What did Wentworth Cheswell do for a living?
Wentworth Cheswell (11 April 1746 – 8 March 1817) was an American assessor, auditor, Justice of the Peace, teacher and Revolutionary War veteran in Newmarket, New Hampshire. Elected as town constable in 1768, he was elected to other positions, serving in local government every year but one until his death.
What role did Cheswell play in the Revolutionary War?
Cheswell's Role in the Revolution. When the American Revolution broke out, the citizens of Newmarket proved zealous supporters of the Patriot cause, and Cheswell was among them. This went against the norm at that time, as most black colonists tended to support the British because they took a more anti-slavery approach.
Why did Wentworth Cheswell fight at the Battle of Saratoga?
The British intended to retake gunpowder and weapons stolen by the colonists from Fort William and Mary. When the American Revolution broke out, Wentworth Cheswell enlisted in Col. John Langdon’s Company of Light Horse Volunteers and fought at the Battle of Saratoga.
Was John Cheswell a good person?
Of course, as we have to remember, Cheswell was no slave, but rather a free, biracial man. Nevertheless, strong pro-British sentiment was common among black communities. Being a reliable Patriot, Cheswell was elected messenger to his town's Committee of Safety.
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What is Wentworth Cheswell most famous for?
In 2008, George Mason University in Virginia declared Wentworth Cheswell to be the first African American elected to public office in the history of the United States.
What is the name of the African American who also warned the Patriots about the British?
John C Abercrombie Creswell carried strategic messages that were essential part of the communications network. One of his notable actions was undertaking the same actions as Paul Revere, warning of the imminent British attack on the same time as Paul Revere. Revere rode West, Creswell rode North.
Who fired the first shot of the Revolutionary War?
Someone fired--no one knows who fired first--and eight minutemen were killed and another dozen or so were wounded. Then the British marched on Concord and destroyed what was left of the store of guns and powder, most of which had been hastily removed by the patriots.
Who actually warned that the British were coming?
Paul RevereThanks to the epic poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Paul Revere is often credited as the sole rider who alerted the colonies that the British were coming.
Who was Wentworth Cheswell?
13. Wentworth Cheswell (11 April 1746 – 8 March 1817) was an American assessor, auditor, Justice of the Peace, teacher and Revolutionary War veteran in Newmarket, New Hampshire. He was of mixed race ( one-quarter African and three-quarters European) and was listed in the census as white. Elected as town constable in 1768, ...
What did Cheswell do for his family?
He also ran a store next to the school house. Cheswell supported his family as a teacher, and was elected and appointed to serve in local government for all but one year of the remainder of his life, as selectman, auditor, assessor, scrivener, and other roles.
How many acres did Wentworth Cheswell own?
In 1765, he purchased his first parcel of land from his father. By early 1767, he was an established landowner with more than 30 acres (12 ha) and held a pew in the meetinghouse. By 1770, he owned 114 acres (46 ha).
What is the spelling of the name Cheswell?
^ Wentworth spelled his surname as "Cheswill", as appears on his New Hampshire historical marker. The original headstone at his gravesite used the "Cheswell" spelling, which is also used by his descendants.
Where was Hopestill Cheswell's land?
The land was located in what was to become the town of Newmarket. Hopestill was the only known child of this union. Hopestill Cheswell earned enough as a housewright to purchase a total of more than 100 acres (40 ha) of land between 1773 and 1749, which he farmed while working as a housewright.
Early life and education
Wentworth was the only child born in Newmarket, New Hampshire to Hopestill Cheswell, a free black of biracial ancestry, and his wife, Katherine (Keniston) Cheswell, a white woman. The senior Cheswell was a master housewright and carpenter who worked mostly in the thriving city of Portsmouth.
Early career
After completing his education, Wentworth Cheswell returned to Newmarket to become a schoolmaster. In 1765, he purchased his first parcel of land from his father. By early 1767, he was an established landowner with more than 30 acres and held a pew in the meetinghouse. By 1770, he owned 114 acres.
Revolutionary War
During the American Revolutionary War, the citizens of Newmarket, including Cheswell, were unequivocally for the patriotic cause. In April 1776, along with 162 other men, Cheswell signed the Association Test. Patriots collected signatures of people opposed to what they considered the hostile actions by the British fleets and armies.
Local leader
After his service in the war, Cheswell returned to Newmarket and continued his work in town affairs. He also ran a store next to the school house.
Legacy
Wentworth's grandfather, Richard Cheswell, a former slave of African ancestry, is the first known resident by that surname in New England; all descendants share his African ancestry, as well as that of his English wife.
External links
This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia ( view authors) .
What did Wentworth Cheswell die from?
