This article presents proof that Capt. Walter Chiles III is a qualifying ancestor for the Society of Colonial Wars, and proof of his lineage to the Mullins family.
Qualifying Service For The Society Of Colonial Wars
Walter Chiles III was appointed Sheriff of Caroline County, VA, in 1734 [1], and served in that capacity for a number of years [2].
Walter Chiles III and Mary [last name unknown] were the parents of Amy Chiles.
Davis [3] cites evidence that Amy Chiles was a direct descendant of Walter Chiles I (the immigrant) and Walter Chiles II through the following lineage:
- Walter Chiles I
- Walter Chiles II
- Henry Chiles
- Walter Chiles
- Amy Chiles, wife of Richard Wyatt
Information on the Chiles family is in-depth and especially thorough, including a biographical section numbering several pages about each of the male ancestors of Amy Chiles.
Evidence Of Amy Chiles’ Maiden Name, Her Father’s Name And/Or Earlier Lineage
- The Bible of the Richard Wyatt family records that Richard Wyatt married Amy Chiles, and records that she was the daughter of Capt. Walter Chiles [4].
The designation”Capt. Walter Chiles” is an important piece of evidence that Amy’s father was in fact the Walter Chiles of Caroline County, son of Henry Chiles.
Specifically, the rank of captain (presumably in the county militia) generally indicates a man who owned land, and who would be likely to hold other positions of authority in the county. There was only one such prominent Walter Chiles in Caroline County records: the Walter Chiles who appears in land deeds, and who served as both justice and sheriff in Caroline [5]. The designation “Capt. Walter Chiles” in the Wyatt family bible is therefore supporting evidence that Amy Chiles’s father was in fact the Walter Chiles of Caroline County.
- Davis notes the following [6]:
“Walter Chiles, then, apparently had a son, Walter, who married Esther Faulkner, and at least one daughter Amy, who married Richard Wyatt, on November 17, 1752” [7]
Davis also documents that Richard Wyatt was recorded as an executor of Walter Wyatt’s will in 1771 [8] (see page F5, top, blue XX), confirming a close association of these individuals, consistent with the marriage of Richard to Walter’s daughter Amy.
There are many older sources that note Amy Chiles’s lineage; 3 are shown below. These texts do not cite primary sources.
- Wingfield [9] states that Richard Wyatt married, as his second wife:
“Amy, dau. of Walter Chiles, a descendant of the immigrant, Walter Chiles, who represented Charles City county in the General Assembly, was Speaker and member of the James City Council.”
- A Kentucky Historical Society (1934) source states the following [10]:
“Colonel Wyatt was the son of Capt. Richard Wyatt (1763-1845) who removed from his ancestral seat “Plain Dealing” in Caroline County to Louisa County where he died. He married in 1796 Anne Harrison Ware, daughter of Capt. John Ware of Goochland County, VA, Capt. Wyatt served with distinction in the Revolutionary War.
Col. Wyatt was the grandson of Richard Wyatt, Gent., of “Plain Dealing” in Caroline County, who was born in 1720 and died in 1803, and his second wife Amy, daughter of Walter Chiles, Gentleman.”
Here again, the designation “Gentleman” suggests a prominent man who would own land and hold political positions of power, as did the Walter Chiles of Caroline County.
- The Honorable H.M. Hinckley [11] states the following:
“Richard Wyatt, son of John, born May 20, 1720, died in November 1803. His marriage to Amy Chiles took place November 17, 1752, and they had a large family of which we have the following record:”
Documentation Of Birth, Marriage, And Death Dates/Places
Walter Chiles birth is recorded in the St. Peter’s Parish Register in about 1700, documenting the date and place [12]. He died in 1766 in Caroline County [13].
Walter’s wife’s name is known from a 1737 deed [14]. Her dates and places of birth and death are not known.
© 2013 W. Mullins