William and Richard Champ of the Western Counties of VA
The ancestry of William Champ who in 1784 moved from the
Botetourt Co., area of Virginia to Paint Lick, (present-day)
Garrard Co., KY has alluded researchers for years.
The first record of the name in the area that we have found was
in the Augusta Co., VA List of Tithables for 1755 when a
William Champ is carried as having "No Estate." Source:
Chalkley Archives, Vol II, page 416.
From 1755 to 1771 I have not located any record of a
William
Champ in this area of Virginia. (He was not the
William Champe, 1745-1784, son of Col. John Champe of
Lamb's Creek, King George Co., VA who married Mary Thornton).
In 1771, a William Champ is found on the Clinch River, VA.
Source: Mary B. Kegley, "Early Adventurers on the Western
Waters, Kegley Books, Vol. 2, p. 95.
After 1774, when William Champ is listed as a member of the
Fincastle Co., VA., Militia in Lord Dunmore's War, there are
several records of him in the Augusta/Fincastle/Montgomery Co.,
region of Virginia.
In 1781, two Champs, William and Richard, are listed in Military
District 18, Montgomery Co., VA, which covered the North Fork
of the Roanoke. William Champ was taxed on 360 acres of land
in 1782 in that county. (Note: This is the first and only record I
have
of a Richard Champ in western VA in this period.)
It has not been established that the William Champ in the 1755
Court Records of Augusta County is the same William Champ found
in the area in 1771-84.
What happened to the above William Champ mentioned as being with
"no estate" in 1755? Did he die or did he move out of Virginia?
Here is the new item I have to offer: Recently I found a reference
to a William Champ in a land survey document in Mecklenburg Co.,
NC. dated Feb. 18, 1766 involving North Carolina land grants in an
area
that became South Carolina. He apparently was part of a party under
Surveyor William Dickson, marking out grants for Francis Ross
and James Walker on Turkey Creek, which now may be in
York Co., SC. A John Couch is also part of the surveying team.
Regarding Richard Champ who was in Montgomery Co., VA
in 1781, a man with that name is listed in the 1790 Federal
Census for the Cheraw District of South Carolina. He
has in his household two males above 16, three girls under 16 and
two women (including probably his wife) over 16.
In the War of 1812, Davidson Co., TN a Richard, a William and
a Goldsberry Champ are listed in Captain Haile's Militia Company.
I cannot determine from the information available if there is a
connection between the William and Richard Champs of Virginia
and the men of the same names found in (present day) South
Carolina in 1766 and 1790.
The coincidence of names and places suggests a subject
for future research.
Regards from India, where we are waiting for what is coming next.
In that regard, I would like to say I don't think those awful attackes
did
not arise because terrorists don't like our freedoms. They were
because they don't like our policies. We should at least know what
we are up against and why.
Bob Ballantyne