Frances (Gibson) Smith Chavis, Pamunkey Rez, Paspagegh, & Congaree Cheraw

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What Happened to Gibeon Chavis’ son William Chavis? December 24, 2019UncategorizedAbrams Plains, Bass, Chavis, Court Minutes, Epping Forest, Estate records, Fishing Creek, Fort Creek, Gibson, Oscar Blacknall, Priddy, Snelling, Tabbs Creek, Taxlist, Tyler

This blog post takes a closer look at the records attributed to William Chavis (b. 1760) who was the son of Gibeon Chavis (1737-1777) and Ann Priddy. When his father died when he was still a minor, William Chavis stood to inherit the entirety of his father’s large plantation when he reached adulthood. The surviving offspring of William Chavis, if any, are unknown, so I’m hoping that by identifying him in the records, I may in the future be able to learn if he has any living descendants.

Family Overview Chavis Priddy family tree Family tree chart of William Chavis (b. 1760) who is the subject of this blog post.

William Chavis (b. 1760) was the son of Gibeon Chavis (1737-1777) and Ann Priddy. Gibeon Chavis was the son of William Chavis Sr (1706-1777) and Frances Gibson (1700-1780). William Chavis Sr was the “original” owner of an immensely large tract of land, 51,200 acres, on the north side of the Tar River in Granville County (in what is today Granville, Vance, and Franklin Counties). This land was described by late 19th century local historian Oscar Blacknall who wrote extensively about the Indian identity of the “free negroes” of Granville County. William Chavis Sr’s wife Frances Gibson also came from a land owning family who like the Chavises, originally came from the Virginia lower tidewater area.

William Chavis Original Land Tract Granville County’s Native American community founder William Chavis Sr (1706-1777) originally owned land that stretched from Lynch’s Creek 16 miles upstream to Fishing Creek and went 5 miles inland from the Tar River. This is approximately 80 square miles or 51,200 acres of continuous land. This was the land base for the community. © Kianga Lucas

Biography

Frances Smith-Chavis was born in Henrico County, Virginia, Colonial America. Her parents were Gibson Gibson and Frances Gibson.

Frances married George Smith, of the IA2 Nottoway. Together they had the following children: James Francis Smith, Amelia Co Nottoway Parish.

Frances married William Chavis, I. Together they had the following children: Phillip Chavis; Sarah Harris; Gibeon Chavis, of Granville Ocaneechi Saponi Nation; Lettice Snelling; Thomas Chavis; John Chavis, Sr.; Keziah Chavis; Fanny Chavis; William "Jordan" Jordan Chavis Jr..

She died in 1778 in Granville County, North Carolina, United States.

MyHeritage Family Trees Jones Family Tree in Jones Web Site, managed by Angela Rae (Larson) Jones

Birth: 1710

Death: 1781 Parents: Gibson "Gibby" Gibson, Frances Gibson (born Lightfoot)

Siblings: Mary Gibson, Gilbert Gibby Gibson, Edward Gibson, Hannah Gibson, Wife Of John Hall (born Gibson), George Gibson, Tabitha Gibson, Gideon Gibson, John Gibson

Husband: William Chavis

Here is my information about Gibson Gibson with sources listed:

Gibson Gibson was born about 1660 in Virginia Colony, the son of a white indentured servant, Elizabeth Chevers (aka Chavis), and Thomas Gibson, according to researcher Paul Heinegg. His father was listed as a Free Person of Color in 1668 Jamestown, Virginia Colony. Both Africans and Native Americans were called persons of color with no designation as to which race at that time in Virginia history. His mother was Irish so Gibson Gibson would racially be considered a mulatto and still listed as a person of color. He first appears in Virginia legal records when he was released from his unlawful apprenticeship to Thomas Barber on 28 March 1672 after his mother, Elizabeth Chavis, successfully petitioned the General Court of Virginia to release her "son." He would have been about 12 years old. He married Frances Lightfoot in 1683. Their children were: Mary Smith (wife of George Smith), Gibby Jr (aka Gilbert), Edward, Hannah, George, Frances Smith (wife of George Smith), Tabitha Rollinson (wife of George Rollinson/Rawlinson of York County), and John. Gibson owned at least 150 acres of land as well as Negro slaves* (ref his will dated 2 Mar 1726/7). (source: Heinegg, Paul, FREE AFRICAN AMERICANS OF NORTH CAROLINA, VIRGINIA, AND SOUTH CAROLINA: From the Colonial Period to About 1820 (Baltimore, Maryland, Clearfield Company by Genealogical Publishing Co., Fifth Edition, 2005), Vol. I, pp. 523-534 GIBSON FAMILY. Record for Gibson Gibson born c1660 likely son of Elizabeth CHAVIS and his descendants)

• Note: In 1661, Virginia passed its first law allowing any free person the right to own slaves. ... Among laws affecting slaves was one of 1662, which said that children born in the colony would take the social status of their mothers, regardless of who their fathers were (partus sequitur ventrem).

