Capt. Thomas Blount

Not the son of Sir Walter Blount, 1st Baronet or the father of Ann Wilson

Captain Thomas Blount, son of James Blount and his first wife,was born about 1650 at Isle of Wight, Virginia Colony, and died before 28 Mar 1706 before about age 56 in Kendrick Creek Plantation, Albemarle, Province of North Carolina. He married 1) an unknown woman 2) Mary Perry, widow of Joshua Scott.

Biography

Thorough documentation at:

http://www.lamartin.com/genealogy/blount.htm No. 3

From https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/blount-blunt-thomas

Thomas Blount (Blunt), colonial official, was the son of Captain James Blount and his first wife, whose name is not known. The elder Blounts moved to Albemarle from Isle of Wight County, Va., between 1660 and 1669. Apparently Thomas and a brother, James, Jr., remained in Virginia for a time or returned there after their family's removal to Albemarle. Both Thomas and James, Jr., proved their own headrights and were granted land in Albemarle in 1680.

Like his father, Thomas Blount was called captain by his contemporaries, which presumably indicated rank in the militia of either Virginia or North Carolina, or both. Also like his father, he held civil office, including a seat on the council, in North Carolina. Blount's first known office was justice of Chowan Precinct court, of which he was the presiding judge in 1694. The almost total loss of the seventeenth-century records of that court renders it impossible to determine the length of his service.

In 1696, Blount was a member of the North Carolina council and was ex officio justice of the general court, then held by the council. From 1698 through 1701 he was justice of the general court by commission from the council but no longer a council member. In about 1696 and 1703 he was a member of the assembly, but the exact dates of his legislative service are not known. In 1699 he was member of a commission to investigate a charge of murder brought against a group of Indians, which was found to be false.

At some date subsequent to October 1701, the general court disqualified Blount for holding civil or military office in the colony during the remainder of his life. That action was taken because of the marriage of Blount's son James to Mary Tyler, sister of James's deceased wife, Katherine. Such a marriage, though admittedly outside the jurisdiction of the court, was prohibited by the Anglican church. As both Blount and Nicholas Tyler, the father of the bride, were alleged to have promoted the marriage, the court barred them from holding any office or trust in the colony. Although Blount's alleged offense was against the Anglican church, it seems not to have affected his standing in the church itself. He was on the vestry of St. Paul's Parish from the establishment of the parish, in 1701, until his death.

Blount lived in Chowan Precinct until about 1696, when he moved to Perquimans. Meetings of the assembly, council, general court, and court of chancery were held at his house in Perquimans in February 1696/97. He later resumed residence in Chowan and in September 1701 lived at the mouth of Kendrick's Creek in what is now Washington County. He made his home there for the remainder of his life.

Blount was married twice. His first wife probably was the Christian Blount named without identification among Blount's headrights in 1680, although possibly the "transport" was their daughter Christian. Five of the ten children who survived Blount appear to have been born of the first marriage. They were James, John, Sarah, Christian, and Ann. By the time Blount made his will, in 1701, the three daughters of the first wife were married and were noted in the will as Sarah Peirce, Christian Ludford, and Ann Wilson. Blount's second wife was Mary Scott, widow of Joshua Scott of Perquimans Precinct. That marriage took place in 1686, probably in April. The children born of it included sons Thomas, Benjamin, and Jacob and daughters Bithay (also called Billah) and Zilphia. Bithay married Kellem Tyler; Zilphia married John Edwards. In addition to his own children, Blount was responsible for at least two wards: his brother John, who was a minor when his father died, and Grace Scott, Blount's stepdaughter. It is not known whether he also was guardian for Grace's sister, Sarah.

Blount's will was proved 28 Mar. 1706. His widow became the wife of Captain Thomas Lee. Several of his children settled in the County of Bath, to the development of which they and their descendants made significant contributions. Among these was his son Thomas, who married Ann Reading, daughter of Lionel Reading, a prominent resident of the County of Bath.

