The research this book [The Chenoweth Family in America] represents was begun by my wife, Shirley, in 1977 in Honolulu Hawaii, our residence at that time. Her cousin, Mrs.Dorothy Brown, sent us hand-written copies of some pages from a "family book", begun by Shirley's grandmother, Rachel Margaret Bales, nee Henderson. Her mother was Polly (Mary) Chenoweth, who became the wife of Milton Henderson.
Rachel Margaret wrote all she already knew, and all she could find out about her ancestors in her book, and this included much concerning her Chenoweth heritage. She then continued to enter vital statistics about her contemporary relatives as the events occurred. After Rachel Margaret died, the book was handed down to one of her children, a transition that has been repeated a number of times to date, with each of the book's recipients continuing the tradition of searching out and adding later family member information.
In reviewing the copies sent by her cousin, Shirley became fascinated with the Chenoweth family members her grandmother wrote of, and began a few innocent explorations at the Hawaii State Library to learn more. Some tantalizing bits were found, but the help of one of the librarians led her to investigate the local genealogical library branches of the Church of the Latter Day Saints. That excursion in turn, also led to the Honolulu branch of the Daughters of the American Revolution library. By then, the Chenoweth fever was raging in her, and it never cooled after that.
I, Rich, did not at first join Shirley in her searchings, but encouraged her, and acted as her sounding board when she had a dilemma to solve. Gradually though, the noose of curiosity became tighter and pulled me in also. We became a very efficient team, scouring libraries, courthouses, historical societies, and cemeteries from coast to coast; corresponding with any and all that might contribute a bit of Chenoweth lore; and looking forward to every minute spent with any and all members of the family that we could find.
Shirley never had a desire to see the information we gathered in a published form,-that would mean that we had stopped the pursuit, and she did not want to see that happen.
In December of 1992 her weakened heart stopped. I cannot recover from that, but I soon realized that her work had to be published, and as soon as I could manage it. We had always shared freely. To not share all of it now would be an insult to her.
I know she approves.
Richard C.Harris As the title indicates, this book [The Chenoweth Family in America], is the result of research into only those Chenoweth family members who lived in America; those descended from John Chenoweth born 1682-3, traditionally accepted to have been the first Chenoweth to have come to America from Cornwall, England.
We did not journey to England, and we made only a cursory review of what information we encountered from there from time to time. So, for data concerning the Chenoweth family prior to their establishment in America, other researcher's works would have to be consulted.
On the other end of the time scale, we shied away from gathering data for persons born after 1900, so readers will find the narratives taper off after that time. Where it was felt that information about the lives of persons born after 1900 shed further understanding about their predecessors, data about them is included. Also, for those more current persons or their direct descendants who supplied substantial information about their branch of the family, data about them is included in gratitude.
It would have been extremely difficult to have attempted to gather information about all the members of the Chenoweth families into the 1900's and up to now, 1993. Besides, the numbers would have been staggering. Examination of a few telephone books in almost any part of the country, Canada, or Mexico, gives some idea of the numbers. Chenoweths are now indeed North America-wide, and are obviously as prolific as ever.
An enormous debt to Mrs. Cora Chenoweth Hiatt must be acknowledged. She compiled and published her book, History of the Chenoweth Family, in Lynn, Indiana [19251. It has been THE reference book, and a vital resource for anyone interested in researching the family history. When we discovered its existence, very early in our research efforts, we decided that the information in Mrs.Hiatt's book would stand, and be used as- is in our records unless convincing data was found to the contrary. When we were fortunate to find addition- al information, it was used to build upon the foundation laid by Mrs.Hiatt.
It is unfortunate that the raw data used by Mrs.Hiatt is not available. If it were, it would greatly facilitate the evaluation of conflicting, but credible, information found since then. Recognizing this, after this book is published, the research information used in its preparation will be given to the Kentucky Library of Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky 42101.
Although we built on a very strong, (but not infallible), foundation, it would be foolhardy to assert that all information in this book was entirely correct. In fact, some is known to be questionable. But to stick with a "proved 100%, or throw it out" philosophy would stagnate most progress in genealogy.
The nature of some of the data available to researchers prohibits even an approach to perfection. Almost (or entirely), illegible hand writing; conflicts between sources each recognized as credible, such as between court house records and family Bibles, and between Health Department records and cemetery records and headstones; and conflicts from the persons involved themselves. For example the National Archive military pension files are replete with sworn written testimony of applicants and their spouses that, over the years, contradicts themselves regarding such things as their own birthdates or the birthdates of their own children - sometimes even the names of their children.