In 1704 he was called "Gibey" Gibson when he was listed with 150 acres in Quit Rent Rolls of James City County, Virginia. In a deed of gift on 7 Sept 1726, he ("Gibby Gibson, planter") gave two "Negro" boys named Simon and Civility to his daughter Mary Smith during her lifetime and at her death to Mary's children: Tom, Lightfoot, Sarah, Mary, Elizabeth, Rebecca and Ann. (Source: Heinegg, Paul)

Notes from www.Geni.com: Gibson Gibson's dad Thomas is probably the Thomas Gibson buried with him. Edmund Howell and Thomas Gibson both fought in Bacon's Rebellion* in 1676. Edmund Howell was Gibson Gibson's godfather, as stated in Edmund's will and which also states that Gibson Gibson is the son of Thomas Gibson. Howell was from Surry County, VA (was south of the James River and was originally part of Jamestown, as well). Howell gave a deposition, shortly after Bacon's Rebellion, stating that Thomas Gibson (Gibson' father) was about 30 years of age, being born in the mid 1640's. (Heinegg puts his birth about 1660.)

• Bacon's Rebellion was an armed rebellion in September 1676 by Virginia settlers led by Nathaniel Bacon against the rule of Governor William Berkeley. It was the first rebellion in the American colonies in which discontented frontiersmen took part; a similar uprising in Maryland took place later that year. Bacon's militia captured Jamestown and burned it to the ground. Although Bacon died of fever a month later and the rebellion fell apart, Virginia's wealthy planters were shaken by the fact that a rebel militia that united white and black servants and slaves had destroyed the colonial capital. Their distrust of the poor, especially of indentured servants (many participated in Bacon's Rebellion), grew. This actually resulted in the growth of the slave trade as they sought a more reliable, controllable, permanent labor source than indentured servants. (source: Wikipedia)

BURIAL (Souce: Ancestry.com. U.S. Find A Grave Index 1600's - Current) Sandy Point - Charles City County, Virginia "Here Lyes the Body of Gibby Gibson" VIRGINIA VITAL RECORDS, from the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography Vol. 28, pages: 70-72, The William and Mary College Quarterly and Tyler's Quarterly, page: 13 •ID: I09 7638

There is an area of Charles City County called "Sandy Point". It is a point of land bounded by the James and Chickahominy rivers. According to "80% Heaven Bound" by Sherry Brown Tyler, "It would be most difficult to determine at which place on Sandy Point many of the burials took place." It is BELIEVED that Francis Gibson and Gibby Gibson are buried somewhere in Sandy Point, but an exact location is not known. (source: INFORMATION PROVIDED BY CONTRIBUTOR TOM DUDLEY to Ancestry.com. U.S. Find A Grave Index 1600s-Current)

Hula-Mikula Family Cemetery "This small family cemetery is in the middle of a field about 50 yards off a dirt road. A total of 5 tombstones exist. All tombstones were photographed on 7 Feb 2014 and are entered here." (SOURCE: Ancestry.com, Find-a-Grave Index)

RACIAL BACKGROUND

From Geni.com (Record for Thomas Gibson managed by Thomas Gibson) FPOC 1668 COLLINS, SMITH, WARREN, HURLE, SHIPP, GIBSON, WILLIAMS, CLEMENTS, HOWELL, Godfather of Gibby Gibson List of Free Persons of Color in Charles City, Virginia dated 10 June 1668. A List of ye Tythables from ye Colledge to Smiths forte taken up by Mr Thos Warren. "Tho. Hurle Joh. Shipp Tho Gibson" & 1 negro, 04 Translated: Thomas Hurle John Shipp Thomas Gibson, continuing a list of tithables from ye Collins' and Smiths fort taken up by Mr Thomas Warren. "Geo. Foster and Thos. Williams" 02 "Thos North 01 "John Clemons" 01 "Edmond Howell", 01 Thomas Gibson is a father of one Gibson Gibson and therefore husband of Elizabeth Chaves. Elizabeth was married to Thomas and the? Peter) Edmond Howell is a godfather to Gibson Gibson. See 23 Dec 1679 & 28 March 1672 Translated: Thomas Warren, George Foster, Thomas Williams, Edmond Howell. (source of this document unknown)

