Individual Details

First born son and grandson, William founded the oldest and largest known line of the third generation, but he died at the early age of 40, within a year of his father, John. Though twice married, William mentions only three sons (John, Jonathan, and William - who ranged in age from 17 to 12 at the time of his death - all three would fight in the Revolutionary War) and a daughter in his will. This daughter, Mary, is not known to have married. By the will she was instructed to care for her widowed grandmother, Mary Smith Chenoweth. Some think there were two additional children: Samuel and Jane, by William's second wife Jane; others dispute their existence, since they are not mentioned in his will. Nothing is known of his 2nd marriage to Jane other than she is mentioned in his will. Who she was or when the marriage took place is unknown. Some researchers in the Carter line feel that Jane was the oldest daughter of James and Hannah Chenoweth Carter, William's first cousin, but proof of this link has not been found. She may have remarried to Jacob Vertrees, an event assigned by Cora Hiatt and others to the alleged daughter Jane. If this is the case, it is likely that Jane and her step-son William traveled to Kentucky together possibly with the Vertrees. These relationships have never been fully determined.
William was born in Baltimore Co., MD where his birth is recorded in the records of St John's Parish. He moved to Frederick County, Virginia, probably before his teens with his parents, where he married his first wife, Ruth Calvert, probably at the Hopewell monthly meeting house in Clearbrook, Frederick Co., VA. The Calverts were Quakers. She is thought to be the daughter of Isaac Calvert and the grand niece of William's grandmother, Mary Calvert, but this is not proven. William's son, William, Jr., did name one of his sons, Isaac Calvert Chenoweth. The name Ruth Calvert is a family tradition and not found in any documentation, though the first name Ruth is from William's will.
Another puzzle regarding William is the land upon which he lived. Shortly before he died, William and his brother, John, were jointly left land by their father's will that was located within Hampshire Co. William in turn sold his divided share that same year to his brother John. William would not have sold his share unless he already enjoyed his own land at the time. There is a record in 1762 in Frederick Co. of William and Ruth selling 90 acres to Henry Switzer in Frederick Co. on Mill Creek and 110 acres to William Boyd but where did William get this land? As there is a not a deed recorded of William's land, one assumption is that he may have received it from his father-in-law on his marriage to Ruth.
William's and Ruth's children are all thought to have been born in Frederick Co., VA where William left his will, though the actual area may have been Berkeley Co., not formed until 1772. The genealogy of this group would be better defined by knowing the date of death for Ruth and the date of marriage to Jane. Little at all is known of what happened to Jane, or how the children grew to adulthood. The three sons would go on to lead very distinct lives in different locations and found remarkable lines. The oldest, John, would settle in Randolph Co., VA (now WV) founding the largest branch of the family that still predominately lives in West Virginia. Jonathan and William went to Kentucky and the families migrated to Illinois, Missouri, Texas, Iowa and the West Coast.

Birth	8 Jan 1731/32	St. John's Parish, Baltimore, Maryland, British America
Marriage	Abt 1754/55	Frederick, Virginia, British America - Ruth Calvert
Will	24 Dec 1771	Frederick, Virginia, United States
Death	Bef 1 Sep 1772	Frederick, Virginia, United States

Spouse	Ruth Calvert (1730 - 1772)
Child	John Chenoweth (1755 - 1831)
Child	Jonathan Chenoweth (1757 - 1822)
Child	Mary Chenoweth (1759 - 1819)
Child	Major William Chenoweth (1760 - 1828)

Spouse	Jane ( - )
Child	Jane Chenoweth (1765 - 1788)
Child	Samuel Chenoweth (1770 - )

Father	John Chenoweth (1706 - 1771)
Mother	Mary M. Smith (1713 - 1773)
Sibling	John Chenoweth (1735 - 1812)
Sibling	Thomas Chenoweth (1737 - 1780)
Sibling	Captain Richard Chenoweth (1738 - 1803)
Sibling	Absolum Chenoweth (1745 - 1773)
Sibling	Mary W. Chenoweth (1748 - 1830)
Sibling	Elizabeth Chenoweth (1750 - 1786)
Sibling	Arthur Chenoweth (1752 - 1828)
Sibling	Rachel Chenoweth (1754 - 1807)

Notes