Thomas Chevers (c. 1630[2] – 1664)[3][4][1] was an Irish-born Virginia landowner and surgeon who practiced husbandry. Born into the Anglo-Irish gentry, he was a trained surgeon, who filled the position of archivist at Trinity College Dublin; he fled to the American colonies—becoming a landowner there—at the advent of Cromwellian settlement in Ireland, which had ended his family's prosperity on the island.
Thomas Chevers | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1630 |
| Died | 1664 (aged 33–34)[1] |
| Era | Colonial America |
| Children | 4 |
Background
editThomas Chevers was born around 1630 in Dublin, Ireland, to Anglo-Irish parents, John Chevers and Catherine FitzWilliam.
Being Anglo-Irish, the Chevers family, originally from England, had settled in Ireland, where they acquired estates and became established in local society. The family's landholdings were greatly affected by the Cromwellian settlement, which led to widespread land confiscations from Anglo-Irish families. Consequently, the Chevers family chose to emigrate, eventually settling in the American colonies.[4]
Settlement in Virginia
editUpon migration, Thomas Chevers's occupation was recorded as a "chiurgeon" (surgeon) upon his arrival in Virginia; there is no evidence of his formal medical training or practice in the colonies. He was also reported to previously be an archivist at Trinity College Dublin.
On May 20, 1659, Thomas Chevers purchased approximately 1,100 acres of land from Ralph Creed in Surry County, Virginia.[3] The land was described in the deed as including "houses, orchards, gardens, woods, ways and waters." Chevers's land was situated near Sunken Marsh and was previously occupied by Richard Hill.
His arrival in Virginia was said to have been accompanied by family and livestock. He engaged in agriculture and husbandry, including the cultivation of orchards.
Chevers also actively participated in local affairs, including serving on a Grand Jury in Isle of Wight County in June 1658.[4]
Family and later life
editThomas Chevers died in 1664 in Surry County, where he had been residing since his initial arrival in the New World; his will, though missing, was dated February 8. Following his death, his children were left orphans, and they later dispersed. His son William claimed his inheritance in 1681;[1][5] his daughter Petronella and his son John later settled in Maryland, where they were involved with local Quaker communities. Their surname would go on to be spelled in a variety of alternative ways, including Shivers, Chivers, Cheevers, and Chavis.[4][3]
References
edit- ^ a b c Shivers, Marcus O. (1950). Shivers genealogy. Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center. Salt Lake City, Utah, Desert News Press. pp. 294–296.
- ^ Saga of Southern Illinois. Genealogy Society of Southern Illinois. 1998. p. 38.
- ^ a b c Heinegg, Paul (1994). Free African Americans of North Carolina and Virginia: Including the Family Histories of More Than 80% of Those Counted as "all Other Free Persons" in the 1790 and 1800 Census. Clearfield Company. p. 153. ISBN 978-0-8063-1430-3.
- ^ a b c d "CHEVERS/SHIVERS FAMILY: CHRONICLES AND CONNECTIONS". freepages.rootsweb.com. Retrieved 2024-09-15.
- ^ Davis, Eliza Timberlake (1980). Surry County records, Surry County, Virginia, 1652-1684. Internet Archive. Baltimore : Genealogical Pub. Co. pp. 115–116. ISBN 978-0-8063-0904-0.