Wilson Miles Cary

Wilson-Miles Cary (1733-November 30, 1817) was a Virginia planter and politician who became a prominent patriot in the American Revolutionary War and later a prominent Federalist and citizen in Williamsburg. Once one of the colony's wealthiest men, Cary served in the House of Burgesses and later the Virginia House of Delegates representing at various times Warwick County, Elizabeth City County (modern Hampton) and newly created Fluvanna County. Cary also built Carysbrook plantation in Fluvanna County, where he died in the household of his grandson Wilson Jefferson Cary (who would continue the family's legislative tradition five years later).Peter V. Bergstrom, " Cary, Wilson-Miles (1733 or 1734-25 November 1817)" in Dictionary of Virginia Biography vol. 3, pp. 117-118

Early and family life

Born into the First Families of Virginia, probably in Warwick county, his mother Sarah was the daughter of John Blair at the time president of the Governor's Council and also long associated with the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, the colony's capital. His father (and his wife's cousin), lawyer and planter Wilson Cary was the son of Miles Cary II, a powerful politician who owned plantations in Warwick County and Elizabeth City County. The family included another son and three daughters. Cary received an education appropriate to his class, including at the College of William and Mary.

Career

Cary began his public career in 1757, when he became one of the justices of the peace for Warwick County, as well as won election to the Warwick parish vestry. The next year he accepted the position of lieutenant colonel in the local militia, and in 1761 succeeded his father as naval officer for the lower district of the James River (a lucrative customs post).

In 1762, Cary moved his family eastward on the major road connecting Williamsburg and the great Hampton Roads port, into Elizabeth City County. They resided at what was called Ceelys plantation (after a family that owned it in the late 17th century). Cary became a justice of the peace for that county's court, and would serve for nearly four decades (the justices collectively ruling counties in that era). Cary also became colonel of its militia. In 1767 Cary won election to the Elizabeth City parish vestry. The main church of the parish is now known as St. John's Church in Hampton, the county seat.

During Virginia's Long Assembly, Elizabeth City County voters elected Cary to succeed burgess William Wager, and Cary served alongside his probable teacher George Wythe until 1669, when James Wallace succeeded Wythe, then Cary and Wallace jointly served as Elizabeth City's burgesses until 1772. Cary resumed his legislative service during the American Revolutionary War, serving in the final revolutionary convention May 6-July 6, 1776 alongside Henry King, then King and Cary jointly represented Elizabeth City County in the first session of the Virginia House of Delegates that began on October 7, 1776. Then as Wythe became speaker of the House of Delegates, Cary began representing newly created Fluvanna County, and was re-elected along with Thomas Napier until 1778. After a year of no legislative service for Cary, Elizabeth City County voters elected him in 1780 as one of their delegates, but he was declared ineligible because of nonresidence. In 1783, Warwick County voters elected Cary as one of their delegates, and he won re-election twice, serving alongside two different neighbors until succeeded by his son (who did not win re-election). Cary again won re-election as one of Elizabeth City County's delegates in 1795 and re-election.
Although his most recent biographer notes this man's usual hyphenation of his non-surnames, the hyphen is also absent from some contemporary records, including surviving Warwick County records. His great-grandson of the same names (who fought as a captain in the Confederate States Army and who later donated papers to the University of Virginia Library's Special Collections) did not hyphenate his name.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cary, Wilson-Miles
1733 births
1817 deaths
House of Burgesses members
Members of the Virginia House of Delegates
People from colonial Virginia
People from Warwick County, Virginia
People from Elizabeth City County, Virginia
People from Fluvanna County, Virginia
American slave owners