According to Heinegg, the Gibsons were dark skinned as early as 1680's and were sometimes referred to as melungeons which generally refers to people with a mixture of three racial origins: West European, Native American and African. Some of the most prominent surnames that have been claimed as potentially associated with a Melungeon identity include Bowling (Bolin), Bunch, Chavis (Chavez), Collins, Epps, Evans, Fields, Francisco, Gibson, Gill, Goins, Goodman, Minor, Mise, Moore, Mullins, Osborn(e), Phipps, Reeves (Rives, Rieves, Reeves, Reaves) SOURCE: Heinegg, Paul.

The Melungeon group may have formed initially on the boundary of English settlement (including early Hanover and Louisa County in the 1720's), then migrated into the Piedmont of Virginia/North Carolina and across the Blue Ridge into the New River Valley of Tennessee and Virginia. Some of these familes went to South Carolina and are associated with the people known as Brass Ankles. They then went on to Louisiana and became known as Redbones. As more settlers moved south along the Wilderness Road, the Melungeons were squeezed out of the valley bottomlands and forced to occupy thinner soils on mountain ridges - though the evidence shows that the early Melungeon settlers purchased their lands first, before choosing to occupy them. (source: http://www.virginiaplaces.org/population/melungeon.html)

Melungeon physical traits include dark hair and skin with light-colored eyes; stark contrasts within a single family of skin and hair color; American Indian features; and a particular type of bump or ridge at the back of the head (usually just above the neck). This information can be found on several websites including https://www.familytreemagazine.com/premium/the-mystery-of-the-melun...

Will dated 2 Mar 1726 and proved on 3 Mar 1726: (source: FamilySearch) Will of Gibby Gibson of Charles City Co. , My riding horse to be sold to pay Col. Lightfoot. To Hannah Dennam, my negro boy Jack, for life, and then to my son Gibby Gibson. To wife Fran: my negro girl Vicky, for life, and then to my daughter Fran: Smith To my son in law George Smith, 2 negroes - Sovilaty and Jin. To Hannah Dennam, my negro boy Peter for life and then to my daughter Fran Smith To my son Edward Gibson, my negro Judey, my wearing clothes, carpenters tools, and coopers tools To George Smith, 2 sheets, 2 blankets and a rugg To Tabitha Rollinson, negro girl Nanny. George Smith to take care of my cattle and they are to be divided equally between my wife and granddaughter Sarah Smith. To wife my two working Horses and hoggs. Rest of my estate to George Smith and he to be executor, Dated 2 March 1726/7 Witt: Benja. Moody, Robert Cade, James Blankes Signed: Gibby(G) Gibson Codicil: Negro boy Peter given in will to Hannah Dennam and then to Frances Smith, is to go to my son George Gibson 3 March 1726/27 Wit: by above Moody and Cade Recorded 3 May 1727 Presented by George Smith and proved by above Blanks and Cade. Col. Fran's Lightfoot, Security

BURIAL Sandy Point - Charles City County, Virginia "Here Lyes the Body of Gibby Gibson" VIRGINIA VITAL RECORDS, from the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography Vol. 28, pages: 70-72, The William and Mary College Quarterly and Tyler's Quarterly, page: 13 •ID: I09 7638

There is an area of Charles City County called "Sandy Point". It is a point of land bounded by the James and Chickahominy rivers. According to "80% Heaven Bound" by Sherry Brown Tyler, "It would be most difficult to determine at which place on Sandy Point many of the burials took place." It is BELIEVED that Francis Gibson and Gibby Gibson are buried somewhere in Sandy Point, but an exact location is not known. INFORMATION PROVIDED BY CONTRIBUTOR TOM DUDLEY

Hula-Mikula Family Cemetery

"This small family cemetery is in the middle of a field about 50 yards off a dirt road. A total of 5 tombstones exist. All tombstones were photographed on 7 Feb 2014 and are entered here." (SOURCE: Ancestry.com, Find-a-Grave Index)