Pittsylvania County was formed out of Halifax in the year 1767.  Callands was  formerly called Chatham.  During the 1990 family reunion, a question was asked  as to how Callands got its name.

Samuel Callands was born in Scotland in 1750.  He was operating a store in  Pittsylvania County before 1754.  He married Elizabeth Smith, the daughter of  John Smith, of "The Pocket".  Samuel built a spacious twenty-two room house  near Turkey Cock Mountation and lived a life of much elegance at his home.   Due to his influence, people of the area soon forgot that this was Chatham  because of his  many contributions to the community and began to call it  Callands.  He and his wife raised six children:  four boys and two girls  (Samuel, James, Bowker, Ralph, Elizabeth and Matilda).  Samuel built the first  store in the area which operated for many years.  At that time, the first  jailhouse, courthouse and slave quarters were built.

He left no will, but his heirs are shown in the settlement of his estate (his  sons died at an early age).  There was no one to carry on the Callands name.   His estate was divided into four plantations, listed as the Manor Plantation,  The Glebe Plantation (formerly home of the minister of the Established  Church), the Dan Plantation and the The Sandy River Plantation.

In 1998, Samuel's old homeplace was still standing.  Mr. Thomas Cobbs was  residing there.  The jailhouse, Clerk's office and slave quarters were also  standing.  Near the home, you can find the graves of Samuel's family members,  as well as his slaves.

Thus, we believe this is how the Callands name came into existence.  Samuel  spelled his last name with an "s" at the end.

The Callands family can be traced back for seven generations.  John Callands  was born in Bedford County, VA around 1842 and was the son of Robert and Sally  Callands.  John married Harriett Pannill (born around 1852) on December 26,  1867 in Pittsylvania County, VA.  Harriett was the daughter of Clem and Mary  Pannill.  They had ten children; five boys and five girls.  They were Willie,  Arthur, Johnnie (Jonnie), Raleigh, Eddie, Rosa, Alice, Josephine, Anner and  Mary Jane.  This is where it all started.  See what branch of the tree your  family comes from.

We are family!  No matter how far our travels; no matter how diverse our  experiences and interests, we share a connection that is unalterable.  WE ARE  FAMILY!

We are the sons and daughters; the descendents of the Callands.

From Africa to America, our forefathers struggled through the ravages of  slavery to build a foundation for our progress.

Indeed, we are the recipients of a strong legacy. Our progenitors were  skillfull, knowledgeable men and women who inspired their children to set high  standards, and to pass those standards onto their children.

Remember, you are the roots for future generations and you are a vital link in  the chain that keeps our family strong, unified and productive.

All contributions are welcomed.  Please submit any information you may have  from family bibles, obituaries, photos, etc.  Keep our family alive!



Great Grandpa Johnny and Great Grandma Harriett had ten children and  sixty-nine grandchildren.

Don't forget to sign the guestbook, so I'll know that you have visited our  family website!