William Hitt
Sex: M
Individual Information
Birth Date: Abt 1805 - South Carolina (Laurens Co.) Christening: Death: 1861 - Laurens Co., South Carolina Burial: Cause of Death:
Parents
Father: Henry Hitt (1770/1774-1830) Mother: Elizabeth Stephens Ball (Abt 1772-1851)
Spouses and Children
1. *Millie (Abt 1802 - 1875) Marriage: Children: 1. Sarah Hitt (Abt 1824- ) 2. Elizabeth Hitt (Abt 1827- ) 3. Benjamin Hitt (Abt 1832-1862) 4. Susan Hitt (Abt 1835- ) 5. Henry L. Hitt (Abt 1838-1873) 6. Kesiah Hitt (Abt 1841- ) 7. Agnes J. Hitt (Abt 1843-1880/1896)
Notes
General:
CENSUS:
<pre>1830 Laurens Co., South Carolina
William Hitt 10001 -- 12001; no slaves
male female
1 < 5 1
5-10 2
10-15
15-20
1 20-30 1
30-40 </pre>
<pre>1840 Laurens Co., South Carolina
William Hitt Rev. 110001 -- 011201; 2 in agriculture; 1 slave
male female
1 < 5
1 5-10 1
10-15 1
15-20 2
20-30
1 30-40 1
40-50
50-60 </pre>
He is in the sequence William Hitt Rev., 4x, Jesse Hitt, Lewis Ball, Joseph Ball, Benj. Hitt, 2x, Henry Ball, 2x, Elizabeth S. Hitt. William, Jesse, and Benjamin are brothers. Elizabeth is their mother and Lewis Ball is their uncle.
<pre>1850 Laurens Co., South Carolina
258/258
William Hitt 45 M SC $1300 Minister
Milly " 48 F SC
Elizabeth " 23 F SC
Benjamin " 18 M SC $-- Farmer
Susan " 15 F SC
Henry " 12 M SC
Kesiah " 9 F SC
Aggy " 7 F SC </pre>
In the Slave Schedule (Aug 9) he is the owner of one slave (black male, 55).
<pre>1860 Laurens Co., South Carolina, p.o. Spring Grove; June 13; pg 34
286/274
Rev'd Wm. Hitt/Bapt. 56 MW SC $4600/$8000 Clergyman Bst
Millie " 59 FW SC
Susan " 22 FW SC
Henry " 21 MW SC
Agnes " 16 FW SC </pre>
In the Slave Schedule he is the owner of 7 slaves (black female, 54; black male, 21; black female, 18; black female, 16; black male, 16; black male, 10; black female, 1).
In 1870 Milly Hitt, Agnes Hitt, Henry L. Hitt, and Susan Smith are missing in the census.
BETHABARA BAPTIST CHURCH:
On page 5 of the Minutes of the Bethabara Baptist Church in Laurens Co., SC (LDS microfilm 22728) William Hitt is the 72nd entry in the list of male members. This list was probably created in 1805 and then added on to. To the right of his name: "Recv'd by Experience Sept 12, 1832".
March 15, 1834: "Brother William Hitt stated to the church that he had at different times laboured under weighty and serious impressions that it was his duty to his God and to his fellow creatures to come forward by way of singing exhotation [sic] and prayer, that he had endeavoured to suppress it but could not He therefore wished the opinion and advice of the church
"The church after deliberation unanimously agreed that brother Hitt be allowed the liberty to exercise a publick gift in the bounds of the church in any way his sense of duty may dictate."
July 19, 1834: "Further liberty was given to the Brothers Martin Ball & William Hitt so that they might not be confined to the bounds of the church in the exercise of their publick gifts"
June 25, 1836: "On motion of Richard G. Golding it was unanimously resolved that Brother William Hitt and Brother Martin Ball should be ordained to the ministry"
July 23, 1836: William Hitt and Martin Ball were ordained to the ministry after being examined by a presbitery to the satisfaction of themselves and to the satisfaction of the church.
For the next several years William Hitt was active in the work of the church.
January 25, 1840: "The Church then moved to call a suply for 1840. Brother Babb then rose and resigned his Stewardship to the Church, and recommended the Church to call Brethren Hitt & Ball Jointly. The Church Then Called Brethren Hitt & Ball jointly as their supply for 1840. refered to answer on next Church day in Feb'r"
February 22, 1840: William Hitt and Martin Ball accepted the call.
November 20, 1840: "The Church unanimously called Brethren Wm. Hitt & Martin Ball to supply us the next year" Martin Ball agreed and William Hitt asked the church to wait for an answer until the next meeting in December. On December 26 he agreed.
March 27, 1841: William Hitt agreed to preach every second Sabbath this year.
In January 1845 Martin Ball was given a letter of dismission, presumably in preparation for going to Mississippi. From then until 1851 William Hitt served alone as the pastor.
On September 27, 1851 the church issued a call to Rev. W. B. Boyd to preach for it for 1852. He accepted so that William Hitt was no longer the pastor.
PROBATE:
Probate records for William Hitt are in Box 139, Package 5 (image 122/1348) of Laurens Co. Estate Papers. They can be seen online at familysearch.org. Probate records for his wife Milly are in Box 181, Package 9 (image 193/1006).
