Members List:
Member
Member
Member
Member

Update Members List from Page or Office.

Links Section

	AFRICAN AMERICAN LINKS
	AFRIGENEAS
	AFRO AMERICAN HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL
	BOWDEN, MARY ARTICLE: GUARDIANS OF THE PAST
	FAMILY TREE DNA
	GENEALOGY LINKS TO ONLINE MARRIAGE RECORDS
	HISTORY ON BOOK TV - BIO OF ANITA WILLS
	KINDRED TRAILS
	LEWIS FAMILY ARTICLE - HENRICO CITIZEN
	MANATAKA SITE
	MONACAN INDIAN WEBSITE
	NATIONAL UNDERGROUND RAILROAD MUSEUM
	NOTES AND DOCUMENTS OF FREE PERSONS OF COLOR
	SAPONI TOWN SITE
	UNITED CHEROKEE INDIAN TRIBE OF VIRGINIA
	USA TODAY
	US NATIONAL SLAVERY MUSEUM
	VIRGINIA IS FOR LOVERS
	WISDOM OF THE ELDERS

1. Go to bottom left corner of this page and click on "EDITPAGE" link.
2. Enter your user id and password.
3. Click on the "EDIT" button for this section.
4. Scroll past the picture to the text box.
5. Type something in the text box in front of these instructions, pushing the instructions ahead. Click "Save Changes." Your stuff is on your page.

Congratulations: you're officially a webmaster! Now you can return to your edit screen and erase these instructions. Edit every section of your OrgSite just as you did here.

Charles and Ambrose Lewis were born about 1758-60 respectively, in King George County Virginia. They were young men when the courts sentenced them to serve Indentures. Their crime was being born Mulatto, the proported sons of John Lewis, and a Mulatto woman. They signed on as seamen while patrolling the Rappahannock in Fredericksburg. They were working as sailors on the Page Galley, and eventually transferred to the Dragon Ship. Many of those serving on the Dragon were Men of Color. After completing that servic the brothers joined the regular army and saw battle at Camden South Carolina. Ambrose was bayonnetted clean through and shot nine times, before being taken captive. There is no testimony as to whether Charles was with injured and captured as well. After the War, Ambrose settled in Fredericksburg and Charles in Richmond.

Charles owned property in Ward II of the City of Richmond, in Henrico County, and owned a Warehouse at Rocketts Landing. He also owned property in Northumberland, and possibly Fredericksburg.

The Exhibit now being held, at The Patrick Henry Building in the Capital Rotunda at Richmond. It titled, African Americans, at Rocketts Landing. The Exhibit gives details about Charles Lewis, and the history of Rocketts landing. There is also a picture of some of his descendants. The documents in the Exhibit are some that were collected by me, over a twenty year period. According to Deed and census records, Charles owned property at Ward II, and at least one Warehouse at Rocketts Landing.

For more information contact:
Melba J. Myers, Conservator Virginia Department of Historic Resources
2801 Kensington Avenue
Richmond, Virginia 23221
Melba.Myers@dhr.virginia.gov
(804) 367-2323 Ext: 130

From every corner of the world, a rainbow of humanity;

A blending of many nations, into one;

Whether, Native, African, or European, each is a part of my being;

The stories are passed on through song and dance; through books, and words;

The gift of the ancestors, is me, my life, my heritage..., my being

Anita Wills, 2005

---

Mary Bowden was born on February 20, 1730, to a woman, named Mary Monroe, a servant to William Monroe (the grandfather of President James Monroe). She carried the Monroe last name, and it appears that there some sort of marriage between William and Mary Monroe. However, it was not recognized by the Westmoreland County Court. In the summer of 1730 a Grand Jury met with the intention of indicting Mary Monroe for bastardy. The Grand Jury did not come back with an indictment, and Mary Monroe was acquited of all charges. What happened in the next seven years is still a mystery. In 1737, Mary Bowden, the child is living in the house of Thomas Chilton, Mary Monroes' brother. Mary Bowden was identified by a court as Mulatto and sentenced to a thirty year indenture. The indenture was to be served at Popes' Creek, the Washington Family Planttion.

The indenture was aimed at the mixed raced children of white women. However, Mary Bowden was the child of a mulatto woman, and white man. The mothers' of these children were often jailed, fined, or forced to leave the county. Either way, they were not given the option of keeping the child. The Mulatto designation, was one that included Natives. They were also divided along racial lines, some designated black, Mulatto, and/or white. The Mulatto category also included the offspring of white/black unions. It is not clear what happened with Mary Monroe, she may have died by 1737. There is some confusion with the Monroe, Bowcock, Watts, and Chilton lines. Given the date of Mary Bowdens' birth, William Senior would have been elderly. However, it was not uncommon for elderly men, to take up with younger women. The senior Monroe was elderly in 1730, and died in 1737. The key element is that Mary Bowden was indentured out in 1737. It could have been the death of William Monroe that triggered the Indenture against Mary Bowden.

Thomas Chilton, was the brother of Mary Chilton Monroe. It was his house that Mary Bowden lived in, when she was indentured to the Washington family.

Transcription of Documents from Westmoreland County:
(Westmoreland County, Virginia Court Orders 1705-1787, Library of Virginia microfilm reel nos.55-61)

27 May 1730, p.328a Grand Jury vs Mary Munroe’ (Mulatto Woman) Ordered that the Sheriff of this County do summon Mary a Mulato serv. woman belonging to Wm Munroe of the parish of Washington to be ? ... bastard child born of her body ... (very dark film)
27 August 1730, p.338
Mary a Mulatto servant to William Monroe of Washington parish being presented by the grand jury at May Court last for having a bastard child on or about the 20th of February last past which being now Called and the Court taking the Same under Consideration they are of opinion that Mulatto women are Not within the penalty of the Law Against Bastardy, they being by the Law of the Country prohibited marriage with white men, And therefore It ordered that the presentment be Dismiss.
Following is an abstract of Mary Watts' Will:
3 April 1737, proved 26 April 1737
Granddaughter Elizabeth Sanford; Capt. Andrew Munroe and his wife Jane to have care of her estate until she is 18 years of age; son John Watts; son James Bowcock and his children Thomas, James, and Jane; son Richard Watts; daughters Jane Munroe, Margaret Strother, and Mary Blackburn and the latter's husband Mr. Richard Blackburn; Capt. Thomas Chilton and his wife Jemima 1 mourning ring each; Rev. Roderick McCullough a mourning ring.

By the reference to Capt. Thomas Chilton and his wife Jemima (this would be Jemima Cooke). This fits with Mary Monroe being, the daughter of John Chilton Jr. and sister to Thomas.