• Major John Cheek
  • Maggie Unknown
  • Martha Stevens

Major John Cheek
of Orange County, NC

Major John Cheek, son of John CHEEK & Susanna ESTRIDGE (ESTES), was born Sept. 6, 1793(?), in Orange Co., NC, and died Nov. 1849 or Mar. 5, 1850, in Orange Co., NC. He married (1) Maggie, last name unknown, on Aug. 15, 1814. She was born abt. 1795 and died before 1822 in Orange Co., NC. He married (2) Martha "Patsy" Stevens, Oct. 17, 1822, in Orange Co., NC. She was born Oct. 26, 1797, and died between 1850-1860 in Orange Co., NC.

Children of Major John Cheek & Maggie, last name unknown:

  1. Unknown child, b. abt. 1815, died in infancy.
  2. Cynthia Cheek, b. Apr. 1, 1816, Orange Co., NC (birthdate from family Bible); d. ?; m. James SYKES, Nov. 19, 1831, Orange Co., NC (b. abt. 1803; d. ?). Children: Frances Sykes (c.1834), Martha C. Sykes (c.1845).
  3. Mebane Cheek, b. Apr. 8, 1819, Orange Co., NC (birthdate from family Bible); d. bet. 1860-1870 in Clinton Co., KY; m. (1) Elizabeth MALLETT, May 5, 1841, Orange Co., NC (b. unk; d. bef. 1847); m. (2) Candis ALLEN, Dec. 15, 1847, Orange Co., NC (b. abt. 1825; d. aft. 1870). Living in Clinton Co., KY, in 1850 & 1860. Candice is listed in 1870. Children: maybe Mary CHEEK (c.1841) (she was living with George MALLETT in Alamance Co., NC, in 1850); John (c.1847), Beaufort or Bedford (c.1848), James (c.1852), Sarah C. (c.1853); Walter (c.1854).
  4. Willis Cheek, b. Sept. 17, 1820, Orange Co., NC (birthdate from family Bible); d. aft. 1880 in Clinton Co., KY. Living in Clinton Co., KY, in 1850 with brother James, in 1860 & 1870 with Drewry ALLEN, and in 1880 by himself. He apparently never married.

Children of Major John Cheek & Martha "Patsy" Stevens:

  1. James A. Cheek, b. July 6, 1823, Orange Co., NC (birthdate from family Bible); d. aft. 1850; m. Mary L. GASKILL, daughter of Elias GASKILL, Dec. 4, 1845, Orange Co., NC. On Aug. 22, 1846, James A. CHEEK & wife Mary L. CHEEK sold 100 acres on Haw Creek to James A. CRAIG, said tract from late division of estate of Elias GASKILL, dec'd, which fell to Mary L. GASKILL now Mary L. CHEEK among children & heirs of Elias GASKILL. (Orange DB 32, p.190.)  Living in Clinton Co., KY, in 1850, then no further records. Children: Augustine M. Cheek (c.1843), Mary Cheek (c.1847), John M. Cheek (c.1848).
  2. William S. Cheek, b. abt. 1826, Orange Co., NC; m. Caroline B. COX, Dec. 25, 1849, Orange Co., NC.
  3. Cornelia Katherine Cheek, b. abt. 1827, Orange Co., NC; d. 1860-1870, Orange Co., NC; m. Ishmael James CARDEN, Feb. 9, 1854, Orange Co., NC (b. Jan. 9, 1824; d. Apr. 9, 1909). Children: Mary J. Carden (c.1855), John Cheek Carden (c.1857), Ishmael J. Carden (c.1859), Benjamin T. Carden (c.1865).
  4. John Cheek, b. Apr. 18, 1829, Orange Co., NC; d. May 5, 1889, Orange Co., NC; m. (1) Mary Jane FAUCETT, July 12, 1853, Orange Co., NC (b. July 11, 1832; d. Aug. 9, 1864); (2) Mrs. Margaret E. SHEMWELL, Dec. 21, 1865, Orange Co., NC (b. May 6, 1838; d. Oct. 31, 1877); bur. Hillsborough Town Cemetery, Orange Co., NC. Will recorded 1889 in Orange Co., NC (WB H, p.467.) Children: Rosa Cheek (c.1854) m. James Alvis CHEEK; William E. Cheek (c.1857), Ernest D. Cheek (c.1860), Mary B. Cheek (c.1862), Eugene Cheek (c.1866), Caroline Cheek (c.1869), Margaret Cheek (c.1872), Fanny B. Cheek (c.1875), John Cheek (c.1877).
  5. Sarah Cheek, b. Apr. 21, 1831, Orange Co., NC (birthdate from family Bible); m. Robert John CARDEN.
  6. Walter Alvis Cheek, b. Mar. 1, 1832, Orange Co., NC (birthdate from family Bible); d. bef. 1900, Cedar Co., MO; m. Mary GILBERT (b. abt. 1830; d. aft. 1900). Children: Alexander P. Cheek (c.1852), Martha E. Cheek (c.1862), Sarah C. Cheek (c.1863), Thomas E. Cheek (c.1866), Walter A. Cheek (c.1868), Mary A. Cheek (1870), Robert G. Cheek (c.1876), Hannah T. Cheek (c.1878), Rebecca J. Cheek (1880), Charles William Cheek (1884). Living in Caldwell Co., MO, in 1860, and thereafter Cedar Co., MO. Wife's maiden name is from birth record of Charles William CHEEK in the Cedar Co., MO, birth register. She may have been a 2nd wife.
  7. Martha Cheek, b. Sept. 7, 1834, Orange Co., NC; d. 1880-1900, Orange Co., NC; m. Basil ANDREWS, son of Henry ANDREWS & Candice CARRUTHERS, Sept. 15, 1857, Orange Co., NC (b. Dec. 23, 1831; d. Apr. 21, 1905). Child: William Fletcher Andrews (c.1860).
  8. Parthenia Catherine Cheek, b. Aug. 11, 1836, Orange Co., NC (birthdate from family Bible).
  9. Robert Henry Cheek, b. Nov. 7, 1839, Orange Co., NC; d. Mar. 17, 1926, Caswell Co., NC; m. Martha Eliza CATES, Jan. 27, 1867, Caswell Co., NC (b. Aug. 27, 1848; d. Dec. 28, 1923); bur. Lebanon United Methodist Church, Orange Co., NC. Children: Sarah Catherine Cheek (1868), Willie Thomas Cheek (1869), Mattie Lorena Cheek (1872), Robert James Cheek (1874), Mazie Belle Cheek (1876), Charlie Pittman Cheek (1879), Cleo Zennia Cheek (1883), Mora Maud Cheek (1886), Gertrude Odell Cheek (1891).

