Charles City County, VA - Walter Chiles, Merchant; Wm. and Mary Qrtly., Vol. 1, No. 2 Transcribed by Kathy Merrill for the USGenWeb Archives Special Collections Project ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net *********************************************************************** Lieut. Col. Walter Chiles Lyon G. Tyler William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Papers, Vol, 1, No. 2 (Oct., 1892), pp. 75-78. Page 75. LIEUT. COL. WALTER CHILES. BY THE EDITOR. He was perhaps the "Walter Chiles, merchant," who was granted 1st of March, 1638, 400 acres in Charles City county (in that portion known afterwards as Prince George), near the falls of the Appomattox River, "50 acres being due to him for his own personal adventure; 50 acres for his wife, Elizabeth; 50 acres for his son William, and 50 acres for his son Walter, and 200 acres for the transportation" to the colony of four other persons. A second grant was made to him of 250 acres, due "for his own personal adventure" and the transportation of four persons, 2d May, 1638.(1) Walter Chiles, the merchant, was perhaps the burgess from Charles City in 1642-43, and at the session he was appointed with Walter Austin, Rice Hooe, and Joseph Johnson and "such others as they shall think fit to joyn them" to undertake the dis- covery of "a new river or unknowne land, bearing west southerly from Appomattocke River." (2) In November, 1645, Walter Chiles represented James City county in the House of Burgesses. (3) He was a representative _____________ (1) Land Office. (2) Hening Stats., 1, 239.262. (3) Hen. Stats., 1, p. 299. Page 76. again in 1645-46, and in 1649. (1) In the Northampton records 15th June, 1652, it is stated that Walter Chiles sailed from Rotterdam in his own ship, "The Fame of Virginia." After being for a time in Accomac waters the ship sailed for James City, and was pursued and captured by Capt. Robert Henfield, who held a commission from the "Protectors of the Liberties of Eng- land;" three hours after which in Hungar's Road, Eastern shore, the ship "Hopeful Adventure," Capt. Richard Husband, came up and made seizure under pretext that Chiles had no license. The Court of Northampton ordered a release. Thereupon, Richard Husband and his prize sailed away, to the great indignation of the commissioners thereof. It being rumored that the County would be called upon by the commissioners to pay a large sum of money to Walter Chiles, some of the inhabitants met in Dr. Hacke's "old field," where Stephen Horsey called the commissioners a company of "asses and villyans." At the Assembly which convened July 5,1652, Gov. Bennet sent a note to the House of Burgesses in which, after protesting that he did not intend 'to intrench upon the right of Assemblies in the free choice of a Speaker, nor to undervalue Lefft. Col. Chiles," advised(2) "that it was not so proper nor so convenient at this time to make choice of him, for that there is something to be agitated in this Assembly concerning a shipp lately arrived, in which Lefft. Coll. Chiles hath some interest. The Burgesses, however, did not seem inclined to take the advice of their Governor, for the record states that "Left. Col. Walter Chiles" was chosen, next day, by a plurality of votes, Speaker of the Assembly, It is, however, to the honor of Col. Chiles, that he at once declined the election, having represented(3) "to the house his extraordinarie occasions in regarding to the dispatch of some shipping now in the country in which he is ______________________ (1) Ibid, 322, 358. (2) Ibid, 377. (3) Ibid, 378. Page 77. much interested." At the same session, Chiles was allowed to have the ship "Leopoldus" for L400 sterling, said ship having been confiscated for violation of the navigation laws. On July 26, 1653, the Court of Northampton, according to an order of the late Assembly, (determined upon despite a petition of part of the inhabitants of the county, representing that the rumors of their disloyalty to parliament was false, and their complaint was against the taxes laid, on account of Capt. Chiles' ship) declared "all the subscribers of that writing called a protest incapable of holding office." In 1671, under date of April 4th, Walter Chiles appeared in behalf of his sons, John and Henry, relative to 1,500 acres of land in Westmoreland county. According to the notes of Dr. E. D. Neill, Walter Chiles was the son-in-law of Col. John Page(1) and probably, had married his daughter Mary.(2) The Ludwell MSS. (in Va. Historical Society) show that he was dead before May 15, 1672, when his widow, Susannah, received a grant for 200 acres in James City County, in Passbehayes for 99 years on account of buildings and improvements on the Main there, according to an order of the General Court of June 7, 1638, for strengthening the Main on this side Powhatan Swamp by leasing it out in parcels. In Sept., 1693, the same year, John Chiles was appointed messenger to the Council (Council Journal MS). On June the 25th, 1683, judgment was entered in York Court in favor of "Mr. Henry Tyler as marrying Elizabeth Chiles against Maj. Otho Thorpe for the payment of twenty-one pounds sterling, with costs of suit als execucon." Col. Page in his will dated March 5, 1686-87, and recorded February 24, 1691-92, speaks(3) of his grandson. John ____________________ (1) Neill's "Va. Carolorum," p. 232. (2) See note on John Page to "the Digges family," next issue of Quarterly. (3) Letters and Times of the Tylers, 1, p. 49. Page 78. Chiles, and his "grandsonne John Tyler." sonne of my grand-daughter, Elizabeth Tyler" At a county court held for York County, June 24, 1707, John Tyler, who describes himself "as son of Mr. Henry Tyler of York County and grandson of Col. John Page, formerly of ye sd county dec'd," came into court and acknowledged a receipt(1) from John Page, of ye county of Gloucester, of L50 sterling "for a legacie left me (the said Henry Tyler) by the last will and testament of ye said Coll. John Page, dec'd." Under the will of Col. Page, John Tyler(2) received land in the forks of the swamp Powhatan, in James City county where, until a few years ago, there stood a modest brick building, which was built by him. Col. John Page left a ring of twenty shillings to his "grandson, John Chiles." In St. Peters Parish Register, New Kent county, are the entries of the baptism between 1699 and 1706 of Henry, Walter and James, children of Henry Chiles, Gent. Hanover county ws taken from New Kent in ------; and 6 Sept. 1735, Henry Chiles sold lands on Southern Branch, Hanover county. Louisa county was taken from Hanover and in 1772 James Chiles and Elizabeth, his wife, were living there. By his will proved 10 Oct., 1774, John Chiles left his estate to his neices Olive Edwards, daughter of Joseph Martin and Susannah his wife and to Mary, daughter of John Wright and Jane, his wife. __________________ (1) Ibid. Note 1, p. 49. (2) This John Tyler was great-grandfather of President John Tyler. -- See "Letters and Times of the Tylers."