Chris & Julie Petersen's Genealogy

Mary Agnes Mangum

Female Bef 1710 - Abt 1747  (> 37 years)


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  • Name Mary Agnes Mangum 
    Born Bef 1710  of, Isle of Wight, Virginia, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Female 
    Died Abt 1747  , Granville, North Carolina, Carolina, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I253  Petersen-de Lanskoy
    Last Modified 27 May 2021 

    Father John Mangum,   b. Abt 1670, of, , England Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Abt 26 Dec 1737, Upper Parish, Isle of Wight, Virginia, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 67 years) 
    Mother Frances Bennett,   b. From 1670 to 1680, Upper Parish, Isle of Wight, Virginia, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Aft 1737, , Isle of Wight, Virginia, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 68 years) 
    Married Abt 1696  of, Isle of Wight, Virginia, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F227  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family John Langston,   b. Bef 1708, , Nansemond, Virginia, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Abt 11 Nov 1790, , Greenville, South Carolina, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age > 82 years) 
    Married Bef 1731  , Isle of Wight, Virginia, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Last Modified 28 May 2021 
    Family ID F226  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • RESEARCH_NOTES:
      1. Per website http://home.inu.net/sadie/index.htm for father John Magnum and husband John Langston. See their notes for full and lengthy text of wills, deeds, bio. info, and misc. info which includes many mentions of this individual. "Mary, Born CA 1712 Alb Par., Surry, Va Died About 1794 Greenville, SC- Named in will of Sarah Lancaster, her step grt gr/mother- 1722) (M) John Langston, Sr of Isle of Wight Co, Va CA 1730." References: 17th Century Isle of Wight, (Boddie); Virginia Historical Families (Boddie); Southside Virginia Families (Boddie); Isle of Wight Co.,Va Deeds (Hopkins); Surry Co., Va Deeds & Crt. Orders (Hopkins); Isle of Wight Deeds (Eliza T. Davis); Surry Co. Deeds & Wills, (Davis); Wills & Adms. IOW Co. (Chapman); Cavaliers & Pioneers, Vols I & II (Nugent); LDS Records. Some citations:
      a. "Will of Sarah Lancaster, Isle of Wight, Va. 1722-23 (widow of Richard Bennett, Jr. [error, s/b Sr.] who (M) #3 Robert Lancaster, and he died IOW 1720). Names among others, Mary Mangum, dtr. of John Mangum. 7/20/1727."

      2. "The Mangum-Mangham-Mangrum Journal," Issue No. 48, April 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 6 [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 the will of Sarah Lancaster in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. Her first marriage was to Daniel Lewis. He died in 1769. She had a son Daniel and a daughter Sarah from that first marriage. She married Richard Bennett Sr. but 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?? Her will is important because she mentioned many legatees including grandchildren of Richard Bennett Sr., her second husband. Of more importance is the mention of two daughters of John Mangum. We have presented here the image of the original will as recorded in the old records. We have also presented a 'translation' by Vaughn Ballard of the difficult old handwriting.
      The second image is that of the inventory of Sarah Lancaster. It is difficult to read and probably has no genealogical information contained in it. It does not seem profitable to expend the time necessary to decipher the old handwriting. The date on the inventory has minor applicability, which is fortunate because we have had difficulty determining just what that date was.
      The last record of John Mangum (in this issue) is his estate inventory dated 1737 in Isle of Wight County. Again, we have no 'translation' of the old handwriting, but the bulk of the inventory does not seem to have any genealogical significance. There are no names of people, just items of property. Of minor significance is the men who made the inventory. John Davis, Edward Brantley and Jos. Ward may be part of the puzzle of the life of John Mangum. Of major importance, however, is the fact that Frances Mangum was administrator of John's estate as listed on the inventory. It is the one and only piece of evidence we have for the name of the wife of John. The only other mention of Frances Mangum in the old records is the will of Richard Bennett Jr. who leaves a feather bed to his granddaughter Frances Mangum. Whether this Frances Mangum of the will and the Frances Mangum of the estate of John Mangum was the same, or maybe mother and daughter, is a matter of some controversy.
