Mary was a neighbor and friend of Nelly Custis, a daughter of Martha Washington.
As a girl of fourteen, Mary Cox was one who strew flowers before General Washington at the reception given him by the people of New Jersey at Trenton Bridge, just before he was made President, 29 April 1789.
She was appointed vice regent for South Carolina of the Mount Vernon Association in April 1860.
Mary was born at
Trenton, Mercer Co., New Jersey, on 22 March 1775. She was the daughter of
Colonel John Cox and
Ester Bowes. She married
James Chesnut at
Philadelphia, Philadelphia Co., Pennsylvania, on 20 September 1796. James and Mary met while James was a student at Princeton.
On their bridal journey from Philadelphia to Camden they drove a cream colored coach with four horses and out riders.. Mary died on 13 March 1864 at
Bloomsbury, Camden, Kershaw Co., South Carolina, at age 88. Her body was interred in March 1864 at
Camden, Kershaw Co., South Carolina, at Knight's Hill Cemetery.