Thomas Cheatham I (1644 - 1726)

Born 1644 in Deane, Lancashire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret (Houlme) Cheatham — married 13 Feb 1669 in Deane, Lancashire, England

Husband of Margaret Maye (McClure) Cheatham — married 2 Oct 1681 in Henrico, Virginia Colony

Descendants

Died 1 Aug 1726 at about age 82 in Henrico, Colony of Virginia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Cortland Lowe [send private message]

Biography

Thomas Cheatham I was born in England.

Thomas Cheatham I was a Virginia colonist.

Thomas Cheatham I was born abt 1644 Deane, Lancashire, England. His father needs to be determined with reliable sources.

possibly son of Jonathan Chetam.

possibly son of William (Cheatham) Chetham (1615-1656). Note - William profile states it is unlikely to be William

Thomas Cheatham I married Margareta Hulme on 13 Feb 1669 at St Mary's church, Deane, St Mary, Lancashire, England.^[1][2]

He married Margaret Maye McClure on 2 Oct 1681 in Henrico County, Virginia.^[3]

Thomas Cheatham was in a York County, Virginia Charles Parish Records with his wife Margarett Cheatham.^[4]

He died 1 Aug 1726 in Henrico County, Virginia. ^[3]

From Descendants of Thomas Cheatham of Chesterfield County, Virginia ^[5]

Thomas Cheatham I was the original Cheatham immigrant to the New World. He is listed in Nugent's Cavalier's and Pioneers, Volume II p. 358 as being a headright imported by Martin Elam. On 23 October 1690 Elam received 900 acres in Varina Parish of Henrico County on the south side of the James River and on Proctor's Branch, his right for importing eighteen persons. Among these eighteen immigrants was listed Thomas Cheatham.

Quoting from the introduction to Volume I of the named series, author Nugent states: "It is not to be assumed that the claim for land in consequence of a person transported was made immediately after the arrival of the headright in the colony. There is, for instance, record of a patentee awarded land for the transportation of three wives, who, it is safe to conclude, were successive. The headrights may have arrived in the colony long before the patentee had entered claim for land thereby due. Nor is it to be assumed that the headright is necessarily an immigrant. Even men of prominence in the colony, through a voyage or repeated voyages to England and return, appear as headrights of friends or relatives, who acquitted the cost of the passage in order to obtain the consequent land."^[6]

And indeed Thomas was in the colony long before Elam's 1691 claim. He is first found living in York County, Virginia where the register of Charles Parish records the death of his wife in 1670 as follows, "Margarett Cheatham, wife of Thomas, died April 6, 1670."^[7] We are led to wonder what caused her early death and if she was the mother of any of the eight children of Thomas.

Sometime thereafter he moved up the James River to that part of Henrico County which later became Chesterfield. The record shows him there as a witness in a court case on 9 Nov. 1677.^[8] Again in 1679 Thomas was among twenty men sho signed a warrant for viewing the body of one deceased to determine if the man had died a natural death or had met foul play.^[9] And in the following year on 10 February 1680 he testified in court that his horse had been stolen from him.^[10] At the time he gave his age as 34 years so we can establish that he was born about 1645 or 1546.

I believe Thomas married again in 1681 but can find no record of his second wife's name. In Henrico Records, 1677-162, p. 185 the "lycensed" granted at Henrico Court on 24 October 1681 for the year and returned to "towne Jamestown, the seat of government" were enumerated. Among seven such licenses granted for the year was one for Thomas Cheatham for which he paid 200 pounds of tobacco. The William and Mary Quarterly, Volume 27, p. 191 uses this reference as proof of the marriage of another of the licensees, Seth Ward, stating "The above is evidence that Seth Ward was married in 1681." Therefore, I conclude that Thomas also was married that same year.