      In summary, we know that John Mangum's wife was named Frances. We know that Richard Bennett Jr. had a granddaughter named Frances Mangum. All other lineage relationships re John Mangum, Frances and the Bennetts are derived from 'intelligent' reasoning. Unfortunately, it leaves a lot of room for controversy.
      Finally, we have included an image of a document that shows the transport of Timothy Mangham to Maryland in 1688. In reality, that document does not concern John Mangum and is not part of this article. However, it is significant because it appears to be the first record of any Mangum1 in the New World. We do not believe that Timothy Mangham left any descendants. He was one of a multitude of indentured servants that did not survive the harsh conditions of this frontier land long enough to marry and produce prodigy.
      Text of Will of Sarah Lancaster. (Isle of Wight Co., VA Deeds, Wills, Etc. Great Book, 1715-1726, page 125.) Note: This translation (& footnotes) is by Vaughn Ballard, 2320 Country Green lane, Arlington, Texas 76011.
      I Sarah Lancaster of The Isle of Wight County being at This Time Sickly and Weake in body but of Sound and perfect sense and Memory all praise be Given unto Almighty God that's2 above and calling To remembrance the certainty of Death and unsertainty of the Time Thus doe make ordain and declare this my Last Will and Testament in manner and forme as* Following first and Principally I commend My sole to God* the Father of Spirits Trusting and Assured by Hopeing to receive full pardon & remission of my sins by the Bitter Passion and death of my Alive Savior Jesus Christ To whomsoever to this mortal life shall Ease my body to ye earth to be buried at the Discretion of my Executors hereinafter named as for what Worldly Estate it hath pleased God to bless me with I give Bequeath & Dispose as followeth. First I give my grand daughter Anne Craft one feather Bond Boulstered Rugg a pair of Blankets and Two fore year auld Heifers & my Calloco Gown and Bonnet and one new pewter Basen.
      Item I give my Grand Daughter Sarah Meacor my spice Morttar and Pestle
      Item I give my granddaughter Anne Kea when she shall come to The Age of Eighteen or Married one small trunk & one muslin Apron & Mosslin handcherchief and one Laced Driess five new pewter Plates and if my sd grand daughter should dye before time aforesd then my desire ye aforesd legacy shall fall. Item I give to Mary Mangum daughter of John Mangum one year old Heifer and her Increase to be delivered her when she will receive itt.
      Item I give Sarah Mangum daughter of the aforesd John Mangum one cows cafe after weaned and Halfe the Increase and the other halfe of ye increase to her father for her Care To Keepe Item to be Delivered when ye sd Mangum will receive itt. Item I give to Bridgett Benitt daughter of James Bennitt one pewter basen. Item I give to Sarah Bennitt Daughter of James Bennett one pewter Basen. Item I give to my Grand Daughter Elizabeth Meacor one brass Skillett. Item I give to My Grand Daughter Martha Meacor one warming Pann & lid pewter Plates Item I give my Grand Daughter Susana Meacor one small Iron Pott and ye _oocks belonging
      Item I Give to Mary Ussery my new Virginia Cloth, Suite of Clothes made of Blue Woole and cotton & as much kotten as will make two Dress & two Neck Cloaths Item I give to my sister Elizabeth Hood three Elles?of Drolace? and as much Kotton as will make her Dreyess Item I give to Mary Sowdell one Kotton Apron and one lace Dreyess & a Large Pettecote. Item I give to my daughter Susana Meacor Three Ewes & one ram & one brass Skimmer Item I Give to Grandson Louis Meacor one Pewter Tankard Item I give To Mary Jonas my black wolle and Cotton pettecote and one white under Pettecote. Item I Give to Benjamin Bell my horse called Puppy - Item I Give to Samuel one young sow of a year olde I Give and Bequeath all the Residue and remainder of my Estate to my Daughter Mary Bell I does Nominate and Appoynt My Daughter Mary Bell to be my whole & sole Executrix of This my Last Will & Testament Whereof I have thereunto sett my hand & seal This 31th day of October 1722.
