Updated August 16, 2017

 

Pitts

 

Group 1

 

Younger Pitts was born about 1758 in Virginia and married Susannah Elliott. His son, Pitman, was born about 1784 in Virginia and married Mary C Andrews on Sept 7, 1811 in Granville County, North Carolina. Mary was born about 1792 in Virginia. They had three children in Virginia: Elizabeth Ann, Younger, and Benjamin Franklin. With the outbreak of war with England, President Madison called up the state militia, and Pitman Pitts was drafted in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, just across the border from where they were married. He was mustered near Norfolk Virginia on about May 15, 1814 and Pitman served as an Ensign in the Company of Riflemen of Capt. Ralph Hubbard, attached to the 5 Regiment of the Virginia Militia. In December of 1814 the Treaty of Ghent was signed in Belgium and Pitman Pitts was honorably discharged at Fort Nelson near Norfolk Virginia. The family migrated through Kentucky to Madison County, Alabama and probably traveled along the Wilderness Road in Western Virginia which Daniel Boone had blazed through the Cumberland Gap in 1774. They may have come through Montgomery County, Kentucky, as Pitman had two war land grants there. The family bible was lost somewhere along this route between Kentucky and Alabama. We know that they were in Madison County, Alabama, by 1825 and they had four more children in Madison County Alabama (Susan Ware, William Charles, Mary Lenora, and John P. S. Pitts). Between 1841 and 1851 some of the family moved to Tishomingo County Mississippi and Washington County Arkansas, while some stayed in Madison County Alabama. We have accounted for over 1,200 descendants of Pitman Pitts and Mary C Andrews Pitts. Many descendants of these families live in the northeast Mississippi area. Others have been traced to Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Oregon, California, Washington, Arizona, Virginia and many other states. However, very few descendants have been found for the line of Younger Pitts (b. 1812 Virginia, son of Pitman).

 

 

Group 2 (Group 2a and Group 2b share the same DNA)

 

Group 2a

 

During the mid 1700s four brothers migrated to Newberry Co, South Carolina. These brothers were Henry, Charles, William, and Daniel. In the early 1800s many descendants of this family migrated to Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, and Mississippi, and from there moved on to Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and many other states. Much research has been done on this Pitts family. Books have been written tracing this family back to England and beyond but there are disagreements between researchers, therefore, the information will vary depending on which book one reads. The most commonly accepted research claims ancestry back to Col Robert Pitt of Isle of Wight Co VA. Unfortunately, the early research which has been accepted for many years seems to have been based on inaccurate data.  The research was based on a son of Col Robert Pitt named Henry, b 1645, however, there is no evidence that Col Robert Pitt had a son named Henry. DNA has proven that there is no blood relationship between the PITT family of Isle of Wight Co VA (See Group 10 below) and the PITTS families in Group 2 and 2b. The descendants of the Newberry Co SC PITTS families and the Halifax Co, NC PITTS families do NOT share the same DNA with the PITT family of Isle of Wight Co VA, therefore do not share a Common Ancestor with the PITT family descendants. Accepted research states that Henry Pitt, b 1645, married to Mary Galloway/Calloway, had a son named Charles Pitt, b either 1677 or 1667. He married Sarah Ann Hardy, daughter of George Hardy and Mary Jackson. Charles died in Surry Co VA in 1751 and he did name a son Joseph in his will.  It is said that Joseph Pitt, b c1700, married Nancy Slaughter who is said to be the parents of Henry, Daniel, Charles, and William Pitts of Newberry Co SC. The problem is that much of the information for this story cannot be verified. While Charles Pitt of Surry Co VA did name a son Joseph, there is no evidence that the Joseph in question had a wife named Nancy Slaughter nor evidence that he had any sons. Joseph died in 1789 in VA. To my knowledge there has been no verifiable documentation found to connect the Pitts families of Newberry SC back to any Pitt or Pitts family in Isle of Wight or Surry Co VA.  It is generally accepted that Charles, William, Daniel, and Henry were all sons of Joseph Pitt and that the spelling changed from Pitt to Pitts with this generation. This change in the spelling of the surname was an assumption made by someone, not based in reality or fact. Research says that the Newberry, South Carolina, Pitts were brothers, uncles, and cousins which is being proven by DNA. There was another Henry Pitts, died 1817, in Newberry about the same age as Henry, Sr, died 1803. Although I have found no documentation substantiating that these two Henry Pitts were related, the DNA of the descendants of both Henry's are the same so we know that they shared a common male ancestor. The families intermarried and many of the same names are found in both, making research difficult. Mark Pitts, of Lincoln Co., Tennessee, can be traced back to Henry, Sr, as he is named in Henry’s will.  We do not yet know the common ancestor between Group 2a and 2b. I have established 2b simply to keep the early Halifax Co, NC Pitts group separated from the SC group to make it easier to locate each set of descendants in the project. Both 2a and 2b are blood related and share a common ancestor. We just don't know who the common ancestor was at this time.  See also Group 2b.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Group 2b

