James A. Hitt and Sarah M. Sims
Husband James A. Hitt 1 2
Born: 29 Aug 1820 - South Carolina (Laurens Co.) Christened: Died: 9 Sep 1902 - (Smith Co., Mississippi) 3 Buried: - Mount Carmel Cem., Smith Co., Mississippi
Father: David Hitt (1800-1880) 4 Mother: Catherine Addison (1800-1834) 5
Marriage: 6 Jan 1841 - Sumter Co., Alabama 6 7
Wife Sarah M. Sims
Born: Mar 1822 - Greene Co., Alabama Christened: Died: 16 Aug 1859 - Smith Co., Mississippi Buried:
Father: Drury Sims (Abt 1800- ) Mother: Elizabeth Hitt (Abt 1806- )
Children
1 F Sarah Ann Elizabeth Hitt 8
Born: 25 Dec 1843 - Alabama Christened: Died: Sep 1861 Buried:Spouse: Isaac M. Ellis ( - ) 8 Marr: 1 Sep 1860 8
2 F Nancy Drucilla Hitt 8
Born: Jul 1846 Christened: Died: 18 Oct 1849 Buried:
3 F Mary Catherine Hitt 8
Born: 22 Jan 1849 - Alabama Christened: Died: 19 Apr 1878 Buried:
4 F Leta Jane Hitt 8
Born: 15 Apr 1851 - Sumter Co., Alabama Christened: Died: 26 Jan 1918 Buried:Spouse: William Abner Dearman (1848-1922) 8 Marr: 24 Feb 1870 8
5 F Rachel Eva Hitt 8
Born: 9 Sep 1853 - Mississippi Christened: Died: Buried:
6 M David M. Hitt 8
Born: 1 Apr 1856 - Mississippi Christened: Died: 22 Jul 1862 Buried:
General Notes: Husband - James A. Hitt
James A. Hitt and his first wife Sarah M. Sims are 3rd cousins.
CENSUS:
<pre>1850 Sumter Co., Alabama, Intercourse Division; Jan 9; pg 676
1225/1255
James A. Hitt 29 M SC $-- Farmer
Sarah M. " 28 F Al
Sarah A. E. " 6 F Al
Mary C. " 1 F Al </pre>
He is not in the Slave Schedule.
<pre>1860 Smith Co., Mississippi; Sept 5; pg 123
779/779
J. A. Hitt 39 MW SC $660/$414 farmer
Sarah A. E. " 15 FW Al
Mary C. " 11 FW Al
Litta " 9 FW Al
Rachel E. " 6 FW Ms
David M. " 4 MW Ms </pre>
He is not in the Slave Schedule.
<pre>1870 Jasper Co., Mississippi, SW Beat, p.o. Paulding; July 14; pg 13
95/94
James A. Hitt 50 MW SC $320/$300 Farmer
Mary C. " 30 FW SC
Kizira F. " 9 FW Ms
Laura E. " 7 FW Ms
James M. " 5 MW Ms
Lousinda E. " 1 FW Ms
Manda J. Ellis 9 FW Ms
Wm. A. Deerman 21 MW Al $--/$210
Leatha Jane " 19 FW Al </pre>
William Deerman is his stepson and Leatha Jane is his daughter. His stepson married his daughter.
<pre>1880 Smith Co., Mississippi, District No 5, ED 107; June 23,24; pg 15
James A. Hitt 59 SC SC SC Minister
Mary C. " 50 wife SC SC SC Keeps House
James M. " 14 son Ms SC SC
Lucinda E. " 10 dau Ms SC SC
Eugene F. Waldrop 5 nephew Ms Al Ms
Mearadille " 77 f-i-l SC SC SC </pre>
<pre>1900 Smith Co., Mississippi, Spinola precinct, ED 107; June 18; sheet 11B
191/191
James A. Hitt Aug 1820 79 M39 SC SC SC Farmer
Mary C. " wife Jan 1830 70 M39/7/5 SC SC SC
Emma " dau Apr 1869 31 S Ms SC SC Farm laborer
Lon E. Philips gr-son Sep 1883 16 S Ms Al Ms Farm laborer </pre>
He owns an unmortgaged farm.
LAND:
In March 1847 James A. Hitt bought 40 acres in S31 T17 R2W in Sumter Co. (K/396). In August 1850 he sold it (L/616).
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:
The following is from volume 1, page 186 of "Smith County Mississippi and its Families" (Smith County Genealogical Society, 2003):
Reverend James Hitt was the son of David Benjamin Hitt and Catherine Addison. He was born in Laurens County, South Carolina, in 1820. The family moved to Greene County, Alabama, in 1827 and later into Sumter County. James was first married to Sarah Sims, daughter of Drury Sims. After her death he married Mary Caroline Waldrip Dearman. a widow with two children, William Abner and Mary Jane Dearman. Mary was the daughter of Meredith Waldrip and Sarah Gipson. By now he was living in Smith County, Mississippi.
Reverend James' children were: Sarah Ann, Nancy Drucilla, Mary Catherine, Leta Jane, Rachel, and David, by his first wife. He and second wife Mary had five children: Kizziah Frances, Laura Emaline, James Meredith, Emma Lucinda, and Ella.
Brother Jim, as he was affectionately known, was a devout Christian and a man of some stature, standing six feet tall and weighing two hundred twenty-five pounds. He first served churches as a circuit preacher. He then pastored Clear Creek and Zion Hill Baptist churches in Smith County.
