Mary (James) Smith (1736 - 1822)

Biography

Mary James was the daughter of George James and his wife Mary Ann Wheeler. She was named as an heir of her father in a 1754 indenture between her eldest brother Thomas James & wife, widowed mother Mary James, siblings, and Henry Field, who had married her older sister Esther James, selling to Field her fathers lots named Long Ordinary in Fredericksburg. She signed this indenture as Mary Strother, indicating she had recently married.^[1]

Mary was in a family history or pedigree.^[2]

Mary was first married as second wife to Anthony Strother, merchant of Fredericksburg. She was named as his wife in his will dated 29th August 1765 in Stafford County, Virginia.^[3]

She again married in Stafford County, by license dated 15 December 1771, to Henry Smith.^[4]

Mary was again widowed in 1801.^[5][6] Her own will was dated 14 Jan 1819 in Russell County, Virginia and proved 5 Nov 1822. She named the following children and heirs:^[7]

• • • dau-in-law Elizabeth Strother, widow of son James Strother, dec'd
    • grandson James P. Strother
    • dau. Mary (Strother) Ficklen (m. Charles Ficklin)^[8]
    • dau. Elizabeth (Strother) Green (Thos. Green??)
    • dau. Sallie (Smith) Taylor (m. James Taylor)
    • son-in-law James Taylor
    • son Harry Smith (m. Mary McCandless Taylor)
    • dau. Peggy Smith

Sources

1. ↑ [1] 2 & 3 June 1754 Indentures of Lease & Release Between Thomas James & Jenny his wife of Prince William Co. eldest son & heir of George James, late of Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania Co. of the one part & Henry Field & Esther his wife of Culpeper Co. of the second part...Mary James widow late wife of the s'd George James of the third part & Mary James, Dianah James, Joseph James, Daniel James, & Henry James, youngest children of the s'd George James of the fourth part... lots of Land & tenements commonly called and known by the name of Long Ordinary in Fredericksburg... purchased by the s'd George James in his lifetime... descended on and was vested on the s'd Thomas James, eldest son & heir of... Wit: Joseph Steward, George James, & Ann Kenney. Signed by: Joseph (X) James, Daniel (X) James, Thomas (X) James, Mary James, Mary STROTHER, Henry (J) James, Dianah James
2. ↑ Family History or Pedigree: "Colonial Families of the USA, 1607-1775"
   Page number: 494
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 61175 #450067964 (accessed 20 March 2026)
   Name: Mary James; Marriage Date: 8 Mar 1754; Spouse: Anthony Strother.
3. ↑ [2] Will of Anthony Strother dated 29th August 1765, proved Oct 1765. Stafford Co. VA Deed Book Wills Inventories, Etc. Liber O, p. 515.
4. ↑ [3] St Pauls Parish Register, Stafford And King George Counties, Virginia By John B C Nicklin., 1962. p. 72.
5. ↑ [4] Inventory & Acct of Henry Smith, dec'd. Russell Co. VA Will Book 2, p. 15-24.
6. ↑ [5] Settlement with the Administrator of Henry Smith, dec'd. Russell Co. VA Will Book 2, p. 35-37.
7. ↑ [6] Will of Mary Smith dated 14 Jan 1819, proved 5 Nov 1822. Russell Co., VA Will Book 4A, p. 64-65.
8. ↑ A Genealogical History of the Ficklin Family by by Walter Homan Ficklin. W.H. Kistler press, 1912. pp. 30-31.

See Also:

• The Buckners of Virginia and the Allied Families of Strother and Ashby By Howard Randolph Bayne, page 233. (Note: This secondary source appears to incorrectly name the spouse of Mary's daughter as Benjamin Ficklin. This is covered in the well-documented source "A Genealogical History of the Ficklin Family")

Research Notes

• Prior to merge, James-26280 had "08 Dec 1736" as the birth date of Mary. The 28 Dec 1736 birth date is sourced from "The Buckners of Virginia" by H. R. Bayne. These are close enough to be birth and/or baptism dates so noting this here.