<Captain> Charles Wells ^{1 2 3}

  Research Notes:

"Big Wells" line
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The town of Wellsburg, West Virginia, was named after Charles Wells. Its name was originally Charlestown, after Charles Prather.

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From http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=pprokasy&id=I11032:
"Charles and Michal moved to Ohio County in Virginia (which became Brooke County in West Virginia) later to Tyler County, WV. He was a patriot who took the Oath of Allegiance and Fidelity and is listed in D.A.R. Patriot Index, Patriotic Service, Virginia. After the death of Michal, Charles married Elizabeth Prater and, with her, had thirteen more children."
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From RootsWeb.com, William Akin, 7/25/2006 :

Charles Wells (1745-1815)

Charles Wells, born 06 Apr 1745 son of Benjamin Wells and Temperance Butler, married 27 Dec 1764 Michal Owings who died on 17 May 1783, two months after the birth of her 10th child. He then married 24 Jul 1784 Elizabeth Prather, daughter of Charles Prather and Ruth Tannehill. They had 12 children making a total of 22 for Charles. The 20th was named "Twenty Wells" b: 23 Nov 1798 and was described in her father's will. (also mentioned below) as "a helpless child". His 3rd child, Temperance Wells b: 01 Sep 1769 m: 1) Nathaniel Wells (b: 01 Apr 1762) and thus formed one of the Big Wells-Little Wells family bonds. Nathaniel Wells was a son of Alexander Wells and Leah Owings.

Sistersville [West Virginia]
"Charles Wells also had his ties with a town called Sistersville. The exact year that Charles Wells, the first settler of prominence, arrived in the area which is now called Sistersville, is not known. In 1800, he had surveyed a tract of 200 acres on the Ohio River. Charles Wells was a man of prominence, who was involved with the Virginia State Legislature between 1789 and 1810. Sometime around 1802, Wells left Wellsburg in a flatboat and floated down the Ohio River to settle one mile below where Sistersville now exists. In his cargo was the machinery for a horse mill which he established. He built a log cabin just south of where the Sistersville Golf Course is today.

"On May 9, 1813, he acquired four hundred acres of land on which Sistersville and close residential area is located. Soon after the first court of Tyler county was held in his home, Charles Wells died in 1815. His grave has this inscription: "Charles Wells, born April 6, 1745; died April 6, 1815: aged 70 yrs. and ten days; a native of Baltimore County Maryland; immigrated to Ohio County, Virginia, 1776. He was a practical farmer and the father of twenty-two children, two wives, ten by the first and twelve by the second."

"His will provided for each living member of his family. In 1815, the Wells sisters, (Sarah and Delilah Wells Grier) laid out the town on the land which they had inherited. Sistersville hence got its name from the seventeenth and eighteenth children of Charles Wells. The town was incorporated Feb. 2, 1839, under the name Sistersville and in 1845, the municipal government was established.

"Charles died April 16,1815 in Baltimore County, MD."

From the same source:
Charles Wells' Last Will

Tyler Co., W.VA.

Will Book 1, p. 8

Dec. 13, 1814

IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN - I, Charles Wells of Tyler County in the state of Virginia do hereby make this my Last Will and Testament in form, and manner following to wit - After my decease and the payment of all my just debts and funeral charges I do desire the following. I do also leave to my said wife Elizabeth the Mansion House in which we now live with the farm thereto annexed (to wit)-

Beginning at the mouth of Wittens Run, thence with the wagon road leading to the Jug Handle Mill to the upper corner of the Tanyard lot, thence with the Run to the back line, thence with the lines of the Survey that includes said farm to the beginning; with all and singular the appurtenance thereunto belonging; with the rents, issues, and profits thereof, during her continuance of Widowhood as aforesaid.

Item 2. To my son Charles P. Wells he being already provided for, it is my will that he have nothing of my estate either real or personal, except whatever after my decease my said wife may gratuously give him out of the part intrusted to her disposal.

Item 3. To my son Nicholas Wells, he being already provided for, it is my will that he have nothing more of my estate either real or personal except whatever after my decease my said wife may gratuously give him of the part intrusted to her disposal.