Most writers on the Blount family have confused three individuals bearing the name Thomas Blount. The three are (1) the subject of this sketch, (2) his son Thomas, and (3) a putative uncle of the subject of this sketch, said to have been brother to the first James Blount and to have settled in North Carolina in the 1670s, but of whom this writer finds no trace in North Carolina records.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Blount-72

Research Notes

"Literary and Historical Activities in North Carolina, 1900-1905"[1]

"Tom Blount, the last king of the Tuscaroras, of whom frequent mention is made in the accounts of the Indian War, received his name from this circumstance: In one of the earliest raids of the "enemy indians" upon the whites, some years before the Tuscarora War, there were twin brothers, Jacob & Esau, sons of Thomas Blount of Chowan. Esau was captured by the Indians and put to death in a shocking manner.... His brother Jacob swore vengeance for this act; and he took in battle the young son of the then Chief of the Tuscaroras and kept him a hostage for some time. Pity for the youth softened the hearts of his captors, and the boy was treated so kindly that he assumed the name of his benefactor, Thomas Blount, father of Jacob and Esau; and he was ever after the friend and ally of the settlers. Upon the return of the Indian King's son, Mr. Abraham Sheppard of Pitt County, then a mere boy, who had been captured by the Tuscarora Indians, was set at liberty. Mr. Sheppard, when quite an old man, gave these particulars to the late John Gray Blount of Washington (NC), who had them written in a book of his family records, now in possession of his descendants."

John Grey Blount was a great grandson of Capt. Thomas Blount.

Biography

Retrieved from https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Blount-97 on 12 May 2023 and then edited.

U.S. Southern Colonies Project logo

Thomas Blount was a Virginia colonist.

Thomas Blount (Blunt), was the son of Captain James Blount and his first wife, whose name is not known. Thomas and his first two children, James and Sarah, are named in the 10 Mar 1685 Will of James Blount.

In her Thomas Blount biography, Mattie Erma E. Parker makes the statement:

Most writers on the Blount family have confused three individuals bearing the name Thomas Blount. The three are (1) the subject of this sketch, (2) his son Thomas, and (3) a putative uncle of the subject of this sketch, said to have been brother to the first James Blount and to have settled in North Carolina in the 1670s, but of whom this writer finds no trace in North Carolina records.[1].
His brother John Blount, who married Elizabeth Davis, also had a son named Thomas, born about 1708. His own son, Thomas, was born about 1687 and Capt. Thomas Blount died in 1706. It is fairly safe to assume that records referring to Thomas Blount in eastern North Carolina, prior to 1706, pertain to this Capt. Thomas Blount.

Thomas is often referred to with the title of Captain but it is not certain how his rank was given. He was probably a militia captain, but it is also possible, that like many other settlers of the Albemarle area he was a ship captain. Captain Thomas Blount received the first recorded land grant in Beaufort County, upon which entry was made, issued by Governor Harvey on 5 March, 1697, for transporting six persons to the Pamlico.[2] Other persons who received these "headright" payments were often ship captains, so it stands to reason that Captain Thomas Blount may have been also.

The Blounts moved to Albemarle, NC from Isle of Wight County, Va. Thomas and his brother James, Jr., proved their own headrights and were granted land in Albemarle in 1680. Blount lived in Chowan Precinct until about 1696, when he moved to Perquimans. He later resumed residence in Chowan but by about 1699, he lived at the mouth of Kendrick's Creek in what is now Washington County, where he remained the rest of his life. Kendrick's Creek is usually called Mackeys Creek on contemporary maps. It is due south of Edenton, NC, across the Albemarle Sound. All of these locations are close to Albemarle Sound and and were in easy access of each other by boat, which was the main transport in the area at the time.

Family

m.(1) unknown wife (Possibly named Christian _ ) (d. bef May 1685)

• -James Blount (b. abt 1672) m. (1) Katherine Tyler, m. (2) Mary Tyler
• -Sarah Blount m. _ Pierce
• -Christian Blount m. John W. Ludford
• -Ann Blount m. William Wilson
• -Bithay / Billah Blount m. Kellum Tyler (d. abt 1713)

m. (2) Mary (poss. Perry) (d. bef 31 Oct 1716). Mary was the widow of Joshua Scott when she married Thomas Blount, 13 Mar 1685. She had daughters, Sarah Scott and Grace Scott from her first marriaget. After Thomas Blount's death, she married Capt. Thomas Lee.

