John Chew

• General Notes
  • http://books.google.com/books?id=BMRvQXubOCgC&pg=PA173
    
    1. Maryland Genealogies - A Consolidation of Articles from the Maryland Historical Magazine, Vol. I, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, 1980, 1997, pg. 254-272
    
    Chew Family, by Francis B. Culver, from Vol. XXX (1935), 157-175.
    
    2.. COLONIAL FAMILIES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
    
    IN WHICH IS GIVEN THE HISTORY, GENEALOGY AND ARMORIAL BEARINGS OF THE COLONIAL FAMILIES WHO SETTLED IN THE AMERICAN COLONIES FROM THE TIME OF THE SETTLEMENT OF JAMESTOWN, 13TH MAY, 1607 TO THE BATTLE OF LEXINGTON, 19TH APRIL, 1775
    
    Edited by, George Norbury MacKenzie, LL.B., American Historical Association, National Genealogical Society, Old North-West Genealogical Society, Member of the Committee on Heraldry and Genealogy of the Maryland Historical Society
    
    Volume I
    
    Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, 1912, 1966, 1995
    
    3.Robert Chew's Book: The evolution of the Chew family name was from the following : 1050 de Cheux from Normandy; 1086 le Cu from Devonshire; 1100 de Chyu from Somersetshire; 1150 del Cho from Lancashire; 1220 del Chue from Lancashire; 1250 le Keu 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 Jersey.
    
    The word CHEW generally means winding water, the EW being a variant of the French EAU meaning water. The word CHEWER is a Western dialect for a narrow passage and CHARE is Old English for turning. The River Chew that runs through Somerset to the River Avon is a narrow, twisting river of water.
    
    Many believe that the name CHEW began in Normandy as CHEUX, and came to England with the Norman Conquest during the 11th century. The earliest record of the name CHEW is in the Domesday Survey, the name CHEW appears as CHIWE when it states that the Bishop of Wells holds Chiwe. The city of Wells is in Somersetshire about forty miles from the Devonshire boundary. The belief that CHIWE refers to Chew Magna located about fifteen miles to the north. Note that Devonshire is where Le Cu was granted land (bounded by Somersetshire to the northeast). The name also appears as Chyu in 1164 at Bath, as Keu in 1260 at Suffolk and as Chewe as far north as Lancashire in 1430. It isn't certain when the surname CHEW or CHEWE became permanently adopted, but it was about the last half of the 14th century. There is a John Chewe at Salisbury in 1383. About 300 years after the name was Chiwe Magna was mentioned by the Bishop of Wells. It is believed that the name was taken from place names like CHEW MAGNA or CHEWTON.
    
    However, there are no records that support this view.  The Chew family of Virginia and Maryland can be traced back to the Chew family of Lancashire, England.  It is possible that this family had origins in Somerset; however, this cannot be proved.
    
    Genealogies...from the Maryland Historical Magazine 975.2 M369 V.1 John Chew came to Virginia in the Ship "Charity" or "Charitie" in 1621 or 1622 and his wife Sarah came about a year later in the "Sea Flower." Both were living at Hog Island, opposite Jamestown, in 1624 (Hotten's "Emigrants," page 237). He was a merchant and was evidently a man of substance since he owned a house at Jamestown shortly after his arrival, as is shown by a grant in 1624 to "John Crew, merchant," of one rood, nine poles, near his dwelling house in James City (Va. Mag., I. 87). In 1636 he had grants for some 1200 acres "in the County of Charles River," later called York County, and had probably been living in that locality for some years previously (Va. Mag., V.341-342). He represented Hogg Island in the Virginia House of Burgesses 1623-1624 and 1617, and was a member for York County 1642-1644 (Colonial Va. Register, pages 53, 54, 63). He was also one of the justices of York County in 1624 and 1652 (Va. Mag., I.197). His first wife Sarah died before 1651, and in that year he executed a deed (recorded in York County) in view of his intended marriage with Mrs Rachel Constable (Va. Mag., I. 197). His sons Samuel and Joseph Chew are mentioned in the York County records 1657 and 1659 respectively, and it appears from the same records that in 1668 John Chew was dead and his son Samuel was living in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland.
    
