The first account of our ancestor, John Wheat, is in "Court Records of Prince George's County, MD 1696-1699".  John was the defendant in a lawsuit brought by John Gallahah, who claimed that on March 28, 1697 at Charles Towne, MD, John Wheat incurred a debt to him of 1,780 pounds of tobacco.  Wheat had been renting half of Gallahah's plantation since 1693.  Not only did Wheat win the lawsuit, but he was awarded 305 pounds of tobacco as damages.  (Nobody said life in the new world would be easy.)

John died about 1711, apparently a young man, leaving  a widow, Sarah, and four young sons. The following year Sara married Jeremiah Perdue, an agent for the creditors of her husband's estate.  Apparently the sons of John and Sarah were close to Perdue as Francis, William and John, Jr. witnessed his will in 1758. Perdue left his entire estate to Sarah and appointed her executrix.