Search billions of records on Ancestry.com
   

Updated April 19, 2012

 

Pitts

 

Group 1

 

Younger Pitts was born about 1758 in Virginia and married Susannah Elliott. His son, Pitman, was born about 1784 in Virginia and married Mary C Andrews on Sept 7, 1811 in Granville County, North Carolina. Mary was born about 1792 in Virginia. They had three children in Virginia: Elizabeth Ann, Younger, and Benjamin Franklin. With the outbreak of war with England, President Madison called up the state militia, and Pitman Pitts was drafted in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, just across the border from where they were married. He was mustered near Norfolk Virginia on about May 15, 1814 and Pitman served as an Ensign in the Company of Riflemen of Capt. Ralph Hubbard, attached to the 5 Regiment of the Virginia Militia. In December of 1814 the Treaty of Ghent was signed in Belgium and Pitman Pitts was honorably discharged at Fort Nelson near Norfolk Virginia. The family migrated through Kentucky to Madison County, Alabama and probably traveled along the Wilderness Road in Western Virginia which Daniel Boone had blazed through the Cumberland Gap in 1774. They may have come through Montgomery County, Kentucky, as Pitman had two war land grants there. The family bible was lost somewhere along this route between Kentucky and Alabama. We know that they were in Madison County, Alabama, by 1825 and they had four more children in Madison County Alabama (Susan Ware, William Charles, Mary Lenora, and John P. S. Pitts). Between 1841 and 1851 some of the family moved to Tishomingo County Mississippi and Washington County Arkansas, while some stayed in Madison County Alabama. We have accounted for over 1,200 descendants of Pitman Pitts and Mary C Andrews Pitts. Many descendants of these families live in the northeast Mississippi area. Others have been traced to Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Oregon, California, Washington, Arizona, Virginia and many other states. However, very few descendants have been found for the line of Younger Pitts (b. 1812 Virginia, son of Pitman).

 

 

Group 2 (Group 2a and Group 2b share the same DNA)

 

Group 2a

 

During the mid 1700s four brothers migrated from Isle of Wight Co, Virginia, to Newberry Co, South Carolina. These brothers were Henry, Charles, William, and Daniel. In the early 1800s many descendants of this family migrated to Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, and Mississippi, and from there moved on to Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and many other states. Much research has been done on this family of Pitts. Books have been written tracing this family back to England and beyond but there are disagreements between researchers, therefore, the information will vary depending on which book one reads. I have chosen Charles Pitt, born abt 1677 as the earliest known ancestor because most published genealogies that I have seen agree on this information, although dates may vary somewhat. Charles Pitt was born about 1677 in Isle of Wight Co, Virginia. Some published genealogies have the date of 1667. He was the son of Henry Pitt and Mary Galloway. Charles married Sarah Ann Hardy, daughter of George Hardy and Mary Jackson. Charles died in 1751 at Surrey, Virginia. His son, Joseph Pitt, was born 1700 in Isle of Wight, Virginia, and he married Nancy Slaughter. Joseph died in Virginia in 1789. It is generally accepted that Charles, William, Daniel, and Henry were all sons of Joseph Pitt. The spelling changed from Pitt to Pitts with this generation. Research says that the Newberry, South Carolina, Pitts were brothers, uncles, and cousins, however, there was another Henry Pitts in Newberry about the same age as Henry, Sr, son of Joseph Pitt. I have found no information substantiating that these two Henry Pitts were related. The families intermarried and many of the same names are found in both, making research difficult. Mark Pitts, of Lincoln Co., Tennessee, Can be traced back to Henry, Sr, as he is named in Henrys will. The common ancestor for Group 2 could be Joseph Pitt but at this time we believe it will be Charles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Group 2b

 

The DNA for this group of Pitts is an exact match to Group 2-a. I have set up a Group a and b because we do not know who the Common Ancestor would be at this time. It is believed that James Monroe Pitts was a descendant of Anthony Pitts but that connection has not yet been proven. According to family research, Anthony Pitts was born abt 1765 in Halifax Co., NC and married Nancy Ann Rawlinson. It is said that this line of Pitts descends from Robert Pitt, b 1607 England, and Martha Lear, however, the research seems to have some discrepancies, therefore, I cannot say for sure who the common ancestor is between these two lines. Until we prove this line, or find evidence that James Monroe Pitts is actually a descendant of the common ancestor of Group 2-a, I am listing the pedigree for our one donor under Group 2-b. When this line is proven and we can find the Common Ancestor for the two lines I will merge both A and B under one Group 2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Group 3

 