He and his wife with three other couples organized the Mount Carmel Baptist Church in the Klein Community. This church he pastored for almost forty years with one interruption while he served the Stringer Baptist Church in Jasper County. Brother Jim also owned and operated a two-hundred-acre farm and used this income as his livelihood.
Brother Jim was a Mason and was buried with Masonic honors in the cemetery of Mount Carmel Church, following his death on September 9, 1902. Submitted by Louise Thomas, Monticello, Mississippi.
OBITUARY:
The following obituary is on pages 177-78 of "Benjamin Hitt and Nancy Curnal, their Antecedents and Descendants" by Beatrice Myers and Vada Phillips. They say that it appeared in "The Mississippi Baptist" on Thursday, September 18, 1902.
--- OBITUARY OP ELD. J. A. HITT ---
The subject of this notice, son of David and Catherine Hitt, was born in Lawrence District, S. C. August 29th, 1820. In the year 1827 he, with his parents, moved to Green County, Ala., where they lived until the year 1836 when they moved to Sumter County where he ripened into manhood, and on the 6th day of Jan. 1841 he was happily married to Miss Sarah M. Sims, and unto them was born one son and five daughters. On Feb. l4th, 1853 he and his family moved to Smith County, Miss., and settled in the community near where he died. In the year 1859 God took from him his beloved companion to share the happiness of the redeemed. Thus leaving him as fathers sometimes are left, with several children whose care fell into his own hands, and he, feeling the great responsibility for such, thought best to get a helpmate, and one in whom he could trust his earthly affairs. By mutual consent, on June 11th, 1860, he and Mrs. Caroline Dearman were united in holy wedlock, and unto them was born one son and four daughters. This union was happily lived until severed by the death of the beloved husband, which sad event took place at his home on Sept. 9th., 1902, thus ending his career on earth. -- L. J. Caughman
On pages 175-77 there is a longer obituary which includes the above as the first part and then in detail describes J. A. Hitt's religious evolution and work. He was baptized in August 1847 into the fellowship of the Siloam Regular Baptist Church. In 1854 after having moved to Smith Co., he and a few others founded the Mt. Carmel Regular Baptist Church, and in October 1858 he was ordained. Over a long period he traveled and served many churches in the county as a preacher. He was a Mason and was buried with Masonic honors.
General Notes: Wife - Sarah M. Sims
Sarah M. Sims and her husband James A. Hitt are 3rd cousins.
OBITUARY:
Tennessee Baptist, 24 Sep 1859, page 5, column 4:
The obituary is somewhat hard to read. "ult" in the first line means "last month". See
https://thelibrary.org/blogs/article.cfm?aid=202&lid=62
Abbreviations in Genealogical Research:
INST \endash Instant, meaning "present, current". INST is used with a date to indicate the current month. For example, "the 10th inst." means the 10th day of the current month. When the term is used in 18th or 19th century death notices, it refers to the month in which the item was published. For example, "Died on Tuesday morning, 4 inst", means that the person died Sept. 4, 1849, since the newspaper was dated Sept. 8, 1849. (from OGS Newsletter, July 1984, Page 5.)
ULT \endash Ultimo, meaning "in the month preceding the present".
PROX \endash Proximo, meaning "in or of the next month after the present". For example, "the 3d proximo" means the 3rd day of the next month.
The following is a transcription:
MRS. SARAH M. HITT
Departed this life on the 16th ult, Mrs. Sarah M. Hitt, consort of Elder James A. Hitt.
Sister Hitt was an excellent woman, a kind and affectionate wife, a fond mother, and a devoted Christian. She was endowed with a strong mind, of a generous and forgiving disposition, and in her daily interactions with her family and friends practiced those acts of kindness which crown a Christian mother. She was the daughter of Drewry and Elizabeth Sims; and was born in Greene County, Ala., March _4th, 1822. Her parents removed to Sumpter County, Alabama, where she was married January 6th, 1841. She professed religion and joined the Baptist Church at Siloam, August, 1843. In 18__, Brother Hitt removed to Smith County, Miss., where she joined the Mount Carmel Church in September, 1854 where she lived until she left the church militant to join the church triumphant. She has left a kind and affectionate husband and five children to mourn her death. Blessed are they that die in the Lord, for they rest from their labors and their works do follow them.
1 Smith County Genealogical Society, Smith County Mississippi Cemeteries, 1999, pg 353. Repository: Clayton Library, Houston, Texas.
2 Smith County Genealogical Society, "Smith County Mississippi and its Families," 2003 Vol 1; 2006 Vol 2, Vol 1, pg 186. Repository: Clayton Library, Houston, Texas.
3 "Find-a-Grave," Memorial # 51029759.
4 Lois Tessmer Strebeck, "Newton County, Mississippi Cemeteries," 1993, Vol II, pg 5. Repository: Clayton Library, Houston, Texas.
5 Beatrice Myers & Vada Phillips, "Benjamin Hitt and Nancy Curnal, their Antecedents and Descendants," 1987, pg 155. Repository: Orange Public Library, Orange, Texas.
6 "Sumter County, Alabama Marriage Records," LDS microfilm 1293884, 885, Vol 1, pg 157.
7 "Familysearch.org," "Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2D3-NYSP), James A Hitt and Sarah M Sims, 06 Jan 1841; citing Sumter, Alabama; FHL microfilm 1,293,883.
8
Smith County Genealogical Society, "Smith County Mississippi and its Families," 2003 Vol 1; 2006 Vol 2, Vol 1, pg 187. Repository: Clayton Library, Houston, Texas.
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