Person:Thomas Mann (26)

Estate Records of Thomas Mann

• Pg. 47 - Bond of $5,000 by Elizabeth Mann, Richard Morris, Robert Armstrong and Joel Walker for Mann's services as guardian of William Thomas Mann, infant of Thomas Mann, deceased, Jan. 13, 1795, to Samuel Vance, William Poage, George Poage, John Oliver, Jacob Warwick and Samuel Moore, justices. [Source: Abstracts of the Wills and Inventories of Bath County, Virginia, 1791-1842, Bruns, pg. 7].

• Pg. 83. - Inventory - Thomas Mann - 145 pounds, 7 shillings, 0 pence.

Submitted Oct. 11, 1794 (?) by William Taylor, James Kincaid and William Morris.

2 cows, some half-tanned leather, cooking utilsils, clothes, cloth, eating utensils, furniture, 3 horses, 1 spotted barrow, bond of Thomas Hiliday, promisory note of Benjamin Hutchison, debts of Robert McClintock, Issrael Hughs, Robert Armstrong, Moses Mann. [Source: Abstracts of the Wills and Inventories of Bath County, Virginia, 1791-1842, Bruns, pg. 11].

• Pg. 111. - Power of attorney given by Betsy Mann of Bath to Robert Armstrong of Bath to transact business with William H. Cavendish of Greenbrier Co. concerning land Thomas Mann, dec., sold to Thomas Holiday, now subject of suit in chancery in Greenbrier court. June 9, 1798. Wit: A. and John Armstrong. [Source: Abstracts of the Wills and Inventories of Bath County, Virginia, 1791-1842, Bruns, pg. 15].

Records in Augusta County, VA

From Chalkley’s Augusta County Records:

• Vol. 2 - McClintic vs. Mann--O. S. 270; N. S. 95--Bill, 26th July, 1807, by Robert McClintic and Jane, his wife; W. H. Cavendish and wife, Alice; Alexander McClintic and wife, Sarah; which Jane, Alice and Sarah are daughters of William Mann, Sr., deceased, and sisters of William Mann, Jr., deceased. William, Sr., died, testate, will dated 3d February, 1778, and recorded in Botetourt. William Mann, Jr., died 1794 under age. Moses and John Mann are sons of William, Sr. Deed, 10th December, 1799, by Moses Mann and Sarah; John Mann and Archibald Mann, devisees of William Mann, deceased, of Bath County to Alexander McClintic, 163 acres, patented to William Mann 15th September, 1789, in Bath on Jackson's River. Recorded in Bath County, December, 1799. William Mann, Sr., had a son Thomas, who had a son William Thomas Mann. Will of William Mann of Botetourt. Wife, Jane; oldest son, Moses, infant; second son, Thomas, infant; third son, William, infant; fourth son, John, infant; eldest daughter, Ealse; second daughter, Jenny; third daughter, Sarah. Thos. Madison, James Graham, Ro. Armstrong, Jr., executors. Dated 3d February, 1778. Recorded in Botetourt, November, 1778. Jane Mann deposes, at house of Robert Kincaid in Bath, 28th April, 1808. William Mann died 20th March, 1778. Jane is the widow. Their son William died an infant. William, Sr., also had a son Archibald. Wm. H. Cavindish married the widow McClintick Jane's daughter. John Kincaid deposes, at John Mann's house on Jackson's River in Bath County, 6th June, 1818, remembers that he came to this section 12 or 18 months before battle of Guilford, at which time Mrs. Mann, mother of defendant Moses, was in possession of the land.

Notes

The second son [of William and Jane Mann], Thomas married Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Armstrong and had one son, William Thomas Mann. Thomas and Elizabeth were the great grandparents of the New York multimillionaire Isaac Thomas Mann, who built a large mansion in Bramwell, West Virginia, which stands today as a tourist attraction. Elizabeth married for the second time to James Steele and had nine children by this marriage. After his marriage to Elizabeth, Thomas moved to Monroe county, West Virginia, four miles south of Fort Springs.

The story of how Thomas and William Mann met their fate goes something like this: After Thomas had moved to present day Monroe county, he and his brother William went to Ohio to fight the Indians. They probably served under General Wayne, who in 1794 overcame the hostile Indians who had broken out about three years before and cut to pieces St. Clair’s army. It appears that the two brothers were on the south side of the Kanawha river when a man named Simon Girty appeared on the opposite side of the river and gave the sign of distress, requesting them to come over in a boat for him, saying that he was being pursued by Indians. After much persuasion, they along with others, agreed to go. As they approached the other shore, the Indians came out of hiding and fired upon them. Thomas is supposed to have been instantly killed. William was badly wounded, but with the assistance of his companions, turned the boat amid a fusillade from the enemy and finally reached their own shore again. William, though suffering from his mortal wound, tried to return to Fort Donally, Greenbrier county, but got only as far as present day Fayette county. There he succumbed to his wounds and was buried at the foot of a beech tree at Stretcher’s Neck. The tree on which his name was cared stood until 1870 when the C&O Railroad was building Stretcher Neck Tunnel. The tree was cut down and the grave lost sight of by his relatives.

The Simon Girty in this tale was the notorious “white Indian” and renegade, a traitor to his own people. He had been a sergeant in the British Army at Fort Pitt and for some reason deserted. His infamy has come down in history; I first made his acquaintance in the novels of Zane Grey, bequeathed to me by grandma Ann Scott. Zane Grey’s own ancestors were instrumental in building Wheeling, Ohio and saw many encounters with hostile Indians.

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