Silas Pitts was born about 1786 in South Carolina. He was in Pendleton, South Carolina in 1812-13 where he married first Rebecca Barnett, daughter of James Barnett and Isabella (or Elizabeth) Johnston. According to the census records Silas was in Monroe Co, Alabama by 1815 and in Pike Co Alabama by 1830. He sold his property in Pike Co Alabama and moved to Shelby Co, Alabama by 1835. Silas and Rebecca had nine children. He married 2nd to Nancy Ellison and had two more children. Silas died October 2, 1859 and his will is on file in Shelby Co, Alabama. His daughter, Emily Eliza Pitts gave an accounting of her life in the ³The Troy Messenger², Troy, Alabama in 1889 wherein she stated she was born in Tallapoosa County, Alabama, near the Indian Town in the neighborhood where Andrew Jackson defeated the Indians. Eliza married a Jackson and this article with a picture is cited in ³The Jackson Cousins by Katherine Folmar² a copy of which is in the library in Troy, Alabama. There was an obvious connection of some kind to Mark Pitts and Joel Pitts in Pendleton Co SC in the 1812 time frame. In addition, Silas married Rebecca Barnett who may have been cousin to Mary Barnett that married Joseph Pitts, also of Pendleton Co, SC. However, DNA has proven that the paternal parentage of Silas Pitts was not related to those in Group 2. DNA for this group doesnt match with any other Pitts donor that has been tested. It seems that this line of Pitts is a match to several donors of the Griffin DNA group. We believe that Silas may have been the child of a Pitts female and a Griffin male. The Pitts and Griffins were closely affiliated in SC.

 

 

 

Group 4

 

Verbal family history indicates that the family of John and Elizabeth Pitts migrated to America in the mid-1700s and settled in Frederick Co., VA. Other records show that John came to America in 1721 in bondage. John died in 1739 and Elizabeth remarried to Henry Robinson in 1745. Andrew Pitts, b about 1726, son of John and Elizabeth, married Martha Stroud, daughter of Samuel and Ann Stroud of Loudoun Co., VA. Andrew and Martha moved from Frederick Co., VA to Rowan Co., NC around 1750. Together they raised 9 children. John and Elizabeth were Quakers. Many of this family migrated from NC to Indiana.

 

 

 

 

Group 5

 

William Pitts died in 1838 in Laurens Co, SC. He left a will naming his wife Sally, and children: Daniel, David, William Jr, Reuben Griffin, Jesse J, John, Thomas, and one daughter, Nelly Frasier. Other research claims that this William was the son of William Pitts, b c1737 and Elizabeth Griffin. So far, DNA does not prove that to be true. The William, b 1737, was supposedly the son of Joseph Pitt and Nancy Slaughter. That would mean that all his descendants would carry the same DNA as Group 2. The three descendants that have been tested do NOT match Group 2. It is believed that William Pitts, b 1802, Reuben Griffin Pitts, b 1816, and Daniel P Pitts, b 1804 were sons of the William who died in 1838. This William, according to the census records for the William Pitts living in Laurens Co SC during this time period was born between 1770-1780. Other research claims that his wife, Sally, was Sarah (Sally) Cunningham. I have found nothing to substantiate that her last name was Cunningham. However, Sally is a nickname for Sarah and census records would tend to substantiate that her name was actually Sarah. She was found living beside Reuben Griffin Pitts in 1860. Our 4th donor is a descendant of James Madison Pitts. According to the bible records in possession of a descendant, James was a son of Thomas Pitts and Priscilla. James is found as a child living in the home of David Pitts and is listed as a grandchild, however, we have found no evidence that David Pitts had a son named Thomas. He did have a brother named Thomas. Until this conflict has been resolved we are listing James Madison Pitts as the earliest known ancestor for our fourth donor.

 

 

 

 

Group 6

 

