James Chick
of Caroline County, VA

James Chick, possibly a son of John Cheek, Jr. of Essex and King & Queen Co., VA (but this is not proven), was born abt. 1734, and died before 1780 in Caroline Co., VA.  The name of his wife is unknown.

Children of James Chick:

1. +John Chick, probably b. around 1750 in Caroline Co., VA.  May be the John Chick who served on the Brig Liberty during the Revolution.  (T.E. Cambpell, A History of Caroline County, Virginia (1954), pp. 270-274.)  Referred to as the son and heir of James Chick, dec'd, of Caroline Co., VA, in a court order dated March 9, 1780.  (Caroline County Orders 1777-1780, p.217).  He appears to have left Caroline Co. soon after 1780.  (more...)

Notes

ames Chick's connection to King & Queen Co., VA, is proven by the muster roll of Capt. Robert Stewart's Company, Virginia Regiment, Aug. 1, 1757. The roll describes James Cheek as 23 years of age [so born abt. 1734], height 5' 9 ½", born in Virginia, a saddler, served at Winchester.  He enlisted in King & Queen County. Ruddy complected, with a long nose and short brown hair.  He was discharged in Caroline County, 1758.  (Source: "King and Queen County: Records Concerning 18th Century Persons," 6th Collection, Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Vol. II (Gen. Pub. Co., 1988), p.364.)

Because the muster roll states that James Cheek was a saddler, it seems reasonable to conclude he is the same James Cheek who was an apprentice of Elisha MILLER, a saddler in Henrico Co., VA, 1753-1755.  A deed of apprenticeship from James Cheek to Elisha Millar dated Apr. 2, 1753, was recorded Henrico Co., VA; Langston BACON, witness.  (Sources: Harold B. Gill, Jr., Apprentices of Virginia (Salt Lake City: Ancestry Inc., 1989), pp.221-222; The Valentine Papers, Ancestry.com, citing Henrico Deeds & Wills, 1750-67, p.221.)

The muster roll also indicates that James Cheek was discharged from military service in Caroline Co., VA.  Many records from Caroline County were lost during the Civil War.  Some deeds and wills, and a considerable number of court order books survived. The order books, in particular, contain numerous references to the Chick family during the 1760's and 1770's, particularly William Chick and Richard Chick.  There are also a couple of references to James Chick: he was was being sued by James FENNELL on Mar. 13, 1760/61, by Benjamin HUBBARD on June 15, 1765, and by John MORTON on Sept. 8, 1768.

On Nov. 10, 1768, the grand jury of Caroline County issued a "presentment" against James CHICK, Justinian WILLS and several others, for not paying tithes and not frequenting their parish church of Drysdall (Drysdale) Parish.  On March 10, 1769, James CHICK, Justinian WILLS, and John PRUETT failed to appear in court to answer the presentments, and were each fined 500 pounds of tobacco.  (Caroline County Orders 1768-1770, pp.273, 306.) These court records are particularly interesting because it proves that James CHICK lived in Drysdale Parish, which connects him geographically to the Cheek family of Drysdale Parish in King & Queen County.  Only a small part of Drysdale Parish overlapped the border of Caroline County; most residents of the Parish lived in King & Queen County.

James CHICK's refusal to pay parish tithes suggests he was a "dissenter," that is, a person opposed to the established Church of England.  He may have been a Baptist.  At the time, the Baptist faith was gaining many converts in Virginia.

Justinian WILLS reportedly married an Elizabeth CHICK of Caroline Co., VA, on Nov. 22, 1768.  She was likely related to James CHICK, but whether she was his daughter, younger sister, niece or cousin isn't known.  Justinian WILLS and his family moved to Bedford or Campbell Co., VA, around 1771 (they are found in the records of both counties).

According to some sources, there is an Agnes DYER, daughter of John DYER of Caroline Co., VA, who married a James CHICK abt. 1768.  This James CHICK reportedly died before 1782 when Agnes married James DALTON in Pittsylvania Co., VA.  The James Chick in Caroline County died before 1780.  So, the dates are consistent. However, John Dyer appears to have moved to Halifax Co., VA, by 1755 when he patented 400 acres of land on Childrey Creek. Presumably his daughter would have gone with him, which makes it problematic for her to marry James Chick in Caroline County 13 years later.  Unless, of course, James Chick was no longer in Caroline County either.  He failed to appear in court in Caroline County in 1768, although that does not necessarily prove he had left the county (many people missed their court appearances). Once again, the destruction of records from this part of Virginia, particularly the loss of wills and deeds, greatly hampers genealogical research.

