August 5, 2010 Walter Chiles, jr.

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Walter Chiles jr.     Possible birth date 1630  Bristol, England

Son of Walter Chiles of Kemp House, Jamestown, Virginia.  He came to Virginia with his father, Walter and his mother, Eliza (Elizabeth) (possible Maury or Sanders) and his brother William.  As yet, no one has discovered the name of the ship.  There is no information on what happened to his brother William.  There is a possibility that he died.  The infant mortality rate and the adult mortality rate was extremely high in Jamestown.  It was said that between 1607 and 1625 just ten years before their arrival that 6 out of every seven residents died.    

He could have returned to England.  He would not have returned alone because he was still a young boy at the time.  There is no mention of the date of his mother’s death.  Maybe she returned to England with him.  That could explain the fact that Walter Sr. had no more children.  This is speculation, if anyone has more information, please write.

Like his father, he served in the House of Burgesses in the 1658, 59,60 and 63 sessions.  (Hening Book 1  Page 258-322) and In 1660-61, he was appointed with Sir William Berkley and others, to act during the recess of the Assembly.  (Hening Book II, 211)

Walter, Jr. was a Warden in the Jamestown Parish.  (Meade’s Old Churches, The Cradle of the Republic page 142 , Lyon Gardiner Tyler)

In some genealogies I have found that Walter Chiles, Jr. served as a Justice in 1664 in James City County, but I have not found the documented reference for this as of yet.

Walter Chiles married Mary Page daughter of Colonel John Page, the Councillor and by her had one son, John and and a daughter, Elizabeth.

Mary Page died and he married again.  His second wife was Susanna and by her he had one son, Henry.

There place of residence was probably Kemp House.  I attached a copy of the deed and plat in my August 3, 2010 blog.

However, Walter, Jr. was also a speculator in land.  He owned 70 acres on what is called Black Poynt.  There is a study on the internet, “A Study of the Africans and African Americans of Jamestown Island and at Green Spring 1619-1803” by Martha W. McCartney, which gives a detailed plat of Jamestown Island showing town lots and surrounding areas.  Their plat shows Black Point and Walter Chiles as owning the same.

Ambler MSS (notated #24)  From the manuscript division of the Library of Congress Washington DC  contains a deed  dated November 20, 1673, from James Wadding of parish and county of James Citty Shire and Susanna his wife, late the wife and executrix of Walter Chiles of James City aforesaid gentlemen deceased to John Page of the parish of Browton and the County of York Merchant conveying the Kemp house and land.  This deed gives source of title:  Richard Kemp Esq, Sr Francis Wyatt Knt, Sir William Berkeley, Walter Chiles, the father.  This deed also gives date of death of Walter Chiles, Sr, as being on or about 1653.  And the date of Walter Chiles, jr’s will of November 15, 1671 naming Susanna Chiles as his sole executrix.

John Page was the father of Walter Chiles, jr’s first wife and probably was the guardian for John and Elizabeth.    He later sold the property to William Sherwood.

Bacon’s Rebellion was only three years after this deed.  During the rebellion most of James Towne was burned including Kemp House.  Unfortunately a great many records were burned during the rebellion.

If you will note that Walter Chiles, Jr. did not serve on the House of Burgesses until 1658.  I found the following documentation in the Virginia Genealogist Volume 43, Number 1   January-March, 1999.

Some Records of Walter Chiles, Virginia Merchant,  In The Netherlands by Henry B. Hoff, C.G. F.A.S.G. Boston Massachusetts.

Many problems concerning the careers of Walter Chiles I and his son Walter Chiles II have puzzled researchers.  The most recent studies carried out by Virginia Lee Hutchinson Davis were published in her Tidewater Virginia Families:  A Social History (Urbanna, Va. 1989:  Baltimore, Md. 1990) pp 249-63, and amplified and corrected in her Tidewater Virginia Families Generations Beyond (Baltimore, 1998), pp. 51-62.

Four previously unknown records preserved in the Notarial Archives of the Gemeente Archief Amsterdam (Amsterdam Municipal Archives) provide additional information about the mercantile activities of Walter Chiles.  Since Walter Chiles died in 1653,  the first record may possibly relate to him, but the others clearly concern the son.

25 Aug. 1651, Contract of freighters Ariaen Pouwelsz of Rotterdam and Wouter Selis of Virginia with skipper Jan Pietersz of Rotterdam.  Ship de Faam, about 60 last, four pieces.  Route: from Amsterdam to “the English Virginies and the quarters around it,” take in cargo, back to Amsterdam, unload cargo in 10 to 14 days.  Freight costs:500 guilders for every month that the ship is sailing for the freighters to Virginia, 6 months minimum.  The skipper will travel on the ship his salary will be paid by the freighters.  Signed “Wouter Chiles”  (Gemeente Archief Amsterdam, Nortalial Archives, 1535, page 87;this and the following abstracts are courtesy of Dr. Jaap Jacobs of Leiden).

5 Aug 1654, Poulou Carter, burgher of Nieuw Casteel [New Castle?], former skipper of the ship Anna van Nieuw Casteel has sold to Walter Chiels, merchant living in the Virginias, his ship, lying in Amsterdam.  It is usual here to have two sureties as bail.  How-ever, as he is a stranger here he will give Walter Chiels an act of surety at the first opportunity.  James Tellor will be surety (Gemeente Archief Amsterdam, Notarial Archives 1577, p. 172).

6 Aug 1654.  Walter Chiels, living in the Virginias, now in Amsterdam, gives Ariaen Poulussen in Rotterdam proxy to collect several debts for him here and elsewhere (Gemeente Archief Amsterdam. Notarial Archives 1577. P. 173).

4 Sept. 1654 Walter Chile, going to New Netherland, gives proxy to Joris Lievens of Haemstede, merchant in Amsterdam, to look after his affairs here (Gemeente Archief Amstrerdam, Notarial Archives, 1894, pp. 143-44).

This proves that Walter Chiles traveled to Amsterdam to conduct his merchantile and shipping business.  And all the while this was turburlent times for the colonies and England.  King Charles I was executed in 1649 and Oliver Cromwell ruled as Lord Protectorate from 1653 until 1648.  The lst Anglo Dutch War had just ended on April 22, 1654.

So we have Walter Chiles, Jr. (1630 to 1671) Merchant, Burgess and Landowner in James City, Virginia.

Married twice:  First to Mary Page daughter of John Page.

Children:  John and Elizabeth

Second:  Susanna  (cannot verify last name)

Children:  Henry

My next blog will continue with the generations of Henry.