A rather frightening incident is reported in the Henrico records in 1694 in which Thomas testified in court that on Monday night, the 20 August, about midnight he heard his dogs in a great rage. Coming to the door, he heard someone calling "Thomas Cheatham, get up, get up". There he saw Mr. Thomas Edward's Indian who told him that is master sent word that he must be at William Puckett's at daybreak for all the county, both "horse and foot" were to be there. The Jeniters (Genito Indians) had killed Mr. Jones' Indian and had taken two or three English women. At the time of this testimony Thomas gave his age as fifty. ^[11]

Thomas was the only Cheatham listed in the Quit Rent Rolls of Virginia for 1704, paying 1 shilling per fifty acres to the King for his 300 acres of property, establishing him as the only property holder by this name in the colony at the time. This acreage was undoubtedly the 300 acres which he had purchased from Martin Elam on 29 January 1691 for 2000 pounds of tobacco. ^[12]

In his will of 2 May 1720 Thomas left his property to his eight children: Thomas, Jonathan, Marmaduke, Benjamin, Mary, Susanna, Tabytha, and William and his grandson, Thomas. His land bordering Proctor's Creek, which emptied into the James River a short distance northwest of Dutch Gap, bounded ba an Indian path and Arthur Moseley's property was left to his eldest son, Thomas. His lesser effect- books, clothing, a horse named Norman, a gold ring, a scenting bottle, and a slave named Mary Herbert-were willed to his other children and grandson.

Thomas' Will was probated 1 August 1726 so I assume that he had died earlier that same year, being about eighty years of age.

It is interesting to me to note that Arthur Moseley who lived on the adjoining land and who witnessed Thomas' will was the direct ancestor of my husband. Our families have had ties for well over two and a half centuries.

Will of Thomas Cheatham dated 21 May 1720 Henrico County, Virginia

To son Thomas, Jr. that part of land I live on according to its first and earliest bounds, beginning at Indian Paton path on Proctor Creek along said path south to a marked pine corner tree in the Moseley line, thence east to a marked corner pine in the head of the branch before his house, down said branch north to the creek, then up said creek to the beginning.

To son Jonathan my wearing clothes.

To son Marmaduke four books, vis. "The Parable of the Pilgrim," "The Rule and Exercise of Holy Living and Dying," "Osborne's Advice to a Son," and "Coker's Arithmetic."

To son Benjamin two books, viz. "Dr. Smith's Sermons," "True Happiness and a Comfortable Walk with God," and "Allen's Sermons on Conversion," also one ewe lamb, also the bed upon which I lie with the furniture thereof.

To daughters Mary and Susannah each a pair of gloves.

To Tabitha is given Mary Herbert for the time she has to serve, viz. 21 years of age, also the horse called Norman, the plush side saddle, one doubled paringer, a dram cup, a scenting bottle, a gold ring, and one grand pewter candlestick.

To son William, who is named executor, all singular lands tenanted by him to be freely enjoyed.

Signed and dated May 21, 1720.

Witnesses: Arthur Moseley, Jr., John Clark, Jr.

Abstract of will is on Virginians site^[13]

Research Notes

• The original profile gave his birthplace as Lancashire, Leeds, England. Lancashire is not in Leeds. Leeds is in Yorkshire, a different County entirely. For this reason, Leeds has been deleted,

• Searched Lancashire OPC for christening (Hardman-1532 19:31, 14 August 2020 (UTC)) of Thomas Cheatham with father William. There is nothing for 1644 with any father. The closest is:

  Baptism: 30 Jun 1657 St Katharine, Blackrod, Lancashire, England

  Thomas Cheetam - Son of William Cheetam^[14]

THE IMMIGRANT. The spelling of “Chetam”, “Cheetham” usually appears as CHEATHAM now.

