Mary Barlow was born ca 1756 in Culpeper Co., VA (later Madison Co.), as the daughter of Christopher Barlow, Jr., and Catherine Fleshman. On 10 Apr 1773, at about the age of 16 years, Mary married John Millbank in Culpeper Co. Their first child, Eleanor, was born 16 Apr 1774. Mary was confirmed in the Hebron Church on Easter of 1776, as Mary (Maria) Millbanks, and was a communicant on Easter 1777. It is not the usual case for marriage to precede confirmation but it does occur. The next two children of Mary and John, Elizabeth and Charles, were also confirmed at the church.
Mary filed an application for a pension in Scott Co., KY, in 1836, saying her husband was a "salir on Virginia line" during the Revolution. No military record was found for him and the pension was denied. Looking at other evidence in the case, it is probable that John Millbank had performed no service that would have entitled Mary to a pension.
Without having positive proof, it is believed that John Millbank may be the John Millbank tried for robbery at Old Bailey in London, England, 12 July 1770, and sentenced to death. The sentence was commuted to transportation for life. This meant that he was sentenced to be sent to the colonies where he was to spend the rest of his life. He was brought to America on the ship Scarsdale. Typically, such people were auctioned off as indentured servants to pay the cost of their transportation.
When John was tried at Old Bailey, he was one of four people, the other three of whom where sailors. Apparently, John talked about his earlier experiences to Mary, at least to the extent that she understood that he was a sailor. Perhaps, without having the details, she filed for a pension on the hope that John had served in the Revolution.
Another possibility is that John Millbank, being a sailor, joined one of the ships which had a letter of authorization to be a privateer. Such service was private and not as a member of any official armed service. If so, he would not have qualified for a pension.
Would such service have qualified a descendant for membership in one of the patriotic societies? In the past, descendants of Michael Garoutte, a privateer, have been admitted to the DAR, but I do not know their current opinion on such service.
Returning to the Millbanks, they moved, ca 1806, to Kentucky, Scott Co. in particular. He was in the 1810 and 1820 census from Scott Co. His will was approved in 1826. Her place and date of death are unknown. She was named in the will of her brother, Joseph, in 1845. This is the last record known for her. John and Mary were also the parents of three other children, Anna, Mary, and Sally.
(12 Mar 01)
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.