| Notes |
- RESEARCH_NOTES:
1. From the book "Pleasant Mangum and All His Kin, the Story of the Bennetts, the Mangums, and the Parhams," comp. by James Lynn Parham, Gateway Press, Inc., Baltimore, MD, 1997, portion of chapter 3: Richard Bennett Sr.:
"The only known son of Thomas Bennett was Richard Bennett Sr., mentioned by Anthony Barham in his 1641 will. His mother may have been Alice (Pierce) Bennett but we cannot rule out the possibility that he was born to an earlier wife of Thomas. That could have been Mary who was with him in the census of Virginia in 1624/5 or possibly a deceased wife in England.
Richard Bennett Sr., if he was a son of Alice, must have been born about 1625. He married Anne, last name unknown, about 1644. He was known as Richard Bennett of Blackwater.(10) He lived on a plantation called Hickory Point. The land had originally been bought from William Miles in 1656.
Anne died first & her husband Richard then married Sarah, widow of Daniel Lewis. Daniel Lewis had died in 1679. Richard and Sarah had no children although she had a son Daniel and a daughter Sarah from her first marriage. Richard Sr. made his will in Isle of Wight on 4 Dec. 1709 and it was probated 10 Feb. 1710 in Surry County.(11) In his will he mentions his wife Sarah, Mary Thrope (dau. of Daniel Lewis), John Mangum, James Coffield, Susanna and Martha Lewis (daughters of Susan who married Daniel Lewis). Witnesses were Thomas Thropp, William George, Mary Carnes and John Mangum.
After Richard died, his widow Sarah married Robert Lancaster. Sarah Lancaster made her will in 1722 naming several legatees including Sarah and Mary Mangum (daughters of John Mangum).(12) These records indicate that John Mangum was closely related to the Bennett family."
"References
10. Blackwater was in the Southern part of what is now Surry County, running West to Southeast.
11. Will of Richard Bennett Sr., Isle of Wight Co., Va., Records of Wills, Etc., Vol. 2, 1661-1719, page 514.
12. Will of Sarah Lancaster, Isle of Wight Co., Va., Deeds, Wills, Etc., Great Book, 1715-1726, page 125."
2. The book "17th Century Isle of Wight County Virginia," by John Bennett Boddie, 1938, chapter XVI, Descendants of Richard Bennett of Isle of Wight: "Richard Bennett (1625-1709) of Isle of Wight was probably a son of Thomas and Alice Bennett who were residing on the south side of the James River, near Lawne's Creek in 1624. On October the 4th, 1624, Alice Bennett was a witness before the General Court at the trial of one John Proctor for cruelty to his servants. (John Proctor was a member of the Virginia Company. He came over on the Sea Adventure in 1607 and Allis, his wife, in the George in 1621.) She was sworn and examined as to the beating of Elizabeth Abbott, serving maid of Mr. Proctors, and stated that she "found her by the waterside by Mr. Burroughs plantation lying behind a boat wrapped in a rug... whereupon this examinat, with Her Husband and Richard Richards carried her and delivered her to her master." (Va. Mag., 19, page 389.)
"Richard Grove, servant of Mr. Proctor saith that the said wench often times ran away and that she was corrected for it, but that she never received over 20 or 30 lashes, etc., that when Mr. Richards and Mr. Thomas Bennett brought her home last she received no correction, but when they two and the wife of Mr. Thomas Bennett brought her home last she received correction from William Moyle servant of Mr. Proctors."
The above testimony seems to prove that Alice Bennett was the wife of Thomas Bennett. Several other witnesses testified at this trial among them was John Burroughs by whose plantation on the waterside Alice Bennett and her husband had found Elizabeth Abbott. John Burroughs was living at Jamestown in 1625 but had a plantation called "Burrow's Hill" on the south side of the James in James City County, now Surry. James City's records were destroyed in the Civil War.
At the same court Anthony Barham swore that "he saw Mr. Proctor strike Elias Hinton one of his servants." In 1626 Anthony Barham had a patent of 100 acres next to Captain Nathaniel Basse's on the James River in Isle of Wight. (V.M. 7, page 218) in March, 1629-30 he was a member of the House of Burgesses from Mulberry Island across the James from Basse's Choice. He came to Virginia with Captain Bass on the Abigail in 1621. His wife Elizabeth came on the William and Thomas in 1618.
It seems that Thomas Bennett's wife, Alice, was formerly the widow of one Pierce, for at that same General Court in October, 1624, "Elizabeth Pierce chose her father in law (stepfather), Thomas Bennett, as her guardian." (V.M. 20, page 155.) She was unmarried and then because John Filmer to whom she was engaged had just died and left all his property to her. This was the reason for her choosing a guardian. It is probable that this Elizabeth Pierce afterwards married Anthony Barham.
Thomas Bennett was also a member of the House of Burgesses as he represented Mulberry Island in 1632. (Burgess Journals 1619-59, page 13) Mulberry Island is in Warwick County and as Warwick's records were destroyed in the Civil War nothing more can be found out about Thomas Bennett. However, a clue to his family is found in the will of Anthony Barham, the former Burgess of Mulberry Island who died in England in 1641. His will was as follows (N.E. G. R. Vol. 42, p. 393): "Will of the Anthony Barham of Mulberry Island, Virginia, and that present residing in England; dated 6th September, 1641. To my wife Elizabeth, goods for her to be sent over to Virginia; to my daughter Elizabeth 100 pounds to be sent over to my wife for her use; to my mother Bennett, 5 pounds; to my brother in law Richard Bennett, 5 pounds; to sister Mrs. Mary Duke, sister Groves 40 shillings; friend Edward Major 10 shillings; Gossett William Butler; to son of the my Sister grows 40 shillings; to Mrs. Joane Pierce, wife of Mr. William Pierce 50 shillings to make her a ring; to Martha Major, wife of my loving friend Edward Major 50 shillings to make her a ring; to my god daughter Sara Butler, dau. of Wm. Butler, 30 shillings for a wine cup; to friend Edward Aldey, minister of St. Andrews in Canterbury; to Thomas Dove 40 shillings for a ring: 226 pounds owed me by Thomas Lyne. Edward Major and William Butler, exrs. in Virginia. Probated 13th Sept.1641."
With reference to the persons mentioned in Anthony Barham's will it is important to ascertain whom some of them were and where they lived or owned land because Alice Bennett, wife of Thomas Bennett, appears to have resided near them in the Lawne's Creek district and probably on Mulberry Island, if she and her husband removed there when he represented Mulberry Island in the House.
"Mr. William Pierce" was Captain of Governor Wyatt's guard and Lieutenant Governor at James City in 1629. He was an Ancient Planter having come over with Sir Thomas Gates in 1609, also was a member of the Virginia Council in 1631. Captain Pierce owned land both upon Lawne's Creek and Mulberry Island. In 1628, one Lieut. Thomas Flint received a grant of 1000 acres two upon the Southern Shore of Warwick River (Mulberry Island) adjacent to land patented by John Rolfe, Esq., deceased, and Capt. William Pierce. (C & P, page 9.) Jane Pierce, daughter of Captain Pierce, was the third wife of John Rolfe, whose first wife was the celebrated Pocahontas.
