Mary Martha (Branch) Jefferson Maddox (abt. 1657 - abt. 1715)

Born about 1657 in Charles City County, Colony of Virginia

Ancestors

Wife of Thomas Jefferson Sr. — married 1677 (to 1697) in Curles Plantation, Henrico County, Colony of Virginia

Wife of Joseph Maddox — married 27 Feb 1701 in Charles City County, Colony of Virginia

Descendants

Died about 13 Aug 1715 at about age 58 in Henrico County, Colony of Virginia

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Biography

Great-Grandmother of Thomas Jefferson, 3rd US President

Mary Branch was born on June 1, 1660 in Henrico County, in the English colony of Virginia. Her parents were Christopher Branch Jr. and his wife Sarah (Almond) Branch. The family were "ancient planters" of gentry-level social status in the English colony of Virginia.

“Judith Jefferson’s grandmother Mary Branch descended from one of the oldest families in Abingdon, Berkshire, England. Her grandfather Christopher Branch [Sr.], who [had] emigrated to Virginia in March 1620, was a planter of Arrowhattock on the James River, Henrico [County], Southside. He was a neighbor of the Jeffersons, Farrars, and a number of related families living on Swift Creek…His will…names “granddaughter Mary Branch, wife of Thomas Jefferson,” who was executor of his will.”^[1]

Mary's marriage to Thomas Jefferson Sr. occurred before the death of her grandfather Christopher Branch Sr. in 1678, as Thomas Jefferson was mentioned in his will. In fact, Jefferson was his Executor.^[2] It is said they married in 1677 at Jefferson's Curles plantation, Henrico Co., Virginia.

Thomas Jefferson and Mary (Branch) Jefferson had three children:^[3]

1. Mary, b. early 1679
2. Thomas Jr., b. 20 Nov 1679
3. Martha, b. 23 Feb 1682

After her first husband’s death in November 1697,^[3] Mary married Joseph Maddox (aka Mattox) of Charles City County on 1 April 1701 (License dated 27 Feb. 1701).^[4][5][6] The couple apparently had a prenuptial agreement wherein, if Joseph predeceased her, Mary would get half of Maddox's estate. Should she predecease him, all of her property would go to her children.^[7] Mary (Branch) Jefferson Maddox died on 13 August 1715. Joseph Maddox's date of death is unknown.^[8] It is presumed Mary was buried in Henrico County, Virginia, but the location of the gravesite is not known.

Research Notes

Disputed Origins

Note that The William and Mary Quarterly originally misattributed Mary as the daughter of William, Christopher's brother.^[6] This was corrected in a later edition.^[9]

Sources

1. ↑ Alvan Holmes, "George Farrar and Judith Jefferson and Their Colonial Ancestors", Texas State Genealogical Society. Stirpes, Volume 26, Number 1, March 1986, periodical, March 1986; Houston, TX. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth29511/: accessed April 9, 2021), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Genealogical Society. p. 18
2. ↑ Henrico County, Virginia, Wills & Administrations, Part 1, 1677-1692 Will & Deed Book, page 209 (see also Colonial Henrico Wills, page 9, 6 of 26).
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Dumas Malone. Jefferson the Virginian -. Little, Brown; 30 January 1948. ISBN 978-0-316-54474-0. p. 7–.
4. ↑ Henrico County Virginia Court Records, 1697-1704 Deeds, Etc., p. 243; County Court Records, Deeds, Wills, Settlements of Estates, Etc., (Henrico County, Virginia), 1677-1787. Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1947, microfilm 31764 ; digitized image 126 of 690
5. ↑ Landon Covington Bell. The Old Free State: A Contribution to the History of Lunenburg County and Southside Virginia. Genealogical Publishing Com; 1995. ISBN 978-0-8063-0623-0. p. 1–.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} The William and Mary Quarterly. William and Mary College; 1917. pp. 64–.
7. ↑ Henrico County Virginia Court Records, 1697-1704 Deeds, Etc., p. 213; County Court Records, Deeds, Wills, Settlements of Estates, Etc., (Henrico County, Virginia), 1677-1787. Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1947, microfilm 31764 ; digitized image 111 of 690
8. ↑ Dusty's Trail Genealogy on RootsWeb - Mary Branch
9. ↑ William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine. Vol. 27. Kraus Reprint Corporation; 1918. p. 66–.

See also:

• William Eleroy Curtis. Thomas Jefferson. J. B. Lippincott; 1901. p. 19–.
• Ahnentafel of President Thomas Jefferson at GenealogyMagazine.com
• Named in the will of her grandfather.

See also - other family trees:

• Find A Grave: Memorial #66160158 for Mary Branch Jefferson (1657–1715) (memorial only, no gravestone photo). Includes a biography by a descendant who is an historian.