John Wheeler
Born:
Died:
Father:
Mother:
Married:
Our Child: William Wheeler

Information below provided courtesy of Joyce Hetrick

John Wheeler-1; William -2; Richard-3; Susannah-4


Supposedly, the first WHEELERs of our line who came to America were a man named JOHN WHEELER-1 and his wife, MARY. They came from England with a man named JOHN DRUMMOND in The Richard, a ship owned by Richard Major. [Wheeler, Wheeler Family History for AD 1066 to AD 1969.] This has not independently verified.

Maryland was granted by King Charles I to Cecilius Calvert, Lord Baltimore, June 20, 1632. The proprietor arrived in February, 1635, and at the head of about 200 Roman Catholics, took possession of the territory which had been granted to him. Lord Baltimore was Catholic, but established religious freedom in his colony, and purchased land from the Indians rather than stealing it. Fifty acres of land were given free to each emigrant. All inhabitants were required to take an oath of allegiance to the king. Slavery was practiced early in the colony and in 1642, there was a war with the Indians which lasted several years. The State constitution was established in 1645 and continued until the American Revolution.

Available records in Maryland list several men named John Wheeler who are about the right age and place to be the one referred to in Wheelers History, but the author was unable to establish which one, if any, was our ancestor. One man was eliminated, however. He died in Charles County, Maryland, and recorded a will November 11, 1693. His will did not mention our ancestor, WILLIAM WHEELER-2. [WILLIAM will be numbered #2, though there is no absolute proof that he is descended from “John Wheeler-1.”]