Richard "Dickie" Choate
& Sarah Edwards

Richard "Dickie" Choate, son of Sabret CHOATE & Mary WOODFORK (or WOODFORT), was born abt. 1800 in North Carolina, and died 1851 in Ashe Co., NC. He married Sarah Edwards, daughter of William EDWARDS & Nancy CARTER, abt. 1826. She was born Jan. 13, 1809, in Ashe Co., NC, and died Apr. 6, 1897, in Alleghany Co., NC. Sarah is buried at the Center Edwards Cemetery, located off Hwy 21 near Sparta, Alleghany Co., NC. The location of Richard's grave is unknown.

Children of Richard "Dickie" Choate & Sarah Edwards:

1. Nancy Cornelia Choate, b. Sept. 26, 1827, Ashe Co., NC; d. Jan. 16, 1879, Hamburg, Fremont Co., Iowa; m. Granville Henderson COX, son of Samuel COX & Susan FENDER, June 6, 1843, Ashe Co., NC (b. Nov. 29, 1822; d. Nov. 4, 1888, Atchison Co., MO).
2. John W. Choate, b. abt. 1830, Ashe Co., NC; d. Sept. 11, 1862, Richmond, VA (Civil War).
3. +William Thomas Choate, Sr., b. Jan. 28, 1832, Ashe Co., NC; d. June 4, 1864, Petersburg, VA (Civil War); m. Martha "Patsy" FENDER, daughter of John FENDER & Martha TOLIVER, Apr. 3, 1851, Ashe Co., NC (b. Feb. 13, 1836; d. Nov. 30, 1897); bur. Oakwood Cemetery, Richmond, VA.
4. +Joshua Sabret Choate, b. Apr. 15, 1833, Ashe Co., NC; d. Feb. 2, 1910, in Grayson Co., VA; m. Margaret "Peggy" FENDER, daughter of John FENDER & Martha TOLIVER, Sept. 19, 1854, Ashe Co., NC (b. Apr. 15, 1837; d. Jan. 31, 1898).
5. +Mary Jane Choate, b. July 3, 1836, Ashe Co., NC; d. Mar. 15, 1899, Alleghany Co., NC; m. her 2nd cousin, Center (Senter) Joshua EDWARDS, son of Berry EDWARDS, Sr., & Ruth DAVIS, Sept. 10, 1852, Ashe Co., NC (b. June 2, 1826; d. Aug. 19, 1901); bur. Center Edwards Cemetery, Hwy. 21, Alleghany Co., NC.
6. Charity Lucinda Choate, b. Jan. 24, 1839, Ashe Co., NC; d. Feb. 13, 1894, Alleghany Co., NC; m. Solomon FENDER, son of John FENDER & Martha TOLIVER, Sept. 20, 1855 (b. Mar. 20, 1834; d. Apr. 14, 1894); bur. Elk Creek Primitive Baptist Church, Alleghany Co., NC. Children: Richard J. Fender (1856), John C. Fender (1859), Sowell Smith Fender (1861), Sarah Alice Fender (1862), William Allen "Bud" Fender (1866), Joshua C. Fender (c.1867), Solomon Wheeler Grant Fender (1870), Susanna "Susan" Fender (1872), Cornelia Victoria Fender (1875), Lela Fender (1880).
7. Sowell J. Choate, b. abt. 1841, Ashe Co., NC; d. July 2, 1863, Gettysburg, PA (Civil War).

Notes

ichard Choat was a son of Sabret Choate who arrived in Wilkes County, NC, prior to 1790. According Dr. A.B. Cox, Footprints in the Sands of Time" (1900), "Sabe Choat married a Miss Woodfort and moved from Wilkes County to Bush Creek, Alleghany County. They raised one of the most energetic business families in all the country. Their sons, Isom and Thomas Choat, went to Georgia, were planters and speculators and became wealthy. Richard Choat married Miss Sallie Edwards, a lady possessed of all the ennobling virtues that adorn female character, as daughter, sister, wife, and mother, such as make happy homes worth living for."

Richard Choat and Sarah Edwards probably married around 1826 based on the ages of their children. They lost three of their four sons in the Civil War: John W. Choate died in Richmond in 1862; Sowell J. Choate died at Gettsyburg in 1863, and William Thomas Choate died in Petersburg in 1864. Several of William Thomas Choate's Civil War letters are published in Alleghany County Heritage, pp.132-133, article no. 206.

Records

1834-1840. Richard SHOAT or CHOAT obtained six land grants in Ashe Co., NC, between 1834 and 1840. (Source: New River Notes)

1840 Census, Ashe Co., NC, p.8: RICHD SHOAT

2 w/m 5-9	2 w/f under 5
1 w/m 10-14	1 w/f 10-14
1 w/m 30-39	1 w/f 30-39

1850 Census, Ashe Co., NC, p.248:
RICHD CHOAT, 50, farmer, $2,500, NC

-- Sarah, 42, NC

-- Wm, 18, NC

-- Sabret, 15, NC

-- Jane, 13, NC

-- Charity, 11, NC

-- Sowel, 9, NC

Nancy BRACING, 30, NC [BRACKINS]

Sept. 1850. Sarah CHOATE filed a petition for divorce in Ashe Co., NC, Sept. 1850. Subsequently, a court record from the Sept. term 1851 states, "It is considered, ordered and decreed that the plaintiff [Sarah] have and recover alimony to be allowed out of the estate of the defendant [her husband Richard], both real and personal." Another document dated Dec 9, 1851 states, "We the undersigned jurors summoned to allot alimony to Sarah CHOAT out of the estate of Richard CHOAT[E] by order of the court of equity for said county having been duly summoned and sworn by the sheriff of said county…" It appears from all of this that Richard died sometime in 1851, perhaps in the summer months. (Information kindly provided by Karl Jaeckel.)

But to confuse matters, some of the deeds below suggests Richard CHOATE was still alive in 1852.

1860 Census, Alleghany Co., NC, p.420 (HH#599):
SARAH CHOAT, 50, $800, $2800, NC

-- Sowel, 18, laborer, NC

EDWARDS, Wm, 86, NC

-- Nancy, 80, NC

1870 Census, Alleghany Co., NC. Sarah CHOATE age 61 is listed with the family of Solomon & Charity FENDER, Gap Civil Twp. (HH#140) (her daughter and son-in-law).

1880 Census: Sarah Choate is not listed.

Deed Abstracts