B. about Mar 1746 in (probably) Virginia
M. about 1766 in (probably) Virginia
Husband: William Sutherland
D. 31 Aug 1834 in Putnam County, Indiana
Many Americans can trace their heritage through people like Mary “Polly” Owen — a Virginia-born woman who lived in several places on the frontier in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. As her husband carved farms out of the wilderness, she managed the household, bore ten children without the help of modern medicine, and lived to a ripe old age.
There is no information about who Mary’s family was, only that she was born in about March 1746 in Virginia; even this is uncertain, but likely to be true. Her name is given as mary — during the 18th century, “Polly” was commonly used as a nickname for girls named Mary. When she was perhaps 20-years-old, she met and married William Sutherland, the son of a King William County tobacco farmer. They settled in Burke County, North Carolina, where on Christmas Day 1767, Mary gave birth to her first child, a son they named Fendall.
What was life like for Mary? As a pioneer woman in the Piedmont of North Carolina, she would have worked hard all hours of the day to prepare meals for her family, supervise her children, and do countless other chores. Her home was a one room cabin, probably with a loft where the entire family slept. On a typical day, she would have milked the cows, gathered eggs from the chickens, tended a vegetable garden, and washed the family’s clothes in a tub in the yard. She may have also assisted on the farm if necessary. And added to her existence was the fact she was pregnant for much of the time.
By 1776, Mary had six children all under the age of about 10. That year, the American Revolution inspired many men to volunteer for military duty, and William was no exception. As he went off to serve, Mary had to handle things at home. Although no detailed records of his service survive, six years would pass before the birth of their next known child, and he was likely away for much of this time. Mary and the older boys must have done all the work on the farm while William was gone. When her husband returned after the war, Mary had four more children, with the last one born in 1787.
For his stint in the Continental Army, William was rewarded with land, and the family left North Carolina for eastern Kentucky in about 1801. Sadly, Mary became a widow within a couple of years when William died in about 1803. For a time, she became the head of her family, and was listed as a Lincoln County taxpayer in 1804. Her children left the nest one-by-one, until only her youngest daughter Nancy was still in the household in 1810. Mary was in her 60s, and it’s believed that she moved in with her son William around this time.
During the 1810s, Mary’s sons Fendall, William and George all relocated to western Indiana, and Mary joined them. The brothers lived in Orange County before 1819, then settled in Putnam County. None of the brothers 1820 or 1830 census listings seems to include a woman of Mary’s age, but it’s likely that she was living with one of them. By this time, the Sutherlin clan was becoming numerous, and Mary was a grandmother and great-grandmother many times over. She passed away at the age of 88 on August 31, 1834. Mary was buried in the Sutherlin Cemetery of Putnam County.
Children:
1. Fendall Sutherlin — B. 25 Dec 1767, Burke County, North Carolina; D. 19 Feb 1834, Putnam County, Indiana; M. Lydia Franklin (1774-1869)
2. William Sutherland — B. about 1770, Burke County, North Carolina; D. after 1 Jun 1830, (probably) Putnam County, Indiana; M. Mary Polly Franklin (~1770-?), 1787, Lincoln County, Kentucky
3. Bethany Sutherlin — B. about 1773, Burke County, North Carolina; D. 1839, Jackson, Tennessee; M. James S. Hawkins (1764-1822), about 1791, North Carolina
4. Millicent Sutherlin — B. about 1775, Burke County, North Carolina; D. 10 May 1852, Bullitt County, Kentucky; M. Samuel Goldsmith (1776-1850)
5. Susannah Sutherlin — B. about 1776, Burke County, North Carolina; M. William Harper (1773-?), about 1798, Burke County, North Carolina
6. Owen Sutherlin — B. about 1781, (probably) North Carolina; D. 1858, Casey County, Kentucky; M. Mary Vandeveer (1785-1840), 22 Nov 1802, Lincoln County, Kentucky
7. Mary “Polly” Sutherlin — B. about 1783, Burke County, North Carolina; D. 22 Oct 1810, Kentucky; M. Jonathan Jones (1782-1853), 7 Dec 1801, Lincoln County, Kentucky
8. Nancy Sutherlin — B. 2 Jun 1784, Burke County, North Carolina; D. 23 Apr 1831, Orange County, Indiana; M. Jonathan Jones (1782-1853), 27 Jun 1811, Casey County, Kentucky
9. George W. Sutherlin — B. 1787, Burke County, North Carolina; D. 1841, Jackson Township, Putnam County, Indiana; M. Elizabeth Miller (1790-1877), 1806, Kentucky
10. Jenny Sutherlin — B. about 1793, Burke County, North Carolina; D. 10 May 1852, Shepherdsville, Kentucky; M. Claiborne Harris, before 1810, (probably) Kentucky
Sources:
Sunday, November 8, 2026
Friday, October 30, 2026
Migrating to American at 60 — Steven Coerts van Voorhees
B. about 1600 in Hees, Ruinen, Netherlands1
M. (1) about 1630 in Netherlands1
Wife: Aaltjen Wessels
M. (2) about 1649 in Netherlands2
Wife: Willempie Roelofse Suebring
D. 16 Feb 1684 in Flatlands, New York2
The populating of 17th-century America was largely done by young, energetic people coming over from Europe. But Steven Coerts van Voorhess was an exception — he left his motherland at the age of about 60.
Steven spent most of his life in the village of Hees, located in the province of Ruinen, Netherlands, and he was born there in about 1600 to Coerte Albertse van Voorhees, the oldest of 11 children.1 Hees was a “hamlet” of three farms: Voorhees, Middlehees and Achterhees, with a history that traces back for centuries.3 We have no surviving records of vital events in Hees, but using information on his children it’s believed Steven married a woman named Aaltien Wessels in about 1632.1 They had three children, then she died, and by 1650, Steven remarried to Willempie Roelofse Suebring.2 They had six children together, with the last one born in about 1660.2
New Netherland was well-established by the time Steven decided to relocate there. He likely moved for economic reasons, as the region around Hees was said to be depressed. On April 15, 1660, Steven, his wife, and most of his children boarded the ship de Bonte Koe (the spotted cow).2 Four other families traveled on the voyage, along with eighteen soldiers and nine single men.
Later that year on November 29th, Steven purchased land in the community of Niew Amersfoort, which became Flatlands (part of present-day Brooklyn).1 He paid Cornelius Deriksen Hoogland 3,000 guilders for “nine morgen of corn land, seven morgen of salt meadow, seven morgen of woodland, and ten morgen of plain land.”1 The property had a house and a fully-operational brewery, so Steven was set up to make his own beer. As an elder member of the community, others must have looked to Steven for leadership, and he served as a magistrate in 1664.1
Steven wrote a will dated August 25, 1677,1 and he passed away in Flatlands on February 16, 1684.2 His wife survived him and died in 1690. Steven’s legacy is in the name Voorhees which became prolific in the United States. His descendants reportedly were the largest Dutch family in America. Besides people named Voorhees or Voorhies, all of whom traced back to Steven, there is a Voorhies Street in Brooklyn, and the killer in the Friday the 13th movies was named Jason Voorhees. Steven is the 8G grandfather of Howard Dean and the 9G grandfather of Paul Giamatti.4
Children by Aaltjen Wessels:
1. Hendrickjen Stevense Van Voorhees — B. about 1634, Ruinen, Netherlands;2 D. before 4 Aug 1705, (probably) Flatlands, New York;2 M. Jan Kiersen (?-1705), Flatlands, New York2
2. Merghen Stevense Van Voorhees — B. about 1636, Ruinen, Netherlands;2 M. (1) Roelef Oostinge, 14 Dec 1664;2 (2) Remmelt Willemse2
3. Coert Stevense Van Voorhees — B. about 1638, Drenthe, Netherlands;2 D. after 1702;2 M. Marretje Gerretse Van Couwenhoven (1644-?), before 16642
4. Wessell Stevense Van Voorhees — B. before 25 Sep 1640, Oosteboer, Drenthe, Netherlands;2 D. before 14 Jan 1641, Netherlands2
Children by Willempie Roelofse Suebring:
1. Lucas Stevense Van Voorhees — B. about 1650, Hees, Ruinen, Netherlands;2 D. after 28 Sep 1724, (probably) Flatlands, New York;2 M. (1) Catalyntje Van Noorstrant (1653-1688);2 (2) Jannetje Minnes (~1660-?), 23 Jan 1689, Flatlands, New York2
2. Jan Stevense Van Voorhees — B. about 1652, Hees, Drenthe, Netherlands;2 D. before 3 Jan 1735, (probably) Flatbush, New York;2 M. (1) Cornelia Reiniers Wizzelpenning (1652-1680), 17 Mar 1678, Flatbush, New York;2 (2) Femmetje Aucke Van Nuys (1662-1735), 8 Oct 1680, Flatbush, New York2
3. Albert Stevense Van Voorhees — B. about 1654, Drenthe, Netherlands;2 D. after 14 May 1727, Hackensack, New Jersey;5 M. (1) Helletje Reiniers Wizzelpenning (1655-1691), 24 Apr 1681, Flatbush, New York;5 (2) Helena van der Shuere (1667-1727)5
4. Aeltje Stevense Van Voorhees — B. about 1656, Drenthe, Netherlands;2 D. 12 Nov 1746, Gravesend, New York;6 M. Barent Jurjansen Ryder (~1640-1707), about 1673, Gravesend, New York6
5. Jannetje Stevense Van Voorhees — B. about 1658, Drenthe, Netherlands;2 D. before 10 Sep 1709, Hackensack, New Jersey;5 (1) Jan Martense Schenk (~1631-1687), before 1677, (probably) Flatbush, New York;5 (2) Alexander Simpson (1655-1721), after 27 Feb 1690, Flatlands, New York5
6. Hendrickje Stevense Van Voorhees — B. about 1660, (probably) New Netherland;2 D. about 1693, Hackensack, New Jersey;7 M. Albert Albertse Terhune (1651-1709), 1674, Flatbush, New York7
Sources:
1 Steven van Voorhees (Wikipedia article)
2 The Van Voorhees Family in America, Florence A. Christoph, 2000
3 Find-a-Grave listing of Steven Coerte Van Voorhees
4 FamousKin.com listing of Steven Coerte Van Voorhees
5 The Brouwer Genealogy Database (website)
6 Find-a-Grave listing of Aeltje Stevense (Van Voorhees) Ryder
7 Find-a-Grave listing of Henrickje Stevens (Van Voorhees) Terhune
M. (1) about 1630 in Netherlands1
Wife: Aaltjen Wessels
M. (2) about 1649 in Netherlands2
Wife: Willempie Roelofse Suebring
D. 16 Feb 1684 in Flatlands, New York2
The populating of 17th-century America was largely done by young, energetic people coming over from Europe. But Steven Coerts van Voorhess was an exception — he left his motherland at the age of about 60.
