Benjamin C. Chaires (1786 - 1838)

Born 25 Jan 1786 in Onslow County, North Carolina, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Sara Jane (Powell) Chaires — married 18 Feb 1811 in Milledgeville, Baldwin, Georgia, United States

Descendants

Died 4 Oct 1838 at age 52 in Leon County, Florida, United States

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Index of Plantations

Slaves of Benjamin C Chaires of Leon County, Florida

Biography

Benjamin Chaires was born on 25 Jan 1786 in Onslow County, North Carolina, USA^[1] He is the son of Joseph Chaires and Mary Green.^{[2][3][4][5][6]}

He married Sara Powell on 18 Feb 1811.^[7][8]

Benjamin and his family were living in Leon County, Florida in 1830. The census stated he had 213 slaves.^[9]

Benjamin Chaires died 4 Oct. 1838, of yellow fever. Burial was in the Verdura Plantation Cemetery, Tallahassee, Leon County, Florida.^[10][11]

The history posted on his Find A Grave: Memorial #37198787 states:

MR. BENJAMIN CHAIRES was born in Onslow Co., N. C. in 1786. He was the son of Joseph Chaires and Mary Green Chaires. He first moved to Jefferson Co., GA and married Sarah Jane Powell on the 8th of Feb. 1811 in Baldwin Co., GA. After his father died in 1821, Benjamin went to Jacksonville, FL where he helped to layout and name the streets there. In 1830, he ws the President of The Bank of Florida, now Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce. He was also the founding President of Central Bank of Florida in 1832. He was the first millionaire in Florida. At the time of his will, June 1835, he had recorded 9, 440 acres in Leon Co., Florida.

Their children were Joseph b. 1811, Mary Ann b. 1813, Green D. b. 1816, Benjamin C. b. 1821, Furman b. 1823, Sarah Jane b. 1825, Thomas B. b. 1828, Martha b. 1829, Charles P. b. 1830 Josephine b. 1832.

His obituary stated Benjamin C Chaires:

DIED on Thursday the 4th instant, at his residence near Tallahassee, after a short illness, Maj. BENJAMIN CHAIRES, aged 53 years. Mr. C. was a native of the State of North Carolina, but moved to Georgia in early life, and from the latter State to Florida, upon its cession to the United States. Endowed with an intellect of a highly superior order, a close observer of men and things; with a strong fund of practical good sense, aided by experience; and being reflecting and prudent, a high value was placed upon his judgment by all who knew him. By a course of industry, economy, prudence, punctuality, and strict probity, he acquired in early life extensive credit, by which he was enabled to amass a princely estate. He was the wealthiest planter and capitalist in Florida; and one among the most affluent in the South. Florida has sustained a loss by his death. His enterprise gave an impulse to many of our public improvements, and we know he intended to aid warmly and liberally others in contemplation. He was one of the original projectors of the Tallahassee & St. Marks Railroad; and his name and exertion on behalf of St. Joseph, and the reliance upon his judgment and his belief of the ultimate favorable success of that undertaking, inspired confidence in it. His death will be a severe loss to the citizens of that place. He was a kind and affectionate husband, a fond and indulgent father, a warm friend, a useful citizen, and a good man. He left this world in possession of the cheering confidence of a happy resurrection through the merits of his redeemer. W.^[12]

Benjamin Chaires' will was written on 12 Jun 1835, and passed probate on 13 October 1838.^[13][14] Wife Sarah gives up her dower.^[15]

Benjamin Chaires "..died in 1838, leaving his property to his wife and children. “. . . to my beloved wife Sarah Chaires . . . my mansion or dwelling house and 500 acres around it, . . . my household furniture, carriage and horses and negro man Henry, the carriage driver; also one tenth part of all my personal estate”. He had ten children and five of them were still minors at the time of his death. Apparently Chaires felt no affection for his son-in-law, William Burgess, the husband of his daughter, Mary Ann, for he did not include her in the one tenth share but left her a sum of $10,000 to be paid her “whenever her husband . . . shall die, and not before . . . It being my express desire that said William Burgess shall not have any part of the same or enjoy any benefit whatsoever.”