      Pertt Thomas Reseres The marke of
      William Hood Sarale -+- Lancastor
      At a Court *continued &* held for Isle of Wight County The 29 day of January 1722. [Note:This word, and others marked * were inserted (appears above the line) by the recorder.]
      The last Will and Testamtt of Sarah Lancaster was presented in court by Mary Bell her Executx who made oath thereto and being proved by the oaths of the Witnesses is admitted recorded
      Test H. Lightfoot Cl. Cor.
      Text of Inventory of Sarah Lancaster's Estate. (Isle of Wight Co., VA Deeds, Wills, Great Book 1715-1726, page 132.) No one has transcribed the text of this inventory. It is hard but not impossible to read, and it is not clear that the text will provide any actual genealogical information. The following information is Germane, however. Note: The image has been electronically cleaned in some areas.
      a. The date above the inventory is February the 23 day (of?) 1729/0. The year, and double date (if it is a double date) is indistinct. See image (uncleaned) and "c" below.
      b. The taker of the inventory appears to be Mary Bell, although the last name is indistinct.
      c. At the bottom of the inventory there is the notation "At a court held for Isle of Wight County the 22d of April 1729."
      This date is clear but throws some doubt on the interpretation of the date above the inventory (see "a" above. In the double dating system used in that era, the first year is the old way and second year is the way we presently perceive the year. Therefore, it would make more sense if the year listed was actually 1728/9 instead of 1729/0. The double dated year is indistinct enough in the record we have available that it could be either.
      Comments.
      1. Boddie mentions the will of Sarah (Lewis-Bennett-Lancaster) in his book, Southside Virginia Families, Volume II (1966). He says "Insomuch as Richard Bennett had remembered her granddaughters, his step-granddaughters in his will, she likewise did the same for his granddaughters. Her will was a length one and legatees numerous." He lists Mary Mangum, daughter of John Mangum, but fails to list Sarah Mangum, another daughter of John Mangum mentioned in the will. He also makes the statement that John Mangum married a great granddaughter of Richard Bennett Sr. It is difficult to determine just how much confidence to put in Mr. Boddie's treatment of the Mangums because we know he made some significant mistakes. Of course, he was primarily interested in the Bennetts, not the Mangums.
      2. The cafe "calf" that Sarah Lancaster gave to Sarah Mangum was to be entrusted to her father John Mangum until she would receive it. It can be assumed, but not proven, that this meant that Sarah was a minor at the time. Assuming again that John and Frances married about 1700, Sarah Mangum was surely a child later in the life of the couple. It cannot be totally ruled out that Sarah & Mary were children of John Mangum Jr. John Jr. could have been married at the time, but the first record we have of him is when he witnessed the will of John Spratley in 1728. If we infer that he had just became an adult in 1728, his birth date would be about 1710, and he could not be the father of the two Mangum girls in 1722. All this is highly speculative; so don't consider it fact. Additional records could throw a totally different light on the situation.
      3. It is not as clear that Mary Mangum was also a minor. We assume she was because Sarah Lancaster inferred that Mary Mangum was, like Sarah Mangum, not ready to receive her inheritance (a heifer and increase).

      Text of INVENTORY of Sarah LANCASTER'S Estate
      (Isle of Wight Co., VA Deeds, Wills, Great Book 1715-1726, page 132)
      No one has transcribed the text of this inventory. It is hard but not impossible to read, and it is not clear that the text will provide any actual genealogical information. The following information is Germane, however. NOTE: The image has been electronically cleaned in some areas.
      a. The date above the inventory is Febuary the 23 day (of?) 1729/0. The year, and double date (if it is a double date) is indistinct. See image (uncleaned) and "c" below.
      b. The taker of the inventory appears to be Mary Bell, although the last name is indistinct.
      c. At the bottom of the inventory there is the notation "At a court held for Isle of Wight County the 22d of April 1729." This date is clear but throws some doubt on the interpretation of the date above the inventory (see "a" above. In the double dating system used in that era, the first year is the old way and second year is the way we presently perceive the year. Therefore, it would make more sense if the year listed was actually 1728/9 instead of 1729/0. The double dated year is indistinct enough in the record we have available that it could be either.