 

Please read the history for Group 2a. The DNA for this group of Pitts is an exact match to Group 2-a so we know that Group 2a and 2b have a common ancestor. I have set up a Group a and b because we do not know who the Common Ancestor was between the early Newberry SC Pitts line, Group 2a, and the early Halifax Co NC line of Pitts, Group 2b. According to family research, Anthony Pitts was born abt 1765 in Halifax Co., NC and married Nancy Ann Rawlinson. Anthony Pitts is found in early land records in Effingham Co GA and moves his family to Mississippi by 1820. Like the early research for the SC Pitts, it is said that this line of Pitts descends from Col Robert Pitt, of Bristol England who died in Isle of Wight Co., VA through the son Lt Col John Pitt, however. there are many discrepancies in the research and DNA proves no relationship between the PITT family of Isle of Wight VA and the Halifax Co PITTS families. The line of John Pitts who died in 1819 in Baldwin Co GA has been traced back to Walter Pitts of Halifax Co NC proving that the Halifax Co NC Pitts share a common ancestor with the Newberry Co SC line of Pitts. I have been told that historians in the Edgecombe County and Halifax Counties in NC claim that the Pitt families in Edgecombe Co NC and the Pitts families in Halifax Co NC are the same family. They are not. They do not have the same DNA and they do not share a common ancestor. While there are always errors found on various documents, most of the families can be identified through the years by the spelling of the name, ie: the use of or the absence of the s in the surname. When we can find the Common Ancestor for these two lines I will merge both A and B under one Group 2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Group 3

 

Silas Pitts was born about 1786 in South Carolina. He was in Pendleton, South Carolina in 1812-13 where he married first Rebecca Barnett, daughter of James Barnett and Isabella (or Elizabeth) Johnston. According to the census records Silas was in Monroe Co, Alabama by 1815 and in Pike Co Alabama by 1830. He sold his property in Pike Co Alabama and moved to Shelby Co, Alabama by 1835. Silas and Rebecca had nine children. He married 2nd to Nancy Ellison and had two more children. Silas died October 2, 1859 and his will is on file in Shelby Co, Alabama. His daughter, Emily Eliza Pitts gave an accounting of her life in the “The Troy Messenger”, Troy, Alabama in 1889 wherein she stated she was born in Tallapoosa County, Alabama, near the Indian Town in the neighborhood where Andrew Jackson defeated the Indians. Eliza married a Jackson and this article with a picture is cited in “The Jackson Cousins by Kathlyn Folmar” a copy of which is in the library in Troy, Alabama. There was an obvious connection of some kind to Mark Pitts and Joel Pitts in Pendleton Co SC in the 1812 time frame. In addition, Silas married Rebecca Barnett who may have been cousin to Mary Barnett that married Joseph Pitts, also of Pendleton Co, SC. However, DNA has proven that the paternal parentage of Silas Pitts was not related to those in Group 2. DNA for this group doesn’t match with any other Pitts donor that has been tested. It seems that this line of Pitts is a match to several donors of the Griffin DNA group. We believe that Silas may have been the child of a Pitts female and a Griffin male. The Pitts and Griffins were closely affiliated in SC.

 

 

 

Group 4

 

Verbal family history indicates that the family of John and Elizabeth Pitts migrated to America in the mid-1700s and settled in Frederick Co., VA. Other records show that John came to America in 1721 in bondage. John died in 1739 and Elizabeth remarried to Henry Robinson in 1745. Andrew Pitts, b about 1726, son of John and Elizabeth, married Martha Stroud, daughter of Samuel and Ann Stroud of Loudoun Co., VA. Andrew and Martha moved from Frederick Co., VA to Rowan Co., NC around 1750. Together they raised 9 children. John and Elizabeth were Quakers. Many of this family migrated from NC to Indiana.

