The Early Chichesters

 One cannot research the Tapscotts of Fauquier Co without including the Chichesters, with whom they have had numerous connections. An old, famed, and well-to-do British family, the Chichesters have been traced back to 1086, when a chap named “Engeler” held land in the manor of Cicestr’ in the County of Sussex in southeast England. The next resident of the manor was Henry de Cicestr’ a name that went to “Cicester” and eventually “Chichester,” and dropped the “de.” A major branch of the Chichester family developed in Devon, and it is from this branch that the line important in Fauquier Tapscott history originated.

The first of that line to come to America was Richard Chichester, one of a confusing number of Richards we will encounter. Our tale’s first Richard was born 5 Mar 1657, baptized eleven days later in Silverton, Devon Co, England, and married to one Anna sometime before 1681 in Widworthy Devon. Richard then traveled to America, where on 11 Jul 1719 he made bond in Lancaster Co, Virginia Colony, to wed Ann Chinn (widow of William Fox), his first wife apparently having died. Ann Chinn was a sister of Rawleigh Chinn Sr., grandfather of Mary Shearman, second wife of Capt. Henry Tapscott of Lancaster Co, giving us our first connection between the Tapscotts and the Chichesters. How about that for a stretch?

The bond for Richard’s second marriage was witnessed by Rawleigh Chinn. John Chichester, Richard’s son from his first marriage, who had traveled from England to Virginia, provided the security. On 14 Apr 1734 in Lancaster Co. our first Richard signed his will, which was probated on 12 Jun 1734. The will made Richard’s grandson, a second Richard, the executor. John Chichester had died by that time.

Parish Church, Widworthy 2007. (Expedia.)

When John Chichester traveled to Virginia in the early 1700s, he left his wife, Elizabeth Symes, and two sons in England. The family had probably been living at Widworthy, Devon, where John had been baptized on 10 May 1681. Several years later Elizabeth and son Richard (that’s number two) joined John in Virginia, but then returned to England around 1726. Elizabeth died there about 1728 and when Richard returned to Virginia, he found his father had also died. The orphaned Richard settled in Lancaster Co, Virginia Colony, where on 2 Jul 1734, he made bond to marry Ellen Ball, a first cousin once removed of Mary Ball Washington, mother of the first U.S. president. Mary Ball’s father, Joseph, was the brother of Ellen Ball’s grandfather William.

Ellen Ball was also a second cousin once removed of Capt. Henry Tapscott’s second wife, Mary Shearman. This very remote connection along with the one mentioned earlier, may have led to Capt. Henry naming one of his sons “Chichester,” an act that resulted in several subsequent Tapscotts also having “Chichester” as a given name. But Capt. Henry may have been stretching things to introduce this highly respected name into his family.

Richard Chichester and Ellen had five children, named in Richard’s 1743 Lancaster Co, Virginia, will—John, Richard, Elizabeth, Ellen, Mary, and Hannah. But it is Richard (the third) who continued the line of interest to us.