Mary (Ramsey) Parker (abt. 1743 - 1808)

Born about 1743 in Augusta County, Virginia

Wife of Anthony James Bledsoe — married 1760 (to 1788) in Virginia

Wife of Nathaniel Parker — married 4 Dec 1791 (to 12 Nov 1802) in Sumner County, TN.

Descendants

Died 23 Mar 1808 at about age 65 in Sumner County, Tennessee

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Biography

Mary (Ramsey) Parker performed Patriotic Service in Virginia in the American Revolution.

Mary (Ramsey) Parker is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A011225.

Mary Ramsey Bledsoe was a patriotic woman who urged her husband and friends to go forth and meet the enemy.

She was born in Virginia^[1] At the time of her birth, however, it is likely that her father, Thomas, was living in either Pennsylvania or Delaware (based on the marriage of his son Josiah in 1744, in Wilmington, Delaware. The earliest land reference for Thomas in Virginia is 1750, with land on a branch of the Catawba in Augusta County. Most likely the family travelled as a group.)

Mary married Anthony Bledsoe in about 1760. He was a prominent man in the process of settling southwest Virginia and eastern Tennessee. Her children would have been born in the frontier; by 1770, Bledsoe had settled in the lower end of Washington County, 30 miles east of Long Island on Fort Chiswell Road, where he built a fort.

By 1784, the family had migrated to what would become Sumner County, Tennessee. Her husband was killed by Indians in 1788.

Mary died in Sumner County, Tennessee^[2] on 23 March 1808.^[3]

Marriages

1st to: Colonel Anthony Bledsoe, born 1739 Culpeper County, VA. - died 21 July 1788 Bledsoes Fort, Bledsoe Lick, Sumner County, TN. Buried Castillian Springs Cemetery, Sumner County, TN. Marriage occurred about 1764 based upon the birth of their first child. Colonel Anthony and Mary (Ramsey) Bledsoe were in Sumner County, TN by 1783/1784 when they built a stockade fort at Greenfield, Sumner County, TN, a tract of 6,280 acres.

"In the name of God, Amen. "Being near to death, I make my will as follows: I desire my lands at Kentucky t be sold; likewise my lands on the Holston, at the discretion of my executers; my children to be educated in the best manner my estate will permit; my estate to be equally divided between my children; to each of my daughters a small tract of land; my wife to keep possession of the four oldest negroes for the maintenance of the family; my lands and slaves to be equally divided between my children. I appoint my borther, Isaac Bledsoe, and Colonel David Smith executers, with my wife, Mary J Bledsoe, executrix, At the decease of my wife, the four above negroes to be equally divided among my children. ANTHONY BLEDSOE (Seal)."

"Signed, sealed, and delivered in presence of us, this 20th day of July, 1788.

James Clendenning, Thomas Murray, Hugh Rogan"

2nd to: Nathaniel Parker (born 1724 Virginia; died after June 1811 Sumner County, TN) on the 4 December 1791 Sumner County, TN and separated roughly a year later. In the Knox Gazette dated 29 November 1794 Nathaniel Parker stated that his wife Mary had left his bed and board and warned all persons that he would not be responsible for her debts or contracts. On November 21, 1800 Mary Parker sued for divorce from Nathaniel Parker in Sumner, TN court. On November 12, 1802 a trial was held. Twelve days later, on November 24 1802, the court entered it's final decree. The court awarded her separate bed and board and awarded her separate maintenance in the amount of $200 per annum to be paid quarterly

Children

Anthony Bledsoe's 20 July 1788 will, proved 18 Oct 1788 in Sumner, TN court appointed his wife Mary and his brother Isaac as excutrix and executor. Mary Bledsoe was appointed guardian of Thomas, Anthony, Isaac, Polly, Abraham, Henry & Prudence Bledsoe, his orphans.

Children of Anthony Bledsoe and Mary Ramsey:

01 - Abraham Bledsoe born 1762 VA.; died 5 March 1815 Sumner County, TN; married Mildred Amelia (Milley) Weatherred 4 May 1805 Sumner, TN. Served as a Captain in the militia under Andrew Jackson in the Creek War, battle of Horseshoe, and in December 1814/January 1815 at the Battle of New Orleans.

