Welcome to the list, John J. Chapman. Many of us are researching Chapman
families from the Winchester, Virginia area. Winchester is located in
Frederick Co., VA, a county which at one time was much larger than it is
today, and even includes some land which is now in West Virginia. What is
the time period you are researching?
To answer your question more directly, there were at least four or five
Chapman families (maybe more) in Frederick Co., VA during the period from
around 1740 to the late 1700s, leaving many children. I am aware of the
following Chapman families in the Winchester area:
(1) Giles and Sarah Chapman were a Quaker family who were in Frederick
Co., VA until the time of the French and Indians War (circa 1754), then
moved to South Carolina. Giles and Sarah had a large family.
(2) William Chapman (son of Thomas Chapman of Ireland) married Elizabeth
Cullen and moved to the Winchester, VA area between 1745 and 1747 and had
the following children: daughter Jean (or Jane) probably born in PA, prior
to move to Winchester; her birth was followed in Winchester, VA area by the
birth of five brothers: George (Captain), 1747; John, 1749; Joseph, 1750;
Thomas, 1752; William, 1754.
(3) Thomas Chapman who was born circa 1740-45 who married Rachel and died
circa 1812, Frederick Co., VA. He had a large family, including sons named
Valentine Chapman (married 1783) and Eli Chapman (d. 1814/15).
(4) Richard Chapman, whose oldest son is Daniel Chapman, and has Edward
Chapman as a son, or much younger brother. Both Daniel and Edward are
found in Wythe Co., VA prior to and during the Revolutionary War. Daniel
and Edward are both noted on a court record in 1761 in Frederick Co., VA,
where Daniel swears that he is the oldest son of Richard Chapman. Edward
witnesses a record with him, then is found also in the Militia in this time
period.
(5) James Chapman (b. ? - d. 1785, Frederick Co., VA) who left a widow
named Jane and is believed to have had the following children: Joseph,
John, Thomas (b. 1753 - d. 1795, m. Sarah Bell), William, Rachel, Nutty,
and a Chapman sister (name unknown) who married Thomas Ballard. Orange
County, VA Tithables, 1743-1782 indicates a James Chapman on the Orange Co.
list in 1766 (along with families who intermarried into this Chapman family
such as Bell, Ballard, Dohony), so it is possible that this Chapman family
moved to Frederick Co., VA after 1766.
Give us a little more information and I am sure that one or more of us on
the list will be able to steer you in the right direction.
Mike Chapman
At 01:08 AM 7/1/2001 EDT, you wrote:
Can anyone provide information about Chapmans in Winchester,
Virginia?
John J. Chapman