On April 19, 1861 Milly Hitt, Martin Hitt, and Harrison M. Fuller are bound unto W. H. Langston, ordinary for Laurens District, in the amount of $20,000 to guarantee that Milly Hitt will faithfully execute her duties as administratrix of the estate of William Hitt.
The appraisal report is dated April 23, 1861. In addition to ordinary household and farming items, there are 6 slaves:
1 Negro woman Pheby $250
1 Negro woman Permely and child Frances $1500
1 Negro girl Tabitha $1200
1 Negro man Henry $1400
1 Negro boy William $1300
1 Negro boy Alsey $1000
The slaves are far and away the most valuable items. The next most valuable items are the horses and mules (mule Jack ($150), mare Mary ($125), mare Cenda ($125), horse Tom ($25), mule Salley ($150)). In a list of notes and accounts belonging to the estate of William Hitt, dec'd H. M. Fuller owes $650, Henry Hitt, Sen. owes $45, and 7 others owe about $180. It appears that $354.58 is owed for 8 bales of cotton sold in Hamburg April 9, 1861. Other smaller amounts are mentioned.
A sale took place November 27, 1861 (images 52, 53, 116-19). Milly Hitt bought 85 items with a value of $2777.12 including Permely and child ($1200), Bill ($970), and Cindy ($56). Miss Agnes Hitt bought 1 bed and furniture ($40), 1 dish, and 1 table for a total of $40.35. Mrs. Marion Anders bought Tabitha ($900), Harrison M. Fuller bought 18 items including Alsey ($860) and Tom ($10), Hugh Leamon bought Henry ($960), Jas. C. Vaughan bought Sally ($156) and Jack ($150), Wm. L. Dukes bought Mary ($86), and Benj. L. Hitt bought 7 items including Pheby ($100). Twenty six other buyers bought varying amounts. The total value of the sale was $7263.49.
Year after year the administratrix Milly Hitt reports the condition of the estate to the probate court. The report is actually made on her behalf by an agent. At first the agent is Martin Hitt. Then the agent is Henry L. Hitt. No distribution of assets is made to a group of heirs, and it appears that Milly continues to operate the farm. 1873 is the first year in which the report is made by a John J. McGowan, a lawyer. On November 20, 1875 he and two others are bound for $12000 to guarantee his performance as administrator de bonis non of the estate of William Hitt, dec'd. A new appraisal dated November 1865 is made. It consists of a list of notes due to the estate. Most are marked 'doubtful' or 'worthless'. One doubtful note on Marion Andrews amounts to $900.00, two doubtful notes on Harrison Fuller amount to $644.83, and one doubtful note on H. L. Hitt amounts to 1003.05. Two credits on H. L. Hitt made in 1863 and in 1864 amount to $400.00. A note for $257.43 on Maywell Smith is worthless. Also worthless are $552.25 in Confederate bills.
In 1880 J. J. McGowan reports that $1073.49 was received "on judgment against Harrison Fuller and surities", but it appears that the same amount was paid out for "note of one of surities" (image 92). In 1882 J. J. McGowan reports that $1821.94 was received as "judgment on H. L. Hitt as Admr. of B. L. Hitt" and $1228.99 was received "from Estate of H. L. Hitt, dec'd". It appears that $1821.94 was paid out to "H. L. Hitt as Admr. of B. L. Hitt".
In 1883 John J. McGowan submits a undated petition to the probate court of Laurens Co. in which he says that in 1860 William Hitt died possessed of considerable personal property, that letters of administration were granted to Milly Hitt, that she died in 1875, and that in 1875 letters of administration de bonis non were granted to the petitioner. He then petitions the court to order all distributees and creditors of the estate to appear in court on March 29, 1883 so that he can make an accounting and final settlement of the said estate and be discharged from his duties (image 97).
Reference is made to a lawsuit in which John J. McGowan as the administrator de bonis non of the estate of William Hitt, dec'd is the plaintiff and the defendants are Susan Smith, Agnes Hitt, Marion Andrews and Sallie his wife, and M. E. Babb C.C.P. as administrator of Elizabeth Fuller, dec'd and as administrator de bonis non of Benjamin Hitt, dec'd (image 103). In a similar case John J. McGowan as the administrator of the estate of Milly Hitt, dec'd is the plaintiff. He seeks a citation for final settlement and discharge. See notes under Milly Hitt.
A summary (images 120-22) starts with $7263.49 from the sale. $2229.11 is subtracted for notes not collected. In September 1875 it appears that $931.83 is left. The final settlement does not occur until 1883. It does not appear that there were any assets left to distribute.
EARL J. HITT:
The following was copied from the database of Earl J. Hitt in WorldConnect (no longer existent):
William joined Bathabara Church and was accepted on 12 September 1832. From 1832 to 1835, William was envolved in church affairs and, on 27 June 1835, William and Martin Ball became candidates for license by the church. The church ordained William and Martin to the ministry on 23 July 1835 and they were jointly called by the church until about 1840. William served as Pastor of the church from about 1840 until 1850. He declined the church call for 1851. On 14 August 1859, William was reported for non-attendance at Sacrement, but his case was postponed until 12 September 1859 when he was exonerated for the course he pursued.
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