Harman Hitt
Sex: M
Individual Information
Birth Date: Abt 1721 - (Germanna, Essex Co., Va) Christening: Death: After 1797 - (Fauquier Co., Virginia) Burial: Cause of Death:
Parents
Father: Peter Hitt (1680/1683-1772) Mother: Elizabeth Otterbach (1689-Abt 1773) 1
Spouses and Children
1. *Mary Weaver ( - ) Marriage: Children: 1. John Hitt (1746-After 1808) 2. Elizabeth Hitt (1748-After 1830) 3. Moses Hitt (1751- ) 4. Joseph Hitt (1753- ) 5. Peter Hitt (1755-1824) 6. Jesse Hitt (1757-Abt 1806) 7. Mary Ann Hitt (1759-After 1830) 8. Sarah Hitt (1761-Abt 1851) 9. Martin Hitt (1763-1832) 10. Benjamin Hitt (1766-1844) 11. Daniel Hitt (1768-1825) 12. Samuel Hitt (1770-1826)
Notes
General:
GERMANNA RECORD NO. 1, pg 30:
According to the "Journal of the Society of Germanna Colonies" Vol. 1, No. 3, p. 79, Harman Hitt was born in 1721 and died in Fauquier Co., Va. in 1820, aged 99 years. His wife was Mary Weaver, daughter of Tilman and Ann Elizabeth (Cuntz) Weaver, and granddaughter of Jacob and Anna Weaver, and of Joseph Cuntze and his first wife Anna Gertrud Reinschmidt, all 1714 immigrants to Germanna. The same article gives the 12 children of Harman and Mary (Weaver) Hitt, with dates obviously taken from their family Bible.
MILITARY SERVICE:
In a roster of Capt. William Edmonds' company of Virginia troops in the French and Indian War dated September 25, 1761 the following are present: Herman Hitt; Jno. Hitt, Jnr; Jno. Hitt, son of Jos.; John Hitt; and Joseph Hitt. Capt. Edmonds lived in Fauquier Co., and it is believed that most of the men in his company were from that county. ("Virginia Magazine of History and Biography", Vol 7, pgs 305-6)
PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX LISTS:
1782 is the first year that a list of men required to pay a tax on personal property is available for Fauquier Co., Virginia. From 1782 until 1796 Harman Hitt is on the list. The columns are 1) white males >21 (1783-1787) or white male tithables >16 (1788--), 2) white males 16-21, 3) Negroes (1782) or Negroes >16 (1783--), 4) Negroes <16 (1783-1787) or Negroes <16 and >12 (1788--), 5) horses/mares/colts/mules, 6) cattle, 7) amount of tax, 8) names of tithables >16 in the household other than the person chargeable with the tax. There are 2 districts and it appears that from 1789 to 1793 Harman is additionally taxed on a plantation in the district in which he does not live. "1TN" means the district of commissioner Travers Nash, arbitrarily assigned the number '1'. "2EH" is the district of commissioner Edward Humston, arbitrarily assigned the number '2'. Commissioners come and go; the districts are stable.
<pre>
1782 1 7 5 17
1783 1 4 4 5 17
1784 1 3 5 5 17
1785 2 3 5 6 13
1786 2 3 7 4 14
1787 2 1 4 8 7 20 Martin >21; Samuel 16-21
1788 1TN 3 4 1 6 £3 2s Martin, Samuel
1789 1TN 2 2 1 6 £2 2s Samuel
2EH 0 2 0 1 £1 2s
1790 1GR 3 2 1 8 £2 6s Benjamin, Samuel
2EH 0 2 1 0 £1 10s
1791 1GR 2 3 0 7 £2 4s Benjamin
2EH 0 3 0 2 £1 14s
1792 1GR 2 3 0 6 £2 2s Benjamin
2EH 0 2 1 2 £1 14s
1793 1TD 2 3 0 6 £2 2s Benjamin
2EH 0 2 1 3 £1 16s
1794 1JF 2 4 0 7 £2 14s Benjamin
1795 1JF 2 4 2 8 £3 16s Benjamin
1796 1IO 2 4 2 9 £3 18s Benjamin
1797 1EE 2 3 2 9 £3 8s Benjamin
1798
</pre>
The normal interpretation of Harman's absence from the list after 1797 is that he died about 1797. Note that in 1797 he appointed attorneys to distribute his property among his children. Earl J. Hitt says that he died about 1820 at age 99 while sitting in his chair and talking. He was living with his son Benjamin in Rectortown and is buried on the homestead, Rectortown, Fauquier Co. Earl does not say what the source of this story is.
