Kristofferson

Chenoweth Family Site

Descendants of John Chenoweth & Mary Calvert
from Colonial times to present day

[COAT-OF-ARMS]

(also Chenowith, Chenowth, Chinowth, Chinworth, Chenworth, Chineworth, Chinouth)

The world's most extensive knowledge base of Chenoweths in America

The Chenoweths of John and Mary are a Colonial Family of Cornish roots that started in the Pennsylvania and New Jersey area about 1703 and moved to Baltimore Co., MD in the 1730s. In the 1740s the father and 3 of the sons moved to Frederick Co., VA. Two of the sons stayed in Baltimore Co. Virginia became a springboard for the westward movement and the Chenoweths a family of pioneer-settlers. At every stop they settled, parts of the family remained, while others moved on. The next immigration of anyone with the Chenoweth name did not come until 1820. In the 2000 Census there were 4,699 Chenoweths and 231 Chenowiths living in the US. Spread across America, 9 of 10 of them [by various spellings] are descended from this one Colonial Family


(site established Dec 1995)
(last site update June 11, 2012)

(general site information updated rarely)
(based on site database cutoff date: September 22, 2003 note: the working database is now 42% larger than that posted)
Webmaster: Jon D. Egge Snail Mail: PO Box 1188, Woodinville, WA 98072

With the close of 2011, the website has be in operation for 16 years, on almost a daily basis. The database has expanded from a few thousand to over 184,000 names. Over 3,100 cousin contacts have been made on the internet and hundreds of others by snail mail. The genealogy lines of earlier times have been corrected to a true structure through the 4th generation. Dozens of previously unidentified lines have been successfully placed within the tree. A solid sourcing to Census data for all Chenoweths as been accomplished and the entire known family has been identified in both the 1850, 1860 and 1870 Censuses. The story of the family has been written in rich detail. Ten National Reunions have been staged. The quarterly newsletter has published its 42nd edition. I can't thank the cousins, especially Pete, Dot, Greg and Joyce enough. This has truly been a rewarding experience.

I am no longer actively updating the website, though I am still be engaged with working on the database. I wish you all a Happy New Year. -- Jon Egge, Saratoga Passage, Jan 2, 2012

I actually started a new page. It's called Jon's blog. we'll see how this goes. Every one in a while when working the database, I find an interesting story. I use to put these in the newsletter's, but will add them to the blog for now. - Jon Egge, February 14, 2021, Bells Beach, WA


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[Main Menu] - [ Site Introduction]

Page Menu

THE FAMILY:
[The first family: John & Mary] [Spellings] [Given Names] [Major Family Ties] [A Little Geography: Where we live]
[Discussion of numbers]

THE DATABASE:
Menu for: [Surname Index] [Chenoweth names] [Other surnames] [Descendant tables]
Start of: [Surname Index] [Chenoweth names] [Other surnames] [Descendant tables]

THE TECHNICAL STUFF:
[Background of Chenoweth genealogy] [Disputes] [Chenoweth Wills] [ Census pages] [ The great grandchildren - the bridge generation] [daughter marriages not found in Harris] [Blind alleys and Harris Unknowns] [Unknown Chenoweths in the Social Security System] [Database sources] [Database updates] [Coat of Arms] [EMail & Snail Mail]

OTHER CHENOWETH FAMILIES AND SITES:
[Other Lines: William Chenoweth b:1682] [Beginnings: Link to 12 generations in England] [Chenoweth GenDex Site]

SPECIAL FEATURES:
[Harris Book and other books] [Reunions] [Contributing Web Cousins and Notices]
[Noteworthy Chenoweths] [Chenoweth Heirs Association]

LINKS TO SPECIAL PAGES:
[The places they lived] [Wars: Chenoweths who served] [Arthur L. Keith] [Chenoweth Massacre]
[The Assassination of Dr. A.W. Chenoweth] [The Road to Kennesaw] [Kissing cousins] [Twins: A study of numbers]

My Other Family Pages

[The Laprath Family] [The Holt Family] [The Waltman Family] [The Wibe Family] [My Family Tree]

Site Navigation : There are over 441 pages to the Chenoweth site. [233 pages are descendant outlines, 109 various index listings, 66 information pages and narratives and 33 newsletters.] To easily navigate site a small separate Chenoweth Site Menu page is linked near the top of every page. This menu organizes and links access to all the pages at the site. All Indexes, Surnames and descendant outlines are fully accessible on this menu. It also contains a site search engine. Brief section and page descriptions can be found on a site introduction page.



The Family of John Chenoweth and Mary Calvert

All eight children known by will married and had children. Lines are known to present day for seven of these eight 2nd generation families.

John Chenoweth b: Bet. 1682 - 1683 in Cornwall d: Abt. May 1746 in Frederick Co., VA
m: Mary Calvert b: December 19, 1687 in Pennsylvania? m: Abt. 1703 d: Bef. 1737 in Maryland Presumed Father: John Calvert Presumed Mother: Judith Stamper

  1. John Chenoweth b: 1706 in Pennsylvania or Maryland d: March 05, 1771 in Frederick Co., VA m: Mary M. Smith b: Bet. 1701 - 1713 in Baltimore Co., MD m: November 26, 1730 in St. John's Parish, Baltimore Co., MD d: Aft. 1773
  2. Mary Chenoweth b: 1708 in Pennsylvania or Maryland d: Aft. 1746 m: John Watson b: Bef. 1703 m: May 24, 1733 in St. John's Parish, Baltimore Co., MD d: Abt. 1740 in Baltimore, MD
  3. Richard Chenoweth b: 1710 in Pennsylvania or Maryland d: December 12, 1781 in Baltimore Co., MD m: Kezia ? b: Bet. 1705 - 1717 m: Abt. 1733 in Baltimore Co., MD d: Unknown
  4. Hannah Chenoweth b: 1713 in Pennsylvania or Maryland d: 1764 in near Winchester, Frederick Co., VA Burial: Frederick City, Virginia m: James Carter, Jr. b: 1710 in Southampton Twp., Bucks Co., PA m: Abt. 1739 in Baltimore Co., MD d: November 18, 1758 in near Winchester Frederick Co., VA Burial: Winchester, Virginia Father: James Carter Mother: Susannah Griffith
  5. Arthur Chenoweth b: August 15, 1716 in Pennsylvania or Maryland d: March 14, 1802 in Baltimore Co., MD Military: French and Indian m: Saphira Hooker b: Abt. 1720 in Baltimore Co., MD m: Abt. 1738 d: May 16, 1800 in Baltimore Co., MD Comment: also Sophia Father: Samuel Hooker Mother: Sarah ?
  6. William Chenoweth b: 1718 in Pennsylvania or Maryland d: Bef. December 20, 1785 in Berkeley Co., VA (now WV) m: Anne Polk? b: 1722 in Baltimore Co., MD m: February 12, 1742/43 in Virginia d: Unknown
  7. Thomas Chenoweth b: 1720 in Pennsylvania or New Jersey d: Bet. 1778 - 1787 in on the North Branch of the Potomac, Washington Co., MD m: Mary Prickett b: 1723 in Burlington Co., NJ m: November 11, 1742 d: Aft. 1790 in Mason Co., KY Father: John Prickett Mother: Martha ?
  8. Ruth Chenoweth b: 1722 in Pennsylvania or Maryland d: Abt. 1760 m: John Peteet b: 1721 in Virginia m: Bef. 1743 d: 1788 in Caswell Co., NC Comment: Harris, Will of John gives Petit, Buckely also gives Peteate Father: John Richard Pettit Mother: Elizabeth Craswell
*2nd Wife of John Chenoweth:
m: Jane (Wood) ? b: Bet. 1690 - 1710 m: December 16, 1736 in St. Paul's Parish, Baltimore Co., MD d: Unknown Comment: Widow of William Wood


General Comments

[Background] [Genealogy] [Bridge] [Unknowns] [SSA] [Spellings] [Given Names] [Major Ties] [Numbers] [Coat-of-Arms] [Beginnings] [Other Lines] [Geography] [Noted Chenoweths] [Heirs Association] [Special Pages] [Sources] [Reunions]i [Cousins] [GedHTML] [Database]

Purpose: Besides providing Chenoweth information, one of the purposes of this site, and most fun for me, is to tie in new cousins and their current lines into the database. If you are a Chenoweth descendant and not in the database please contact me. If your name is Chenoweth, or a variant of that spelling, it is of particular interest that we hear from you. But your surname does not have to be Chenoweth. Mine certainly isn't. With over 18,000 (14,400 are posted) family ties recorded so far, there are lots of surnames in this family. Maybe there is a Chenoweth lurking farther back in your family tree.

This site is unique in many ways. First it is the largest compilation of descendants of the family of John Chenoweth and Mary Calvert in existence. More the name is unique in that 90% of Chenoweths in the US come from this one family and so many of the first four generations are known, which creates a very broad tree. The site data is supported by Census data with pages depicting every descendant family in the 1850 and 1860 Census. Soon this will be joined by the 1870 census. These cover both Chenoweth and daughter lines. Chenoweth listings for every Census from 1790 to 1930 as well as current SSA listings have been identified into the 80 to 90% range. The knowledge base we have developed and are currently working with is massive. If you can contribute to this in any way, we would be most grateful indeed.

The Chenoweths settled in Maryland on Back River Hundred of Baltimore Co., then Virginia and parts of present day West Virginia, into Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Tennessee. From there they moved into Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, then Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas and Kansas. Today they encompass the country. Even if you don't find an immediate connection point in the current database, there are several other resources available to attempt to do so. Please understand that this data is subject to revision. I have found errors in the original database given me. There are errors in Hiatt. There are errors in Harris. I am sure that I have made more than my share. There will probably always be errors in any genealogy listing as the magnitude of detail is staggering. PLEASE NOTE: The posted database has not been updated in some time. There are many minor corrections to it in my file. If you want the most accurate information you should contact me.

The site has taken on a life of its own as 2350 Chenoweth cousins have signed in and added lines to the database. Living descendants today span from the 7th to the 14th generation. The most common sign-in is from a 10th generation descendant. The next most common is 9th generation, of which I am one. The 11th generation is generally too young and too busy, but all this is relative to which line you come from: the youngest or the oldest. Though I manage the site and work on the database, I am, in part, just a conduit of the labor and research of many others. (see sources). It includes all Chenoweth names from the Cora Hiatt book, the Harris book and as well as the database of Peter Chenoweth in Georgia, the site's genealogist. Great support in finding cousins has also come from Dot Tucker Houk of Maryland and the reunion committee efforts and website . [Thanks: Bill, Joyce and Mike]. This is believed to be the largest database and most in depth study of Chenoweth family members in existence. Thank you all for participating.

