Mary (Claiborne) Whitworth (abt. 1663 - abt. 1763)

Born about 1663 in Northumberland County, Virginia Colony

Ancestors

Wife of John Whitworth — married about 1684 in King William Co., Virginia Colony

Descendants

Died about 1763 at about age 100 in Doswell, Hanover, Virginia Colony

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Biography

Mary Claiborne was born in 1663 or 1664, the daughter of Captain William Claiborne Jr. and Catherine Elizabeth Wilkes, in New Kent County, Virginia. She had an older sister, Ursula, and a younger brother, William Claiborne. Her father, Captain Claiborne was the son of William C. Claiborne, the original English immigrant to Maryland before it was awarded to Lord Baltimore by King Charles I in 1633/34. When Lord Baltimore had him evicted from his plantation on Kent Island, Maryland, he moved to New Kent, Virginia, where he was active in colony politics and a leading planter. William Jr., was also a planter with several thousand acres and a merchant, helping run his father's businesses. Between 1663-1666 he served as New Kent's representative in Virginia's House of Burgesses.

From the age of 19, he was an officer in the Virginia Militia, serving as a Captain. In 1676 he was appointed (with Major George Lyddall) to command the fort at Indiantown in New Kent, and in the same year (January, 1676) he sat on the court-martial to try the rebels of the Nathaniel Bacon rebellion against Governor William Berkeley. In March 1677 he was publicly commended for his valor in defending the colony against Indian attacks. He is mentioned on pg. 211 of the Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography.^[1]

Mary met and married John Whitworth of Rochdale, Lancashire, England, in about 1684 in Virginia. They had at least 2 sons:^[2]

1. Thomas WHITWORTH b: 1685 in King William Parish, Virginia
2. Samuel WHITWORTH b: 1687 in King William, Virginia

Some have also attributed 3 more children to the couple (not proven):

1. Mary Anne WHITWORTH
2. John WHITWORTH
3. Catherine Mary WHITWORTH

In 1692 John Claiborne leased land in King William County to John Whitworth, for 89 years.^[3]

Although all the original records of Prince William County burned in a courthouse fire in 1885, a few documents, especially for land transfers, survived. For example, in 1692 John Claiborne leased land in King William County to John Whitworth, for 89 years.^[4] This proves a relationship between John Whitworth and the Claiborne family.

Some researchers contest the popular supposition that John Whitworth married Mary, daughter of William Claiborne, Jr., saying that she was born in 1677 and so too young to have a son in 1686/87. This is unlikely as most genealogies say she was born in 1663 or 1664. They propose that he married a daughter "Mary" of John Claiborne, William's brother, who leased his land to John Whitmore; this is logical if he was his son-in-law. This remains unproven. ^[5]

John and Mary Whitworth both lived long lives; it is said he died in 1759, in King William County, Virginia, making him an impressive 100 years old. His wife Mary died around 1763, at about 100 years old.

Sources

1. ↑ Ham/m Genealogy on RootsWeb - William Claiborne: Updated 2017 and Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography, edited by Lyon Gardiner Tyler, Volume 1.
2. ↑ World Tree O'Bryan on RootsWeb - John Whitworth: Updated 2006
3. ↑ King William Co. Deed Bk. 1, 1700-1885, pp 414-15. Cited on: 10-2-1999 posting by R. Emmett. Mary Claiborne Whitworth, 1663 VA on Genforum
4. ↑ King William Co. Deed Bk. 1, 1700-1885, pp 414-15. Cited on: 10-2-1999 posting by R. Emmett. Mary Claiborne Whitworth, 1663 VA on Genforum
5. ↑ See the 2011 discussion by Paul Phelps on: Mary Claiborne and John Whitworth on Genforum

• World Tree O'Bryan on RootsWeb - John Whitworth: Updated 2006

• Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography, edited by Lyon Gardiner Tyler, Volume 1

• Ham/m Genealogy on RootsWeb - William Claiborne: Updated 2017

• Reed-Claggett-Neff Genealogy on RootsWeb: Mary Whitmore - Updated on 2009

• Mary Claiborne and John Whitworth on Genforum presents an alternate theory that Mary Claiborne was the daughter of John Claiborne, William Jr.'s brother, and a Jane (Unknown), whom he married in England and brought to Virginia ca. 1662.

• Source: S-2050775427 Ancestry Family Trees: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. APID: 1030::0

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile Claiborne-140 was created through the import of 2010-09-14.ged on Jul 28, 2011 by Bob Carson. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Bob and others.