Item 4. To my son Peregrine Wells I bequeath the two Tracts of Land I purchased from John and Ezekiel Clemons lying on the Long Reach; one adjoining the lands of William Johnson and Thomas Cochran, and the other the Lands of William John

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From Inhabitants of Baltimore County 1763-1774, pp. 16-23:

"INDEX TO AQUILA HALL'S ASSESSMENT LEDGER, 1762-1765

Aquila Hall was High Sheriff of Baltimore County and after Harford County separated from Baltimore County in 1773 he was appointed Colonel of Militia and one of the Lord Justices of the new county of Harford from 1774 to 1779. While serving as Sheriff of Baltimore County he compiled a tax assessment ledger of 145 pages which named 1,380 persons, their land tracts, and their assessments... Its index contains the following names...

"William Cockey,... Joshua Cockey,... Edward Cockey,... John Hammond Dorsey,... Caleb Dorsey, Bazil Dorsey, Edward Dorsey,... Caleb Dorsey,... Richard Dorsey,...John Dorsey,...Samuel Owings,... John Owings, Joshua Owings,... Sarah Owings,... Stephen Owings,... Samuel Owings,... Elijah Owings,... Henry Owings,... Christopher Randell,... John Ridgley,... Charles Ridgley, Jr.,... Capt. John Stinchcombe,... Nathan Stinchcombe,... Edmund Talbott, Thomas Talbott,... Philip Thomas,... Edward Talbott,... Samuel Underwood,... Benjamin Wells,... James Wells,... William Wells, James Wells, Jr.,... Charles Wells,... Elex Wells..."

Ibid., p. 1-3:

"A List of Taxables in St. Thomas Parish in the Year 1763

The Tax List of 1763 for St. Thomas Parish was found by William N. Wilkins in 1959 in the Harford County Historical records on loan at the Maryland Historical Society. (Harford County was part of Baltimore County until 1773.) ... This 1763 tax ledger shows the names of the various parties against whom charges were made for apparent church and county support and other sundry charges... The notation 'run' meant that the person named had left before paying his full charges.

Soldiers Delight Hundred, 1763

[Among those listed are:]
Owings, Thomas
Owings, Joshua
Owings, Joshua Jr.
Owings, Stephen
Owings, Henry
Stinchcomb, John
Stinchcomb, Nathaniel
Wells, Thomas
Wells, John
Wells, Benjamin
Wells, Charles

Ibid., pp. 27-41:

"JOPPA COURTHOUSE PETITION OF 1768

"The petitions for and against the removal of the county seat of Baltimore County from Joppa to Baltimore Town in 1768 are discussed at length in the Archives of Maryland, Vol. 61 (Appendix). Notices were posted in January, 1768 at the door of the courthouse in Joppa, at the church door of St. Paul's Parish, at the church door of St. Thomas' Parish, at the church door of St. John's Parish, at the church door of St. George's Parish, at the door of the chapel of St. George's Parish, at the door of the chapel of St. John's Parish, and at the house called St. Thomas' Chapel in St. Thomas' Parish, by Absalom Butler and sworn to before the Honorable Benjamin Rogers. Notices were printed in English and German. Tabulations indicate that 2,271 voted for the removal of the courthouse, and 901 voted against it. (It should be noted that some signatures are missing due to the disintegration of the paper, and there also appears to be some who signed more than once.) Five years later, Harford County separated from Baltimore County and set up its court house at Bush (Harford Town) in 1774 and at Bel Air in 1782.

"SIGNERS FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE COUNTY SEAT TO BALTIMORE TOWN (1768)...

"...Thomas Cockey...Joshua Owings...Charles Ridgely... Samuel Owings... John Cockey... Benjamin Wells, Charles Wells... George Wells... Caleb Warfield, Nathaniel Stinchcomb... William Coale...Christopher Randall, Jr.... J. Cockey Owings... William Wells, Jr.... William Wells...Edward Talbott... Edward Cockey... Benjamin Talbott... Charles Ridgely (son William)... Elisha Dorsey... Alexander Wells, Nathaniel Owings...Nathaniel Stinchcomb, Sr....Lott Owings... Anthony Arnold... Richard Owings... William Cockey... John Talbott (son Edward)... Richard Owings... William Slade... Edward Talbot... Vachel Dorsey... Christopher Owings, Richard Owings... Edward Dorsey (son John)... Lancelott Dorsey, Charles Dorsey (son Nathan), Ely Dorsey... Henry Dorsey...Samuel Dorsey, Jr.... Joshua Owings, Jr.... Samuel Owings... John Wells... Thomas Owings... Henry Butler... George Dorsey...