Background: The History of the Chenoweths in America is fairly well documented. The first in depth study was done by Mrs. Cora Chenoweth Hiatt in 1925 under the title History of the Chenoweth Family, listing about 5,100 names. [an index by the Rockville Public Library of 4,831 names is now available] And though there are some errors and disputes over some of her facts, the family owes her an enormous debt for the sheer scope of the collection of families she put together at a time when communications were not as quick as they are now. Her framework was based on then recent discoveries of the early wills of the Chenoweths. If interested, you might also want to look at this modern presentation of the family tree as outlined by Arthur L. Keith in 1922 at the 8th Chenoweth Reunion in Elkins, WV. This was a revolution from earlier myths of the preceding century. In 1994, The Chenoweth Family in America by Shirley and Richard Harris was published. The Harris Book is a result of over 15 years of research by Rich and his late wife, Shirley Bales Harris, who was the Chenoweth descendant of the family. For the most part, the Harris book, follows the same structure laid out by Cora Hiatt with a few major corrections. It is however rich with detail, listing some 13,000 names. With the last several updates, several major alterations have been made to the Harris structure. Details of these and other corrections can be found on our Background of Chenoweth genealogy page. The complete text of introduction by Richard Harris in his book is now presented on a separate page. Details on how to obtain the book are given below. A fuller discussion of the history and evolution of Chenoweth genealogy can be found on the background page.

The database I am listing here is at present about 120,000 names. Unlike the Harris book, lines of daughters are followed wherever they lead. The seven largest family names in order are the Chenoweths, Smiths, Hales, Millers, Carters, Johnsons and Wilsons. A distant Chenoweth cousin, Bob Derryberry, whom I met on Prodigy, started it. I, at first, started to augment it with my own family and sources on the web and Mrs. Hiatt's book. I am now using the Harris book as a standard; and the descendants contained therein are now completely contained within the site database. I suspect however this is only a small portion of descendants that actually sprang from this prolific family. Peter Chenoweth of Georgia has generously supplementing the database with his material he has collected over a lifetime of genealogy work. Many other cousins have contributed their lines.

The database is presented in three tables comprising over 433 web pages: A surname summary, alphabetic listing, and descendant outlines (233). The names in the alphabetic table are linked to the appropriate descendant's table. You can return from a descendant's table to the alphabetic list by using the back button on your browser or through the links at the beginning of each page. My database is contained in a Broderbund's Family Tree maker file and the HTML linked lists are simply prepared by copying a descendant outline report into Excel and manipulating the data into HTML coding and tables. You should be able to move quite easily from one table to the other and back. If you have any trouble, find problems, have additions or corrections to add please contact me by EMail at jegge@chenowethsite.com or by snail mail at P.O. Box 1188, Woodinville, WA 98072. Please don't link directly to any of the name locations, as their indexed number will change with each update. You are more that welcome to link this page, any descendant page as a whole, or any of the variety of supporting pages; however, I would enjoy hearing about the link if you do so. There are a number of other features and pages concerning the family in addition to the database pages To appreciate the many features of the site you should vist the site introduction page. A broader discussion of the background of Chenoweth genealogy is on a separate page.
Return to contents


Genealogical Questions and Corrections: First it is important to realize that this website is a living document, under constant revision. Dates, places and relationships are subject to change as more is learned. As the database is an assembly of many sources, the quality of those sources vary. A section of the background information page has been devoted to various questions and disputes in Chenoweth genealogy. Therein the major problems contained in the Hiatt and Harris books are discussed, as well as present and unresolved controversies. Also outlined are departures in this database from the Harris book. I have avoided the thorny problem regarding the identification of the ancestry of Mary Calvert, John Chenoweth's wife, by starting with this family, which is the real start of the Chenoweths in America. John Chenoweth's own background is equally shrouded in mystery. If you want, you can view on that same page, a discussion of the background for Mary Calvert, who married John Chenoweth about 1703-5 and settled Baltimore Co., Maryland by 1830. My own belief in this matter adheres to the theory presented by J. Richard Buckey in his book The History of the Calverts who were Quakers.

Chenoweth Wills: We have started the process of posting the four dozen or so early known wills of the Chenoweth family. Over 40 wills are posted on this page. They provide most of the early framwork of the family. If you have access to the full text of a will we are missing please or one we ought to include, please contact me. This page should serve to provide depth and support for the site genealogy. Besides diplaying the deep sense of the religion religious bearing of these people, the wills were a mechanism for passing on property. The families that went to Virginia and West acquired property. The families that stayed in Baltimore, moved to more landless occupations, and only a few early wills of these two branched of the family are know.

The great grandchildren - the bridge generation is an outline of the 1st four generations of the family as defined by the current database, denoting where they lived and which lines extend to present day. This is a comprehensive overview of the current family and the presently known lines of descent.

Blind alleys and unknowns: There are a number of Chenoweth sons born in the 1700's of whom little is known. A special page of these blind alleys is presented in hopes that someone may find the missing links. At present we also have a database of about 4,000 Chenoweth names, spouses and descendants that cannot be linked to the families of John Chenoweth and Mary Calvert. A comprehensive listing of the major branches of these unknowns, including a complete compilation of the unknown Chenoweth section of the Harris book is presented on 11 pages. All are accessible from the Main Harris Unknowns Page. These names have been indexed and included in the main database site alphabetical name listings. Also available is a list of unknown Chenoweth Marriages. If you have information on any person listed on these pages please contact me: Jon Egge.

Unknown Chenoweths in the Social Security System: This page is a list, by last known location, of deceased Chenoweths and their spouses listed with the Social System that we can not identify. If you have Excel capability you can view the most current list in that format. Perhaps you can help us. Of over 1,900 names presently listed in the SSA index, we have identified over 86% of these individuals. Of those identified, over 85% of these are in our main file, with known ties to the family of John and Mary. Moreover over half of those identified but not placed within the main file, belong to specific unknown lines that are believed to belong to the family but are unproven at this time. Less than 4% have been identified to "other lines" of later immigrations. This supports my belief that 9 out of 10 Chenoweths in America today descendant from the family of John Chenoweth and Mary Calvert.


Spellings: "Chenoweth" can be spelled in a variety of ways. Though CHENOWETH, and to a lesser extent, CHENOWITH are the most pervasive spellings today [ the only 2 to have over 100 listed names in the 2000 Census], CHINOWETH, CHENOWTH, CHINOWTH, CHENWORTH, CHINWORTH, CHINEWORTH, CHANEYWORTH, CHENEYWORTH AND CHINOUTH are found in particular, select branches. Regardless, they are all the same family. The breakdown of this names is roughly as follows:

In research of documents of earlier times there are many spellings, even for the same individual. This list is not inclusive, but they are the more common of what I have run across: CHANEYWORTH, CHENOWETH, CHENOWITH, CHINOWETH, CHENEWETH, CHINOWITH, CHENOWTH, CHINOWTH, CHENNOWETH, CHENNOWITH, CHENOWIRTH, CHINOWIRTH, CHENOWORTH, CHENNERWORTH, CHENERWETH, CHENNEYWORTH, CHENEYWORTH, CHENYWORTH, CHINNEYWORTH, CHENNEWORTH, CHENWORTH, CHINWORTH, CHINAWITH, CHINAWORTH, CHINEWORTH, CHINEWOTH, CHIENTH, CHINNETH, CHINOETH, CHINAUTH, CHINOUTH.

The one spelling that I have never found associated with the family is CHYNOWETH, though it is the same Cornish root name. Another spelling, CHENNITH, though seen in family records in earlier times, the modern usage by certain families does not appear to be part of the Chenoweth family of John and Mary. For this site all descendants with the Chenoweth-Surname have been sorted together under the spelling Chenoweth.

The distribution map below depicts the spread of the Chenoweth name in the 1930 Census. Found in 45 0f the 48 states, it is relatively rare in New England and the South. The traditional early settlement states of Maryland, West Virginia (the Virginia), Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri form an almost direst straight line west that became extended into Kansas and Colorado in the latter part of the 1800s. The name also depicts the early jump to the West Coast.. [This distribution includes only males bearing the Chenoweth name descended from the family of John Chenoweth and Mary Cavert for a total of 1,417 males found in the 1930 Census. The 1930 Census has a relatively low "found" rate. We estimate there were probably as many as 1,700 male Chenoweth named members in 1930]. Further discussion of spelling and numbers found in Censuses can be found on the Census page.

[DISTRIBUTION OF CHENOWETH NAME - 1930]

Given Names: Like most families, the original names of the first family [John, Richard, Arthur, William & Thomas] were passed on in succeeding generations. Unfortunately through the first 4 generations, most middle names are unknown. This adds to identification problems. John and William, and to a lesser extent Thomas, are the most common in the family. [When known, please use middle names when inquiring about or listing information on Chenoweths.] Chenoweth is often used as a middle name. My own brother is Richard Chenoweth Egge. The Everett family has carried this down to four generations with John Chenoweth Everett, IV. There are instances of it used as a first name as in Chenoweth Hale, Chenoweth Peteet, Chenoweth Tredway, Chenoweth Ashton, and Chenoweth Stalnaker. There is even my 2nd cousin, Chenoweth Robertson, a lady.

In the early family, biblical or religious names were common: John, Thomas, Absolom, Elias, Joseph, Abraham, Isaac, Elijah, Eli, Joshua, Gideon, Jacob, Joel, Luke, Michael, Noah, Uriah, Philemon, Parmenus.

There are the famous people names: Benjamin Franklin Chenoweth, Benjamin Harrison Chenoweth, Christopher Columbus Chenoweth, General Robert E. Lee Chenoweth, George Washington Chenoweth, Isaac Newton Chenoweth, John Wayne Chenoweth, John Wesley Chenoweth, Karl Marx Chenoweth, Martin Luther Chenoweth, Millard Filmore Chenoweth, Thomas Jefferson Chenoweth, Sherman Grant Chenoweth, Stonewall Jackson Chenoweth, Theodore Roosevelt Chenoweth, Ulysses S. Grant Chenoweth, Woodrow Wilson Chenoweth, and Zachary Taylor Chenoweth

Then there are the unusual names. Some of my favorites are: Absolum Loraine Chenoweth, Armour Benton Chenoweth, Baxter Baile Chenoweth, Beach Mead Chenoweth, Bernard Peel Chenoweth, Cyrus Pepper Chenoweth, Daisy May Chenoweth, Finis Edwin Chenoweth, Floyd Welcome Chenoweth, Grafton Whitaker Chenoweth, Hardin Tallman Chenoweth, Harry Hambleton Chenoweth, Havilah A. Chenoweth, Herr Victor Chenoweth, Hester Brisco Chenoweth, Hezekiah Stites Chenoweth, Indiana Chenoweth, Isaac Calvert Chenoweth, Jeremiah Browning Chenoweth, Joshua Gent Chenoweth, Leander Olander Chenoweth, Massalona Chenoweth, Missouri Independence Chenoweth, Misty Dawn Chenoweth, Nimrod Hunter Chenoweth, Origen Hungerford Chenoweth, Pethas Payne Chenoweth, Philemon Cromwell Chenoweth, Reason Colony Chenoweth, Rossiter Rowley Chenoweth, Salem Chenoweth, Scioto Chenoweth, Starletta Fenwick Chenoweth, Sidney Orange Chenoweth, Stout Chenoweth, Tunie Chenoweth, Verna Sonoma Chenoweth, Xmas Carol Chenoweth, Zendorf Chenoweth, and Zue D'Etta Chenoweth

