Mary Bowater Or Davis, *

1689 - Bef 1764  (< 74 years)

• Name	Mary Bowater Or Davis  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15]
  Suffix	*
  Birth	2 Dec 1689	London, City of London, Greater London, England   [6, 16, 17]
  Gender	Female
  Death	Bef 6 Mar 1764	, Frederick, Virginia, USA   [2]
  Burial	Bef 6 Mar 1764	Clear Brook, Frederick County, Virginia, United States of America   [2]
  Person ID	I14930	Ancestrees
  Last Modified	3 Mar 2026

  
  

  Father	John Bowater, *,   b. 25 Apr 1630, Whitley, Coventry, Warwickshire, England d. 16 Jan 1705, Spitalfields, Stepney Borough, London, ENG (Age 74 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Mother	Mary Maunder,   b. 1649, London, Middlesex, ENG d. 10 Feb 1704, Spitalfields, Stepney Borough, London, ENG (Age 55 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Marriage	12 Nov 1685	, Worcestershire, ENG
  Family ID	F4303	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	James Wright, * I-FTD9427,   b. Aug 1671, County Monaghan, Northern Ireland d. 15 Jul 1759, Hopewell (Society of Friends) Community, Frederick County, Colony of Virginia (Age 87 years)
  Marriage	26 Feb 1707	East Nottingham, Chester, PA, USA   [1]
  Children	1. Lydia Wright,   b. 31 Aug 1730, Monocacy Creek, (now) Frederick, MD d. 27 Jun 1778, Bear Garden, Hampshire, VA (Age 47 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   2. Thomas Wright,   b. 11 Jan 1711, , Chester, PA, USA d. 18 Aug 1765 (Age 54 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   3. James Wright,   b. 8 Nov 1718, Chester, Chester, PA, USA d. Aft 5 Aug 1760, , Frederick, Virginia, USA (Age > 42 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   4. John C. Wright, *,   b. 4 Nov 1716, East Nottingham, Chester, PA, USA d. Between 17 Sep 1789 and 8 Jun 1790, Bush River, Newberry, SC (Age 72 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   5. Martha Wright,   b. 14 Feb 1713, Chester M.M., Chester, PA, USA d. 28 Oct 1794, Martinsburg, Berkley, WV (Age 81 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   6. Elizabeth Wright,   b. 23 Jan 1715, Chester M.M., Chester, PA, USA d. 1790, , Frederick, Virginia, USA (Age 74 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   7. Hannah Wright,   b. 24 Jan 1710, , Chester, PA, USA d. Aft 5 Aug 1760, New Garden, Guilford, NC (Age > 50 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   8. Mary Wright,   b. 3 Jun 1708, East Nottingham, Chester, PA, USA d. 21 Oct 1800, Back Creek, Frederick, VA, USA (Age 92 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   9. Isaac Wright,   b. 25 Mar 1723, New Garden, Chester, PA, USA d. 31 May 1777, , Frederick, Virginia, USA (Age 54 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   10. Sarah Wright,   b. 15 Mar 1727, Monocacy M.M., (now) Frederick, Maryland d. Aft 5 Aug 1760 (Age > 33 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   11. Anne Wright,   b. 29th da 1st mo 1724/5, Monacy Creek, (now) Frederick, MD d. 27 Apr 1801, Hopewell, Frederick, VA, USA (Age 76 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
  Family ID	F5250	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	3 Mar 2026

  
  

