Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Genealogy Report: Descendants of Captain John Chancellor

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Descendants of Captain John Chancellor

Generation No. 1

1. Captain John² Chancellor (Unknown¹)^1,² was born Abt. 1650 in Shieldhill, Lanarc Co., Scotland, and died WFT Est. 1694-1778 in Somerset Co., MD. He married (1) Abigail Harringdon October 24, 1676. She was born Abt. 1653, and died Unknown. He married (2) Margaret Unknown^3,^4,⁵ WFT Est. 1680-1733 in MD. She was born Abt. 1670, and died WFT Est. 1694-1784 in MD.

Notes for Captain John Chancellor:
FamilyTreeMaker.GenealogyLibrary.com;Genealogies of Early Virginia;Pg703-723;Book "The Chancellor Family," written by George Harrison Sanford King:Date of Import 02/01/02:
.....The founder of the Chancellor Family was M. Gaultier, a French law officer of the crown, who crossed over into England at the time of the Norman Conquest, 1066, with William the Conqueror. At that time he wrote his name "Gaultier, le Chancelier," to indicate his position as Chief Law Officer of the Crown. Subsequently his descendants dropped the surname of "Gaultier" and assumed successively that of Le Chancelier, Le Chanceler, Le Chancelour, Chancelor, and finally after the 14th century the name was written as Chancellor.
.....The Virginia Chancellor's descend from the Scottish branch of the family. George Chanceler had land confirmed to him in the county of Lanark, Scotland, in the reign of Henry IV. It is believed that the Virginia Chancellor's are descended from him.
.....The first of the name in America was Captain John Chancellor, who settled in Somerset Co., MD about the year1682. He had been a soldier in the service of King Charles II of England, with the rank of Captain, but being a zealous Whig and devoted to the Protestant religion, he joined the party of Manmouth, Essex, Russel, Sidney, and others who were disposed to raise the nation in arms against the encroachments of the government of Charles, upon the established Church of England. The plot being discovered, Captain Chancellor found it necessary to escape by flight the penalty of death, which was prefigured in the fate of Essex, Russell and Sidney and accordingly immigrated to America. It is traditional in the family that Captain Chancellor was present at the rout of Bothwell Bridge in Scotland.
.....Captain Chancellor, as above stated, settled in Somerset Co., MD and on November 28, 1689 (Maryland Archives, Vol. 8, page 139) he signed a letter to the King from the inhabitants of that county, signing his name "John Chanceller." Captain Chancellor brought with him to America his Bible, which has been handed down in the family and is now said to be in the possession of the children of Mr. Chancellor Cook of Pomona, CA. Captain Chancellor also brought with him his sword and a treatise on military tactics, both of which were burned when the home of Rev. Melzi Sanford Chancellor in Spotsylvania Co. was destroyed during the Civil War.

NOTE:The above information is a direct quote from "The Chancellor Family" book, written by George Harrison Sanford King, 1301 Prince Edward Street, Fredericksburg, Rockbridge Co., VA. Mr. King has written a wonderful book on the Chancellor's and everyone interested in the Chancellor line should read this book.

There is a large portion of my information which came from the book "The Wroe & Chancellor Families" by William Clarke Wroe. This book completed and corrected Mr. Harrison Sanford Kings earlier book and gives a much more in depth account of the Wroe and Chancellor families. This is a wonderful book and I would recommend it for any Wroe or Chancellor descendant. The following is a direct quote from Mr. William Clarke Wroe's book.

"At some time prior to January 30, 1672, John Chansler was the indentured servant of one Jarvis Balard, who sold all rights and title (to John Chanseler) to one Alexander Jamison for a period of four years, effective as of October 10, 1672. This sale was witnessed by Johell Taylor. Upon the death of Alexander Jamison, his widow married one Richard Kimball, thus, bringing John Chansler under indenture to Kimball. Also, in the servitude of Richard Kimball was a woman named Abigail Harrington (also spelled variously as Harringden or Arrington).

On March 10, 1673, John Chancellor, Johell Taylor and Abigail Arrington were indicted by a grand jury in Somerset Co., MD, and were convicted for having committed the crime of fornication. For this John was awarded "....twenty lashes well laid on upon his bare back" and Abigail, "....twenty lashes well laid on upon her bare shoulders."

Johell Taylor, also indicted for having committed fornication with Abigail Arrington, was not present on March 10th and his trial was set for a later date. On June 9, 1672, Johell Taylor again failed to appear and someone was assigned to assure his appearance on the day the court would next meet. On that date, Johell Taylor was present, but the court ruled that there was no evidence to prove the charge against him (the witness did not appear) and the case was dismissed.)

On March 10, 1675, in a civil suit before the court of Somerset Co., MD, Richard Kimball and his wife charged that, "....the said John Chancellor & Abigail Harringdens continuance in evill contrary to the laws of god & this Province continewing in fornication and this resulted in "....loss of time inability of service charges after delivery from child birth." Since the activities of John and Abigail had caused Kimball to suffer the occasional loss of their services, Kimball was requesting satisfaction; whereupon, the court ordered that "....John Chansler and Abigail Harringden doe pay unto Richard Kimball or his order two hundred pounds of tobacco a piece for satisfaction for his trouble and charge".

On November 10, 1675 (the same day as the above case), the Somerset Grand Jury indicted "....Abigail Harringden, servant to Richard Kimball. Abigail pled guilty to the charge that she had given birth to a
"bastard chilld," and had named John Chansallour as the father, to which he admitted; "....whereupon this court orders said John Chansellour & Abigail Harringden have twenty lashes a piece well laid upon the bare back which was executed accordingly."

On October 24, 1676 "....before y Justices then setting were published y banes of matrimony between .... John Chancelleur & Abigail Harringdon both of wiccomocoe hundred in this County." The reader will note that the period of indenture to Richard Kimball, which began in January 1672, had now ended.

More About Captain John Chancellor:
Military service: Captain in Militia in England before coming to America.

Child of Captain Chancellor and Abigail Harringdon is:

Mary³ Chancellor, born 1675; died Unknown.

Children of Captain Chancellor and Margaret Unknown are:

	3	i.	William³ Chancellor ⁶, born WFT Est. 1683-1737; died WFT Est. 1700-1814.
+	4	ii.	Thomas Chancellor, born July 05, 1691 in Somerset Co., MD; died March 1761 in Westmoreland Co., VA.
	5	iii.	Elizabeth Chancellor, born March 29, 1694; died Unknown.

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