We found that in a majority of cases, reasonable and logical constructions were eventually validated when additional knowledge was found. For those that were proved invalid, the process still served the good purpose of stimulating questioning debate, which in turn, lit the way to more well-founded progress. We hope our
errors, and, in a few cases, our good guesses, will provoke the same results.
The specific source of each item of information that has gone into the data in the narratives are not included. Nor is a bibliography listing included. Every item found is documented in our research files, by name of facility, title of reference work and date of publication, and date of acquisition. But there are simply too many; to include them all would probably double the size of this work. During our 15 years of research, thousands of sources were tapped during working visits to facilities in twenty-three states and the District of Columbia, plus uncounted correspondence and telephone communications. Inquiries about the source of any specific item will be answered.
More than 200 ways of spelling of the name Chenoweth were found, all confirmed to have been members of the family. Most are extremely close phonetically, bearing in mind the myriad accents, localized vernaculars, etc., that could have been found throughout the country, to say nothing of the many interpretations of much almost illegible handwriting. Examples of these run the full gamut. From the plausible, Chinoweth, Chenorth, and Chennweth, to the more bizarre; Chaneywett, Chenrwartt, Chenoetweth, and Chenoroth. And if "i", or "y", is substituted for the first vowel, almost all of those resulting variations have also been found.
Because it is by far the most prominent, we used the "Chenoweth" spelling throughout, except where a different original document spelling provides better insight or understanding of the events or persons involved.
Different spellings of the family name are not uncommon today. For example, "Chenowth" is used by many of the family in Tennessee, and also of course, by descendants from there who now live in other parts of the land.
A most extraordinary family. Shirley and I hope you will enjoy and benefit from reading about them as much as we did researching them.
[JE: Note - though this narrative on "English origins" is based on family traditions arising from Cora Hiatt's book, it has many factual errors. Please refer to the background discussion of the Chenoweth name.]
Ancestors of present day Chenoweths in America were Welshmen living mainly in the area that is today Cornwall County, England, and bore the name "Trevelisek". Families of this name were long time residents of the area, and historically had considerable land holdings there.
Evidence of the name "Trevelisek", disguised behind various spellings, has been found well back into the times of the Saxons. When the feudal system was established after the Norman Conquest in 1066, the stubborn Trevelisek families resisted losing their holdings to the new lords and managed to hold their land as freeman vassals. This characteristic tenacity continued in the family down through the ages enabling them to hold much of the land well into the twentieth century.
The origin of the family name has many versions, including those showing a relationship between Cornish place names and those areas where the family is said to have lived, but the following is considered to be the most likely scenario:
Sometime between 890 and 1020, John Trevelisek, one of the aging family patriarchs of the time, split off portions of his holdings in favor of his sons. One such portion went into the hands of the youngest son, also name John. Soon after, the younger John built a new stone house on his property. In Cornish, the word for "new house" is Chynoweth, which in the fashion of those times for such a significant event, also became the new name adopted by this branch of the family. Later on, the older branches of the family were said to have failed to produce heirs, and so the family lands came down into the hands of the new Chynoweth branch.
The new family name quickly found diverse spellings including "Chynowen", Chinoweth" and "Chinouth", a process that continues down to the present, having produced more that 200 phonetically similar spellings. Surprisingly, pronunciation of the name has not experienced the same diversity. In fact, the only place that pronunciation is significantly different than throughout most of America is in Cornwall where it is pronounced "Sha-NOW-eth", with the accent on the middle syllable.
The first known pedigree of the Trevelisek and Chenoweth names is recorded in the 1620 Visitation to Cornwall. There is some hazy, if not questionable, portions of this documentation. Apparently, confirmation for the marriages listed could not be found.
The coat of arms of John Trevelisek as given in the 1620 Cornwall Visitation is "SA. on a FESS, OR. Three Cornish Choughs Heads, ppr". When the name was changed to Chynoweth, the Coat of Arms also was changed sufficiently to display the new identity, becoming "SA. on a Fasse, Or. Three Griffin's heads, erased, gules". 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 tom from their bodies (erased), two above the gold band, and one below.
