Lazarus Hitt and Elizabeth

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Husband Lazarus Hitt

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           Born: Bef 1755 - (Fauquier Co., Virginia)
     Christened: 
           Died: 2 Aug 1823 - Laurens Co., South Carolina
         Buried: 

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         Father: Joseph Hitt (Abt 1717-After 1790)
         Mother: Mary Cuntze (      -After 1771)

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       Marriage: Abt 1820 - (Laurens Co., South Carolina)

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   Other Spouse: Eve (      -1819)

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Wife Elizabeth

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           Born: Abt 1779 - Alabama
     Christened: 
           Died: After 1850
         Buried: 

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Children

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1 F Eve Hitt

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           Born: Abt 1822 - South Carolina
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: William Drummond (1814-1881)
           Marr: Bef 1840

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General Notes: Husband - Lazarus Hitt

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CENSUS:

<pre>1790 Laurens Co., South Carolina; pg 430
Lazarus Hitt 244; no slaves
males >= 16 2
males < 16 4
females 4 </pre>

He is 2 entries away from John Meek. Alexander Deal, Drury Simms, Robert Hammilton, and several Hollingsworths and Balls not far away.

<pre>1800 Laurens Co., South Carolina
Lazarus Hitt 11201 -- 11101; no slaves
male female
1 <10 1
1 10-15 1
2 16-25 1
26-44
1 >45 1 </pre>

He is next to his brother Peter Hitt. He is in the sequence Curtis Carnal, 5x, Henry Hitt, 9x, John Pearson, Thomas Hitt, 8x, Drury Sims, 10x, Robert Holingworth, 5x, Abner Hitt, 3x, Peter Hitt, Lazarus Hitt.

<pre>1810 Laurens Co., South Carolina
Lazers Hitt 00231 -- 01101; no slaves
male female
<10
10-15 1
2 16-25 1
3 26-44
1 >45 1 </pre>

He is 12 entries away from his nephew Thos Hitt.

<pre>1820 Laurens Co., South Carolina
Lazerus Hitt 110001 --- 00021; 2 in agriculture; no slaves
male female
1 <10
1 10-16
16-18
16-26
26-45 2
1 >45 1 </pre>

He is next to his son-in-law Lewis Ball.

<pre>1830 Laurens Co., South Carolina
Elizabeth Hitt 0000 -- 10000001; no slaves
male female
< 5 1
5-10
10-15
15-20
20-30
30-40
40-50
50-60 1
60-70
70-80 </pre>

She is in the sequence Henry Hitt Revd., x, Drury Sims, x, Lewis Ball, Elizabeth Hitt.

In 1840 neither Elizabeth Hitt nor her son-in-law William Drummond can be found in the census. It may be that she was already living in his household.

In 1850 Elizabeth Hitt (71, F, Alabama) is living in Pontotoc Co., Mississippi in the household of her son-in-law William Drummond.

CENSUS COMPARISON:

1790 1800 1810

male:
<10( 8) 16-25(18) John, b. 1790-92, say 1792
<16( 4) 10-15(14) Benjamin, b. 1786
<16( 9) 16-25(19) Reuben, b. 1781
<16(11) 16-25(21) Unknown b. <1790, say 1779
<16(15) Jesse, b. 1774-80, say 1775
>16(18) Henry, b. 1770-74, say 1772
>16 >45 Lazarus

female:
<10
10-15(12) Sarah Ann, b. 1785-90, say 1788
16-25
>45 Eve

In 1800 Henry has his own entry. In 1810 Jesse, Reuben Martin, and Benjamin B. have their own entries. By 1800 Jesse is old enough to be married and to no longer be in his father's household, but he does not have his own entry in the census.

PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX LIST in FAUQUIER CO., VIRGINIA:

1782 is the first year that a list of men required to pay a tax on personal property is available for Fauquier Co., Virginia. Lazarus Hitt is on the list from 1782 through 1784. He has no slaves. He has 1 horse and 2 cattle in 1782, 2 horses and 4 cattle in 1783 and no horse and 1 cattle in 1784. His absence in 1785 and later suggests that he left for South Carolina about 1785. His father Joseph is in the list only one time, in 1783. His brother Peter may be in the list in 1783 and in 1784. It is probable that all of them went to South Carolina about 1785.

BETHABARA BAPTIST CHURCH:

On page 3 of the Minutes of the Bethabara Baptist Church in Laurens Co., SC (LDS microfilm 22728) Lazarus Hitt is the 3rd entry in the list of male members. This list was probably created in 1805. To the right of his name: "Died Aug 2th, 1823". He is cited twice in the church minutes. On June 13, 1812 he and 3 others were appointed to settle a difficulty between John Sadler and George Ball, and on October 10, 1812 he, Henry Hitt amd Howard Pinson were delegated to meet at Thomas Weather's to settle a difficulty in the family.