  • The five sons of John Chenoweth were: John, Richard, Arthur, William and Thomas.
  • In the 3rd generation there were 5 Williams, 4 Johns, 4 Richards, 4 Arthurs, 3 Thomases, 2 Absoloms, 1 Abraham, 1 Elijah, 1 Isaac, 1 Joseph, and 1 Samuel.
  • In the 4th generation the names are: John (13), Thomas (9), William (8), Absolom (7), Joseph (6), Richard (6), Arthur (5), James (4), Samuel (3), Elijah (2), George(2), Isaac (2), Joshua (2), Nicholas (2), Abraham, Archibald, Benjamin, Edward, Eli, Elias, Enoch, Gideon, Hiram, Jacob, Joel, Jonathan, Luke, Michael, Nathan, Noah, Parmenus, Philemon, Uriah, Walter.
  • Thus in the first 4 generations the total instances of names are: John (19), William (14), Thomas (13), Richard (11), Arthur (10), Absolom (9), Joseph (7), James (4), Samuel (4), Elijah (3), Isaac (3), Abraham (2), George(2), Joshua(2), Nicholas (2), Archibald, Benjamin, Edward, Eli, Elias, Enoch, Gideon, Hiram, Jacob, Joel, Jonathan, Luke, Michael, Nathan, Noah, Parmenus, Philemon, Uriah, Walter


Major Ties: This file contains over 18,700 Surnames and many family ties of daughters that married into other family names. The largest and most signicant of the daughter lines found in the database are listed below. All are from distant Chenoweth cousins and make this file unique, in that it contains the tip of complexity of the weave of family lines, formed when examination is given to the lines of the daughters, who no longer carry the Chenoweth name. The sheer size of what is out there when one considers the resulting intertwining of trees is mind boggling. This is an attempt to introduce some of these daughter lines. [An ancillary study is a listing of daughter marriages not found in the Harris book]

  1. The earliest tie is that of the CARTER family from Hannah(2) and James Carter, courtesy of Margaret Skyles of Oklahoma based on the book, "Our James Carter". The "Carter Cousin" books and research of Marie Eberle and Margaret Shipp Henley of have greatly expanded this line. There are 8 separate Carter pages in this site presentation. The Chenoweth-Carters, started in Virginia, but most of the family moved to Washington Co., PA about the time of the Revolutionary War. A subset line is that of REES or REESE from, Ann Nancy Carter, the daughter of Hannah and James, who married John Rees. Within the Rees line are the MORGANS of Nancy 'Ann' Rees. Two other Carter subsets are the SHRONTZS of Rebecca Carter, who married George Shrontz and the MILLERS of Priscilla Carter, who married Ira W. Miller.
  2. Several years ago, leads to the PETEET family, from the marriage of Ruth(2), the youngest daughter, to John Peteet began to develop. While at present this only comprises four site pages, this line, uniquely, went into the deep south, based in Wilkes Co., GA, just after the Revolutionary War. One Peteet daughter, Mary, married Thomas Vaughn. The VAUGHN family moved to Center Co., PA. A granddaughter, Susannah Peteet of Wilkes Co., GA married into CALLAWAY family
  3. In the third generation, Mary Chenoweth(3) married Levi Ashbrook in Virginia. The ASHBROOK lines now cover 8 pages. The tie grew more complex, when 3 Chenoweth daughters of JOHN(3) married 2 of Mary's Ashbrook sons and one stepson. The Ashbrooks went to Kentucky and Ohio. These Ashbrook lines contain TUCKER, ALSBURY and SAGO subsets. The ASHBROOK line of the stepson is that of Eleanor Chenoweth who married Levi Ashbrook, Jr.
  4. Mary's sister, Rachel, married Kenner Seaton and moved to Jefferson Co., KY. This SEATON line was further expanded by the marriage of Margaret Seaton, a daughter of Kenner and Rachel, to Levi Grafton Whitaker. This WHITAKER line then moved to Morgan Co., IN [as did a few Seatons and Chenoweths]. In all the Seaton-Whitaker lines comprise 6 pages.
  5. In the Richard(2) line, Hannah Chenoweth married Joseph Ashton and settled Harford Co. Part of this ASHTON family went to Ohio.
  6. In the Arthur(2) line, Ruth Chenoweth married Amon Butler, Jr in Baltimore Co. There is still much to be developed of this BUTLER line. Part of this family went to Ohio.
  7. In the William(2) line, Mary Chenoweth married Abraham Sutton. The family went to Washington Co., PA then Warren Co., OH and into Indiana. Though this marriage has been known for sometime, the correct placement within the Chenoweth family is new and the SUTTON line and its PETRO family connection has a seperate page. Other parts of this Sutton line are the HEATON families of Indiana and FOX families of Warren Co., OH. from Mary's daughters Joanna and Sarah.
  8. In the Thomas(2) line, Mary Chenoweth married Timothy Downing. With others of the Thomas(2) group, they moved to Mason Co., KY and Ross Co., Ohio. This DOWNING line is 3 pages, including a CLYMER family subset of Emily Downing, a grandchild of Tim and Mary. Mary's sister Sarah married John Scott. This SCOTT line is much less developed.
  9. In the fourth generation, Elizabeth Chenoweth married Nathan Switzer in Botetourt Co., VA, on November 17, 1791, where the SWITZER family still resides. Elizabeth was the daughter of Thomas Chenoweth(3) John(2) who married Rachel Ruxton Moore. Though Thomas was from a Virginia Chenoweth line, he made his home with his wife's family in Maryland. After her death, and his remarriage, he went to Botetourt County. His son, Nicholas Ruxton Chenoweth, married Mary Switzer and Elizabeth married Mary's brother. Curiously the mother of both Nathan and Mary Switzer is cited by some to be Cloe Chenoweth. Shannon Graham says she was Cloe Smith. Cloe married Henry Switzer.
  10. Also fourth generation, another Elizabeth Chenoweth married Thomas Hale (Haile) to found a HALE line. Elizabeth's mother Frances was also a Haile, but Elizabeth's line would start a long line of surnamed Hales descended from Nicholas Haile, II b: 1656. Much of this research is the ongoing work of Denzil Mauldin of Tennessee, given to me by James Ernest Hale, Indiana. This Hale line is based in Washington Co., TN and covers 3 pages.
  11. Another fourth generation daughter, Sarah, married in Baltimore Samuel Baxter, They went to Ohio where a daughter, Charity Ann married Henry Butler. The Butlers, too, had Maryland roots. The ties of BAXTERS and BUTLERS take up 2 pages.
  12. Rachel Chenoweth(4) a granddaughter of Thomas, married Jesse Wood. Though she died young, leaving two children, her daughter Elizabeth Wood married Jacob Henkle, Jr. forming a rich mixture of HENKLES, SHIPLEYS, and WYATTS that helped pioneer Oregon. Rachel and Jesse Wood have one page. Much of this is taken from HENKLE research.
  13. After the Fourth generation, family ties, virtually explode. In the Randolph Co., WV, the lines of JOHN(4) are the largest in the entire family. [see detail: for John and Randolph Co.] These include major ties with:
    • The STALNAKERS of Mary(5) and John White Stalnaker. The Stalnaker family has over 20 crosses with the Chenoweth family beginning with the 5th generation in Randolph Co., VA (Now WV). Of the 10 children I know of from Jacob Stalnaker, Sr., 8 of them lead to Chenoweth marriages, often multiple ones. The lines of these two families are woven into a fertile fabric of cousins. One 20th century descendant can claim 3 separate Stalnaker and 2 Chenoweth lines back to the family founders. Mary and John Stalnaker's marriage embody the largest group of the Stalnaker names in the family comprising 3 pages. Mary's niece, Susannah, daughter of Robert, married John W. Stalnaker also has a detailed line. Robert, Mary's brother, had Rachel Stalnaker as his first wife. John Kittle, son of William Pugh Chenoweth, married, Sarah 'Sally' K. Stalnaker. Much of the knowledge of Stalnaker lines comes from a book by Cecil E Stalnaker, "Stalnaker Family Chronology". If you are interested this is a link to the Stalnaker Family Website.
    • The HARTS of Eleanor(5), stemming from her union with James Montgomery Hart, a great grandson of John Hart, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, have a page her and the FINDLEY line of her daughter, Deborah Ann Hart. Four of Eleanor's sons fought in the Civil War, three for the south and one for the north, as well as one son-in-law and two grandchildren, who sided with the south. There are other Hart ties as well with Randolph County lines. Lemuel Chenoweth's marriage to Nancy Ann Hart is one notable example. Much of the knowledge of Hart lines comes from a book by Katherine Frame, "The Harts of Randolph"
    • The KELLEYS of Ruth Chenoweth(6), daughter of William Pugh, are formed from the marriage of Ruth to Absolem Kelley and cover 2 pages. Four sons fought in the Civil War, all for the Union side. This large family has been preserved by Hazel Lenney of Michigan.
    • The GODDINS of Rachel Chenoweth(6), daughter of Robert, are formed from the marriage of Rachel to Thomas Jefferson Goddin, and have one page. This family lived Randolph Co. though Rachel died in in Roane Co., WV. Goddin is also spelled Gooden, Goodwin, Goddwin.
    • The WEES(E)S of Leah Chenoweth(6), daughter of Robert, are formed from the marriage of Leah to Elijah Wees, and have one page. This family lived in Roane and Wirt counties in central West Virginia. There are related Weese ties in Randolph County as well.
    • The REIPS of Edith Chenoweth(6), daughter of Robert, are formed from the marriage of Edith to Adam Reip, now comprise 3 pages. One of these is for the SMITHS of the daughter, Elizabeth Jane who married Barnes Newton Smith. This family lives in central West Virginia, primarily Calhoun Co. This large family has been preserved by Luverne Hartstine of California.
    • The DANIELS of Jerusha Chenoweth(6), daughter of John J., are formed from the marriage of Jerusha to Allison Daniels and have one page. There are other Daniel ties throughout the complex community of Randolph County. Phyllis Daniels of Beverly, WV has graciously helped with this and other Randolph Co., families.
    • The ROWANS of Rachel A & Mary Ellen Chenoweth(6), daughters of Jehu Ichells, are formed from their marriages to John Addison and Eli Howard Rowan, and share one page. They lived in Mabie, Randolph Co., WV. A third brother, Adam Crawford Rowan, also married a Chenoweth, Phobe C. Caplinger, found on John(4)'s page. the research of Kenneth Lynn Rowan of Ohio is the source of much of this line.
  14. Jonathan(4) brother to John(4) went to Kentucky. There are 3 major family groups here:
    • The CASEBIERS of Elizabeth Chenoweth(5), who married David Casebier. This is covers two pages from Missouri to Illinois and Kansas to the Pacific Northwest and Canada. Elizabeth's sister Delilah married Frederick Casebier, but this line remains undeveloped. The Casebier lines were skillful woven by Mary Elizabeth Padden of Washington, through numerous lines of sons and daughters to present day. A husband of her cousin, Roger Smith of Ontario, Canada, extensively augmented her file, expanding the lines across the border into Canada, our neighbor to the north.
    • The SIMMONS of Chloe Chenoweth(5), who married Robert Simmons in Missouri, have one page. Many of these lines flow in to the Pacific Northwest. Greg Nelson of Oregon has contributed these Simmon lines from Chloe in addition to his own line of Samuel(5) and his son Gideon Chenoweth.
    • The WINGS of Elizabeth Chenoweth(6), who married Matthias Wing in Illinois, have 2 pages. Elizabeth was the daughter of Samuel. Though she died young and had just 4 sons, 2 of these joined the Mormon Church and went to Salt Lake City involving the family in the early settlement of Utah and, briefly, with the practice of polygamy.
  15. William(4) of Louisville, Kentucky, a third son of William(3) has 5 female grouping so far.
    • The FORMANS of Ruth Chenoweth(5), who married William Forman in Kentucky, have one page. This family also uses the variant spelling of Foreman and is largely based in Texas.
    • The TUEYS of Hester Brisco Chenoweth(6), daughter of Jacob Van Meter, are formed from the marriage of Jerusha to James J. Tuey. They share a page with Hester's sister, Lucinda.
    • The VERTREES of Lucinda Chenoweth(6), daughter of Jacob Van Meter, are formed from the marriage of Lucinda to Joseph Vertrees. They share a page with Lucinda's sister, Hester. The Vertrees have other complex ties with this same William(4) line including, William's step mother , Jane, who is said to have remarried to Jacob Vertrees after William(3) died.
    • The PERCEFULLS of Mariah Jane Chenoweth(6), daughter of Isaac Calvert, are formed from the marriage of Mariah to William Percefull. This line has lived continuously in Kentucky.
    • The LARUES of Mary and Sarah Maria Burdine(7), daughters of Rebecca 'Sarah Ann' Chenoweth and John Burdine, were only children of Rebecca, who died young. These two sisters married two brothers, James C. and Samuel L. LaRue and went to Arkansas . Later this family spread to Oklahoma and Kansas. Rebecca was a daughter of Isaac Calvert
  16. Other Fifth generation ties of the Virginia families of John(2) are:
    • Barbara Chenoweth, a daughter of William I, in the line of John(3) married Jesse Martindale in Warren Co., OH. This family moved to Miami Co., IN to form a large line of MARTINDALES, presented on 3 pages, including the the DOWNEYS AND STONES of Amanda Ellen and Lucy Emma.
    • Sarah Ann Chenoweth, another granddaughter of John(3) of Hampshire Co., VA married Oliver Cromwell Ball in Perry Co., OH. The BALLS settled in henry Co., IN
    • Mary Chenoweth, a granddaughter of Absolom Chenoweth, married Elijah Thurman in Kentucky. The THURMANS went to Clinton Co., IN and have 3 pages, The MCKINNEYS, a subset of their daughter, Lydia, who married Asa McKinney. Lydia's sister, Angelina, also married a McKinney, William VanHook. Also found in this Thurman line are the: GREGGS, SCIRCLES, and HODGENS.
    • Elizabeth Chenoweth(5), a granddaughter of Arthur Chenoweth of Kentucky, married Samuel Adams in Lawrence Co., IL. This ADAMS line includes the 7th generation RESINGER line of Effie Leonora Adams, a granddaughter of Elizabeth.
  17. A fifth generation daughter, Isabel Chenith, in the line of William(2)'s son, Isaac married the aging John Antil in Pennsylvania, a neighbor of Isabel's father, Edward Chenith. The ANTILS are found in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
  18. Fifth generation daughters in the line of Thomas(2) are:
    • Malinda Horatio Chenoweth(5), a grandfather of Elijah Chenoweth, married Henry Farrar in Madison Co., OH. The FARRARS lived in Ohio and Kansas and preserved their heritage through a family newsletter for many years.
    • The DERRYBERRYS were the first major family tie I had in the database. This is from two Chenoweth daughters of Benjamin Franklin Chenoweth, son of Thomas, Jr., that married two Derryberry cousins in Missouri. Bob Derryberry of Texas who generously gave me his file of roughly 1,000 Chenoweths and Derryberrys three years ago has since published an excellent book on his Derryberry family.