On June 22, 1635, Captain William Pierce, "one of the Council of State," patented 2000 acres upon Lawne's Creek near the land of William Spencer. (C & P, page 29.) This Creek was the dividing line between Surry and Isle of Wight. Pierce's Creek which flows into Lawne's Creek was evidently named after him. In 1640 Captain William Pierce of Mulberry Island conveyed 50 acres on Lawne's Creek adjacent to William Spencer. (C & P, page 147.)
An important grouping of persons and places is shown in a grant to one John Sweet of 1,540 acres in Isle of Wight, September 26, 1643, as follows: "lying upon the eastern branch of the Blackwater, adjacent Francis England, Mr. Justinian Cooper and north towards Capt. Pierce's."
Francis England obtained a patent 26th July, 1652, for 1066 acres, same "being in Isle of Wight County lying on a swamp running to Blackwater upon the eastern most branch pointing to Upper Chipoaks in Surry... 120 acres adjacent Richard Jackson."
Justinian Cooper and Francis England will be found in subsequent transactions with Thomas Bennett's wife Alice, his son Richard, and his grandson James Bennett.
"My said gossip William Butler," mentioned in the will of Anthony Barham also patented 700 acres in Surry, August 29, 1643, "upon the south side of the James River at the head of Lawne's Creek" adjacent to Captain William Pierce for the transportation of himself and family. (C & P, p. 146.)
Alice Bennett, seemingly the "Mother Bennett" of Anthony Barham's will, in 1641 was residing in the vicinity of Lawne's Creek, for on June 10, 1642 George Hardy received a grant of 300 acres upon the eastermost side of Lawne's Creek adjacent to Alice Bennett. June 19, 1642, one John Stocker patented 200 acres adjoining Mr. Hardy's land and the widow Bennett.
She bought 150 acres from her neighbor Justinian Cooper the 2nd of April 1644 for a cow and a calf and a barrel of corn. Justinian Cooper had previously patented 1050 acres in 1636 lying at the head of Lawne's Creek.
Alice Bennett, sometime after purchasing the above mentioned 150 acres from Justinian Cooper, deeded the same to her granddaughters Sarah and Mary Jackson. They were probably very young at the time as she seems to have married Thomas Bennett about 1624. Her granddaughters were married by 1666 as shown below.
Children of Thomas and Alice Bennett:
1. Richard. (See later, may be stepson of Alice.)
2. (Daughter) [Mary?] married Richard Jackson who patented 450 acres in Isle of Wight adjacent to Justinian Cooper, March 1641. Children:
a. Mary Jackson, married Capt. George Hardy who besides the grant formerly mentioned patented 500 acres on July 17, 1648 "lying on east side of Lawne's Creek extending to main river and along the great river to the creek dividing the same from land of Alice Bennett." On 19th of June 1666 he made a deed to land which belonged to his wife Mary whom he refers to as the "daughter of Richard Jackson, dec."
b. Sarah Jackson, married Col. Arthur Smith II, as evidenced by a deed. (See deed.)
Richard Bennett, son of Thomas, is mentioned as "brother-in-law," in the will of Anthony Barham of Mulberry Island, 6th of September, 1641, as heretofore shown. (A Richard Bennett patented 300 acres in Isle of Wight, 2 Mar. 1638, "due by right of transportation of 6 persons by John Miles. 150 acres were upon the bay behind Ambrose Meders Point and 150 acres at the Miles end upon west side of Thomas Davis." This may be the Richard Bennett of our sketch.) He resided at Blackwater in the vicinity of the plantations of Justinian Cooper and Francis England, for in 1669 Thomas Wood, "son of Arthur Wood, and Sarah Wooten his mother, relict of Arthur deceased," deeded him land and in the deed he is mentioned as "Richard Bennett of Blackwater." Colonel Arthur Smith in 1666 made a deed to land at "Blackwater" inherited by his wife Sarah Jackson from her grandmother Alice Bennett."
In 1682, Richard Bennett patented 630 acres in the Lower Parish of Surry County, bounded by the land of Francis Mason, William Edwards and Hollybush Swamp, for the transportation of 13 persons, his name not being among those mentioned. As he did not receive any land for his own transportation it seems therefore he was born in Virginia.
Soon after receiving the above grant he sold George Morrell part of land as evidenced by the following deed (Deed book 2, pages 30-31): "Richard Bennett, ye elder of the Upper Parish of Isle of Wight with the free will and consent of my wife Anne, have for a valuable consideration to me and hand paid before the sealing, grant unto George Morrell of Lawne's Creek Parish in the County of Surry, 150 acres situate on the west side of Pocatink Swamp in Surry, the same parcel of land being part of a patent for 630 acres to me granted the 22nd July 1682 - near Mr. Thos. Binns."
On the fourth of September, 1694, he made a gift of 200 acres on the west side of Pocatink Swamp to his son James Bennett of the Lower Parish of Surry County. (Deeds 1694-1709, page 18) July 5, 1699, as Richard Bennett of the Upper Parish of Isle of Wight he deeded to his "son and heir" Richard Bennett, Jr., of the same parish "all right and title in land that belonged to Edward Jones then taking in plantation Richard Bennett now lives, being part of land bought of William Miles in 1656." (Book 1688-1704, page 292.)
This date, 1656, is interesting for it shows that Richard Bennett must have been grown in 1656 and therefore could have been the Richard Bennett mentioned by Anthony Barham in his will in 1641. When the above Richard Bennett, Jr., made his will in 1720 he was still living on this land as he speaks of "my plantation and land whereon I now live, it being part of ye land which was bought formerly of William Miles." Miles patented land on the second branch of the Blackwater adjoining Mr. England's land at an early date and died in 1698. He was age to 75 years on the 8th of March 1697-98, which would make him 23 years of age in 1656.
Richard Bennett's first wife was named Anne. She was probably the mother of his children. The wife mentioned in his will was named Sarah and she subsequently married Robert Lancaster whose will is probated in 1720. (See will.) Sarah Bennett-Lancaster made her will the 31st of October, 1722, and same was probated 29 January, 1723.
Richard Bennett, Sr., died in 1709. He was then probably between 80 and 85 years of age as he had several sets of great-grandchildren. 15 years before his death he made a deed of land in Surry to Ann Bell a married granddaughter. He made his will as "Richard Bennett, Sr.," on the 4th of December, 1709 and same was probated February, 1710. Children:
1. Susan, married Daniel Lewis. One daughter, Mary Throp is mentioned in Richard Bennett's will.
2. Martha, married ___ Lewis.
3. Richard. (See later)
4. James, who is mentioned as "godson" in the will of Joyce Cripps, wife of George Cripps and former wife of Francis England, the 8th of April 1679. It will be recalled that Justinian Cooper deeded land to James' grandmother, Alice Bennett in 1644 and that Cooper's land was adjacent to that of Francis England. England made his will the 13th of March 1677 as "Francis England of Blackwater." In 1694 James Bennett was living in the Lower Parish of Surry County as shown by his father's deed above mentioned. On August 19, 1718, Charles Binns, his neighbor, deeded him the neck of land between Pocatink and Bridge Swamps containing 90 acres, witnesses were John Allen and Thomas Holt. (W & D., 1715-30, p. 139.) James willed this tract to his son William. James will was as follows, "I, James Bennett, of Southwark Parish in the County of Surry, give to my son William Bennett plantation on which he now lives in part of a tract formerly bought of Charles Binns; to my son James 20 sh.; to my son John all my carpenters and coopers tools now in his possession. To daus. Anne, Martha, Mary and Sarah, personalty. To my daughter Bridget the use of my best house as much land as she can work. To my son Samuel the use of my plantation where he now lives. After death of Samuel and his wife without male issue I give plantation to my grandson, Thomas Bennett, son of William Bennett... Samuel to be exr. Teste; Charles Binns, William Goodwyn, Wm. Batt, Wm. Clark. Probated 17 October 1752. (Wills 3, page 804.) Children:
1. William, married Mildred ___, who after his death married ___ Williams. The inventory of his estate was recorded April 21, 1761. (Wills 1754-68, page 253.) Children:
a. Thomas, of Dobbs County, North Carolina, who on the 1st of Dec. 1768, joined with his uncle Samuel E. in deeding 245 acres entailed to him and Samuel in his grandfathers will.