The choughs mentioned in the description of the original Trevelisek coat of arms, were Cornish black birds, or ravens, and their appearance on the original coat of arms weaves the family history in with that of the legendary King Arthur. His castle was located in Tintagle, Cornwall, and according to legend, the chough were to be found only at Tintagle. While this tenuous relationship to the famous King may suggest that there was even closer ties between the two families, no other more reliable evidence of this is known to exist.
A variation of the family history related above is given in Vol.3 of the "History Of Kentucky And Kentuckians", published in 1912, and a most inter- esting portion of that narrative is quoted as follows:
"In every civilized land members of the Chenoweth family are to be found, and although the origin of the name is doubtful, the following account of the matter, partly conjectural and partly proven, is given. John Chenoweth, founder of the family in America, came to these shores from Wales in 1700, and his descendants claim that he was the son of John Havelisick. In Cornwall the name means a "new house", and it is believed that its use came about in this wise: The son of the younger branches of the heirs of John Havelisick, by the death of the elder branches, purchased a piece of land on which he built a new house and from that time all descendants of that branch have been called Chenouth or Chenoweth. Color is given the conjecture by the gift of a coat of arms to one John Chenoweth, about two hundred years later, which closely resembles that of the Havelisicks. A more plausible explanation is that the name is a mere false pronunciation of the word meaning "goose- foot", a nickname given to a remote ancestor living in France, one or more of whose toes were united. The name has existed for at least five hundred years and thus originated at a time when men wore sandals, leaving their toes visible, and as a matter of fact the second and third toes of some of the descendants have been united at the base or first joint".
The times of the family's beginnings in England would not be recognized by any of us living today, could we be transported there to live. Yet, there are similarities. As Mrs.Cora Hiatt Chenoweth said in her book about the family published in 1925, "We find many curious laws and customs in the period. (ie. 449- 1066), "It is an outstanding fact in early Welsh and Saxon law that everything could be paid for in money or its equivalent, varying with the injury and the standing of the injured." Certainly, the same could be said for present times. Please note: In the ten year perion from the publication of the "Harris book" a firmer and more accruate picture of John Chenoweth and his immediate family has emerged. The text below and that linked to each son should be read in context with newer accounts of John Chenoweth and his family: [Site Bio of John(1)], [Marie Eberle: John Chenowith,The Immigrant] , [Site Notes: Who was John Chenoweth?] and [Where did John Chenoweth live?].
It has been traditionally accepted that John Chenoweth, a Welshman, came to America, probably around 1715; that he came from St. Martin's-In-Menage, Cornwall County, England; and that he had been born there about 1682-3. Family tradition also has it that this John Chenoweth and Mary Calvert, daughter of Charles Calvert, Third Lord of Baltimore, were married about 1705; that Mary was the daughter of the third wife of Charles Calvert, the widow Mary Banks (Thorpe), who Charles married December 16, 1701.
The acceptance of the statements in the paragraph above can be found in many writings about the Chenoweth family history written in the late 1800's and early 1900's, but outside of documentation of the marriage of Charles Calvert to a Mary Banks (Thorpe), entries supporting the union of John and Mary Calvert found in two diaries belonging to the families of John's sons Arthur and Thomas, and an entry in a Bible which came from the family of John's eldest son John, no other, more substantial proof for any of it has ever been found.
Besides the lack of proof, it only takes a quick review of the known data to see that some of the most vital evidence itself is faulty. If the Third Lord of Baltimore, Charles Calvert, did marry his third wife, the widow Mary Banks (Thorpe) in "about" 1701, how could they possibly have a daughter Mary, who would be of an age to then become the bride of John Chenoweth in 1705? Even if the most liberal interpretation of the word "about" is taken, the theory is still improbable.
There is the possibility that Mary was the stepdaughter of Charles Calvert. Mary Banks (Thorpe) was, after all a widow, and of uncertain age, but very possibly old enough to have had a daughter by her prior marriage that would satisfy the information available to us. This is at least as fair a premise as the assumption that Charles Calvert and his third wife had a daughter at all. No genealogy of the Calverts has ever supported that position. Worthy of consideration is the fact that Charles Calvert, born August 27, 1637, would have been "about" 63 years of age when he fathered this daughter, Mary.