"Chaires appointed his brother, Green Chaires, and his son, Joseph Chaires, as executors of his estate. Green and Joseph must have disapproved of Burgess too, for they gave Mary Ann five female negro slaves, and a horse and barouche with harness. However, it was distinctly understood that they would hold this property for the separate use of Mary Ann, free from the control of William."^[16]

Slaves

Benjamin Chaires owned a third interest in a plantation on Amelia Island, and eventually owned properties in St John's County, Duval County, and Alachua County, all in Florida.^[17] He also owned hundreds of slaves that worked his Verdura Plantation and Fauntleroy Place, in Leon County, Florida.^[18] Purchases property and 57 slaves from George L. Fauntleroy in 1836.^[19] In his will he leaves to his wife, Henry, the carriage driver.

"Agreement for division of Negroes purchased by Thomas Fitch and Benjamin Chaires"

"Providence St. Johns 10 May 1820

On a division of the gang of negroes which we purchased from George Atkinson the following number Thirty two belong to Benjamin Chaires namely:

• Old Mary,
• Old Joe, Nanny his wife,
• Hosea and Moses and four other children Maria, Bob, Isaac and Elsa,
• Cain and Little Mary his wife,
• Joe Gordon and his wife Cumbra and their infant child David,
• July and his wife Long Mary and their three children Simon, Judy and Peter,
• Ned a small fellow,
• Tom and his wife Louisa and their two children Betsy and David,
• Jim and his wife Amaritta and their child Pender,
• Beauty and his wife Big Nancy,
• Edward,
• Qua Billy and
• Joe one of the Gang we purchased of M. Kinne and Dupont...

we agree that the same negroes shall remain at planting at St. Johns and the Beach place on Amelia Island till the present crop is gathered and in equal proportion to remain till the crop is prepared and sent to market."^[20]

For more information on specific named slaves, visit this page:

Sources

1. ↑ SAR Membership Number: 96957
2. ↑ Source: #S367 Page: See entry
3. ↑ Source: #S1 Page: SAR Membership Number: 96957 Object: @M2650@
4. ↑ Source: #S368 Page: Data Source: County Court Records - FHL # 0276241-0276242
5. ↑ Source: #S368 Page: Data Source: County Court Records - FHL # 0276241-0276242
6. ↑ Source: #S367 Page: See entry
7. ↑ Source: #S1 Page: SAR Membership Number: 96957 Object: @M2650@
8. ↑ Marriage: "Georgia, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1754-1850"
   Dodd, Jordan, comp.. Georgia Marriages to 1850. Electronic transcription of marriage records held by the individual counties in Georgia
   Ancestry Record 2085 #175 (accessed 2 July 2022)
   Benjamin Chaires marriage to Sarah Powell on 8 Feb 1811 in Georgia.
9. ↑ 1830 Census: "1830 United States Federal Census"
   Year: 1830; Census Place: Magnolia, Leon, Florida; Series: M19; Roll: 15; Page: 132; Family History Library Film: 0006711
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 8058 #468693 (accessed 2 July 2022)
   Benjamin Chaires.
10. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/37198787/benjamin-chaires : accessed 02 July 2022), memorial page for Benjamin Chaires (25 Jan 1786–4 Oct 1838), Find A Grave: Memorial #37198787, citing Verdura Plantation Cemetery, Tallahassee, Leon County, Florida, USA ; Maintained by Betty Jones Mikell (contributor 46932103) .
11. ↑ Source: SAR Membership Number: 96957
12. ↑ Source: SAR Membership Number: 96957
13. ↑ Probate: "Florida, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1827-1950"
    Probate Records, 1827-1887, Index to Estates, 1831-1974; Author: Florida. County Judge's Court (Leon County); Probate Place: Leon, Florida
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 8993 #498912 (accessed 2 July 2022)
    Benj Chaires Sr probate on 13 Oct 1838.
14. ↑ Florida Probate Records, 1784-1990: "Florida Probate Records, 1784-1990"
    Catalog: Probate records, 1827-1887, index to estates, 1831-1974 Probate packets no. 1-31 1827-1837
    Image path: Florida Probate Records, 1784-1990 > Leon > Probate packets 1827-1837 no 1-31 > image 1138 of 1172
    FamilySearch Image (accessed 9 January 2022)
    • Probate, loose papers
15. ↑ Deed: "Deeds, 1825-1886; index, 1825-1940"
    Catalog: Deeds, 1825-1886; index, 1825-1940 Deeds, v. E 1835-1839
    Film number: 007898640 > image 517 of 572
    FamilySearch Image (accessed 9 January 2022)
    • Deed bk E p.771
16. ↑ Volume 33, Number 1 (1954) Florida Historical Quarterly, Vol 33, Issue 1, Plantation Economy in Leon County 1830-1840, by Julia Hering
17. ↑ Wikipedia Article on Benjamin Chaires(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Chaires)
18. ↑ Slaves of Benjamin C Chaires of Leon County, Florida (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Slaves_of_Benjamin_C_Chaires_of_Leon_County%2C_Florida)
19. ↑ Deed: "Deeds, 1825-1886; index, 1825-1940"
    Catalog: Deeds, 1825-1886; index, 1825-1940 Deeds, v. F 1829-1842
    Film number: 007903536 > image 37 of 402
    FamilySearch Image (accessed 9 January 2022)
    • 1836 Deed Bk F p.47
20. ↑ Florida Memory. Florida’s Role in the Civil War Before 1861: Florida’s Journey into Civil War, Slavery in Florida Before 1821, "Agreement for division of Negroes purchased by Thomas Fitch and Benjamin Chaires" (https://www.floridamemory.com/learn/exhibits/civilwar/before1861/)

