Richard Cheek
of King & Queen Co., VA

Richard Cheek (Chick), probably a son of John CHEEK, Jr., of Essex and King & Queen Co., VA, was probably born between 1720-1730 in Essex Co., VA; and died between 1790-1792 in King & Queen Co., VA. He married (1) unknown; (2) Elizabeth FERGUSON, widow of Joseph RYLAND, abt. Oct. 23, 1778, Essex Co., VA.

Children of Richard Cheek:

1. James Cheek (Chick), b. May 14, 1760, King & Queen Co., VA; d. aft. 1832, Knox Co., KY. James Chick was a Revolutionary War solider. His pension application (filed in Knox Co., KY, in 1832) states that he first enlisted in K&Q Co., VA, in 1776 at age 16, and served several tours of duty. He states he moved from K&Q to King William County in 1781. Did not receive a written discharge but his brother William CHICK of Buckingham Co., VA, and William LANKFORD of Chesterfield Co., VA, both can testify to his service. (National Archives Pension File No. S10440). Listed in the census of Knox Co., KY, 1810 -1830. Owned land on Greasy Creek and had a tavern in the town of Barbourville. Children: Alice (m. Wade N. WOODSON), Catherine (m. Thomas DEAN), Mildred (m. Peter ENGLE), John (m. Fanny BALLINGER); possibly others incl. James CHEEK of Claiborne Co., TN. Click here for James Chick's pension application
2. William Cheek (Chick), b.1760-1770, King & Queen Co., VA; d. aft. 1832, Buckingham Co., VA. He was in Buckingham Co. by Nov. 7, 1791, when he signed a petition to establish tobacco inspection warehouses at the mouth of Bent Creek. (Mag. of VA Genealogy, Vol. 32, No. 4 (Nov. 1, 1994), p.268.) He appears on the 1800 Tax List of Buckingham Co. with 1 white tithe, 2 horses, 6 slaves; had a license to keep an ordinary (inn). On Sept. 6, 1800, he patented 33 acres of land in Buckingham Co. in consideration of Land Office Treasury Warrant No. 2669, dated Mar. 4, 1799. (VA Patent Book No. 46, p.241). Most of Buckingham Co.'s records were destroyed in a courthouse fire in 1869. However, surviving tax records indicate Wiliam CHICK bought and sold several pieces of property 1802-1814, including 400 acres on Bent Creek Hill which he purchased with unk. TALIAFERRO in 1804. Referred to as Colonel in tax lists 1810-1812. Resided on Bent Creek Road. (Roger G. Ward, Buckingham County VA Land Tax Summaries & Implied Deeds Vol 1: 1782-1814 (Iberian Pub. Co., 1993). Mar. 4, 1806, William CHICK witnessed a deed from Charles PATTERSON to Charles TALIAFERRO for 1/2 acre lot in the town of Duiguidsville bounded by William CHICK & Main & Cross Streets. (Jeanne Stinson, Early Buckingham County, VA, Legal Papers Vol. I: 1765-1806 (Iberian Pub. Co., 1993), pp.70-71.) William CHICK must have been a fairly educated man as he subscribed to the 1st American Edition of Nicholson's Encyclopedia, c.1815. (Mag. of VA Genealogy, Vol. 22, No. 2 (May 1984), p.21.) He may be the father of James A. CHEEK who m. Elizabeth SHEPPERSON, daughter of Nathaniel & Polly SHEPPERSON, Nov. 6, 1822, Prince Edward Co., VA (Bible record published in the VA Gen. Soc. Qtrly, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Jan. 1, 1979).)
3. Possibly Wyatt Chick? His name appears on the tax list of King William Co., VA, 1782 and 1787. Note that James CHICK, above, moved from King & Queen County to King William County in 1781. There is also a Wyatt Cheek on a tax list in Caroline Co., VA, in 1783. No other info.

Notes

ichard Cheek/Chick is the only one of John Cheek's (likely) sons who remained in King & Queen County. He is probably the Richard Chick mentioned in a land patent granted to John WATKINS on Aug. 16, 1758, for 150 acres on Tuckahoe Swamp in King & Queen County. (VA Patents No. 33, p.459.)  Richard's name also appears in the account books of the merchant Ninian BOOG, 1749-1750. (Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 28-29.)  See notes under John Cheek, Jr.

He may be the Richard Chick who was in Caroline County from the mid-1760's through the 1770's. A part of northern King & Queen County was ceded to Caroline County in 1762. If the Cheek family was living in that part of King & Queen County, they would suddenly be in Caroline County after 1762 without having moved at all. Of course, it is also possible that there was more than one Richard Cheek or Chick in the area. It is very difficult to be sure due to the loss of records from both Caroline and King & Queen Counties.