Steven spent most of his life in the village of Hees, located in the province of Ruinen, Netherlands, and he was born there in about 1600 to Coerte Albertse van Voorhees, the oldest of 11 children.1 Hees was a “hamlet” of three farms: Voorhees, Middlehees and Achterhees, with a history that traces back for centuries.3 We have no surviving records of vital events in Hees, but using information on his children it’s believed Steven married a woman named Aaltien Wessels in about 1632.1 They had three children, then she died, and by 1650, Steven remarried to Willempie Roelofse Suebring.2 They had six children together, with the last one born in about 1660.2
New Netherland was well-established by the time Steven decided to relocate there. He likely moved for economic reasons, as the region around Hees was said to be depressed. On April 15, 1660, Steven, his wife, and most of his children boarded the ship de Bonte Koe (the spotted cow).2 Four other families traveled on the voyage, along with eighteen soldiers and nine single men.
Later that year on November 29th, Steven purchased land in the community of Niew Amersfoort, which became Flatlands (part of present-day Brooklyn).1 He paid Cornelius Deriksen Hoogland 3,000 guilders for “nine morgen of corn land, seven morgen of salt meadow, seven morgen of woodland, and ten morgen of plain land.”1 The property had a house and a fully-operational brewery, so Steven was set up to make his own beer. As an elder member of the community, others must have looked to Steven for leadership, and he served as a magistrate in 1664.1
Steven wrote a will dated August 25, 1677,1 and he passed away in Flatlands on February 16, 1684.2 His wife survived him and died in 1690. Steven’s legacy is in the name Voorhees which became prolific in the United States. His descendants reportedly were the largest Dutch family in America. Besides people named Voorhees or Voorhies, all of whom traced back to Steven, there is a Voorhies Street in Brooklyn, and the killer in the Friday the 13th movies was named Jason Voorhees. Steven is the 8G grandfather of Howard Dean and the 9G grandfather of Paul Giamatti.4
Plaque at the Flatlands Dutch Reformed Church. (source: Find-a-Grave)
Children by Aaltjen Wessels:
1. Hendrickjen Stevense Van Voorhees — B. about 1634, Ruinen, Netherlands;2 D. before 4 Aug 1705, (probably) Flatlands, New York;2 M. Jan Kiersen (?-1705), Flatlands, New York2
2. Merghen Stevense Van Voorhees — B. about 1636, Ruinen, Netherlands;2 M. (1) Roelef Oostinge, 14 Dec 1664;2 (2) Remmelt Willemse2
3. Coert Stevense Van Voorhees — B. about 1638, Drenthe, Netherlands;2 D. after 1702;2 M. Marretje Gerretse Van Couwenhoven (1644-?), before 16642
4. Wessell Stevense Van Voorhees — B. before 25 Sep 1640, Oosteboer, Drenthe, Netherlands;2 D. before 14 Jan 1641, Netherlands2
Children by Willempie Roelofse Suebring:
1. Lucas Stevense Van Voorhees — B. about 1650, Hees, Ruinen, Netherlands;2 D. after 28 Sep 1724, (probably) Flatlands, New York;2 M. (1) Catalyntje Van Noorstrant (1653-1688);2 (2) Jannetje Minnes (~1660-?), 23 Jan 1689, Flatlands, New York2
2. Jan Stevense Van Voorhees — B. about 1652, Hees, Drenthe, Netherlands;2 D. before 3 Jan 1735, (probably) Flatbush, New York;2 M. (1) Cornelia Reiniers Wizzelpenning (1652-1680), 17 Mar 1678, Flatbush, New York;2 (2) Femmetje Aucke Van Nuys (1662-1735), 8 Oct 1680, Flatbush, New York2
3. Albert Stevense Van Voorhees — B. about 1654, Drenthe, Netherlands;2 D. after 14 May 1727, Hackensack, New Jersey;5 M. (1) Helletje Reiniers Wizzelpenning (1655-1691), 24 Apr 1681, Flatbush, New York;5 (2) Helena van der Shuere (1667-1727)5
4. Aeltje Stevense Van Voorhees — B. about 1656, Drenthe, Netherlands;2 D. 12 Nov 1746, Gravesend, New York;6 M. Barent Jurjansen Ryder (~1640-1707), about 1673, Gravesend, New York6
5. Jannetje Stevense Van Voorhees — B. about 1658, Drenthe, Netherlands;2 D. before 10 Sep 1709, Hackensack, New Jersey;5 (1) Jan Martense Schenk (~1631-1687), before 1677, (probably) Flatbush, New York;5 (2) Alexander Simpson (1655-1721), after 27 Feb 1690, Flatlands, New York5
6. Hendrickje Stevense Van Voorhees — B. about 1660, (probably) New Netherland;2 D. about 1693, Hackensack, New Jersey;7 M. Albert Albertse Terhune (1651-1709), 1674, Flatbush, New York7
Sources:
1 Steven van Voorhees (Wikipedia article)
2 The Van Voorhees Family in America, Florence A. Christoph, 2000
3 Find-a-Grave listing of Steven Coerte Van Voorhees
4 FamousKin.com listing of Steven Coerte Van Voorhees
5 The Brouwer Genealogy Database (website)
6 Find-a-Grave listing of Aeltje Stevense (Van Voorhees) Ryder
7 Find-a-Grave listing of Henrickje Stevens (Van Voorhees) Terhune
Thursday, October 22, 2026
Hidden in East Hampton, New York — Samuel Hand
B. about 1672, East Hampton, New York1
M. before about 1692 in (probably) East Hampton, New York1
Wife: Elizabeth _______
D. about 1735, East Hampton, New York2
For someone who had Cornelius Vanderbilt for a great-great grandson, there is scant information on the life of Samuel Hand. When it came to records, he was one of those people who slipped under the radar, and sadly, there is little to say about him.
Samuel was of the third generation of settlers named Hand in East Hampton, Long Island, born to Stephen Hand and Sarah Stratton as one of their eight children.1 His birth year was thought to have been about 1672, although others say it was about 1665.3 The family was raised at a place known today as Wainscott,4 and Samuel’s father was part of the East Hampton community, serving as constable.4
While we don’t have specifics about the life of Samuel, we can apply some likely attributes to him based on East Hampton history. One is that he was probably Presbyterian rather than Puritan because East Hampton was “founded in 1648 by Puritan farmers who worshipped as Presbyterians.”5 (There’s also the fact that Samuel’s son Nehemiah was buried in a New Jersey Presbyterian cemetery.6) Another part of the historical context was that 17th-century East Hampton was engaged in the whaling business, and perhaps Samuel made some income there; some Hand family lore points to that in a general way.1
Little is known about Samuel’s wife and children. It’s believed that he had three sons, with the oldest born about 1693, so his marriage to a woman named Elizabeth happened roughly before that date.1 Samuel was mentioned on a deed dated October 16, 1693 selling some land and a house left to him by his father.7 His brother Stephen Jr. was administrator of the document. Another document in the East Hampton town records dated April 23, 1705 contains his signature.8 This was regarding some land perhaps commonly owned by Samuel and his brothers Joseph and Stephen. Joseph sold the land to someone else, and Stephen handled the money.
After 1705, the records go silent on Samuel Hand. One source says he died in about 1735,2 but there isn’t really any hard evidence to back this up. Samuel was the ancestor of Cornelius Vanderbilt and all of his illustrious descendants.7
Children:
1. Stephen Hand — B. about 1693, (probably) East Hampton, New York;7 D. 10 May 17432
2. Jonathan Hand — B. about 1695, (probably) East Hampton, New York7
3. Nehemiah Hand — B. about 1700, (probably) East Hampton, New York;6 D. 27 Dec 1776, Rahway, New Jersey;6 M. Lydia _____, about 17257
Sources:
1 Hand, Sisson and Scott – More Yeoman Ancestors, Carol Clark Johnson, 1981, pp. 15-16
2 Find-a-Grave listing of Samuel Hand
3 Genealogy of the Hand Family and Related Families, Dorothy Hand Dymond,1982
4 Records of the town of East-Hampton, Long Island, Suffolk Co., N.Y., Vol. 2, 1887
5 East Hampton (village), New York (Wikipedia article)
6 Find-a-Grave listing of Nehemiah Hand
7 Hand Family Scrapbook, compiled by Margaret Smith Isaac, 1986, p. 26
8 Records of the Town of East-Hampton, Long Island, Suffolk Co., N.Y., Vol. III, 1889, pp. 129-131
M. before about 1692 in (probably) East Hampton, New York1
Wife: Elizabeth _______
D. about 1735, East Hampton, New York2
For someone who had Cornelius Vanderbilt for a great-great grandson, there is scant information on the life of Samuel Hand. When it came to records, he was one of those people who slipped under the radar, and sadly, there is little to say about him.