Other important early family ties are the ALEXANDERS, BOWENS, BROOKS, FOSTERS, FRANKLINS, GISTS, GORDONS, KITTLES, MAYFIELDS, RARICKS, SKIDMORES, THOMPSONS, TAYLORS, WILSONS AND WESTROPHES. Need I say, SMITHS are everywhere. I hope you enjoy the rich mixture of names and lines in this growing data base as much as I.

Largest families groups by surname (more common names listed below): Chenoweth 10,260, Hale 734, Carter 583, Ashbrook 530, Stalnaker (also Stanaker) 451, Daniels 340, Taylor 321, Casebier 309, Petro 308, Thompson 291, Whitaker 276, Simmons 274, Morgan 267, Butler 262, Sutton 247, Adams 246, Kelley 233, Downing 226, Rowan 207, Callaway 207, Tucker 200, LaRue 199, Hart 197 [based on September 22, 2003 data]

Common Named Families groups by surname: Smith 1,186, Miller 625, Johnson 609, Wilson 577, Davis 494, Brown 431, Williams 425, Jones 422, Moore 360, Scott 330, Anderson 312, Baker 311, Martin 300, Harris 282, White 265, Wright 241, Allen 236, Roberts 232. Most of these are scatterings of many groups. [based on September 22, 2003 data]

Known surnames ties through the 1st three generations. (names in 'CAPS' indicate daughters marrying into another family name that have continuing lines)

Chenoweth daughter lines not in Harris: this page attempts to outline additional Chenoweth daughter lines between the 3rd and 5th generation not found in the Harris book and their sourcing.
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A question of numbers: The forest through the trees. The 2000 Census lists Chenoweth as the 6,638th most common name in the US with 4,699 individuals. The next most common variant spelling, Chenowith, falls to 77,222nd with 231. Adding in all the known variants the number would be slightly less than 5,000 people. [In 1990, the Chenoweth ranked 6,272nd] Out of every 100,000 people in the US, 3.42 are named Chenoweth. The Chenoweth Family in America is currently in the 7th through 14th generation. Figures dated Sept 22, 2003 based on total database of 119,900 and approximately 108,800 descendants and spouses. An additional numbers analysis can be found in a new discussion on the 1880 Census

                                    named       known              Cora Hiatt's 
Gen  yr of birth   children         Chenoweth   spouses   total    Numbers
1st: 1682                 1                 1         2       3          1
2nd: 1706-1722      -     8 (avg 8.0) -     8 -       8      16          8   
3rd: 1731-1775      -    59 (avg 7.3) -    45 -      59     118         42
4th: 1750-1827      -   302 (avg 5.1) -   198 -     260     562        192
5th: 1779-1875      - 1,193 (avg 4.0) -   560 -     967   2,160        416
6th: 1801-1915      - 3,895 (avg 3.3) - 1,305 -   2,420   6,315      1,433
7th: 1822-1946      - 8,100 (avg 2.1) - 1,681 -   4,461  12,561      1,543
Total through 7      ------             -----------------------
generations          13,558             3,798     8,177  21,735 

1850 Census                                               4,972 (living)
1860 Census                                               7,051 (living)							 	

Family descendants are known for 7 of the eight children of John Chenoweth and Mary Calvert. Of the 59 grandchildren of the family, 37 are known to have lines to present day. The numerical breakdown is listed below, but over 2/3 come from the oldest son John and the youngest son Thomas. In fact John(2) is over half the database and his first son William exceeds Thomas in size though a generation younger. That said, it should be noted that by 1840 the lines of John only represented roughly 40% of the male lines. So some of John's dominance comes from the strong knowledge of daughter lines from this oldest branch. This dominance, particularly over his brother, Thomas, the next closest in size, is in part a generation difference. In 1930, John's lines had 182 sons in the 9th generation and 29 in the 10th, while Thomas, the youngest of the 5 sons, had but 15 sons just starting into the 9th generation. But looking at the 6th generation, which was complete by 1930, John had a total of 172 sons born to that generation, while Thomas has 200! So which is the biggest, John or Thomas? Well that depends how you define the question. The rarest of the seven are from the 2nd son child, Richard(2). Though Ruth is smaller, her lines are in the process of being built. Descendants of Mary, who married John Watson are basically unknown.

  (based on 9/22/03 database)
John(2)              53.9%
  William(3)            29.4%
      John(4)                16.4%	
      Jonathon(4)             6.6%
      William(4)              6.4%	
Richard(2)            4.4% 	
Hannah(2)             6.4%	
Arthur(2)             9.5% 	
William(2)            6.4%	
Thomas(2)            18.3%
Ruth(2)               1.2%

The oldest known male line to present day
KURTIS PARK11 CHENOWETH (Doral Park10, Doral Park9, Doral Park8, George Mcclellan7, Ira Stout6, Robert T.5, John4, William3, John2, John1)

The oldest known descent known line to present day
LEONA KATHYRINE11 COBERLY (Edgar H.10, Lee9, Jesse Chenoweth8, William Harrison7, Margaret6 Chenoweth, Robert T.5, John4, William3, John2, John1)

The youngest known male line to present day
JOEL RUSSELL9 CHENOWETH (Robin Russel8, Russell Arthur7, Clyde Wagner6, Joel5, Joel4, Abraham3, Thomas2, John1)

The youngest known descent known line to present day
MIRIAM8 ARNOLD (David Johnson7, Robert Johnson6, Oliver Hazzard Perry Arnold5, Eunice Peteet4, Richard John Peteet3, Ruth2, John1)

First born males of the first 11 Generations

  1. JOHN CHENOWETH (John1) was born 1706 in Pennsylvania or Maryland
  2. WILLIAM CHENOWETH (John2, John1) was born January 08, 1731/32 in St John's Parish, Baltimore Co., MD
  3. JOHN CHENOWETH (William3, John2, John1) was born November 16, 1755 in Hampshire Co., VA (now WV)
  4. JONATHON CHENOWETH, JR. (Jonathan4, William3, John2, John1) was born 1779 in Hampshire Co., VA (now WV)
  5. JOHN KITTLE CHENOWETH (William Pugh5, John4, William3, John2, John1) was born December 10, 1807 in Beverly, Randolph Co., VA (now WV)
  6. MARSHALL CHENOWETH (John Kittle6, William Pugh5, John4, William3, John2, John1) was born October 23, 1833 in Elkins, Randolph Co., VA (now WV)
  7. JAMES MILTON CHENOWETH (William7, James Francis6, James Francis5, Nicholas Ruxton4, Thomas3, John2, John1) was born August 30, 1857 in Marion, Williamson Co., IL
  8. LLOYD ATLAS CHENOWETH (James Milton8, William7, James Francis6, James Francis5, Nicholas Ruxton4, Thomas3, John2, John1) was born August 03, 1882 in Marion, Williamson Co., IL
  9. GROVER ARVEL CHENOWETH (Grover Albert9, James Milton8, William7, James Francis6, James Francis5, Nicholas Ruxton4, Thomas3, John2, John1) was born August 16, 1907 in Missouri
  10. HAROLD DALE 'BUTCH'11 CHENOWETH, JR. (Harold Dale10, Okey Everett9, Ulysses Thomas8, Lloyd Hyre7, Everett6, Jehu5, John4, William3, John2, John1) was born June 21, 1947

Males Bias: There is a built in bias tilting towards male Chenoweth lines in the first 3 generations of the family. In the 2nd generation there were 5 sons and 3 daughters. Lines from all 5 of the sons, but only 2 of the 3 daughters are presently known to modern day. Of the 5 sons, in the 3rd generation there were 29 grandsons and only 15 granddaughters. 24 of the male lines can be traced to present day, only 4 of the 6 sons of Richard(2) and one of Arthur(2) are missing. [One or some of these may account for the lost lines known to exist today in the area of Baltimore, MD.] Thus all the combined 17 sons of John, William and Thomas, 5 from Arthur and 2 from Richard are traceable to present day. 21 of these 24 lines still carry the Chenoweth Name in male lines. Of the 15 daughter lines only 7 of the 15 can be traced to present day. For the 2 known 2nd generation daughters, only 7 of the known 12 children are traced at present, further limiting the extent of the daughter lines. This heavy skewing towards male lines gives a has produced a strong dominance of the Chenoweth name in the database.