In 1771, John DYER of Halifax Co., VA, willed a piece of land to be equally divided between "Agnes, Anes and William CHICK", presumably his grandchildren.  (Halifax WB 1, p.62; dated Apr. 9, 1771, recorded Mar. 17, 1774.)  Were these the children of Agnes DYER who reportedly married James CHICK of Caroline County?  Based on Halifax land records, William CHICK lived on Childrey Creek in Halifax County during the 1780's and 1790's, and he appears on Halifax County tax lists from 1782-1791, although he is not listed in the 1790 census.  There are also a few records of a John CHEEK and a Richard CHICK in Halifax County during the same time period: John CHEEK appears on a Halifax tax list in 1782, and Richard CHICK is on the Halifax tax lists in 1784 and 1791.  In addition, a deed dated Oct. 26, 1795, from Elizabeth Burch GRAY and Nancy GRAY to Tommey LANE refers to land on Terrible Creek, Bradleys Creek, and Spider Creek in Halifax County adjoining Richard CHICK and others. (Halifax DB 16, p.432.)  Spider Creek was an upper branch of Childrey Creek, so Richard Chick apparently lived quite near to William Chick.  Finally, there is a Judith CHICK who married William NANCE in Halifax County on Feb. 2, 1805, and a James CHICK who served as bondsman five years later when William NANCE married Delilah HANCOCK on Dec. 10, 1810.  (Halifax Marriage Bonds.)  Land records indicate that the Hancock family also lived in the Childrey Creek area (e.g., William Chick purchased 128 acres on Childrey Creek from Thomas Hancock on May 23, 1796; Halifax DB 16, p.660.)  So, there clearly seems to be a connection between several different people with the Chick surname in Halifax County.  However, their exact relationship to James Chick of Caroline County is still unknown.

Another mysterious individual is Ann CHICK of Caroline County whose last will and testament was proved in court on Jan. 14, 1779; the witnesses were Thomas TARRANT & Ann GUNNEL, and the executor was William Craddock WISDOM.  (Caroline County Orders 1777-1780, p.146.) Unfortunately, we only have a brief notation in the court order book concerning the will.  No further information, such as the names of the heirs, is included.  Because Caroline County's actual wills from this period have not survived, it's unknown if Ann had children.

The only proven child of James CHICK is his son, John CHICK.  The Caroline County court records of March 9, 1780, state, "On proof being made to the Court that James CHICK served as a Soldier till properly discharged in 1758, in a Regiment raised for immediate defence of this State, not being Militia, and that he had never received his Bound of Land under the King of Great Brittains Proclamation, Ordered the same to be certified to the Register of the Land Office that the said James CHICK is since dead and that the said Bounty of Land is vested in John CHICK, heir at law."  (Caroline County Orders 1777-1780, p.217; see also "Some Colonial and Revolutionary Soldiers as Shown by the Order Books of Caroline County, VA," Virginia Military Records (Gen. Pub. Co., 1983), p.112, originally pub. in William & Mary College Quarterly, 2nd Series, Vol. XII (1932), pp.221-228).  The bounty land warrant itself is dated Feb. 1780; Cert. #864; James RUSSLE is marked out and James CHICK written in; "served as soldier till properly discharged in 1760 in a Regiment raised for the immediate defense of the State not being Militia … said bounty of lands is now vested in Jno. CHICK heir at law"; assigned to John GAYLE, Jr., Mar. 11, 1780, signed by John (X) CHICK; wit. Matthew GAULE, Secton ACREE.  (Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 31, No. 4 (Nov. 1, 1993), p.282.)

There are no Chicks or Cheeks listed on the 1783 tax list of Caroline Co., VA, and no further references to the family in the court order books after 1782, except for a lawsuit in 1787 that was assigned to Edward WEST by John CHICK and William CHICK, which suggests they were no longer living in the County.