b. William, and Sarah, his wife, October 25, 1764, sold to Samuel Warren 47 acres on which they now live being part of a tract sold by Charles Binns to James Bennett, 19th August 1718. (Deeds 8, page 239.) William Bennett died before Feb. 1779, for in that month, William Bennett, orphan of William Bennett, dec. made choice of Charles Judkins as guardian. (Orders, 1775-82, page 80.)
c. Nathaniel, died unmarried, a soldier in camp of Portsmouth during the Revolution. His will was as follows, "I Nathaniel Bennett of Surry County, now in camp at Portsmouth; to my mother Mildred Williams might need grow 'Bob' for life and after her death to my brother William Bennett; to my brother William 90 acres in Surry near Bennett's Ridge; remainder of estate to sister Elizabeth Bennett. Thomas Davis, exr., 28 Sept., 1776. Teste, John Watkins, Jr., John Davis, John Judkin, Jr.
d. Jesse, died before June 28, 1785, for on that date, Ann Bennett widow, relict of Jesse Bennett, dec., and Sarah, Martha, Samuel, and James Bennett complain against William Bennett, son and heir at law of Jesse Bennett. (Orders, 1785.)
e. Elizabeth, was probably the Elizabeth Bennett who married Francis Young, County Court Clerk of on Isle of Wight. While her husband was away in the army during the Revolution, she heard that Tarleton's Raiders were coming to destroy the Court House, so she buried the records in an old hair trunk. To this lady the people of Isle of Wight owe thanks for the preservation of their valuable records. Francis Young was a Lieutenant in the regiment of General John Scarsbrook Wills during the Revolution. He was Deputy Clerk, 1768-87, and Clerk from 1787 to1794. His son James Young was Clerk from 1794 to 1800, his grandson Francis Young was Clerk, 1800-1801, his great-grandson, Nathaniel Young, was Clerk from 1801 to 1841, his great-great-grandson, Nathaniel Peyton Young, was Clerk from 1841-1896, is great-great grandson, Nathaniel F. Young, was Clerk from 1896 to 1905.
2. James, was given 20 shillings in his father's will.
3. John seems to have been the John Bennett who married Sarah Welch and died in Isle of Wight in 1770. The names of his children are very similar to the names of James Bennett's children. John Welch made his will in Isle of Wight, Feb. 1, 1769, and leaves estate to wife for life and after her death same is to go to William, Jesse, Thomas and Edmund Bennett, sons of his sister Sarah Bennett. (Bk. 8, page 127, Valentine Papers, page 600.) John Bennett made his will 4th of Oct. 1770 and names son, 1, John, to him he gives land next to Sarah Marlow, 2, William, second son, was given other part of land. He died on a voyage in 1778. 3, James made his will in 1785, 4, Thomas, 5, Edward, 6, Martha, 7, Lucy.
4. Anne.
5. Martha.
6. Lucy.
7. Sarah.
8. Samuel, and his wife Mary were willed the plantation "on which they now live" by Samuel's father, James, and after Samuel's death it was to go to grandson Thomas Bennett, son of William Bennett. Samuel and Thomas made a joint deed to this land in 1768. Samuel made his will in Surry in 1773. (Wills, 1768 -79, page 303.) He names nephew Jesse Bennett, Wife Mary, daughter Brambley Hart and her husband Thomas Hart, grandsons Samuel and William Hart.
Richard Bennett, Jr., eldest son of Richard, Sr., and his wife Ann, in 1699 was given the plantation "bought of William Miles in 1656" by his father, Richard, Sr. The name of Richard's wife is unknown. He made his will in 1720, as follows, "I, Richard Bennett, of the Upper Parish of Isle of Wight, give to son Richard 200 acres of land where he now lives; to my son James the other 200 acres where he now lives, it being a conveyance of 400 acres taken out Mr. John Cofer's patent of 1450 acres; to Jane Cofer and her two sons Robert and John Cofer, my plantation whereon I now live, it being part of the land which was bought of William Miles. Also to Jane Cofer a small trunk and a gold ring; to Richard Cofer my long gun. To Magdalen Cofer a great pewter dish and basin; to Frances Mangum my granddaughter a feather bed and furniture; to dau. He Silvester, dishes and plates. Jane Cofer and William Allen, exrs. My trusty friends, John and James Carter to the overseers." Children:
1. Richard, according to the Quit rents for Surry in 1704, was holding 200 acres in that county. This may be the 200 acres on which he was living at the time of his father's death. On May 23, 1744, John Langston of Surry deeded Robert Gray 200 acres on north side of Black Swamp in Surrey which he had purchased of Richard Bennett. Richard Bennett died intestate in Surry in 1735. Inventory of his estate was recorded in January 21, 1735. His personal property was appraised at 51 pounds by James Washington, Wm. Evans and Thomas Bell. It is difficult to determine who his children were, but those shown below are unplaced and may be his children, as he and another Richard shown below are seemingly the only ones of this name who died intestate. Children, may have been those shown below (tentative arrangement only as there is no proof):
a. John, made his will in Surry, Jan. 24, 1750-51 (B. 3, p. 713.) He leaves his "well beloved friend and brother," without naming him, all of his personal effects except his horse which he leaves you with to Edward son of Daniel Eppes whom he appoints executor.
b. Benjamin of Amelia, who may have been the Benjamin who is Richard Bennett's administrator. Benjamin bought land in Amelia in 1746 from William Baldwin and in 1751 from Thomas Morrow. He made his will Dec.31, 1767, and names wife Mary, sons William, John and Benjamin, daughters Susan, Elizabeth, Mary and Selah.
c. Richard, died in Surry in 1719. An appraisal of his estate was made by Hugh Foster, William Howell, and Charles White Oct. 7, 1719. The administrator was Benjamin Chapman; personalty valued at 10 pounds. (Book 1715-30, page 230.) (Name placed here tentatively.)
2. Jane, married John Cofer. She and her children John and Robert inherited the plantation their grandfather bought of William Miles in 1656.
3. Silvester, no further record.
4. (Daughter) married John Mangum, who was mentioned in will of Richard Bennett, Sr. Richard Jr., leaves his granddaughter Frances Mangum a feather bed.