    Birth date mentioned in Genealogy of the CHEW Family---16 July 1587---Listed as being found in the Whalley Parish Register and lists his name as Johannes, son of Johannes
    
    4. "Virginia Vital Records - From the Virginia Magazine and Biography, the William and Mary College Quaterly, and Tyler's Quarterly", Indexed by Judith McGhan, Geneaogical Publishing CO., Inc., Baltimore, 1985
    
    A. (10) John Chew [1] Merchant; 1 rood, 9 poles, near his dwelling-house in James City, 1624.
    
    B. (353). John Chew [1].  "Whereas the Usuall policy & Custome of all Nations but in more espetiall manner of the State of England, have as well in antient as Moderne Times for the safeguard and securite of the Inland Country afforded & induced the Frontier Inhabitants w'th diverse privieges and imunities tending to the inabling them to make the better resistance against both open invasions and sudden incursions of the neare confining and Contiguous Enemie according to the rules of Justice and Equity, posing thereby and ballancing thier greater & more immanent share of danger w'th the guerdon and reward of spetiall and p'ticular & fitt in Istac'on whereof the Govern'r & Councell by order of Court bearing date of James Citty the 8th of October, 1630, for the securing and taking in of a tract of Land called the forrest bordering upon the Cheife residence of the Pamunky King, the most dangerous head of the Indian Enemie, did after much consultation thereof had decree and sett doune severall Portions of land for each Comander and fifteen acres p. polle for all other p'sons whoe for the first years and five & twentie acres per pole for all such whoe the second years should adventure or be adventured to seate and Inhabitie on the Southerne sise of Pamunkye river, now called Charles river, and then knowne by the Indian name of Chisciake [2], as a reward and encouragm't for such their undertaking, as by the said order more at large appeareth."  Therefore there is a grant to John Chew, gent., of five hundred acres in the county of Charles River, bounded on the north by the main river, on the east by English his creek, west by north by Clarkson's creek, south and west by neck of land.  Due said John Chew according to the aforesaid order, for the adventure of himself and nine persons to Charles River.  By West, July 6, 1636
    
    [1] For an account of John Chew and his family see this Magazine, I, 87-8, 197 (pages 450-451 &467, this volume)
    
    [2] Chiskiake was on York River, above the present Yorktown; now called Cheesecake
    
    C. (354). John Chew, gent., 700 acres in the county of Charles River, bounded on the west and north by the 500 acres before granted, on the north and east by the main river, south and west by a small bay, and on the south by the great bay.  Due for the transportation of fourteen persons (named below).  By West July 7th, 1636
    
    William Winifrett, Geroge Goodin, Tho. Tompkins, John Vaughan, Robert Parr, Chr. Evans, Ann Waterman, Arnall Freaz, Walter Haslewood, Jon. Weston, Thos. Winard, one negro woman, John Chew, 1622; John Chew, 1623.
    
    D. 616. John Chew, Feb'y 22, 1638. 350 acres.  East upon a creek next to the Gleab Island, northwest upon a creek abutting upon the Otter dams.
    
    E. (10) John Chew was a Justice of York county, 1634, 1652.  In 1651, in view of his intended marriage with Miss Rachel Constable, he makes a deed (recorded in York) for certain land, &c.  In the records of the same county, Samuel Chew is mentioned, as if living there, in 1657, and Joseph Chew in 1659.  From the same it appears that John Chew was dead in 1668, and that his son, Samuel, was living in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, and had a wife, Anne.  Samuel Chew was a member of the Council of Maryland in 1669.  At Portsmouth, Va., among the records of lower Norfolk county, is a power of Attorney from "Samuel Chew, Esq., of Herrington (not Henington, as printed), and his wife, Anne, sole daughter and heriess of Mr. William Ayres, of Nansemond county."
    
    5. VA Patents 1, p. 7-8 Library of Virginia Digital Collection: Land Office Patents and Grants ========== John Chen 1 Rood & 9 pole Exmd ---------- By the Govern[or] and Capt Gener[all] of Virginia To all to whome these p[re]sents shall come greeting in our Lord God Everlasting Know yee that I S[i]r ffrancis Wyatt K[nigh]t Govern[or] and Capt Gener[all] of Virginia doe w[i]th Consent of the Councell of State give and grannt unto John Chew Merchant and to his heires and assignes for ever for the better conveniencie and more [...unreadable...] of his howse by him now erected and builded in the New Towne w[i]thin the p[re]cincts of James Citty one Rood & nine pole of ground lying and being [---?] about the said howse and [...unreadable...] Northward upon the said backstreete Southward upon [...unreadable...] of M[ister] Richard Stephens Merchant Eastward upon [...unreadable...] Hamor and Westward upon the [highway?] [...unreadable...] backstreete and being as part of his devidend hereafter by him elswhere to bee Chosen and planted To have and to hold the said one Rood and nine pole of ground w[i]th all and singular the app[ur]ten[a]nces togeather w[i]th all rights and priviledges thereto belonging to the sole and p[ro]per use benifitt and behoofe of him the said John Chew his said heires or assignes for ever Yeilding and paying unto the Tresurer and Company and to their Successo[r]s for ever yearely at the feast of St Michaell the Archangell for the said rood and nine pole of ground the fee rent of one peny In Witnes whereof I have to these p[re]sents sett my hand and the great seale of the Colony Given at James Citty the fowerteenth day of August in the yeares of the Reigne of o[ur] Siveraigne Lord James &c Angl the twoe and twentieth and Scot fifty Eight Anno domi one Thowsand six hundred twentie fower Col: Virga: the Eighteenth ~ ========== NOTE: Memo found on last page of Virginia Patents Book 1: "This Booke was Transcribed by Edward Harrison in the yeare 1685."
    
