Wilson Miles Cary
Wilson-Miles Cary | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Virginia House of Delegates for Elizabeth City County | |
| In office 1796–1797 Serving with Miles King | |
| Preceded by | George Wray |
| Succeeded by | George Booker |
| Member of the Virginia House of Delegates for Warwick County | |
| In office 1783–1786 Serving with Cole Digges, John Langhorne, Richard Cary Jr. | |
| Preceded by | Edward Harwood |
| Succeeded by | Wilson Cary |
| Member of the Virginia House of Delegates for Fluvanna County | |
| In office 1777–1779 Serving with Thomas Napier | |
| Preceded by | position created |
| Succeeded by | George Thompson |
| Member of the Virginia House of Delegates for Elizabeth City County | |
| In office Oct.1776 – Dec. 1776 Serving with Henry King | |
| Preceded by | position created |
| Succeeded by | Worlich Westward |
| Member of the House of Burgesses for Elizabeth City County | |
| In office 1766–1772 Serving with George Wythe, James Wallace | |
| Preceded by | William Wager |
| Succeeded by | Henry King |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1733 Richneck plantation, Warwick County, Colony of Virginia |
| Died | 25 November 1817 Carysbrook Plantation, Fluvanna County, Virginia |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse | Sarah Blair |
| Relations | John Blair (uncle), Miles Cary II (grandfather) Miles Cary Sr.(great grandfather) |
| Children | 3 daughters and 2 sons |
| Parent(s) | Wilson Cary, Sarah Blair Cary |
| Education | College of William and Mary |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge University |
| Occupation | planter, politician |
Wilson-Miles Cary (1733-November 30, 1817) was a Virginia planter and politician who became a prominent patriot in the American Revolutionary War and later a prominent Federalist and citizen in Williamsburg. Once one of the colony's wealthiest men, Cary served in the House of Burgesses and later the Virginia House of Delegates representing at various times Warwick County, Elizabeth City County (modern Hampton) and newly created Fluvanna County. Cary also built Carysbrook plantation in Fluvanna County, where he died in the household of his grandson Wilson Jefferson Cary (who would continue the family's legislative tradition five years later).[1][2][3]
Early and family life
[edit] | This section may be confusing or unclear to readers. (January 2024) |
Born into the First Families of Virginia, probably in Warwick county, his mother Sarah was the daughter of John Blair at the time president of the Governor's Council and also long associated with the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, the colony's capital. His father (and his wife's cousin), lawyer and planter Wilson Cary was the son of Miles Cary II, a powerful politician who owned plantations in Warwick County and Elizabeth City County. The family included another son and three daughters. Cary received an education appropriate to his class, including at the College of William and Mary.[3]
Career
[edit]Cary began his public career in 1757, when he became one of the justices of the peace for Warwick County, as well as won election to the Warwick parish vestry.[4] The next year he accepted the position of lieutenant colonel in the local militia, and in 1761 succeeded his father as naval officer for the lower district of the James River (a lucrative customs post).[3]
In 1762, Cary moved his family eastward on the major road connecting Williamsburg and the great Hampton Roads port, into Elizabeth City County. They resided at what was called Ceelys plantation (after a family that owned it in the late 17th century). Cary became a justice of the peace for that county's court, and would serve for nearly four decades (the justices collectively ruling counties in that era). Cary also became colonel of its militia. In 1767 Cary won election to the Elizabeth City parish vestry.[3] The main church of the parish is now known as St. John's Church in Hampton, the county seat.
During Virginia's Long Assembly, Elizabeth City County voters elected Cary to succeed burgess William Wager, and Cary served alongside his probable teacher George Wythe until 1669, when James Wallace succeeded Wythe, then Cary and Wallace jointly served as Elizabeth City's burgesses until 1772.[5] Cary resumed his legislative service during the American Revolutionary War, serving in the final revolutionary convention May 6-July 6, 1776 alongside Henry King, then King and Cary jointly represented Elizabeth City County in the first session of the Virginia House of Delegates that began on October 7, 1776.[6] Then as Wythe became speaker of the House of Delegates, Cary began representing newly created Fluvanna County, and was re-elected along with Thomas Napier until 1778.[7] After a year of no legislative service for Cary, Elizabeth City County voters elected him in 1780 as one of their delegates, but he was declared ineligible because of nonresidence.[8] In 1783, Warwick County voters elected Cary as one of their delegates, and he won re-election twice, serving alongside two different neighbors until succeeded by his son (who did not win re-election).[9] Cary again won re-election as one of Elizabeth City County's delegates in 1795 and re-election.[10] Although his most recent biographer notes this man's usual hyphenation of his non-surnames, the hyphen is also absent from some contemporary records, including surviving Warwick County records.[11] His great-grandson of the same names (who fought as a captain in the Confederate States Army and who later donated papers to the University of Virginia Library's Special Collections) did not hyphenate his name.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ Lyon Gardiner Tyler, Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography (1915), vol. 1 p. 206
- ^ John Frederick Dorman, Adventures of Purse and Person, vol. 3 p. 312
- ^ a b c d Peter V. Bergstrom, " Cary, Wilson-Miles (1733 or 1734-25 November 1817)" in Dictionary of Virginia Biography vol. 3, pp. 117-118
- ^ Richard Dunn (ed.), Warwick County, Virginia: Colonial Court Records in Transcription (rev.ed.) Willamsburg: The Jones House Association 2002) p. 458 (for example)
- ^ Cynthia Miller Leonard, The Virginia General Assembly, 1619-1978 (Richmond: Virginia State Library 1978) pp. 94, 97, 99
- ^ Leonard pp. 119, 122
- ^ Leonard pp. 125, 129
- ^ Leonard p. 137n3
- ^ Leonard pp. 151, 155, 158
- ^ Leonard pp. 199, 203
- ^ See Dunn (ed.), p. 458 (for example)
- ^ "Amnesty Oath".