• -Thomas Blount (1687-1729) m. Ann Elizabeth Reading
• -Benjamin Blount, m.(1) ?, m.(2) Elizabeth Everett
• -Jacob Blount (abt 1690-1766), m.(1) Elizabeth Long, m.(2) Johanna Spruill
• -John Blount (abt 1695-), m. Elizabeth ?
• -Zilpha Blount m. John Edwards

Wills

Wills of Thomas Blount, 4 Aug 1701 and 3 Sep 1701[8]
Thomas Blount left two Wills that were written within a short time of one another. The first was dated August 4, 1701. In this will, Thomas Blount of Kendricks Creek in Albemarle County granted his estate to his wife, Mary, and then to the children "lawfully begotten of her body".

Another Will, dated 3 Sep 1701, was the one that was proven 28 Mar 1706:

North Carolina
In ye name of God, Amen. I, Thomas Blount, being in perfect health and sound Memory, Do make this my last will & testiment, thereby Revoke all former Wills & testements wtever in manr. & form following, viz:
Impr. I Do give & Bequeath my soul to God yt gave it, Hopeing throw yr mercy & Merett of our Ld. & Saviour Jesus Christ, to receive a full & Genl. pardon of all my Sins; and my body to ye earth, there to be Desently Intered, acording to ye rits of ye Church of Engl., by my Execr. hereafter Named.
Item. Whereas, by a former Will I have given Half my moveable Estate, & two plantations, known by ye names of Midle plantation, & yt whereon I now live at ye mouth of [K]endricks Creek, to my ever loving wife, Mary Blount, & her issue (provided it be to ye children Begotten of her body by me Thomas Blount), after her Death, I Do confirm and make good ye same unto her, by this my will, in man'r. as is above expresst.
Item. As to ye part of my Estate, both real and personal, I give and bequeath as following: unto my son, James Blount, his Chare of two negroes out of ye other halfe of my sd Estate, and my shoope of smith tooles, with ye anvell, belows, & all other tools thereunto belonging, wt. the Iron & Steel & filles, and half ye tract of land Called C[a]bbin Necke, yt is to say, ye Northerly part of ye plantation, to be included in ye part belonging to him & ye boye Bonner.
Item. I do give & bequeath all my whole stocke of Cattle, to be equally Devided between all my children begotting of sd. Mary Blount, my daughter, Billah, who has maryed to kellem tyler, to be excepted out of this gift, she having received her portion allready.
Item. I give and bequeath to my daughter, Billah, aforesd. one silver spoon.
Item. As to ye rest of my Estate, tis my will & Desire yt it should be brought to an apprismt & out of it pay unto my three daughters, Sarah Peirce, Christian Ludford, & Ann Wilson, these sums hereafter named, yt is to say, unto my Sarah tenne pound Sterl. to be paid in Country Commodity; to my daughter, Christian, twenty Pounds Sterl. to be pd. as aforesd. & to my daughter, Ann, twenty Pounds Sterl. to be paid in like manner: and in case of the death of any of my aforesd daughters, ye same to be paid to either of their heirs: & to each of them one silver spoon: & further I Do give unto either of my two daughters last named, being Christian, & Ann, two yews and a Ram, to each of them, and in case my sd Estate so appraised, after the things before giving away, do not amounted to ye sd sumes of money, by me giveing them, my said daughters, to be paid proportionable out of w't it is apraised to: but if it shall amount to more then it my further will & Desire yt my two sones, John and Thomas, shall have each of them a negro, & for want of negroes to have ech of them five & twenty Pounds Sterl. apeace, to be pd in Country Comodity.
Item. I do give and bequeath ye other half or Moitye of ye tract of land, called C[a]bbin Necke, unto my son, John, and his heirs; & for want of heirs, it to come to my sone, James, & his heir; and if my son, James shall dye w'tout heirs, his part to com to my son John & his heirs.
Item. As to ye rest of my Estate, after my wife's half paid and Delivered her, and my Above Legacys being paid as herein expressed, I Doe give and bequeath unto my son, James Blount, & his heirs forever, whom I make my full and sole Execucter of this my last will and Testiment, Declaring & Publishing this to be soe: as,
Witness my hand and seal, this third Day of September, in ye year of our Lord, Seventeen hundred & one, & in ye 13th. year of ye reign of our Soveraign L'd. William ye 3rd, King of England, &c.
Thomas Blount (Seal)
A Codicil to my Will: This is my futher will & pleasure, yt ye legacys within my said Will giving & exprest, shall be pd. w'thin eighteen months after my decease. as, witness my hand & seal ye year and day abovesd.
Thomas Blount (Seal)
Wm. Wilkison. [or Willson]
John Blount.
Thomas Green
March 28th 1706.
"The within will was proved before me the Honble: Thos. Cary, Esqr., D: Gov:, by ye oathes of Tho: Green & John Blount, who upon their oathes Say that they did see ye within Tho: Blount, Sign, Seal, & acknowledge ye within written, to be his last Will & Testamt.
Thomas Cary.

