Marmaduke Cheatham

Marmaduke Cheatham’s Will
Marmaduke Cheatham’s will was dated 30 April 1762 and proved four years later on 17 June 1766.7 His wife had left him some time earlier, as his first bequest was this: “I give unto my wife Susanna her maintenance if she will come and live at home.” Son Joseph Cheatham was left “the land and plantation I now live on“, two slave women and a boy, £5 worth of furniture, two cows and calves, a chest of drawers, the “largest looking glass”, and a knife. The will provided that if the slave woman named Cate had another child “at the age of two or three years old he shall give it to my grandson James Cheatham son of John Cheatham“.

Son John Cheatham was given the adjoining 180 acres, on which he was already living. The 300 acres on the south side of the Swamp was divided, the lower half to James Cheatham and the upper half to Benjamin Cheatham. James was also given a slave girl, £5 worth of furniture, and two cows and calves. Benjamin was also given a slave girl “who is now living with him” and a gun “which he now has in his possession”.

His daughters Sarah and Elizabeth were each given a slave girl. His daughter Ann was given a slave girl for her life then to “her son Joseph Simmons”. Elizabeth additionally was given £5 worth of furniture and two cows and calves. To John Dugger son of Lydia Dugger decd” he gave one cow and calf. Finally, a slave girl named Mol was to be sold to pay his debts.

Whatever remained was to be equally divided among “my four sons”. He requested that the estate not be appraised or sold, a tactic typically employed to avoid recording fees. Though he had signed other documents with a signature, the will was signed by mark . It was witnessed by neighbors Joseph Jordan, Henry Jordan, and Mary Jordan.

I find it peculiar that the will disposes of six negro “girls”, two negro “women”, and one “boy” but not a single adult male. Was Benjamin Cheatham operating a business that employed women? Or had he already gifted his male slaves to his children?

Illegitimate Child in 1748?
The bequest to John Dugger, son of Lydia Dugger deceased, is worth exploring. Lydia Dugger was evidently the daughter of Daniel Dugger and his wife Mary Scarborough who lived on land adjoining Marmaduke Cheatham’s tract of the south side of Johnchecohunk Swamp. Her presumed sister Elizabeth Dugger had been cited by the grand jury in April 1746 for having a bastard child, though the charge was later dismissed. Two years later, on 17 May 1748, both “Lidda Duger” and Elizabeth Dugger were two of seven women indicted by the Surry grand jury for having bastard children.8 The Dugger women ignored the court order for more than a year, and on 20 June 1749 “Ledda Dugar” and Elizabeth Dugar were both fined 50 shillings and court costs.9

Then in May 1751 Lydia Dugger was again cited by the grand jury for having a bastard child. Her two illegitimate children were John Dugger and perhaps Alexander Dugger. Illegitimate children took the surname of the mother, so the John Dugger named in the will was apparently the illegitimate child of Marmaduke Cheatham (or perhaps of one of his sons.) Modern Y-DNA analysis confirms that male-line descendants of John Dugger are intimately related to male-line descendants of Marmaduke Cheatham.

One wonders if this affair might have precipitated Susanna Cheatham’s departure from the household — or whether it was Susanna’s abandonment that contributed to the affair. A fictional account of the Dugger family, based on fact but hugely embellished, was published by Lynn Edward Dawson in 2001 as A Better Past: A Family Saga. Although intended as fiction, it offered the opinion that Lydia Dugger had a lengthy affair with Marmaduke Cheatham.

Susanna Rookings Cheatham
For a bit more about his wife Susanna see the paper on her father: William Rookings III

The children are listed in the order in which they appeared in the will. It isn’t clear which of the daughters married a Moring, but he was perhaps Benjamin Moring.

Joseph Cheatham (c1730 – 1782) He first appears in Surry records on 21 January 1755 as a witness to two deeds by Henry Barnes for land adjoining Marmaduke Cheatham.10 His wife was the daughter of Henry Collier, whose 1777 will named among his children Rebecca Cheatham, the wife of Joseph Cheatham, and named Joseph his executor.11 Joseph Cheatham wrote his own will on 20 May 1779, which was proved on 26 March 1782.12 It named his wife Rebecca, daughter Suky Duke Cheatham (Susannah), and (as contingent beneficiaries) his sisters’ children John Simmons, Thomas Simmons, Wiant Moring, Nancy Moring, Suky Moring, and Polly Moring. It also mentioned that his (unnamed) mother was still alive. Benjamin Moring, perhaps his brother-in-law was executor. The widow Rebecca was head of a household of two whites and five blacks in the 1782 state census.
John Cheatham (c1730 – 1789) He first appears in Surry records as a witness to a deed by Jehue Parker on 17 October 1748.13 His will was dated 30 March 1788 and proved 27 January 1789, naming wife Martha, and children James Cheatham, Stephen Cheatham, Nancy Cheatham, Betsey Cheatham, and Sally Cheatham.14 His wife Martha Cheatham was taxed on 180 acres in Surry County in 1790.
James Cheatham (? – 1828) He married Anne Ellis in Sussex County in 1788 and left a will in Surry County in 1828.15 He first appears in Surry records as a witness to the deed to his father. His will names children William E. Cheatham, John Cheatham, Joseph Cheatham, James Cheatham, Stephen E. Cheatham, Nancy and Susan. Another daughter, Polly Collier, predeceased him.
Benjamin Cheatham (c1730 – 1787) See the separate page.
Sarah Cheatham (? – ?) Beyond her appearance in her father’s will, I know nothing further.
Ann Cheatham (? – ?) She married a Simmons and had at least three sons. Her father’s will of 1762 left her the use of a slave for life, which was then to go to her son Joseph Simmons. Her sons John Simmons and Thomas Simmons were named as contingent beneficiaries in her brother Joseph’s 1779 will.
Elizabeth Cheatham (? – ?) Beyond her appearance in her father’s will, I know nothing further.

• https://genfiles.com/cheatham/marmaduke-cheatham-c1700-1766/

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