According to the Caroline County Order Books, Richard Chick was involved in a number of lawsuits from 1765 to 1773 both as a plaintiff and a defendant. Most of these lawsuits involved collection of debts. There is also a William Chick who was involved in many lawsuits in Caroline County during the same period. The abundance of litigation suggests that both William and Richard may have been merchants, actively engaged in a trade that involved buying and selling on credit.

The name of Richard Cheek's first wife is unknown. However, she might be the Betsy CHICK whose death on July 20, 1776, was recorded in the register of the Upper King & Queen Baptist Church. (VA Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 30, No. 1 (Feb. 1, 1992).)  In 1778, Richard remarried to Elizabeth, the widow of Joseph RYLAND. Their marriage agreement, dated Oct. 23, 1778, was recorded in the court of Essex Co., VA.

Richard Cheek's home was a mile from the Upper King & Queen Baptist Church, which is in the northern part of the county on present-day Rte. 635 (Bradley Farm Road) just north of Rte. 721 (Newtown Road), near the towns of Newtown and Helmet, VA. (See Records Concerning 18th Century Persons, 8th Collection, "VA Colonial Abstracts," Vol. II (Gen. Pub. Co., 1988), p.479).)  The house he built was apparently still standing in the 1970's. The Bulletin of the King & Queen County Historical Society, No. 50 (Jan. 1981), contains a transcript of an address given by the local historical Charles H. Ryland "six years ago" (i.e., 1975). In it, Mr. Ryland recalls life during the colonial era. He says, "Most housing was of modest proportions. A typical dwelling of two hundred years ago which remains today, would be the home of Richard Cheek, situated less than a mile from here, known to most of us as the home of Mr. Rod Munday. Of frame construction with a high basement and no porches, with immense chimeys at each end, a sharp A-roof with dormers, it survives as a classic model of its time."

Richard appears to have died before 1792. An account of the estate of Samuel Greenwood in Bedford County, VA, 1816, mentions a "legacy in the estate of Richard Cheek of King and Queen County - Nov. 5, 1792" which was paid to James Cheek as guardian with Samuel Greenwood, his security. (Bedford Will Book 4, p. 217.)  This indicates that Richard Cheek of King & Queen County was deceased in 1792. Samuel Greenwood may be related to the notable Baptist minister James GREENWOOD of King & Queen County who was arrested in 1772 for preaching without a license. (See King and Queen County Virginia by Rev. Alfred Bagby (Neale Pub. Co., 1908).)

Note there was a Richard CHICK on a tax list of Bedford County, VA, in 1785, but his relationship to Richard Cheek/Chick of King & Queen County is unknown.

Unfortunately, Richard Chick's will has not survived. Most of the records from King & Queen County were destroyed during the Civil War. The identity of Richard's sons, James and William, is presumed from their connection to King & Queen County (see above notes under James and William).

Records

1749-1750. King & Queen Co., VA. Richard Cheek/Chick is listed in the account books of the merchant Ninian BOOG. (Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 28-29.) See notes under John Cheek, Jr.

Aug. 16, 1758. King & Queen Co., VA. A land patent granted to John WATKINS for 150 acres on Tuckahoe Swamp mentions adjoining landowners Richard CHICK, Archibald GORDON, & William GATEWOOD. Also refers to Gum Branch and Echoll's Branch. (VA Patents No. 33, p.459.)

June 13, 1765. Caroline Co., VA. Richard CHICK made overseer of the Main Road from Burks Bridge Road by Capt. DIXON's plantation to the White Marsh Run and that he have the people of Mr. John PAGE, Mrs. CHICK, Thomas BERRY and John PAYNE's quarter bought of EVANS, to assist in keeping the same in repair. (Caroline Order Book 1765-1767, p.3.)

Note: Burkes Bridge crossed the Mattaponi River a little north of Reedy Mill, which indicates that this Richard CHICK was living in the southern part of the county about 15 miles from the upper Tuckahoe Creek area of King & Queen. The identity of "Mrs. CHICK" is unknown, but it is possible she might have been the widow of John CHICK, Jr. of King & Queen Co. There is also an Ann CHICK whose will was recorded in Caroline County on Jan. 14, 1779. (Caroline County Orders 1777-1780, p.146.) Unfortunately, no actual deeds or wills from Caroline County from this period have survived, and the references in the court order books are fairly cryptic and uniformative. It is not clear whether the Richard Chick in Caroline County and the Richard Chick/Cheek in King & Queen County were the same person. There may have been more than one Richard Chick.

1765-1773. Caroline Co., VA. According to the Caroline County Order Books, Richard Chick was involved in a number of lawsuits during the period 1765 to 1773 both as a plaintiff and a defendant. Some of the parties to these lawsuits included John RICHARDS, Thomas BOOTH, William HARRISON, Duncan GRAHAM, Robert THROCKMORTON, Lawrence SMITH and others.