      Comments
      1. Boddie mentions the will of Sarah (Lewis-Bennett-Lancaster) in his book, Southside Virginia Families, Volume II (1966). He says "Insomuch as Richard Bennett had remembered her granddaughters, his step-granddaughters in his will, she likewise did the same for his granddaughters. Her will was a length one and legatees numerous." He lists Mary Mangum, daughter of John Mangum, but fails to list Sarah Mangum, another daughter of John Mangum mentioned in the will. He also makes the statement that John Mangum married a great granddaughter of Richard Bennett Sr. It is difficult to determine just how much confidence to put in Mr. Boddie's treatment of the Mangums because we know he made some significant mistakes. Of course, he was primarily interested in the Bennetts, not the Mangums.
      2. The cafe "calf" that Sarah Lancaster gave to Sarah Mangum was to be entrusted to her father John Mangum until she would receive it. It can be assumed, but not proven, that this meant that Sarah was a minor at the time. Assuming again that John and Frances married about 1700, Sarah Mangum was surely a child later in the life of the couple. It cannot be totally ruled out that Sarah & Mary were children of John Mangum Jr. John Jr. could have been married at the time, but the first record we have of him is when he witnessed the will of John Spratley in 1728. If we infer that he had just became an adult in 1728, his birth date would be about 1710, and he could not be the father of the two Mangum girls in 1722. All this is highly speculative; so don't consider it fact. Additional records could throw a totally different light on the situation.
      3. It is not as clear that Mary Mangum was also a minor. We assume she was because Sarah Lancaster inferred that Mary Mangum was, like Sarah Mangum, not ready to receive her inheritance (a heifer and increase).

      3. "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 John Mangum. These records date back to about 1695 and maybe earlier. [Tithables records, which were similar to property taxes, that mention John begin in 1692.] These records and the absence of other Mangum records in that period lead us to believe that John Mangum was the father of the Mangum families who were later in the Albemarle Parish, Surry and Sussex Counties shortly after the parish was set up in 1738. The absence of earlier records also indicate that John was an immigrant. These records leave many unanswered questions, but first let us examine the records themselves.
      John Mangum was born by 1674 [1671]since he was able to purchase land in 1695 [listed as tithables by 1692]. The land was purchased in Surry Co., VA from Richard Bennett Sr. who apparently was a great grandfather of the Frances who was married to John Mangum. In March 1695/6 John trades this 100 acres of land for 90 acres in Isle of Wight. Both tracts must have been near Lawnes Creek which was the dividing line between Surry and Isle of Wight Counties. The Quit Rent of 1704 lists a John Mangum with 100 acres, probably an error for the 90 acres he actually had.
      John Mangum is mentioned in the will of Richard Bennett Sr. and in the will of Sarah Lancaster, widow of Richard Bennett Sr. John is dead by 1737 since a Frances Mangum is administrator of his estate in that year.
      It is my guess that we are dealing with two John Mangums here. One John Mangum was mentioned in the will of Richard Bennett Sr., and another John Mangum signed the same will probate as witness. It is not impossible that these were the same person, but I think it is unlikely. I would also guess that the two daughters of John Mangum referred to in Sarah Lancaster's will in 1722 were daughters of the younger John Mangum, not of John the immigrant. If these were daughters of the elder John Mangum, then the other probable children of the elder John were ignored as well as their mother Frances. John Mangum the younger was very likely son of John the immigrant. He was married to Olive Savage and she was administrator to his estate in Isle of Wight in 1744. See previous 1969 article for additional information on this family.
      Frances Mangum:
      Frances, supposed wife of John Mangum the immigrant, is one of the major problems that we have to deal with. Most of the controversy centers around her. It appears that she was married to John Mangum by 1695. At least we know that John Mangum had land dealings with Richard Bennett during this period.