 

 

 

 

Group 5

 

William Pitts died in 1838 in Laurens Co, SC. He left a will naming his wife Sally, and children: Daniel, David, William Jr, Reuben Griffin, Jesse J, John, Thomas, and one daughter, Nelly Frasier. Other research claims that this William was the son of William Pitts, b c1737 and Elizabeth Griffin. So far, DNA does not prove that to be true. The William, b 1737, was supposedly the son of Joseph Pitt and Nancy Slaughter. That would mean that all his descendants would carry the same DNA as Group 2. The three descendants that have been tested do NOT match Group 2. It is believed that William Pitts, b 1802, Reuben Griffin Pitts, b 1816, and Daniel P Pitts, b 1804 were sons of the William who died in 1838. This William, according to the census records for the William Pitts living in Laurens Co SC during this time period was born between 1770-1780. Other research claims that his wife, Sally, was Sarah (Sally) Cunningham. I have found nothing to substantiate that her last name was Cunningham. However, Sally is a nickname for Sarah and census records would tend to substantiate that her name was actually Sarah. She was found living beside Reuben Griffin Pitts in 1860. Our 4th donor is a descendant of James Madison Pitts.  According to the bible records in possession of a descendant, James was a son of Thomas Pitts and Priscilla. James is found as a child living in the home of David Pitts and is listed as a grandchild, however, we have found no evidence that David Pitts had a son named Thomas.  He did have a brother named Thomas.  Until this conflict has been resolved we are listing James Madison Pitts as the earliest known ancestor for our fourth donor.

 

 

 

 

Group 6

 

John Pitts, Sr. was born bet. 1726-30. It is not known where but we suspect VA as his wife Mical Ann Barbee was born c 1723 in Essex Co., VA, daughter of John Barbee & Ann Miller.  There were other Pitts families living in Essex Co., VA  and we suspect we are part of this Pitts family but no known male descendants of this line have completed a DNA test yet.  John and Mical were married c 1752 probably in Essex Co., VA or Orange/Chatham Co., NC (Part of Orange Co., NC later became Chatham Co., NC).  No marriage records have been located.  A couple of Mical (Barbee) Pitts' brothers moved to Orange/Chatham Co., NC. John and Mical were the parents of 7 children 1) Barbee Pitts d. during Rev War 2) Burwell Pitts d. during the Rev War 3) Elizabeth Pitts m: Unk Brassel 4) Mary Pitts m: Unk Lear 5) Pegey Pitts m: Unk Mimes/Mimms 6) John Pitts Jr. (listed below) and 7) Joseph Pitts b. 1756 in Orange/Chatham Co., NC served in Rev War d. 1819 in Robertson Co., TN.  John Pitts, Senior’s, earliest known records is the 700 acres he purchased in Orange Co., NC on 20 Aug 1761.  In 1766, John & Mical (Barbee) Pitts inherited 1 negro and 1/8 of her estate in Essex Co., VA.  In 1780, John Pitts, Sr. purchases 200 acres in Chatham Co., NC.  John Sr’s Will was written on 29 Nov 1780 so we know he died after this date.  John Pitts, Jr. married twice 1) Mary Henry b. 1753 d. aft 17 Sep 1798 in Chatham Co., NC married abt 1770 prob. In Chatham Co., NC (no marriage records have been found) 2) Lucy Kendrick m: abt 1805 in Robertson Co., TN.  John Jr. purchased lands in Chatham Co., NC, Logan Co., KY and Robertson Co., TN.  John Jr’s Will is dated 5 May 1834 in Logan Co., KY.  He died from a blow to the head according to probate records.  John Jr’s children  either stayed in KY and TN or migrated into IN but mostly all went to MO.

 

It is not known how the John Pitts, Sr. and Younger Pitts lineage connect but we suspect either in VA, NC or even KY.  No known NC records exist for this Pitts family though.  More research is needed on the connection.  One similarity is that the John Sr. line has several male descendants named Young Pitts (without the “er”) and of course, many males with the name of John.  Both families lived in KY but different counties.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Group 7

 

The earliest known ancestor for this group is John Pitts, born about 1776 in Maryland. He married Sarah Hawkins in Aug of 1796 in Madison Co KY.  Between 1810-1812 John and Sarah migrated to Tennessee and he is first found on the 1812 tax list in Warren Co TN.  It is unknown what happened to John.  Sarah Pitts is listed as head of household in 1830.  Both sons, John and Josiah, were born in KY but lived the majority of their lives in Middle Tennessee in the areas of Cannon, Dekalb, and Warren Counties. Some of Josiah’s descendants live to this day in Woodbury, Cannon Co. TN and many others reside in Union Co., IL and other IL counties as well.  More information can be found in the public file on Ancestry.com, family trees, for Brimm, Elkins, Merriman, Pitts, Spurlock, and West, Cannon Co., TN.

