Shortly before the turn of the 19th Century, I found John CHAPMAN & Molly (Milley) KEATON in Patrick County, Virginia.  I had noticed that there were many families in Cabell County, Virginia and Lawrence County, Ohio from Patick County.  I also found the marriage records there for some of John’s neighbors.  James DEAL had married Mary “Polly” KEATON and William CONNER has married Susannah KENDALL there.  I believe that the parents of Ryland, Mourning, and George KEATON were there too.  It seems that these children’s parents died on the way to Cabell County and that a CHAPMAN family raised them.  I have not been able to substantiate that John Sr. raised them, but because of the KEATON connection, he is a likely prospect.

I don’t know when John, Sr. arrived, but I think it likely that the KEATON, DEAL, CONNER, AND CHAPMAN (prob. others) came together.  I am dating them at 1809 because that is when Mourning KEATON married Lewis HUDSON.

Descendants of John Chapman, Sr.

    1          John Chapman, Sr.   b: 1771 in Va           d: 07 Mar 1858 in Mud River, Cabell Co., WV inf Martha (dau)

..      +Molly (Milley) Keaton   b: 1778 in Va           d: 17 Jul 1853 in Mud River, Milton,  Cabell Co., VA/WV inf John (husb) & Martha (dau)

....... 2      son Chapman           b: Bet. 1802 - 1804 

....... 2      Polly Chapman        b: 1810   

....... 2      Phebe Chapman       b: 1815   

....... 2      daughter Chapman   b: Bet. 1815 - 1820 

....... 2      [1] Benjamin Greenberry Chapman          b: 1816    d: 09 Sep 1871 in Cabell Co., WV- 2nd Dist inf Lucy (MARTIN)- wife

...........                     +Elizabeth Conner   b: 1816    d: 1845 in before 1847 see Wm Conner's Will

.......         *2nd Wife of [1] Benjamin Greenberry Chapman:                  

...........                     +Lucy Martin           b: 1816    d: in Aft. 1880

....... 2      son Chapman           b: Bet. 1820 - 1825 

....... 2      Martha Chapman     b: 1822 in Cabell Co., WV        d: 01 Jul 1868 in Cabell Co.,  WV

...........                     +William Barker      b: 1836   

....... 2      Cynthia A Chapman                b: 1834   

...........                     +George Rose           b: 1831   

....... 2      Minta Chapman       b: 1842 in Cabell Co WV          d: 10 Jan 1927 in Cabell Co., WV - Guyandotte Dist. inf W J Withers (Coroner)

...........                     +James Tazewell Chapman       b: 20 Oct 1838 in Cabell Co., WV            d: 28 May 1926 in Cabell Co., WV