June 8, 1769. Caroline Co., NC. In the case of Robert HOUSTON vs. William CHICK, upon an attachment, Richard CHICK was found to have in his hands 1 pound of the defendant's property and the defendant failing to appear, Richard CHICK ordered to pay the money in his hands to Robert HOUSTON. (Caroline County Orders 1768-1770, p.365.)

Note: the above record proves there was a relationship between Richard Chick and William Chick in Caroline County.

Oct. 16, 1776. Richard CHICK's signature appears on p.237 of the "Ten Thousand Name Petition."  This was a petition signed by religious "dissenters" (primarily but not exclusively Baptists) all over Virginia. It called for ending the established church, and the institution of religious equality. The petitions are not identified by location. However, many of the names on p.237 of the petition also appear on the 1790 tax list for King & Queen County, e.g. George SATTERWHITE, Matthew GAYLE (GALE), Samuel TAYLOR, Richard CHICK, William GATEWOOD, Joseph GARRETT, William TIGNOR, and several others. A digital image of the Ten Thousand Name Petition is available on the Library of Congress website (to find Richard Chick's name, select image no. 237).

1778. Essex Co., VA. Richard CHEEK married Elizabeth, the widow of Joseph RYLAND of Essex County, VA. Their marriage agreement, dated Oct. 23, 1778, was recorded Oct. 18, 1779, in Essex County, VA. It states: "Be it known to all men that we Richard CHEEK in the county of King and Queen, a widower, and Elizabeth RYLAND in the county of Essex, a widow, do intend with the leave of God to join ourselves in wedlock, and this is to certify that I am to take no advantage of her Estate, but to be as a father to her children, to Maintain and Furnish them with every (thing) Necessary until they be able to act and do for themselves and also to give them proper English learning if (it can be) obtained."

Note: Elizabeth (FERGUSON) RYLAND was the daughter of John FERGUSON of Essex County. She married Joseph RYLAND in 1769 (source: Eva Eubank Wilkerson, Index to Marriages of Old Rappahannock and Essex Counties, Virginia, 1655-1900 (Clearfield Co., 1953).) They had 3 children: Joseph, Josiah,and Joanna RYLAND. After Elizabeth married Richard CHEEK in 1778, she sold her portion of her husband's plantation (located on Ryland's Run in Essex County) and moved to Richard CHEEK's home in K&Q which was "a mile from Upper King and Queen Church." (Source: Dr. Garnett Ryland, "Josiah Ryland and his Forebears" printed in The Rylands (Ligonier, PA, 1935); see also Records Concerning 18th Century Persons, 8th Collection, "VA Colonial Abstracts," Vol. II (Gen. Pub. Co., 1988), p.479).

Oct. 22, 1779. Drysdale Parish. Richard CHICK signed a petition by the inhabitants of Drysdale Parish opposing division of the parish. "To the Honorable the Speaker and Gentlemen of the House of Delegates, The Petition of the Subscribers Inhabitants of Drysdale Parish, Humbly Sheweth, That having seen a Petition signed by some Persons to this Honorable House praying a division of said Parish, which your Petitioners conceive would involve the Inhabitants in little less than total ruin, especially at this time when their crops have been greatly injured by the severe Frost, The exorbitant price of every necessary of life, together with the very heavy Tax …."  The Petitioners go on complain that they have recently constructed 2 good churches in the Parish, and the expense of a new church and minister "all which Falling on about 1300 Tithes (a number we conceive too small to support two Parishes) would exhaust their crops and render themselves wholly unable to support their Familys.…"  Richard Chick's signature appears on page 7 of the petition along with several other names found in association with the Cheek/Chicks of King & Queen and Caroline Counties, such as LANKFORD and GATEWOOD. (To view the petition, go to Library of Congress, "Early Virginia Religious Petitions" and enter image no. 7.)

1782 Tax List King & Queen Co., VA (land). Richard CHICK: 491 acres valued at £85.18.6 (i.e., £85.18.6). He was assessed a tax of £0.17.0 (i.e., 17 shillings).

1787 Tax List. King & Queen Co., VA (personal property). Richard CHICK: 5 slaves over age 16, slaves under age 16, 4 horses and 33 cattle.

1790 Tax List. King & Queen Co., VA (land). Richard CHICK: 491 acres, value £177.19.4, tax £2.13.5.

Mar. 22, 1816. An account of the estate of Samuel GREENWOOD in Bedford County, VA, dated Mar. 22, 1816, mentions a legacy in the estate of Richard CHEEK deceased of King & Queen County "5th Nov. 1792" which was "paid to James CHEEK guardian and Samuel GREENWOOD as his security of Richard GREENWOOD the above admr"—£42. (Bedford Will Book 4, p.217.) It is not entirely clear what this was about, but it does verify that Richard Cheek was deceased by 1792. The legacy is listed as a credit to the estate by Richard GREENWOOD, the executor.