Mary Lee

Family

Mary Perry, daughter of Jeremiah Perry and (perhaps) Temperance Boddie, was born 1663 in Moreton, Essex, England, and died 31 Oct 1716 at about age 53 in Washington, Beaufort, North Carolina.

She married 1) Joshua Scott 2) Thomas Blount 3) Thomas Lee.

Thomas Blount (1660-1706) 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,

1. Sarah Scott and
2. Grace Scott

from her first marriage.

From her second marriage, her children were:

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

After Thomas Blount's death, she married Capt. Thomas Lee.

Biography

Mary (Perry) Scott Blount is believed to have been the daughter of Jeremiah Perry, who left a will in Chowan Precinct of Albemarle County on October 8, 1694. He left a bequest to Christian Blount, daughter of Thomas Blount. See Will of Jeremiah Perry, North Carolina State Archives.

Mary first married Joshua Scott, son of Joseph Scott. They had two daughters, Grace and Sarah. Joshua left his will in Albemarle County, January 8, 1685/86. Soon afterwards, in May 1686, Mary married Thomas Blount. Thomas served as guardian for his stepdaughter, Grace Scott. See Wills of Joseph and Joshua Scott, North Carolina State Archives; See Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, I, 182.

On June 6, 1701, William Fryly of Perquimans Precinct, "Joiner," and his wife Grace (Scott) Fryley, and Thomas and Mary Blount, conveyed to Edmund "Peirce" a "Gent...all that their several Plantations commonly called or known by the Name of Old Scott Joshua Scott & a tract of land on the north side of Perquimans River containing by estimation 1050 acres, with all houses, fencing etc...to the same tracts belonging...being in Perquimans Prect & all their Joint & several Rights & Tithes..." See Perquimans County Record of Deeds, 1681-1729, C.077.40001, No. 169, North Carolina State Archives.

The above named grantors appointed "Mr. Robart Ffendall" to be their "Attorney to Acknowledg this Within deed in Court And to deliver possesion by turf and twig." The deed was proved at Precinct Court, July 8, 1701, and recorded July 14, 1701. See Weynette Parks Haun, Old Albemarle County North Carolina Perquimans Precinct Court Minutes 1688-1738 Book 1 (Durham, NC, 1980), 27.

On August 2, 1700, a petition was presented to the North Carolina General Court:

"Capt. Thos. Blount and Mary his Wife by theire humble Petition Praying That the said Mary may be Posessed with that part of the Land that was Left her by the Will of Joshua Scott her Late Deceased husband and the Honorable Court haveing Considered the Premisses and Examined the Will of the said Joshua Scott are of the Opinion that the aforesaid Mary Wife of Capt. Thos. Blounte hath a Right to what is above six hundred Acres of the Plantation whereon Wm. Frayly Lives that is to say all the Land the said Scott was posessed with." See Parker, North Carolina Higher-Court Records 1697-1701, 372.

In his two wills, Thomas Blount left two plantations to his wife, Mary Blount. First, she received the manor plantation at Kendrick's Creek and secondly, the Middle Plantation. The wills contained the provision that the lands would pass from her at her death to her children by Thomas Blount, the testator. See Wills of Thomas Blount, North Carolina State Archives.

After the death of Thomas Blount, Mary had some difficulties with her stepson, James Blount, who was named executor of the last will. On May 21, 1706, a citation was issued to Mrs. Mary Blount, "widdow and relict of Mr. Thomas Blount deceased personally to be and appear before the Honorable the Governor and Councell at the house of Captain John Hecklefield in Litle river on the third day of the next Generall Court then there to Shew Cause why Letters Testamenary may not be Granted to Mr. James Blount pursuant to the last Will and Testament of the Said Thomas Blount..." See Price, North Carolina Higher-Court Records 1702-1708, IV, 474-475.

In 1706, Mary Blount petitioned the Governor and Council that "James Blount hath from your Petition Eight Negroes Clandestinly from the said Mary taken away and the same in his Custody keps and wil not render to your Petitioner wherefore she humbly Craves an order for the same..." At the same time, "Kallam Tylor" petitioned that James Blount had taken and carried away a Negro belonging to him. The Executive Council addressed Mary's petition on November 1, 1706:

"Whereas att a Councell holden 29th day of Augt. 1706 It was ordered that the Estate of Thomas Blount in the possession of Mrs. Mary Blount Sho'd be devided and by reason of Some questions arriseing about the understanding of the said order it was not divided Since which the Said James Blount hath possessed him selfe of Some part of said Estate.

