General Notes

He first appears in 1759 in the record of Lord Granville granting James Chaney some land in Orange [now, Randolph] Co., NC. He, in 1762, was also granted land. (The Randolph County, North Carolina, Deed Book 8, p368, records that the Earl of Granville, K.G., granted 400 acres of Orange County to Francis Chaney on 39 June 1762. The land was on the Richland Creek of the waters of Deep River.) Tax lists record him and Francis, Jr., a son who would move to Kentucky then Tennessee. Also, there is John Chaney, another son. His daughter, Margaret, married into the Allred family. In 1804, Francis was deeding land to her, her son (Jonathan Allred) and to John Chaney. This appears to indicate that he might have been reaching the end of his active life and was passing his property to his heirs before he died. However, this is only speculation.
The number of children he and Sarah had is uncertain although the twenty year difference between John and Margaret suggests that several more children were probably born. ---Jesse Gerald Chaney, Sr.


Several records have been located which seem to locate this Francis Chaney in North Carolina although earlier records indicate that he was possibly born about 1700 in New Kent Co., Virginia. However, this preparer feels that that Francis Chaney is too old. (Most ot the content of the following is quoted from the correspondence of Jesse Gerald Chaney.) Note that although the records are of Randolph County, when the transactions were recorded, the area was then part of Orange County.

Francis appears on the 1755 Tax REcords for Orange Co, NC (as Francis Chancy).

Randolph County, NC, Deed Book 8, page 368: A grant of 400 acres from the Earl of Granville, K.G., to Francis Chaney of Orange County, in the Province of North Carolina, on Richland Creek of the Waters of Deep River, 30 June, 1762.

Francis signed the Regulator petition of Governor William Tryon in 1768 and fought in the Battle of Alamance in 1771.  Colonial Records from NC, Orange Co, NC- Misc-Regulators

In the same Deed Book 8, page 232: Francis Chaney, for love and affection to his daughter, Margaret Allred, one hundred Acres, 26 April, 1801. (John Chaney, in his application for a Revolutionary War pension, named his sister, Margaret Allred.)

On the same page 232: Francis Chaney, for love and goodwill, to his grandson Jonathan Allred, one hundred acres on the Weste End of his land on one fork of Richland Creek 26 April 1801.

On page 431: Francis Chaney, for love and goodwill, to Margaret Alred, his daughter, one hundred acres lying on the waters of Richland Creek as well more fully appear by applying the old original deed given to said Francis Chaney by the Earl of Granville, 2 October, 1804.

On pages 500 and 501: Francis Chaney Sr., Francis Chaney Jr., Michael Harvey Sr., Margaret Alred, and Margarett Stillwell to John Chaney, for one hundred pounds, one hundred acres on the waters of Richland Creek, 27 September 1804. (This John Chaney is certainly the son of Francis Chaney, Sr., who, in an application for a Revolutionary War pension in 1833 in Greene Co., IN, reported that his father was Francis Chaney and his sister was Margaret Allred.)

These documents seem to indicate that Francis Chaney (Sr.) was dispensing his property. This suggests that he was considering his death. Whether he was ill or aged is not clear. No record of his death, nor any other transactions nor legal records, have been found after this year, 1804. ---Jesse Gerald Chaney, Sr. & Charles C. Chaney;

1790 Federal Census for 1790 show Francis Chaney Sr. as head of household.