Wake Wednesday 250 - Margaret Wake Tryon

Wake Wednesday 250 - Margaret Wake Tryon - Mother of Wake

It is very fitting to include this previous post in the Wake 250 series. Margaret and her husband"s (William Tryon Colonial Governor of NC colony) very presence and actions were pivotal in the events leading up to the Revolution. I am sure sentiment about them was mixed at the time.

March is Womens' History Month!

Let's start it off by recognizing the woman of Wake - Margaret Wake Tryon. She may or may not have been the "Mother of Wake County", but our county was certainly named for her in 1770, by none other than Joel Lane, according to Wikipedia.

source

Margaret was reported to be a "fine accomplish'd lady" in her day, possessed of skills and interests not usually adopted by women of her era. This description at Wikipedia certainly supports that notion.

Wake was described as an "accomplished" and "learned" woman who had a talent for playing the organ and spinet.^[3] She was known to avoid women's company and preferred to engage in men's conversation, particularly on the topics of government and military fortifications, which was considered unconventional at the time.^[3] She was also interested in military strategy and religion, and kept a large library at Tryon Palace.^[12] Wake reportedly insisted on being addressed as Your Excellency, her husband's form of address.^[3]

You may enjoy this story about Margaret at the Norwich Castle Blog.

Hats off to Margaret! Huzzah!

Comments

Wake Wednesday - Slave Narratives in the Wake Treasures Journal Archive

A selection of the slave narratives relevant to Wake County were transcribed as noted below. The Wake Treasures Journal Archives are currently free to all to view. Note that historical materials often include viewpoints, language, norms, and values of the original creators that may be harmful to our sensibilities today. There is language here that some may wish to skip. The words of the original speakers were preserved as originally expressed.* SLAVE NARRATIVES – A FOLK HISTORY OF SLAVERY IN THE US, FROM INTERVIEWS WITH FORMER SLAVES Transcribed by Jerry J. Lewis NORTH CAROLINA NARRATIVES, Pt. 1, Vol. 14, NC District #2. This can be found in the North Carolina State Library. This was a project of the Works Progress Administration in 1937. These narratives were can be found in Vol 8.2 (starting p. 57 ) and Vol 9.1 (starting p. 59 ) The narratives include accounts from former enslaved persons who lived in Raleigh at the time of the WPA survey. Many were enslaved in Wake County...

Reminder: 2026 Wake County Genealogical Society Virtual Meetings - next - Sept 22, 2026

There is still time to register for this very interesting and timely topic! Tuesday, Sept 22, 2026 @ 6:30pm – Virtual Topic: Using Artificial Intelligence Tools in Genealogy Speaker: David McCorkle Learn how to use AI tools to process genealogical evidence from various records in a more comprehensive and less time consuming manner. This lecture will cover document analysis, reading handwriting, processing images, and more, using real examples and the latest tools. This is an introductory lecture, so no AI knowledge is required. Join us! Free and virtual! *Please register by 4pm day of meeting. *Please save your passcode and link for ease of entry at start time. *Presentation starts promptly at 6:30 pm. Link to register at the Wakecogen website events page . Registration is now open! **Get the video recording to watch on-demand for 30 days and access to our webinar handout library with your WCGS membership!** ** ...

Reminder - Join Wakecogen for "Coffee & Conversation" - July 16 Meet-up - This Thursday

Join Wakecogensoc for "Coffee & Conversation" What - July Meet-up When - Thursday, July 16 , at 9:30 am Where - Panera Bread - (Glenwood/Pleasant Valley), 6201 Glenwood Avenue , Raleigh, NC 27612 Designed by pch.vector / Freepik Our first coffee gathering was so fun, we are going to do it again! We’ll chat about what genealogical topics we're working on, or a brick wall, or ask other members how to do something. No RSVP - just show up , order your beverage or food, and look around for Barbara at a large table with a sign for WCGS. We tentatively plan to hold several more “Coffee and Conversation” events on different days and locations throughout 2026. If you are interested in hosting one, email President@WakeCoGen.org and we'll choose a date and location. Visit Wake County Genealogical Society's Website - Homepage | WCGS Events | Join WCGS | Publications | Wake Cemetery Survey Images |...

Search This Blog