Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 4.djvu/126

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VIRGINIA I'.IOGRAPHY

i^randfather, Colonel Miles Gary, journeyed with his family to the southwest, and there rcuTained, Lucius Falkland Gary, father of Wilson Miles Gary, the only one of his sons to return to the ancient home, Virginia.

The Garys. a family prominent in Virginia colonial history, are descended from the an- cient Devonshire family of Gary, of which collateral branches have been consi)icuous in England as Earls of Hunsdon, Mon- mouth, and Dover, and as Rarons of Falk- IcTud. r.ranches are still seated at Tor Ab- bey and l'\)llaton. The earliest mention of the name is in the case of Adam De Kan. who in 1 198 is mentioned as Lord of Castle Gary, in Somerset county, whither he i)rob- ably migrated from Devon, who married Amy. daughter of Sir William Trewit. Knight. The Devonshire Heralds Visitation of 1620 gives fourteen generations of his de- scendants. His grandson's grandson was Sir John Garye, Knight, chief baron of ex- chequer in the reign of King Henry I\'., who was banished into Ireland for political offences. Prior to his time the spelling of the name De Kari seems to have prevailed. His son, Sir Robert Garye, was a favorite of King Henry V., and the following anec- dote is cited in explanation of the return of the family to royal favor. "In his time came out of Aragon a lusty gentleman into England, and challenged to do feites of arms with any English gentleman, without ex- ception. Hiis Robert Gary, hearing there- of, made suit forthwith to the Prince that he might answer the challenge * * * * At the time and the day prefix'd both parties met. and did ])erform sundrie feites of arms, but in the end this Robert gave the foils and overthrow to the Aragon Kt.. disarmed and spoiled him. which his doinge so well pleased the i'rince that he received him into great favor, caused him to be restored to the most part of his father's lands and willed him also for a perpetual memorie of his vic- torie that he should thencef<jrth give the same arms as did the Aragon Kt., which both he and his successors to this da}' en- joyed, which is : Argent, on bend sable three roses argent, for before they did, bear: Gules, Ghevron. cntrc three swans argent."

The arms of the Garys of Bristol and of Virginia were identical with those of Sir Robert Gary, of Devon, al)Ove referred to. There is a tradition in \'irginia that Sir llenrv Garv, Knight, a rt)valist leader, who

went into exile after the defeat of Gharles I., came to Virginia and left posterity, and some of the descendants of Miles have claimed descent from him.

Descended from Adam De Kari, perhaps in. the tenth generation, was William Gary, born about 1500, mayor of Pristol, 1546, died 1572. His son, Richard, a merchant of P)ristol. born 1525. died 1570, had a son William, born 1550. died 1632, who was, like his grandfather, mayor of Bristol in 161 1. William Gary, by his marriage with Alice (k)odall. had seven sons, the third of whom. John, born in 1583, died in 1662, a draper of Bristol, married Alice Hobson and was the father of Golonel Miles Gary, pro- positus of the Garys of Virginia. The sev- enth son of William and Alice (Goodall) Gary, James, born in 1600, died in 1681, came to Gharlestown, Massachusetts, in 1639, and was the ancestor of the Massa- chusetts family of Gary, Richard Gary, aide- de-camp to General \\'ashington, and Mrs. Agassiz being members of this branch.

He whom the branch of the family to which Wilson Miles Gary, of Richmond, be- longs, has as an American ancestor, Golonel Miles Gary, born in Bristol, England, in 1620, died in 1667. He came to Virginia in. 1640-46. and settled in W^arwick county, where he married Anne, daughter of Thomas Taylor Hobson, one of the early settlers. He acquired and resided upon the estate known as "Magpie Swamps," ob- tained by his father-in-law, Gaptain Hobson, which he devised to his eldest son, Thomas. He was a member of the King's council, burgess, escheater general, and owned nearly two thousand acres of land, well stocked, and numerous slaves, besides a store and mill. He mentioned in his will two houses in England, presumably in Bris- tol, one in Ballaum, the other in St. Nicholas street, to be sold for the benefit of his daugh- ters. He had seven children, four sons and three daughters, the line descending through Golonel Miles (2) Gary. Golonel Miles (2) Gary was royal naval officer of York river, burgess, surveyor general, and rector and trustee of William and Mary College. He married Mary Wilson ; his son, Golonel Wil- son Miles Gary, married Sarah Blair ; his son. Major Wilson Gary, married Jane B. Garr ; his son, Golonel Miles Gary, of "Oak Hill." Muvanna county, Virginia, married Lli/.aboth Searsbrooke \\'ilson Curie, his en-