"Ordered that the honorable Jno. [illegibl]e Esqr. Christopher Gale Esqr. Nathaniell Chevin and Tobias Knight or any three of them shall at or before the 15th day of this Instant November doe make division of the Said Estate as well what is in the hands of James Blount and what is in the hands of Jennet Blount as what is in the hands and Custody of the said Mary Blount and that the said James Blount doe bring Such part of the Said Estate as is in his hands to the house of the said Mary Blount at Such tyme as the said Estate shall be divided as aforesaid And that both of them doe produce upon Oath what of the said Estate they have in their hands.

"And upon Motion of both partyes Concerneing the legacy of Catle given in the Second will It is the oppinion of this Board that the Said Legacy of Cattle is to be paid out of that halfe whereof the said James is Executor and that shee have a full and Cleare halfe of the whole personnall Estate Except her halfe part of the Charge in Law that has arrisen about the proveing of the Wills and Suits thereon depending or shall arrise upon the Account of the Divideing the Same." See Robert J. Cain, ed., Colonial Records of North Carolina [Second Series] Volume VII Records of the Executive Council 1664-1732 (Raleigh, NC, 1984), 6-7, 411.

The estate problems were finally resolved on November 13, 1706 when James Blount relinquished every legacy to him from the last will and testament of Thomas Blount in exchange for five "negroes." Of course, by this conveyance James gave up title to his 1/2 share of the Cabbin Neck property. The deed was registered in the April Court of 1708. See Chowan County, Deed Book W#1, p. 81.

Mary Blount was still a widow on April 18, 1708 when the minutes of St. Paul's Parish mention that "on petition of Madam Mary Blount for accomodating a poor indigent man, named Thomas Wright, at her house in his sickness one week, whereof he died and was buried at her charge, prays allowance. Ordered that she be paid by the public forty shillings. " This was the same vestry meeting that appointed a successor to Thomas Blount,--Col. Edward Mosely. See Colonial Records of North Carolina, I, p. 679.

Mary Blount was a wealthy and eligible widow. She married for the third time to Thomas Lee. She lived a few more years and executed her will on September 26, 1716. It was probated October 31, 1716. In the will she left her son Thomas Blount one half of the "manner plantation with the manner house." Her daughter, Silpia (Zilpha) received the "other halfe of the manner plantation." Sons Benjamin and Jacob Blount received the "Middle Plantation." She named her son, Thomas Blount, as executor. See Will of Mary Blount Lee, North Carolina State Archives.

Thomas Blount sold his share of the manor plantation, 340 acres, to Thomas Lee on January 24, 1716/17. See Chowan County, Deed Book B#1, p. 407.

Zilpha subsequently married John Edwards and sold her half of the manor plantation to John Powell on October 30, 1722. See Chowan County, Deed Book C#1, p. 309.

Benjamin Blount assigned his share of the Middle Plantation to his brother Jacob on January 13, 1717/18. Jacob then sold the entire tract of 606 acres to William Downing, shipwright, on January 30, 1717/18. The land was called "Rich Neck" on Kendricks Creek. See Chowan County, Deed Book B#1, p. 537, 543.

Thomas Lee left his will on March 14, 1716/17 and it was probated on July 6, 1719. By this time he had remarried to Mary, widow of John Bailey. He left Cabbin Neck to his brother, William Lee. That would have been the 1/2 portion of Cabbin Neck which James Blount gave up to his stepmother, Mary Blount in 1707. All other lands and his mill were bequeathed to Lee's son, Stephens Lee. See Chowan County, Deed Book B#1, p. 412; Will of Thomas Lee, North Carolina State Archives.

The last of Thomas Blount, Sr.'s property was the 1/2 share of Cabbin Neck which he had bequeathed to his son, John Blount. John sold that property, 640 acres, to William Downing, March 1, 1729. See Smallwood, Related Royal Families, 395.

In 1723, John Powell, owner of half of the manor plantation, petitioned the General Court to divide the property since the other half had been sold by Thomas Blount to Thomas Lee, now deceased. William Downing and Edward Moseley, executors of the estate of Thomas Lee, consented to the division. See North Carolina Higher-Court Records 1709-1723, V, 348.