5. Ann, married John Bell. She is not mentioned in the will for father, as she had already received her portion. On August 30, 1694, Richard Bennett, Sr., of Isle of Wight made a deed of gift to Ann Bell, "the now wife of John Bell, lately Ann Bennett, daughter of Richard Bennett, Jr., of Isle of Wight." (Surry W & D. Bk., 1693-1707.) John Bell gave testimony in a lawsuit, July 9, 1705, and said he was 37 years old. He died intestate in Surry in 1713 and his wife Ann was administratrix. As he left no will his children cannot be ascertained and but two of them seem to be known. A Joseph Bell made his will in Surry in 1733 and left his property to his brother John and "cousin (nephew) Burrell." This John Bell made his will in Surry in 1746 and mentions his son "Burrell," above named, and other children - John, Benjamin, Balaam, James, Ann Parham, Hannah and Mary; wife Hannah. Hannah Bell made her will in Sussex in 1768 and mentions, daughter Hannah Thompson, grandson Lewis Parham, son Benjamin, son James, daughter Mary Anderson, grandsons Silvanus and Zadock Bell, granddaughter Phoebe Bell. The above-mentioned daughter, Hannah Thompson, married William Thompson prior to 1744. They moved from Sussex to Chatham County, North Carolina about 1750. Hannah Thompson made her will in Chatham, Sept. 7, 1784 and same as probated May, 1788. She mentions sons John and Balaam; daughters Sussannah Kendrick, Sarah Terrell, Hannah Terrell, Ann Kendrick: and her deceased husband William Thompson. he birth dates of the three oldest children of William and Hannah (Bell) Thompson are shown in the Albemarle Parish Register for Surry and Sussex, as follows: John Thompson, born June 24, 1744, baptized August 19, 1744. Balaam Thompson, born Oct.13, 1745; baptized Dec. 15, 1745. Sussannah Thompson, born Nov. 16, 1749; baptized March 8, 1750.
6. James is given 200 acres from John Cofer's place by his father Richard. He patented 190 acres in Isle of Wight, 15 March 1741 on south side of Nottoway River, bounded by Ridley's Branch. (Book 20, page 199.) The 10th of July, 1745, he patented 382 acres in Brunswick on both side of Gravelly Run adjoining Edward Jackson. (Book 23, page 946.) In 1748 he received a grant of 404 acres in Brunswick on both side of Rocky Run. James Bennett made his will 11 Nov. 1751 and same was probated March 1, 1752, as follows: "To my son Benjamin Bennett all land lying between Honey Bottom and the upper line. To my children James Bennett, Mary Proctor, Frances Sands, Priscilla Dugger and Joseph Bennett, one shilling each. To my son Reuben Bennett all the lower part from said Honey Bottom and plantation; to my dau. Brambley Bennett, bible and furniture, etc., to wife Mary rest of the estate, she and son Reuben to be executors. Teste, John Dugger, John Duke and Edward Parish." Benjamin Bennett, evidently the eldest son was mentioned first in his will and was given land lying on Honey Bottom. Benjamin patented 180 acres in Brunswick on both sides of Stephen Creek in 1750. (Book 29, page 264) and together with his brother Reuben patented 263 acres 26 Sept., 1761. (Book 33, page 958.) On the 25th of May, 1770, Benjamin Bennett and Sarah his wife, Reuben Bennett and Mary his wife, of Brunswick, deeded William Brown of Prince George, "332 acres left Reuben Bennett by with last will and testament of James Bennett his father, the residue being granted to Reuben Bennett by patent 26 Sept.1." Benjamin Bennett made his will in Brunswick in 1783 as follows: "To my son John Bennett 150 acres where he now lives; to my son Benjamin Bennett five shillings, to son Richard Bennett 180 acres where he now lives; to son William Bennett 163 acres; to dau. Sarah Sadler five shillings, my plantation where I now live to be sold by my executors, my sons of John and William Bennett and another place bought for my wife Sarah for her life. Personal property to be equally divided between my wife and Children. William, John, Mary, Elizabeth, Charles, Priscilla and Frankey Bennett, except one cow to Nancy Bennett and to my son James Bennett one colt to be sold to purchase land. Plantation of my wife to my son Charles after her death. Pro. 26 May, 1783."
3. "The Mangum-Mangham-Mangrum Journal," Issue No. 43, Jan. 2001, (formerly "Mangum Family Bulletin"), James L. Parham, editor, pp. 24-28, article includes scanned images of the actual documents. The editor notes: John Mangum – Immigrant Ancestor. An analysis of the records whether we call ourselves Mangum, Mangham, Mangrum, or any one of a host of alternate spellings, when we trace our American lineage back far enough, most of us arrive at the same place or person. That person is the assumed immigrant ancestor John Mangum of late 17th century Virginia. Unfortunately, the records of him and his family are sparse and sometimes confusing. They number only about a dozen or so and many assumptions must be made to derive a reasonable and consistent picture of John Mangum and his family from them. Researchers disagree about the meaning of several of the records, especially in regard to John's presumed wife Frances. At least twice in the old Mangum Family Bulletin this editor has written articles trying to make sense of just what the records mean. Unfortunately, because of the absence of definitive evidence that would settle the issue, doubts and disagreements remain. Some of the controversy revolves around the true identity of Frances, wife of John Mangum. In general the various theories state that Frances was either a daughter of Richard Bennett Jr., or that she was a granddaughter of Richard Bennett Jr., or that she was really Silvester, a daughter of Richard Bennett Jr. A summary of those controversies is given in a text box at the end of this article. [Kerry's note: see Frances' notes for this part of the article.] Other problems faced by researchers into this "original" family include the timelines involved, when and from where did John come to the colony of Virginia, and the identity and dates of birth of John's children. The purpose of this series of articles is to present the actual records themselves, including actual images where available, typed transcripts from the difficult-to-read old English script, and in some cases translations of the old English into modern English. In addition we will present any information on the old laws and customs governing the creation of those records, and any other pertinent factual information that may be helpful to the researcher. Items of particular interest may be pointed out, but we try to refrain from espousing personal opinion as to the true significance and derived meaning of the records, not based on actual facts. The interpretation will be left up to the individual reader. At the conclusion of this series, which should run several issues, the Mangum researcher should have in hand all the records dealing with John Mangum and his family that we have been able to find. Researchers should then be able to make an informed, enlightened decision on how to deal with this difficult lineage in the lineages they put together on their own family. Our first record deals with the deed by Richard Bennett Sr. of land to John Mingham in 1695. This is the first known instance of John receiving land in the New World. There are two earlier records called "tithables," in 1693 & 1694, which are still being evaluated. Tithables were taxes paid by adult males (16 or older), similar to later Personal Property taxes and Poll taxes.
