The James Monroe Memorial Foundation is doing an artifacts search in Westmoreland County. They are in the process of recovering the house where President James Monroe (of the Monroe Doctrine) lived as a child.I am hoping that this project will uncover more information on my ancestor, Mary Bowden, and her parents William and Mary (Chilton) Monroe. William was the grandfather of President James Monroe & the father of Mary Bowden. |
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LEBOUDIN HISTORY SITE
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Lecture Series on Free Persons of Color in Colonial Virginia
I am now available for lectures on Free Persons of Color in Colonial Virginia. My lectures come from over twenty years of researching and documenting, Colonial American History. My qualifications include a taped lecture on C-Span's Book TV, and a taped Video Audio Interview for Central Rappahannock Library.
My book, Notes And Documents of Free Persons of Color, chronicles the lives of Colonial Virginia's Mulatto population. During the Colonial era the Virginia legislature, and church law combined to pass laws that relegated Mulatto offspring to a virtual slave existance. The only difference were they were allowed freedom after serving indentures. They were also highly skilled, having learned crafts, and other service occupations during indentures, and apprenticeships.
In Virginia, one of the families chronicled is the Bowdens of Popes Creek. They were Mulatto Indentured Servants to George Washingtons family. Through tracing the lineage of Mary Bowden (born 1730 - died after 1810), I traced her to William and Mary Monroe. Although they shared the same last name, they were not legally married. William Monroe, was the grandfather of President James Monroe. Mary was his mulatto mistress, and was accused of having a bastard child. After the childs' birth Mary was taken before the Grand Jury in July of 1730. Although she was exonerated, when the her child was seven, she was indenture to George Washingtons' father.
This is typical of the information I gathered while researching and documenting my maternal lines. In Mary Bowden's case, she was sentenced to a thirty year indenture. Females were sentenced to thirty year indentures, while males were sentenced to twenty year indentures.
Charles and Ambrose Lewis were Mulatto brothers, related to the powerful Lewis family. Their father is proported to be John Lewis (the son of John and Betty Smith Lewis), and a mulatto woman. The brothers were born in King George County about 1758-60 respectively. They were sentenced to indentures in 1771, and became Seamen in Fredericksburg in 1775. After that service they became Foot Soldiers, and fought at, The Battle of Camden.
Charles Lewis settled in Richmond after the War, and was a prominent businessman there. He operated Warehouses from his location at Rocketts Landing. His wife Susannah, assisted him in his business venture. He owned property throughout Richmond, Henrico County, and in Northumberland County. There are two cases of him freeing slaves, one was the wife of Ambrose, Fanny. The other is a slave that he freed from Northumberland County.
Another Mulatto family were the Pinns, who resided in Lancaster County Virginia. Although they are listed as mulatto, most of the Pinns' were apprenticed out, to learn trades. They, too were identified as Mulatto, even though they were Native to Lancaster County. They were Wicomico Indians, who paid tribute to the Powhatans, a larger tribe. In his Revolutionary War pension file, John Pinn is listed as Indian. He states that his mother was Cherkee, and his father Mustee (Indian & Spanish). John fought alongside of his father, brothers, and Uncle Rawley Pinn, at The Siege of Yorktown. Rawley, and his friends John Redcross, and Benjamin Evans, marched to Yorktown from Amherst County Virginia.
Benjamin Evans was the brother-in-law of Rawley Pinn. Sarah Evans Pinn, was born in Brunswick County Virginia, and who were part of the Saponi Indian Tribe. The Saponi were a Siouan group, who joined with the Monacans and other Sioux tribes in order to survive.
Charles Evans, Sarah's father owned property in Brunswick County, and throughout Central Virginia. Benjamin Evans fought at the Siege of Yorktown with Rawley Pinn, and John Redcross. The families intermarried extensively, over many generations, and resided along Buffalo Ridge in Amherst County Virginia.
My lectures cover the information and characters in my book, and the many documents I collected over a period of twenty years. Colonial Virginia's laws continue to guide the psyche of our justice system, if not in the letter than certainly in the spirit. My lectures are intended to spark discussions on the history of racial relations, and how they affect us today.
I am available to lecture at College, Universities, and/or organizations. Please contact me by email, or phone 510-931-7194.
Featuring Charles Lewis
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
A GIFT OF THE ANCESTORS
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
MULATTO INDENTURED SERVANT
TO GEORGE WASHINGTONS' FAMILY
Here is an update of information I have recently gathered on my ancestor, Mary Bowden:
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.
