Mary (Greer) Divers
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Mary Rebecca (Greer) Divers (abt. 1746 - aft. 1810)

Mary Rebecca [uncertain] Divers formerly Greer
Born about in Baltimore, Baltimore, Province of Marylandmap [uncertain]
Ancestors ancestors
Daughter of [uncertain] and [uncertain]
Wife of — married 10 Jun 1766 in St. John's Parish, Baltimore, Province of Marylandmap
Descendants descendants
Died after after about age 64 in Franklin, Virginia, United Statesmap
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Profile last modified | Created 17 Jul 2013
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This profile is part of the Greer Name Study.

Biography

Mary Greer (sometimes known as Mary Rebecca Greer) was most likely born about 1745, or shortly thereafter, in Baltimore County, Maryland. However, very little is known about her, other than the fact that she married John Divers in 1766, was the mother of several children, and spent the latter years of her life in Franklin County, Virginia.

(this is an exact QUOTE from the ENTRY in the Register.)
Marriage St Johns Parish, Harford, Maryland
"Jno. Dives & Mary Greer marr'd June 10th 1766."[1] image attached for your convenience.

Over the years, various researchers have been divided on her parents. All seem to agree that Mary was a granddaughter of John Greer and Sarah Day. But the available record sets for some of John and Sarah's sons are inadequate, at present, to assign a father for Mary. Some argue that Mary was a daughter of William Greer and Mary Fitch. Others argue that Moses Greer and Mary Bayley are more likely to be Mary's parents. William and Moses were both sons of John Greer and Sarah Day. There are arguments pro and con for each position, but we still can't definitively resolve Mary's parentage. The argument for William as father are largely traditional, as most compiled genealogies assign him as Mary's father. Arguments for Moses center around the fact that John Divers had two grandsons named Moses. More substantial evidence is necessary in order to make any conclusion.

John and Mary were living along Gills Creek in today's Franklin Co. before 1780. He is shown on the Franklin County Settlement Map as "John Divers 1782". Several other former Maryland families were close neighbors, including the Greer's and Starkey's.

Mary served as one of the Executors for John's will in 1800. Their holdings, at the time, did include a few slaves. Mary appeared in tax lists for 1800-1803, along with her sons, but later lists have not been checked. The last record known for her is the 1810 census. There are no probate records for her in Franklin County. Most likely she had distributed her holdings prior to her death.

It might be reasonable to conclude she was buried somewhere on the Divers property.

Notes:

  1. This profile once included a date of death on 8 August 1827. As that date is unsupported by evidence, and since Mary does not appear in the 1820 census, that date has been removed from this profile.
  2. in two sources, Find a Grave and McCarter Family Tree, both verifies Mary Rebecca as the daughter of William Greer Sr and Mary Ann Fitch and she married John Divers https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/115712158/william-greer

http://sites.rootsmagic.com/mccarterfamily/individual.php?p=1405 https://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/trees/116649/I793/maryrebecca-greer/individual The f-a-g memorial has NO SOURCE to back anything up...

Sources

  1. familysearch.org St Johns Parish, Harford, Maryland page 229 image 443
  • Franklin County, Virginia Deed Book 2, p. 240; 25 May 1791, Thomas Parker and Rhoda his wife and John Divers and Mary his wife of Franklin County to Robert Ellis…230 acres South Branch Gills Creek…adj. Talbot’s line, Pickleheimer, Aquilla Greer’s corner; along his line.
  • Franklin County, Virginia Will Book 1, page 179; John Divers wrote his will on 22 February 1800. The will read, in part: ..."To my wife, during her natural life or widowhood – this house wherein I now dwell, with al the furniture, and the lands and tenements that lie about it, also the stock of horses, cattle and hogs, after giving the 2 small boys a horse apiece, and cattle to make them equal with the rest. I also give her 3 grown Negroes, Jubeter, Suck and Peg, during her widowhood, and Suck during her life, then to be equally divided among my 4 daughters...The land, after her death, to fall to my son, Anninias, and the 1st Negro child which shall be born of Suck or Peg...Executors: my wife and my two sons, Christopher and Aquilla Divers...At a court for F on 7 July 1800, this will of John Divers deceased, was produced in court by Mary Divers, the executrix, and Aquilla Divers & Christopher Divers, the executors, proved by oath of the 3 witnesses...
  • Franklin County, Virginia Personal Property Tax Lists, 1786-1803, Binns Genealogy, 2009;

1800 – District of Richard French: March 26, Christopher Divers, 1,1,0,3; April 19, Mary Divers, 1,3,0,6; July 21, Aquilla Divers, 1,1,0,3.
1801 – District of Richard French: April 15, Aquilla Divers, 1,1,0,3; May 2, Christopher Divers, 1,0,0,5; June 23, Mary Divers, 1,3,0,6.
1802 – District of Richard French: April 8, Aquila Divers, 1,1,0,2; July 31, Christopher Divers, 1,0,0,5; August 5, Mary Divers, 1,3,0,5.
1803 – District of Moses Greer: April 4, Christopher Divers, 0,1,0,5: May 14, Aquila Divers, 1,1,0,2; August 13, Mary Divers, 2,3,0,6.

  • 1810 Federal Census, Franklin County, Virginia; Mary Divers, 1 male 26-44, 1 female 16-25, 1 female >45, 8 slaves.
  • THE ANCESTRY OF MARY GREER, WIFE OF JOHN DIVERS Bryan S. Godfrey, great6-grandson; Includes speculative narrative on parents of Mary Greer. Copy available in profile for Elisabeth Divers.




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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Mary by comparing test results with other carriers of her mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known mtDNA test-takers in her direct maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Mary:

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