• Documents

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• Notes

  We now know with certainty that Mary was a Bowater and not a Davis by maiden name. The often printed theory and incongruous lineage that she was Mary Davis in as reputable a source as Farmer, has now effectively been disproven by Stewartn in "The American Genealogist", July/Oct. 1997 issue. She was a Bowater based on multiple pieces of evidence. Mary Wright's birth date is listed in Feb. 12, 1689 in Hopewell Quaker records. This is off by a 10 days from being Mary Bowater's actual birth date in English records if the 1689 date is interpreted as 1688/1689. As an orphaned young woman, Mary Bowater was received on certificate from England to live near her brother, Thomas in the Philadelphia Monthly Meeting records dated 28 4th month 1706. This is the only time she is mentioned in this country under her maiden name. She (as Mary Wright) and her husband, James Wright, sign their names to the Quaker marriage "certificate" in the close relatives right hand column of her sister, Elizabeth Bowater's marriage to William Pusey on the 5th day of the 9th month, 1707. James Wright would not even have been a relative of this couple unless his wife was a Bowater related to Elizabeth when this marriage took place. Later marriage records of Mary and James Wright's children include many Bowater relatives as witnesses and do not include any Davis relatives. Mary and James Wright were also listed in the relatives column for her brother, Thomas Bowater's daughter's marriage. Lastly, they have a grandson named Bowater. Stewart Baldwin's case that Mary is a Bowater is actually one of the finest pieces of genealogical analysis I've seen. Mary was a Bowater and NOT a DAVIS. (C-999) Her will is as follows: "I, Mary Wright, of Frederick County in the Colony of Virginia, being aged and sickly but of a sound and well disposing mind and memory do make this my last will and testament hereby revoking and disanulling all other wills that have heretofore been made or done by me. First, my will is that my body be decently buried and that all my just debts and funeral charges that I leave to be defrayed at the discretion of my executors hereafter named. Secondly, I give and bequeath and demise to the proper use and behalf of him the said Thomas Wright his heirs and assigns forever. Thirdly, I give and bequeath all and singular of my wearing apparel unto my seven daughters, vis., Mary, Hannah, Martha, Elizabeth, Ann, Sarah, Lidia to be equally divided among them. Fourthly, I give and bequeath to my daughter Sarah Pickering, one brass mortar. Fifthly, I give and bequeath unto my son Thomas Wright all and singular of my stock and household goods. I also will that what money remains after my decease, from the land sold on Middlefork is to be equally divided among my ten children, vis. James, Isaac, Mary Hannah, Martha, Elizabeth, Ann, Sarah, Lydia and John. Lastly, I ordain and constitute my well beloved daughter, Mary Ballinger, Jesse Pugh and William Pickering sole executors of this my last will and testament as witness my hand and seal this 5th day of the 8th month, 1760. Signed, sealed and acknowledged by the said Mary Wright to be her last will and testament in presence of us. Signed: Mary Wright Witness: Elizabeth Powell, Elinor Rogers, Susanna Bevin. (This was proved March 6, 1764 in Frederick Co., VA) (C-696)

  
  

• Sources

  [S1474] Buckley, Dan, Email dated 2000+ at BUC@GBSO.NET. [S426] Ancestry.com, U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. Date:2012 Place:Lehi, UT, USA;), 1,60525::0. [S88] Walter I. Farmer, In America Since 1607 (Baltimore: Gateway Press, Inc. , 1987). [S1778] Algie Newlan, Charity Cook, A Liberated Woman (Friends United Press). [S2877] Wright, James, CD-102. [S2879] Dorothy Clarke to Linda Coate Dudick Letter dated Aug. 8, 1987 At 217 Moore Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 In Linda Coate files (C-272). [S2880] Lewis Wright to Linda Coate Dudick Letter dated 1 Oct. 1995 at lwright@tcgcs.com In possession of Dudick at 648 Ulverston Dr., Gahanna, OH 43230. [S2881] James Wright-Mary Davis family group sheet supplied 9 Sep. 1995 by Lewis Wright lwright@tcgcs.com (C-610). [S3360] Lewis Wright to Linda Coate Dudick Letter dated Dec. 17, 1995 at lwright@tcgcs.com In Dudick files:. [S2317] Don P. Wright to Lewis Wright E-mail letter dated Mar. 9, 1996 at footprints@ptn.com In L. Dudick files (C-708). [S3464] James Wright and Mary Davis Family Group Sheet recieved in 1987 from Ralph W. Sanders, Jr. 248 Japonica Ave., Camarillo, CA 93010. [S3465] U.S. Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935 (http://mv.ancestry.com/viewer/e731b778-2475-4c6e-a401-a1a99cb9cea2/42131395/20201537259). [S3466] Mary Wright, Testator Last Will and Testament Frederick Co., VA (C-866). [S3195] Stewart Baldwin, Quaker Marriage Certificates The American Genealogist Vol. 72, Nos. 3-4 July/Oct 1997 225-243. [S111] Ancestry.com, U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Lehi, UT, USA; Date: 2014;). [S86] John W. Wayland, comp, Hopewell Friends History 1734-1934, Frederick Co, Virginia (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1975). [S817] World Family Tree at www.ancestry.com.