We are then left with suspicious evidence, hazy theories, and perhaps even wishful thinking as a basis to accept that John Chenoweth joined the Calvert family through this marriage. But other explanations that have been advanced also leave unresolved questions. So on the chance that we have seen only the few remaining scattered threads of what was once the whole fabric, we will only express reservations and continue on.
The Calverts were Catholic and John was Protestant. If John and Mary Calvert were indeed married, this is given as a reason why no record of the marriage was made. Presumably, this is because a priest would probably have performed the marriage, but because John was not Catholic, the union would not have been approved by the Catholic Church, and so not recorded.
There is another possible reason given for the lack of surviving proof of a marriage between John Chenoweth and Mary Calvert. One that hints at more sinister motives, and one that requires a more thorough accounting.
After arriving in Maryland from England, John Chenoweth, his wife and their family are said to have settled on a large estate known as "Gunpowder Manor", located near the then thriving town of Joppa on the Gunpowder River, close to this river's outlet into Chesapeake Bay. Having as his wife a daughter of the Third Lord of Baltimore, John's source for this large estate was most likely an inheritance from Charles Calvert to his daughter, Mary. Charles Calvert died February 21, 1715, which is the year, as mentioned above, that John Chenoweth and his family are believed to have come to Maryland from England, and so, the gift, or inheritance of the estate in Maryland would seem a most credible reason for relocation to the New World.
The estate was presumably granted in perpetuity to Mary Calvert and her heirs, which with her marriage to John Chenoweth, made it a Chenoweth family property forever. In time, the chronicle goes, the estate became known as "Chenoweth Manor", and under that name, remained intact until 1806.
The size of the estate is not known for certain, but it was substantial, one source gives it as being more than 7200 acres, located primarily in present day Baltimore County, and with at least a part being within what is now the city limits of Baltimore. In 1806, for purposes not explained, the Chenoweth family heirs leased the estate, supposed- ly in its entirety, to the city and/or the county of Baltimore for 99 years. Of course, by the end of this 99 year lease period in 1905, the property would have had an immense worth, estimated by some to be at least $600 million. Therefore, around the turn of the century, there was much activity from the Chenoweth family heirs to recover either the property or its equivalent worth. It has been asserted that, because of the possible legitimacy of the claims, that "those in power" managed to remove all evidence of the lease and the Chenoweth family involvement with it. This, it is said, is the reason, or at least another of the reasons, why documentation concerning John Chenoweth and Mary Calvert was never found.
Whatever the actual events may have been, the attempts of the Chenoweth heirs and their attorneys produced nothing tangible. Officially, and probably correctly, the position of the governments involved was that since no rents had been assessed or paid on the lease for such a long period, title had legitimate- ly passed to the leaseholders. Also, since large amounts had been spent to improve the lands over the years, much more damage would be done by dispossessing those who had reasonably assumed ownership than would be done in reverting the lands back to the original owners.
On page 128 of her book, "History of the Chenoweth Family", published in 1925, Mrs.Cora Chenoweth Hiatt shows an outline map of "Chenoweth Manor, or Gunpowder Manor", as sent to her by the genealogist Robert F.Hayes. If the manor did indeed exist, that map is not of it. It is instead a plat of the 100 acre "Arthur's Addition", which adjoined the 43 acre "Arthur's Lott", proper- ties acquired by John's son, Arthur in 1747 and 1740 respectively. Both are located about a mile northwest of present day Riesterstown, on the west side of Baltimore, far from Gunpowder River.
Mr.Richard J.Buckey, genealogist from Ohio, in 1992 published his book, "The History of the Calverts Who Were Quakers", in which Mr. Buckey maintains that John Chenoweth did indeed marry Mary Calvert, but that she was the daughter of a John Calvert, b.Oct.6,1648, near Belfast, Ireland, and Judith Stamper, b.Sep.23,1648. Mr.Buckey believes that this Mary Calvert, who was born Feb. 14,1687, a Quaker, is the Mary who became the bride of John Chenoweth, ca. 1705.
From the many versions of the origins of the Chenoweth family in America, the reader will have to choose. Each of them has supporters and detractors. One thing on which all seem to agree; John Chenoweth did come from Cornwall, and did found a most prolific family in Maryland.
Most of the life of John Chenoweth, blacksmith and surveyor, who came to Maryland in the early 1700's is simply a mystery. His parentage has not been confirmed; no one knows when or how he traveled from St. Martins-In-Menage, Cornwall, to Maryland; there is much uncertainty about the how, when and who of his marriage; and where and how his life was spent. If it were not for his will, we might still doubt his very existence.