Samuel was of the third generation of settlers named Hand in East Hampton, Long Island, born to Stephen Hand and Sarah Stratton as one of their eight children.1 His birth year was thought to have been about 1672, although others say it was about 1665.3 The family was raised at a place known today as Wainscott,4 and Samuel’s father was part of the East Hampton community, serving as constable.4
While we don’t have specifics about the life of Samuel, we can apply some likely attributes to him based on East Hampton history. One is that he was probably Presbyterian rather than Puritan because East Hampton was “founded in 1648 by Puritan farmers who worshipped as Presbyterians.”5 (There’s also the fact that Samuel’s son Nehemiah was buried in a New Jersey Presbyterian cemetery.6) Another part of the historical context was that 17th-century East Hampton was engaged in the whaling business, and perhaps Samuel made some income there; some Hand family lore points to that in a general way.1
Samuel spent his entire life in East Hampton.
Little is known about Samuel’s wife and children. It’s believed that he had three sons, with the oldest born about 1693, so his marriage to a woman named Elizabeth happened roughly before that date.1 Samuel was mentioned on a deed dated October 16, 1693 selling some land and a house left to him by his father.7 His brother Stephen Jr. was administrator of the document. Another document in the East Hampton town records dated April 23, 1705 contains his signature.8 This was regarding some land perhaps commonly owned by Samuel and his brothers Joseph and Stephen. Joseph sold the land to someone else, and Stephen handled the money.
After 1705, the records go silent on Samuel Hand. One source says he died in about 1735,2 but there isn’t really any hard evidence to back this up. Samuel was the ancestor of Cornelius Vanderbilt and all of his illustrious descendants.7
Children:
1. Stephen Hand — B. about 1693, (probably) East Hampton, New York;7 D. 10 May 17432
2. Jonathan Hand — B. about 1695, (probably) East Hampton, New York7
3. Nehemiah Hand — B. about 1700, (probably) East Hampton, New York;6 D. 27 Dec 1776, Rahway, New Jersey;6 M. Lydia _____, about 17257
Sources:
1 Hand, Sisson and Scott – More Yeoman Ancestors, Carol Clark Johnson, 1981, pp. 15-16
2 Find-a-Grave listing of Samuel Hand
3 Genealogy of the Hand Family and Related Families, Dorothy Hand Dymond,1982
4 Records of the town of East-Hampton, Long Island, Suffolk Co., N.Y., Vol. 2, 1887
5 East Hampton (village), New York (Wikipedia article)
6 Find-a-Grave listing of Nehemiah Hand
7 Hand Family Scrapbook, compiled by Margaret Smith Isaac, 1986, p. 26
8 Records of the Town of East-Hampton, Long Island, Suffolk Co., N.Y., Vol. III, 1889, pp. 129-131
Sunday, October 11, 2026
On the Delmarva Peninsula — Mathias Jones
B. before about 1725 in (probably) Somerset County, Maryland1
M. before about 1754 in (probably) Somerset County, Maryland2
Wife: Temperance Hardy
D. after 11 Jun 1793 in (probably) Sussex County, Delaware3
In the heart of the Mid-Atlantic colonies, was a region of small tobacco plantations bordered by water on both sides. This was where Mathias Jones made his home.
Few records survive from the 18th-century Delmarva Peninsula, so it’s very challenging to connect Mathias to his family. It can be estimated that he was born before 1725; it’s more certain that he was from Somerset County, Maryland.1
Mathias was likely closely related to a man named Finch Jones because their names both appear in the will of a man named William Evins dated January 28, 1750.4 Mathias was named as primary beneficiary of Evins, receiving a plantation of 150 acres. He also left 50 acres to “William Jones, son of Finch Jones,” and “a young heifer, iron pots and pewter plates” to “Rebecca Jones, daughter of Finch Jones.” We also see that the year before the will, Mathias was listed as a dependent of William Evans.5
Was Mathias the child of Finch Jones? Maybe, but it seems odd that he wasn’t mentioned that way and two other people were. More likely perhaps was that he was a nephew or cousin. Finch (with his unusual name) appeared in several civic records. In 1730, he was taken to court for not paying a woman for some silk handkerchiefs and linens he had purchased,6 and in 1735, he was cited for not burning his tobacco crop, as “he was obliged to burn.”7 A property appraisal dated November 11, 1732 mentions that Finch Jones was “exceedingly poor with wife and small children.”8
One interesting thing that may also tie Mathias to Finch was that each was once described as a bricklayer. For Finch, it was in the 1730 court record, and for Mathias, it was on an 1786 deed.9 Could this reinforce a connection between the two men? Maybe. It’s also to be noted that there were records of what appears to be another Mathias Jones living in Somerset County at the same time; this man seems younger as he was listed as a dependent to a brother named Levin in 1756.10 Facts related to the other Mathias points to him not being the man in this biography.11
Mathias married sometime before about 1754 to a woman named Temperance Hardy,2 and they had at least four children. At some point, the family moved to Sussex County, Delaware, where on March 24, 1776, Mathias had a survey done for 212 acres he was purchasing. The tract was located “south of Green Branch,” and was called “Jones’ Choice.”12
In 1784, Mathias took on the role of guardian for his wife’s niece, whose parents had both died. The record states, “Came unto the court Mathias Jones and made known to the court that Jehu Claypoole, late of Sussex County, deceased, did not in his lifetime appoint a guardian to his daughter Sarah Claypoole, a minor under fourteen years of age, and prayed the court to appoint some person to be guardian to said minor’s personal estate during her minority.”13 The court then gave the job to Mathias; whether or not he took her into his household or just looked after her finances isn’t clear from the record.
Two land deeds involving Mathias are dated May 3, 1786, one where he sold his 200 acres,9 and another where he bought 161 acres of adjacent land.14 We learn from the deeds that he lived in Nanticoke Hundred, the designation of an area of Sussex County. Mathias’ son Isaac Hardy Jones mentioned his father in his will written on March 22, 1790, leaving his “moveable estate” to be divided between Mathias and Isaac’s wife Sarah; the will was in probate as of April 2, 1790.15
The last known document of showing Mathias still alive was a note promising to pay a man named Thomas Marvel the sum of 6£ 3s 3p.3 It was dated June 11, 1793 and signed by Mathias with his mark. Witnesses were Robert Barr, Sally Conaway and James Jones (presumably his son). It isn’t known when Mathias’ wife Temperance died.
Children:
1. William Jones — B. before 3 May 1756 in (probably) Somerset County, Maryland;16 D. after 7 Aug 1792 in (probably) Sussex County, Delaware17
2. James Jones — B. before 3 May 1756 in (probably) Somerset County, Maryland;16 D. after 1812,(possibly) Vincennes, Indiana;18 M. UNKNOWN, before about 1785, Sussex County, Delaware19
3. Isaac Hardy Jones — B. after 3 May 1756 in (probably) Somerset County, Maryland;16 D. after 22 Mar 1790 in (probably) Sussex County, Delaware;15 M. Sarah ______15
4. Traney Jones — B. after 3 May 1756 in (probably) Somerset County, Maryland;16 D. after 22 Mar 179015
Sources:
1 Estimated birth year is based on being roughly the same age as his wife, who is known to have been born in 1725.
2 Estimated marriage year is based on the fact that the will of Temperance’s father, dated 1756, mentioned their sons William and James, and so their marriage was at least two years before that date.
3 Note in probate file of Thomas Marvel, Sussex, Delaware, Probate Estate Case Files, 1700-1956, FamilySearch.org
4 Will of William Evins, Maryland, Wills, 1746-1754
5 1749 tax list for Somerset County, Maryland, Maryland.gov
6 Somerset County Judicial Records, 1730-1733, Archives of Maryland Online
7 Somerset County Judicial Records, 1735-1737, Archives of Maryland Online
8 Whittington King listing in Early Colonial Settlers of Southern Maryland and Virginia’s Northern Neck Counties
9 1786 deed between Mathias Jones and Abraham Adams, Delaware, U.S., Land Records, 1677-1947, Ancestry.com
10 1756 tax list for Somerset County, Maryland
11 The second Mathias was a dependent in 1756, a time when our Mathias already had three sons. Also the members of related families like Hardy are tied to Nanticoke Hundred, and the other Mathias lived in Monie Hundred.
12 1776 land deed of Mathias Jones, Sussex County, Delaware Land Records, 1680-1968, FamilySearch.org
13 Court appearance of Mathias Jones, Orphans’ Court Dockets, Sussex, Delaware, 1770-1796, FamilySearch.org
14 1786 deed between Thomas Marvel and Mathias Jones, Delaware, U.S., Land Records, 1677-1947, Ancestry.com
15 Isaac Hardy Jones’ will, Sussex, Delaware Probate Estate Case files 1680-1925, FamilySearch.org
16 James Hardy’s will dated 26 May 1756 which mentions grandchildren William and James, but not Isaac or Traney, FamilySearch.org
17 Land deed between William Jones and Barnaby Conneway, Delaware, U.S., Land Records, 1677-1947, Ancestry.com
18 James Jones as resident of Knox County, Indiana Territory in 1812, Indiana, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-1890, Ancestry.com
19 1850 U.S. Census, Knox County, Indiana showing James’ daughter Naomi Hunter as being 65-years-old.
M. before about 1754 in (probably) Somerset County, Maryland2
Wife: Temperance Hardy
D. after 11 Jun 1793 in (probably) Sussex County, Delaware3
In the heart of the Mid-Atlantic colonies, was a region of small tobacco plantations bordered by water on both sides. This was where Mathias Jones made his home.
Few records survive from the 18th-century Delmarva Peninsula, so it’s very challenging to connect Mathias to his family. It can be estimated that he was born before 1725; it’s more certain that he was from Somerset County, Maryland.1
Map of where Mathias lived.
