by Frank C. Baldwin (848 Lake Street, Oak Park, IL 60301)
Continued from page 132, July 1990. For your convenience the entire set of footnotes, even those already published, are included here.
8. John Pettit was born in 17267 and died about 17974 in Sussex Co., NJ.
An inventory of his estate was taken Dec. 29, 1797.4 By 1756 he was
Coroner of Sussex County.19 In 1762 he was a Freeholder of Sussex
County.30 In 1769 he was an incorporator of Christ Church, Newton.7 He
was listed on the 1773 and 1774 tax lists of Newton.14 He served as
agent and collector of rents for Gov. John Jay of New York who owned a
large tract northeast of Newton.29 He married Mercy Fisher, daughter of
Richard Fisher of Hackettstown, NJ and had the following children:7
48. Mary Pettit, b. 1769, m. Alex Huston and had six children.
49. Nathaniel Pettit, b. Oct. 28, 1770; unmarried; ran a general store
in Newton.29
50. Samuel Pettit, b. Oct. 28, 1770 (twin), had ten children.
51. Amos Pettit, b. Apr. 24, 1773; d. 1847; m. Mary Rogers; two
children.
52. Elizabeth Pettit, b. 1775; m. Mar. 21, 1807 James Huston in Sussex
County14 and had two children.
53. Sarah Pettit, b. 1783; m-1 James English; m-2 Philip Wheeler;
had eight children by first husband and three by second.
54. John Pettit, b. 1788; d. 1831; m. Phoebe Nixon and had three
children, one of whom was Rev. Nathaniel Pettit.
55. William Pettit, b. Mar. 16, 1788; d. Jan. 1, 1867 in Newton. He
was a merchant in Newton. He m. Feb. 17, 1816 Nancy Morrow. She
was the daughter of Robert and Mary (Jacques) Morrow. She was b.
Oct. 21, 1794 and d. 1882; had four children: Sarah, Mary, Sarah
Elizabeth, and Robert Morrow Pettit.29 [Editor's note: see TPC,
Vol 3, #1, p. 108]
9. Thomas Pettit first appeared in Sussex County, NJ records in March 1756
when he served on a coroner's jury with his brothers George , Jonathan,
and Amos.19 He apparently died young. Thomas Wolverton was appointed
administrator of his intestate estate in Sussex Co. on Dec. 1, 1758.
However, Thomas Wolverton died soon afterwards and the estate was
eventually settled by Ephraim Darby and Aaron Doud4 (31:252). Newspaper
abstracts in the New Jersey Archives mention Thomas Pettit's land on the
River Paquass in Newton Twp., Sussex County.31 It is not known whether
Thomas Pettit married or had children.
10. Isaac Pettit [Editor's note: see TPC Vol. 2, #1, p. 45] first appeared
in Sussex County records on March 13, 1752, when he, along with his
brother George, witnessed the will of Samuel Hunt Sr. of Hardwick
Township, Morris (later Sussex, now Warren) County, New Jersey4
(31:170). On Apr. 19, 1766 he was fellowbondsman for Solomon Willits
and Solomon Willits Jr., administrators of the intestate estate of David
Willits of Sussex County4 (33:482). There was a tradition in the Pettit
family that Isaac was a Loyalist and went to Canada after the
Revolutionary War. R. Janet Powell, in her Annals of the Forty, said
that Isaac Pettit settled in Norfolk County, Ontario. However, the
Isaac Pettit in Norfolk County stated his age as 22 in 1797. He further
stated that he was a son of a Loyalist from New Jersey.23 This would
place him in the next generation. It seems more likely that Isaac, the
son of Nathaniel II and Elizabeth (Heath) Pettit, moved from Sussex Co.,
NJ to Virginia and eventually to Pennsylvania. The will of John Goodin
[Editor's note: see TPC Vol. 1, #2, p. 24], dated Sept. 14, 1769, on
file in Loudoun County, Virginia, left money and personal effects in
Hardwick Township, Sussex County, West New Jersey to the children of
Isaac Pettit and his wife, Margaret. The same will leaves a gun "that
is at my brother's house in Loudoun Co., VA" to John Pettit, son of
Isaac Pettit and Margaret. This will does not specify the relationship
between the Goodins and the Pettits but it does clearly link the Pettits
of Loudoun Co. back to the Pettits of Sussex Co., NJ. About this time
the brothers George and Isaac Pettit made the move to Virginia. In 1771
Isaac Pettit appeared on a list of Loudoun Co. tithables with George
Pettit.20 Isaac also appeared on a second undated list which was not
earlier than 1773 and not later than 1779. By 1781 he had moved to
Pennsylvania. In that year he was listed on a Pennsylvania state tax
list in Washington County.33 In the year 1784 and following he was
listed regularly on tax lists of Amwell Twp., Washington County.34 An
Isaac Pettit was listed in Ensign David Ruble's Co. of Washington County
militia serving on the frontier sometime between 1782 and 1785.35 On Nov
15, 1793 Isaac bought land from Christopher Slusher on Ten Mile Creek36
(T:719). A 1796 tax list shows him with 193 acres, house and barn, two
horses and two cows.37 On Jan. 12, 1801 he wrote his will and the will
was proved Sept. 5, 180738 (2:128). An account of his estate was filed
in August 1805 in Washington Co. Orphans Court. Isaac and Margaret
Pettit had the following children:
56. John Pettit listed in the 1790 census of Washington Co., PA and on
the 1793 tax list of Amwell Township.34 He lived in Morris Twp.,
Greene Co., PA at the time of the 1800 census. He was probably
the John Pettit who married Keziah and settled in Miami Co., Ohio
where he died about 1829. He had at least two sons: Amos and
Alexander Pettit.39
57. Nathaniel Pettit b. Jan. 6, 176240 and died July 26, 1833 in
Morris Twp., Greene Co PA.41 He served in the Washington Co.
