Descendants of William of Mason Co., KY

Chenoweth History: 3rd Generation

The Families of John Chenoweth & Mary Calvert

(based on database cutoff date: September 22, 2003)

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WILLIAM(3) OF MASON CO., KY 1760 - aft 1830

Born in Frederick County, Virginia, the fifth son and eighth child of Thomas Chenoweth and Mary Prickett, William served in the in the Revolutionary War. William is the problem child of the Thomas group. His line, alone of the sons of Thomas, is undeveloped in the Cora Hiatt account. Unfortunately the Harris book improperly mixes him up with the family of William S. who married Catherine Rinker. No definitive evidence has ever been found as to what happened to William, but there are traces. Unlike his siblings, William is said to have remained in Kentucky when the rest crossed into Ohio. Indeed there is evidence in Mason County, KY of William's continued presence there. There is a record of a son, Michael, born to a William and Mary about 1789 in Mason Co. William is present in this location with his siblings in the 1790 Census. There is a description of a William Chenoweth from Kentucky who was a blacksmith who accompanied a settling party into the are of present day Cincinnati and then moved into Greene Co. and then disappeared. This may well be William, the son of Thomas, who returned to Mason Co., to be recorded in the 1810 Census. He is not there in 1800.

By Census he had 5 or 6 children, 3 of them sons. There are marriages In Mason Co. in the early 1800s of a Thomas, an Elizabeth and a Mercy, of unknown parentage. Another possibility of a son is the unknown William, Jr. who shows up in Adams Co., OH, just across the river from Mason Co., KY in 1830. Outside of William's presence, there are no other Chenoweth families known to have settled in Mason County after 1800 until after the 1850 Census. Based on this information, the descendant lines on this page are presented in hopes that more information will eventually be found. There is no real proof however that this is correct for William's family.

Probably the best clue we have to William is given by his grand nephew, Abraham J. Chenoweth of Kansas in a letter dated July 12 1887 as found in the Draper Papers.
"Several years ago I undertook to gather information concerning my ancestors so as to make a family tree. I have corresponded with persons, mostly Chenoweths, in KY, OH, IN, IL, IA, WI, NE, KS, CO, MO, TX, MD, and DC and have been unable to learn anything concerning my grandfather's brother William, son of Thomas. I will give you a small part of the family tree although it may be of no interest or benefit to you & give the time of birth of all of Thomas's children which might help you decide the identity of the Richard and William you are concerned with [Draper was looking for Richard and William of Jefferson Co., KY, who are Richard3 John2 and William4 William3 John2]. The 7 sons and 1 of the daughters [I assume to be Mary] of Thomas settled in Ohio in a very early day. It was in 1790 or 99 that Arthur, Abraham, John and Richard settled on the Scioto river in what became Pike Co. and Thomas and Elijah near the center of the state in Franklin Co. I don't know at what date, but possibly the same, that William located on the big Miami where Dayton is. He returned to Kentucky in a few years and all trace of him and his family was lost as far as I have been able to learn. Arthur and Abraham died and were buried in Pee Pee twp., Pike Co. OH. John didn't remain in that country very long, but moved to Indiana & located where Perryville now is. Thomas and Elijah died in Franklin Co., OH. Richard and his wife went with 2 of his sons and their family to Indiana in 1830....."

For more, see background discussion.