Revised Nov. 4, 2000
OUR CHESHIRE FAMILY
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JOHN BAPTIST CHESHIRE
The earliest information we have on John Baptist CHESHIRE is his Revolutionary War service, which is taken from his pension application dated May 16, 1829. In it, he states that he is seventy-five years old, making him born ca 1753, his wife, aged seventy-three.
During the Revolutionary War John served in the Sixth Virginia Reg't as a private in the company commanded by Capt. Thomas WEST, Regiment of Lt. Col. Samuel HAWES in the Virginia Line for 1 year. His Pension claim number is S35829. Carol DuPaix, a cousin, found records of his service. She says, " I found the record of John Chesher's service in the 6th Virginia Regiment. It is found in the microfilm titled: Compiled Service Records of Soldiers who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War, Roll 1003. It is a photo copy of 15 of his payroll slips. The first one is dated June 1778 and the last one is dated Feb 4, 17__ (I think 79) He was at Valley Forge, in fact, he was in the hospital in Valley Forge."
We find that Lt. Col Samuel Hawes lived in Caroline Co., Va. He was the commander of the 10th Va. Reg't which, on Sept. 14, 1778, had a designation change to become the 6th Reg't.
The Sixth Virginia Regiment was made up of men from the following Virginia counties: Pittsylvania, Spottsylvania, Amherst, Buckingham, Charles City, Lunenburg, New Kent, Mecklenburg, Dinwiddie and Prince George. Now we need to find out where John Baptist lived when he enlisted.
In his pension papers, John is referred to as John Chesshir. A land record in Floyd Co., IN Deed Book, pg 27, dated Thursday, 7th December, 1837, calls him John Baptist Cheshire; and his land patent for Floyd Co., Indiana calls him both John Baptist Chesshir and John Baptist Chessir. In the suit filed asking for sale of his land, his middle name is almost always written as Baptiste.
When we first started research on this line, we heard of John Baptist Cheshire of Halifax Co., VA . He was approximately the same age as our John Baptist. However, we found that that man lived and died in Halifax Co. Some folks still think he was our ancestor, but he is not.
EARLY CENSUS INFORMATION
We find a 1776 census of Frederick Co., Maryland showing a John Cheshire, age 23 and wife Sarah, age 21. This is the correct age for our John and Sarah, but we can't find any other information on them.
There is a Baptist Cheshier listed on the 1787 Virginia Census in Halifax County showing 1 free white male of 16 years or older, 1 other free, and 4 slaves. He is believed to be the John Baptist Cheshire who married Sarah (Sythia or Scitha) Simpson and was possibly a cousin to our John. This family also had a Jane, born a generation before ours.
A John Cheshire is listed on the 1787 Virginia Census in Prince William Co, Va., the census shows only 'self'. .
The 1790 census for Washington Co., Maryland has both John Cheshire and John Shepherd, neither of them are on the 1800 census. Both names are found on the 1800 Washington Co., KY census and John's son, Thomas, married Elizabeth Shepherd, daughter of John Shepherd of Maryland. Another son, Jonathan, says on various census' that he was born MD and VA. John has one male over 16, three under 16 and four females. Benjamin, Thomas and Jonathan would be the three males. Wife Sarah and daughters Priscilla and Elizabeth would be three of the females. The fourth is unknown, perhaps another daughter that married or died, perhaps a mother, even a servant. John's other children were born in KY.
A 1795 census of Mason Co., KY shows a John Chesher . At that time, Mason Co. ran down the whole border with Virginia. It is probable that this is our John on his way across to Washington Co. (see map)
We find John in Washington County, Kentucky on the 1800 census as John Chesser. Since this is information from the tax list, there is no breakdown of family.
On the 1810 census John is still in Washington County and listed as John B. Chesshire, with 1 male under 10, 1 over 45, 2 females 10-16, 1 16-26, 1 26-45, and 1 over 45**. The male under 10 was probably Francis, the females aged 10-16 would be Jenny and Nancy, the one aged 16-26 would be Elizabeth and the one over 45 was Sarah. Again, an extra female; we find no other marriages of Cheshires, so it might possibly be a sister of either Sarah or John.
On the 1820 census he is found in Hardin County, Kentucky and listed as John B. Cheshire, with only himself and Sarah at home. Oner in Bullitt Co., we find Jonathan with a young couple , aged 16-26, living with him, it is suspected that these are Francis and Jennie. I imagine they needed help with the children, or perhaps the young Cheshires didn't get along with their parents, we don't know.
By the 1830 census, John is found in Floyd Co., Ind. as Jno. Bap. Cheshire. He and his wife are between 70 and 80 years old. There is one male, aged 10 to 15 with them. We don't know who this boy was, again, we suspect he was a son of either Priscilla and George Acres or Elizabeth and William Burris. We have never found either couple to identify their children. If anyone has any knowledge of either of these couples, please contact me!
FAMILY
We have been unable to identify Sarah, wife of John Baptist Cheshire. John died intestate and from court records in Floyd Co., IN we find two papers referring to her. (See papers)
· In the Probate Order Book for 1830 - 1837, pg 269, dated Aug 28, 1837, she is called Sarah B. Cheshire.
