Charles Wheeler, Sr.

Abt 1735 - unknown

Died in Buckingham County, Virginia

Very little information other then tithables, tax and land records are known about Charles, Sr. Unfortunately Buckingham Court records were destroyed in a fire in 1869, which was a great loss historically. Marriage records, deeds, wills and other court proceedings were lost.

Buckingham was formed from Albemarle County in May 1761, so over 100 years of records were apparently lost. Buckingham was part of the original shire of Henrico around 1634. Then in the 1728 division it became part of Goochland County and later, about 1744, Albemarle County.

The land record suvey of Buckingham County of about 1779, list Charles Wheeler. In 1813-15 Wheeler property is listed on the north fork of Buffalo Creek which empties into the Willis River in Cumberland State Forest.

Charles Wheeler, Sr. may have died around 1808 (This could be his son, Charles, Jr.). No record is known as to his wife. There were probably other children than those mentioned.

The following is taken from a published work, WHEELER COUSINS, which has the research notes of Jodia Whitten, a descendant of the Buckingham Wheeler, Benjamin Wheeler:

CHARLES WHEELER, probably born about 1730-1735, appears in Buckingham continously over a long period of time, and apparently died there circa 1808. It would seem from Buckingham Co. Tithables of 1773, 1774, Personal Property Tax Lists from 1782-1807 and Buckingham Co. Land Tax Books from 1782 on, that Charles Wheeler had among his children, John, Charles, Jr., Robert, Samuel and possibly James Wheeler. Some of these sons were noted later as having land on Hatchers and Buffalo Creeks and on Willis River. This family of Wheelers appear in various records having to do with Buckingham and Cumberland, descendants spreading to adjacent Cumberland, some going on in later years to Boone, Charition and Linn Counties, Missouri. There is too miuch material to include it all here.

The earliest mention of Charles Wheeler that we have is in Cumberland Order Book, 1764-1767, p. 173: 22 July 1765. Alexander Steel, Pltf. against Benjamin Wheeler, Charles Wheeler and Henry Scruggs, Defts. Because Benjamin and Charles Wheeler were mot inhabitants of Cumberland Co., the suit abated as to them. A clear indication that these two Wheelers lived across the line in Buckinham, and also an indication that there was some sort of relationship between Benjamin and Charles Wheeler.

Buckingham Co., Va. Tithables, 1773, p. 3, Henry Bell's list: Charles Wheler, Joc Wheler, 2 tithables. Same, 1774, p. 11, Henry Bell's list: Charles Wheeler and son John 2 tithables.

Buckingham C., Va. Surveyors Platt Book, 1762-1844, Virginia State Library, Archives Division, shows a survey for Lewis Christian, circa 1779-1780, which platt reveals Charles Wheeler's neighbors on 3 sides to have been Anderson Adcock, Lewis Christian and Archibald Cary. A deed in the Prince Edward District Court records, referred to elsewhere in these notes, also places Archelaus Wheeler adjacent to Charles Wheeler prior to 1781-1782.

In 1797, Randolph Nixon was counted as one of Charles Wheeler, Sr.'s tithables. In 1789, D. Puckie (Puckett?) was listed with him as a tithable, and in 1799, W. Nixon was so listed. The Nixons may have been related to Hughriah and Lurana Nixon who appear in Prince Edward, Cumberland and Buckingham records at least as early as 1755. Of his sons, Charles Wheeler, Jr. and Robert Wheeler appear to have remained in that region. Son Samuel Wheeler appears through 1799 when he moved across the line in Cumberland where he remained.

John Wheeler, a son of Charles Wheeler, Sr., was present in Buckingham in 1773 and 1774 when he was counted as a tithable in his father's household. When Andrew Chaudoin married widow, Sarah Matthews, in Buckingham on 20 Dec. 1786, John Wheeler was the surety. Witness was Matthew Branch, Jr. (Andrew Chadoin [Sarah], Rev. War Pension W2918.) The Personal Property Tax Lists of Buckingham show John Wheeler there in 1783, 1786-17888, 1790, 1795, 1796 and no longer. Pershaps coincidentally a John Wheeler appeared in Bedford Co., Va. Tax lists in 1789 and 1790, as did a James Wheeler (believed to have been from Buckingham). This may or may not be the same John Wheeler.

Possibly a daughter of Charles Wheeler, Sr., Sally Wheeler, "spinster", married John Adcock in Buckingham Co. 13 Feb. 1878. Thomas Pasley, who had married Winney Adcock in 1785, was Surety. ("Some Marriages in the Burned Record Counties of Virginia", Va. Genealogical Society Special Publication No. 4, p. 2.)

The wife of Charles Wheeler, Sr. has not been determined.