John Pitts, Sr. was born bet. 1726-30. It is not known where but we suspect VA as his wife Mical Ann Barbee was born c 1723 in Essex Co., VA, daughter of John Barbee & Ann Miller.  There were other Pitts families living in Essex Co., VA  and we suspect we are part of this Pitts family but no known male descendants of this line have completed a DNA test yet.  John and Mical were married c 1752 probably in Essex Co., VA or Orange/Chatham Co., NC (Part of Orange Co., NC later became Chatham Co., NC).  No marriage records have been located.  A couple of Mical (Barbee) Pitts brothers moved to Orange/Chatham Co., NC. John and Mical were the parents of 7 children 1) Barbee Pitts d. during Rev War 2) Burwell Pitts d. during the Rev War 3) Elizabeth Pitts m: Unk Brassel 4) Mary Pitts m: Unk Lear 5) Pegey Pitts m: Unk Mimes/Mimms 6) John Pitts Jr. (listed below) and 7) Joseph Pitts b. 1756 in Orange/Chatham Co., NC served in Rev War d. 1819 in Robertson Co., TN.  John Pitts, Seniors, earliest known records is the 700 acres he purchased in Orange Co., NC on 20 Aug 1761.  In 1766, John & Mical (Barbee) Pitts inherited 1 negro and 1/8 of her estate in Essex Co., VA.  In 1780, John Pitts, Sr. purchases 200 acres in Chatham Co., NC.  John Srs Will was written on 29 Nov 1780 so we know he died after this date.  John Pitts, Jr. married twice 1) Mary Henry b. 1753 d. aft 17 Sep 1798 in Chatham Co., NC married abt 1770 prob. In Chatham Co., NC (no marriage records have been found) 2) Lucy Kendrick m: abt 1805 in Robertson Co., TN.  John Jr. purchased lands in Chatham Co., NC, Logan Co., KY and Robertson Co., TN.  John Jrs Will is dated 5 May 1834 in Logan Co., KY.  He died from a blow to the head according to probate records.  John Jrs children  either stayed in KY and TN or migrated into IN but mostly all went to MO.

 

It is not known how the John Pitts, Sr. and Younger Pitts lineage connect but we suspect either in VA, NC or even KY.  No known NC records exist for this Pitts family though.  More research is needed on the connection.  One similarity is that the John Sr. line has several male descendants named Young Pitts (without the ³er²) and of course, many males with the name of John.  Both families lived in KY but different counties.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Group 7

 

The earliest known ancestor for this group is John Pitts, born about 1776 in Maryland. He married Sarah Hawkins in Aug of 1796 in Madison Co KY. Between 1810-1812 John and Sarah migrated to Tennessee and he is first found on the 1812 tax list in Warren Co TN. It is unknown what happened to John. Sarah Pitts is listed as head of household in 1830. Both sons, John and Josiah, were born in KY but lived the majority of their lives in Middle Tennessee in the areas of Cannon, Dekalb, and Warren Counties. Some of Josiahs descendants live to this day in Woodbury, Cannon Co. TN and many others reside in Union Co., IL and other IL counties as well. More information can be found in the public file on Ancestry.com, family trees, for Brimm, Elkins, Merriman, Pitts, Spurlock, and West, Cannon Co., TN.

 

 

Group 8

The common ancestor for this group is unknown at this time. The group consists of two Pitts donors from different parts of the United States, Accomack Co., VA, and Scioto, Co., Ohio, with no obvious connection to each other. The earliest known ancestor for our donor in the UK is William Pitts, probably born in the early 1700s and is traced back to Devon, England. We also have a donor with the surname of Squires whose earliest known ancestor is Capt John Squires born 1794 in Newfoundland. It is believed that John Squires may have been the son of a James Pitts who lived near Capt John Squires and rented land from another Squires family in Newfoundland, most likely an illegitimate birth by a Squires female. This James Pitts migrated to Newfoundland from Kennford, Devon, England. Further research revealed that there were also Squires living in Kennford, Devon, England as well. A known distant cousin (Squires) was also tested and they matched exactly on the first 12 markers so we know that the common ancestor between these two donors goes back to at least 1823. By this we know that the Pitts biological father for this line of Squires occurred prior to this date. Since our donor in England has never lived in the US or Canada we believe that the common ancestor for group 8 will be traced back to the 1600s in Devon, England.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Group 9

 

The common ancestor for this group has not yet been determined. The group consists of donors whose earliest known ancestors were in Chesterfield Co., SC in the early 1800s. We know that John B Pitts sold property in Chesterfield Co., SC in 1845 and appeared in Dyer Co TN a short time afterward. We cannot be sure if his father was John J Pitts who was in that county or if Isaac Pitts, b 1787 was his father or his brother. This group carries an unusual haplogroup which indicates that the DNA for this group would originate from a full blooded Native American male.

 

 

 

 

 

Group 10

 

The common ancestor for this group has not been determined.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Group 11

 

The earliest known ancestor for this line is John Pitts, b 1740. Both donors currently live in Australia, however, their ancestors migrated there at different times and neither knew the other. One line migrated to South Africa in the 1880s and later migrated to Australia. The other line migrated to Australia directly from England after World War II. Each line traces back to the mid to late 1700s in Reading, Berkshire, England. Through further research by the families involved, the Guild of One Name Studies (Pitts) in England and the Berkshire Record Office in England it was determined that both our donors were descendants of sons of John Pitts and Sarah Povey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Group Other