KIRTON Family*
Related Surnames:
Avant,
Cain, DeWitt, Gasque, Gibbs, Finklea, Keefe, O’Doherty
The Kirton clan appears to have originally hailed from Ireland. There is an early mention of a William Kirton living in Barbados in 1666, and then some Kirtons in Virginia, also in the late 1600s.
A Thomas Kirton was listed in 1670 in the colony of Virginia as submitting a procuration to represent the Proprietors (or Colonial Landlords). A Philip Kirton (c1700-c1786) of Virginia is another of this surname also listed as an early Virginia settler. Philip Kirton appears to have married an Elizabeth Avant? and they had these children: Thomas, Philip, and Elizabeth. (and maybe others unknown)
The first mention of a Kirton in the Pee Dee region was when Thomas Kirton bought 150 acres of land at Catfish Creek from Simon Malphurs? in 1755. This Thomas Kirton was probably the aforementioned son of Philip Kirton of Virginia.
A Thomas Kirton was a signer of the petition for Incorporation of Horry Co. in 1801.
In 1890 in Florence County, Leonard Bigham visited the Widow Kate Kirton Keeffe (1856-1913) the day after her husband's funeral. However, it was not to pay his respects, but instead the Widow was told to exhume her husband and move him. The cemetery next door had buried Lewis Keeffe six inches too far east and his feet straddled the Bigham property line. So much for good neighbors. Phillip C. Kirton (brother to aforementioned Kate) and his wife Ola were the nearest neighbors to the Bigham family. For more on thiskind family, see Bigham page.
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