• Elizabeth Cheek

Elizabeth Cheek (Jones)
of Orange County, NC

Elizabeth Cheek, daughter of Robert CHEEK & Ann COCKE, was born abt. 1790 in Orange Co., NC, and died bet. 1860-1870 in Orange Co., NC. She married Charles Jones, Jan. 18, 1806, in Orange Co., NC. He was born bet. 1765-1775 and died 1820-1830 in Orange Co., NC.

Children of Elizabeth Cheek & Charles Jones:

  1. Martha "Patsy" Jones, b. abt. 1820-1822, Orange Co., NC; never married.
  2. Susan Jones, b. abt. 1826-1827, Orange Co., NC; never married.
  3. Charles Jones, Jr., b. abt. 1828, Orange Co., NC; d. aft. 1880; m. Mary Cornelia ANDREWS, daughter of Henry ANDREWS & Nancy CATES, Aug. 25, 1860, Orange Co., NC (b. Dec. 19, 1837; d. Oct. 29, 1917; she is buried at the Old Carrboro Cemetery, Orange Co., NC). Children: Elizabeth Jones (c.1862), Nancy A. Jones (c.1863), Andrew James Jones (1864), Martha Jones (c.1867), Charles H. Jones (c.1870), Berry Jones (c.1872), Cornelia Jones (c.1878).
  4. Margaret Jones, b. abt. 1829, Orange Co., NC.

Based census records, they also had 2 daughters born between 1806-1810, 3 daughters born 1810-1820, and 1 son born 1810-1820.

Notes

Elizabeth Cheek and Charles JONES posted a marriage bond in Orange Co., NC, on Jan. 18, 1806, with her brother James Cheek as bondsman.  Charles Jones' parents have not been identified.  However, there was an Edmond Jones who owned land on Morgan Creek in Orange County, probably near the Cheeks who lived in the same vicinity.  Edmond or Edmund Jones (m. Rachel ALSTON) was a Revolutionary War soldier from Orange County (National Archives Pension File No. S7086).  He donated 200 acres to establish the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, and his land is mentioned in the survey of the University's lands dated Nov.7-8, 1792; "on the waters of Morgan's Creek and Bollings Creek, [the water] of New Hope running in Haw river and bound on the North by Land of Benj YEARGANS and on the East by land ofJohn MORGAN and on the West by land of James CRAIG and Edmond JONES."  (Source: Univ. of NC, Documenting the American South).  Edmond Jones later moved to Chatham County, NC.  He had three sons, two who remained in North Carolina and one who "moved west."  One son named Atlas Jones became a prominent lawyer in Moore County, NC.  (See History of the University of North Carolina by Kemp Plummer Battle (1907), p.33.)  I have not been able to identify the other sons.  It is possible that Charles Jones was a son of Edmond, but further research is needed.

Records

Jan. 18, 1806. Orange Co., NC. Charles JONES & Elizabeth CHEEK posted a marriage bond; bondsman: Jas. CHEEK.

1810 Census, Orange Co., NC, p.113: CHARLES JONES
1 w/m 26-45 2 w/f under 10
1 slave 1 w/m 16-25

Around May 1816, Charles Jones' sister-in-law Jane CHEEK, wife of Richard CHEEK, accused him of beating her with a sassafras stick while she was gathering persimmons.  Charles claimed that Jane and her husband fabricated the story and that Jane suffered from "violent fits."  (NC Archives File No. CR 073.326.1, Orange Co., NC, Criminal Action Papers, undated folder; and File No. CR 073.325.53, Civil Action Papers, record of court proceedings dated May 29, 1816; discovered by Larry Cates).  (more…)

Nov. 1816, Charles Jones filed a civil lawsuit against his father-in-law, Robert Cheek, Sr.  (NC Archives, CR 073.325.53, Civil Action Papers.)  Summons were issued to Jane Cheek to testify on behalf of Robert Cheek.  Persons summoned on behalf of Charles Jones were Daniel CLOUD, Cannon BOWERS, Green BOWERS and his son Benjamin BOWERS, Lemuel CARROLL, James CHEEK and his wife Patsey, and Josiah TURNER, Esq.  The basis of the lawsuit is unknown.

Mar. 18, 1817, Richard CHEEK told the court that his wife, Jane, was too sick to attend, but that she could prove the indisposition of the wife of Robert Cheek, Sr., who was also unable to come court due to illness.  On Sept. 17, 1817, Robert Cheek, Sr., told the court that Jane Cheek was a necessary witness but was unable to attend court due to "bodily indisposition."

Charles Jones was ultimately awarded £210. No further records concerning the case have been found.  It seems likely, however, that a family dispute of some kind, perhaps involving Robert Cheek, Sr.'s, land or property, was at the root of the litigation as well as Charles Jones' strange attack on Jane Cheek (or her defamatory allegations against him).

Nov. 22, 1817, there was a public sale of 125 acres of land belonging to Robert CHEEK, Sr., on the waters of New Hope Creek joining Burrows ESTRIDGE, George REEVES, and others, to satisfy claims by Charles JONES and Richard CHEEK. (Orange Co. Deed Book 16, p.260).

1820 Census, Orange Co., NC, p.382: CHARLES JONES
1 w/m under 10 3 w/f under 10
1 w/m over 45 2 w/f 10-15
1 slave 1 w/f 26-45

Charles appears to have died between 1820-1830. Elizabeth JONES is listed as a head of household in the Orange Co., NC, census in 1840 and 1850, and in 1860 she was living with her son, Charles Jones, Jr.

1840 census, Orange Co. NC, So. Div., p.221: ELIZABETH JONES
1 w/m 10-14 1 w/f 10-14
  1 w/f 15-19
  1 w/f 20-29
  1 w/f 40-49

1850 Census, Orange Co., NC, 1st Dist., p.169 (HH#237):
ELIZABETH JONES, 60, $45, Orange NC
-- Margaret, 21, Orange NC
-- Susan, 24, Orange NC
-- Patsy, 28, Orange NC
-- Charles, 22, Orange NC
1860 Census, Orange Co., NC, Chapel Hill P.O., p.602 (HH#833):
CHARLES JONES, 29, farmer, $1000, $600, NC
-- Elizabeth, 75, NC
-- Martha, 31, NC
-- Susan, 27, NC
SMITH, John, 38, farm laborer, NC

Elizabeth appears to have died between 1860 and 1870. Her 2 unmarried daughters are listed in the following census records:

1870 Census, Orange Co., NC, Chapel Hill Twp. (HH#463):
SUSAN JONES, 37, single, keeping house, NC
-- Martha, 50, single, keeping house, NC
1880 Census, Orange Co., NC, Chapel Hill Twp., p.200 (HH#25):
MARTHA JONES, 66, keeping house, NC
-- Susan, sister, 40, keeping house, NC

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