from The Pettit Correspondent, Vol. 3, No. 3, page 145 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Some Notes about the Descendants of Elias Pettit of Westmoreland County, PA By Michael Cooley I have accumulated what is I believe is convincing and nearly conclusive evidence that most, if not all, the PA born Pettits of Deerfield township, Morgan County, Ohio were descended from Elias Pettit of Westmoreland County, PA. As any researcher knows, records of genealogical significance can often be flawed. Additionally, errors have been and are still being made in the transcriptions of these records. These difficulties are present in much of what follows. In these cases additional documentation is needed to back-up those records in question. In most cases, I believe I have found that material. Some related articles not referenced below: "Index to Pettit Land Deeds," Morgan County, Ohio, page 3; (NOTE: The Nancy Jane Pettit named as wife of Jacob Hayden in "Hayden / Pettit," page 5, was too old to have been Elijah's daughter.); "William and Beulah," page 6; "Deed: Sheriff to Francis Pettit," page 7; "Some Descendants of Plummer Pettit," pages 9-11; "Two Josephs," page 46. ELIAS(2) | -------------------------------------- | | | THOMAS(2) dau m. Geo. Hughes?(2) ELIJAH(2) | | --------------- ------------------------------- | | | | | PLUMMER(8) LOVEY(8) NANCY ANN(5,12) JOSEPH(5,12) ELIZABETH(5,12) =Amanda =John =Mary =Hugh Riley Bixby Appleman Lindsay =Ann =David =Rose Anna Pettit Hearing Porter (Thomas had seven other children)(8) 1768 Elias Petit is listed as a resident of Dublin, Cumberland Co.1 (Bedford County was formed from Cumberland in 1771 and Westmoreland from Bedford in 1773.) 1789, 28 Aug "Elias Pettit of Derry Township," will dated. Names wife Priscilla and sons George Hughes (son- in-law?), Thomas Pettit and Elijah Pettit. Witnesses include Isaac Hughes.(2) 1790 "Elies" Pettit listed on the Federal census for Westmoreland County, PA with 1 male 16 and up and 1 female.(3) 1790 "Elija" Pettit listed on the Federal census for Westmoreland County, PA with 1 male 16 and up and 1 female.3 It can probably be presumed that this was a young couple only recently married and there were yet no children. 1790 Thomas Pettit listed on the Federal census for Westmoreland County, PA with 1 male 16 and up and 2 females.(3) 1794, May 31 Elias Pettit's will proved in Westmoreland County, PA.(2) 1795 The approximate year of birth in Pennsylvania of Joseph Pettit, Sr. of Deerfield township, Morgan County, Ohio.(4) Later records, below, prove this to be the approximate year of birth of Elijah's son. 1799, May 8 "Elijah Pettit of Derry Township" will dated in Westmoreland County, PA. It names four heirs, wife Leah and children Nancy, Joseph and Betsy. The will states "it is my will that when my said son Joseph arrives at the aforesaid age [21] that my Lands be then sold & the Monies thence arising shall be equally Divided between my Wife Leah & my three Children...."(5 ) As noted below this transaction took place in 1816, proving the year of Joseph's birth to be ca 1795. Wife Leah and "brother William Hughes" are named as executors. As was the custom, brother here probably means brother-in-law. Frequently, children were listed in wills in the order of birth. As we know that Joseph was born ca 1795 and as they probably had no children in 1790 it is then possible that Nancy was born ca 1791-1793 and Betsy 1797-1799. 1799, June 13 Elijah Pettit's will proved in Westmoreland County.(5) As it is likely that Elijah was a young man at his death it is possible that he contracted a terminal desease and, knowing of his eminent death, wrote a will only weeks before. Certainly, five weeks would have probably been too long to have suffered a serious injury, unless he died of subsequent complications. 1800 "Widow Pettit" listed on the 1800 Federal census for Westmoreland County with 3 children (2 males and 1 female) aged to 10.(6) In all likelihood she is the widow of Elijah recently died. If so, the census-taker erred as we know from his will and the 1816 deed below that she had only 1 son and 2 daughters. 1800 Thomas Pettit listed on the Federal census for Mercer County, PA with 2 males to 10 (probably Plummer and possibly Thomas B. [1795-1873]),(6) 1 male 26-45 (1755-1774) and 2 females to 10. It is known that Thomas married a 2nd time before 1809(8) it is likely that his first wife had died by this census. 1801 Thomas Pettel [sic? - the final t is often found either not crossed or poorly eligible and not transcribed correctly] and George Hughes listed on the tax list for Neshannock township, Mercer County, PA.(7) Mercer County is known to have been the residence for Thomas Pettit, later of Muskingum County, Ohio.(8) Listed on the 1800 tax list(7) for the same township is Andrew Christy, future commander of the 135th PA, War of 1812, the unit in which Plummer Pettit, Thomas's son, served.(9) 1815, May 23 Elizabeth Pettit (Betsy) is married to Hugh Riley in Fairfield County, OH. (See will of Elijah, 1799.)(10) 1815, Oct 7 Will of Martin Fate, Fairfield County, OH (Will Book 2, page 61).(10) It mentions son Thomas Fate, the 2nd husband of Elijah Pettit's widow Leah (See below). 1816, Jan 12 Zanesville Land Office. Joseph Pettit of Washing- ton County buys land (Range 14, Township 13, Section 10 - now in Perry County).