Notes

Major John Cheek was born Sept. 6, 1793, according to a family Bible record. This may be a year or two off: his parents married in 1794 according to their marriage bond. "Major" was apparently his first name or a nickname, not a military title. The same Bible also records Major John Cheek's marriage to (1) Maggie (no last name), Aug. 15, 1814, and (2) Marthy STEVENSON, Oct. 17, 1822. Marthy was b. Oct. 26, 1797, according to the same Bible record.   (Info kindly provided by Jay Cheek.)

There is a John CHEEK who posted a marriage bond in Orange Co., NC, with Polly COX on Apr. 24, 1814; Isaac JONES, bondsman. This may be a different John CHEEK because Major John's first wife was named Maggie according to the Bible record. John CHEEK and his 2nd wife, Patsy STEVENS, posted a marriage bond on Oct. 3, 1822, in Orange Co., NC; James PARTIN, bondsman.

1820 Census, Orange Co., NC, p.330: JOHN CHEEK
1 w/m under 10 1 w/f under 10
1 w/m 26-45 1 w/f 10-15
1 slave 1 w/f 26-45

1830 Census, Orange Co., NC, No. Dist., p.309: MAJ. JOHN CHEEK
3 w/m under 5 2 w/f under 5
1 w/m 5-9 1 w/f 10-14
1 w/m 10-14 1 w/f 20-29
1 w/m 30-39  

Nov. 19, 1831. Orange Co., NC. John CHEEK & Alvis CHEEK were bondsmen for the marriage of Robert DANIEL & Kitty PRITCHETT.

Feb. 20, 1839. Martha CHEEK and Major John CHEEK of Orange Co., NC, gave statements in support of an application for a Revolutionary War widow's pension filed by Jane STEPHENS, widow of HENRY STEPHENS who had died Feb. 28, 1814. (NARA Pension File No. W6189.)

1840 Census, Orange Co., NC, No. Div., p.176: JOHN CHEEK
1 w/m under 5 2 w/f under 5
1 w/m 5-9 1 w/f 5-9
2 w/m 10-14 1 w/f 10-14
2 w/m 15-19 1 w/f 20-29
1 w/m 20-29 1 w/f 40-49
1 w/m 40-49  

Aug. 22, 1842. Orange Co., NC. John CHEEK qualified as administrator of the estate of James CHEEK with Samuel N. TATE and Charles C. SMITH as bondsmen.

May 23, 1846. Orange Co., NC. John CHEEK sold to Charles HOWARD his interest in the land on New Hope Creek that was part of his father John CHEEK's estate. (NC Archives, Orange Estate Papers, Box CR.073.508.10.)

May 1850. Orange Co., NC. Martha CHEEK, widow of John CHEEK "who departed this life in the month of November last" (i.e., 1849) petitioned for allotment of support for one year. June 21, 1850, Martha allotted a horse, 3 cows, stock and provisions on hand and $164 to be paid by the administrator. Inventory filed June 21, 1850; farm and household goods; various notes owed by Thomas JONES, Samuel N. TATE, C.C. SMITH, Willis CHEEK, William F. JONES, and Robert THOMPSON. Sale of personal estate on July 18, 1850; most items purchased by William S. CHEEK; one mare purchased by Alvis CHEEK. Report of R.M. JONES, inventory of debts received from former Adm'x Martha CHEEK, Aug. 27, 1851, includes note on C.C. SMITH and Parthena CHEEK, and 2 notes on Willis CHEEK. Report of accounts filed May 1853. [No final distribution is found in the estate file, and no list of heirs.]

Note: The North Carolina Democrat, Hillsborough, NC, Mar. 7, 1850, reports "Died, in this county [Orange], on the 5th inst., Maj. John CHEEK, one of our best citizens." (NC Gen. Soc. Journal 17:78.)  This conflicts with the estate record that indicates Major John Cheek died in November 1849; instead, he may actually have died on March 5, 1850.

1850 Census, Orange Co., NC, 1st Dist., p.282 (HH#37):
MARTHA CHEEK, 51, $300, NC
-- Cornelia, 23, NC
-- Sarah, 19, NC
-- Alvis, 18, NC
-- Martha, 15, NC
-- Parthenia, 13, NC
-- Robert, 10, NC

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