militia.42 On Aug. 9, 1804 he warranted a piece of property known
as "Buck" in Morris Twp. This 422-acre tract was patented Feb. 4,
1805. He married Sarah. She was b. Apr. 17, 1768. They had
children: John, Rebecca, Sarah, Elizabeth, Nathaniel, Isaac,
Silas, James, Jemimah, Jesse, Charles, Levi, Andrew J., and
William Pettit.40
58. Charles Pettit. His will was proved Mar. 24, 1849 in Greene Co.,
PA. He married Elizabeth who was b. ca. 1771 in Maryland43 and
survived her husband. Charles sold his share of his father's
estate in 1819 and bought land in Morris Twp., Greene Co., PA.36
44 They had the following children mentioned in Charles' will:
Charles, Joseph, Abigail, Margaret, Elizabeth, David, Matthias L.,
Joanna, Rebecca, Isaac, and Cornelius Pettit.
59. Isaac Pettit Jr., m. Rebecca; listed in the 1793 tax list of
Amwell Twp., Washington Co. In 1798 he bought a lot in
Waynesburg, Greene County.44 But at the time of the 1810 census he
lived in Morris Twp., Washington Co. Nothing further known.
60. Azariah Pettit, m. Rebecca. He lived in Morris Twp., Greene Co.,
PA at the time of the 1800 and 1810 census. He sold his share of
his father's estate to his brother David in 1813.36 He was
probably in Monongalia Co., (West) Virginia at the time of the
1820 census.
61. David Pettit, m. Mary; lived in Amwell Twp., Washington Co. PA
where he was listed in census returns 1800-1830. David and Mary
Pettit sold their land in Amwell Twp., Washington Co. in 183236
(2P:309 & 2X:316). It is not known where they went after that
date.
62. Rebecca Pettit, m. Mr. Jackson.
63. Abigail Pettit, b. ca. 1773, m. Joseph Masters, d. pre-1812
Tuscarawas Co., OH. Joseph Masters was b. ca. 1770 in New Jersey
and died 1863 in Bucks Twp., Tuscarawas Co., OH. They had at least
two sons: Joel and Azariah Masters.45 46
11. Charles Pettit was born about 1730.13 He married Mary Smith.13 His
name first appeared in Sussex Court Records in May 1760.18 The will of
Aaron Dowd, dated Apr. 30, 1765, left money for building a Presbyterian
"meeting house" on Charles Pettit's land in Sussex County4 (33:120). In
1769 he was an incorporator of Christ Church, Newton.7 In 1774 he served
on Hardwick Twp. Committee in Sussex County.7 He was a Loyalist during
the Revolutionary War and in 1787 he moved to Canada. He settled at
Saltfleet, Ontario.13 He probably died between 1805 and 1808 and was
buried at St. Andrew's Church in Grimsby. Children:13
64. Jemima Pettit, b. 1761; d. 1812; m. John Biggar; settled in
Saltfleet. He was born July 22, 1760. After Jemima's death he
married in 1814 Margaret Fisher. Children of John and Jemima
Biggar: Elizabeth, Charles Pettit, James, Amos, Robert, William,
John, Joseph, Richard, Mary, Robert Litel, and Rachel Biggar.
65. John Charles Pettit, b. 1762; d. 1835; m. Martha Biggar, dau. of
James and Elizabeth Biggar. She d. Dec. 10, 1828. They settled
in Saltfleet. Children: Robert, Elizabeth, Ann, Sarah, Charles,
James, Rachel, Joseph, Priscilla, and John Pettit.
66. Sarah Pettit, b. ca. 1770; d. 1847; m. Gershom Carpenter, son of
Ashman and Mary Boyle Carpenter. He died in 1845. Gershom and
Sarah Carpenter settled at Saltfleet and had thirteen children:
Jonathan (1794-1801), Sarah (1794-1804), Charles (1796- ), Mary
(1797- ), Elizabeth (1799- 1801), Gershom (1803-1803), John (1803-
), Joseph (1804- ), Sarah (1807- 1823?), Jemima (1809- ), Gershom
(1811-1874), Jonathan (1815- ), and Sarah Carpenter (1818-1834).
