Yorktown in York County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Mary Aggie and the Benefit of Clergy

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, November 25, 2015

1. Mary Aggie and the Benefit of Clergy Marker

Inscription. Mary Aggie, an enslaved woman, was convicted of theft in York County in 1730. Lt. Gov. William Gooch, impressed with Mary’s profession of faith when she sued previously for her freedom, supported her 1730 claim for “benefit of clergy,” which then allowed only white men to escape the harshest penalties for most first offenses by reading a passage from the Bible. Gooch’s support resulted in Aggie's pardon on the condition that she be sold out of Virginia. In 1732, the General Assembly extended a modified form of benefit of clergy to all races and women. Aggie probably never knew her plea's significant legal effect. Virginia abolished the benefit by 1848.

Erected 2011 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number NP-13.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Colonial Era • Women. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1730.

Location. 37° 13.415′ N, 76° 30.848′ W. Marker is in Yorktown, Virginia, in York County. It is at the intersection

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of Goosley Road (Virginia Route 238) and Historical Tour Road, on the right when traveling east on Goosley Road. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Yorktown VA 23690, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Virginia’s Peninsula,

in Coastal Virginia,

and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Tidewater.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Yorktown (here, next to this marker); Outer Works (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); The “NECK” (approx. 0.3 miles away); Grand French Battery (approx. 0.4 miles away); Shiloh Baptist Church (approx. 0.4 miles away); a different marker also named The Grand French Battery

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, November 25, 2015

2. Mary Aggie and the Benefit of Clergy Marker

(approx. 0.4 miles away); First Allied Siege Line (approx. 0.4 miles away); Yorktown National Cemetery (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Yorktown.

Credits. This page was last revised on March 19, 2022. It was originally submitted on November 25, 2015, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,100 times since then and 94 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 25, 2015, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.