In 1788 and in 1789 Harman's son Daniel is an additional tithable in the household of his brother-in-law Charles Ayres.
LAND TRANSACTIONS:
Fauquier Co. was created in 1759 from a part of Prince William Co. The land in the 1743 grant is now in Fauquier Co. All references to Prince William Co. deeds are from "Deed Abstracts of Prince William County, Virginia" by Ruth & Sam Sparacio, 1989.
"Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants" (Gertrude E. Gray, 1987), Vol 2, pg 8:
Herman Hitt, son of Peter Hitt, of Prince William Co.; 294 acres in Prince William Co., Surv. Mr. Thomas Davies; adj. Worden Pope, near Br. of Great Run of Rappanhannock, Col. Lee, Peter Hitt, Rosser's line. 20 Feb 1743 -- Land Grant Book F, pg 150
In 1760 Harman's wife Mary and her sister Anne jointly inherited 400 acres in Culpeper Co. See notes under Mary.
On October 16, 1764 Henry Hitt and Alice, his wife, of Halifax Co., Virginia sold (lease & release) to Harman Hitt of Fauquier Co. for 5 shillings and then £47 a tract of 200 acres in Fauquier Co. binding on Goose Creek. It adjoins George Johnston, Tilman Weaver and Capt. Timothy Thornton, and the boundary crosses Crommels Run. The deed is signed Henry (his Q mark) Hitt. One of the witnesses is Martin Picket. (Fauquier Co. Deed Records 2/301, 303)
On June 20 & 21, 1764 Harmon Hitt and Mary, his wife, of Hamilton Parish in Fauquier Co. sold (lease and release) to William Whitesides for £40 a tract of 212 acres in Culpeper Co. It is described by metes and bounds. (Culpeper Co., Virginia Deed Book D, pgs 446, 448) This is probably their part of the land Mary and her sister inherited from Mary's father Tilman Weaver.
On July 27, 1772 ("the xxvyth day of July") Harmon Hitt of the Parish of Leeds in Fauquier Co. leased to Randolph Spicer of the same place during his natural life and the natural lives of John Attwell (son of Francis Attwell) and William Spicer (son of Wm. Spicer) and "every of them longest living" a tract of 106 acres near the Watry Mountain. The yearly rent is £5 6s. The lessee is to build one good & sufficient dwelling house 16 feet square with an outside chimney, a barn 20 feet by 24 feet, and plant 100 good apple trees. (Fauquier Co. Deed Records 5/189)
On March 27, 1775 Harman Hitt of the Parish of Leeds in Fauquier Co. leased to John Smith of the same place for and during the term of 99 years a tract of 100 acres in Leeds Parish. The yearly rent is £4 2s 6d. Within 5 years from the next Christmas the lessee is to build a log dwelling house 16 feet square, a barn 24 feet by 20 feet, and plant 100 apple trees. The description of the tract mentions Lee's line. (6/129)
On March 27, 1775 Harman Hitt of the Parish of Leeds leased to John Low of the same place for and during his natural life and the lives of Judah, his wife, and William Low, his son, and "every of them longest living" a tract of 100 acres in Leeds Parish. The yearly rent is £5 2s 6d. Within 5 years from the next Christmas the lessee is to build a log dwelling house 16 feet square, a barn 24 feet by 20 feet and plant 100 apple trees. The description of the tract mentions Lee's line. (6/130)