Mathias was likely closely related to a man named Finch Jones because their names both appear in the will of a man named William Evins dated January 28, 1750.4 Mathias was named as primary beneficiary of Evins, receiving a plantation of 150 acres. He also left 50 acres to “William Jones, son of Finch Jones,” and “a young heifer, iron pots and pewter plates” to “Rebecca Jones, daughter of Finch Jones.” We also see that the year before the will, Mathias was listed as a dependent of William Evans.5
Was Mathias the child of Finch Jones? Maybe, but it seems odd that he wasn’t mentioned that way and two other people were. More likely perhaps was that he was a nephew or cousin. Finch (with his unusual name) appeared in several civic records. In 1730, he was taken to court for not paying a woman for some silk handkerchiefs and linens he had purchased,6 and in 1735, he was cited for not burning his tobacco crop, as “he was obliged to burn.”7 A property appraisal dated November 11, 1732 mentions that Finch Jones was “exceedingly poor with wife and small children.”8
One interesting thing that may also tie Mathias to Finch was that each was once described as a bricklayer. For Finch, it was in the 1730 court record, and for Mathias, it was on an 1786 deed.9 Could this reinforce a connection between the two men? Maybe. It’s also to be noted that there were records of what appears to be another Mathias Jones living in Somerset County at the same time; this man seems younger as he was listed as a dependent to a brother named Levin in 1756.10 Facts related to the other Mathias points to him not being the man in this biography.11
Working as a bricklayer. (AI-generated image)
Mathias married sometime before about 1754 to a woman named Temperance Hardy,2 and they had at least four children. At some point, the family moved to Sussex County, Delaware, where on March 24, 1776, Mathias had a survey done for 212 acres he was purchasing. The tract was located “south of Green Branch,” and was called “Jones’ Choice.”12
In 1784, Mathias took on the role of guardian for his wife’s niece, whose parents had both died. The record states, “Came unto the court Mathias Jones and made known to the court that Jehu Claypoole, late of Sussex County, deceased, did not in his lifetime appoint a guardian to his daughter Sarah Claypoole, a minor under fourteen years of age, and prayed the court to appoint some person to be guardian to said minor’s personal estate during her minority.”13 The court then gave the job to Mathias; whether or not he took her into his household or just looked after her finances isn’t clear from the record.
Two land deeds involving Mathias are dated May 3, 1786, one where he sold his 200 acres,9 and another where he bought 161 acres of adjacent land.14 We learn from the deeds that he lived in Nanticoke Hundred, the designation of an area of Sussex County. Mathias’ son Isaac Hardy Jones mentioned his father in his will written on March 22, 1790, leaving his “moveable estate” to be divided between Mathias and Isaac’s wife Sarah; the will was in probate as of April 2, 1790.15
The last known document of showing Mathias still alive was a note promising to pay a man named Thomas Marvel the sum of 6£ 3s 3p.3 It was dated June 11, 1793 and signed by Mathias with his mark. Witnesses were Robert Barr, Sally Conaway and James Jones (presumably his son). It isn’t known when Mathias’ wife Temperance died.
Note from Mathias Jones in 1793.
Children:
1. William Jones — B. before 3 May 1756 in (probably) Somerset County, Maryland;16 D. after 7 Aug 1792 in (probably) Sussex County, Delaware17
2. James Jones — B. before 3 May 1756 in (probably) Somerset County, Maryland;16 D. after 1812,(possibly) Vincennes, Indiana;18 M. UNKNOWN, before about 1785, Sussex County, Delaware19
3. Isaac Hardy Jones — B. after 3 May 1756 in (probably) Somerset County, Maryland;16 D. after 22 Mar 1790 in (probably) Sussex County, Delaware;15 M. Sarah ______15
4. Traney Jones — B. after 3 May 1756 in (probably) Somerset County, Maryland;16 D. after 22 Mar 179015
Sources:
1 Estimated birth year is based on being roughly the same age as his wife, who is known to have been born in 1725.
2 Estimated marriage year is based on the fact that the will of Temperance’s father, dated 1756, mentioned their sons William and James, and so their marriage was at least two years before that date.
3 Note in probate file of Thomas Marvel, Sussex, Delaware, Probate Estate Case Files, 1700-1956, FamilySearch.org
4 Will of William Evins, Maryland, Wills, 1746-1754
5 1749 tax list for Somerset County, Maryland, Maryland.gov
6 Somerset County Judicial Records, 1730-1733, Archives of Maryland Online
7 Somerset County Judicial Records, 1735-1737, Archives of Maryland Online
8 Whittington King listing in Early Colonial Settlers of Southern Maryland and Virginia’s Northern Neck Counties
9 1786 deed between Mathias Jones and Abraham Adams, Delaware, U.S., Land Records, 1677-1947, Ancestry.com
10 1756 tax list for Somerset County, Maryland
11 The second Mathias was a dependent in 1756, a time when our Mathias already had three sons. Also the members of related families like Hardy are tied to Nanticoke Hundred, and the other Mathias lived in Monie Hundred.
12 1776 land deed of Mathias Jones, Sussex County, Delaware Land Records, 1680-1968, FamilySearch.org
13 Court appearance of Mathias Jones, Orphans’ Court Dockets, Sussex, Delaware, 1770-1796, FamilySearch.org
14 1786 deed between Thomas Marvel and Mathias Jones, Delaware, U.S., Land Records, 1677-1947, Ancestry.com
15 Isaac Hardy Jones’ will, Sussex, Delaware Probate Estate Case files 1680-1925, FamilySearch.org
16 James Hardy’s will dated 26 May 1756 which mentions grandchildren William and James, but not Isaac or Traney, FamilySearch.org
17 Land deed between William Jones and Barnaby Conneway, Delaware, U.S., Land Records, 1677-1947, Ancestry.com
18 James Jones as resident of Knox County, Indiana Territory in 1812, Indiana, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-1890, Ancestry.com
19 1850 U.S. Census, Knox County, Indiana showing James’ daughter Naomi Hunter as being 65-years-old.
Thursday, September 24, 2026
Stories That Were Handed Down — John “Jesse” Hand
B. about 1742 in Essex County, New Jersey1
M. (1) before 14 Jun 1779 in (probably) New Jersey2
Wife: Nellie ________
M. (2) after Aug 1801 in (probably) Kentucky3
Wife: Ann Trotter
D. after Aug 1801 in Kentucky or Ohio4
John “Jesse” Hand left a trail of adventures during his life, but unfortunately not much of a trail of paper. Most of what we know about him (or think we know) comes from stories passed down through his son Eli. Without documents, a lot of his saga is speculative, but one thing seems certain: I inherited a significant amount of DNA from Jesse and his wife, and this has led me to draw my own conclusions (see below).
There is some uncertainty as to what his name actually was. Eli Hand’s descendants used the name Jesse, so that’s what I will call him here, but they also admitted that his real name might have been John.5 If you consider that his name was John, he appears to have been the youngest child of Nehemiah and Lydia Hand of Essex County, New Jersey, and was born in about 1742.1 Nehemiah’s will written in 1772 mentions a son named John, but it seems that his older brothers got all of their father’s land.6
Eli Hand’s descendants claimed that Jesse had worked on a boat up and down the Delaware River, but this is unproven. If it was true, this may be how he came to marry a young woman who was “a Swede” named Nellie. According to family stories, Nellie had children, named Hannah, Eli and George, but my DNA suggests they also had a daughter who was the mother of my 4G grandmother Mary Fleming (1819-1907), and two sons named Aaron and Jeremiah.7 There may also have been a son James, but he’s too speculative to include here.8 At least three of the children were probably born in Essex County, New Jersey,9 and possibly in Scotch Plains, and the youngest child, George, seems to have been born in Virginia.10
Jesse moved to Kentucky after the American Revolution, just as land opportunities were opening up. The few documents where Jesse’s name seems to have appeared were on Kentucky tax lists, first in Washington County, then in Bourbon County. The tax lists refer to a “John Hand,” not Jesse Hand, so if these lists really show Jesse, he was in Washington County from 1792 to 1800,11 and in Bourbon County from 1801 to 1804.12 His farm ranged in size from 50 to 100 acres, and in the later years he was shown to have owned a couple of slaves.
One of the most colorful anecdotes about Jesse concerned his “religious conversion” at an event called the Cane Ridge Revival Meeting. In 1801, a large tent was pitched in a Bourbon County field, and people came from miles around to attend.13 Jesse and Nellie were among them, and as the story goes, Jesse was at first reluctant to join in. After the first day of the event, he said to Nellie that if she “shouted,” he would, too. To shout from the audience meant that a person embraced the religious message. The next day, Nellie shouted, so they were both now believers.14 A modern-day way to say this was that they were born again.
Nellie died within a couple of years, and Jesse was said to have remarried to a woman named Anne Trotter.3 Sometime around 1810, several members of the Hand family left Kentucky for a location in Ohio near Chillicothe,3 and this was where Jesse likely passed away.4 His widow, known to the family as Granny Ann, was remembered fondly by Jesse’s grandchildren,3 and so survived him by many years.
