Chincoteague Maps and Other Information - Chincoteague History Notes

Chincoteague, a beautiful Island by the sea, is part of the Eastern Shore of Virginia, that peninsula which bounds the Chesapeake Bay. The Island, which is nine miles long by perhaps a mile and a half wide, is sheltered not only by the long mainland to the west, but to the east by Assateague, an island running up through Maryland, and is connected with the mainland by a five mile causeway and bridges. This little island town of about four thousand inhabitants has indeed been given the right name meaning "The Beautiful Land Across the Water."

The Island received its name from the tribe of Indians known as the Gingo-Teague Tribe. The name Chincoteague has been spelled in various ways; Gingoteague, Gingoteak, Gengoteie, Jengoteague. Even today in some sections of our country, we can hear it pronounced Gingoteague.

Chief Barabokees ruled at Chincoteague, under the great Chief and Emperor Waskawampe. On record today at Northampton County Courthouse at Eastville may be seen the Last Will and Testament of Wackewamp, Indian Emperor, dated 1656. (The name of the Chief and Emperor is spelled several different ways.)

In the finding of Indian relics, plowed from the field by the early settlers long after the Indians had gone, one gathers they, too, had knowledge of implements to gather their food. Some of these, no doubt, the white men copied as they paddled to and from Chincoteague and Assateague in rudely constructed boats, sometimes hewn out of logs, for a day of hunting. Wildlife was in abundance there. Some of the ponds still retain the name of wild fowl, such as Brantan Glade on Assateague.

Knowing the wonderful pasturage of Chincoteague and Assateague, Colonel Daniel Jenifer, a surveyor appointed by Governor Berkeley, in the middle of the 17th century - applied for a grant to transport certain persons to each of these two Islands: these were to come from the Colony of Virginia. Having obtained 1500 acres on Gingoteague Island on April lst, 1671, he transported thirty persons there (names are not on record), and on April 16th, 1683, four were transported to Assateague: John Free, Henry Parker, Richard Saint Loo, and John Perkins. Since these were all men, they were to care for stock. Later, on November 3rd, 1686, four more were transported (names not given, and the word transported is from the official records). These were the first settlements on Chincoteague and Assateague.

Some of the Islanders vigorously oppose the tradition that Chincoteague was originally settled by convicts, but the evidence tends in that direction. In the old days a planter was allowed fifty acres of land for each settler he introduced. In 1687 Captain Daniel Jenifer brought over a number of convicts, perhaps seven, perhaps more, and in return Chincoteague and Assateague were patented to him. Twice the patent of Chincoteague lapsed, but finally, in 1692, twenty-five hundred acres of the upper half went to William Kendall; and from these two men almost all the people now on the island got their titles. The first and foremost settlers of Chincoteague were named Jester, Jones, Booth, Daisey, Hill, Birch, Thornton, Bowden and Whealton. Some of the direct descendants of the early permanent settlers are found living on the same plot of land of their forefathers.

When the white man came, he came to possess, and so the small Indian tribes were driven away to the Mainland and their island home was theirs no more. Thus Chincoteague was first settled in 1672.

At this time life on the Island was in its early stages; it almost corresponded to the primitive age. The people lived in rudely constructed, one room log huts having but one window and one door hung on wooden hinges. Other homes were made of slabs of wood. They served mostly for protection against the wind rather than for comfort. Some of the homes were without windows or doors. Today they would be considered unlivable. There were no floors except those provided by "Old Mother Nature" which were of clean, white, ocean sand. Fireplaces made of stones or shells piled up in one corner of the room, provided heat for cooking and warmth. Flint was used to start the fire, and a hole in the roof was the chimney. For lights they burned bayberries, hog's lard, and mutton tallow in a clam shell with a piece of sheep's wool for a wick. These are called "sows". Candles were very costly and could be purchased on the mainland for .25¢ each, but only the wealthier settlers could afford them.

Some of the Settlers tired of the isolation and left the island; however, those that remained were joined by others and the settlement grew slowly.

The first record of any religious history on the Island was in April of 1692.

The only religion allowed was Episcopalian, as the law of England forbade any other kind.

On April 29, 1692, Lieutenant Nicholson of Virginia obtained a grant from the King of England, William of Orange, for the Island, for William Kendall of Accomack County, and John Robbins of Northampton. A few years later a band of Quakers secured 500 acres of land for a Quaker colony. Later, the Quakers tried to colonize on the Island but quarrels between the Episcopalians and Quakers soon drove the Quakers out.

Still later, there were a few Baptists and Methodists scattered on the Island and they decided to worship together.

Reverend Arva Melvin came from Horntown, when the weather permitted, and preached to them on Sunday.