Continuing Males Lines: There were 29 third generation males bearing the Chenoweth name and 89 in the fourth generation. 49 of these are continuing male lines today into the 8 and 9 generations. All these fourth generation males were born before 1820, the first Census in which a 2nd migrant family appears. The oldest lines, those of John, are very strong in passing down the male name. From 6 sons there were 18 fourth generation males lines, 15 of these extend to males lines today. All six sons of John have continuing male lines to present day. Of Richard(2)'s 6 sons, only one, the line of the son John, has continuing male named lines. Five of Arthur(2)'s 6 sons result in 21 fourth generation lines, but only 8 of these are continuing male named lines to present day. Two of William(2)'s four sons resulted in 8 fourth generation male named lines and 6 of these continue through today. Thomas(2) had 7 sons. Six of these resulted in 35 fourth generation male named lines. 17 of these continue through today. The rough distribution of fourth generation lines continuing the Chenoweth name today then is 1/3 John, 1/3 Thomas and 1/3 the combined other 3 sons. The density of these lines is even more skewed to the lines of John, the oldest son. Roughly half of the 722 eighth generation Chenoweth male lines are from John, and half of these are from the oldest grandson, William. The lines of the oldest great grandson John (4th generation) are 101 of these 722 lines.

The first born Chenoweth male of the 11th generation happened in the 1940s in the line of John. No other line of the original sons started the 11th generation until after 1950. The lines of Thomas, the yougest son, were still producing primarily 8th generation males with a few 9th generation. No 10th generation Thomas line had started by 1950. The last 7th generation Chenoweth son for the entire family was born in 1946. There were over 802 known Chenoweth males born to the 7th generation. This generation had begun in 1833. The last survivor of the 6th generation probably died in 1988 at the age of 94. The 6th generation had begun in 1807 and spanned 180 years from the first son born until the last son had died. There were over 583 known Chenoweth males born to the 6th generation. Through 1950 the database has a total of 813 known Chenoweth males for the 8th generation which is still in formation. At present some 3314 known males being the Chenoweth name have been born of this family since inception to 1950. 1,824 of these were living in 1950. It should be noted however that the database is incomplete, particularly in the later generations.

The Forest: A family tree starts off like an upside down triangle, and is really a pedigree for all the branches that ascend upward (back in time). But though drawn upside down, this triangle is reversed; these are the roots of the trees, that dig into the soil of days past. Family researchers become involved with the trunk and branches of the tree, a normal triangle, one that starts at a single marriage and broadens with branches on the way up, that keep reaching to the sky in broader and longer formations. In reality humanity is a web of lines going up and down and interlacing each generation with a new marriage, connecting new families together. The researcher's rays of lines cross and re-cross each other. The trees become the forest. My database of Chenoweths has 275 descendants in the fourth generation, 1,125 in the fifth. With the latest update, just one of these fourth generation Chenoweths, Jonathan of William(3) John(2), will have over 4,081 descendants and 2,330 spouses (his brother John has 9,008 descendants with 4,623 spouses). Applied across the board this number would balloon to 1,400,000. Conservatively we could easily have a quarter of a million people in a descendant's outline. The Harris book contains some 13,000 names but doesn't begin to dent the full structure and variety of what is there when the lines of women are considered. Is this realistic? Would every line have been as prolific as that of Jonathan(4)? Maybe not, but consider than the bulk of Jonathan's 6,300 descendants and spouses come from 4 of his eight children. Then consider that of the three daughters in the second generation only 7 single lines are followed past the 3rd generation in my database, from just two of the daughters, accounting for 30 fourth generation children. The fourth generation of Chenoweths is bigger than the 275 in my database and Jonathan's line is greater than 6,300. I tend to believe my figures are conservative. There are an estimated 5,000 living descendants today with the name of Chenoweth [In 1930 there were 1716 males living that are in my file and another 100 or so in scattered lines which we believe to be part of the family.]. They range from the 7th to the 14th generation. The last of the 6th generation is thought to have died in 1988. The last of the 7th generation is thought to be born in 1946. The 8th generation should be complete by now, but the data is so recent that an exact determination cannot be made.

Given for each Chenoweth surname in the 9th generation would normally be 255 other surnamed. Because of the skewing in the first 2 born generations towards male lines this figure is closer to half that, or 121 daughter lines for each male line. The 9th generation should contain about 1,000 males named Chenoweth. A estimated calculation the various rations for each generation would a total family size of about 250,000 people.

I have always been curious as to the size of the family. Here is another analysis. The family is a dynamic thing at this point with over a thousand family members dying each year and even more being born. We have a good idea of the numbers living in the 1850 and 1860 Census, and if I ever complete the 1870 Censuses, that knowledge will advance. Not that these numbers are static. The 1850 Census count have grown to 949 families. In February 2007 the count was 911. The first run through in 2005 was 758. A 2nd pass that year got the numbers to 817. They have edge up from there and though more slowly, I suspect they will continue to grow. The present [February 2009] 949 families equate to 4,994 people. What does that grow to?

Recently I entered my Laprath family at ancestry to the 1930 Census. The count was about 160. But I have 1200 names, so whatever existed in 1930 is 7.5 times greater. Since 1850 to 1930 is a similar span, could we say that we could use a factor of 56 from the 1850. That comes to 280,000. This is low end because the growth from 1850 to 1930 would be larger than the 7.5 from 1930 to today and because even the 7.5 is Iowa I don t have every up to date in the Laprath family. I would easily use the 1860 figure of 7,378 and be still undercounting and that comes to 410,000. I suspect the number is greater than this. Just food for thought. No one will ever really know the true figures or just how many of us are really related. In genealogy we look at trees, but do we see the forest?


Coat-of-ArmsThe Coat of arms used at this site has undergone a gradual evolution. The current crest is the result of a long and costly research effort by Bill Chinworth and employs "choughs". Bruce Wesley Chenoweth of Idaho has redone this image in fine high resolution version. It is a far better image that the one I was using. (Thanks Bruce!). The previous crest using griffins was done for me by Jeff Swann based on a description in the Harris book. [as "SA. on a Fasse, Or. Three Griffin's heads, erased, guiles". This describes a shield of black (SA.) with a band of gold (OR.), running horizontally midway between the top and bottom, with three Griffin heads of red (gules) color, with ragged necks as if torn from their bodies (erased)]. The griffins are supposed to be on the band. But Hiatt and Harris both (though the picture in the Harris book has it right) say two above the gold band and one below. Hence the "coat of arms" given by both Harris and Hiatt appear to be wrong. It is a reminder to me that there are many mistakes made in genealogy. According to Connor Hugh Chenoweth, the original art work for the Coat of Arms used by Cora in her book was done by Hugh Maxwell Chenoweth, a great grandson of William Thomas Chenoweth.

Bill Chinworth spent considerable time and expense researching the crest. This is his definitive explanation of what he found out:

"The 1925 Chenoweth History authored by Cora Chenoweth Hiatt had a nice picture of a family crest designed by someone [Hugh Maxwell Chenoweth] with artistic talent back in 1925. There are two or three errors there but without anything else, the family has become quite enamored to this depiction. It is instantly recognizable by us all.

The three things wrong with it are:

I have been in contact with the College of Arms and the York Herald, Henry Beddingfield, who corresponded with me. The College of Arms does not recognize our American crest because it's somewhat wrong. The last crest awarded to Chenoweths ended when the heir died at age four. This is the info that Jon was mentioning in his message. However, this crest was quartered and the Chenoweth quarter definitely shows the black - gold - black background with the three red birds on the gold. So, that's the latest true feature. It was from 1650 or thereabouts without going across the room and check. Chenoweths lost their peerage status when the little boy passed on.

There is also another Chenoweth listing which comes from a source other than Henry's bailiwick noted above. This is an earlier official designation from another data base. It has three choughs on the fess (middle horizontal bar). They are not erased. Chough is a small black bird with a red bill and red feet and is a resident of Cornwall, the shire in question. Chough is pronounced, chuff. Erased means the head has been ripped from the body and is depicted by a ragged neckline. "

The Four Crests Used at the site


[CORA]"Cora"[HARRIS]"Harris" [BILL] "Bill" [BRUCE] current

Beginnings - 12 generations in England: You can view a genealogy tree of 12 generations of the Chenoweth family that originated this surname from 1100 AD ? to the mid 1600s (thanks to Kathie Weigel and Peter Chenoweth). Please note that John Chenoweth b: ca. 1682 has no known tie to this family other than a common name

Other Chenoweth lines: The genealogy lines of Peter Clinton Chenoweth back to William Chenoweth b: 1682 in England are presented on a separate page: William's father was John Chenoweth b:1635. What the relationship to John Chenoweth(1) b: 1682-1683 is unknown at this time.
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A Little Geography: Where we live [NOTE: for a more detailed description of the early places of settlement see: The places they lived.] Tradition has it that the Chenoweth family started in Maryland, in Baltimore County. John Chenoweth immigrated from Cornwall and his wife Mary Calvert was most probably born in Pennsylvania. It is thought that they may have married in Pennsylvania at a home of one of Mary's relatives. Their eight children were probably raised in New Jersey of Southeast Pennsylvania. The first records of the Chenoweths in Baltimore Co., MD begin with the marriage of the oldest son, John, in 1730. Parts of the family have been there ever since.

In the second generation Richard and Arthur remained in Maryland, but the other three sons, John, William and Thomas, and probably the all daughters, moved south, to Frederick Co., Virginia. It is now believed that John Chenoweth, the progenitor, also moved to Virginia before 1743. Some of this area later became Hampshire and Berkeley Counties, and still later a part of West Virginia. In the third generation most of the Carters of Hannah Chenoweth moved from Virginia to Washington County, Pennsylvania. The widow Frances Haile Chenoweth took her family to Washington Co., TN. Arthur's son Richard, relocated to Knox Co., TN about 1812.