      Frances Mangum is mentioned in the will of Richard Bennett Jr. in 1720 and is called granddaughter. Unfortunately we were given no hint as to who her parents were. The probable children of Richard Bennett Jr. were given in the last installment of the article. Silvester has been mentioned as a possible parent of Frances or a deceased child of Richard Jr. could have been her parent. We may never know. A tie that I would like to make, but just cannot make fit, is that Frances was daughter of Silvester and that the Frances that witnessed the John Jennings Jr.'s probate in 1695 [it has now been determined that it was not Frances Mangum who witnessed the Jennings will and that the signature was misinterpreted] and the Silvester Hill who was mentioned in the will were mother and daughter. Alas, that is not to be. That Silvester appears to be the daughter of Edward Bennett, an entirely different line. Frances was administrator of John Mangum's estate in Isle of Wight in 1737 and we have no further record of her.
      Using the assumptions above, then Frances likely did not have Bennett as her maiden name. She also could have been born out of wedlock which was not uncommon then. (This is pure speculation!) Others want to believe that her maiden name was Bennett and that also is possible. There may have been a daughter of John & Frances who was named Frances. The elder Frances would be the daughter of Richard Bennett Jr. Some point out that Richard Jr., would more likely leave a feather bed to a young girl just starting out rather than to a mature woman who probably had her own bed. The Frances mentioned in the will would therefore be a young daughter of the mother Frances. In fact, there is only circumstantial evidence that John Mangum married Frances at all. Still, if there was a daughter Frances and a granddaughter Frances, why mention the granddaughter and not the daughter in the will? It is unfortunate that we cannot establish a definite birthday for Richard Jr. This would have a definite influence on the likelihood that the granddaughter Frances of Richard Jr.'s will was either a young girl or a mature married woman.
      And, if the above is not enough of a problem, then take a look at the deeds of John Mangum, If he was married to Frances or anyone by 1695, then why did not his wife sign any of the deeds where he sold land before 1700? Why is the signature mark on the 1696 deed of John Mangum to George Morrell different from the signature mark when John Mangum signs the will of Richard Bennett Sr. Father and son maybe? Cousins?
      This is the fourth and last installment of the Mangum-Bennett article. It is mainly a summary of the previous articles plus some of my personal theories. Please send in any new information you may have and/or make any comments you feel that are relevant.
      Summary:
      As I promised you, we asked a lot of questions in this article and answered few. To summarize the major questions, I will list a number of them again here.
      1. What was the origin of Thomas Bennett ?
      2. How was he related to the family of Edward Bennett?
      3. How was the Mangums related to Edward Bennett?
      4. How did John Mangum get to the New World?
      5. Was he the one and only immigrant ancestor?
      6. Did he marry Frances, granddaughter of Richard Bennett Jr.?
      7. Who were her parents?
      8. When did they marry?
      9. Why is she not on deeds with John Mangum?
      10. Why did she witness the will probate of John Jennings Jr. who married a descendent of Edward Bennett? [Answered: it was not her signature on the will.]
      11. Was there another John Mangum clouding up the records? Was he son of John the immigrant? Was he the John that married Olive Savidge?
      12. Why was no effort made to separate the two John Mangums in the records?
      13. Was there a Frances, daughter of John & Frances Mangum?
      14. Why was only two daughters of John Mangum mentioned in the will of Sarah Lancaster?
      15. What is the birthdate of Richard Bennett Jr.?
      There are many more, but you get the idea. If you have any information relating to the above, please send it to me.
      Personal Theories:
      I have changed my mind many times over the years about what is going on with these early families. Some of the changes were made while I was writing this article. Below I am going to list my ideas, working hypothesis if you will. Most are pure speculation and should be treated as such. Ordinarily, we should try to stay away from speculation, relying instead on solid facts. Unfortunately, with these early families there are few facts to rely on and speculation is the only thing we have left. Hopefully, this will eventually change. I suspect that if we ever do find enough information to substantiate this line, then there will be many surprises which, although thoroughly logical, are completely unsuspected by present researchers.
      1. Thomas Bennett was a relative of Edward Bennett.
      2. Most or all the Bennetts in the New World were well known to each other.
      3. Frances Mangum, wife of John, witnessed the will probate of John Jennings Jr. because they were kinfolks. [Disregard since Frances Mangum did not in fact sign the will - someone had misinterpreted the writing.]
