Thomas Chevers - The Imigrant
b. 1607 - Monkstown, Dublin County, Ireland
d. Feb 7-8 1663-64 - Surry County , Va
Excerpt by Thomas Montgomery
Reference document links for complete versions
Possibly the Thomas, who, with others of the family,
was listed as an officer of the 1649 lot loyal to
King Charles I and King Charles II thus losing his
lands in the Barony of Bargy, County Wexford, by
Cromwellian confiscation.
In the same month and year that his brother was banished
to Connaught, Thomas set sail for the colony of Virginia,
in the ship RICHARD AND BENJAMIN, commanded and outfitted
by Captain John Whitty. They sailed from London and landed
in Lancaster County, Virginia in January, 1654/5. Other
passengers included Thomas Chetwood, Robert Osborne, William
Moult - and Thomas Crowder, who died and left a non-cupative
will witnessed by Thomas Chevers. Crowder's was not the only
death on that long voyage: Seth Hayward, Jr., also died. Seth
left no will nor witnesses to his intent. Both Hayward's and
Crowder's belongings were returned to their heirs by Captain
Whitty.
Thomas Chevers brought with him at least four children:
Thomas, Peternell, Elizabeth and John. His wife appears to have
accompanied him, and they had at least one, if not two, more
children in the New World.
Thomas's son John is the founder of the New Jersey line of Shivers,
his son Thomas (Jr.) is the founder of the Maryland line, and
William is the founder of the Georgia and Carolina lines.
While Thomas's occupation was listed as chirurgeon (surgeon), no
record exists of him studying at any of the known medical schools
of the day. While an archivist at Trinity College, Dublin, stated
that it was likely he studied with a physician rather than in an
academic setting, there is no record of Thomas practicing as a
surgeon in Virginia. By all accounts, he became a landowner and
practiced husbandry.
He was also engaged with community affairs. He does not appear to
have lingered long in Lancaster County. 1658 sees him serving on a
grand jury in Isle of Wight County and by 1660, the approximate year
his son William was born, he purchased land of one Ralph Creed. It
is the purchase of this land that presents us with Thomas Chevers,
planter and practitioner of husbandry "For and in consideration of
two good Young Cowes to be such as shall be chosen by me Ralph Creed
out of ye whole stocke of Tho: Chiffers his cattle upon demand as also
for ye payment of ffower Thousand pounds of good Tobacco and Corke
payable 10th of October next and foure thousand pounds more of like
tobacco and Corke to be paid the 20th day of October thence next
comeing which shall be in ye year 1660 I the said Ralph Creed have
bargained and sold unto Tho: Chiffers...Eleven hundred and odd Acres
of Land At ye head of Sunken Marsh neare upper Chippoakes in Surry
County...to be held by ye said Tho: Chivers..."
It was Thomas's children who eventually settled the spelling of the
name into its current form, Shivers.
It is apparent from the deed quoted above, and from the lack of
evidence of surgical practice, that Thomas had come to this country
equipped much as his brother Walter had been for Connaught: with
family and possibly livestock. Or, he may have used the arrearages
for service granted him (after his migration) under Charles II, if
collected, to purchase livestock. The intent would have been logical:
to start a new life and, as the second son of a second son, to make a
better place for self and family.
Some idea of Thomas's way of life in the New World can be gleaned from
elements of his will quoted by his son William in various land conveyances.
An example is the conveyance of the old Ralph Creed land, the last family
homestead, to Benjamin Harrison on 6 October 1691, which mentions that the
land is sold with "houses, orchards, gardens, woods, ways and waters, with
free privilege of hunting, hawking, fishing and fowling." The phrases well
describe the lifestyle of a 17th century landowner. The mention of orchards
is especially important, as orchards represented an attempt to diversify
from the staple money crop, tobacco. Thomas's grandson, John Shivers of
Maryland, in one lease of land was charged with setting out an orchard (1701
lease from John Cross of Anne Arundel County, Maryland).
Following the restoration of Charles II to the throne, Thomas's uncle in
Ireland applied for and was eventually restored to some of the Chevers land,
most particularly, the land at Killyan. Thomas made no effort to return to
Ireland. He must have been satisfied with his lot in the new world he was
helping to construct. He died, probably, in February 1663/4. His son William
later stated that he had received the Ralph Creed land in his father's will
dated 8 February 1663/4. The will is missing, but probably provided for all
of the children, now scattered: Thomas had gone to Maryland in June 1663 to
work for Benjamin Rozer of Charles County. Peternell followed, being in
Calvert County as early as 1665, transported by Edward Dorsey. John arrived
later, transported by 1675 by Maurice Baker. Peternell has documented
contact with the Quakers of Calvert County, and John likely also joined the
Society of Friends in Maryland. Fox's preachings and that of many other
Quakers were making a considerable stir in the area. Elizabeth remained
behind. Past the age of 14, she was able to choose her own guardian. which
she did. In the papers filed at various times relating to Elizabeth and her
brother William, it is stated that the guardian owed her money to buy a
horse.
She appears to have been caretaker for William, and probably for John.
William would have been an infant or no more than four when his father died:
William was most likely born about April of 1660, able to choose his own
guardian in 1676 and claiming his inheritance in 1681. The date of birth of
John Shivers of New Jersey was estimated at 1650: it could easily have been
1652 or 1654, leaving him a minor at his father's death and establishing the
basis for the later story of the brothers who parted.
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Children
Thomas Chevers "The Younger"
Petronella Chevers
Elizabeth Chevers
John Chevers
William Chevers
Parents
Henry Chevers
Catherine FitzWilliam
Marriages
Unknown Griffin
Documents
Dr. Thomas Montgomery's pg1.
Dr. Thomas Montgomery's pg2.
Census
Military Papers
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