Wilson Miles Cary
Wilson-Miles Cary was an American politician from Virginia. A prominent patriot in the American Revolutionary War and once one of the wealthiest men in the Colony of Virginia, Cary served in the Virginia House of Burgesses and later the Virginia House of Delegates as a Federalist who represented at various times Warwick County, Elizabeth [City County, Virginia|Elizabeth City County] and the newly created Fluvanna County. Cary also built Carysbrook Plantation in Fluvanna County, where he died in the household of his grandson Wilson Jefferson Cary.
Early life
Wilson-Miles Cary was born into the First Families of Virginia, on Richneck Plantation. He was the son of Sarah and Wilson Cary, who was a son of Miles Cary II, a politician who owned plantations in Warwick County and Elizabeth City County. Cary was educated at the College of William and Mary.Career
Cary began his public career in 1757, when he became one of the justices of the peace for Warwick County, as well as won election to the Warwick Parish vestry. The next year he accepted the position of lieutenant colonel in the local militia, and in 1761 succeeded his father as naval officer for the lower district of the James River.In 1762, Cary moved his family eastward on the major road connecting Williamsburg and the great Hampton Roads port, into Elizabeth City County. They resided at what was called Ceelys on the James. Cary became a justice of the peace of the Elizabeth City County court, and would serve for nearly four decades. Cary also became colonel of its militia. Cary was Anglican, and was elected in 1767 to be a vestryman of St. John's in Elizabeth City Parish.
Elizabeth City County voters elected Cary to succeed burgess William Wager, and Cary served alongside his probable teacher George Wythe until 1769, when James Wallace succeeded Wythe, then Cary and Wallace jointly served as Elizabeth City's burgesses until 1772. Cary resumed his legislative service during the American Revolutionary War, serving in the final revolutionary convention May 6 – July 6, 1776 alongside Henry King, then King and Cary jointly represented Elizabeth City County in the first session of the Virginia House of Delegates that began on October 7, 1776. Then as Wythe became speaker of the House of Delegates, Cary began representing newly created Fluvanna County, and was re-elected along with Thomas Napier until 1778.
During the American Revolutionary War, as a consequence of Cary being a supporter of the patriot cause and the owner of a large number of slaves at several different plantations, his plantations were frequently raided by the British. At least 24 slaves left with the British after they came to Richneck Plantation.
After a year of no legislative service for Cary, Elizabeth City County voters elected him in 1780 as one of their delegates, but he was declared ineligible because of nonresidence. In as late as 1782, in the Virginia Census, Cary is listed as the owner of over 280 slaves. In 1783, Warwick County voters elected Cary as one of their delegates, and he won re-election twice, serving alongside two different neighbors until succeeded by his son. Cary again won re-election as one of Elizabeth City County's delegates in 1795 and re-election.
Although his name is often written with a hyphen, the hyphen is absent from some contemporary records, including surviving Warwick County records. His great-grandson of the same names did not hyphenate his name.