Exhibit 5 and 23.1



                          [WILLIAMS MULLEN LETTERHEAD]



                                November 20, 2002


Board of Directors
Eastern Virginia Bankshares, Inc.
217 Duke Street
Tappahannock, Virginia  22560

                  Re:   Dividend Reinvestment and Stock Purchase Plan
                        ---------------------------------------------

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         This letter is in reference to the Registration Statement on Form S-3
(the "Registration Statement") to be filed by Eastern Virginia Bankshares, Inc.
(the "Company") with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The Registration Statement relates to
300,000 shares of common stock, par value $2.00 per share (the "Shares"), which
Shares are proposed to be offered from time to time pursuant to the terms of the
Company's Dividend Reinvestment and Stock Purchase Plan (the "Plan").

         We have examined such corporate proceedings, records and documents as
we considered necessary for the purposes of this opinion.

         Based upon such examination, it is our opinion that the Shares, when
issued pursuant to the Registration Statement and the terms of the Plan, will be
legally issued, fully paid and nonassessable under the laws of the Commonwealth
of Virginia.

         We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement and to the reference to our firm in the "Legal Opinion"
section of the Registration Statement.

                                          Very truly yours,

                                          WILLIAMS, MULLEN, CLARK &  DOBBINS


                                          By: /s/ Robert E. Eicher
                                              __________________________________
                                                 A Shareholder