On April 22, 1776 Harman Hitt of Fauquier Co. leased to William Spiser, Mary Spiser, his wife, and Randolph Spiser during their natural lives a tract of 100 acres in Leeds Parish on the Watry Mountain adjoining the lines of Randolph Spiser and John Smith and then in the tenure and occupation of said Spisers. The yearly rent is £3. The lessees are to build a log house at least 16 feet square and a barn at least 24 feet square and plant at least 100 apple trees. They are allowed to work no more than 3 tithable persons and an overseer. Signed Harman Hitt, William (his X mark) Spiser. Witnesses: Jos. Blackwell, Jeremiah Darnall, George Cordell. (6/304)
On May 27, 1789 Harmon Hitt and Mary, his wife, of Fauquier Co. sold to Martin Pickett of the same place for £100 a tract in Fauquier Co. "joining on the watery mountain which tract was taken up by James Henderson & is now rented to John Low, Randall Spiser, William Spiser all of the whole tract aforesaid except the Lott that Eppa Timberlake now lives on which is supposed to be eighty six acres as per Lease in the said Timberlake possession the land hereby sold and conveyed contains three hundred acres be the same more or less". (10/154)
On August 25, 1793 Harman Hitt of Fauquier Co. sold to Martin Pickett for £40 a tract of 86 acres "on the side of the watry mountain being part and the residue of a larger Tract sold by the said Hitt to said Pickett whereon Epaphroditus Timberlake now lives and which he holds by Lease". (11/411)
It appears from the previous 6 deeds that Harman Hitt owned a tract of about 500 acres on or near the Watry Mountain which he leased to Randolph Spicer, William Spicer, John Low, John Smith, and Eppa Timberlake and that he then sold most of it (excepting the part leased to Smith) to Martin Pickett.
On June 28, 1790 Benjamin Rector and Sarah, his wife, of Fauquier Co. sold to Harmon Hitt of the same place for 40 shillings lots 20 and 21 on Main Street in Maidstone or Rector Town containing one acre. (10/254)
On July 24, 1797 Harmon Hitt of Fauquier Co. appointed Benjamin Hitt and Samuel Hitt to be his attorneys to collect all debts owed to him and then to divide all his property, real and personal, equally among his children, namely, John Hitt, Elizabeth Rector, Peter Hitt or his heirs, Jesse Hitt, Mary Ayres, Sally Hitt, Martin Hitt, Benjamin Hitt, Daniel Hitt and Samuel Hitt. (13/432)
LAND TAX LISTS:
On the Fauquier Co. Rent Roll of 1770 Harman Hitt is the owner of 500 acres, and Earl J. Hitt says that he is on a similar roll in 1777 with the same amount of land.
Land Tax Lists are first available for Fauquier Co. in 1783. From 1783 to 1788 Harman owns 2 tracts, one of 400 acres and a second of 200 acres. There are two districts in the county and both tracts are in the district in which Harman is listed as a tithable, presumably the district in which he resides. In 1789 he no longer owns the 400 acre tract, but he has purchased from someone named Doniphan a 330 acre tract in the other district. He owns these two tracts until 1803. From 1789 to 1797 he paid each year a tax of £1 1/6 on the 200 acre tract worth £71 13/4 and a tax of 19/9.75 on the 330 acre tract worth £66. From 1799 to 1803 he paid $1.15 on the 200 tract worth $238.90 and $1.06 on the 330 acre tract still worth £66. From 1804 to 1807 Harman owns only the 330 acre tract. There are no records for 1808 and from 1809 onward Harman is not in the Land Tax List.
BIRTH YEAR:
The year of his birth is just a guess. See notes under his father.