In the 1790s "Revolutionary" John Chenoweth(4) settled in Randolph Co., Virginia. Chenoweths remain in this area today, though it is now located in the state of West Virginia. Others of the third and fourth generation went to the wilds of Kentucky as early as 1778, though until 1783, Kentucky was still considered part of Virginia. Here, the family of Richard Chenoweth was involved in the famous "Chenoweth Massacre" at the hands of Shawnee Indians in 1789. Richard and his wife, Peggy, helped found present day Louisville in Jefferson County, Kentucky. Between 1790 and 1820 many of these same Kentucky Chenoweths, and others from Maryland and Virginia, as well as their Carter cousins from Pennsylvania, pioneered into Ohio. They generally moved in family groups. A couple of siblings and their families would pioneer westward and soon be followed by others. The Thomas branch moved cohesively together in the third generation at least three times to the area of Old Town in present day Allegany Co., MD, then to Mason County, KY and then the Scioto Valley of Ohio, all before 1800. About the same time, several Arthur(2) and William(2) lines left Berkeley Co., VA for Pennsylvania.

During the time leading up to the Civil War, while parts of the family stayed in Maryland and what is now present day West Virginia, the bulk of the family continued to expand into Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee. By 1840, the three Great Lake states of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois were home to over half of the Chenoweth families, a concentration that would continue past 1880. Even today these 3 states hold a heavy concentration of families. At the same time, Chenoweths, then, pushed into Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and Texas. They were in Oregon by 1849 and of course some left for the gold fields of California. In the course of 70 years from the late 1770s, they had spread west across the land to the Pacific. Often they were among the first settlers in the area. By the time of the Civil war, the 5th through 7th generations, Chenoweth descendants were fighting on both sides.

Unlike the general movements of most of the Chenoweth family, it is now known that John Peteet (Petit), who married Ruth Chenoweth, the youngest daughter of John and Mary Calvert Chenoweth, went to North Carolina with his son Richard John Peteet. This Peteet line moved on to Wilkes Co., Georgia and then to Texas. This is the only instance of Chenoweth descendants, in early America, that I have found in the deep South.

The Midwest: Ohio, Indiana and Illinois are the heartland of the family. This area was started to be settled by 3rd and 4th generation family members just before the turn of the 19th Century. Indiana by 1850 became the most populous state for family members, a distinction carried forward through the remainder of the century. Looking back from a perspective presented by the Census studies through 1930, of the 2800 males born with the Chenoweth name to that point in time, one third of them had been birthed in the states of Ohio and Indiana. Of the two original homes of the 2nd generation, Maryland has always kept a strong presence, particularly when viewed with the staggering number of unknown lines there, known to be part of the family, and particularly thought to be descendants of Richard. As for Virginia, the focus was always what became West Virginia, and has mostly narrowed to the dominance of the Randolph Co. families of the 4th generation "Revolutionary John."

The Chenoweth surname is found today throughout the United States. Present phone listings have Chenoweth for every state in the Union. New England and the Deep South, in general, have fewer listings. In terms of numbers, the five states with the biggest listings are Illinois, Ohio, California, Maryland and Indiana. The next five are Colorado, Missouri, Texas, Florida, and West Virginia. While West Virginia is only tenth in terms of absolute numbers, this state, which saw the early migration of second generation families, has the highest density in the nation of Chenoweths when compared with its general population. Baltimore Co., MD still contains the largest number of Chenoweth names of any individual county in the nation. A graphic of this US distribution can be viewed on the cousins page. Of course the Chenoweth surname, with the living family now in the 8th through 14th generation, is just a tip of the iceberg of descendants; so the phone listing tell only a small part of the story.

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Noteworthy Chenoweths - Because I get asked a lot

Additions welcome

: Other Chenoweths involved in the movie industry can be found at this site. Only Kristin and Ellen are identified above.

in genealogy:

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Chenoweth Heirs Association

Part of the background of Chenoweth genealogy involved a legal pursuit of leases and land in an around Baltimore, just after the turn of the 20th century. I asked my uncle, Harry Holt Chenoweth, to examine the history and circumstances of these events. In reality no lease document was ever produced and the Cora Hiatt claim of a vast estate called Gunpowder Manor was equally a myth. It is probable that the Chenoweths descendants at the time were innocent victims in all this as explained by a recent Article by in the Rootsweb Review by Myra Vanderpool Gormley, Vol. 3, No. 17, 26 April 2000:

"The bulk of estate frauds has been associated with common surnames. These scams -- many of which occurred about 75 to 100 years ago -- worked like this. Confidence men sought "missing heirs" by placing advertisements in the personal ads or legal notices of newspapers. Then they planted stories in newspapers about huge estates that were soon to be awarded to rightful heirs. Naturally many people responded. Then these "heirs" -- at the urging of the swindlers -- would form associations as estate claimants, incorporate under the laws of their state and write letters to their cousins encouraging them to join the association, and pay the membership dues and special assessments for legal fees to fight for their "estates."

Newspaper wire services picked up dozens of such items about meetings of these various "heirs groups" in small towns. Eventually these stories began to appear in major newspapers such as THE NEW YORK TIMES. Naturally, appearance in prestigious newspapers gave credence to the stories of the estates."

The nature of these frauds are very similar to the one that involved the Chenoweths. We now know that the Chenoweths never owned property in Maryland until 1741 when, the son, Arthur, made the first purchase, and that property was never a vast estate. We also know that the Chenoweths were not connected with the Baltimore Calverts. But those were different times and at the turn of the 20th century, little but myths was known. The name Calvert, the location of Baltimore Co. and the smell of money were enough to start the fever. But often good comes from bad. The resultant associations started the collection and documentation of the Chenoweth family tree on a broad scale that was used by Cora Hiatt in her 1925 book.

Here is Harry's report:

THE DREAM OF THE HEIRS

by Harry Holt Chenoweth

Some Calverts, Chenoweths, and Cromwells and their relatives began to believe that one or more of their ancestors owned large tracts of land in or around present day Baltimore, Maryland. Furthermore, they believed that the land had been leased for 99 years rather than having been sold. Some thought that this land had passed through the hands of "the Lord Baltimores". A few thought this land had been obtained by outright grants by the King of England to their relatives. In any case the land was now extremely valuable and many associations were formed to investigate the matter and to file the appropriate claims

While their were many of these associations, among the better known ones were "The Calvert Heirs Association of Kansas City, and the "Chenoweth Heirs Association" with headquarters in Ash Grove, Missouri and organized in 1911. Closely associated with this latter group was what was known as the "West Virginia Branch of the Chenoweth Heirs", organized in 1912. Each potential heir was expected to contribute six dollars to the Association. This was a considerable amount of money in the period 1911-1920. Five dollars was supposed to cover the cost of a future genealogy chart and one dollar was to cover the cost of the expenses of the Association. It is not known how the money was actually used. There is no evidence of a final genealogical chart. However, the Associations did exchange a great deal of genealogical information with the members. It is a possibility that some of the funds eventually helped finance Cora Hiatt's book. Certainly some of the genealogy information collected was turned over to her.

There were those who claimed to have seen wills and lease documents. There was even a few that claimed to possess such documents. In general, the various associations did not trust one another, and therefore were hesitant to cooperate. There was lots of bickering. Here are a few excerpts from letters written by officers of some of the Associations.

While the search for people and documents went on from about 1907 to 1927, a period of about 20 years, in the end, no useful bona-fide lease documents were ever found. But in addition to searching for documents, a good deal of effort was put into genealogical searches. This, of course, is the really valuable part of the "dream". Among others, Cora Chenoweth Hiatt became involved in this search. Her work finally led to the publication in 1925 of the "History of the Chenoweth Family". While that book was somewhat incomplete and contained some errors (as would be expected), it formed the basis for later research and publications.

The opinion of two law firms are interesting. One firm gave as its reason for its unwillingness to take the case on a contingency basis the following. They claimed to have had considerable experience with 99-year leases in and around Baltimore and they said that such leases invariably contained a clause allowing for their renewal forever on the original terms. The other firm said that, "The court of Appeals in Maryland has held in cases where the leaseholder has not been disturbed by the owner for a long number of years that the owner loses his right and the leaseholder acquires a good title to the property. The court holds that it would work greater injustice to dispossess people who have improved property and held it for many years than to return it to its original owners."

In researching this paper, Harry concluded, "If I held such a lease I would want a second opinion, and maybe even a third, but I strongly suspect that I would find that this last opinion is a correct one. So much for the 'dream'" ..., [I would add to Harry's words, and the "goose chase"].

As an added note, Harry passed away in August of 2008 at the age of 94. He was my uncle, friend and fellow researcher. I owe him a great debt for his work and the discovery of the correct placement of the family of James Francis Chenoweth and Rebecca Safley. God rest his soul.
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Special Pages


Census Pages

Service in Wars - Chenoweths who served in our nation's time of need

Three special pages are dedicated to those in the family that served our nation in its time of conflict. They are dedicated in appreciation of that sacrifice. If you have a family member who served and is not listed, please contact me.

Arthur L. Keith - an outline of the early family

An explanation of the early genealogy of the Chenoweth family as determined by the wills of Maryland and Virginia, presented by Arthur L. Keith in a paper Presented Sept 1922, Elkins, WV at their 8th Chenoweth Reunion. This remarkably accurate account forms the formation for the family as it is now known.

Chenoweth Massacre - Richard(3) of Kentucky

The first hand account of James Chenoweth, as told to his grandchildren in 1850, of the founding of Louisville, Kentucky and the Chenoweth Massacre is now available at the site. This account was written by Alfred Pirtle, nephew to a son of James, published in 1931. (I have never been able to place Alfred in the family tree). For anyone with an interest in early American life, this story of the travails of Richard and Peggy Chenoweth and their pioneering into the wilderness of Kentucky, prior to 1780, is a delightful discovery. Another version, probably more accurate, can be found in Blaine Guthrie, Jr's account of Captain Richard Chenoweth as published by the Filson Club of Kentucky, 1972. This detail contains many historical facts about the life of Richard Chenoweth.

The Assassination of Dr. A.W. Chenoweth - my great grandfather

Genealogy, at its core, involves family stories. This is one about the death of my great grandfather, Dr. Albert White Chenoweth, of Pineville, MO, who was shot two weeks before my grandfather was born. Dr. Albert was a veteran of the Civil War and a prominent citizen of McDonald County. This is an account of the witness testimony at the trial of Garland Mann, the saloonkeeper, who was accused of the shooting. Garland Mann was tried 3 times. During a 4th trial, a mob broke into the jail house and hung him.

Kissing Cousins - just for fun

Cousin marriages were common in early America. In part this was due to the more limited area in which families lived, based on available transportation. Cousins were a large part of who you knew in the immediate locality. To day, though close cousin marriages are rarer, there is the surprising instances of very distant cousins uniting, often without knowledge of the relationship.