DNA that ties the Hands together
My connection to John “Jesse” Hand has no paper trail, and there are also no documents leading to the families of Aaron or Jeremiah. But I determined the relationship by doing a deep dive into one long shared segment of over 75 cM on chromosome 5. I’ve detailed this in my report, Joining Hands: Using my DNA to Reunite a Midwest Family Named Hand. This segment is shared with me by descendants of Eli, George, Jeremiah and Aaron, and has a recombination line roughly in the middle of it that was created by one of my ancestors. The descendants of the four Hand men do not cross the line, and many matches butt up against it, with Eli, Jeremiah and Aaron on one side, and George on the other. In my report, I give a detailed explanation why I think this can only mean they are brothers, and that my Hand ancestor and Hannah are their sisters.15
Debunking Jeremiah Hand’s incorrect pedigree
Some researchers have erroneously identified Jeremiah Hand who died in Greene County, Illinois in 1851 as being the son of David and Martha (Yates) Hand of Cape May, New Jersey.16 The assumption was made purely on the fact that Jeremiah was born in New Jersey, and his rough age on the 1850 census matches the Cape May guy. The name “Jeremiah Hand” appeared as the oldest son on the will of David Hand, written on May 16, 1796 at Cape May, New Jersey.17 The will was probated with Jeremiah being sworn in as one of the executors on April 10, 1804 in Cape May.18
A biography of one of the descendants of our Jeremiah Hand written in 1905 said that he was “reared in Hardy County, Virginia.”19 That doesn’t jive with the story of David and Martha Hand who lived their entire lives in Cape May. Jeremiah’s wife was Mary Badgley, who was born December 14, 1775 in Hardy County, Virginia,20 and died before the 1850 census.21 She was the daughter of Reverend David Badgley, who was born in Essex County, New Jersey, and was one of the first non-French white settlers of what is now Illinois.22 The 1850 census showed that Jeremiah’s son Solomon was born in Illinois in about 1802, so Jeremiah appears to have been living way out west by the time his supposed father died in 1804.
This is where the context of history plays into identifying a false genealogical claim. It’s highly unlikely that our Jeremiah could have travelled back to Cape May to act as executor on his supposed father’s will. In an era before railroads, to get from Illinois to the east coast at that time was very difficult. Communication was slow, too, and someone out in Illinois might not even get the news about a family member’s death for months.
M. (1) before 14 Jun 1779 in (probably) New Jersey2
Wife: Nellie ________
M. (2) after Aug 1801 in (probably) Kentucky3
Wife: Ann Trotter
D. after Aug 1801 in Kentucky or Ohio4
John “Jesse” Hand left a trail of adventures during his life, but unfortunately not much of a trail of paper. Most of what we know about him (or think we know) comes from stories passed down through his son Eli. Without documents, a lot of his saga is speculative, but one thing seems certain: I inherited a significant amount of DNA from Jesse and his wife, and this has led me to draw my own conclusions (see below).
There is some uncertainty as to what his name actually was. Eli Hand’s descendants used the name Jesse, so that’s what I will call him here, but they also admitted that his real name might have been John.5 If you consider that his name was John, he appears to have been the youngest child of Nehemiah and Lydia Hand of Essex County, New Jersey, and was born in about 1742.1 Nehemiah’s will written in 1772 mentions a son named John, but it seems that his older brothers got all of their father’s land.6
Eli Hand’s descendants claimed that Jesse had worked on a boat up and down the Delaware River, but this is unproven. If it was true, this may be how he came to marry a young woman who was “a Swede” named Nellie. According to family stories, Nellie had children, named Hannah, Eli and George, but my DNA suggests they also had a daughter who was the mother of my 4G grandmother Mary Fleming (1819-1907), and two sons named Aaron and Jeremiah.7 There may also have been a son James, but he’s too speculative to include here.8 At least three of the children were probably born in Essex County, New Jersey,9 and possibly in Scotch Plains, and the youngest child, George, seems to have been born in Virginia.10
Jesse moved to Kentucky after the American Revolution, just as land opportunities were opening up. The few documents where Jesse’s name seems to have appeared were on Kentucky tax lists, first in Washington County, then in Bourbon County. The tax lists refer to a “John Hand,” not Jesse Hand, so if these lists really show Jesse, he was in Washington County from 1792 to 1800,11 and in Bourbon County from 1801 to 1804.12 His farm ranged in size from 50 to 100 acres, and in the later years he was shown to have owned a couple of slaves.
One of the most colorful anecdotes about Jesse concerned his “religious conversion” at an event called the Cane Ridge Revival Meeting. In 1801, a large tent was pitched in a Bourbon County field, and people came from miles around to attend.13 Jesse and Nellie were among them, and as the story goes, Jesse was at first reluctant to join in. After the first day of the event, he said to Nellie that if she “shouted,” he would, too. To shout from the audience meant that a person embraced the religious message. The next day, Nellie shouted, so they were both now believers.14 A modern-day way to say this was that they were born again.
Cane Ridge Revival Meeting in Bourbon County, Kentucky.
Nellie died within a couple of years, and Jesse was said to have remarried to a woman named Anne Trotter.3 Sometime around 1810, several members of the Hand family left Kentucky for a location in Ohio near Chillicothe,3 and this was where Jesse likely passed away.4 His widow, known to the family as Granny Ann, was remembered fondly by Jesse’s grandchildren,3 and so survived him by many years.
DNA that ties the Hands together
My connection to John “Jesse” Hand has no paper trail, and there are also no documents leading to the families of Aaron or Jeremiah. But I determined the relationship by doing a deep dive into one long shared segment of over 75 cM on chromosome 5. I’ve detailed this in my report, Joining Hands: Using my DNA to Reunite a Midwest Family Named Hand. This segment is shared with me by descendants of Eli, George, Jeremiah and Aaron, and has a recombination line roughly in the middle of it that was created by one of my ancestors. The descendants of the four Hand men do not cross the line, and many matches butt up against it, with Eli, Jeremiah and Aaron on one side, and George on the other. In my report, I give a detailed explanation why I think this can only mean they are brothers, and that my Hand ancestor and Hannah are their sisters.15
Debunking Jeremiah Hand’s incorrect pedigree
Some researchers have erroneously identified Jeremiah Hand who died in Greene County, Illinois in 1851 as being the son of David and Martha (Yates) Hand of Cape May, New Jersey.16 The assumption was made purely on the fact that Jeremiah was born in New Jersey, and his rough age on the 1850 census matches the Cape May guy. The name “Jeremiah Hand” appeared as the oldest son on the will of David Hand, written on May 16, 1796 at Cape May, New Jersey.17 The will was probated with Jeremiah being sworn in as one of the executors on April 10, 1804 in Cape May.18
A biography of one of the descendants of our Jeremiah Hand written in 1905 said that he was “reared in Hardy County, Virginia.”19 That doesn’t jive with the story of David and Martha Hand who lived their entire lives in Cape May. Jeremiah’s wife was Mary Badgley, who was born December 14, 1775 in Hardy County, Virginia,20 and died before the 1850 census.21 She was the daughter of Reverend David Badgley, who was born in Essex County, New Jersey, and was one of the first non-French white settlers of what is now Illinois.22 The 1850 census showed that Jeremiah’s son Solomon was born in Illinois in about 1802, so Jeremiah appears to have been living way out west by the time his supposed father died in 1804.
This is where the context of history plays into identifying a false genealogical claim. It’s highly unlikely that our Jeremiah could have travelled back to Cape May to act as executor on his supposed father’s will. In an era before railroads, to get from Illinois to the east coast at that time was very difficult. Communication was slow, too, and someone out in Illinois might not even get the news about a family member’s death for months.
The analysis of my DNA should also be considered as evidence that Jeremiah wasn’t David and Martha’s son. The segments I share with Jeremiah’s descendants are shared by descendants of Aaron, Eli and George C., which would mean they would all have to be closely related to the Hands of Cape May. With Eli and George C., we know they aren’t. And a big portion of the DNA I share with the Jeremiah descendants is from Finland. David and Martha Hand have no path to supply that DNA.
For all of these reasons, Jeremiah Hand of Greene County, Illinois was definitely not the son of David and Martha Hand of Cape May, New Jersey. This link should be removed from all genealogical data on the Internet.
Children (all by Nellie ______):
1. Aaron Hand — B. before 1770, (probably) Essex County, New Jersey;23 D. before 1840, (probably) Jackson County, Indiana;24 M. Ruth Benjamin, before Apr 182025
2. Jeremiah Hand — B. about 1772, (probably) Essex County, New Jersey;21 D. Nov 1851, Greenfield, Greene County, Illinois;26 M. Mary Badgley (1775-?), before about 1796, (probably) Hardy County, Virginia (now West Virginia)19
3. Hannah Hand — B. before 1779, (probably) Essex County, New Jersey;27 D. before 1850, (probably) Crawford County, Illinois;28 M. Jacob Smith (~1767-1860), before 2 Jul 1795, (probably) Hardy County, Virginia29
4. Eli Hand — B. 14 Jun 1779, Scotch Plains, New Jersey;30 D. 26 Mar 1857, Crawford County, Illinois;31 M. Jane Fleming (~1779-1854), 14 Jul 1804, Washington County, Kentucky32
5. ________ Hand — B. about 1780, (probably) Essex County, New Jersey;33 D. after 1830, (probably) Parke County, Indiana;34 M. “James” Fleming (~1780-?), before 24 Jan 1802, (probably) Washington County, Kentucky35
6. George Callahan Hand — B. about 1789, (probably) Hardy County, Virginia;36 D. 25 Sep 1845, McLean County, Illinois;37 M. Barbara Ann Crose (1787-1870), 7 Jun 1808, Ross County, Ohio38
Sources:
1 Jesse’s birth year is a rough estimate based on that he was the youngest child of Nehemiah and Lydia Hand, plus that he had a child Aaron who was born in the 1760s.
2 Nellie is the name remembered by the descendants of Eli Hand in the book Hand Family Scrapbook, compiled by Margaret Smith Isaac, 1986 (p. 3). The estimated date of their marriage is based on that their son Aaron was born during the 1760s.
3 Hand Family Scrapbook, p. 5
4 It’s unknown if Jesse died before or after the Hand family moved to Ohio, but it was after the date of the Cane Ridge Revival Meeting, which was in August of 1801.
