Genealogical Record: Robert Smith Chew

Self	Parents	Grandparents	GGParents	GGGParents
Robert Smith Chew Court Clerk *1779 09 26 Spottsylvania Co., VA, USA +1826 11 02 Succeeded his father as Clerk of the Hustings Court for the Town and Corporation of Fredericksburg, some of whose signed certificates 1812 07 14-1820 02 26 survive. Is listed at LDS IGI 442426.35.25657. Month and date of birth and death from findagrave.com, which lists interment at Masonic Cemetery, Fredericksburg VA, is source of father-in-law's profession and gives date of marriage as 1802-10-20. S. Bassett French confirms career. but gives date of death as 1825-11-23. Dora C. Jett (see RBC 14139) gives the text of his tombstone, confirms his date of death, says his will was dated 1821-10-17 and left property to his wife, his sister and his sons RSC 10043, JJC 11661 and an unknown son George French Chew. I would very much like to see this will. RLC 14093 gives year of marriage as 1802. 10051	John Chew *1753 +1806 02 12 Interred at Masonic Cemetery, Fredericksburg, VA, USA [findagrave.com; Dora C. Jett cf. RBC 14139]. Tombstone gives date of death and age (53) at death. Jett adds that he was the first of four generations that held the post of clerk of the Hustings Court (a/k/a the General Court or Corporation Court) of Fredericksburg from 1787 to 1886. He was a vestryman in St. George's Church in 1803. His will dated 1805 mentions his wife ES 10068, his son RSC 10051, his daughter MBC 16260 and grandon JJC 11661 (who received "my gold watch and chain and gold seal in token of my love and affection for him"). The existence of a miniature portrait is mentioned in an article in the Free Lance-Post, which also mentions that he was clerk of the Fredericksburg Court 1787-1806. USGenWeb mentions that he was succeeded as Clerk of the General Court on his death in 1806 by a Robert Hening. Mentioned in S. Bassett French's biographical sketches. A portrait, possibly the one mentioned above, can be found at findagrave.com, catalogued in the Frick Art Reference Library. 10067 <86:8	Robert Chew *1730 Fredericksburg, Spottsylvania Co., Virginia +1778 04 28 Middlesex, VA, USA From RLC 14093. LDS: 145V 0CN. 10069 <127:9	John Chew 1701/1705-1756 06 26 10073 <163:10	Larkin Chew 10301 <620:11 >26:18
			John Chew 1701/1705-1756 06 26 10073 <163:10	Hannah Roy 10302 <620:11 >5:3
			Margaret Beverley 1704/1709- 10074 <163:10	Henry (Harry) Beverley 10311 <271:11 >7:3
			Margaret Beverley 1704/1709- 10074 <163:10	Elizabeth Smith 10312 <271:11 >4:3
		Mary (Molly) Perrott Possibly the Mary Perrott born 1733 08 18 to Henry Perrott and Rachel ?, christened 1733 09 23 at Christchurch, Middlesex, Virginia, mentioned in an LDS IGI record. Or could be the one born to Henry Perrott in 1730 in Virginia, married to someone in 1752. Or the one born in 1731 to Henry Perrott in Middlesex, Virginia. 10070 <127:9	Henry Perrott 1706-1753 10075	Richard Perrott 10083 >6:2
			Henry Perrott 1706-1753 10075	Sarah Pitts 10084 >2:1
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	Elizabeth Smith *1759 +1806 05 21 Interred at Masonic Cemetery, Fredericksburg, VA, USA [findagrave.com; Dora C. Jett cf. RBC 14139]. Tombstone gives date of death and age (47) at death. 10068 <86:8	John Morris Smith *1701 +1761 Middle name and birth year from Ancestry. 10071	John Smith 1650-1720 110427	?
			John Smith 1650-1720 110427	Mary Debnam 110430
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		Mary Chew *1736 Married to Oliver Towles at the time of her father's death. 10072	Larkin Chew 1708-1770 03 27 10077 <94:10	Larkin Chew 10301 <620:11 >26:18
			Larkin Chew 1708-1770 03 27 10077 <94:10	Hannah Roy 10302 <620:11 >5:3
			Mary Beverley -1704 10078 <94:10	Henry (Harry) Beverley 10311 <271:11 >7:3
			Mary Beverley -1704 10078 <94:10	Elizabeth Smith 10312 <271:11 >4:3

