Mary Banks (bef. 1781)

Born before 1781 in Granville, North Carolina, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Sara Lively [send private message]

Is this your family? I'd love to help connect you. Please message me, Sara, at "send private message" above.

Biography

Mary Banks is a part of US Black heritage.

William Joseph Blackwell (1745-bef.1806), known as Joseph Blackwell, in 1781 accepted money from his father-in-law, Thomas Banks (abt.1709-abt.1789), in exchange for which he agreed to pass on five named enslaved people to two of his sons.

Mary was one of the five named enslaved people, and she was listed as a "Negro girl."

The relevant portion of the Will of Thomas Banks is quoted here: ^[1]

"As we find in Will Book 1, page 299, Granville County, N.C., a "Deed of Gift" from Thomas Banks to two of his grandchildren, Dunston and Banks Blackwell. This Deed is made through Joseph Blackwell receiving the sum of "three hundred and thirty-nine pounds four shillings and for divers other causes and considerations," in return for which Joseph Blackwell willed to the two children aforesaid Negro wench named Patt, Negro girl named Rose, Negro girl named Mary, Negro boy named David and Negro child named Shadrach. This deed of gift as proven by the oaths of John Rust and Ralph Banks at the February term of court, 1781."

In the same year,1781, Joseph executed a document using the same language as that in Thomas' Will, stating his receipt of the 339 pounds four shillings from his father-in-law, and committing accordingly to the "Deed of Gift" of the five slaves named above to his own children, Thomas' grandchildren, Dunstan and Banks Blackwell.^[2] Records have not been found to confirm that Dunstan and Banks received these enslaved people -- all of them children (named as "boy, "girl," and "child,") as of 1781.

Slave Owner

William Joseph Blackwell (1745-bef.1806)

Sources

1. ↑ Banks, Elbert Augustine; Young, Georgia Butt; Franklin, Sarah Banks, The Genealogical Records of the Banks Family of Elbert County, Georgia. Second Edition, 1937, p. 21
2. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C956-FSSQ-J?cat=358185