 

 

 

 

 

Group 8

The common ancestor for this group is unknown at this time. The group consists of two Pitts donors from different parts of the United States, Accomack Co., VA, and Scioto, Co., Ohio, with no obvious connection to each other. The earliest known ancestor for our donor in the UK is William Pitts, probably born in the early 1700’s and is traced back to Devon, England.  We also have a donor with the surname of Squires whose earliest known ancestor is Capt John Squires born 1794 in Newfoundland. It is believed that John Squires may have been the son of a James Pitts who lived near Capt John Squires and rented land from another Squires family in Newfoundland, most likely an illegitimate birth by a Squires female. This James Pitts migrated to Newfoundland from Kennford, Devon, England. Further research revealed that there were also Squires living in Kennford, Devon, England as well. A known distant cousin (Squires) was also tested and they matched exactly on the  first 12 markers so we know that the common ancestor between these two donors goes back to at least 1823. By this we know that the Pitts biological father for this line of Squires occurred prior to this date. Since our donor in England has never lived in the US or Canada we believe that the common ancestor for group 8 will be traced back to the 1600’s in Devon, England. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Group 9

 

The common ancestor for this group has not yet been determined. The group consists of donors whose earliest known ancestors were in Chesterfield Co., SC in the early 1800s. We know that John B Pitts sold property in Chesterfield Co., SC in 1845 and appeared in Dyer Co TN a short time afterward. We cannot be sure if his father was John J Pitts who was in that county or if Isaac Pitts, b 1787 was his father or his brother.  This group carries an unusual haplogroup which indicates that the DNA for this group would originate from a full blooded Native American male.  

 

 

 

 

 

Group 10

 

Several donors of this group trace their heritage back to the Pitt family of Isle of Wight Co VA. In the early 1600's Col Robert Pitt and Capt Henry Pitt, sons of William Pitt of Bristol England and wife Mary Gibbs, migrated to the Virginia Colony settling in the Isle of Wight Co and Nansemond Co area. James Pitt, b c1730, and Robert Pitt, bc1738, are first found in Edgecombe Co NC in 1765. Due to the number of men with the same name who died without naming all their children, in addition to lack of estate information, etc., it has been difficult to determine an exact lineage for the Edgecombe NC, Isle of Wight Co VA, and Henrico Co VA DNA donors. It is certain that they all descend from the two brothers, Col Robert Pitt and Capt Henry Pitt.  We do not know who the common ancestor is between the Isle of Wight Co Pitt group and the other men belonging to this group.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Group 11

 

The earliest known ancestor for this line is John Pitts, b 1740. Both donors currently live in Australia, however, their ancestors migrated there at different times and neither knew the other.  One line migrated to South Africa in the 1880’s and later migrated to Australia.  The other line migrated to Australia directly from England after World War II.  Each line traces back to the mid to late 1700’s in Reading, Berkshire, England. Through further research by the families involved, the Guild of One Name Studies (Pitts) in England and the Berkshire Record Office in England it was determined that both our donors were descendants of sons of John Pitts and Sarah Povey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Group 12

 

 

 

 

Group 13

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Group 14

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Group Other

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

§  Leonard Brooks Pitts, b Oct 20, 1894, Decatur, Macon Co., Ill, d Apr 20, 1957, McLaughlin, Corson Co., SD, m Jessie Lucille Lowery, b Oct 21, 1894, Decatur, Macon Co., Ill, d Mar 17, 1975, McLaughlin, Corson Co., SD P-103,FF-131

 

 

 

 

 

·       William J Pitts, b June 26, 1875, TN, d Jan 6, 1958, KS, m Clara M unknown, b Oct 11, 1877

o   Oscar Forrest Pitts, b abt 1900, KS, m Maude M Knight, b June 26, 1900 KS, d Dec 1983, Burrton, Harvey Co., KS