Richard Bennett Sr. Deed to John Mingham
(Surry County, VA Deeds, Etc. 1694-1709, p. 50A)
This indenture made this twenty fifth day of May Anno Dom. one thousand six hundred ninety & five between Richd Bennett Senr of ye upper pish of ye Isle Wight in ye collony of Virga planter of the one pt & John Mingham of the lower pish of Surry of ye other pt. Witness that the sd Richd Bennett for valuable consideration to him the sd Bennett in hand paid by the sd John Mingham ye recet? whereof he sd Bennett doth hereby acknowledge & hath bargained sould alined enforsed & confirmed & by these psents for himselfe his heirs, Exors & adms doth bargain sell align enforss & confirme unto ye sd John Mingham one hundred acres of land situate in the lower of ye said County of Surry abutting upon & adjoining to ye land now in possession of Geo Murrell which sd one hundred acres is at psent occupied possessed & enjoyed by ye sd Richd Bennett To have & to hold ye sd one hundred acres of land with all and singular apperteness emoluents? & privledges there unto belonging unto ye sd John Mingham his heirs and assignes forever & ye sd Richd Bennett doth for himself his heirs and assigns covent promise & grant to & with the said John Mingham his heirs & assigns yt ye sd land att the time of the ensealing & delivery of these psents is free and clear from all & all manner of incumbrances whatsoever by him ye sd Richd Bennett made suffered? or done in any manner howsoever. In witness whereof ye said Richd Bennett hath hereunto sett his hand & seal the day & year above written. Sealed & Delivered in marks the presence of Richard R B Bennett (Seal) Phillip Shelley Will Hemiford Att a Court held for the County of Surry May the 28th 1695. This day appeared in Court ye above named Richd Bennett and acknowledged ye above specified contents to be his real act and deede. Teste J. Edwards ___ ___ Modern English: This indenture made this twenty fifth day of May anno domini[in the year of our lord] one thousand six hundred ninety & five between Richard Bennett Senior of the upper parish of Isle of Wight in the colony of Virginia, planter, of the one part & John Mingham of the lower parish of Surry of the other part. Witness that the said Richard Bennett, for valuable consideration to him the said Bennett in hand paid by the said John Mingham the rest?, whereof the said Bennett does hereby acknowledge & hath bargained, sold, assigned, enforced & confirmed & by these presents for himself, his heirs, Executors & administrators does bargain sell assign enforce & confirm unto the said John Mingham one hundred acres of land situated in the lower [parish] of the said County of Surry abutting & adjoining to the land now in possession of Geo Murrell [Morrell] which said one hundred acres is at present occupied possessed & enjoyed by the said Richard Bennett, to have & to hold the said one hundred acres of land with all and singular appurtenances emoluments & privileges there unto belonging unto the said John Mingham his heirs and assigns forever & the said Richard Bennett does for himself his heirs and assigns covenant, promise & grant to & with the said John Mingham his heirs & assigns yet? The said land at the time of the sealing & delivery of these presents - is free and clear from all & all manner of encumbrances whatsoever by him the said Richard Bennett made, suffered or done in any manner howsoever. In witness whereof the said Richard Bennett has hereunto set his hand & seal the day & year above written. Sealed & Delivered in marks the presence of Richard R B Bennett (Seal) Phillip Shelley Will Hemiford
At a Court held for the County of Surry May the 28th 1695. This day appeared in Court the above named Richard Bennett and acknowledged the above specified contents to be his real act and deed. Teste J. Edwards ___ ___ Editor's Comments: The above deed is one of the first real records we have of John Mangum, other than the slightly earlier tax lists (tithables) mentioned above. If anyone wishes to have a better scanned copy of the will, or a Xerox copy, e-mail me and I will try to get him/her one. The Library of Virginia can also supply a copy, or can supply a microfilm reel of the deed book through your local library (Interlibrary loan). Finally, the Genealogical Library in Salt Lake City can supply a microfilm of the deed book through any of your local Mormon Churches. Most have a family history room with microfilm readers. Anyone with additional information concerning these records, or general information on English law, customs, etc., pertinent to these records, please make it known. New information will be printed in later issues. Please note the following: 1. Richard Bennett Sr. is selling John Mingham 100 acres of land. 2. The date on the deed is 25 May 1695 and it was recorded 3 days later on the 28th of May. 3. Virginia was a colony of England in 1695. The United States was nearly 100 years in the future. 4. The land being sold is situated in (and John Mingham is of) the lower parish of Surry County. 5. Richard Bennett Sr. is of the upper parish of Isle of Wight County. 6. The reference to "lower parish Surry County" was apparently not meant to refer to an actual parish name. There was no "Lower Parish" Surry County. It is not even readily apparent from this deed which of the two parishes in Surry County that existed at the time (Southwark and Lawnes' Creek) is considered the lower one. (See text box on Surry County parishes on page 24 and maps on page 25). However, when John sold this land to George Morrell the next year [23 March 1695/6] it is definitely in Lawne's Creek Parish. Therefore, we might assume that "lower parish Surry County" actually refers to Lawne's Creek Parish. There are also two parishes in Isle of Wight County, "Upper Parish" and "Lower Parish" so "upper parish" probably does refer to "Upper Parish." The literature is confusing because one source lists the "upper parish" as "Isle of Wight Parish," which we suspect might be an error. In the various deed and court records of both Surry and Isle of Wight Counties, "upper" & "lower" parish designations appear to be the norm. 7. The land in lower parish Surry County is "at present occupied possessed & enjoyed by the said Richard Bennett." This is a seeming contradiction if we assume the term "occupied" means that Richard Bennett Sr. actually lived on the land since the deed also states that Richard was "of the upper parish of Isle of Wight." This former phrase may only mean that Richard Bennett Sr. owned the land, not that he actually lived there. 8. The land adjoins the land of George Morrell. [In 1696 John Mangum and George Morrell swap land. Those records will be dealt with in later issues of the Journal]. The deed contains no detailed description of the location of the land. 9. John's surname is given as "Mingham." [There are several different spellings of John's surname in these early records, including Mangum, Mangham and Mingham. The Mingham surname spelling is also found in old and new English records.] 10. Richard Bennett Sr. is called a 'Planter', a common designation for land owners in the old records. 11. Richard Bennett Sr. appears to sign with a mark "RB" [If the "RB" is his mark, then Richard must have been illiterate or semi-literate.] It may be significant that the deed has "marks" rather than the more traditional "his mark." Another document signed by Richard Bennett Sr. (30 Aug. 1694) has a very similar signature with the notation "sign" above the "RB" rather than "marks." When Richard Bennett Sr. made his will in 1709 he simply signed the will "Richard Bennett" without a mark. Did Richard learn to sign his name in the intervening years, or were these earlier signatures actual signatures? It is presently uncertain if this is an actual signature or is only "his mark," signifying at least partial illiteracy. We will try to have more information about this question next issue. 12. The witnesses are Philip Shelley and Will Hemiford, although the translations are very certain. 13. A John Mangum was one of the inheritors mentioned in Richard Bennett Sr.'s will in 1709, and a John Mangum also witnessed the will. It is presently unknown if both Johns were the same person.
Early Parishes of Surry County, Virginia. [Map from article on file with Kerry's Mangum images.] James City County was one of the original colonial Virginia counties, created in 1634. It included the area north and south of the James River running diagonally (southwest) toward North Carolina. [See map on page 27] In Jan. 1639/40 Lawne's Creek Parish was created. It was a small parish nestled in the northeast corner of that part of James City County below the James River. It was bounded on the east by Lawne's Creek (which lay on the Isle of Wight County line) and Chippokes Creek on the West. It later included Hog Island in the James River. In 1642/3 the Parish of Chippoaks was created immediately west of Lawne's Creek Parish but it was soon absorbed by Lawne's Creek Parish. In Nov. 1647 the Parish of Southwark was established in James City County below the James River and it included all the area west of Lawnes Creek Parish to the Charles City County line. Surry County was created about April 1652 and included all of James City County south of the James River, incorporating the parishes of Southwark and Lawne's Creek and extending downward (Southwest) to the North Carolina line. The two parishes, now in Surry County, expanded as the population increased, effectively splitting the County of Surry approximately down the middle lengthwise, Southwark in the West and Lawnes's Creek in the East. Since Surry actually runs southwest from the James River down to North Carolina, the parishes also ran southwest from the James River. Both parishes eventually extended over 100 miles in length from the James River toward North Carolina. On the 1st of January, 1738/9 the Parish of Albemarle was erected out of the entire width of Surry County below the Blackwater River. It therefore included the southern parts of Southwark Parish and Lawne's Creek Parish. The remaining part of Lawne's Creek Parish above the Blackwater River was absorbed into Southwark Parish, and Lawne's Creek Parish was no more. On the 1st of Feb. 1753/4 Sussex County was created from that part of Surry County below the Blackwater River and it incorporated the greater part of Albemarle Parish
Note: On the map to the right please note the position of the original "small" Lawne's Creek Parish (Shaded) created in 1639/40. Chippokes Parish was later created west of Lawnes Creek Parish but was soon absorbed by Lawnes Creek Parish. Southwark Parish was created in 1647 to the left of the expanded Lawne's Creek Parish. Note also Albemarle Parish lying south of the Blackwater River, created in 1738/39, first in Surry but incorporated into Sussex in 1752.