John Chenoweth's will was made by him in Frederick County, Virginia, on April 11, 1746. In it he stated, it would appear with pride, that he was a blacksmith, a very respected occupation of those times. He makes mention of his wife, though not by name. This fact is all the more curious and puzzling because in reading on, he takes care to specifically mention each of their eight children; John, Richard, Arthur, William, Thomas, Mary (Watson), Hannah (Carter), and Ruth (Petit). Also mentioned is his son-in- law, John Petit, and his grandson, John Petit, Jr.
John's will names as his executors, his son Thomas and his son-in-law James Carter. The will was proven valid in the Court of Frederick County, Virginia, on May 6, 1746. It is from this date and the date of the making of the will, April 11, 1746, that John Chenoweth's death can be placed within this period of about 4 weeks.
The will of John Chenoweth provides some answers about him. It also raises more questions. Why did he avoid naming his wife? What was he doing in Frederick County, Virginia? (Although some of his children had departed the Chenoweth Manor in Maryland, we have no information leading us to believe he left there for any other reason than to visit them).
After leaving relatively small sums of currency to family members in his will, John goes on to dispose of other items including a smooth bore gun and wearing apparel. He also states that "Deeds of gift already made and given to my son Thomas Chinoweth and John Petit, my son-in-law of my land and other particulars therein stand good and valid..." He then goes on to leave the "residue" of his estate in equal shares to his wife and three married daughters. Are these almost insignificant directions how the great "Chenoweth Manor" estate was passed on?
There are a few more things to say concerning John, the estate, and his children that add to the knowledge of the original family, but hardly add much in the way of clarity. As the family grew in size, by John and Mary's eight children, then presumably, grew even further as these children married and had their own children, even Chenoweth Manor must have become quite crowded. Therefore, it is reported to us that it was decided that "the different families must have homes of their own. So it was arranged that John, the eldest son, and William and Thomas, the two youngest sons, should go to Virginia, where it seemed a good place to locate."
Why it is that Virginia was considered a "good place to locate" is not explained, but if the three sons and their families did relocate there, it helps to explain why John, the elder, was in Frederick County, Virginia when he died. He was simply visiting his children and their families. But then why does the first line of John's will contain the statement, "I John Chenoweth of Frederick County in the Colony of Virginia..."? There is no record that he ever purchased or in any other way laid claim to land in Virginia or that he ever established a residence there.
Finally, no record has ever been found of where John Chenoweth and his wife were buried. Possibly they were buried on their own land and if markers were placed on the gravesites, they have long since disappeared. Again, we are left with only our own guesswork.
All of the children of John Chenoweth and Mary Calvert were born in Baltimore County, Maryland, presumably at Chenoweth Manor on the Gunpowder River near Joppa. They were: Please note: In the ten year perion from the publication of the "Harris book" a firmer and more accruate picture of children of John Chenoweth has emerged. The text for each given below below should be read together with the site pahes for linked for each
John Jr. was the eldest child of John Chenoweth who died in 1746. The date of his birth has been given as 1706 by one of his descendants, but no proof of this date is known. Place of his birth is unknown.
According to the records of St. John's Parish, Baltimore County, Maryland, John Jr. was married there to Mary M. Smith on November 26,1730. Evidently, he lived with his parents and brothers and sisters at Chenoweth Manor near the Gunpowder river (Comment: for a more accurate detail of where John(2) lived see comments by Elmer Haile), through his early years and continued to live there after his marriage, for it is not until 1762 that he is known to have acquired property in Frederick County, Colony of Virginia. All of his nine children were born before that time.
Land recorded by John Jr. in Frederick County, Colony of Virginia is: 248 acres, Nov.3,1762, Book E.,268; 314 acres granted by Lord Fairfax, Oct.5,1764, Book M.,309; and 23.5 acres granted Oct.6,1764. The original site of the Cool Spring Presbyterian Church, built in 1764, was on a portion of the 314 acre grant, located on Runneymead Road (Rte.26) near present day Torytown. Since John owned this land at that time, he must have deeded the site for the church grounds.
In March of 1773, after John's death, heirs Mary, his widow, and sons Absolum, Richard and Thomas, along with their wives, sold the 314 and 23.5 acre parcels to a George Scott of Berkeley County.