Cheswell and other men also founded the Newmarket Social Library, to which he bequeathed his books. Wentworth Cheswell died at age 70 of typhus on March 8, 1817. He and his descendants were buried on his farm. This story about Wentworth Cheswell was updated in 2020. Post navigation.
What was Cheswell's purpose in the Battle of Saratoga?
The British intended to retake gunpowder and weapons stolen by the colonists from Fort William and Mary. When the American Revolution broke out, Wentworth Cheswell enlisted in Col. John Langdon’s Company of Light Horse Volunteers and fought at the Battle of Saratoga.
How many children did Wentworth Cheswell have?
They had 13 children. Their descendants identified as white, and the census listed Cheswell as white. Records of comments by his contemporaries suggest they viewed him as biracial. In 1768, 22-year-old Wentworth Cheswell won election as town constable.
Where did Wentworth Cheswell come from?
Wentworth Cheswell came from a line of free Blacks in Hampshire. His grandfather earned his freedom in 1717 and became the first Black property owner in New Hampshire. His father was a house wright (home builder, i.e. contractor) and built the homes of several of our countries patriot leaders. Some of the homes built by Wentworth’s father were ...
What were the positions of Wentworth Cheswell?
In addition to service to his church, Cheswell held many elected positions, including town constable, town selectman, auditor, assessor, coroner, presiding officer for town meetings, justice of the peace.
What was the significance of Creswell's actions?
Creswell carried strategic messages that were essential part of the communications network. One of his notable actions was undertaking the same actions as Paul Revere, warning of the imminent British attack on the same time as Paul Revere. Revere rode West, Creswell rode North.
Who was the first person to die in the American Revolution?
Focuses on the youth of the Massachusetts slave who, after joining the colonial patriots in their struggle for freedom, was the first man to die in the American Revolution. Crispus Attucks: Black Leader of Colonial Patriots (Childhood of Famous Americans) For additional information on Cheswell, click the link below.
Was Wentworth Cheswell a founding member of the United States of America?
Wentworth was fully vested in the independence of this country! Cheswell served the town of New Market, New Hampshire in many capacities for 70 years. Wentworth Cheswell – Founding member of the United States of America, also rode the same night as Paul Revere.
Overview
Revolutionary War
During the American Revolutionary War, the citizens of Newmarket, including Cheswell, were unequivocally for the patriotic cause. In April 1776, along with 162 other Newmarket men, Cheswell signed the Association Test. Patriots collected signatures of people opposed to what they considered the hostile actions by the British fleets and armies. The abundance of the returns gave the signers of the Declaration of Independence assurance that their acts would be sanction…
Early life and education
Wentworth was the only child born in Newmarket, New Hampshire, to Hopestill Cheswell, a free black man of biracial ancestry, and his wife, Katherine (Keniston) Cheswell, a white woman. The senior Cheswell was a master housewright and carpenter who worked mostly in the thriving city of Portsmouth. Among other projects, Cheswell helped to build the Bell Tavern in 1743 on Congress Street and the John Paul Jones House, originally owned by Captain Gregory Purcell and now a de…
Early career
After completing his education, Wentworth Cheswell returned to Newmarket to become a schoolmaster. In 1765, he purchased his first parcel of land from his father. By early 1767, he was an established landowner with more than 30 acres (12 ha) and held a pew in the meetinghouse. By 1770, he owned 114 acres (46 ha).
Cheswill was first elected to public office in 1768 as the town constable, and later was elected t…
Marriage and family
Cheswell married 17-year-old Mary Davis of Durham on 13 September 1767. Eleven months later, the first of their 13 children was born. Their children were: Paul (1768), Thomas (1770), Samuel (1772), Sarah (1774), Mary (1775), Elizabeth (1778), Nancy (1780), Mehitable (1782), William (1785), a daughter (name unknown) (1785), Martha (1788), a daughter (name unknown) (1792), and Abigail (1792).
Local leader
After his service in the war, Cheswell returned to Newmarket and continued his work in town affairs. He also ran a store next to the school house. Cheswell supported his family as a teacher, and was elected and appointed to serve in local government for all but one year of the remainder of his life, as selectman, auditor, assessor, scrivener, and other roles. In 1778, Cheswell was elected to the convention to draft New Hampshire's first constitution, but he was unable to attend.
Legacy
• In 1820, shortly after Cheswill died, the New Hampshire Senator David L. Morril used him as a positive example of the contributions of mixed-race persons in a speech to the United States Congress regarding the negative effects of discriminatory racial legislation. Morril opposed a bill to forbid mulatto persons to become citizens of Missouri. In his speech Morril noted,
"In New Hampshire there was a yellow man by the name of Cheswell [sic], who, with his family, w…
See also
• List of African-American jurists