(11) 1816, Sep 14 Deed, Joseph Pettit to Henry Kerns, Westmoreland County, PA.12 "whereas Elias Pettit became seized of a certain tract or parcle of land called Union in Derry Township Westmoreland County & State of Pennsylvania & had the same surveyed on a warrant dated Febry 26th 1788 & by Elijah Pettit as tenants in common who thereupon obtained a patent for said tract of land containing 378 acres & thirty perches & whereas aggreeable to the true intention of the said will of Elias Pettit dec the said Thomas Pettit and George Hughes did remise & relese & forever quit clame Elijah Pettit his heirs and assigns forever a part or parcle of the aforesaid tract of land having been divided agreeable to thee aforesaid will to the proper use & behoof the said Elijah Pettit one of the aforesaid divisees... [the land is described] ...know ye that Thomas Fate Lea Fate & Ann Pettit Hugh and Elizabeth Kelly of Washington County Ohio State the legal heirs of Elijah Pettit have by there attorney legally authorizes Joseph Petted, have granted, bargained & sold ..." to Joseph Kerns, etc. Understanding the names in this document is important in ferreting out the proof of Elijah's descendants. At first glance it seems at odds with what is already known. First, Lea Fate must be Elijah's widow and Thomas Fate her second husband. An heir, the second daughter, is called Ann, not Nancy. We know there were only 2 daughters so this then must be Nancy Ann. When first reading the document I believed I had read Hugh and Elizabeth Riley -- precisely the words I had hoped for when ordering the record, as I had known that they had already been married. But a closer look revealed the last name to be written as Kelly. However, further examination proves that the copy as obtained from the clerk's office was in fact a transcription, as page numbers, more than one per physical page, are written on the margins and directly into the text of the document. I wrote to the Westmoreland County Clerk's office and she acknowledged that the original records are no longer extant and commented that errors in transcription (as we already know) were common. It does not take much imagination to see how, considering the penmanship of the day, Riley could be mistaken for Kelly by the transcriber. Finally, the heirs are described as being of Washington County, Ohio. The Pettits of Deerfield township, Morgan County, lived near the Perry County border and many resided, at different times, on either side. Perry County was formed in 1818 from Washington, Fairfield (mentioned above) and Muskingum Counties and Morgan County was formed in 1817 from Washington, Guernsey and Muskingum Counties. It is not necessarily inconsistent to find them in Fairfield County on the one hand, and next Washington County. 1816, Sep 20 Zanesville Land Office, one week later. Joseph Pettit of Washington County buys land (Range 10, Township 9, Section 7 - now in Muskingum Co).(11) 1818, June 29 Joseph Pettit marries in Muskingum County to Mary Lindsay.(13) See "Two Josephs" for further information on his family -- his sons Elijah (named for his grandfather?), Francis and Joseph Jr. (married Sarah Ann Morris, later deserting her and moving to Louisiana.) 1819 Thomas Pettit leaves Mercer County, Pennsylvania and settles in Muskingum County, Ohio.(8) 1823, May 1 The will of Thomas Fate, dated in Perry County, Ohio.(14) It names wife Leah and his children, John, Martin, George and Shadrack. It is not yet known if these children were Leah's or from a previous wife. Hugh Riley of Morgan County is executor. Thomas Pettit is one of three witnesses. 1833-1834 Probable period of death for Elizabeth Pettit Riley. She is mentioned in a deed, along with her husband Hugh Riley, in February 1833 when, for the sum of $100.00, they sold some land in Morgan County to Anna Pettit, widow of Plummer Pettit (Deed Book U, page 96).(15) On 16 September 1834 Hugh Riley married Ann Pettit in Morgan County (Marriage Book A, page 23).(15) 1836, Oct 13 George Fate, probable son of Thomas Fate and Leah (Hughes?) Pettit Fate (step-mother?) of Bearfield, Perry County, Ohio sells a mill to Joseph Pettit of Deerfield, Morgan County, Ohio. Joseph's sons Elijah and Francis are witnesses.(16) 1850, Sep 12 Joseph Pettit m-2 Rose Anna Porter in Muskingum Co. OH.(17) 1855, Feb 9 Joseph Pettit, Sr. died in Deerfield, Morgan County, OH.(18) (1) "Cumberland County, Pennsylvania Tax Lists, 1768-1770," Merri Lou Scribner Schaumann. (2) Reprinted in TPC from Old Westmoreland, Vol. 3, #4 "Will Abstracts: Westmoreland County Will Book 1." (3) "Pettits in the 1790 Federal Census," TPC page 85, October 1989. (4) Micro-filmed copy of the original census schedule of Morgan County, Ohio. Just recently I have seen a transcription published by the Morgan County, Ohio Genealogical Society which lists this Joseph as 35, not 55. I have seen the micro-filmed schedule three times and feel confident that my reading is correct. (5) Westmoreland County, PA Will Book 1, page 152. A reprint appears in TPC, July 1989, page 74. (6) Reprinted TPC, October 1988, pages 36-37. (7) "History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania, It's Past and Present," 1888, pp. 147-148. (8) "The Oldest Woman in the County" TPC, April 1988, pp. 1-2. (9) The National Archives microfilm series M602, "Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served During the War of 1812." The Pettit entries are reprinted in the October 1989 issue of TPC, pp. 91-94 as "Pettit Volunteers - The War of 1812." (10) On record at the Fairfield County Courthouse, Lancaster, OH 43130 (11) "Purchasers of Land in East and East Central, Ohio, 1800- 1840," David and Ellen Berry, 1989. (page 223) (12) Westmoreland County, PA Deed Book 12, p. 134. (13) Muskingum County, Ohio Court Records. According to a letter received from a clerk of that Court, the early marriage records for that period are no longer extant and they must rely on a published compilation. (14) "Perry County, Ohio - Will Abstracts, 1818-1851," Gateway to The West, Vol. 4, #2, page 96. (15) Morgan County, Ohio Court Records. (16) Perry County, Ohio Deed Book L, pp. 327-328. (17) Muskingum County Marriage Record Book 4. (18) Morgan County, Ohio Chancery Record E, pp. 230-233.