      4. Frances was a daughter of either Silvester Bennett or maybe a deceased child of Richard Bennett Jr.
      5. She married John Mangum, immigrant around 1695.
      6. One of their sons, John, married Olive Savadge.
      7. This son witnessed the will of Richard Bennett Sr. (With father mentioned in the will) and the two daughters mentioned in will of Sarah Lancaster were his.
      8. John the immigrant was the father of the several families of Mangums listed in the Albemarle Parish immediately after it was set up in 1738.
      9. There were other immigrants beside John but he was the first to leave descendants.
      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, Author ?
      5. Albemarle Parish Register, MFB #1-4
      6. Encyclopedias
      7. Nicholas Mangum, Article MFB #9-12"

      4. FHL Film 1697868 and book "The Mangums of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas, Utah, and Adjoining States," by John T. Palmer, Ph.D. Santa Rosa, CA 95409, 1993, 3rd ed., pp. 89-90: "Mary (Agnes?) Mangum b ca 1718 (The Will of Sarah Lewis Bennitt had identified both Mary and Sarah Mangum, listed above, as daughters of John Mangum.) may have been the Agnes[180] Mangum b. ca 1712 d 1794 Greenville Co., SC who m. in 1730 John Langston, Rev. War soldier[181] b. 1710 VA or NC and d. 1790, res. in District 96, now Greenville, SC. [13 children listed from ca. 1731 to 1750.{182}]
      Footnotes:
      "180: 'Mangum Family Bulletin,' Issue 13, reprinted in 1980, identifies the children of Agnes Manghan and John Langston as Joseph, Sarah b 1762, Frances b 1759, James, Solomon, Mary, Samuel, Jechonias, Elizabeth, Patta (Martha?), Louisa, Rebecca, and Jesse Langston.
      Agnes Mangham (Maughm?) was probably related to Samuel and William Mangum of Granville Co., NC. John Langston's name appears on a deed in Granville Co., dated 19 June 1752 with the names of Samuel and William Mangum. John Langston and William Mangum witnessed a land deed in Granville C. on 1 June 1748."
      "181: Source: Mr. Herbert C. Matthews, Box 85, Hiram, OH, 44234, 'Mangum Family Bulletin,' Issue #5, 1970.
      "182: Source, Mrs. Herbert C. Matthews, PO Box 85, Hiram, OH 44234, as reported in the 'Mangum Family Bulletin,' Issue 13, 1980,p. 19; Mrs. Mary Poole Lasseter, 407 Jupiter, FL 33458; and Mrs. Pauline Alford of 2621 Henry Street, Lake Station, IA, 46405."

      5. FHL book 975.5 D2b5, "Southside Virginia Families," by John Bennett Boddie, vol. 1, 1976-1996, pp. 57-59:
      "Descendants of Thomas Bennett.
      The last record of Thomas Bennett was in 1632 when he rep­resented Mulberry Island. He evidently was deceased between that date and 1641 when Anthony Barham, who also represented Mulberry Island in the House of Burgesses, 1629-30, made his will. The only child of Thomas Bennett was his son Richard Ben­nett mentioned by Anthony Barham as his "brother-in-law". An account of this Richard Bennett (1625-1709) has been given fully in "Seventeenth Century Isle of Wight" (pp. 287-304) but some additional information regarding his descendants has been ascer­tained.