LAND IN SOUTH CAROLINA:

In December 1793 Lazarus Hitt, planter of Laurens Co., South Carolina, sells to John Smith, Jun. of Laurens Co. for £55 a tract of land on the waters of Saluda River on the north side containing 100 acres. The deed is signed Lazarus Hitt. The witnesses are Wm. (X) Smith, James (X) Smith and Henry Hitt. (Laurens Co. Deed Records F/48)

F/466 is unreadable on LDS microfilm 24082. The index indicates that John Riley sold a tract on Cain Creek to Lazarus Hitt for £45. The deed was filed in 1798.

WIVES:

On January 16, 1772 Lazarus Hitt and Eve (her X mark) Hitt were witnesses to a deed. (Fauquier Co., Virginia Deed Records 5/32)

On page 9 of the Minutes of the Bethabara Baptist Church in Laurens Co., SC (LDS microfilm 22728) Eve Hitt is the 2nd entry in the list of female members. This list was probably created in 1805. To the right of her name: "Died April 13th 1819". Lazarus Hitt is the 3rd entry in the list of male members. The surnames in the first part of the male list roughly match the surnames in the first part of the female list.

One is tempted to believe that Eve is Lazarus's wife, although his wife is generally said to have been Agnes Martin and 'Eve' and 'Agnes' are different names.

The evidence for Agnes Martin is U.S. and International Marriage Records 1560-1900, accessible online at ancestry.com. It simply gives their names -- no place and no date. The absence of place and date indicates that this information did not come from county marriage records. Ancestry.com says, "Source materials for these marriage records include family group sheets, pedigree charts, family history articles, queries, letters, Bible records, wills, and manuscript genealogies." Family group sheets, pedigree charts, and family history articles are notorious for mistakes. Until someone can produce a reliable primary source, like an entry from a specific family Bible, I don't regard the claim for Agnes Martin as credible.

Whoever Lazarus's first wife was, his wife at the time of his death was Elizabeth. See the petition below.

The Eve in the Bethabara Baptist Church list died April 13, 1819. The 1820 census suggests that Lazarus is married. If Eve was his first wife, then he probably married Elizabeth soon after Eve's death.

Note that Lazarus's son Benjamin B. Hitt named his eldest daughter Eve and that Lazarus named his daughter by his second wife Eve.

PROBATE:

See "Laurens District Estate Record", Book E (1818-30, LDS microfilm 1029296), pgs 315, 317:

pg 315: On August 16, 1823 the court grants letters of administration on the estate of Lazarus Hitt, dec'd, to John Hitt, who has entered into a bond with Henry Hitt and Lewis Ball in the sum of $300.

On page 317 there is a very brief appraisal dated August 27, 1823 and a sale bill on the goods & chattels of Lazarus Hitt, dec'd, dated October 1823. It is signed by John Hitt. The total value of the sale is $466.56. There is no indication as to who bought what items.

These documents and others are in Box 35, Package 15 of Laurens Co. Estate Papers (images 954-970/999, film # 1029349 at familysearch.org). There is no will. The following document (image 970) lists the legatees.
<pre>
A Return to the ordinary of Laurens District of the Estate of Lazarus Hitt Dec'd by John Hitt Administrator of Said Estate and the Amt of Moneys paid to the Legatees August 25 1826.

Amount paid to Elizabeth Hitt $123.31
Amount paid Henry Hitt 30.83
Amount paid Lewis Ball 30.83
Amount paid Reuben Hitt 30.83
Amount paid A. Andrews for Benj Hitt 30.87 1/2
Amount paid John Garlington 26.54
Amount paid Simpson & Dunlap 4.28
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Jesse Hitt deceased one of the legatees departed this life having seven children Minors intitled to that sum of $30.83 -- to be Divided amongst them.
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Eve a Daughter of said deceased also A Minor Intitled to the sum of $30.83 -- which Money I have ready to pay over to any person intitled to have the same by Law.
My Part as son of s'd deceased & legatee sum of $30.83
his
John x Hitt administrator
mark
</pre>

The total amount received by John Garlington and Simpson & Dunlap was a child's share. Who was John Garlington? "Merchant, planter, and lawyer of Laurens District, S.C.; owned plantations in Laurens County, S.C., Alabama, and Mississippi; stockholder in Laurens Railroad; Clerk of Court of Common Pleas, Laurens County, S.C.; husband of Rachel Hunter Garlington and Susan Washington James Garlington. From the description of John Garlington papers, 1813-1828. (University of South Carolina). WorldCat record id: 43074706" (https://snaccooperative.org/vocab_administrator/resources/7506362)