· In Probate Order Book, "B" for 1830-1837, pg 232:, she is called Sarah Baptist Cheshire. Is this an error on the part of the court recorder? Or is it possible that her maiden name was Baptist? We don't know, but we are keeping our options open checking on Baptist(e) families as well as Cheshire.
NEW:
In trying to identify the children of John Baptist, we look at marriages in the vicinity.
March 17, 1800, Benjamin married Elizabeth Hardin in Washington Co.
April 12, 1804, Thomas married Elizabeth Shepherd in Washington Co.
Sometime before 1809, Jonathan married Elizabeth Hollis. We haven't found this marriage yet, but son John Steven was born 1809 or 1810.
Feb. 25, 1813, a Priscey (Priscilla?) Cheshire married George Acres in Bullitt Co., KY. This family disappears after this time. We haven't found them again.
Nov. 13, 1815, Nancy Cheshire married David Dougherty in Hardin Co., KY and they are living very close to John Baptist on the 1820 census. ,
Aug. 14, 1823, Jenny married Thomas B. Wilmouth in Bullitt Co., KY.
July 3, 1836, Francis Chesire married Jane Anderson in Floyd Co., IN. Only one month later, John Baptist died.
In a book put out by the DAR, Roster of Soldiers and Patriots of the American Revolution buried in Indiana, compiled and edited by Mrs. Roscoe C. O'Byrne, chairman, Baptist and Francis are named as possible sons of John Baptist's. Unfortunately, no reasoning is given, no reference and we have never found a record of Baptist or a John B., Jr., we have no idea where she found that info. So, in attempting to identify John's children, we look at what we know.
In 1829, John B. applied for a pension for his Rev. War service. In it, he says, "I have four children who are all married and able to maintain themselves"
Two children are proven by the will. Thomas, whose sons James and John brought suit to force sale of the property, and Jenny.
In 1837, Jenny and her husband Thomas B. Wilmouth signed away their share to pay off a debt and the paper reads, " ---- sell convey and confirm unto them, their heirs and assigns forever all our Eight title and interest in and to the Tract of land or farm formerly belonging to John B. Cheshire deceased, the father of said Jane ---"
Note the 'Eight title'. This means that eight children were either living or had died, leaving heirs. In seeking these eight, we find among the living:
1. Jonathan
Jonathan lived in Bullitt Co. through the 1870 census. In 1830, he is listed in Nelson Co., but his land was right on the border, so he probably didn't move.
2. Jenny
Jenny is proven in John Baptist's estate papers
3. Francis
On the 1820 Bullitt Co. census, Jonathan has a young couple living with him that are too old to be his. It is believed that these are his younger brother, Francis and sister, Jenny. On 1830 census, in Parke Co., IN we find a Francis Cheshire, age 30-40 with wife of the same age and two daughters, one under 5 and one ten to fifteen. On Jul 3, 1836, in Floyd Co., IN Francis Chesire md Jane Anderson. On the 1840 census, in New Albany, we find Jane Cheshire with no males in the house, she is aged 40-50, with three girls, one under five, two fifteen to nineteen and one twenty to thirty. We don't find either Francis or Jane in 1850, and no remarriage for Jane in Floyd Co.
4. Nancy
Nancy Cheshire md Nov 13, 1815 in Hardin Co., KY, David Daugherty. In 1820, we find David Daugherty on Hardin Co., KY census in Little York Twp., living 3 households away from John Baptist. On that same page is William Burris, some 11 households away from John. On the 1830, 1840 and 1850 census', in Floyd Co., KY we find David and, in 1850 Nancy.
Now, among those either dead or believed to be dead:
5. Benjamin
Benjamin is on the 1800 and 1810 census in Washington Co. KY along with John Bapt. In 1800, he married Elizabeth Hardin and, apparently, died before Feb. 1819 when his wife Elizabeth signed consent for son William Hardin to marry.
6. Thomas
Thomas is proven in the estate papers, he was b. between 1769-1784, married Elizabeth Shepherd in 1804 in Washington Co. He died ca 1816 in Bullitt Co. where we find sale of his personal property. His wife remarried in 1816 to Charles Thomas Blandford.
7. Priscilla
Prissey married George Acres in 1813, Bullitt Co. On the 1830 census there is a George Akers in Clark Co., IN with wife and children. Clark Co. is right next to Floyd Co. , perhaps John and Sarah moved there to be close to them. We don't find them again so there is no way to tell what children they had.
8. Elizabeth
Elizabeth md 1812 Washington Co. to William Burris. On the 1820 census, William Burris is in Little York Twp., Hardin Co. on same page with John Baptist and David Daugherty. In 1830, we find a William Burris in Floyd Co., IN on same page as John Baptist. We don't find them again.
John Baptist's pension application
Pension for James Cheshier, Fayette Co., IL
Pension for James Chesshir, Warren Co., TN
See newpaper article on Wilford Chesser
Other Researchers:
Jeanne Chesher Johnson's home page
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