Other evidence of John's later life in Virginia include an item found in Tyler's Quarterly, showing John on a 1784 Head of Household list in Hampshire County, Virginia. Acts of the Virginia legislature passed December 16,1778, and in December 11,1790 establish new ferries; one "From the lands of John Chenoweth in the County of Hampshire across Cape Capon river to the land of James Largent and back. Price for a man, 4 pence, for a horse, the same"; and another ferry, "From the land of John Chenoweth in the County of Hampshire across Great Cacapon creek to the opposite shore, the price for a man, 4 pence, for a horse, the same..."
Concerning Mary Smith, wife of John Chenoweth, she is only known by the record of her marriage to John, because she is named in John's will, and through her involvement in the selling of property after John's death.
John made his will November 3,1770 in Frederick County, Colony of Virginia. The will was proven March 5,1771, also in Frederick County. Of John's death, we only know that it occurred some- time between these two dates. In his will he refers to himself as "sick and weak of body", which hints that his demise was earlier rather than later in the given time span.
The will of John Chenoweth mentions his wife Mary, and each of their nine children, summarized as follows: John and Mary's nine children, with their birth dates are: Mary was born ca. 1708. On May 24, 1733 she married John Watson in Baltimore County, Maryland. They had at least one child, a son, John Jr. Mary is known to have been living in 1746 when her father named her in his will which he made on April 11of that year. No additional information about Mary is known.
Born about 1710 on the family manor near the Gunpowder river in Baltimore County, Maryland, the third child of John Chenoweth and Mary Calvert. Died Dec.12, 1781 in Baltimore County. Married, about 1733 in Baltimore County to Kezia
From records of land patents and deed transfers, Richard is known to have owned several hundred acres accumulated in several parcels in Baltimore County. He may also have inherited lands from his father's estate, though his father's will did not stipulate any such direct transfer. In 1790, eight or nine years after his death, tracts of Richard's lands were advertised for sale as the result of a suit, this evidently against Richard's estate. The tracts were known as "Long Crandon on the Hill", "Henry's Lot", and "Henry's Delight in Annys Garden", with a total of @ over 200 acres. Richard is known to have owned, at various times, at least three other tracts.
Managing and overseeing the activities of his land holdings probably took much of Richard's time, but he also worked as a blacksmith, a trade he no doubt learned from his father.
Three sons of this family served in the military during the Revolutionary War; Richard, Thomas, and Joseph.
The little more that is known about Richard is known from his will, written Oct.1, 1781 in Baltimore County and entered there for probate on Dec.14, 1781. In his will, he provided for his wife, Kezia, and also named her and his son, Joseph as co- executors. In the will, Richard also named his other sons, Richard, Arthur, Thomas, and William, and his grandson, Richard, son of John, deceased. Also mentioned in bequests were his daughters, Susanna, Hannah, and Kezia Jr.
Nothing more of Kezia is known. If it had not been for Richard naming of her in his will, her name would probably be lost. No other mention of her is known. When she died, or where she or Richard are buried is not known.
Children (all believed born in Baltimore County, Maryland): Born ca. 1713, died in 1764 in Frederick County, Virginia. Hannah married James Carter ca. 1733. James was born ca. 1710, died in 1758. His will was proven in Frederick County, Virginia on Nov.18, 1758. In it, James mentioned his wife, Hannah, their three daughters and three sons. John McMahon and Benjamin Blackburn were named executors.
After Hannah died, the two executors of James' estate, John McMahon and Benjamin Blackburn were appointed guardians of the underage children.
Children:
Arthur was born Aug.15,1716, the fifth child of John Chenoweth and Mary Calvert, at the family estate, Gunpowder Manor, located near Joppa in Baltimore County, Maryland. Arthur died in Baltimore County on Mar. 14,1802.
It is probable that this Arthur is the Arthur "Chenowith" who fought at Fort Duquesne (late Fort Pitt; now Pittsburgh), in November, 1758 in the successful attack against the French by British General John Forbes at that place. Arthur's participation there is chronicled in Vol. VIII of The Abridged Compendium of American Genealogy.
Cora Chenoweth Hiatt, in her book, "History of the Chenoweth Family", published in 1925 relates early history notes concerning Arthur from her research. Mrs. Hiatt notes that Arthur was married about 1738 to a Sapphira, or Safira, that he was a vestryman, during the period 1749-60, of St.Tbomas Parish in Baltimore County, where the birth of all of his children was recorded. Sapphira, died May 16,1800, probably in Baltimore County.