It might be that John Garlington, as a lawyer, performed legal services for the estate and chose to be paid by receiving a child's share in the final distribution. I think that it is more likely that he was acting as an agent for the orphan Marshall Hitt, who as the son of a deceased son of Lazarus Hitt would have been entitled to a share. Marshall was born in about 1802 and was thus about 24 in 1826. He no longer needed a guardian. It might be that John Garlington was a former guardian who replaced Jesse Hitt after Jesse's death. Presumably Simpson and Dunlap was a commercial entity that performed some service for John Garlington and was paid a fee.

SUBSEQUENT PETITION:

Probate records of Laurens Co., South Carolina at FamilySearch.org, "Real estate records, 1828-1868, 1873-1934", film # 1029310, pg 94, image 79/671:

<pre>
State of South Carolina
Laurens district

To W D Watts [judge of the Court of] Ordinary of the district aforesaid

The petition of Reuben Hitt, Lewis Ball & Sarah his wife Jesse Hitt, William Hitt, Henry Hitt, Benjamin Hitt, Martin Hitt, the latter five some of the children of Henry Hitt dec'd and William Drumond & Eave his wife Showeth that Lazarus Hitt of said district departed this life many years since intestate, being seized and possessed as of fee of a certain tract of land containing forty five acres more or less, situate and lying in the district and State aforesaid on the waters of Beaver dam Creek adjoining lands of Dr Wm Philips Robert Coleman & others, that said land does not exceed one thousand dollars in Value, that the said deceased left your petitioners, and the children of Elizabeth Hollingsworth (a deceased Daughter of the intestate) who are minors, Benjamin Hitt & John Hitt, Drury Sims & Elizabeth his wife, and the children of John Hitt a dec'd Son of the said intestate and Elizabeth Hitt widow of the said intestate, who has transfered or sold her interest in said land to Robert Coleman, that your said petitioners and parties aforesaid constitute all & the only heirs to the said intestate all of whom stand in the relation of either children and grandchildren or great grandchildren to the said intestate except said widow and the said Robert Coleman, that no partition of said land has as yet been made amongst the parties interested which it is desirable should be done therefore your petitioners pray that a guardian ad Litem may be appointed for the minor children of Elizabeth Hollingsworth dec'd so that said land may be partitioned according to law And your petitioners will ever pray.

C D Sulliven Atty for Petitioners

The State of South Carolina
Laurens district

In the Court of Ordinary.

To Elizabeth Hitt the widow of Lazarus Hitt dec'd, the children of Elizabeth Holingsworth dec'd by their guardian ad Litem Abraham Holingsworth, Robert Coleman, Benjamin Hitt, John Hitt, Drury Sims & Elizabeth his wife, and the children of John Hitt dec'd greeting. You are hereby required to appear at the Court of Ordinary to be holden at Laurens court House for Laurens District on the Sixteenth day of June next to show cause if any you can why the real estate of Lazarus Hitt dec'd situate in the said district on the waters of Beaver dam creek bounding land of Dr William Philips, Robert Coleman & others and containing forty five acres more or less, should not be sold or divided allotting to the said Elizabeth Hitt the widow of deceased one third thereof and the remaining two thirds in equal portions legally entitled to the same by law. Given under my hand and Seal this the Sixteenth day of March one thousand eight hundred & forty

W D Watts O L D

Reuben Hitt & others
applicants
vs
Benjamin Hitt & others
defendants
In the Court of Ordinary
Laurens
Order for Sale.

On due examination it is ordered and decreed that the lands described in the Summons in partition in this case be sold by the sheriff of Laurens district on the first Monday in October next or on such other date as will be more advantageous for the parties in interest on a credit of twelve months the purchaser giving bond with good security and a mortgage of the premises if deemed necessary to the Ordinary for the payment of the purchase money. This the 3rd day of September 1840.
W D Watts
O L D.
</pre>

EARL J. HITT:

The following was copied from the database of Earl J. Hitt in WorldConnect (no longer existent):

During the American Revolution, Lazarus was a merchant in Fauquier County, Virginia. He furnished supplies to the Revolutionary Army.

In 1777 and 1778 Lazarus Hitt paid Tithes in Fauquier County, Virginia on his own household.

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General Notes: Wife - Elizabeth

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CENSUS:

In 1850 Elizabeth Hitt (71, F, Alabama) is living in Pontotoc Co., Mississippi in the household of her son-in-law William Drummond.