Finally, in October 1724, William Downing petitioned the General Court that:

"...whereas by the last Will of Mr. Thomas Blount late of this Province he did give and appoynt three Acres of land to be taken out of a Tract of Land then in his possession known bythe name of the middle Plantation for the use of a Mill on the sayd Tract and to be contiguous with the sayd Mill; and Your Honors Petitioner having Since bought the sayd Tract of Land and the said three Acres having never yet been Surveyed or Sett apart from the said Tract humbly prayeth that an Order of this honorble Court may be granted him for the Surveying and Seting apart the sayd three Acres of Land according to the sayd Will for the use of the Sayd Mill and as little to the prejudice of the sayd Tract of land as possible And your Honors Petitioner is in duty bound shall ever pray etc.

                                                                 Signed W. Downing.

Which was granted And Order'd that the land be laid out according to the Said Will, the aforesaid William Downing giving timely notice thereof to the aforesaid Thomas Blount's Orphans or their Guardians." See Cain, Colonial Records of North Carolina [Second Series] Volume VI North Carolina Higher-Court Minutes 1724-1730, 65-66.

It is understood that the original mill was established by Capt. Thomas Blount. See North Carolina Historical and Genealogical Register 2 (April 1901), 312-313; Lida T. Rodman Manuscript, Wm. Blount Rodman Papers 1817-1893, Papers1820-1893, North Carolina State Archives.

http://www.lamartin.com/genealogy/blount.htm _________________

Mary (Perry) Scott was possibly the widow of Thomas Scott before marrying Capt. Thomas Blount as his second wife. After Thomas Blount died, she married Thomas Lee. Apparently, she liked the name "Thomas".

Will of Mary Lee, 26 Sep 1716[1]

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Perry-14939

• In the name of God amen this twenty sixth day of September in the year of our Lord God one thousand seven hundred and sixteen, I Mary Lee wife of Capt. Thomas Lee and late widow of Capt. Thomas Blount of Chowan in the province of North Carolina being sick and weak of body but sound and perfect memory thanks be given to God therefore do make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following hereby revoking and making void and null all former will or wills heretofore by me made either by word or writeing and this only to be taken for my last will and testament and no other. First and principally I give my soull unto almighty God hoping threw the mercy and intercession of Jesus Christ my ever blessed redeemer to receive full and final remission of all my sins and my body to the earth to be decently interred at the discretion of my executors hereafter mentioned and now as for the settling and dividing of my temporall estate among my children and the children of my deceased husband Capt. Thomas Blount unto which I have right thereunto to dispose of as will appear by the last will and testament of my said deceased husband Capt. Blount I give and bequeath as followeth:
• Imprimis - I give and bequeath unto my eldest son Thomas Blount one half of the manner plantation with the manner house and pertinant belonging thereto which said half of the said manner plantation with the houses and appurtenances as said is containe three hundred and forty acres be the same more or less so that it be but the one equall half part & portion thereof to him my said son Thomas his heirs or assigns forever.
• Item - I give and bequeath unto my daughter Zilpha Blount the other half of the said manner plantation containing thre hundred and forty acres be the same more or less so that it be the one equall half part and portion thereof to her my said daughter Zilpha with all it appurtenances whatsover to her her heirs and assigns forever.
• Item - I give and bequeath unto my son Benjamin Blount one just and equal half part and portion of my plantation called the Middle Plantation with the half of all appurtenances thereunto belonging containing three hundred and twenty acres more or less so that the same be no more than the one jst half part and portion of the said plantation to him my said son Benjamin his heirs or assigns for ever.
• Item - I give and bequeath to my son Jacob Blount the other just and equall part and portion of the said Middle Plantation and half its appurtenances thereunto belonging containing three hundred and twenty acres be the same more or less so that the same be the one just and equall half of the said Middle Plantation to him my said son Jacob Blount him his heirs or assigns for ever.
• And lastly I appoint my eldest son Thomas Blount whole and sole executor of this my last will and testament and moreover my will and desire is that my said children shall and may live at unity one with another without quarrels or division in testimony whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seal day above mentioned and written.
• Mary Lee
• Signed sealed published and declared to be Mary Lee's last will before and in presence of
• Jarvis Colman, John Edwards, R Holliday, William Swinson
• Overleaf of Will:
• The last will of Madam Mary Lee
• North Carolina
• ? Court 31 October 1716 the within will was proved in open court on the oath of R. Holliday Wm. Swinson & Jno. Edwards, Nicks Clk Court