From the records of St.Thomas Parish, the notations regarding Arthur state that he was a "ward" in 1749, and vestryman 1753-55, 59, and 1760.
In her book, Mrs. Hiatt also cites a number of land transactions of Arthur's in Baltimore County from 1741 through 1770, one of these, in 1757, was to convey 125 acres to Samuel Hooker, who it turns out, was Sapphira's father. This is known from Samuel Hooker's will, made Aug.11, 1767 in Baltimore County, proven there on Mar.4, 1773, in which, among other bequests, Samuel provided 20 pounds to his daughter, "Sophira, wife of Arthur Chinworth".
The land transfers mentioned by Cora Hiatt were all transactions of land located in the western part of Baltimore County, near the present town of Riesterstown. These have been documented by Dr. Arthur G. Tracey in his work, now in the possession of the Historical Society of Carroll County, Maryland, located in Westminister.
Arthur made his lengthy will on Dec.24, 1800 in Baltimore County, Maryland, and it was proven there on Apr.7, 1802. In it, he bequeathed all his lands to his son, Richard; one dollar to his son Samuel; fifty pounds currency to his son, Thomas along with all of his (Arthur's) wearing apparel; Negro girl called Con, to his daughter, Ruth Butler; one other Negro girl, Linda, to his grand-daughter Elizabeth, daughter of his son, Richard; and five dollars to his daughter, Hannah Ogg. Arthur also specified that upon his death, his Negro woman Patience (or Pashe), should be given her freedon then bequeathed all of the remainder of his estate to his son, Richard, and named him executor of his will. He did not mention Sapphira, who had died just over seven months earlier.
It is not known why Arthur did not mention his other sons, Arthur Jr., John, or William, all ( whom were still alive at the time he made his will)
Where Arthur or Sapphira are buried is unknown.
Children (all born in Baltimore Count, Maryland): William, the sixth child of John Chenoweth who was born in 1682, was born ca. 1718 in Baltimore County, Maryland, reportedly on the Gunpowder Manor family estate. William died in 1785 in Berkeley County, Virginia, (now W.V.), sometime between Oct. 10, when he made his will there, and Dec.20, when it was proven in Berkeley County for probate.
Everything known about William is based on the information in his will, and the research of Cora Chenoweth Hiatt, as presented in her book, "History of the Chenoweth Family", published in 1925.
From the will, it is known that his wife's name was Anne, about whom nothing more is known. Nor is the date and place of their marriage known. In his will, William named seven children, four boys and three girls.
As Cora Hiatt wrote in her book, there are records of William purchasing land on Mill Creek, a branch of the Opeckon, from John Mills, Sr., and a record of a land grant to William for 171 acres in Frederick County, Virginia, dated Apr.3,1752.
Where William or Anne are buried is not known.
Children (all born in Baltimore County, Maryland): Born about 1720 on the family manor near the Gunpowder river in Baltimore County, Maryland, the seventh child of John Chenoweth and Mary Calvert. Died about 1787 in Maryland. Married about 1742 to Mary Pricket in Maryland, and afterward probably moved to Frederick County, Virginia where he purchased 275 acres of land on Jul.7,1761.
No additional information about Mary Pricket is known. Where she or Thomas were buried is also not known.
This family is especially distinguished in that six of the sons saw military service, John, Thomas, Richard, William I., and Elijah in the Revolutionary War, and Arthur in the War of 1812.
Children: Born ca. 1722 in Baltimore County, Maryland. She married John Pettit, who was born in Virginia 1720-1730. His father was John Richard Pettit. Ruth and John had at least one child.
Children: Return to top of page
Bowling Green, KY. January, 1994
STANDARDS AND CONVENTIONS:
FAMILY ORIGINS
ENGLAND:
AMERICA:
JOHN CHENOWETH-IMMIGRANT TO AMERICA
CHILDREN:
Inquiries welcome - Jon Egge
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Copyright c 1994-2004 by Jon D. Egge and Richard C. Harris: Reprinted material from "The Chenoweth Family in America" with author's permission. Any republication of this page material the express consent of the author and website
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Last Revision Monday, August 2, 1999 - rev Mar 8, 2004