Disputed parents

Not the son of Sir Walter Blount, 1st Baronet

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Blount-102

James Blount was falsely identified as the son of Walter Blount, Bt. in a 1872 genealogy. "The problem is that Sir Walter Blount, Baronet, did not have a son named James Blount. See Alexander Croke, The Genealogical History of the Croke Family, Originally Named Le Blount, 2 vols. (Oxford, 1823), II, 145-146.... The key to establishing Capt. James's parentage and background is the will of Charles Blount, uncle of Capt. James. Charles Blount's will, dated Dec. 19, 1655, includes the following bequest: "I give and bequeathe unto my cozen James Blount one of the Sonnes of my late brother James Blount Esquire deceased the summe of fiftie pounds in case he be liveinge or such returned from beyond the seas where now he is to demand the same." This will was filed in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Folio 172, and is indexed in Vol. 54, Wills 1653-56, PCC, Public Record Office, London. [3]

Likewise, Capt. Thomas Blount who died in Chowan Precinct, North Carolina in 1706 has been listed as a son of Sir Walter Blount. This Capt. Thomas Blount is proven to be the son of the above mentioned James Blount.

Disputed daughter

Not the father of Ann Wilson

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/UNKNOWN-85818

See also a Feb 2001 post in the QUAKER-ROOTS-L Archives from Joyce Overman Bowman, and another post that quotes some of the information below and identifies William Perry Johnson as a "noted NC genealogist (now deceased) and editor of the Journal of North Carolina Genealogy." Joyce Overman Bowman <Jeobowman@ cs.com> Jan 2002

Ann's surname is often seen as Ann Blount. Ms. Bowman has a copy of a letter from William Perry Johnson to a Mrs. Brimley for whom he was researching. It states the following:

"As to Ann, wife of Robert Wilson, being a BLOUNT, this is not true. Her maiden name is unknown. Robert Wilson married about 1670 (the 2 children were married 1687 & 1689 respectively). James Blount married around 1660 & left a will dated 1686 (Grimes p. 35) and named among others, son THOMAS BLOUNT and grandchildren James & Sarah Blount. Thomas (son of James of the 1686 will) married (first) about 1681 to have had 2 children--James & Sarah--born by 10 March 1685 (date of the James Blount will, which was probated 1686); name of first wife of Thomas unknown. Thomas married (second) 13 May 1685 (Hathaway, 30202) Mary (____) Scott, widow of Joshua Scott."

"Thomas Blount, s/o of James of the 1686 will, in his will, 1701-1706, Albemarle Co., NC (Grimes, p. 36) named, among others, wife Mary & daughter, Ann Wilson. Grimes shows William WILLSON as a witness. However, the original will (here in the Archives) gives William WILKINSON."

"It is my current opinion that Robert Wilson was married to wife Ann in England, and came to southeast VA, then into NC. Robert's widow, Ann, left a will in Surry Co., VA (c. 1701, as I recall). Ann (Blount) Wilson was much too young to have married c. 1670, since her father, Thomas, did not marry until 1681."

References

• http://www.lamartin.com/genealogy/blount.htm No. 3
• https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/blount-blunt-thomas