This article details proof that Capt. Henry Chiles is a qualifying ancestor for the Society of Colonial Wars and details proof of the lineage of Capt. Henry Chiles to the Mullins family.
Qualifying Military Service
Henry Chiles served as a lieutenant in the New Kent County Militia. He was documented on the militia list on March 7, 1701/2 [1]. The original reference is from records relating to Virginia in the Public Records Office in London C.O.5/1312.
Henry Chiles’s residence in New Kent County in 1701/2 is proven by the documentation of his children’s births in the St. Peter’s Parish Register in New Kent County between 1698 and 1702 [2]. He was documented to own land on Crumps Creek in New Kent County in 1702 [3].
Henry Chiles satisfies the criteria as a qualifying ancestor for the Society of Colonial Wars based on his service as a lieutenant in the New Kent County Militia.
Walter Chiles, son of Capt. Henry Chiles
Henry Chiles and his first wife (name unknown) were the parents of Walter Chiles. The St. Peter’s Parish (VA) Register recorded the birth of Henry Chiles’s children, including Walter [4]:
“The first concrete knowledge of the marriage of Henry Chiles, and his residence in New Kent County, is found in the St. Peter’s Parish Register [5]. With the characteristic brevity of the entries, the births of the sons of Henry Childes were recorded. Everyone in the parish knew who the mother was, so her name was not mentioned…”
“Eight entries after the last 169- entry (all of these were surnames beginning with the letter C) was the entry noting the birth of ‘Walter son of Hen Childes bapt. the 5 of January…’ This could be interpreted as 1700. ‘James son of Hen Childes, Gent bapt. the 4… ….’ This entry appeared just five lines after Walter and three lines before one dated 1703. It could probably be taken to be 1702 [6].”
Henry Chiles became part of the new St. Paul’s Parish starting in 1705 [7]. Hanover County was formed in 1720 from part of St. Paul’s Parish, New Kent County. Therefore Henry Chiles’s children would have grown up in St. Paul’s Parish, New Kent County until 1720, and then in Hanover County after 1720.
Walter Chiles as an adult
There is an extensive record of Walter Chiles as an adult in Caroline County, VA. The question is whether the adult Walter Chiles of Caroline County was the same person as Walter Chiles, son of Henry Chiles of Hanover. Davis states:
“There is every reason to believe that the Walter Chiles, who lived in the Reedy Creek-Reedy Church area of Caroline County, was the son of Henry Chiles of Hanover County” [8].
This presumption is based on facts that Davis presents in her chapter on Walter Chiles [9], in her chapter on Henry Chiles [10], and on facts presented Campbell [11], T.E. (1954). Colonial Caroline. Richmond: The Dietz Press, Inc. (title page G8, see pages G9-12). The following is a summary of the evidence:
- Birth record. Henry Chiles of Hanover County is known to have had a son named Walter (St. Peter’s Parish Registry, cited above).
- Geographical proximity. Walter Chiles of Caroline County lived near the border of Caroline and Hanover Counties, showing geographical proximity between the homestead of the family of Henry Chiles, and the adult Walter Chiles of Caroline County. Specifically:
- In 1728, Governor Gooch appointed 18 prominent citizens as justices of the newly-formed Caroline County, including Walter Chiles [12]. Caroline County was formed (and is situated) along the northeast border of Hanover County. Walter Chiles’s precinct was in the southwest corner of Caroline, bordering Hanover County [13].
- Walter Chiles of Caroline County appears many times in historical records, spanning his entire adult life. A few examples: He received extensive land grants of 3,800 acres in 1730; was appointed sheriff in 1734 [14]; executed a deed in 1737 in which his wife “Mary” was noted [15]; and died in 1766 when his estate administration was recorded [16].
- Association with 2 other sons of Henry Chiles. Walter Chiles’s brother, Micajah Chiles, was also a prominent citizen of Caroline County. Davis documents that Micajah’s father was Henry Chiles [17]; that he received a share of his father’s land in Hanover County [18]; and that he had moved to Caroline County by 1730 [19]. Micajah is recorded extensively in Caroline County records for the remainder of his life [20].
Another brother of Walter’s, William Chiles, also moved to Caroline County and is found several times in that county’s records [21].
The fact that 2 of Henry Chiles’s sons, Micajah and William, lived their adult lives in Caroline County, provides supporting evidence that the Walter Chiles of Caroline was the third son of Henry Chiles of Hanover County.
No other candidate Walter Chiles. There is only one other Walter Chiles in the records who could have been Henry Chiles’s son Walter as an adult, in the geographical vicinity of Hanover County: A Walter Wyatt of Amelia County. A chancery suit proves that the Walter Wyatt of Amelia County was in fact the son of John and Mary Chiles, not the son of Henry Chiles [22]. The suit is cited (see yellow highlight, page G16). The details of the chancery suit are discussed in Davis [23].
Therefore, there is only one Walter Chiles in the records, namely the Walter Chiles of Caroline, who could be the son of Henry Chiles of Hanover County.
It is possible that Henry’s son Walter died in childhood, or that he did not happen to appear in any surviving historical records. However, when a man owned large tracts of land in colonial Virginia, his sons tended also to own land and therefore tended to appear in historical records. Similarly, a man who owned large tracts of land tended to be from a family (father) who also owned large tracts of land, and therefore who also tended to appear in historical records.
In other words, it is unlikely, but not impossible, that Walter Wyatt of Caroline would have had a father who appears in none of the surviving records; and it is unlikely, but not impossible, that Henry Wyatt’s son, Walter, would appear in none of the surviving records unless he died in childhood.
Summary Of Evidence
- Henry Chiles had a documented son named Walter.
- Walter Chiles of Caroline County spent his adult life in close proximity to the Hanover County homestead of Henry Chiles’s children.
- 2 other sons of Henry Chiles also spent their adult lives in Caroline County.
- There are no records of any other men in the vicinity named Walter Chiles who might have been Henry Chiles’s son Walter.
Documentation Of Birth, Marriage, And Death Places/Dates
Henry Chiles was born before 1671 [24]. Davis also cites proof that he died between March 30, 1719, and February 27, 1719/20 [25].
© 2013 W. Mullins