B. about 1630 In Bristol, England
M. (1) before 1665 in (probably) Jamestown, Virginia
Wife: ______ Page
M. (2) before 15 Feb 1671 in (probably) Jamestown, Virginia
Wife: Susanna ______
D. before 15 May 1672 in (probably) Jamestown, Virginia
The earliest settlers of the Virginia colony included many who took on a ruling class status. One man was Walter Chiles, who followed in his father’s footsteps.
Walter’s parents were Walter and Elizabeth Chiles, and they were from Bristol, England, where young Walter was born in about 1630. Not much is known about the family in England, except that there was one other son named William. Walter’s father first went to Virginia by himself in 1636, and two years later, he migrated there with his wife and young sons. They took advantage of the “headright” system, which offered 50 acres to a man for each person who he brought with him. The Chiles family got 400 acres in Charles City County on the Appomattox River, and this was young Walter’s first home in America.
In 1642, Walter’s father became a member of the brand new House of Burgesses, an elected body set up to handle colony issues on a local level. At some point, this put the family in Jamestown, and from 1649, they lived in a place known as Kemp House; it had been built in 1638 and is thought to be the first ever brick house in Virginia. Walter Sr. died just five years later, and he passed the house on to son Walter, who added “a brick house 37 feet in length” to the property.
Walter was married twice. His first wife was the daughter of John Page, but there is uncertainty about her first name. Some say it was Elizabeth and others believe it was Mary. In either case, John Page was another prominent man in Jamestown, and a marriage to his daughter would further indicate Walter’s status. His first wife gave birth to at least two children during the 1660s, a daughter and son, but she died not long after, and Walter remarried to a woman named Susannah. The second marriage brought one son.
After the death of his father, Walter became a member of the House of Burgesses, serving in 1653, 1658, 1659 and 1660. In 1660, Governor William Berkeley appointed him and others to “act during the recess of the Assembly.” Walter also was a justice in Jamestown for a time.
Walter made out his will on November 15, 1671, and it was probated May 15th of the following year, so he passed away between those dates. His widow Susannah remarried to Reverend James Wadding, who later became an important figure in Bacon’s Rebellion. Through Walter’s daughter Elizabeth, he was the ancestor of President John Tyler.
Children by _____ Page:
1. Elizabeth Chiles — B. before 24 Feb 1665, Jamestown, Virginia; D. 19 Jan 1703, Williamsburg, Virginia; M. Henry Tyler, about 25 Jun 1684, York County, Virginia
2. John Chiles — B. about 1669, (probably) Jamestown, Virginia; D. before 5 May 1723, King William County, Virginia; M. (1) Mary ______, before Sep 1693, Virginia; M. (2) Eleanor Webber
Child by Susanna _______:
1. Henry Chiles — B. before 4 Apr 1671, Jamestown, Virginia; D. after 29 Apr 1718, Hanover County, Virginia; M. Mary _____
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