5 The Hand Family Scrapbook says on page 1: “Our searching has been further confounded by a suggestion that Jesse Hand’s given name might have been John instead of Jesse.” The footnote for this (on page 7) says: “From a letter written August 11, 1932, by John Raymond Hand of Downers Grove, Illinois … to Arthur W. Hand of Robinson, Illinois … ‘As your grandfather and I worked it out, Eli Hand was the son of Jesse (or John) …’ “ Later in the footnote is this: “Jesse Hand’s great-granddaughter, Margaret Lucretia (Shepherd) Mitchell, Hand family historian, in one of her papers on the Hand family stated that her mother, Mary Ann (Hand) Shepherd Franklin, was not sure if her grandfather’s name was Jesse or John.”
6 Calendar of New Jersey Wills, Vol. V, 1771-1780, p. 226
7 Joining Hands: Using my DNA to Reunite a Midwest Family Named Hand, Laura Mitchell, 2026
8 Montgomery County, Kentucky Tax Books, 1797-1875, FamilySearch.org
9 Jeremiah Hand and Eli Hand were listed in the 1850 U.S. Census each with New Jersey as a birthplace. The sister who was married to “James” Fleming had two daughters Eleanor and Mary who each gave New Jersey as their mother’s birth place on the 1880 U.S. Census.
10 George’s supposed birth place of Virginia is based on where the family likely lived in 1789. His children who were alive for the 1880 U.S. Census gave Virginia, Ohio or Kentucky as their father’s birth place.
11 Washington County, Kentucky Tax Books, 1792-1875, FamilySearch.org
12 Bourbon County, Kentucky Tax Books, 1787-1878, FamilySearch.org
13 Cane Ridge Revival (Wikipedia article)
14 Hand Family Scrapbook, p. 4
15 See pages 26 to 37 of Joining Hands: Using my DNA to Reunite a Midwest Family Named Hand
16 This wrong connection is on Jeremiah’s Find-a-Grave listing, on his WikiTree listing, on the FamilySearch family tree, and on 562 Ancestry family trees.
17 New Jersey, U.S., Abstract of Wills, V. 39, p. 196
18 David Hand’s probate records, Wills, Surrogate’s Office, Cape May county, 1804-1862
19 Past and Present of Greene County, Illinois, The S.J. Parke Pub. Co.,1905, pp. 350-351
20 Find-a-Grave listing of Mary (Badgley) Hand
21 1850 U.S. Census, Greene County, Illinois
22 Find-a-Grave listing of Rev. David Badgley
23 1830 U.S. Census, Jackson County, Indiana
24 Aaron Hand was not listed on the 1840 U.S. Census and is presumed to have died before that date.
25 The name Ruth Benjamin appears on the death certificate of their daughter Matilda Hosea, who died on August 17, 1915 (Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2017, Ancestry.com). Their oldest known son Hiram was born in April 1820, according to his listing on the 1900 U.S. Census in Barr, Daviess, Indiana.
26 WikiTree listing of Jeremiah Hand
27 The 1840 U.S. Census in Crawford County, Illinois establishes her birth year. This was before the family moved to Virginia, so she was born in New Jersey.
28 She was not with her husband Jacob Smith on the 1850 U.S. Census in Crawford County, Illinois.
29 Illinois Historical: Crawford County Biographical, 1909, edited by Paul Selby, p. 738
30 Hand Family Scrapbook, p. 33
31 Hand Family Scrapbook, p. 34
32 Marriage record of Eli Hand and Jane Fleming, Kentucky County Marriages, 1797-1954, FamilySearch.org
33 In the 1830 census in Parke County, there was a woman in her 40s living in her son Eli H. Fleming’s house. It’s likely that this was his mother as a widow, establishing a rough age for her. Daughters Eleanor and Mary gave their mother’s birth place as New Jersey on the 1880 U.S. Census.
34 She seems to have been her son’s household in 1830, but doesn’t seem to be in the 1840 U.S. Census.
35 The Find-a-Grave listing of her oldest known child James Fleming gives his birth date as June 24, 1802.
36 His age was 50-59 on his listing in the 1840 U.S. Census in McLean County, Illinois. Judging from the stories of Eli Hand’s descendants, the family had relocated to Hardy County, Virginia by that time.
37 Find-a-Grave listing of George Callahan Hand
38 Marriage record of George Hand and Barbara Ann Crose, Ohio, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1774-1993, Ancestry.com
For all of these reasons, Jeremiah Hand of Greene County, Illinois was definitely not the son of David and Martha Hand of Cape May, New Jersey. This link should be removed from all genealogical data on the Internet.
Children (all by Nellie ______):
1. Aaron Hand — B. before 1770, (probably) Essex County, New Jersey;23 D. before 1840, (probably) Jackson County, Indiana;24 M. Ruth Benjamin, before Apr 182025
2. Jeremiah Hand — B. about 1772, (probably) Essex County, New Jersey;21 D. Nov 1851, Greenfield, Greene County, Illinois;26 M. Mary Badgley (1775-?), before about 1796, (probably) Hardy County, Virginia (now West Virginia)19
3. Hannah Hand — B. before 1779, (probably) Essex County, New Jersey;27 D. before 1850, (probably) Crawford County, Illinois;28 M. Jacob Smith (~1767-1860), before 2 Jul 1795, (probably) Hardy County, Virginia29
4. Eli Hand — B. 14 Jun 1779, Scotch Plains, New Jersey;30 D. 26 Mar 1857, Crawford County, Illinois;31 M. Jane Fleming (~1779-1854), 14 Jul 1804, Washington County, Kentucky32
5. ________ Hand — B. about 1780, (probably) Essex County, New Jersey;33 D. after 1830, (probably) Parke County, Indiana;34 M. “James” Fleming (~1780-?), before 24 Jan 1802, (probably) Washington County, Kentucky35
6. George Callahan Hand — B. about 1789, (probably) Hardy County, Virginia;36 D. 25 Sep 1845, McLean County, Illinois;37 M. Barbara Ann Crose (1787-1870), 7 Jun 1808, Ross County, Ohio38
Sources:
1 Jesse’s birth year is a rough estimate based on that he was the youngest child of Nehemiah and Lydia Hand, plus that he had a child Aaron who was born in the 1760s.
2 Nellie is the name remembered by the descendants of Eli Hand in the book Hand Family Scrapbook, compiled by Margaret Smith Isaac, 1986 (p. 3). The estimated date of their marriage is based on that their son Aaron was born during the 1760s.
3 Hand Family Scrapbook, p. 5
4 It’s unknown if Jesse died before or after the Hand family moved to Ohio, but it was after the date of the Cane Ridge Revival Meeting, which was in August of 1801.
5 The Hand Family Scrapbook says on page 1: “Our searching has been further confounded by a suggestion that Jesse Hand’s given name might have been John instead of Jesse.” The footnote for this (on page 7) says: “From a letter written August 11, 1932, by John Raymond Hand of Downers Grove, Illinois … to Arthur W. Hand of Robinson, Illinois … ‘As your grandfather and I worked it out, Eli Hand was the son of Jesse (or John) …’ “ Later in the footnote is this: “Jesse Hand’s great-granddaughter, Margaret Lucretia (Shepherd) Mitchell, Hand family historian, in one of her papers on the Hand family stated that her mother, Mary Ann (Hand) Shepherd Franklin, was not sure if her grandfather’s name was Jesse or John.”
6 Calendar of New Jersey Wills, Vol. V, 1771-1780, p. 226
7 Joining Hands: Using my DNA to Reunite a Midwest Family Named Hand, Laura Mitchell, 2026
8 Montgomery County, Kentucky Tax Books, 1797-1875, FamilySearch.org
9 Jeremiah Hand and Eli Hand were listed in the 1850 U.S. Census each with New Jersey as a birthplace. The sister who was married to “James” Fleming had two daughters Eleanor and Mary who each gave New Jersey as their mother’s birth place on the 1880 U.S. Census.
10 George’s supposed birth place of Virginia is based on where the family likely lived in 1789. His children who were alive for the 1880 U.S. Census gave Virginia, Ohio or Kentucky as their father’s birth place.
11 Washington County, Kentucky Tax Books, 1792-1875, FamilySearch.org
12 Bourbon County, Kentucky Tax Books, 1787-1878, FamilySearch.org
13 Cane Ridge Revival (Wikipedia article)
14 Hand Family Scrapbook, p. 4
15 See pages 26 to 37 of Joining Hands: Using my DNA to Reunite a Midwest Family Named Hand
16 This wrong connection is on Jeremiah’s Find-a-Grave listing, on his WikiTree listing, on the FamilySearch family tree, and on 562 Ancestry family trees.
17 New Jersey, U.S., Abstract of Wills, V. 39, p. 196
18 David Hand’s probate records, Wills, Surrogate’s Office, Cape May county, 1804-1862
19 Past and Present of Greene County, Illinois, The S.J. Parke Pub. Co.,1905, pp. 350-351
20 Find-a-Grave listing of Mary (Badgley) Hand
21 1850 U.S. Census, Greene County, Illinois
22 Find-a-Grave listing of Rev. David Badgley
23 1830 U.S. Census, Jackson County, Indiana
24 Aaron Hand was not listed on the 1840 U.S. Census and is presumed to have died before that date.
25 The name Ruth Benjamin appears on the death certificate of their daughter Matilda Hosea, who died on August 17, 1915 (Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2017, Ancestry.com). Their oldest known son Hiram was born in April 1820, according to his listing on the 1900 U.S. Census in Barr, Daviess, Indiana.
26 WikiTree listing of Jeremiah Hand
27 The 1840 U.S. Census in Crawford County, Illinois establishes her birth year. This was before the family moved to Virginia, so she was born in New Jersey.