Twins: by Peter Chenoweth

This page is a study of twins and triplets organized by generation, born in the various branches of the Chenoweth family, as produced by Peter Chenoweth. It is a personal interest of his, as his wife is a twin. So, remarkably, is my father; though it's my mother who was the Chenoweth. Peter adds so interesting comments on twins.
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[PICTURE]Sources of information, with thanks

A note: This database is comprised of numerous secondary sources. Most are very good, but some not. Whereas I can refer you to the source, I can not give you primary data. We have used our best judgment as to whether to include material. Changes will occur. This is a living document, not etched in stone. The main sources are listed below. Besides these specific sources, hundreds of cousins across the country have contributed their family trees. These can be found, by branch, on the cousins pages below. In all there have been over 800 separate sources for names in this database. A listing of the top 140 can be viewed on another page.

Harris Book

Bill Chinworth, with the permission of Richard Harris, has had a reprint done of 500 copies of the Harris Book, "The Chenoweth Family in America". This book is rich in detail and texture with a fine index and a comprehensive look at the male lines of the family. The price is $50 including shipping. The reprint includes the Harris Addendum. You can order by mailing your check and address directly to Pete Chenoweth, 1045 Hancock Mill Lane, Hephzibah, GA 30815. Make the check payable to Chenoweth Family Book. PS: for those interested in Cora Hiatt's book, an online copy is available to those with access to Heritage Quest. (this great genealogy resource is often accessible through your local library)

Richard Harris sold out his original stock of books on "The Chenoweth family in America", pub: 1994 in the fall of 1997. The book is an absolute treasure. As I understand it, Mr. Harris has moved to St. Louis, MO. A listing of 244 genealogy libraries that have a copy of this book are presented on a separate page. Currently Bill Chinworth has a mailing out on short addendum for book holders, completed by Richard Harris in the fall of 1998 (cost $3.50). The Introduction of the Harris Book, as well as his thoughts on John Chenoweth and Mary Calvert, and his write-ups on second generation children are now available at the site

A List of Major sources

Snail Mail Cousins - Chenoweths Researchers

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Reunions

[CAKE]

The 1st National Chenoweth Reunion was held on August 4th - 6th, 2000 in Bowling Green, KY. There were some 80 families and 200 people and much was learned and enjoyed. The event was highlighted by the attendance of Richard Harris. My compliments to the fine organization done by Bill Chinworth, Joyce Wiegand and Mike Chenoweth. The Chenoweth Family Association was organized.

The 2nd National Chenoweth Reunion was held on August 15th - 18th, 2002 in Elkins, WV. Randy Allan was the local co-ordinator and again was helped by Bill, Joyce and Mike. The star of the event was Virginia Bird Johnson of Elkins, age 93 and bright as a button. The 88th annual local Chenoweth Picnic was held that Saturday. In all some 225 people registered in addition to local attendance at the picnic. A special thanks to the local cousins who helped with registration: Sharon Matthews, Sue Chenoweth, Sheila Washburn, Cindy and Sarah Talbott, Donna Allan

[Jon]
Elkins Presentation

The 3rd National Chenoweth Reunion was held on August 4th - 8th, 2004 in Beaverton, OR. Albert Heller Chenoweth and his wife Delores were the local co-ordinators and again was helped by Bill, Joyce and Mike. A signicant attendee was Elmer Haile, Jr. of Baltimore Co., MD, age 94. Music was provided by Daniel Fred Chenoweth of Sonora, Mexico. The picnic was held on Mt. Hood. [Highlights]

The 4th National Chenoweth Reunion was held on August 2nd - 6th, 2006 in Baltimore, MD. Lois Akehurst and family were the local hosts. A signicant attendee was Elmer Haile, Jr. of Baltimore Co., MD, age 96. Music was provided by Bill Chinworth's trio and Daniel Fred and Marisela Chenoweth of Sonora, Mexico. The family outing was to Fort Henry. A significant attendee was Elmer Haile, Jr. of Baltimore Co., MD, age 96. Music was provided by Bill Chinworth's trio and Daniel Fred and Marisela Chenoweth of Sonora, Mexico. The family outing was to Fort Henry. [Highlights]

The 5th National Chenoweth Reunion was held on July 23rd - 27th, 2008 in Ft Wayne, IN. Joyce Weigand and Mike & Kay Chenoweth were the local hosts. Attendees visited the Amish community of and made several visits to the genalogy department of the Ft Wayne Public Library. Greg Wulker discussed the Early Life of the Calverts. [Highlights]

The 6th national Reunion was held in Mesquite, TX on Jul 21-25, 2010 The Ft MesquiteReunion was hosted by Lawra Duy of Dallas, TX, IN.
The 7th national Reunion was held in Winchester, VA on Jul 26*31, 2012

The 8th national Reunion was held in Oklahoma City, VA in the summer of 2014

The 9th national Reunion was held in Oklahoma City, OK in the summer of 2016

The 10th national Reunion was held in Mineral Point, WI in the summer of 2018

The 10th national Reunion was held in Little Rock, AR in the summer of 2022

The next reunion are will be held in in will be held Aug. 1-4, 2024, in Media, PA, hosted by Greg Wulker. Please visit the Chenoweth Family Association site for information.

  • list of newsletter articles on reunions.

    Local Reunions:

    • Randolph Co., WV in Elkins each year on the Saturday during the Labor Day weekend: Lines of John4, William3 John2 - (Continuous since 1915)
    • Fulton Co., IL in August every summer: Lines of William5 John4, John 3, John2
    • Oklahoma on the first Saturday following the 4th of July: Lines of John William6 and George Edgar6, sons of Benjamin Franklin5, Luke4, Arthur3, Thomas2

    Email Cousins - Web Chenoweths - Notices

    Looking for the first descendant of the century

  • earliest so far reported Krista Anne Dye, January 2, 2000
  • Congradulations to my daugther Ally on her marriage to Christian Nelson this August, 2011.
  • NOTICE: Find-a-grave: I have recently begun to understand the possibilities of this site. At present I am slowly gathering together named Chenoweth burials already posted. I am looking for a few cousins who are interested in developing the potential of this site: Chenoweth burials

    Cousins #2350 (19 for 2012) - May 26, 3012

    now international

    The 25 latest cousins to sign in are listed below. In 2011, 35 cousins signed into the site out of 79 cousin contacts. To view all the cousins to have registered please go to the Cousins:John(2) or Cousins: Other children, unknown and other lines pages. There is a special descendant's table that will allow you to quickly find your closest relative as well as an alphabetical listing. To look at cousins in your state (49 of 50 represented) or country (Australia, Canada, Mexico, Japan, France and England), click here. If you are a cousin Email me, give me your name, your address and the connection. All Chenoweths and descendants welcome. The largest group of cousin contacts have been females in the 10th generation. About two thirds of all cousins that sign in are in the 9th and 10th generation of the family. I have had 4 cousins from the 7th generation and 3 from the 13th, quite a spread and quite a family!

    In all, this project has contacted over 3,500 descendants of this family. Near cousins often have bits of information about your family line. The cousin listings provide an exceptional opportunity to network with not so distant family. I have removed the Email listings of contributing cousins to help protect their addresses from "spamharvesters". If you are a cousin or researcher I will try to give you a connection address on request
    .

    [Cousins]


    1. [ARTHUR(2):John(3)] Jo Murray, California - May 26, 2012
    2. [THOMAS(2):Thomas(3)] Vicki Wilkerson, Texas - May 24, 2012
    3. [JOHN(2):Will(3)john] Roger Morrison, Washington - May 18, 2012
    4. [JOHN(2):John(3)] Geneva Baker, Indiana - May 15, 2012
    5. [HANNAH(2):William(3)] Deborah 'Debbie' Kann, Virginia - May 07, 2012
    6. [JOHN(2):Rachel(3)] Judith Elton, Indiana - April 27, 2012
    7. [JOHN(2):Will(3)Will] Cindra Wheeler, California - April 24, 2012
    8. [JOHN(2):Thomas(3)James Francis] Rickey Luningham, Tennessee - April 24, 2012
    9. [RICHARD(2):Hannah(3)] Nancy Ochi, California - April 07, 2012
    10. [THOMAS(2):Thomas(3)] Cathy Baxter, California - April 07, 2012
    11. [JOHN(2):Will(3)John] Kirk Cary, Maryland - March 29, 2012
    12. [HANNAH(2):James(3)] Susan Klems, Pennsylvania - March 29, 2012
    13. [THOMAS(2):Abraham(3)] Paul Kennedy, California - March 23, 2012
    14. [RUTH(2):Richard(3)] Willis Bryant Jones III, Georgia - March 09, 2012
    15. [JOHN(2):John(3)William(4)] Jennifer Riegler McNulty, Illinois - February 22, 2012
    16. [JOHN(2):Will(3)John] Carol Anne Renick, Florida - May 22, 2001
    17. [RICHARD(2):Thomas(3)] George Plitt, North Carolina - January 28, 2012
    18. [JOHN(2):John(3)] Sandy Gibbon, Colorado - January 22, 2012
    19. [JOHN(2):John(3)] Duane Dean, Illinois - January 11, 2012
    20. [RICHARD(2):John(3)] Heather Shelton, Tennessee - October 13, 2011
    21. [JOHN(2):John(3)William(4)] Karen Peterson, Minnesota - August 25, 2011
    22. [JOHN(2):Rachel(3)] Louise Reynolds, Alabama - December 23, 2011
    23. [ARTHUR(2):John(3)] Doug Urayama, California - November 15, 2011
    24. [THOMAS(2):Thomas(3)] Bradley A. Smith, Texas - November 13, 2011
    25. [RICHARD(2):Hannah(3)] Joe Mechem, West Virginia - November 08, 2011

      Contributing Cousins "ad Astra"

      In honor of cousins that have helped me and since passed away during the ongoing process of the Chenoweth Website. Without their help, much of the family knowledge would never have been acquired. They each will be missed.

