John Mangum of early Virginia has long been considered the original Mangum ancestor in the New World, or at least the first one to leave descendants. . . . John was born about 1672, probably in England or English territory. Some traditions say Isle of Man, others say Wales, Ireland, etc. John almost certainly married into one of Virginia's pioneering Bennett families. That marriage and the controversy surrounding the identify of his wife Frances are explored in the page concerning the Bennett family. John must have married into the Bennett family after 1696 but probably before 1700. The Mangum heads-of-household who were later in the Albemarle Parish of Surry County seem to have been born shortly after 1700. John died in Isle of Wight County, Virginia in 1737 and Frances Mangum was administrator.