Spouse	Children	Children-in-Law	Grandchildren
Elizabeth (Betsey) French *1783 +1842 10052 <12524:79 m. 1805	George French Chew From RLC 14093, who only mentions him as a son of his father. 110435
	Ann E. Chew From RLC 14093, who only mentions her as a daughter of her father. 110438
	John James Chew Court Clerk *1801/6 Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania Co., VA, USA +1870 (1850 Fredericksburg census, Microfilm 977, pp. 368-369, Family #504, Dwelling #504) Clerk of Circuit Court. Value of Real Estate $2700. Children?: Ann M. (20), Robt. (22), Ellen H. (12), Hugh (8), Eliza (6), M.H. (3, female). Others listed: Eliza French (65, Real Estate $5000), George F. Chew (42, Clerk Dep.), George Minor (42), Ann E. Minor (39), John Minor (8). Name appears on several court documents (probate documents for Charles Lewis, 1834 07 10, 1834 12 06). Marriage listed in Fredericksburg Circuit Court records. S. Bassett French says that he was the clerk of the Corporation Court of Fredericksburg 1826-70, "with an interim of two Years in reconstruction times". 11661	Eleanor Anne Patton 1805-1890 In LDS records with a birthdate of 1809. Is listed as Ellen in Fredericksburg marriage records, Ellener in 1850 Census (see JJC 11661). MMA 14240: she was the daughter of Scottish immigrant Robert Patton (1745-1828) and his wife Anne Gordon Mercer. Her brother John Mercer Patton (1797-1858) was General George S. Patton's great-great-grandfather. Was married first to a George Long. Listed in 1880 Census, see RSC 13745, which is source for her state of birth. 11662 m. 1825 Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, VA, USA	Anne Mercer Chew 13742
			Robert Stanard Chew 13745
			Ellen Patton Chew 13748
			Hugh Patton Chew 13751 >3:1
			Elizabeth French Chew 13762
			Margaretta Herndon (Maggie) Chew 13764
	Robert Smith Chew Civil servant *1811 11 04 VA, USA +1873 08 03 Washington, DC, USA $[portrait from painting of signing of Alaskan treaty]$ Brief biography listed in Appleton's 1886 Encyclopedia, is mentioned elsewhere for his roles as aide to Seward (was present at signing of Alaskan treaty in 1867, painted by Emanuel Leutze, an excerpt of which is shown above) and wartime special messenger for Lincoln. 1834 07: Joined State Department (according to sworn testimony, p. 117 of Congressional Globe, 40th Congress, 2nd Session at memory.loc.gov) 1844 03 02: Is mentioned in National Intelligencer as an Assistant Marshal on horseback at the funeral for the late Secretary of State, the Hon. Abel P. Upshur, killed when a gun aboard the USS Princeton exploded during a demonstration. 1861 04 06: Carried a famous message (which survives, and can be viewed at memory.loc.gov) from Lincoln to Governor Pickens at Charleston. 1866 07: Promoted to Chief Clerk of the State Department. 1868 04 04: Testified before Senate in impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson (memory.loc.gov). 1880: widow listed in Washington, DC, USA census. Should investigate Seward papers at U of Rochester. Library of Congress has some correspondence with Hamilton Fish as part of the latter's archives (LC mm 78020602). According to family lore, when his brother was captured in the Civil War, RSC negotiated his release into house arrest at RSC's home. 10043	Elizabeth Ringold Smith 1815 03 24-1899 02 23 Listed in 1880 Census of Washington, DC, USA as widowed, living with sons Robert, John and Walter, sister Louisa and servants Kittie Walker, Caroline Green and Elenora Buckner. A portrait of her, painted by Charles Bird King, is in the online collection of the Smithsonian, their object #DC990444 Some sources spell her middle name Ringgold. JJC 10005 had her birth year as 1818. Buried at Chapel Hill, Lot 538, Oak Hill Cemetery, Washington, DC. 10044 <2164:81 m. 1842 01 26	Richard Smith Chew 11933 >7:2
			Elizabeth Ring(g)old Chew 11936
			Harriet (Hallie) Patterson Chew 11938
			Robert Smith Chew 10021 >53:5
			John James Chew 11637 >2:1
			Louis Forsyth Chew 11943
			Walter Hill Chew 11639
			Leonard Covington Chew 11945 >1:1

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