4. "The Mangum-Mangham-Mangrum Journal," Issue No. 47, Jan. 2002, (formerly "Mangum Family Bulletin"), James L. Parham, editor, pp. 22-28, article includes scanned images of the actual documents. The editor notes: "This Part 5 [of a series in the Journal] contains more records attributed to the supposed original immigrant, John Mangum in 18th century Isle of Wight County, Virginia. The first record is a will by John Parsons from Isle of Wight County dated 1707. John Mangum is listed as a witness, but there are no indications that John Mangum was anything more than an acquaintance or friend of the family. John signs the will with an "+", indicating that he was illiterate.
Figure 1 Will of John Parsons, 20th of October 1707, Isle of Wight County, Virginia, Will & Deed Book 2, page 662. The text of the will does not seem to be relative to our research. However, note that John Mangum is one of the witnesses. John's signature is enlarged in the inset block. He signs with a "+" mark.
The next two records are wills of Richard Bennett Sr. and Jr. The will of Richard Bennett Sr. was on two separate pages but the image here combines these two pages into one image. Note that John Mangum signs his name with an "X", which is little different than the previous "+" of the Parson will. We may reasonably assume that the John Mangum of the Parson will and the John Mangum of the Bennett will are the same. In fact, all the wills are probably in the handwriting of the clerk that recorded the wills. Look close at the handwriting of each will, and the signatures of the testator and witnesses. It appears that all are the same, indicating that these documents are all in the handwriting of the clerk.
Note that a John Mangum also is given two head of cattle in the will of Richard Bennett Sr. It is a little unusual for a legatee of the will to also be a witness to the will, but we assume that both John Mangums are the same. No effort was made to differentiate between the two in the will.
The text of the will of Richard Bennett Jr. was all on one page (except the court minutes), but the page has suffered damage and part of the text is missing. Mr. Vaughn Ballard made the transcription and he attempted to add the missing text by interpolation and flow of thought from the surrounding text.
Will of Richard Bennett Sr. (Isle of Wight County, Virginia, Record of Wills, Etc., Vol. 2, 1661-1719, page 514, dated 4 Dec. 1709). Text of Will of Richard Bennett Sr. (Isle of Wight County, Record of Wills, Etc., Vol 2, 1661-1719, Pg. 514.) Note: This translation (& footnotes) is by Vaughn Ballard, 2320 Country Green lane, Arlington, Texas, 76011.
"In the Name of God Amen. I Rich'd Bennett Sen'r now being in perfect mind & Memory Blessed be the Lord for it I Do appoint this for to be my last will & Testament, Disannulling & making void all former wills by me made. I bequeath my Soul to almighty God what gave it me & my Body to the Earth for to be Decently buried at the Discression of my Loving wife & Debts I owe to be paid & my will in forme following-
Item I Do give & bequeath to my loving wife Sarah Bennett one Copper still, one gray mare & her increase & one horse and one Negro man named Jack to her Disposeing for Ever. I Do likewise make my loving wife whole and sole exec'et of this my last will & Testament-
lem. I do give and bequeath to Mary Throp Daughter of Dan'l Lewis five head of cattle(1)-
lem. I do give & bequeath unto John Mangum two head of cattle(2)-
Item I do give & bequeath to James Coffield two head of cattle-
lem. I do give and bequeath unto my two sons Richard & James Bennett & Sml??(3) Lewis & Martha Lewis the half of the rest of the ___ of my estate there after for to be Equally Divided by these men I have appointed & shall nominate. I Do order that my Standard be divided between my two sons Richard & James Bennett by these four men Tho Throp, Peter Deberry Robt Byskay & George Barlow & for to see this my last will performed-
Item I do give and bequeath to my loving wife Sarah Bennett my plantation in Blackwater during her naturalle(4) life & then for to returne to James Bennett son of Rich'd Bennett & the heirs of his body lawfully begotten. I Desire that no Inventory shall be taken nor no Letter of Administration but for all things for to stand as this be nor any Security for to be given in witness my hand this fourth day of December in the year 1709.
Testice Tho. Thropp Richard Bennett (Seal) his William X George mark Mary Cornos his John X Mangum mark
At a court held for Isle of Wight County y' 20th day of Feb: 17[09](5) This last will & testament of Richard Bennett was presented in Court by Sarah Bennett his said wife Ex:xct who made oath ofto & being proved in Court by the oathes of Wm George Mary Cornos & John Mangum three of the witnesses thereto is admitted to record - Test H. Lightfoot C. Court
[Notes]: 1. "Cattle" looks like "Cattelle," but it was probably just that the pen was raised after the "tt" and he made a tall "e" and put a little flourish on the end that looks like an "e". 2. This item is underlined by the editor for emphasis. The underline was not part of the original will. 3. I'm confident that the first letter is an "S." In an abstract of this will, Chapman lists Susanna Lewis as being mentioned in this will. I can't see that here. 4. This word, "naturalle," inserted above and between "her" and "life". 5. Date was off the page, but beginning, 170_, would indicate 1709 (by Julian Calendar) and will was signed in 1709.
Will of Richard Bennett, Jr. (Isle of Wight County, Virginia, Deeds, Etc., Great Book, 1715-1726, page 42, dated 3 March 1720.) Text of Will of Richard Bennett Jr. (Isle Of Wight County Deeds, Ect., Great Book, 1715-1726 pg. 42.) Note: This translation (& footnotes) is by Vaughn Ballard, 2320 Country Green lane, Arlington, Texas 76011.