28 She was not with her husband Jacob Smith on the 1850 U.S. Census in Crawford County, Illinois.
29 Illinois Historical: Crawford County Biographical, 1909, edited by Paul Selby, p. 738
30 Hand Family Scrapbook, p. 33
31 Hand Family Scrapbook, p. 34
32 Marriage record of Eli Hand and Jane Fleming, Kentucky County Marriages, 1797-1954, FamilySearch.org
33 In the 1830 census in Parke County, there was a woman in her 40s living in her son Eli H. Fleming’s house. It’s likely that this was his mother as a widow, establishing a rough age for her. Daughters Eleanor and Mary gave their mother’s birth place as New Jersey on the 1880 U.S. Census.
34 She seems to have been her son’s household in 1830, but doesn’t seem to be in the 1840 U.S. Census.
35 The Find-a-Grave listing of her oldest known child James Fleming gives his birth date as June 24, 1802.
36 His age was 50-59 on his listing in the 1840 U.S. Census in McLean County, Illinois. Judging from the stories of Eli Hand’s descendants, the family had relocated to Hardy County, Virginia by that time.
37 Find-a-Grave listing of George Callahan Hand
38 Marriage record of George Hand and Barbara Ann Crose, Ohio, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1774-1993, Ancestry.com
Friday, August 28, 2026
Of a Staten Island Family — Jan Jansen Van Pelt
B. about 1680 in (probably) Staten Island, New York1
M. before 22 Oct 1710 in (probably) Staten Island, New York2
Wife: Aeltje Hooglandt
D. before 22 Mar 1762 in (probably) Staten Island, New York3
There is little known about the life of Jan Jansen Van Pelt, aside from the detailed will that he left, and a few baptismal records from his church.
Jan’s parents were said to be Jan Teunissen Van Pelt and Maria Pieterse, and he was one of nine children. His birth was in about 1680, although this a rough estimate; he was likely born on Staten Island, where his father was a prominent man.1 Staten Island was in the process of being settled by Dutch families and others from Manhattan and Brooklyn, and by 1698, the population was 727.4
Jan first appeared in records on a 1710 baptism of a daughter, Marritje (a Dutch variation of Mary), at the Reformed Dutch Church of Staten Island;2 the records for that year didn’t list the mother of the child, so it’s an assumption that this was him. Two other baptisms with Jan Van Pelt as the father gave the mother’s name as Aeltije Hooglandt.5,6 It’s unknown what her connection is to the Hooglandt family of early New York. Some sources claim that there were several other children,2 but they can be eliminated because the baptisms identified the father as “Jacob Van Pelt,” which was clearly not him. Jan and Aeltje were named as witnesses in many baptismal records of the Reformed Dutch Church of Port Richmond.
It’s likely that Jan, or John as he was known later in life, worked as a farmer. Books on the Van Pelt family say that he was the captain of a sloop that sailed from New York to North Carolina, but there is no original source for this.2 Given that Staten Island had easy access to the New York Harbor, it’s possible that it was true.
Jan was about 80-years-old when he made out his will dated November 11, 1761,3 revealing most of what we know about him. He mentioned his wife Aeltje, leaving her their furniture, and suggesting that the executors of his estate would make sure she would get the support she needed. Of his children, he only named daughters Mary and Sara, and both of them were already dead, so the heirs were their children. Specifically he listed Mary’s son John Van Tuyl, and Sara’s children Aylte Symonsen, Van Pelt Symonsen, Akert, Marytie, Elizabeth, Symon, Johanes, and Evert.
Jan’s probate was complete on March 22, 1762, so he passed away by that date.3 It isn’t known what became of Aeltje after he was gone.
Children:
1. Maritje (or Mary) Van Pelt — B. (possibly) 22 Oct 1710, Staten Island, New York;2 D. after 2 Jun 1734, Staten Island, New York;7 M. Abraham Van Tuyl (~1714-1791), (probably) Staten Island, New York7
2. Sara Van Pelt — B. before 25 Jan 1719, Staten Island, New York;5 D. before 11 Nov 1761;3 M. Simon Simonse, before 1736, Staten Island, New York2
3. Catalyntje Van Pelt — before 16 Oct 1720, Staten Island, New York6
Sources:
1 Birth year is rough estimate based on older brother Pieter being born in 1680
2 A Genealogy of the Van Pelt Family, Effie M. Smith, 1913
3 Abstracts of Wills on File in the Surrogate’s Office, City of New York, 1893, pp. 282-283
4 Timeline of Staten Island (Wikipedia article)
5 Baptismal record of Sara Van Pelt, U.S., Dutch Reformed Church Records in Selected States, 1639-1989, Ancestry.com
M. before 22 Oct 1710 in (probably) Staten Island, New York2
Wife: Aeltje Hooglandt
D. before 22 Mar 1762 in (probably) Staten Island, New York3
There is little known about the life of Jan Jansen Van Pelt, aside from the detailed will that he left, and a few baptismal records from his church.
Jan’s parents were said to be Jan Teunissen Van Pelt and Maria Pieterse, and he was one of nine children. His birth was in about 1680, although this a rough estimate; he was likely born on Staten Island, where his father was a prominent man.1 Staten Island was in the process of being settled by Dutch families and others from Manhattan and Brooklyn, and by 1698, the population was 727.4
Jan first appeared in records on a 1710 baptism of a daughter, Marritje (a Dutch variation of Mary), at the Reformed Dutch Church of Staten Island;2 the records for that year didn’t list the mother of the child, so it’s an assumption that this was him. Two other baptisms with Jan Van Pelt as the father gave the mother’s name as Aeltije Hooglandt.5,6 It’s unknown what her connection is to the Hooglandt family of early New York. Some sources claim that there were several other children,2 but they can be eliminated because the baptisms identified the father as “Jacob Van Pelt,” which was clearly not him. Jan and Aeltje were named as witnesses in many baptismal records of the Reformed Dutch Church of Port Richmond.
At a Staten Island baptism. (AI-generated image)
It’s likely that Jan, or John as he was known later in life, worked as a farmer. Books on the Van Pelt family say that he was the captain of a sloop that sailed from New York to North Carolina, but there is no original source for this.2 Given that Staten Island had easy access to the New York Harbor, it’s possible that it was true.
Jan was about 80-years-old when he made out his will dated November 11, 1761,3 revealing most of what we know about him. He mentioned his wife Aeltje, leaving her their furniture, and suggesting that the executors of his estate would make sure she would get the support she needed. Of his children, he only named daughters Mary and Sara, and both of them were already dead, so the heirs were their children. Specifically he listed Mary’s son John Van Tuyl, and Sara’s children Aylte Symonsen, Van Pelt Symonsen, Akert, Marytie, Elizabeth, Symon, Johanes, and Evert.
Jan’s probate was complete on March 22, 1762, so he passed away by that date.3 It isn’t known what became of Aeltje after he was gone.
Children:
1. Maritje (or Mary) Van Pelt — B. (possibly) 22 Oct 1710, Staten Island, New York;2 D. after 2 Jun 1734, Staten Island, New York;7 M. Abraham Van Tuyl (~1714-1791), (probably) Staten Island, New York7
2. Sara Van Pelt — B. before 25 Jan 1719, Staten Island, New York;5 D. before 11 Nov 1761;3 M. Simon Simonse, before 1736, Staten Island, New York2
3. Catalyntje Van Pelt — before 16 Oct 1720, Staten Island, New York6
Sources:
1 Birth year is rough estimate based on older brother Pieter being born in 1680
2 A Genealogy of the Van Pelt Family, Effie M. Smith, 1913
3 Abstracts of Wills on File in the Surrogate’s Office, City of New York, 1893, pp. 282-283
4 Timeline of Staten Island (Wikipedia article)
5 Baptismal record of Sara Van Pelt, U.S., Dutch Reformed Church Records in Selected States, 1639-1989, Ancestry.com
Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Among the Gentry of Colonial Virginia — John Chiles
B. about 1666 in Jamestown, Virginia1,2
M. (1) before 29 Sep 1693 in (probably) King and Queen County, Virginia2
Wife: Mary _______
M. (2) before 23 Oct 1698 in (probably) King and Queen County, Virginia2,3
Wife: Eleanor (possibly) Webber
D. about 1723 in King William County, Virginia2
The House of Burgesses in colonial Virginia was a legislative body that worked in tandem with the English crown, giving the men who lived in the colony a voice in their own affairs. Inspired by the English House of Commons, it would in turn one day inspire the creation of the U.S. House of Representatives. And one man who served in it during the early 18th century was John Chiles.
John had been born in about 1666 to Walter Chiles and Mary Page, the second of their two children.1 He was likely born at Kemp House in Jamestown,2 which claims to have been the first brick dwelling in America.4 His father and both of his grandfathers had also been members of the House of Burgesses,2 and his paternal grandfather was elected to it the first year it existed.5
All of John’s heritage was from the gentry class of Virginia, defined as large land-owners of English descent who were not of the nobility. The colony was founded in 1607 by a rougher mix of men; the success of it didn’t take hold until the 1620s and 1630s when men with a little money came over and acquired huge amounts of land. The families of these settlers would dominate Virginia for centuries, and many of course were among the founding fathers of the United States. Unfortunately slavery was also a big part of their story, and accumulating wealth off the labor of others allowed the gentry class to participate in local government.
In addition to inheriting Kemp House after his father died, John owned over 1,200 acres in what is now King William County, Virginia.6 This was a narrow strip of land formed by two small rivers (the Pamunkey and Mattaponi) coming together to form a larger river (the York). Wealthier Virginians were acquiring rich-soiled farmland along the rivers and turning them into successful tobacco plantations, and this seems to be what John did.
There is only sketchy information about John’s two marriages and his children. We know that his first wife was named Mary from a document dated September 29, 1693,2 and that by about 1697, they had produced a son and two daughters. The girls aren’t identified by their first names, but the boy was called Walter.2 Then Mary died, and John married a woman named Eleanor,2 with whom he fathered four more children. As with most families of colonial Virginia, the lack of vital records doesn’t offer us complete lists of offspring, and there may have been many more children in John’s family.
