“Mary the daughter of the above [Major Boughan and Lucy Monday] the 1 day of February 1779” [Boughan family Bible at the Virginia State Archives, Acc. 24166]

An undated petition by orators and oratrices Gabriel, Mary, Elizabeth, Lucy, John and Major Boughan and Thos St John & Cary his wife & Catharine & Thos Boughan infants under 21 by John Boughan their next friend states that Major Boughan died in 1812 seized of several tracts of land & a water grist mill & slaves Sam, Ben, Bob, Dick, Latane, Cork, Braxton, Iverson, Tom, Hannah, Phillis, Polly, Delphy, Winney, Keziah, Teley & Rachel, leaving your oratrors and oratrices (except Thomas St. John) and Caston Boughan. [Essex County, Virginia, Box Chancery No. 27, item 27-G-47.]

On 18 January 1813, the Court of Essex County ordered the slaves of the estate of Major Boughan divided into ten parts (or to be sold if necessary and the proceeds divided into ten parts) equally to Gabriel Boughan, Mary Boughan, Elizabeth Boughan, Lucy Boughan, John Boughan, Major Boughan, Thomas St. John and Cary his wife, Catharine Boughan and Thomas Boughan (both infants), and Caston Boughan. [Essex County, Virginia, Box Chancery No. 27, item 27-G-46.] As a result of the order, Mary Boughan received slaves Cork and Taley and was to pay a balance of £3 to Catharine Boughan, £23 to Major Boughan, £8 to Gabriel Boughan and £3 to Caston Boughan. [Essex County, Virginia, Box Chancery No. 27, item 27-G-43.]

On 18 June 1817, pursuant to a decree in chancery court dated 18 January 1813, a division of the slaves belonging to the estate of Major Boughan was made by L. Booker, Carter Croxton, and James Montague, with equal distribution to Gabriel Boughan (slaves Latane and Hannah), Mary Boughan (slaves Cork and Taley), Elizabeth Boughan (slaves Delphy and Ben), Lucy Boughan (slaves Polly and Winny), John Boughan (slaves Tom and Kesiah), Major Boughan (slave Dick), Thomas St. John & Cary his wife (slaves Iverson and Philles), Catharine Boughan (slave Sam), Thomas Boughan (slave Bob), and Casten Boughan (slaves Braxton and Rachel). [Essex County, Virginia, Will Book 18, pages 426–427.]

On 19 [? date partly erased in source] June 1817, a final decree was handed down in a chancery court case. Plaintiffs were Gabriel, Mary, Elizabeth, Lucy, John and Major Boughan, Thos. St. John and Cary his wife, and Catharine and Thos. Boughan infants under the age of 21 by John Boughan their next friend, against Caston Boughan administrator etc. of Major Boughan deceased and in his own right. [Essex County, Virginia, Order Book 42, page 491.]

In about 1818, orators and oratrices Caston Boughan, Gabriel Boughan, Mary Boughan, Elizabeth M. Boughan, Lucy Boughan, Catharine Boughan and Thomas Boughan an infant under 21 by Caston Boughan his next friend complained to the Essex County Chancery Court that Major Boughan died intestate seised of a tract of land containing about 336 acres leaving your orators and oratrices and Cary C. Boughan who intermarried with one Thos St John and who has since died without leaving issue and Major James Boughan who has also since died and another son John Boughan. That the said tract be divided and that John Boughan be made defendant in the suit. On 21 September 1818, the court decreed that Robt G Haile, Henry H Boughan, Wm T Upshaw, Wm A Garnett, Washington H Purkins and Graves Burke or any three of them were to divide the lands among the eight heirs. On 15 February 1819, Thomas St. John filed for leave to file a bill of review in this case. On 19 April 1831 the decree was made final. [Essex County, Virginia, Box Chancery No. 37, item 37-I-27.]

On 21 February 1820, Castin Baughan, Gabriel Baughan, Mary Baughan, Elizabeth M. Baughan, Lucy Baughan, Josiah Minter and his wife Catharine, and Thomas Boughan sold the water grist mill and 5 acres surrounding it to John Horace Upshaw. This plat was “more particularly described in a survey and Plat recently made by Washington H. Purkins with the report of certain commissioners that divided the Lands of the late Major Boughan…” Caston, Gabriel, John, Josiah, Catharine, and Thomas signed; Mary, Elizabeth, and Lucy wrote Xs. [Essex County, Virginia, Deed Book 40, page 478.]

A loose paper from about 1823 from St. John vs. Boughan, marked “notes for plts” states that Major Boughan died in 1811. Defendants “admit that Major Boughan died intestate about the __ day of Augt 1812”. That “the plt T. St John married Cary B. [sic] after the decease of her father some time about the close of 1812. That she lived only until the __ day of Octr 1813. [The above also in 46-F-31.] Answer of the defendants dated 22 April 1824 signed by John Boughan, Thomas Boughan, Josiah Minter, Catharin [sic] Minter, Mary Boughan, Elizabeth Boughan, Lucy Boughan. [All very literate, nice looking signatures.] [Essex County, Virginia, Box Chancery No. 46, item 46-F-63.]