      1. [RICHARD(2):John(3)] David Hugh Dyer, Kentucky: December 27, 1943 - March 25, 1998
      2. [UNKNOWN:John Prickett Chenoweth] Phyllis Charlene Chenowith, Arkansas: October 21, 1961 - December 30, 1999
      3. [JOHN(2):John(3)] Diane Dame, Oklahoma: April 26, 1950 - January 06, 2000
      4. [JOHN(2):Will(3)Will] William Ammon Forman, Texas: May 04, 1923 - January 29, 2001
      5. [ARTHUR(2):Arthur(3)William(4)] Lowell Porter Chenoweth, Indiana: September 17, 1943 - December 18, 2001
      6. [JOHN(2):John(3)] Claire Burton Chenoweth, Michigan: July 07, 1948 - March 12, 2002
      7. [THOMAS(2): Abraham(3)] Richard Carvel Chenoweth, California: February 28, 1924 - March 18, 2002
      8. [UNKNOWN:John M (tx)] Donald Earl Cheneyworth, Nevada: March 01, 1936 - May 14, 2002
      9. [JOHN(2):Will(3)John] Noel Edwin Chenoweth, North Carolina: June 19, 1938 - May 20, 2002
      10. [WILLIAM(2):William(3)tom] Jerry Roland Strayer, Ohio: June 25, 1941 - July 26, 2002
      11. [JOHN(2):John(3)William(4)] Baxter Oberlin, Indiana: September 19, 1922 - December 29, 2002
      12. [WILLIAM(2):William(3)tom] Dorothy Helene Bazata, Illinois: May 19, 1944 - April 09, 2003
      13. [JOHN(2):Will(3)Will] Connie Ann, wife of Terry Braden Chenoweth, Oklahoma: March 10, 1951 - April 26, 2003
      14. [JOHN(2):Will(3)John] Albert J. Summerfield, Washington: May 17, 1911 - July 21, 2003
      15. [JOHN(2):Will(3)John] James Chenoweth Potter, Virginia: May 13, 1935 - November 12, 2003
      16. [WILLIAM(2):Isaac(3)] Nancy Kost Harvey, New Mexico: July 07, 1937 - February 02, 2004
      17. [John(2):William(3)] Virginia Bird Johnson, March 22, 1909 - February 05, 2004
      18. [THOMAS(2):Thomas(3)] Charles Louis 'Chuck' Beckley, Oregon: January 13, 1924 - March 21, 2004
      19. [JOHN(2):Absolom(3)] Eugene Victor 'Gene' Chenoweth, Indiana: July 10, 1911 - June 22, 2004
      20. [JOHN(2):Will(3)John] Okey Lee McQuain, West Virginia: February 13, 1916 - July 31, 2004
      21. [JOHN(2) & William(2):John(4)] Philip Ellis Chenoweth, July 31, 1923 - October 14, 2004
      22. [THOMAS(2): Thomas(3)] James William Bates, Utah: July 24, 1928 - March 15, 2005
      23. [JOHN(2):Will(3)John]Wynne Beale Henderson, Washington: June 12, 1926 - April 20, 2005
      24. [WILLIAM(2):William(3)tom] Gale Kenneth Chenowth, Illinois: March 09, 1950 - July 24, 2005
      25. [JOHN(2):John(3)]Emma Deremiah Wilcoxen, Washington: March 05, 1918 - July 31, 2005
      26. [WILLIAM(2):Isaac(3)]Betty Flegal Cruickshank, Georgia: September 02, 1925 - July 06, 2005
      27. [JOHN(2):Will(3)John] Luverne Harstine, California: December 26, 1923 - October 28, 2005
      28. [JOHN(2):Will(3)Jon] Mary Elizabeth Padden, Washington: August 15, 1909 - November 25, 2005
      29. [HANNAH(2):James(3)] Margaret Shipp Henley, Oklahoma: September 02, 1922 - June 16, 2006
      30. [HANNAH(2):James(3)] Marie Thompson Eberle, Illinois: July 23, 1923 - June 28, 2006
      31. [ARTHUR(2):Richard(3)MD] Alfred Paul Chenoweth, Maryland: June 21, 1924 - July 21, 2006
      32. [HANNAH(2):James(3)] Barbara Gene Mole, Texas: November 16, 1923 - November 07, 2006
      33. [UNKNOWN:Thomas m: Ann Quirk] James Edwin Cheneweth, Jr., California: July 15, 1936 - December 13, 2006
      34. [JOHN(2):Will(3)John] Evelyn Lucille Rennix McHugh, California: December 29, 1906 - March 22, 2007
      35. [RICHARD(2):John(3)Nicholas] Samuel Alonzo Chenoweth Jr., Texas: August 04, 1923 - June 24, 2007
      36. [JOHN(2):John(3)William(4)] Betty Mackmer Hart, Washington: October 08, 1933 - August 07, 2007*
      37. [ARTHUR(2):John(3)] Fairybelle E. Jackson, Ohio: February 25, 1936 - August 23, 2007
      38. [WILLIAM(2): Mary(3)David Sutton] Edith Sutton Foster., Washington: January 31, 1926 - September 06, 2007
      39. [JOHN(2):Absolom(3)] Lynne Robinson, California: September 28, 1932 - October 27, 2007
      40. [THOMAS(2):Thomas(3)] Robert Richard Anderson nee Chenoweth, Colorado: February 12, 1924 - November 17, 2007
      41. [JOHN(2):Thomas(3)] Shannon Chenoweth Graham, Missouri: November 25, 1919 - December 07, 2007
      42. [OTHER:John b: 1811 Cornwall] Edith Pearl Chenoweth, California: August 30, 1932 - January 23, 2008
      43. [ARTHUR(2):Arthur(3)William] William Beaseman Chenoweth, Colorado: November 07, 1920 - January 29, 2008
      44. [JOHN(2):Will(3)John] Kenneth Frederick Resseger, Florida: March 04, 1945 - February 18, 2008*
      45. [JOHN(2):Thomas(3)] Raymond Murray Chenoweth, Florida: June 11, 1928 - May 08, 2008
      46. [UNKNOWN:MD: George bef 1790] Joyce Stover Hamilton, Washington: December 20, 1934 - May 23, 2008
      47. [JOHN(2):William(3)] Elmer Leroy 'Bill' Kelley, Washington: March 05, 1908 - July 02, 2008
      48. [WILLIAM(2):William(3)tom]Phyllis Goenner Chenoweth, Ohio: September 20, 1920 - July 11, 2008
      49. [ARTHUR(2):John(3)] Robert Lance Babineau, Texas: May 01, 1970 - July 16, 2008
      50. [JOHN(2):Thomas(3)James Francis]Harry Holt Chenoweth, Washington: June 21, 1914 - August 02, 2008
      51. [ARTHUR(2):Richard(3)MD] George Edward Chenoweth, Maryland: November 24, 1935 - August 04, 2008
      52. [Richard(2):Thomas(3)] Elmer Rathbun Haile, Jr. , Maryland: November 14, 1909 - November 03, 2008
      53. [JOHN(2):John(3)William(4)] Rosella Vohs, Illinois: February 01, 1929 - November 25, 2008
      54. [JOHN(2):Richard(3)] Barbara Somerville Vandre, Wisconsin: - September 27, 1926 - January 03, 2009
      55. [ARTHUR(2):Richard(3)TN] James Corbett Meeks, Jr., Texas: July 02, 1925 - January 19, 2009
      56. [JOHN(2):Thomas(3)] Caroline Ann Rominger, Colorado: September 18, 1931 - March 24, 2009
      57. [JOHN(2):Will(3)Will] Sandra Joan Chenoweth House, Kansas: February 02, 1937 - June 02, 2009
      58. [JOHN(2):John(3)] John Douglas Chenoweth, Oregon: December 17, 1924 - July 03, 2009
      59. [RICHARD(2):Thomas(3)] Harry Russell Schuppner, Jr, California: April 06, 1924 - August 07, 2009
      60. [JOHN(2):Will(3)John] Jackson Arnold Springston, North Carolina: October 25, 1921 - August 14, 2009
      61. [JOHN(2):Will(3)John] Brown McDonald, Jr., Oregon: Aug 14, 1918 - Aug 26, 2009
      62. [THOMAS(2):Abraham(3)] Agnes Chenoweth Langford, Missouri: September 24, 1936 - September 21, 2009
      63. [THOMAS(2):Elijah(3)] Robert J. Patterson, Oklahoma: September 24, 1936 - September 21, 2009
      64. [JOHN(2):Will(3)John] Scherrie Rae Bussineau, West Virginia: December 26, 1935 - April 26, 2010
      65. [THOMAS(2):Thomas(3)] Albert Heller Chenoweth, Oregon: December 25, 1927 - June 16, 2010
      66. [ARTHUR(2):Arthur(3)William] John Baxter Chenoweth, II, Maryland: September 30, 1953 - June 19, 2010
      67. [ARTHUR(2):Richard(3)MD] Nellie Gertrude Chenoweth Miller, Pennsylvania: December 20, 1912 - May 30, 2010
      68. [JOHN(2):Will(3)John] George Allen McIntyre, West Virginia: January 08, 1937 - Aug 10, 2010
      69. [JOHN(2):John(3)] Barbara Maxson Chenoweth, Illinois: May 16, 1934 - February 14, 2011
      70. [WILLIAM(2):William(3)] Mary Lachat Chenoweth, Ohio: October 25, 1920 - March 05, 2011
      71. [THOMAS(2):Sarah(3)] John Howard Lewis, Michigan: November 13, 1953 - April 18, 2011
      72. [JOHN(2):John(3)] Curtis Lee Daniels, Pennsylvania: August 24, 1933 - April 28, 2011
      73. [JOHN(2):John(3)] Lydia Hewitt Streeter, Kansas: November 26, 1921 - June 16, 2011
      74. [JOHN(2):Thomas(3)] Robert D. 'Bob' Luningham, Arkansas: June 14, 1933 - November 27, 2011
      75. [WILLIAM(2):WILLIAM(3)] Norman Walker Chenoweth, Ohio: November 13, 1934 - November 28, 2011
      76. [THOMAS(2):ABRAHAM(3)] William Lloyd Mulford, Nebraska: August 13, 1931 - March 20, 2012
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      Chenoweth GedHTMLWeb Site

      Jonathan Paul, California, my first web cousin (in reality a 7th Chenoweth cousin), had graciously provided an alternate site to the Chenoweth Web pages done in GED2HTML for those of you who prefer this format for years. You can find this site at

    26. Chenoweth GenWeb Site Homepage
      Database and Future updates: 186,893 [plus 1,163 for 11 weeks and 67,015 since the last web database update]. We now have over 66,000 marriages recorded in the database. In 2000 we added 12,571 names; 7,268 names [in 2001]; 9,482 names in 2002 ; 6,664 names in 2003 ; 6,237 names in 2004, 8,248 names in 2005, 5,082 names in 2006, 8,789 names in 2007, 11,722 names in 2008, 10,775 names in 2009, 7,320 in 2010, 5,931 in 2011. This is the largest assemblage of individuals in the Chenoweth family in existence. The site has been updated 10 times in the last eight years, and has grown to over almost 109,000 posted names.

      The database was cut off on September 22, 2003 at 119,878 names. The update was posted Oct 15th. This update, the first in 3 years, was based on the almost 29,000 names added for a net of 108,811 names, and includes the restructured tree as presently known. It includes 14,100 surnames and a total of 10,800 named Chenoweths. It includes data as sourced in a complete review of the 1870-1930 Censuses for Male Chenoweths, and the entire family in the 1880 Census. Descendant pages were expanded to 217 separate pages up from 135.

      Current file status

      • individuals: 186,893
      • marriages: 66,911
      • surnames: 20,992
      • record fields: 1,618,719

      Site Updates and Information

      To conserve space on this main page, the notes on the workings of this site and successive update information and its sources can be are now linked on a separate page for those interested.


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      Comments and Cousins appreciated - Jon Egge

      You can reach me by e-mail at:
      jegge@chenowethsite.com
      Snail Mail: PO Box 1188, Woodinville, WA 98072

      Copyright c 1996-2012 by Jon D. Egge. All Rights Reserved. Any republication of this page material for personal use requires inclusion of this copyright. Any other republication of this page material requires the express consent of the author.

      [IMAGE] to return to Egge Family Tree...

      There have been visits to this page since Feb 2003 and an additional 110,000 + since 01/02/96 including a few construction events by me.

      Last Revision Friday, Feb 16, 2024
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