d. 1821
| | Mary Copeland was probably born around 1750 based on the year of birth (1773) of her eldest child. The 1758 settlement of her father's estate contains entries indicating he died before March 1755. One of those entries listed monies paid for Mary's schooling. The estate was settled by Anne Ralston, formerly Anne Copland, who was most likely Benjamin's widow. Mary named her first born daughter Ann, suggesting Ann (?) Copeland Ralston may have also been Mary's mother.1,2 |
Marriage | | Mary married first James Corry in Rockingham (then Augusta) County, Virginia. |
Migration | 1773 | The couple migrated southwest to Washington County in 1773.1 |
Widowed | Oct 1780 | James died at the Battle of King's Mountain in Oct. 1780. Mary was left to raise 4 sons under the age of 7. |
Tax | | Tax records for Washington County indicate that Mary owned 8-13 horses and 21-25 cows in the years following James's death (1782-1786).3 |
Marriage | 19 Oct 1786 | She married second John Davis, son of Nathaniel Davis and Sarah (?), on 19 Oct 1786 in Washington County.4 |
| | John was a widower with 8 children, four of whom were under ten years of age. |
| | Together they added two additional daughters to the family. |
Widowed | Jun 1810 | Mary was widowed a second time when John died in June 1810. |
Cens-1810 | 1810 | The 1810 census listed Mary as the head of a household that included 2 males and 3 females in addition to Mary (no doubt the female in the 45+ category). The two females age 16-25 were probably the two daughters Mary and John added to their blended family.5 |
| | The years following John's death found Mary embroiled in a lawsuit against several of her stepchildren. She was unhappy with the manner in which John's estate was probated. See the link below for a summary of the documents created during this dispute. |
Tax | 1815 | A special tax asessment conducted in 1815 assessed Mary for 1 farm on Poor Valley Rd containing 350 acres. It held 1 dwelling house which was 30 feet by 30 feet and 2 stories tall. There was also 1 barn, and 1 outbuilding valued at $4.50. The farm was assessed at $1,575. Two unimproved tracts totalling 70 acres added $35, and 2 male slaves under 12 (valued at $300) brought Mary's assessment to $1,910.6 |
Death | 1821 | Mary died in 1821. |