John Cheek
& Mary Elmore

John Cheek, son of William CHEEK & Elizabeth or Susanna ROSS, was born abt. 1781 in Virginia, and died between 1850-1860 in Yadkin Co., NC. He married Mary Elmore, daughter of Athanatious ELMORE, Jr., & Susannah PENIX, Sept. 6, 1809, in Surry Co., NC. She was born abt. 1791 in Surry Co., NC, and died 1850-1860 in Yadkin Co., NC.

Children of John Cheek & Mary Elmore:

1. Elmore Cheek, b. abt. 1812, Surry Co., NC; d. ?; m. Jennett WOODRUFF, daughter of Cornelius WOODRUFF & Elizabeth HURT, Mar 23, 1843, Surry Co., NC (b. May or June 17, 1823; d. ?). Children: Mary Anne Cheek (c.1844), Elizabeth Jane Cheek (1843), Columbus William Cheek (1845), Phoebe E. Cheek (1848), John Cheek (c.1848), Nancy Cheek (1850), Susan Cynthia Cheek (1852), Cornelius Cheek (c.1856), Plutina Cheek (c.1859), Aaron Finley Cheek (1864), John Sanford Cheek (1847).
2. William Cheek, b. abt. 1816, Surry Co., NC; d. 1896, Wilkes Co., NC; m. Lucinda WOODRUFF, daughter of David Henry WOODRUFF & Elizabeth DAVIS, May 17, 1842, Wilkes Co., NC (b. Feb. 23, 1821; d. July 9, 1914). Will recorded 1896 in Wilkes Co., NC (WB 6, p.578). Children: Elzena Cheek (1843), John David Cheek (1845), David Cheek (1847), Daniel L. Cheek (1849), William Frank Cheek (c.1853), Emmitt M. Cheek (1853), Mary Elizabeth Cheek (1855), Emily Cheek (1857), Frank Cornelius Cheek (1861), James Braxton Cheek (1864).
3. Anna Cheek, b. abt. 1820, Surry Co., NC; m. Howell MONEY, July 3, 1855, Yadkin Co., NC.
4. Elizabeth Cheek, b. abt. 1822, Surry Co., NC; never married.
5. Sarah Cheek, b. abt. 1824, Surry Co., NC; m. Henry MONEY, Oct. 24, 1856, Yadkin Co., NC.
6. Mary Cheek, b. abt. 1826, Surry Co., NC; never married.
7. Catherine Cheek, b. abt. 1830, Surry Co., NC; m. Daniel SHORES, Jan 24, 1860,Yadkin Co., NC.
8. Henry Cheek, b. abt. 1831, Surry Co., NC; went to Yell Co., AR; m. Mary C. POE, Mar. 25, 1861. Maybe the Henry CHEEKS, age 30, b. in NC, who is listed in the 1860 census of Johnson Co., TN (Baker's Gap P.O., p.32; household of William ARNOLD). Children: John Wesley Cheek (1879), Henry Richard Cheek.
9. Aaron Wesley Cheek, b. abt. 1833, Surry Co., NC; d. aft. 1880, Yadkin Co., NC; m. Martha COOK, Mar. 18, 1862, Yadkin Co., NC (b. abt. 1835; d. aft. 1880). Children: Sarah Ellen Cheek (c.1863), William Henry Cheek (1865), John Isaac Cheek (1866), Rufus Granville Cheek (1870), Ulysses Caldwell "Ule" Cheek (1874), Mary Elizabeth Cheek (1876), Sanford W. Cheek (1879), Aaron Franklin Cheek (1881).

Notes

ohn Cheek of Surry County, NC, was born about 1781 in Virginia. He was a son of William Cheek (1728) "of London," proven by William's will and other estate documents recorded in Surry County. John was the executor and a witness of his father's 1802 will (Surry Wills Vol. 3, pp.54-55). John's wife Mary ELMORE was the daughter of Athanatious ELMORE who left a will in Surry Co., NC, in 1821. The Elmore family lived on the North Fork of Deep Creek (see, e.g., Surry Co., NC, Deed Book F, pp. 334, 351).

