Always fascinated by the story of her ancestor, Mary Draper Ingles, and of her long walk through the wilderness in 1755, Brown is becoming a respected authority on Virginia’s frontier history, and of the settlements along the New River. Her enthusiasm has often led her to make costumed appearances at festivals and schools, pretending to be the real Mary Ingles (as an older woman)…sharing her insights into the personality and resilience of a remarkable 18th century woman.
Among the examples of her research are:
Articles published in the Smithfield Review, Vol. 7 & 8 (2003, 2004)
Conference papers written while a graduate student at Virginia Tech
Talks and Slide Shows for audiences at DAR and SAR functions
Book reviews, with recommendations for further reading for scholars
Results of ancestry searches – looking for descendants of Mary Draper and William Ingles
Information about her own branch of the Ingles family…starting with the marriage of Julia Harvey to Andrew Lewis Ingles. (This branch has been somewhat overlooked in the family tree information published in other places
Family Histories – shedding light on nineteenth century Virginia (re”: Jim MiCou)
Research about the Inglis/Ingles/Engles/English branches of the family…how are they connected?
Excerpts from other research, articles about the Ingles family, etc. and slideshow:
About the Ingles Family
Portrait of George Draper
Notes on the Barger Family
Squeezing Water from a Stone: Extracting History from a Store Ledger
Roberta Ingles Steele Obituary
Thanks to the Smithfield Review…one of the best sources of scholarly research and writing concerning the history of Southwest Virginia. Ellen Brown recently approached the editors and asked permission to reprint here an article she had published in the Review in 2003, entitled, What Really Happened at Drapers Meadows. This may help researchers gain a deeper understanding of the historiography concerning Mary Ingles. Please visit their website www.smithfieldplantation.org, purchase copies of the Review from the museum store, and make plans to visit Smithfield for a tour next time you are in Blacksburg. They have costumed interpreters and can offer visitors an amazing experience of daily life on the western frontier, home of William and Susanna Preston. Smithfield (now on the campus of Virginia Tech) is on land that was once known as Drapers Meadows, where William and Mary Ingles were living in 1755 when Shawnee Indians attacked, taking captive Mary, her sons George and Thomas and her sister-in-law Betty. For those of us interested in the Mary Draper Ingles story, historic Smithfield is a real treasure, providing a wonderful place to bring visitors.
Many thanks to our first sponsors:
Daryl & Suzanne Brach
who help us continue our research into what happened at Drapers Meadows. Susanne’s ancester, Casper Barger, was killed there on July 30, 1755 when Mary Draper Ingles and her children were captured by the Shawnee and take to Ohio.
We’d love for others to help us build this website by becoming sponsors of this or other pages!