BORN_SHORT ‎22 jan 1631 Derbyshire County, England , DIED_SHORT ‎before 8 jan 1694 Charles County, Maryland‎, at most 63 years
Note: Roman Catholic
Event: Immigrated 1651 Maryland

The Wheeler Family goes back to the early history of Maryland where John Wheeler obtained a patent 10 July 1663 for 4000 acres of land, known as "Wheeler's Choice", in Charles County. (1) An emigrant, he was of the Shropshire, England, Wheelers. (2) In 1676 he was commissioned Captain of Militia, and from 1680-1684 he was Major of the Infantry of Charles County, Province of Maryland. (3) For his services as Captain he was at one time granted 2000 lbs. of Tobacco. (4) In 1685 he was a Justice of Charles County (5) and also served as Commissioner of Port towns.

Major John Wheeler was born about 1631. In a deposition made 22 January 1652, he gave his age as 21 years. (6) In another deposition made 22 October 1691, he gave his age as 61 years. He made his will 11 November 1693, and it was proved 8 January 1694-1695 in Charles County, Maryland. In it he mentions property, "Planter's Delight", "Mayor's Choice", "Middleton's Lot", "Wheeler's Purchase", and "Wheeler's Delight." (7) At the August term of court of Charles County in 1694, Mary Wheeler is named as his widow. (8) In the Charles County land records (9) are found the following births shown below.

n the name of God Amen, I John Wheeler of Charles County being sick of body but in full and perfect memory make & constitute this my last Will and Testament in manner and form as following
Item. I give and bequeath my soul to almighty God the giver thereof hoping to receive a free pardon for all my sins and my body to be decently buried at the direction of my Executor after mentioned, Item. my will is that all my debts Justly due be paid to every person I am indebted to & as for the rest of my Estate I leave it as so forth. Item. I give and bequeath unto my son Thomas Wheeler and his heirs forever two hundred acres of land where he now liveth together with one hundred and thirty acres thereunto adjoining called by the names of Wheelers rest & Wheelers adjoining allsoe I give one great Copper Kettell and one pair of and Irons to my aforesaid son Thomas Wheeler with one Gelldin called by the name of luckett after my death.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my son Ignatius Wheeler to him and his heirs forever all that parcell of Land Called planters delight containing for hundred acres at the end of one year after my death and the decease of my beloved wife Mary Wheeler together with one feather bed & fernerture to be delivered after the decease of my beloved wife aforenamed with one iron pott & pott hooks.
I give and bequeath unto my son Francis Wheeler to him and his heirs forever all that parcel of land Called Magers Chowse being one hundred eighty seven acres together with middletons Loll being ninety six acres thereunto adjoining, allso
I give to my sonn Francis aforesaid the fether bead which I do ly upon with the fornerture thereunto belonging after the decease of my beloved wife aforesaid. Item.
I give and bequeath unto my Grandson John Wheeler the son of my son James Wheeler deceased to him and his heirs forever Two hundred acres of land part of five hundred acres Called Wheelers Purchase beginning at the first bound tree of the Tract for the beginning of his two hundred acres all of my death alsoe I give him one feather bead and furniture and one Iron pott to be delivered at the decease of my beloved wife.
Item. I give unto my Granson James Wheeler the son of my son James Wheeler deceased to him his heirs forever two hundred acres of land itt being the part of the five hundred acores aforesaid beginning at the end of John Wheelers aforesaid.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my gran Daughter Ann Wheeler the daughter of my son James Wheeler deceased one hundred acres of land it being the remainer part of the five hundred acres of land Called Wheelers purchase the other fore hundred acres to ge given to John Wheeler and James Wheeler, to her and her heirs forever alsoe
I give to my Gran Daughter Ann Wheeler one hundred and sixty five acres of land Could Wheelers delight & if the said Ann Wheeler should dye without heirs of her body Lawfully begotten then to fall to Richard Wheeler, the son of my sonn Thomas Wheeler and his heirs forever together with one filey to be delivered at my death and I do hereby anullifie and make void all other former wills by me made making and Constituting this my last Will & Testament. In Witness whereof I doe hereunto set my hand & fix my Ceall this 11th day of November in the year of our Lord God 1693.
The mark of
John J W Wheeler {seal}

He is the only original ancestor of the Maryland branch of the family of whom anything is known definitely. The time of his immigration and the place in Virginia to which he immigrated are matters of conjecture. The Maryland
Archives show that a John Wheeler " denizated " in Maryland in the year 1662. It will be understood that the relations between the Virginia and Maryland Colonies were such that although they were both
of English origin, subjects of one colony could not pass to the other and take up any rights there without going through some " denization " process. There was, however, much going back and forth between the two colonies along the Potomac and the Chesapeake, without referring to such actual systematic colonization as took place un-
der Claibourne, or rather such as brought the contest between the Catholics and Protestants, the latter under the control of Claibourne.

BORN_SHORT ‎9 mar 1631 Saint Mary's County, Maryland, DIED_SHORT ‎9 jan 1694 Charles County, Maryland‎, 62 years