LAWSUIT:
The following lawsuit in the Chancery Records of the state of Virginia provides a lot of information about the descendants of Harman Hitt. It is Index No. 1852-053, Daniel Hitt vs. Martin Hitt, et al
at http://www.lva.virginia.gov/chancery/default.asp
In an undated document (images 26 & 27 of 28) addressed "to the Worshipful Court of Fauquier County in Chancery sitting" Daniel Hitt, the complainant, states that he is one of heirs of the estate of Daniel Hitt, deceased, who "died intestate some years since leaving no children". He then lists all of the other heirs (24 of them; 25 heirs in all). He further states that Daniel Hitt died possessed of a tract of land of between 300 and 400 acres in Fauquier County upon the Pignut Ridge near the waters of Broad Run and that if the land were to be partitioned among all the heirs the amount of land received by any given heir would be so small as to be of little value. Moreover many of the heirs are non-residents and some are children. The complainant asks the court for authorization to sell the tract and distribute the money received from the sale among the heirs.
The heirs listed here and also in images #5 and #7 are as follows:
1) Martin Hitt, a brother of Daniel Hitt, dec'd (Ohio)
2) Benjamin Hitt, also a brother of Daniel Hitt, dec'd (Fauquier, Va)
3) Elizabeth Rector, a sister of Daniel Hitt, dec'd (Fauquier, Va)
4) Mary Ayres, a sister of Daniel Hitt, dec'd (Fauquier, Va)
5) James Morrison and his wife Sarah, late Sarah Hitt, also a sister of Daniel Hitt, dec'd (Fauquier, Va)
6) Martin Hitt, a son and heir of Jno. Hitt, dec'd, who was also a brother of Daniel Hitt, dec'd (South Carolina)
7) Tilman Hitt; Charlotte Lee; Thomas Pierce and his wife Fanny Pierce, late Fanny Hitt, who are children and heirs of Peter Hitt, dec'd, who was also a brother of Daniel Hitt, dec'd (Alabama)
8) Jacky S. Hitt; Samuel Hitt; Ira Hitt; Samuel Spurgen and Agness, his wife, late Agness Hitt; Matthew Bartlett and Hannah, his wife, late Hannah Hitt; Richard Corwin and his wife Sarah, late Sarah Hitt; and Daniel Hitt, the complainant, who are children and heirs of Jesse Hitt, dec'd, who was also a brother of Daniel Hitt, dec'd (Kentucky, apart from Daniel Hitt, the complainant)
9) John W. Hitt; Rebecca Hitt; Eliza A. Hitt; John Elbert and his wife Actia, late Actia Hitt; Minerva Hitt; Daniel A. Hitt; Sarah A. Hitt; Mary A. Hitt; and Samuel W. Hitt, who are children and heirs of Samuel Hitt, dec'd, who was also a brother of Daniel Hitt, dec'd (Ohio)
The order and spelling of the names are slightly different in the 3 lists. One list states that the widow of Samuel Hitt, dec'd, is Nancy Hitt and that Daniel Hitt died 17 Oct 1825. The wording relative to Charlotte Lee is different from that of the other granddaughters. That might mean that her husband is dead.
The court responded to the complaint by appointing Benjamin Hitt as commissioner of the court to sell the land. He did so and distributed the proceeds.
On March 18, 1830 James Morrison swore to the court that all the defendants live outside of Virginia apart from Elizabeth Rector, Mary Ayres, James Morrison and wife, and Benjamin Hitt.
On June 26, 1830 in a deposition Walter A. Smith said that the tract of land contained about 363 acres and was worth about $5/acre or $1815. He said that James Morrison had formerly lived there. Another deponent said that James Morrison used to own the tract and that it was worth about $4/acre. On January 6, 1831 the land was sold at auction and Walter Smith was the high bidder at $1561.
CHILDREN:
For more information on Harman's children see Earl J. Hitt's database 'hitthaynie'. Three of the sons, Martin, Daniel and Samuel, were Methodist ministers.
1
B. C. Holtzclaw, Ancestors and Descendants of the Nassau-Siegen Immigrants to Virginia 1714-1750, 1964; Germanna Record No. 5; The Memorial Foundation of the Germanna Colonies in Virginia, pg 482.
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