Mary (Cullen) Luten (bef. 1660 - aft. 1731)

Born before 1660 in Dover, Kent, England

Ancestors

Wife of John Currer — married before Mar 1679 in Albemarle Province, Province of Carolina [uncertain]

Wife of Thomas Luten — married before 18 Oct 1683 in Albemarle Province, Province of Carolina

Descendants

Died after Mar 1731 after age 71 in Chowan Precinct, Province of North Carolina

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Biography

Mary (Cullen) Luten was a North Carolina colonist.

Birth

Based on her marriage before March 1678/9, Mary Cullen was probably born before before 1660 in Dover, England. She was the daughter of Thomas Cullen and his wife Sarah.^[1]

Emigration

Mary emigrated with her family from England to America by September 1668. They came originally to Isle of Wight County, Colony of Virginia where his father obtained a land patent based on the headrights for himself, his wife, and six children.^[2][3][4]

Shortly after their arrival in America, her family removed to Albemarle Province of the Carolina Colony in the area which would later become Chowan Precinct. Her father obtained headrights in Albemarle Province for himself, wife Sarah, and seven children, including Mary.^[5][6][7][8]

Marriages

Mary Cullen married first John Currer in Albemarle Province, Province of Carolina. They were married by March 1678/9, when her father Thomas Cullen executed a deed of gift conveying his Salmon Creek plantation in Chowan Precinct to his wife for her lifetime and afterward to two daughters, Mary and her sister Martha. At the time of this deed of gift, Mary was already the wife of John Currer.^[1]

John Currer made his will on 4 May 1683, witnessed by Mary's sister Martha Cullen and by Thomas Luten. In this will, he provided that his entire estate be divided between his wife and their children, and made his wife sole executor. The dates on the original document are difficult to read, but it appears that the will was proved on the oath of these two witnesses on "7ber 5th, 1683," i.e., 5 September 1683.^[9][10]

By 18 October 168[3?], the widow Mary Currer had remarried to her second husband, Thomas Luten, when "probate of [his] estate was granted to Thomas Luten and Mary his wife."^[9][10][11]

Death

Mary was still living when her second husband Thomas Luten made his will on 16 February 1729, making Mary one of his executors. She was presumably still alive when the will was proved on 31 March 1731.^[12]

She died after March 1731, probably in Chowan Precinct, Province of North Carolina.

Children

Mary Cullen and John Currer appear to have had at least one and possibly two children, the second still in utero at the time of his death:^[9][10]

• Sarah
• possible additional unborn child born after John's death

Assuming that all the children named in his will were his, and that Mary Cullen was the mother of all his children, children of Mary Cullen and Thomas Luten include at least:^[11]

• Thomas
• William
• Constance (or Constant) (son)
• Henderson
• Esther, m. Robert Hicks^[13][12]
• Christian (daughter)
• Rachel, m. Farlow
• Ann, m. (___) Brinn
• Sarah, m. (___) Standing
• Mary, m[1]. Jonathan Evans, m[2]. (___) Haughton

All except Esther are named in Thomas's will; Esther's husband Robert Hicks is named in that will as Thomas's son-in-law.^[12]

However, note that it is possible that Sarah Standing was the "Sarah" referred to in John Currer's will, and that she and possibly one more of these children were actually the children of Mary Cullen and John Currer.

Research Notes

John Currer Will and Probate Dates

The dates on the original will of John Currer are difficult to read and the abstract contained in the North Carolina Historical and Genealogical Register give slightly different dates from those contained in this profile. Please review the original will carefully before making any changes to those dates.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Mattie Erma E. Parker, "Cullen, Thomas," NCPedia (https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/cullen-thomas : accessed 30 Mar 2024); citing William S. Powell, ed., Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, 6 vols., (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1979-1996).
2. ↑ Virginia Land Patent Book 6, p. 215, Thomas Cullen; images, Library of Virginia, "Virginia Land Patents and Grants," (https://image.lva.virginia.gov/LONN/LO.html : accessed 2 Apr 2024) (patent granting Thomas Cullen 400 acres in upper part of Nansemond County, Colony of Virginia, for transport of 8 persons, including "Tho. Cullen, his wife and six children").
3. ↑ Nell Marion Nugent, Cavaliers and Pioneers, Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, Vol. 2 1666-1695, (Richmond: Dietz Print Co., 1934), 55 ("MR. THOMAS CULLEN. 400 acs. Up. Par. Of Nansemond Co., 20 Sept. 1668, p. 215 [Patent Book No. 6]. Adj. Jno. Moore, Jno. Garrett & Francis Hutchens. Trans. of 8 pers: Tho. Cullen, his wife & 6 children.")
4. ↑ John Anderson Brayton, "Madam Esther Pollock of Kent Co., Md., and Chowan Co., N.C., and the Lutens," The North Carolina Genealogical Society Journal, 26 (2000): 376-392, at 385.
5. ↑ Mattie Erma E. Parker, "Cullen, Thomas," NCPedia (https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/cullen-thomas : accessed 30 Mar 2024); citing William S. Powell, ed., Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, 6 vols., (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1979-1996).
6. ↑ Caroline B. Whitley, comp., North Carolina Headrights: A List of Names, 1663-1744, (Raleigh, NC: NC Division of Archives and History, 2001), 90; citing Secretary of State Records, "Albemarle Book of Warrants and Surveys 1681-1706," [S.S. 978.1]".
7. ↑ Brayton, "Madam Esther Pollock," NCGSJ 26:385; citing Weynette Parks Haun, Old Albemarle County, North Carolina, Book of Land Warrants and Surveys, 1681-1706, (Durham, NC: s.p., 1984), 5.
8. ↑ Brayton, "Madam Esther Pollock," NCGSJ 26:385; citing Weynette Parks Haun, Old Albemarle County, North Carolina, Book of Land Warrants and Surveys, 1681-1706, (Durham, NC: s.p., 1984), 5.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2} North Carolina, "Secretary of State Original wills Bell, Thomas - Davison, John," John Currir (1683); images, FamilySearch, (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99GC-F932-N : accessed 1 Apr 2024); FHL 1,605,223, DGS 7,640,346, image 1360 (will of John Currer).
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2} J.R.B. Hathaway, ed., "Abstract of Wills," North Carolina Historical and Genealogical Register, 1 (1900): 163-234, at 196 (Abstract of will of John Currer); images, Hathitrust, (https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/000050394 : accessed 30 Mar 2024).
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} Mattie Erma E. Parker, "Luten (or Leuton, Luton, Lutten), Thomas," NCPedia (https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/luten-or-leuten-luton : accessed 28 Mar 2024); citing William S. Powell, ed., Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, 6 vols., (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1979-1996).
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1 12.2} J.R.B. Hathaway, ed., "Abstract of Wills," North Carolina Historical and Genealogical Register, 1 (1900): 132-134, at 134; images, Hathitrust, (https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/000050394 : accessed 30 Mar 2024).
13. ↑ J.R.B. Hathaway, ed., "Abstract of Wills," North Carolina Historical and Genealogical Register, 1 (1900): 26-84, at 49, FN *; image, Hathitrust, (https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/000050394 : accessed 30 Mar 2024).