Henry Chiles Sr. August 9, 2010

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Henry Chiles Sr.

Born to Walter and Susanna Chiles on or around the year 1661.

His father buys Henry and his brother John  over a thousand acres  in Westmoreland County, Virginia on or about April 4, 1671. 

Henry’s father  Walter dies sometime on or about 1671 leaving his mother Susanna a widow.  In all probability they are living at Kemp House in Jamestown which was purchased by Susanna’s father-in-law and inherited by her husband.

Sometime in 1672 the Reverend James Wadding arrived in Jamestown and was the minister at Jamestown Parish.  During my search, I found that a James Wadding received a M.A. from Oxford on December 20, 1670. 

In the book Tidewater Virginia Families by Virginia Lee Hutcheson Davis page 218, Susanna and James Wadding are married between August 7, 1672 and November 1673.  During this time, Henry Chiles was probably just a very young teenager so he would still be living with his mother and would have benefited from being educated by the Reverend Wadding.

Reverend Wadding then takes the position as minister at Petsworth Parish in Gloucester where I believe that probably Susanna and Henry moved also.  So now Henry is living in Petsworth Parish in Gloucester during  Bacon's Rebellion.

Excerpt from book Cradle of the Republic:

Now James Wadding was a loyalist and when Bacon visited Gloucester in 1676, Mr. Wadding refused to swear an oath of loyalty to Bacon and encouraged others to refuse.  Thereupon , Bacon “committed him to the Gard, telling of him that it was his place to preach in the church, not in the camp.  In the first, he might say what he pleased, but in the last, he (Wadding) was to say no more than what should please him (Bacon): unless he could fight to better purpose than he could preach.”  Not long after this, Bacon was taken very sick, and Wadding was the minister who attended him in his last illness at Major Pate’s house on Poropotank Creek in Gloucester County

The Cradle of the Republic   page 142/143 by Tyler.

So it must have been exciting times at that household for a young teenager growing up. 

The Reverend Wadding was the second preacher for Ware Parish and he is buried out side of the east wall of the present Ware Church.  He was only the preacher there for a few years.  Afterwards, I believe that he may have had the position of Clerk of the Parish of Ware and County of Gloucester.  I found a deed in the book Gloucester Records from Other Virginia Counties page 125 that has him as the Clerk for Ware Parish and Gloucester County.  How long he was at that position, I do not know. 

Henry Chiles has grown up in turbulent times.  His father passes away at a young age, his mother remarried and her husband stands up to Bacon during the rebellion.   At this time, I can find out no more information on the Reverend Wadding and his wife Susanna.  If I find other documentation later on, I will add to my discoveries in this blog.