John Cheek also seems to have lived on the forks of Deep Creek, near the present-day town of Yadkinville. Many of his neighbors in the 1810 census owned land on the forks of Deep Creek, including Simon GROUCE (see Surry Co., NC, DB D:413; F:350), Carter HUDSPETH (Surry DB D:431); John PETTYJOHN (Surry DB F:142); Thomas HOLCOMB (Surry DB E:185), and Richard JACKS (Surry DB E:87).

Yadkinville lies directly between the north and south forks of Deep Creek, which arise in the mountains to the west and north. The forks converge a couple miles east of Shacktown. The creek then flows roughly east until it meets the Yadkin River at a point called Shallowford at the Forsyth County line. If you look at a modern roadmap, Highway 421 follows the course of Deep Creek from Yadkinville to the Yadkin River. Yadkin County was formed from the southern part of Surry County in 1850.

Sept. 6, 1809. John CHEEK & Mary ELMORE posted a marriage bond in Surry Co., NC, with Matthew SPARKS, bondsman.

Mar. 1, 1819. John CHEEK was bondsman for his brother William's marriage to Rhoda MONEY in Surry Co., NC.

1810 Census, Surry Co., NC, p.169:

1 w/m 16-25	1 w/f under 10
1 w/m 26-45	1 w/f 16-25
No slaves

Note: the male age 16-25 in John's household might be his brother William.

1812 Tax List, Surry Co., NC, Capt. Martin's Dist.: JOHN CHEAK, 250 acres, 1 poll

1820 Census, Surry Co, NC (Capt. Chappell's Dist.), p.662: JOHN CHEEK

2 w/m under 10	2 w/f under 10
1 w/m 26-45	1 w/f 10-15
No slaves	1 w/f 26-45
	1 w/f over 45

1830 Census, Surry Co, NC, p.90: JOHN CHEEKS

1 w/m under 5	1 w/f under 5
1 w/m 10-14	3 w/f 5-9
1 w/m 15-19	1 w/f 10-14
1 w/m 40-49	1 w/f 15-19
	1 w/f 30-39

1840 Census, Surry Co, NC, (Hough's Dist.), p.122: JOHN CHEEKS

2 w/m 5-9	1 w/f 10-14
1 w/m 10-14	3 w/f 15-19
2 w/m 20-29	2 w/f 20-29
1 w/m 50-59	1 w/f 30-39
No slaves

1850 Census, Surry Co., NC, So. Div., p.174 (HH#198):
JOHN CHEEKS, 69, farmer, VA

-- Mary, 59, NC
-- Anna, 30, NC
-- Elizabeth, 28, NC
-- Sarah, 26, NC
-- Mary, 24, NC
-- Catharine, 20, NC
-- Henry, 19, NC
-- Aaron, 17, NC

Aug. 19, 1853, Mary CHEEK gave a statement supporting an application for a Revolutionary War widow's pension filed by her friend Charlotte DEBORD (nee RYAN), widow of Isham DICKERSON who died Apr. 10, 1836. (NARA Pension File No. R2823.)

"North Carolina, Surry County. This day personally appeared before me Richard GWYN an authorized and acting Justice of the Peace … Mary CHEEK a resident citizen of said county and on her oath doeth solemly state and declare that she was well acquainted with Charlotte RYAN and with Isham DICKERSON and that she was at the House of Isham DICKERSON in the county of Surry within six miles of Hamptonville and does solemnly swear that about the last of January 1808 she saw Isham DICKERSON and Charlotte RYAN lawfully married that she was the attendant at what we usually term waiter of the said Charlotte RYAN and stood by her side until the marriage ceremony was fully administered and done. She further declares that she is enabled to fix the time by the marriage of her sister Mary to Matthew SPARKS and by her own marriage to her husband John CHEEK the former very shortly thereafter myself about two years. Mary (X) CHEEK [her mark]; witness: Henry CHEEK."