"March ye 3rd Day 1720 In the Name of God Amen.(1) Rich'd Bennett in ye upper parish of Isle of Wight County in Virginia being sick & weak in body yet in perfect memory thanks be to God for it Do therefore do make this my Last Will & Testament as followith - first I Commit my soul to God our Heavenly Father trusting to be saved by Jesus Christ our only Saviour and my body on Earth to be Decently Buried & as for my worldly Goods I bestow as followith /Item/ I Give and bequeath unto my son Richd Bennett to him & his heirs lawfully begotten of his body two hundred acres of Land & over it being Land where on my Son Richard now lives /Item/ I give & bequeath unto my son James with ye other two hundred acres of Land where on he now lives. I lay to him & to his heirs lawfully begotton of his Body forever it is a Coveyance of four hundred acres of Land I bought of Mr John Coffers pattin of Land being fourteen hundred & fifty acres /Item/ I Give & bequeath unto Jane Coffer & her two sons Rob Coffer & John Coffer to them & their heirs Lawfully of their body for ever my plantation and land whereon I now live I lay to them & to their heirs for ever it being part of Land Which was bought formerly of Mr Wm Miles /Item/ I Give and bequeath unto Jane Coffer a small trunk & a Gold Ring and a Great Iron pot /Item/ I Give & bequeath to Rich Coffer my Long Gun /Item/ I Give & bequeath to Magdalen Coffer one Great pewter Dish and one Great Basin /Item/ I Give and bequeath to Francis Manggum my Gran Daughter a feather Bed & all ye belongs to it (2)/Item/ I Give and bequeath unto my Daughter Silvester a Couple of Dishes & a Couple of plates furthermore I do appoint Jane Coffer & Wm Allen to be my full and whole Exct to pay my Debts & to Receive what is owing to me & when these my Debts being paid ye rest of my Goods within Doores and outDoores to be Equally Divided amongst my children / Desiring this my trusty friends Jno & James Carter to See this my Last Will & testament fulfilled In Witness here of I sett my hand & Seal.
his Rich'd R Bennett {Seal} mark
Assigned and Sealed in the presence of us
his Jn J Carter mark his James H__ Carter mark Wm Allen Sr.
At a Court held for Isle of Wight County the 23 day of May 1720 This last will & Testament of Rich'd Bennett was presented by the Exes & being proved by the witnesses is submitted to record.
Test H. Lightfoot C. Cor.
[Notes:] 1. Bold Italic words were "washed out" and missing. These are my best guesses of what these words were. - Vaughn Ballard 2. Item is underlined by the editor for emphasis. The underline was not part of the original will.
Comments 1. We don't know the relationship between John Mangum and John Parson, whose will John witnessed on 20 Oct. 1707. Note John's signature mark, which is a plus (+). Compare to the signature mark (also a 'plus') of John Mangham who deeded land to George Morrell 23 March 1695. (Journal 44, page 22). It is quite obvious that this John Mangum was illiterate. The younger John Mangum, who appears in later records, is probably this John Mangum's son. The younger John Mangum was probably literate, signing his name John C. Mangum.
2. The will of Richard Bennett Sr. (Isle of Wight, 4 Dec. 1709) has many legatees. One is John Mangum who receives two head of cattle. Surprisingly John is also a witness to the will. It is presently unknown if this is a usual occurrence. John's signature mark is still a "plus" but slanted enough that it looks like an "X". In reality the handwriting is probably the clerk who transcribed the will into his will book and only the general shape of the mark is significant, assuming the clerk tried to copy the mark as faithfully as possible. We cannot be totally sure that both these John Mangums in the will were one and the same. However, we do not know of any other John Mangum in Virginia at this time. The younger John Mangum who appears later, and who we believe is John Jr., was likely born about 1710. There was no attempt to differentiate between the two John Mangums, such as Jr. and Sr., lending support to the theory that they were one and the same.
3. The will of Richard Bennett Jr. (Isle of Wight County, 3 March 1720) also has several legatees. One of these is Francis Manggum who he calls his "Gran Daughter". This Francis was therefore a child of one of Richard Jr.'s children, not specifically designated in the will. It may be significant that Richard's daughter Silvester is mentioned just after Frances. This reference to Francis Manggum has been the core of a controversy that has dogged researchers for decades. We know that a Frances Mangum was administrator of John Mangum's estate in 1737 in Isle of Wight County. She was presumably his widow. Was Francis Manggum (granddaughter of Richard Bennett Jr. mentioned in his will) and Frances Mangum, wife/widow of John Mangum, one and the same? Or were they mother and daughter? For a more detailed discussion of this controversy you might want to read the article on page 29 of Journal Issue 43. Additional pieces of the puzzle will be discussed next issue with the publication of the will of Sarah Bennett Lancaster, remarried widow of Richard Bennett Jr.
5. "Mangum Family Bulletin," Four part article in vol. numbers 27-30, Jan. 1986, Apr. 1986, July 1987, Oct. 1987, editor James L. Parham: "Mangum Origins - The Bennett Connection," by James L. Parham. [Notes by myself, Kerry Petersen, are in brackets.]
"Introduction
My first attempt to resolve the question of Mangum origins was in December 1969 when I published an article on John Mangum of early Virginia (issue 4, MFB). Please review that earlier article for background information. There have been further developments since then, some (but not many) new records and a lot of thought & debate. In this article I will try to present all that is known about Mangum origins with emphasis on John Mangum of early Virginia and the Bennett family he was connected with.
This has been a very difficult article to write. It is long, the records are sparse and there is much disagreement about what the records mean. Please be careful about using the theories that I present. They are not to be taken as actual fact without proof. I will try to cover dissenting opinions, but this article will, of necessity, be biased in favor of my theories and beliefs. I welcome and encourage different theories and will offer to print any such received.
Because of the length of this article it will be published in several parts. I will try to finish it before the end of the year. Please be forewarned that the problem of Mangum origins will not be solved by this article. In fact, you may be more confused after reading it than before you started. Nevertheless, it will be useful to present the known facts and ask the questions that need to be asked.
I will try to make this article as organized as possible. However, you may find that I did not quite succeed at times. I will first present some general history of the Virginia colony and how the Bennett family fits in. I will then present information on the Edward Bennett line which may not be directly related to "our Bennetts." However, there seems to be some tie-in of this line to the Mangums. Next I will present what is known about the Bennett family that was definitely associated with our John Mangum and the details of that tie-in.
Delta Ivy Mangum Hale.
Mrs. Hale of Utah spent 40 years of research into her Mangum line and the problem of Mangum origins. She hired professional genealogists to make extensive searches of ship passenger lists and other records to uncover Mangum origins. Unfortunately, she found little hard evidence. One family tradition she found seemed to explain why there were no official records of our Mangum immigrant. This tradition states that two brothers in Isle of Man were playing and accidentally broke a window. They ran, hid on a ship and went to sleep. When they awoke they were out to sea on the way to the New World. The likelihood of this story being true is debatable and there are other possible explanations for the lack of Mangums on the passenger lists. One obvious possibility is the fact that many passenger lists were destroyed or lost over the years. Mrs. Hale's book was published in 1971 posthumously. At that time it could be ordered from Mr. Elgie J. Hale, 1040 E. Arlington, Bountiful, Utah. I feel very indebted to Mrs. Hale for the huge amount of work she put into Mangum research. If not for her earlier work then this article could not have been possible.
Mangum Beginnings.
The only definite evidence of the immigration of a Mangum to the new World was in 1666. In that year a Timothy Mangham was transported to Maryland as a colonist. There is no evidence that this individual left any descendants. There were Mangum families in Maryland during the first census in 1790 but this was over 120 years later. Mangham was one popular spelling of the name Mangum. Few names had "fixed" spellings before the mid-1800's.
John Mangum of Virginia appears to have been the first Mangum immigrant to have left surviving descendants. The evidence is not definitive but he appears to have been the father of the several families of Mangums who were in the Albemarle Parish, Sussex & Surry Counties in the early 1700's. He also appears to have been associated with the Bennett family, probably by marriage, of Isle of Wight County. This Bennett family was in Virginia much earlier than the Mangum family, possibly from near the beginning of Virginia itself.