    6. "Historical Southern Families, volume VII". Originally publihed Kailua, Oahu, Hawaii, 1963. Reprinted for Clearfield Company, Inc., by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, 1993, 1995 - Taylor, Chew, Downs, Brewster Lineages, pg. 204-210.
    
    Historical Marker in Jamestown
    
    "John Chew, like several of his immdediate
    neighbors, was a merchant, one of the
    oldest in the Colony.  He acquired the
    small plot here "backstreet" in 1624, and
    put up a 'house by him now erected and
    builded in Newtowne within the precincts
    of James City'."
    
    7. "Pillars of Maryland" by Francis Simms McGrath. Dietz Press, Richmond, 1950, Chapter VIII - John Chew of Jamestown
    
    8. From "Pillars of Maryland"
    
    "A map of old James Towne made from the original records shows a plot of land granted to John Chew in 1624.  It was slightly back from the shore of the James River and was spearated by only one tract on the west from the land used later for the governor's mansion by Sir William Berkeley until 1656 and then by Richard Bennett.  This was one of the homes of my ancestor, John Chew, who arrived at James Town shortly before the great Indian massacre of 1622.  For many years he was active in Virginia as a successful merchant, as a member of the House of Burgesses and as a well thought of inhabitant until the Puritan exodus swept him with so many able colonists to Maryland.  There he established a family that was deservedly prominent for more than 100 years...
    
    "According to Burton Knnkle, a biographer of Chief Justice Chew, the latter's second great-grandfather, John Chew, was said to have beeb in one of Captain John Smith's companies of adventurers in 1707...
    
    "At least it is know with certainty that he settled permanently in Virginia about 1621 and that members of his family had preceded him, that he arrived in the ship CHARITY and was soon follwed by his wife, Sarah, and a number of servants in the  SEA FLOWER.  As early as January, 1623, he built one of the first substantial houses in Jamestown and a warehouse for his business ventures, for he dealt in the beginning in wine, meal, corn and tobacco and was referred to by Governor Harvey as'one of the ablest merchants in Virginia'...Like all successful colonists Chew accumulated large land holdings of which one was of 12,000 acres in Charles River County, later York County.  He has otherplantations  and either as a representative of Jamestown or York County was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses from 1623 almost continuously until he moved for a time to Maryland in 1649 to take up a grant of 500 acres paid for in Virginia tobacco.  He evidently did not give up his home in Virginia for the old records show that he was a justice of York County from 1634 to 1652.  His minutes as Secretary of the House of Burgesses are still to be found in Yorktown and he was the only member who never missed a meeting for eight years.  As Colonel of the provincial forces he dealt with Indian problems, as justice with civil administration, and since all matters of importance came before the House of Burgesses he necessarialy took part in all the events of the period and mingled with those who governed and with those who distubed the peace....It was not long afterwards that he visited Maryland, breathed the free religious atmosphere of the Eastern Shore and in a few years settled in Anne Arundel County with his sons, Samuel and Joseph...
    
    As a member of the House of Burgesses in 1623 John Chew took part in passing the historic act that no tax should be imposed in Virginia except by authority of the General Assembly, which was the first declaration in this country against taxation without representation...
    
    Chew also took part in 1643 in passing a law expelling all those who did not conform to the Church of England.  Being a Puritan at heart his conscience shouldhave been on fire or perhaps like Berkeley's chaplain, the Rev. Thomas Harrison, he did not awaken to the sinfulness of the Established Church until the massacre of 1644 convinced him that the Lord preferred Puritans...