In May 1824, Cary Turner willed that profits from the sale of her land be given to the heirs of her two brothers John Boughan and Major Boughan. [Essex County, Virginia, Will Book 20, pages 229–230.]

“Mary Boughan departed this life 11th July 1827” [Boughan family Bible at the Virginia State Archives, Acc. 24166]

On 21 January 1828, Gabriel Boughan, Moses Crow, George Crow and John Boughan were bound $2,000 for Gabriel Boughan’s administration of the goods chattles and credits of Mary Boughan. [Essex County, Virginia, Will Book 21, page 219.]

On 3 March 1828, an inventory and appraisal of the estate of Mary Boughan was made by Was: H Purkins, Ro: G Haile and Henry H Boughan. Total valuation $373, including $350 valuation of “negro man named Croxton”. Recorded 17 December 1828. [Essex County, Virginia, Will Book 21, page 226.]

In 1828, a case was brought to the Essex County chancery court between John Boughan, Lucy Boughan, Elizabeth Boughan Josiah Minter and Catharine his wife Marinda Boughan and John Thomas Boughan an infant by the said Marinda his mother & next friend and Henry C. Boughan an infant by Josiah Minter his next friend, plantiffs, against Gabriel Boughan. The plaintiffs complained that Mary Boughan had died intestate and without issue in 1827, seized of a small tract of land of 55 acres in the county, leaving orators John Boughan, Elizabeth Boughan and Gabriel Boughan her only brothers and sisters of the whole blood, and oratrix Catharine Minter only sister of the half blood, and Henry and John Thomas Boughan children of Thomas Boughan, who died in 1827 after Mary, a brother of the half blood. The will of Thomas Boughan filed as an exhibit. The plaintiffs request that the land of Mary Boughan deceased be sold at auction to the higest bidder. The answer of Gabriel Boughan to the bill agrees with the allegations. The court decreed on 16 June 1828 that “her land is of so little value” and would be worth less than $300 if divided, that it is ordered to be auctioned. [Essex County, Virginia, Box Chancery No. 37, item 37-I-25; Essex County, Virginia, Order Book 46, pages 374–375.]

On 16 June 1828, in the case of John Boughan, Lucy Boughan, Elizabeth Boughan, Josiah Minter and Catharine his wife, Marinda Boughan and John Thomas Boughan an infant by the said Marinda his mother and next friend and Henry C. Boughan an infant by Josiah Minter his next friend against Gabriel Boughan, the Chancery Court of Essex County decreed that the lands of which Mary Boughan died seized were to be sold at auction to the higest bidder and that one fifth of the proceeds were to be delivered by bond to each Gabriel, John, Lucy and Elizabeth, and that bonds for one tenth were to be delivered to Josiah Minter and Catharine his wife and to Marinda Boughan, except that the last bond was not to be given until Marinda had provided a bond to pay the same at her death or marriage to the infant plaintiffs. The land was sold at auction on 25 September 1828 and purchased by Elizabeth and Lucy Boughan for $311.25. Bonds were issued to the parties; Marinda’s was delivered to the court. The commissioner’s report was returned on 13 February 1830. [Essex County, Virginia, Box Chancery No. 37, item 37-I-23.]

Mary Boughan is listed as deceased in a deed of 11 January 1831, which states that Gabriel Boughan was the administrator of her estate. [Essex County, Virginia, Deed Book 43, page 327.]

The estate of Cary Turner in account with Thomas Purkins, executor, from 1825 to 1830, and the estate of John Turner, deceased, in account with Thomas Purkins, administrator, from 1826 to 1830 were ordered recorded 18 April 1831. Includes from Cary’s estate 1/9 share payments ($41.72) to distributees in November 1830: Mary Boughan’s administrator, Elizabeth Boughan, Lucy Boughan, Gabriel Boughan, John Boughan, James Croxton for Sally Crow’s part who was Sally Boughan, W.H. Purkins administrator of Thomas Boughan, ditto the administrator of Josiah Minter who married Caty Boughan; and the heirs of James Boughan (1/4 of 1/9 or $10.43): James Boughan, Mary Boughan, Benjamin Boughan, and Austin Boughan. [Essex County, Virginia, Will Book 22, pages 270–274.]

The estate of Mary Boughan, deceased, in account with Gabriel Boughan, administrator, from 1829 to 1836 was ordered recorded on 18 July 1836. Includes medical payments to Dr. D J Ayres and Dr. H T Minor. [Essex County, Virginia, Will Book 24, page 53.]

The estate of Mary Boughan, deceased, in account with Larkin Noel DS for Jones C. Clopton late Sheriff of Essex and Committee administrator of the decedant, from 1841 to 1842 was ordered recorded on 15 May 1843. [Essex County, Virginia, Will Book 25, pages 102–105.]