• General Notes

  [316552.ftw]
  
  _ELEC
  DATE BET. 1724 - 1725
  PLAC Sheriff of Spotsylvania County, VA
  _MILT
  DATE 1729
  PLAC Captain of the militia, later Col.Thomas Chew, who married Martha Taylor, aunt of Jame s Madison
  and great-aunt of Zachary Taylor, was a wealthy and respected Col. in the Royal Artillary.
  Copy of an original letter from Joseph Chew, son of Thomas, to his son Joseph [1797]
  "My father, Thomas Chew, married  a daughter of Col. James Taylor and was possessed of a larg e
  property which he unfortunately lost in becoming security to two persons for a large amount , who failed.
  He had six sons and five daughters. I was the eldest son, Larkin, the second died last yea r unmarried,
  Thomas died young, Samuel married in New Haven a daughter of Capt. John Miller. He commanded
  the services of Congress and was killed in an engagement in 1779 and left three sons, Coleby , Samuel,
  John. Coleby was killed in action at Fort Duquesne in 1758, was a Lieut. in the Army. James
  married in Virginia, and has been dead some years. I cannot tell what family he left.
  Of the daughters, Frances the eldest, married Mr. Downs and settled in No. Carolina. Hannah w as alive
  when I last heard from Virginia, unmarried and very infirm. Alice married her cousin Zachary
  Taylor, who settled in Kentucky. She died last year and left children whose names I do not r ecollect.
  Molly married a Mr. Coleman, died without issue. Betsy was living when I heard last, very inf irm."
  Full letter under Joseph Chew, son of Thomas
  __________________________________________________________________
  From The CHEW Family Tree prepared by Ron Ulrich 1-24-1999 [ulrich@@erols.com]
  The data shown here is the best currently known for the CHEW family. The evolution of the Che w family
  name was from the following: 1050 de Chew from Normandy; 1086 le Cu from Devonshire; 1100 d e Chyu
  from Somersetshire; 1150 del Cho from Lancashire; 1220 del Chue from Lancashire; 1250 le Ke u from
  Suffolk, 1280 de Chue from Somersetshire; 1320 de Chewe from Somersetshire; 1390 Chewe from
  Worcestershire; 1500 Chewe from Lancashire; 1630 Chew from Virginia; 1700 Chew from New Jers ey.
  The word CHEW generally means winding water, the EW being a varian of the the French EAU mean ing water.
  The word CHEWER is a western dialect for a narrow passage and CHARE is Old English for turnin g.
  The River Chew that runs through Somerset to the River Avon is a narrow, twisting river of w ater.
  Many believe that the name CHEW began in Normandy as CHEUX, and came to England with the Norm an
  Conquest during the 11th century. The earliest record of the name CHEW is in the Domesday Su rvey,
  the name CHEW appears as CHIEW when it states  that the Bishop of Wells holds CHIEW. The cit y of
  Wells is in Somersetshire about forty miles from the Devonshire boundary. The belief is tha t CHIEW
  refers to Chew Magna located about fifteen miles to the north. Note that Devonshire is wher e le Cu
  was granted land [bounded by Somerset to the northeast]. The name also appears as Chyu in 11 64 at
  Bath, and Kue in 1260 at Suffolk and Chewe as far north as Lancashire in 1430. It isn't certa in when
  the surname CHEW or CHEWE became permanently adopted, but it was the last half of the 14th c entury.
  There is a John Chewe at Salisbury in 1383, about 300 years  after the name was Chiew Magna w as
  mentioned by the Bishop Wells. It is believed that the name was taken from places like CHE W MAGNA or
  CHEWTON.  This genealogy information is based upon research using US census data; Montgomer y County
  Historical Society Records; Maryland State Archives; LDS Family History Center Records and Ul rich and
  Clark family information.
  Orange Co. Va Record:
  To Thos. Chew, 767 a. in Orange Co. amongst the great mountains and on both sides the north f ork of
  Swift run, Goose, and Mountain, 22 Sept. 1739

Details of Thomas' family with Martha Thompson Taylor