We may be in error by trying to assign a single person as "the immigrant ancestor." In fact, there may have been several. Nicholas & Martha Mangum who died in Surry Co, VA in 1757 and 1761 respectively were likely immigrants. They were apparently elderly people, certainly not very young and only their estate records have been found. Jacob Mangum of Richmond County N. C. (ca 1786) and later S. C. may also been an immigrant from Ireland. Others believe he was descended from James Mangum of the 1st VA to N. C. migration. These are only two examples of several possible Mangum immigrants.
The Virginia Colony.
In 1607 three ships carrying colonists sent by the Virginia Company of London dropped anchor in what is now the James River of Virginia. They built a fort and the settlement that grew up around it became known as Jamestown. This was the first permanent English settlement in North America and the beginning of Virginia. Even though the settlers suffered great hardship in the first years, they managed to survive under the leadership of Capt. John Smith. Tobacco became a commercial crop in 1612 and the marriage of John Rolfe to Pocahontas insured peace with the Indians until her death in 1618.
By 1619 plantations were on both sides of the James River and women had also begun arriving in the colony. Also during this year the first representative legislature in the New World, the House of Burgesses, met at Jamestown. The House of Burgesses was a 22 member legislative body together with Sir George Yeardly as Governor and a 6 member council appointed by him. The first Negroes also arrived in the colony. There was an Indian massacre in 1622 but the colony survived. By 1624 Virginia became a royal colony under the direct control of the King rather than a commercial venture.
Edward Bennett Family.
Edward Bennett of London owned a fleet of ships doing trade with Virginia. He established a large plantation in Virginia in 1621 which was called "Bennetts Welcome." He was not in VA at this time but his brothers Robert & Richard were. Edward must have come to VA by 1627 because he was in the House of Burgesses for that year.
One of Edward's daughters was named Silvestra and she is one of two of his heirs mentioned in his will. She was born 25 Oct. 1630 and died 1706. She married Lieut. Col. Nicholas Hill who was also in the House of Burgesses in 1663, 1666. He died in 1675 in Isle of Wight. One daughter of the Hills, Mary, married John Jennings Jr. John made his will in Dec. 1692, probated Dec. 1695. In his will he names mother (in- law?) Silvester Hill. A witness to the probate was Frances Mangum. [This has since been proven by the same author to be an error and Frances was not the signature on the will - see separate note on this subject in Frances Bennett's notes in this database.]
This enigmatic reference to Frances Mangum with the Edward Bennett Family raises many questions which cannot be answered at this time. We have found no further reference to a Mangum with this Bennett line. It remains to be seen what significance this has in relation to the Thomas-Richard Bennett line that we usually associate with the Mangums.
General References:
1. John Mangum of Early Virginia, Article MFB #4, Dec. 69
2. Southside Virginia Families, Boddie, pp. 57-64
3. 17th Century Isle of Wight, Boddie, pp. 289-304
4. Adventures of Purse & Person
5. Albemarle Parish Register, MFB # 1-4
6. Encyclopedia
7. Nicholas Mangum, Article MFB # 9-12
8. Misc. records from MFB
This is the second installment of the Mangum-Bennett article. This article begins with Thomas Bennett who was the first known of the Bennett line who came to America and whose descendants were associated with our immigrant ancestor.
Thomas Bennett:
The Bennett family that was associated with our apparent immigrant ancestor, John Mangum, was in the New World almost from the beginning. We have not been able to find any definite tie to the Edward Bennett family described last issue other than the Jennings-Mangum record. However, it is very likely that there was some relation. Thomas Bennett was apparently the first Bennett of this particular line to come to the New World. He was a member of the House of Burgesses in 1632 from Warwick County, VA. Unfortunately, the records of Warwick County were destroyed in the Civil War.
Thomas's wife was named Alice & she was a widow of Thomas Pierce. She may have married Thomas Bennett about 1624 and was apparently the mother of his only child, Richard. They lived on the south side of the James near Lawnes Creek in 1624.
Elizabeth Pierce, daughter of Thomas and Alice pierce(later Alice Bennett), probably married Anthony Barham. Anthony was also a member of the house of Burgesses in 1629-30. His will in 1641 in England mentioned his brother-in-law Richard Bennett and mother Bennett.
Thomas Bennett probably died between 1632 and 1641. These are the dates of his House of Burgesses service and the 1641 will of Anthony Barham. Anthony Barham mentions mother Bennett and his Brother-in-law Richard Bennett in his will, but makes no mention of Thomas Bennett. Alice is alive at least until 1642 when she was mentioned in several land dealings.
Richard Bennett, Sr.:
Richard Bennett Sr. was born about 1625, probably in Virginia. He received land for transporting several people to the colonies in 1638 and 1682.
Richard first married Anne who was apparently the mother of his children. He married 2nd Sarah, widow of Daniel Lewis (who died 1679) Sarah married a third time to Robert Lancaster after Richard died.
Richard in 1699 resided at Blackwater near a Justinson Cooper and Frances England. He calls himself Elder of Upper Parish of Isle of Wight in a deed sometime after 1682. His known children were Susan who married Daniel Lewis (had daughter Mary Throp), Martha who married a Lewis, Richard Jr. and James.
Richard Sr. made his will in isle of Wight 4 Dec. 1709 and it was probated in Feb. 1710. He mentions wife Sarah and John Mangum. A John Mangum was also a witness to the will and gave oath at probate.
Sarah Lewis Bennett Lancaster:
Sarah Lewis was a widow of Daniel Lewis who died in 1769. She had a son Daniel and a daughter Sarah from that first marriage. She married Richard Bennett Sr. & became a widow a second time when he died in 1709. Her third marriage was to Robert Lancaster. She made her will on 31 Oct. 1722 and it was probated on 29 Jan. 1722?? She had several legatees including Mary & Sarah Mangum, daughters of John Mangum.
Richard Bennett, Jr.:
Richard Bennett Jr. was the oldest son of Richard Bennett Sr. and wife Anne. We believe he was born about 1650, probably in Isle of Wight. He was given the family plantation in 1699 in Upper Parish Isle of Wight. We do not know the name of his wife.
His tentatively identified children were Richard who died intestate in Surry county, VA in 1735, Jane who married John Cofer, Silvester, Ann who married John Bell and James.
Richard Bennett Jr. made his will in Isle of Wight 30 March 1720 and it was probated 23 May 1720, He mentions son Richard, Jane Coffer, John Coffer, Rob. & John Coffer, Magdalen Coffer, daughter Silvester, Wm Allen and friends Jn. Carter and James Carter. He also mentions Francis Manggum, calls her granddaughter and leaves her a feather bed and furniture.
It should be noted here that Frances Mangum is called granddaughter. This means that she was a daughter of one of the children of Richard Bennett Jr. There are several possibilities, none of which can be proven at present. She may have been a daughter of one of the children mentioned above, she may have been born out of wedlock, she may have been a daughter of an unnamed deceased child of Richard Jr. Also, she may have been the wife of John Mangum or she may have been his daughter, These possibilities and theories will be given further discussion later.
This is the third installment of the Mangum-Bennett article. It contains what we know about John Mangum himself and his supposed wife Frances. The final installment will be printed in the next issue.
John Mangum of Early Virginia:
The earliest records of a Mangum in Virginia refer to a Jo
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Chris & Julie Petersen's Genealogy
Abt 1625 - 1709 (~ 84 years)