§  Norris Harris Pitts, b Oct 11, 1925, Humbolt Co., KS, d Feb 23, 1972, Huntsville, Madison Co., AL, buried in Yoder, KS, m Dorothy Louise Tucker P-110

 

 

 

·       Richard Pitt, b Jan 6, 1756, Westminster, Middlesex, England, d Aug 1820, Rockland, NY

o   Benjamin Pitt, b 1796, Ramapo, Rockland, NY, d Feb 12, 1851, Ramapo, Rockland, NY

§  Sylvester Sherman Pitt, b abt 1842 NY, d July 25, 1920

·       Julia Pitt, b May 25, 1876 Ramapo, Rockland, NY, d bet 1920-1925

o   William Henry Hopper, b Oct 26, 1893, Suffern, Rockland, NY d April 11, 1957 Suffern, Rockland, NY

§  Marie Sophie Hopper, b Dec 25, 1919, Monsey, Rockland, NY, d Nov 2, 2007, Jackson, Ocean, NJ

·       Peter Jacob DeBree, b Apr 28, 1941, Suffern, Rockland, NY, d Feb 9, 2001 Forded River, Ocean, NJ FF-97

 

 

·       John Pitt, b c1753 Long Sutton, Somerset, England, d unknown, m Margaret Bean

o   John Bean Pitt, b 1777 Long Sutton, Somerset, England, d April 20, 1826, West Lydford, Somerset, England, m Lucy Richards, b 1781 Aller, Somerset England, d Dec 12, 1834, West Lydford, Somerset, England

§  Frederick Richard Pitts, b abt 1820 Lydford, Somerset, England, d Feb 24, 1890, Wattle Hill, Portland, Victoria, m Julia Gaylor, b 1820 Keinton, Mandeville, Somerset, England, d Jan 27, 1897, Wattle Hill, Portland, Victoria

·       William Pitts, b Apr 23, 1846, Keinton, Mandeville, Somerset, England, d May 4, 1915, Shenton, High St, Armadale, Victoria, m Mary Ann Boardman, b May 3, 1849, Manchester, Lancashire, England, d Oct 7, 1918 Otway Street, Portland, Australia P-119

 

 

·       Thomas Pitts, b c1820 TN, d 1902, MO., m Matilda Smith, b c1820 Lincoln Co., TN, married in 1836 Morgan Co AL

o   William C Pitts, b 1839 Morgan Co AL, d 1869 Calico Rock, Izard Co., AR, m Nancy Jane Childers, b 1838, McMinn Co., TN, d Feb 18, 1925, Dillard, Crawford Co., MO

§  Andrew Pitts, b Mar 1866 Pilot Knob, Iron Co., MO, d Dec 4, 1950, Wescoe, Crawford Co., MO, m Docia C Wilson, b Aug 1872, Crawford Co., MO, d Crawford Co., MO

·       Jonas Joseph Pitts, b Oct 26, 1889, Sligo, Dent Co., MO, d June 6, 1969, St James, Phelps Co., MO, m Rosetta White, b April 21, 1890, MO, d Mar 11, 1973, St James, Phelps Co., MO

o   William Arthur Pitts, b Aug 17, 1918, Wescoe, Crawford Co., MO, d Jan 18, 1956, St Louis Co., MO, m Claudine Mae Snodgrass, b Oct 23, 1918, Phelps Co., MO, d May 24, 1982, Hillsborough Co., Fl

§  JoAnn Pitts, b March 12, 1946, St James, Phelps Co., MO, m Myron Eugene Shive FF-116

 

 

 

·       Thomas Nelson Pitts, b 1820, d 1870 VA, m Mary Fannin, b 1822, Lawrence, KY

o   John Nelson Pitts, b 1847, d 1919, m Margaret Emmaline Ross, b 1845, d 1922

§  William Wesley Pitts, b 1888, d 1942, m Enola Mae Still, b 1897, d 1988

·       William Milton Pitts, b 1919, d 2014, Big Sandy, Benton, TN, m Dorothy Donna Wilick, b 1912, 1992, FF-124

 

 

·       Vera Dora Pitts, b Jan 17, 1924, Warwick, Warwickshire, England, d Jan 9, 2008, Penrith, NSW, Australia, m William Allan Evans, b Sept 14, 1920, Rhyl, Wales, UK, d Dec 25, 1988, Sydney, NSW, Australia

o   Wendy Evans, b Nov 18, 1948, London, England, d July 13, 2001, Penrith, NSW, Australia FF-126