John Hitt 
      Sex: M
Individual Information 
     Birth Date: Abt 1715 - (Germanna, Essex Co., Va)
    Christening: 
          Death: 1782 (Oct) - Fauquier Co., Virginia
         Burial: 
 Cause of Death:
Parents 
         Father: Peter Hitt (1680/1683-1772)
         Mother: Elizabeth Otterbach (1689-Abt 1773) 1
Spouses and Children 
       Children:
                1. John Hitt (Bef 1743-1805)
                2. Elias Hitt (Bef 1765-Abt 1833)
1. Mary (Abt 1736 - After 1802)
       Marriage: 
       Children:
                1. Peter Hitt (Abt 1756-1802)
                2. Mary Ann Hitt (Abt 1760-1810)
                3. Martin Hitt (Bef 1765-Bef 1830)
                4. Aaron Hitt (Abt 1766-      )
                5. Susannah Hitt (Abt 1770-      )
                6. William Hitt (1774-Abt 1852)
Notes
General:
BIRTH YEAR:

The year of his birth is just a guess. See notes under his father.

TWO WIVES:

GERMANNA RECORD NO. 1 on page 10 suggests that John Hitt may have had 2 wives while pointing out that the claim made in the "Journal of the Society of the Germanna Colonies" that his first wife was Sarah Pace is doubtful. John Hitt's widow, Mary Hitt, was 55 years old in 1791 when she married John Shaw; thus she was born about 1736. If John Hitt, Jr. was born before 1743, as his military service suggests, then his father must have had 2 wives and his mother must have been the first wife.

I have chosen to assign Elias to the first wife and the rest of the children to Mary, but the first wife may have been the mother of some of them. I have no evidence for my assignment. GERMANNA RECORD NO. 1 makes the same assignment.

In 1756 John Hitt's wife was Mary. At a Court held for Prince William County the 23d of August 1756 "John Hitt and Mary his wife (she being first privately Examd and thereto Consenting acknowledged a Deed of Gift to Harman Hitt and the same was admitted to Record" (Court records of Prince William Co., Virginia at FamilySearch.org, "County Court minute and order books, 1752-1869", "Order books 1754-1757", film # 33129, pg 183, image 521/592)

LAND in FAUQUIER CO.:

Fauquier Co. was created in 1759 from a part of Prince William Co. The land in the following deed 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.

On March 21 & 22, 1745 Joseph Hitt of Prince William Co. and the Parish of Hamilton sold (lease and release) to John Hitt of the same place for 1050 pounds of tobacco a tract of 217 acres in Prince William Co., being half of a tract of land granted by patent from the Proprietor's Office to Nathaniel Hilling May 20, 1725. Described by metes and bounds; begins near a drain falling into the Parson's Branch; one boundary passes close to the head of a branch of Turkey Run; another boundary runs along a branch of Cedar Run; adjoins Richard Grubb, Serene, Rev. John Bell. Witnesses: Thos. Machen, Peter Hitt. Signed Joseph (X) Hitt. Joseph Hitt and Mary, his wife, acknowledged this lease and release March 24, 1745. (Prince William Co. Deed Records I/32-36)

In the 1770 rent roll for Fauquier Co. John Hitt is the owner of 216 acres. According to Earl J. Hitt he was in the Prince William Co. rent roll in 1753-1754 with the same amount of land. We never see him in the Fauquier Co. Land Tax List because it is first available for 1783 and John Hitt died in 1782. In 1783 John Hitt with 50 acres, Mary Hitt with 141 acres and Elias Hitt with 25 acres are contiguous in the list. 50 + 141 + 25 = 216, and it seems very likely that Mary, John and Elias inherited their land from John Hitt, dec'd. They remain in the list as contiguous entries until 1787, and then in 1788 Mary and Elias vanish and John with 144 acres and Peter with 72 acres are contiguous. 144 + 72 = 216. We assume that Mary is the widow of John Hitt who died in 1782 and that John, Elias and Peter are his sons. Peter continues to be in the list until 1800 as the owner of 72 acres and John is in the list until 1810 as the owner of 144 acres. Peter is always in the same district as his brother John.

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. John Hitt's widow Mary is in the list in 1782 and in 1783. In 1782 she has 2 slaves, 4 horses and 7 head of cattle and there is a male over 21 years of age in her household. In 1783 no adult male is present and she has no slaves, no horses and 3 head of cattle.

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)

PROBATE:

According to GERMANNA RECORD NO. 1 John Hitt was appointed administrator of the estate of John Hitt, dec'd, during the October 1782 Court of Fauquier County. (Fauquier Minute Book 1781-1784, p. 78). The estate was also appraised by John and an inventory returned during the March 1783 court (Fauquier Minute Book 1781-1784, p. 91).

On page 459 of Fauquier Co. Will Book 1 is an inventory and appraisement of the estate of John Hitt, dec'd, dated November 14, 1782. The appraisers are James Stewart, John Stewart and Thomas Porter. The total value is £213 8s. There are 86 items including
<pre>
1 Negro woman £50
1 Negro boy £50
13 hogs £8 8s
9 head of cattle £16 10s
1 mare £8
1 horse £1 10s
1 feather bed, boulster & rugg £10
1 bed £4
1 bed & furniture £13
25 gallons brandy £5
32 1/2 bar's corn @ 8/ £16 4s
</pre>
Most items are worth less than £1.

EARL J. HITT:

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

John was a Baptist Church organizer and is listed as a patriot for his allegiance to the Colony of Virginia rather than the English Government.

On 23 August 1756, John Hitt and his wife Mary acknowledged a deed of gift to Harman Hitt (Prince William County, Virginia Minutes 1756-1757, p. 183). If John married a woman named Sarah Pace, she is definitely not to be confused with Sarah (Day) Pace who first married Richard Pace and who married second John Hitt the son of Harmon and Mary (Weaver) Hitt.
picture

Sources

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.

2 "Fauquier County Virginia Marriage Bonds and Returns," microfilm, Vol 1, pg 315. Repository: Clayton Library, Houston, Texas.

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