The following information was assembled from numerous sources and cannot be used directly as proof of Qualifying Service or Lineage.
It is considered a research aid and is intended to assist in locating sources that can be used as proof.
State of Service: VA
Qualifying Service: Patriotic Service
Body lost or destroyed, Specifically: Likely buried on his homestead or a local cemetery-research ongoing
No Find-a-Grave record found - Apr 2021
Directions to Cemetery / Gravesite:
Author: Victor George McMurry
Rowland Horsley Chiles is the third great grandson of Walter Chiles, Sr., of Jamestowne, Virginia. He was the youngest son of Paul Chiles and Anne Horsely. When the war began, he was 15 years old. He supported the Revolutionary War at the age of 22 years, when he paid the 1783 Supply Tax. Rowland married twice, first to Nancy Sandlin, and second to Amelia Frost. Between the two marriages, he had ten children. Rowland died at Anderson County, Tennessee.
Author: Anonymous
The following biography of Rowland Chiles was published anonymously at findagrave.com. I am not the author.
Son of Paul Chiles who died in 1761 in Halifax County, Virginia and his wife Anne Horsley, daughter of Robert Horsley & Frances Bassett.
Rowland's birth is estimated and he may have been born in Albemarle or Henry County, Virginia, as we find records of his father there around the time of his birth. He signed the "10,000 Names" petition in 1776 & if aged 21 or more at that time, I have estimated birth at 1755. The date shown here for his death was found in records from a lawsuit filed by his grandson, James H. Sawyers, located at the Tennessee State Library Archives. I have not found any document showing his exact date of death.
His parents moved to Halifax County, Virginia where we find Rowland mentioned in his father's will:
"Will of Paul Chiles Halifax County, Virginia Transcription by Gloria J. Tune 27 March 2015
Halifax County Will Book O, 1753-1772, pages 129-131
02 September 1761 "In the name of God Amen. I Paul Chiles of Halifax County being in good health, sense and memory do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following.
Item - I give to my son Rowland Chiles, not yet baptized, the remainder part of the land I now live on after my wife's decease, also one hundred and ten acres at the mouth of Buttun(sic) Town Creek, also seventy acres on Sycamore Creek in Halifax County, also a negro boy named Mat, also a negro boy named Essex, all to him and his heirs forever."
~~~~~~~~~ Rowland Horsley Chiles married twice. His first wife was Nancy(said to be Nancy Sandlin) and they had four known children: Major John Chiles; Sarah Chiles Frost; Anna Chiles Frost & Paul Chiles Sr.
08 November 1783 The below deed is located in Pittsylvania County, Virginia Deed Book 7, pages 152-153 William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Volume 16,page 286 Lyon Gardiner Tyler, Richard Lee Morton William and Mary College., 1908 Harvard University Digitized 26 November 2007
"I find that Rowland Chiles, of Henry County, Va., and Nancy Chiles, his wife, sold land in Pittsylvania County, in November, 1783, to Richard Davis; "being the lower part of the land devised the said Rowland Chiles by his father in his will."
24 March 1785 Collier Collator, Volumes 5-7, page 138 Collier Clark Publications, 1989 32. Henry County, Virginia Deed Book 3, page 80 "ROWLAND CHILES. Land along Bartlet Foley's survey line and William Martin's corner. Rowland Chiles' wife Nancy relinquishes her dower."
~~~~~~~~~~~ His second wife was Amelia Frost. They married on 24 Feb 1791 in Washington County, VA & had six known children: Thomas Frost Chiles, Phoebe Chiles Rogers, Elizabeth Chiles Sawyer, Rowland Horsley Chiles, Jr., Henry Chiles & Micajah Chiles.
~~~~~~~~~ The The East Tennessee Historical Society's Publications, page 80 for the Knox County, Tax Year 1806 has a notation for the record of Rowland Chiles as follows: "Died 1825 in Anderson Co., Tenn. Knoxville Register, August 7, 1844". Research is ongoing to locate the site of his burial.
~~~~~~ Partition of lands belonging to Rowland Chiles, deceased..... Anderson County, Tennessee Court Minutes Book 1831-1838, pages 290-291 12 January 1835
Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 15 February 2020), memorial page for Rowland Horsley Chiles, Sr (1755–Aug 1825), Find A Grave Memorial no. 162351958, ; Maintained by Gloria Tune (contributor 46777289) .
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