Draft:Thomas Chevers
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Last edited by Citation bot (talk | contribs) 8 seconds ago. (Update) |
Thomas Chevers | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1607 |
| Died | February 7, 1663 (aged 55–56) |
| Era | Colonial America |
| Children | 4 |
Thomas Chevers (1607 — February 7, 1663) was an Irish-born Virginia landowner and surgeon who practiced husbandry.[1]
Background
[edit]Thomas Chevers was born in 1607 in Dublin, Ireland, to an Anglo-Irish father, John Chevers (1577-1640), who belonged to the Anglo-Irish gentry and owned land in Ireland. His mother was also Anglo-Irish, and she went by the name of Catherine FitzWilliam. She would ultimately die only three years after his birth in 1610, at the age of 33.[1]
The Chevers family, originally from England, had settled in Ireland, where they acquired estates and became established in local society. The family's landholdings were greatly affected by the Cromwellian settlement, which led to widespread land confiscations from Anglo-Irish families. As a result, the Chevers family chose to emigrate, eventually settling in the American colonies.[2]
Settlement in Virginia
[edit]Upon migration, Thomas Chevers's occupation was recorded as a "chiurgeon" (surgeon) upon his arrival in Virginia; there is no evidence of formal medical training or practice in the colonies. Being an archivist at Trinity College Dublin suggests he might have been trained by a physician rather than through formal academic channels—this nonetheless remains speculative.
On May 20, 1659, Thomas Chevers purchased approximately 1,100 acres of land from Ralph Creed (1605-1668)[3] in Surry County, Virginia. The land was described in the deed as including "houses, orchards, gardens, woods, ways and waters." Chevers's land was situated near Sunken Marsh and was previously occupied by Richard Hill.
His arrival in Virginia was likely accompanied by family and possibly livestock, which suggests a well-planned migration. His choice to engage in agriculture and husbandry, including the cultivation of orchards, exemplifies his adaptation to colonial life and economic diversification beyond tobacco cultivation.
Chevers also actively participated in local affairs, including serving on a Grand Jury in Isle of Wight County in June 1658.[4][5]
Family and later life
[edit]Thomas Chevers died on February 7, 1663 in Surry County, where he had been residing since his initial arrival in the New World;[1] his will, dated February 8, 1663, though missing, is presumed to have provided for his children. Following his death, his children were left orphans, and later dispersed. His son William inherited the land purchased from Ralph Creed in 1681; his daughter Petronella and his son John later settled in Maryland, where they were involved with local Quaker communities.[2] Elizabeth, on the other hand, moved to Charles City County and lived there until her death in 1681, working as a bound apprentice according to contemporary records.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Family Search : Thomas Chevers (1607—1663)". www.familysearch.org. Retrieved 2024-09-15.
- ^ a b "CHEVERS/SHIVERS FAMILY: CHRONICLES AND CONNECTIONS". freepages.rootsweb.com. Retrieved 2024-09-15.
- ^ "FamilySearch.org". ancestors.familysearch.org. Retrieved 2024-09-15.
- ^ Dawson, Deborah Harrison (2012). Surry County. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-9219-0.
- ^ "<sc>warren m. billings</sc>, <italic>et al. Colonial Virginia: A History</italic>. (History of the American Colonies.) White Plains, N.Y.: Kto of Kraus-Thomson. 1986. Pp. xvii, 420. $35.00". The American Historical Review. January 1, 1986. doi:10.1086/ahr/92.4.1026. ISSN 1937-5239.
- ^ "FamilySearch.org". ancestors.familysearch.org. Retrieved 2024-09-15.