Sources

1. ↑ "Manchester, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1541-1812," database with images, Ancestry Sharing Link - (Ancestry Record 2959 #1201330 : accessed 31 January 2023), citing Anglican Parish Registers, Manchester, England Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives. Images produced by permission of Manchester City Council. Images may be used only for the purposes of the family history research in accordance with Ancestry’s website terms of use. At the request of the Manchester Diocese it is highlighted that the use of images for retrospective or proxy baptism is not permitted, Reference Number GB127.L85/1/1/1.
2. ↑ http://www.lan-opc.org.uk Register: Marriages 1604 - 1686, Page 133, Entry 35; Source: Private Transcription
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Family Tree Maker , Posted 28 Jul 2012 by Annabelle Sorrels Kowalski, Media
4. ↑ "York County, Virginia, Charles Parish Records, 1648-1789," database, (Ancestry Record 3479 #450003279 : accessed 31 January 2023), Name Thomas Cheatham, Gender Male, Parish Charles Parish, Residence Place York, Virginia, USA, Spouse Margarett Cheatham.
5. ↑ Moseley, Lucille Cheatham, "Descendants of Thomas Cheatham of Chesterfield County Virginia", (Dietz Pres, Inc, Richmond, Virginia, 1981) Chapter 1, pages 1-4 Thomas Cheatham, the Immigrant
6. ↑ Nugent, Nell Marion, Cavalier and pioneers; abstracts of Virginia land patents and grants, 1623-1800, (Virginia State Library, Virginia Genealogical Society, 1934) Vol 1 Page xxv
7. ↑ Bell, Landon C., Charles Parish, York County, Virginia-History and Register, Virginia State Library Board, 1932, p.207.
8. ↑ Henrico Records, Book I, p. 39.
9. ↑ Henrico Records, Book I, p. 108
10. ↑ Henrico Records, Book I, p. 153.
11. ↑ Henrico Records, Book 5, p. 535
12. ↑ Henrico Records, Book 5, p. 274.
13. ↑ Pritchett, John W, Southside Virginia Genealogies, Family History of John W Pritchett, [https://www.virginians.com/t.htm?1660 Ancestry Family Topic 1660 - Thomas Cheatham I (c. 1645-1726)
14. ↑ http://www.lan-opc.org.uk Register: Baptisms 1606 - 1701, Page 59; Source: Private Transcription

See also:

• Bell, Landon C. “Farmer.” Cumberland Parish Lunenburg County, Virginia, 1746-1816, Vestry Book, 1746-1816. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1994:207-212. • The family of Sarah Cheatham and Lodowick Farmer.

• Collier, Eugenia Parsons and Susan Deupree Jones, “The Children of Stephen and Unity Cheatham.” The Virginia Genealogist. 34:34-40 (1990). • Family of Stephen Cheatham and Unity Leath.

• Dennstedt, Alberta Marjorie. “The Cheatham Family of Colonial Family.” The Virginia Genealogist. 27: 163-173, 273-279 (1983); 28: 38-43, 102-112, 209-216, 293-197 (1984); 29: 32-40, 123-127, 179-185, 262-265 (1985); 30: 17-23, 99-104 (1986). • Careful study of the families of Thomas Cheatham and William Cheatham.

• Foley, Louise Pledge Heath. Early Virginia Families Along the James River: Their Deep Roots and Tangled Branches. Vol. I, (Henrico County - Goochland County, Virginia) database with images, (Ancestry Image: accessed 31 January 2023); citing Rent Roll of Virginia 1704-1705, April 1705, Cheatham Tho page 300 > image 162 of 176.

• Henrico County, Virginia Deeds 1677-1705, Compiled by Benjamin b Weisiger III, Richmond, Virginia, 1986 p. 18

• York County, Virginia, Charles Parish Records, 1648-1789 Kinard, June Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc

• "English Duplicates of Lost Virginia Records," database with images, Ancestry Sharing Link - (Ancestry Image : accessed 31 January 2023); citing Quit Rent Rolls > image 223 of 387.

• Genealogies of Virginia Families from the William and Mary College Quarterly. Vol. V. Thompson-Yates Ancestry Record 48436 #344489 Image Ward Family, mentioned in will of Blackman Ward as 'friend Thos. Cheatham' at top of Image 382 of 1022 (accessed 31 January 2023)

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/144367550/thomas-cheatham: accessed 31 January 2023), memorial page for Thomas Cheatham (1644–1 Aug 1726), Find A Grave: Memorial #144367550, citing Smith Cemetery, York County, Virginia, USA; Maintained by US Army Ret Virgil L & Ruth Biddle Cheatham (contributor 47803726)

Acknowledgments

• Profile Cheatham-93 was created through the import of harvey.ged on May 28, 2011 by Debbie Harvey.
• Thanks to Charles Walter for starting this profile