See also:

• Fauntleroy Plantation
• Verdura Plantation, Leon County, Florida
• Wikipedia contributors, "Verdura Plantation," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Verdura_Plantation&oldid=1062874162 (accessed July 2, 2022).
• Public notice for a slave sale on June 29, 1842 near Tallahassee. 1842. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory. <https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/212336>, accessed 18 June 2021.
• Florida Ante Bellum Plantations
• Slavery and Plantation Growth in Antebellum Florida: 1821-1860 by Julia Floyd Smith, pp141-143 on website, pp 125-127 in actual document regarding Benjamin Chaires (https://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/AA/00/06/19/96/00001/9781947372627_Smith.pdf)
• Family History or Pedigree: "U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970"
  Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970. Louisville, Kentucky: National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Microfilm, 508 rolls
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2204 #1051124 (accessed 2 July 2022)
  Name: Benjamin C Chaires; Birth Date: 25 Jan 1786; Birth Place: Onslow, North Carolina; Death Date: 4 Oct 1838; Death Place: Leon, Florida; SAR Membership: 96957; Role: Ancestor; Application Date: 21 Apr 1968; Father: Joseph Chaires; Mother: Mary Green; Spouse: Sara Powell; Children: Green D Chaires.
• 1826 Legal Record: "U.S., General Land Office Records, 1776-2015"
  Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records; Washington D.C., USA; Federal Land Patents, State Volumes
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 1246 #222545 (accessed 2 July 2022)
  Name: Benjamin Chaires; Issue Date: 1 Dec 1826; Place: Leon, Florida, USA; Land Office: Tallahassee; Meridian: Tallahassee; Township: 1-S; Range: 2-E; Section: 9; Accession Number: FL0020__.275; Document Number: 772; Original URL: http://glorecords.blm.gov/details/patent/default.aspx?accession=FL0020__.275&docClass=STA&sid=1dy5ksch.3mf.
• Ancestry Profile
• Source: S1 Author: Ancestry.com Title: U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.Original data - Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970. Louisville, Kentucky: National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Microfilm, 508 rolls; Repository: #R1
• Repository: R1 Name: Ancestry.com Address: http://www.Ancestry.com E-Mail Address: Phone Number:

Acknowledgements

Chaires-9 was created by William Foster through the import of MKF Tree 2015-06-25.ged on Jun 25, 2015.