The will of Abraham Bledsoe was written 5 March, 1815 and proven 18 July of the same year. Mentioned were wife Milley; sons, David L.,Anthony, Robert, and James; daughter Polly. Executors: brothers Henry& Isaac and James Weatherred.

02- Sarah 'Sally' Bledsoe born 1765 VA., died 11 March 1852 Nashville, Davidson County, TN; married David Shelby 1781 in Virginia

03 - Elizabeth 'Betsy' Bledsoe born 1769 VA., died 1810 Sumner County, TN; married James Clendening 10 June 1789 Sumner County, TN.

04 - Susannah 'Suckey' Bledsoe born 1770 , VA., died 1832 Missouri; married William Archilbald Penny 12 March 1790 Sumner County, TN.

05 - Rachel Bledsoe born 1772 , VA.; died xxxx; married William Neely 10 June 1789.

06- Thomas Bledsoe born 1774 VA.; killed by Indians on 2 October 1794 near Greenfield, Sumner, TN; unmarried.

07 - Isaac Bledsoe born 1775 , VA.; died 27 January 1847 Jackson Missouri; married Margaret 'Peggy' Neely (born 2 Oct 1781-died 18 Aug 1831 w/burial Old Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church cemetery, Sumner, TN.

08 - Anthony Bledsoe born 1779 VA.; kill in March 1794 Sumner County, TN when attacked by indians when returning to Rock Castle; unmarried.

09 - Mary 'Polly' Bledsoe born 10 April 1780 VA.; died 23 March 1854 Tuscaloosa, Alabama; married James Weathered 8 November 1799 Sumner, TN.

10 - Henry Ramsey Bledsoe born 1784 Sumner, TN; died 1828 Natchez, Adams County, Mississippi; married Nancy Gillespie 22 May 1805 Sumner County, TN.

11 - Prudence Bledsoe born 23 April 1789 Sumner County, TN; died Sumner County, TN; married Joseph Seawell 4 April 1805 Sumner County, TN. Their first five children were born in Sumner County, TN. Joseph & Prudence (Bledsoe) Seawell migrated to Cape Girardeau, Missouri about 1814 where their last two children were born. Following the death of Joseph Seawell, Prudence (Bledsoe) Seawell moved back to Sumner, TN where track of her is lost. (Source: Adams County, Nebraska Historical Society - The Grave of Susan Haile)

Children of Nathaniel Parker and Mary (Ramsey) Bledsoe:

12 - Nancy Parker born 12 Oct 1793 Sumner Co., TN; died 27 Apr 1845 Macon Co., TN; married Elijah Rutledge Robertson 9 April 1811 Sumner Co., TN.

Nathaniel Parker (1724-1811) wrote his will in Sumner County on 25 February 1811. He named his children (John, Thomas, Richard, Nathaniel, Isaac, Robert, Betsy Collier, & Mary Thompson) and mentioned "my second wife's daughter Nancy Parker."^[4]

Research Notes

Birth

Mary Ramsey Bledsoe is commonly stated to have been born in 1734 (*).^[5] If the 1734 birth year is correct, then her last three children were born when she was 50, 55 & 59 years old. Biologically and statistically unlikely! At least one researcher has proposed that her ‘54 years of age’ as reported in Jay Guy Cisco's 1909 book 'Historic Sumner County, TN' was transposed and it should have been 45 years of age or 1743, which means the last three children would have been born when she was 41, 46 and 50. That means she would have been 19 when her first child was born in lieu of 30 years of age.

* - 1734 date is possibly calculated from Jay Guy Cisco's 1909 book 'Historic Sumner County, TN' wherein he stated: "Mrs. Bledsoe was fifty-four years of age when her husband was killed. Five years thereafter, when she was in her sixtieth year, she married Nathan Parker, an old man, a pioneer, and the father of several children, some of whose descendants are prominent citizens of this (Tennessee) and other states." Colonel Anthony Bledsoe was killed by Indians in 1788. 1788 - 54 years of age equals 1734.

