bros., Ann Arbor, MI, 1959, p. 318.

Married - On Thursday last by Rev. Baxter, John A. North, Esq., of Greenbrier County, to Miss Charlotte Blain, daughter of the late Rev. Daniel Blain, professor of languages in Washington College, Lexington (The 17 Jul 1819 issue of the Lexington News-Letter. p. 3, c. 1).

Rev. Daniel Blain's daughter Martha Blain, married widower John H Myers, the son of John Myers and Charlotte Miller in 1834. They had children: Mary Miller, 10 Oct 1837 - 11 Jan 1863, wife of Rev. Henry M White, no kids; Louisa Libbey, 5 Nov 1839 - 7 Aug 1859; John D, 4 Sep 1841; Henry H, 1 Aug 1843 - 14 Aug 1901, husband of Mary E Nelson, had kids; Charlotte North, 12 Aug 1844 - 15 Jul 1871; Susan Harrison, 26 Sep 1847 - 19 May 1904, wife of REv. W H F Wallace, had kids; Elizabeth Preston, 12 Mar 1850, wife of Judge John A Lacey, had kids and Samuel Blain, 5 Oct 1852 - 1853.
T.C. Miller's West Virginia and Its People, Volume 1, p 289-291.

Her marker says:
SACRED
to the memory of
MARY,
Wife of Rev. D. Blain,
Prof. Law in W. College, Virginia,
who closed a life of exemplary piety
& usefulness on the 28th of
November, 1834, aged 62.
The fame that pious virtue gives
All sumptuous Monuments outlives,
Reader, would you secure such praise
to learn religion's pleasant ways.

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