This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list.
Author: D_Nazelrod
Surnames: Chaney/Cheney, Tutwiler
Classification: queries
Message Board URL:
http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.chaney/1115/mb.ashx
Message Board Post:
On 20, 22, 24 November 1804, Catherine & Jacob Tutwiler are said to have made
depositions in Washington County, Maryland, in which they swore that John and Nathan
Cheney/ Chaney were the sons of Charles Cheney, who died in 1781, and that they had both
died in 1783 of smallpox, naming John's issue as Rachel, Nancy, Susannah (who died
before 1804), Molly, Elizabeth, Ezekiel, John and Thomas, and Nathan's issue as Isaac,
Martha, Jesse, Molly, Rebecca, Thomas and John.
Catherine Tutwiler(Detwiler) was the widow of Richard Cheney, John and Nathan's first
cousin, who had married Tutwiler in 1800. She would have been in a position to have known
these facts. These depositions were supposed to have been made in evidence of a chancery
court case for the settlement of the "Cheney's Delight" tract of land which
was in dispute at the time Charles Cheney died.
I first learned of these depositions in 1998 from two long-time, dedicated Cheney
researchers, Miss Margaret Neal and Mrs. Delma Chaney McCourt. Mrs. McCourt had written
two books on the Chaney families of Ohio, and Miss Neal was an active genealogist for the
DAR and answered queries for the Maryland Genealogical Society at the Maryland Historical
Society. Unfortunately, both of these researchers were nearing the end of their work and
their standards for documentation were not what they had been. Over several months of
correspondence it became evident that they weren't sure from where they had received
this information. With the help of the Internet, I was finally able to contact two of the
possible sources of this information, Ms. Constance Robbins, of California, and Ms. Linda
Carbaugh Poffinberger of Florida. Ms. Poffinberger had done Cheney research in Washington
County for Ms. Robbins, and although both generously shared information with me, neither
knew anything about !
this deposition.
Both Mrs. McCourt and and Miss Neal insisted that the deposition was in aide of the
settlement of the "Cheney's Delight" tract of land, and Chancery Case #804.
In pursuit of this, I purchased the entire files of #804 and while it does make reference
to depositions being taken, there were no depositions included in the evidence in this
file. I also hired a professional researcher who spent time at the the Hall of Records and
was unable to find this record. Unfortunately, Washington County Chancery records between
1800 and 1815 are unindexed, which makes it harder to find something from this time
frame.
Mrs. McCourt lastly attributed the discovery of this record, in a 1999 letter, to a Mrs.
Helen M. Seibold/Seebold of Rockwell, Maryland, but reported that she was deceased.
I would very much like to locate some concrete documentation/verification on the existence
of this deposition. If anyone knows of, or has seen this record, or knows anything about
the research work of Ms. Helen M. Seebold of Rockwell, Maryland, and the deposition of her
papers after her death, I would greatly appreciate hearing from you.
Thank you for reading this lengthy query and for any help you may be able to offer me in
this search.
Important Note:
The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply
to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.