      Richard Bennett made his will as "Richard Bennett, Sr., in 1709. (1W. -p. 296). His first wife was "Anne", last name unknown. His second wife was Sarah, widow of Daniel Lewis, who died in 1679, naming wife Sarah, daughter Sarah and son Daniel Lewis in his will (C. I.-156)
      Richard Bennett named sons, Richard and James Bennett and gave his wife Sarah "land on the BlackWater with re­version to James Bennett the son of Richard Bennett. The re­lationship between him and the other legatees is not shown. They were: Mary Thorpe, daughter of Daniel Lewis; John Mangum (who married a great granddaughter); James Coffield (?); Susanna Lewis; Martha Lewis. The estate was to be divided by Thom as Thropp, Peter Deberry, Robert Bythesea and George Barlow. Witnesses: Thomas Thropp, William George, Mary Comes, John Mangum. (C. 1-71) (Bk. A 515)
      Mrs. Sarah Lewis-Bennett-Lancaster made her will Oct. 31, 1722. Rec. Jan. 29, 1722. Inasmuch as Richard Bennett had remembered her granddaughters, his step-granddaughters in his will, she likewise did the same for his granddaughters. Her will was a lengthy one and legatees numerous. They were: grand­daughter Ann Craft, granddaughter Sarah Meacor (Meacum); granddaughter Ann Kae; to Mary Mangum, the daughter of John Mangum; to Bridgett and Sarah Bennett, the daughters of James Bennet; granddaughters Elizabeth, Martha and Susan Meacor; to Mary Ussary (?); to my sister Elizabeth Hood; to Mary Sowdell; daughter Susanna Meacor; grandson Lewis Meacor; to Mary Jones; to Bengamin Bell; to Samuel Craft; remainder of my es­tate to my daughter Mary Bell, she to be executrix. (G. B. p. 125) (C. 217) (See pages 31-32 herein)
      This Mary Bell was Mary Lewis, daughter of Daniel and Sarah Lewis. She must have been a very attractive widow, as she was married five times. Her first husband was Dick­son; second Joseph Ford; third Thomas Thorpe; fourth Benjamin Bell; fifth James Briggs. (For her will see "Bell of Isle of Wight")
      Richard Bennett, Jr., eldest son of Richard Sr., made his will in Isle of Wight, March 30, 1720, as follows: "I, Richard Bennett of Upper Parish, Isle of Wight, To son Richard 200 acres where he now lives; son James 200 acres where he now lives it being a conveyance of 400 acres taken out of Mr. John Cofer's patent of 1450 acres; to Jane Cofer and her two sons, Robert and John Cofer my plantation where I now live being part of land bought (by his father) from William Miles. Also to Jane Cofer a gold ring to Richard Cofer my long gun; to Magdalen Cofer a great pewter dish, etc., to Frances Magnum, my grand-daughter…; to daughter Silvester. Extrs., Jane Cofer and William Allen. Wits., John Carter, James Carter, William Allen, Sr. (G.B. .4l) (C.2-6) (For Bell, Briggs, Cofer, Mangum and Thorpe, see those respective families herein)."

      BIRTH:
      1. Caution should be used in accepting exact birth dates on any second generation Mangums. There are no records of any of the births of any of the Mangums of the second generation (after the first generation of John Mangum, the immigrant, and his wife Frances Bennett). Any dates given here and with all other genealogies that I have seen by other family researchers are conjecture. Most records we have of this generation are by association of later wills and other transactions and by association of time and locality. As quoted from the book "Pleasant Mangum and All His Kin," comp. by James Lynn Parham, longtime editor of the Mangum Family Bulletin and the premier researcher on early Mangums, 1997, pp. 41-45: "The determination of the children of the immigrant John Mangum has been mostly a matter of edutated guesswork. We know that Mary and Sarah Mangum, mentioned in Sarah Lancaster's will of 1722, were daughters of John Mangum. Both were apparently minors at that time. Frances, mentioned in the will of Richard Bennett, Jr., may have been a daughter of John, but that theory is controversial [kp: based on the interpretation of Robert Bennett's will where it says my granddaughter Frances Mangum]. John who married Olive Savidge, was most likely the eldest son of John and Frances. Two other probably sons, James and William, both married Marys and recorded some of their children's births in the Albemarle Parish [kp: which began in 1739, but has many missing pages in the extant copy]... For various other reasons, some researchers have assigned other children to John and Frances. Among those is Henry Mangum who recorded his children's births in the Mill Swamp Baptist Church records of Isle of Wight County, beginning in 1746. His tie to John the immigrant lies in the fact that he was in the same general area and his age was approximately the ages of John's other children."
      Many researchers also include Nicholas, Joseph, and Samuel as children merely on possible association by time and locality. Others consider Nicholas as a possible separate immigrant, Samuel as a son of second generation William Mangum, Sr., and Joseph as a son of second generation Nicolas (or possible first generation) Mangum. Unfortunately there is no proof on the these latter three one way of the other.
      Most birthdates assigned to the spouses of these individuals are also conjecture based on arbitrary dates given to the Mangum family births.