"SIGNERS AGAINST THE REMOVAL OF THE COUNTY SEAT TO BALTIMORE TOWN (1768)...

Greenbury Dorsey, Jr....William Wells..."

Ibid., pp. 89-93:

"TAXABLES IN ST. PAUL'S PARISH, BALTIMORE COUNTY, IN 1774

"This list of taxables is recorded in Reverend Ethan Allen's book entitled Historical Sketches of St. Paul's Parish in Baltimore County, Maryland which he compiled in 1855. A copy is available in the Maryland Historical Society Library in Baltimore. Each person named therein is followed by a number which represents the number of taxables in his house. This list, in 1774, ony gives the household head by name. The list also contains names of persons in Rev. Dr. West's list in the year 1786/7, and these names (marked with an * asterisk) appear to have been in St. Paul's in 1774 as well.

"BALTIMORE WEST HUNDRED [in 1774]

"James Marshall, drayman - 1,...Philip Thomas, bricklayer - 1,... Capt. Charles Wells - 1,...

Ibid., p. 104:

"PATAPSCO UPPER HUNDRED IN 1774

"...Dorsey's Forge - 25,... *Edward Dorsey. ...Elizabeth Owings - 1, Henry Owings ('taken before') - 2, Meshack Owings - 5, Caleb Owings - 3,... *Joshua Owings of John. ... Charles Ridgely of William - 10,... Benjamin Wells, Jr. - 3,... *John Wells, ... *Captain Charles Wells,...

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The "Charles Wells" below may be a different individual:

Ibid., pp. 62-65:

"LIST OF TAXABLES IN GUNPOWDER UPPER HUNDRED, BALTIMORE COUNTY, TAKEN BY SUTTON GUDGEON, 1773

[Among those listed are:]

Dulany, Walter, at Qtr. and Charles Wells, Overseer; Samuel Chuen; Joseph West; Peter Hickby; Negroes: Simon, Punch, Cesar, Joe, Will, John, Jack, Phil, Dol, Rachel, Bec, Hegar, Sal

Ridgly, Charles (Qtr); Robert Shaw; William Taylor; Timothy Wren; George Ogle; William Gilburn; Richard Harvey; Negroes: Ben, London, Cesar, Farar"

  Burial Notes:

Grave inscription reads:
"Charles Wells, born April 6, 1745; died April 6, 1815: aged 70 years. and ten days; a native of Baltimore County Maryland; immigrated to Ohio County, Virginia, 1776. He was a practical farmer and the father of twenty-two children, two wives, ten by the first and twelve by the second."

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation: Farmer.

• Emigrated: from Baltimore County, Maryland to Virginia, 1776, Ohio Co., (West) Virginia, (United States).

• Served: in the Virginia State Legislature, Between 1789 and 1810, (West) Virginia, United States.

• Surveyed: a tract of 200 acres on the Ohio River, 1800, (West) Virginia, United States. The area is now called Sistersville, West Virginia.

• Relocated: from Wellsburg to the area on the Ohio where Sistersville now exists, 1802, (Sistersville), (West) Virginia, United States. Travelled by flatboat down the Ohio River.

• Settled: on the Ohio River 1 mile below where Sistersville now stands, 1802, Tyler Co., (West) Virginia, United States.

• Purchased: two tracts of Land from John and Ezekiel Clemons, lying on the Long Reach, Abt 1812, <Tyler>, (West) Virginia, United States.

• Purchased: 400 acres on which Sistersville is located, 9 May 1813, Tyler Co., (West) Virginia, United States.

• Will, 13 Dec 1814, Tyler Co., (West) Virginia, United States.

Charles married Michal Owings, daughter of Joshua Owings and Mary Cockey, on 27 Dec 1764 in St. Thomas Church, Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, United States. (Michal Owings was born on 12 Feb 1745 in Baltimore Co., Maryland, (United States) and died on 17 May 1783 in <Ohio (Brooke), (West) Virginia>, United States.)

  Marriage Notes:

Source: FamilySearch.org - St. Thomas Church, Baltimore

Charles next married Elizabeth Prather, daughter of Charles Prather and Ruth Tannehill, on 24 Jul 1784. (Elizabeth Prather was born on 1 Jul 1765 in Frederick, Maryland, (United States), died on 20 Apr 1845 in Tyler Co., (West) Virginia, United States and was buried in Wells Cemetery, Sistersville, Tyler, (West) Virginia, United States.)