67. Rachel Pettit, b. 1779, d. 1802; m. Mar. 12, 1800 William Biggar,
son of James and Elizabeth Biggar. He was b. Feb. 9, 1777 in New
Jersey. They had one son: James Biggar. William Biggar m-2
Rebecca Green.
68. Catherine Pettit, b. 1784; d. 1848; m. Mar. 28, 1805 William Gage
of Saltfleet. He was born Oct. 6, 1787 the son of William Sr. and
Susan (Jones) Gage. William and Catherine (Pettit) Gage had
children: Charles, John, Andrew, Russel, William, Sarah, Alma,
Rachel, Mary Ann, and Frances Gage.
1 Harry Macy Jr.: research on the Pettits of Newtown, Long Island, done for
Sandra McIntire of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, February 1983. 2 West Jersey
Deeds; on microfilm at Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah. (film
nos. 460-050; 460-058) 3 Edwin Robert Walker & others: "A History of
Trenton, 1679-1929", 1929. 4 New Jersey Wills recorded in "New Jersey
Archives", Vol. 23, 30-41. 5 Mrs. Louise H. Tunison and Mrs. Althea F.
Courtot: "The Heath Family of Hunterdon County, New Jersey", 1977, typed
manuscript in collections of Hunterdon County Historical Society,
Flemington, New Jersey. 6 Henrietta Brady Brown: "Some Venables of England
and America", 1961. In Burlington County Library, New Jersey. 7 John S.
Wurts: "Magna Carta", pp. 2288-2318. 8 Phyllis B. D'Autrechy: "Some Records
of Old Hunterdon County, 1701-1838", 1977. 9 "Rev. William Frazier's Three
Parishes - St. Thomas', St. Andrew's, and Musconetcong, New Jersey 1768-70",
in "Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography", Vol. 12 (1888) 212-232.
See also Vol. 10:258-261. 10 "The West Jersey Society's Great Tract in
Hunterdon County", in "The Jerseyman", Vol. 3 (1895) pp. 1-5. 11
"Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography", 31:352. 12 James P.
Snell: "History of Somerset and Hunterdon Counties, New Jersey", 1881. 13
R. Janet Powell: "Annals of the Forty", Grimsby Historical Society, Grimsby,
Ontario. 14 "Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey". 15 National Archives
pension application of Mary (Wolverton) Bray, file W5920. 16 Article on
Charles Pettit in "Dictionary of American Biography", Vol. 14. 17 Franklin
County, Pennsylvania wills. 18 Sussex County Court Records in Sussex County
Courthouse, Newton, New Jersey. 19 Pettit notes in Charles C. Gardner
Collection of the Genealogical Society of New Jersey, Alexander Library,
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey. 20 Loudoun County Tithables,
original records in Loudoun County courthouse, Leesburg, Virginia. 21
"Colorado Genealogist" Vol. 4 (1943) p. 104. 22 Family notes of Zoe Lenore
(Baldwin) Sublette, ca. 1920. 23 Frank C. Baldwin: "The Baldwins: From
Virginia Westward", 1985. 24 E.E. Barton: notes on the families of northern
Kentucky, on microfilm (BMR #234) in Falmouth Public Library, Pendleton
County, Kentucky. 25 Fairfax Monthly Meeting in William Wade Hinshaw's
"Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy", Vol. 6. 26 American Historical
Society: "Biographical History of Pittsburgh", 1922. 27 Beaver County,
Pennsylvania deeds. 28 National Society of Colonial Dames of America in the
State of New Jersey: "New Jersey Colonial Civil List 1667-1776". 29 James
P. Snell: "History of Sussex and Warren Counties, New Jersey", 1881. 30
Minutes of Sussex County Freeholders on microfilm at Family History Library,
Salt Lake City, Utah. (film no. 961-013) 31 Newspaper extracts in "New
Jersey Archives", Vol. 26. 32 Letter from Paul Pepper, Kitchner, Ontario,
dated Jan. 6, 1984 in collections of Genealogical Society of New Jersey,
Alexander Library, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey. 33
"Pennsylvania Archives", Series 3, Vol. 22. 34 Raymond M. Bell: "Tax List
of Washington County, Pennsylvania 1784-85; 1793". 35 "Pennsylvania
Archives", Series 6, Vol. 2, p. 249. 36 Washington County, Pennsylvania
deeds. 37 Washington County, Pennsylvania tax records, Washington County
Public Library, Washington, Pennsylvania. 38 Washington County,
Pennsylvania wills. 39 Correspondence with Bessie Parmer, San Antonio,
Texas, 1986. 40 Howard L. Leckey: "The Tenmile County and Its Pioneer
Families". 41 Dorothy T. Hennen: "Greene County Cemetery Records", Vol. 5.
42 "Pennsylvania Archives", Series 6, Vol. 2, pp. 120, 244. 43 1850 census.
44 Greene County, Pennsylvania deeds. 45 Correspondence with Evelyn Prager,
Cincinnati, Ohio, 1986. 46 Correspondence with Dorcas Wolf, Pontiac,
Michigan, 1986.