Miles Cary was born in Henrico County, North Carolina in about 1671. A merchant and planter, Cary also served as a clerk for a variety of colonial and county offices in Virginia, mainly based out of Warwick, Virginia. In 1713 he brought a suit against North Carolinian James Tooke, whom Cary accused of harboring one of his enslaved people. The court initially found in favor of Cary and ordered Tooke to return Stephen to Cary and also pay damages, but they reversed their decision upon appeal. Cary died near Newport News, Virginia in about 1724.