Nathaniel Parker

Nathaniel Parker's cabin is a typical pioneer log cabin, built in the 1780s. The cabin was originally located a few miles north of Bledsoe's Lick and later dismantled and moved to the park. Parker married Mary Ramsey Bledsoe— the widow of Anthony Bledsoe— in the 1790s and commanded the fort at Greenfield. ^[6]

A photograph of the cabin in which they lived may be seen here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bledsoe%27s_Station#/media/File:Nathaniel-parker-cabin-tn1.jpg

Marriages

• Husband: Nathaniel Parker Wife: Mary Ramsey Marriage 4 DEC 1791
• Husband: @I83@ Wife: Mary Ramsey Marriage 1760 Augusta Co., VA.^[7]

1. Child: Abraham Bledsoe
2. Child: Sarah Bledsoe
3. Child: Isaac Bledsoe
4. Child: Henrey Ramsey Bledsoe
5. Child: Rachel Bledsoe
6. Child: Betsy Bledsoe
7. Child: Susan Bledsoe
8. Child: Thomas Bledsoe
9. Child: Anthony Bledsoe
10. Child: Mary Polly Bledsoe
11. Child: Prudence Bledsoe

Daughter Nancy Parker

It is presumed that the line in Nathaniel Parker's 1811 will - "my second wife's daughter Nancy Parker"^[4] - was a reference to a daughter of his wife Mary Ramsey Bledsoe. Mary was probably about 48 years of age when she married Nathaniel Parker, being nearly at the end of her childbearing years. Anthony and Mary Bledsoe were not known to have a daughter named Nancy.

A local Sumner County, TN tradition is that Mary Ramsey was pregnant with the child of Thomas Sharpe Spencer, who was killed by Chief Doublehead on 1 April 1794 on the Cumberland Road [Lamb and Allied Families by James L. Mohon, p. 221] before they could be married. The administration of Thomas Sharpe Spencer's estate was granted to Thomas Donnell at the January 1795 term of court in Sumner County [Sumner Co., TN County Court Minutes p. 80). This was a little more than three years after Mary Ramsey married Nathaniel Parker.

So Nancy Parker receiving only one Dollar in Nathaniel Parker will’s sixth bequest makes sense as she was born when her mother Mary Ramsey Bledsoe Parker was married to Nathaniel Parker thus the Parker surname for Nancy, but she was not a biological child of Nathaniel Parker’s.

Find a Grave Memorial

Her Find a Grave memorial (no images & no sources given in text as of 19 July 2023) has her death on 23 March 1808.^[3] Other sources, such as DAR,^[2] just have the year - 1808. The memorial also is apparently the source for her 6 January 1734 birth in Augusta County, Virginia.

The memorial says that she is buried in the Old Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery in Rogana, Sumner County, Tennessee and includes the following text (as of 19 July 2023):

"Mary was married to Col Anthony Bledsole an early Tenn Indian fighter and settler they lived At Ft Greenfield. He was killed by the Indians there in 1788 Mary married Nathaniel Parker, Sr in 1791 they lived at Ft Greenfield."

Sources

1. ↑ DAR has birth in Orange County, Virginia, not Augusta County.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Mary Bledsoe, DAR Patriot Ancestor #A011225 (accessed 19 July 2023).
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Find A Grave: Memorial #31273019 for Mary Polly Ramsey Bledsoe Parker (accessed 19 July 2023).
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Nathaniel Parker's 1811 will; Sumner Co., TN WB 1:156 J.
5. ↑ Some have birth in Augusta County, Virginia on 6 January 1734. An unsourced duplicate profile had " 6 Feb 1734".
6. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bledsoe%27s_Station
7. ↑ A source listing was perhaps a transposition of 1760?
   • Title: InterneTree based on research by Banks McLaurin. This source indicates a marriage date of abt 1670

• 1791 Census: "Davidson, Sumner, and Tennessee Counties, U.S., Census of the Cumberland Settlements, 1770-1790"
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 3006 #3889 (accessed 13 April 2024)
  Mary Bledsoe in Sumner.

• Marriage: "Tennessee, U.S., Marriage Records, 1780-2002"
  Tennessee State Library and Archives; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 1169 #5580848 (accessed 13 April 2024)
  Mary Bledsoe marriage to Nathaniel Parker on 4 Dec 1791 in Sumner, Tennessee, USA.

• "The Long Hunters" by Emory L. Hamilton, Historical Sketches of Southwest Virginia, Publication 5, March 1970. https://sites.rootsweb.com/~vaschs2/long_hunters.htm

• Ancestry Family Trees: http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=8570615&pid=-346635098