As early as 1693, John was elected to the House of Burgesses.7 Twice he was mentioned as a messenger, which was a person who sometimes interacted with other English colonies. And in 1702, John performed the duties of “mace bearer.”2 The mace was a ceremonial staff which represented the authority who ruled above the House — in this case the crown of England. When the members gathered, the bearer marched in holding the mace in front of him, to signal that the session could officially begin. The tradition of mace bearer is still practiced today in the U.S. House of Representatives with an eagle emblem instead of a crown.
Besides his plantations, one of John’s business interests included part ownership of a ship named The Westover from 1700 to 1702.2 It was a sloop of forty tons, built in Virginia in 1693, and he owned it with William Byrd and William Randolph, two important members of Virginia’s gentry class. Byrd was considered the founder of Richmond, Virginia, and Randolph would become the great-grandfather of Thomas Jefferson.
John continued serving in the House of Burgesses until 1723 when he was mentioned in a report issued on May 10th that implied that he had just died.2 He was only about 57 at the time of his death and didn’t seem to leave a will. John’s wife Eleanor survived him, remarrying to a man named Edward Hickman, and moving to Albemarle County.8 She was still living in 1758.8
Children by Mary _______:
1. Walter Chiles — B. 1690s, (probably) King and Queen County, Virginia;2 D. 1760, Amelia County, Virginia2
2. _______ (female) Chiles — B. 1690s, (probably) King and Queen County, Virginia;2 D. before 1760;2 M. William Carr2
3. _______ (female) Chiles — B. 1690s, (probably) King and Queen County, Virginia;2 D. before 1760;2 M. Joseph Sutherland2,9
Children by Eleanor ________:
1. Henry Chiles — B. 23 Oct 1698, King and Queen County, Virginia;10 D. 10 Jun 1763, Spotsylvania County, Virginia;10 M. (1) Mercy Webb (1696-1750), 1735, Virginia;10 (2) Mary Chiles (1704-1759); (3) Susannah Dicken (1713-1784)10
2. Susannah Chiles — B. 28 Apr 1700, King and Queen County, Virginia;11 D. 29 Jun 1754, Louisa County, Virginia;11 M. Joseph Martin (~1700-?), 1736, Virginia11
3. John Chiles — B. about 1700, (probably) King and Queen County, Virginia;12 D. before 10 Oct 1774, (probably) Louisa County, Virginia12
4. Jane Chiles — B. about 1704, Virginia;13 M. John W. Wright13
Sources:
1 The year 1666 is a rough estimate based on his parents and his own adulthood. According to one source, John Chiles witnessed a deed in 1674, and assuming he was an adult, his birth year would have been in the mid-1650s. But his mother Mary (Page) Chiles could not have been born before the 1640s.
2 “Walter Chiles II,” Virginia Lee Hutchinson Davis, Tidewater Virginia Families, 2004, pp. 215-220
3 WikiTree listing of John and Eleanor’s oldest son Henry Chiles
4 A Timeline for Structures at Jamestown related to the Chiles Family (website)
5 “Walter Chiles I,” Virginia Lee Hutchinson Davis, Tidewater Virginia Families, 2004, pp. 209-213
6 WikiTree article of John Chiles
7 The Compendium of American Genealogy, Volume VII, p. 194
8 WikiTree listing of Elender (Webber) Hickman
9 Joseph Sutherland’s son Fendall appears on several documents associated with Walter Chile’s property and estate, but Fendall is too young to be the Sutherland man who married the Chiles woman, so it’s inferred it was his father Joseph.
10 WikiTree listing of Henry Chiles
11 WikiTree listing of Susannah (Chiles) Martin
12 WikiTree listing of John Chiles (the son)
13 WikiTree listing of Jane (Chiles) Wright
M. (1) before 29 Sep 1693 in (probably) King and Queen County, Virginia2
Wife: Mary _______
M. (2) before 23 Oct 1698 in (probably) King and Queen County, Virginia2,3
Wife: Eleanor (possibly) Webber
D. about 1723 in King William County, Virginia2
The House of Burgesses in colonial Virginia was a legislative body that worked in tandem with the English crown, giving the men who lived in the colony a voice in their own affairs. Inspired by the English House of Commons, it would in turn one day inspire the creation of the U.S. House of Representatives. And one man who served in it during the early 18th century was John Chiles.
John had been born in about 1666 to Walter Chiles and Mary Page, the second of their two children.1 He was likely born at Kemp House in Jamestown,2 which claims to have been the first brick dwelling in America.4 His father and both of his grandfathers had also been members of the House of Burgesses,2 and his paternal grandfather was elected to it the first year it existed.5
All of John’s heritage was from the gentry class of Virginia, defined as large land-owners of English descent who were not of the nobility. The colony was founded in 1607 by a rougher mix of men; the success of it didn’t take hold until the 1620s and 1630s when men with a little money came over and acquired huge amounts of land. The families of these settlers would dominate Virginia for centuries, and many of course were among the founding fathers of the United States. Unfortunately slavery was also a big part of their story, and accumulating wealth off the labor of others allowed the gentry class to participate in local government.
In addition to inheriting Kemp House after his father died, John owned over 1,200 acres in what is now King William County, Virginia.6 This was a narrow strip of land formed by two small rivers (the Pamunkey and Mattaponi) coming together to form a larger river (the York). Wealthier Virginians were acquiring rich-soiled farmland along the rivers and turning them into successful tobacco plantations, and this seems to be what John did.
There is only sketchy information about John’s two marriages and his children. We know that his first wife was named Mary from a document dated September 29, 1693,2 and that by about 1697, they had produced a son and two daughters. The girls aren’t identified by their first names, but the boy was called Walter.2 Then Mary died, and John married a woman named Eleanor,2 with whom he fathered four more children. As with most families of colonial Virginia, the lack of vital records doesn’t offer us complete lists of offspring, and there may have been many more children in John’s family.
As early as 1693, John was elected to the House of Burgesses.7 Twice he was mentioned as a messenger, which was a person who sometimes interacted with other English colonies. And in 1702, John performed the duties of “mace bearer.”2 The mace was a ceremonial staff which represented the authority who ruled above the House — in this case the crown of England. When the members gathered, the bearer marched in holding the mace in front of him, to signal that the session could officially begin. The tradition of mace bearer is still practiced today in the U.S. House of Representatives with an eagle emblem instead of a crown.
Mace bearer in the House of Burgesses. (AI-generated image)
Besides his plantations, one of John’s business interests included part ownership of a ship named The Westover from 1700 to 1702.2 It was a sloop of forty tons, built in Virginia in 1693, and he owned it with William Byrd and William Randolph, two important members of Virginia’s gentry class. Byrd was considered the founder of Richmond, Virginia, and Randolph would become the great-grandfather of Thomas Jefferson.
John continued serving in the House of Burgesses until 1723 when he was mentioned in a report issued on May 10th that implied that he had just died.2 He was only about 57 at the time of his death and didn’t seem to leave a will. John’s wife Eleanor survived him, remarrying to a man named Edward Hickman, and moving to Albemarle County.8 She was still living in 1758.8
Children by Mary _______:
1. Walter Chiles — B. 1690s, (probably) King and Queen County, Virginia;2 D. 1760, Amelia County, Virginia2
2. _______ (female) Chiles — B. 1690s, (probably) King and Queen County, Virginia;2 D. before 1760;2 M. William Carr2
3. _______ (female) Chiles — B. 1690s, (probably) King and Queen County, Virginia;2 D. before 1760;2 M. Joseph Sutherland2,9
Children by Eleanor ________:
1. Henry Chiles — B. 23 Oct 1698, King and Queen County, Virginia;10 D. 10 Jun 1763, Spotsylvania County, Virginia;10 M. (1) Mercy Webb (1696-1750), 1735, Virginia;10 (2) Mary Chiles (1704-1759); (3) Susannah Dicken (1713-1784)10
2. Susannah Chiles — B. 28 Apr 1700, King and Queen County, Virginia;11 D. 29 Jun 1754, Louisa County, Virginia;11 M. Joseph Martin (~1700-?), 1736, Virginia11
3. John Chiles — B. about 1700, (probably) King and Queen County, Virginia;12 D. before 10 Oct 1774, (probably) Louisa County, Virginia12
4. Jane Chiles — B. about 1704, Virginia;13 M. John W. Wright13
Sources:
1 The year 1666 is a rough estimate based on his parents and his own adulthood. According to one source, John Chiles witnessed a deed in 1674, and assuming he was an adult, his birth year would have been in the mid-1650s. But his mother Mary (Page) Chiles could not have been born before the 1640s.
2 “Walter Chiles II,” Virginia Lee Hutchinson Davis, Tidewater Virginia Families, 2004, pp. 215-220
3 WikiTree listing of John and Eleanor’s oldest son Henry Chiles
4 A Timeline for Structures at Jamestown related to the Chiles Family (website)
5 “Walter Chiles I,” Virginia Lee Hutchinson Davis, Tidewater Virginia Families, 2004, pp. 209-213
6 WikiTree article of John Chiles
7 The Compendium of American Genealogy, Volume VII, p. 194
8 WikiTree listing of Elender (Webber) Hickman
9 Joseph Sutherland’s son Fendall appears on several documents associated with Walter Chile’s property and estate, but Fendall is too young to be the Sutherland man who married the Chiles woman, so it’s inferred it was his father Joseph.
10 WikiTree listing of Henry Chiles
11 WikiTree listing of Susannah (Chiles) Martin
12 WikiTree listing of John Chiles (the son)
13 WikiTree listing of Jane (Chiles) Wright
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