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Thomas Pitt (abt. 1525 - 1613)

Thomas Pitt aka Pitts
Born about in Blandford, Dorset, Englandmap
Ancestors ancestors
Husband of — married about 1574 in Bristol, Englandmap
Descendants descendants
Father of
Died at about age 88 in Bristol, Englandmap
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Profile last modified | Created 5 Apr 2017
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Contents

Biography

Birth & Parents

Thomas Pitt, son of William Pitt & Helena de Havilland [1] [2] [3], was born ca 1525. (Estimated herein.)

Family Unit
FATHER
William Pitt
MOTHER
Helena de Havilland
Thomas Pitt
married
__?__
BornChildrenDiedNotes
?William Pitt [3] [1]?
?Thomas Pitt [3] [1]?

Life

"Thomas was a merchant of Bristol and Chamberlain of the city." [4] [3]

Death & Burial

Thomas died ca 1612 in Bristol, England. Thomas' Will was dated 1 May 1613, and proved C.P.C. 5 Aug 1613: [3]
To my son William Pitt one lease for the term of his natural life, of my tenement without Temple Gate within the Liberty of the city of Bristol, which is now in the possession of George Tyce, innholder, called the Saracen's Head, and one lease of a tenement which I have lately built without Temple Gate, now in the occupation of Thomas Arthur, Esq., he to pay to Robert , the son of my said son William, ten pounds yearly after the said Robert accomplish the age of twenty two years. After the death of the said William these two tenements to the said Robert. My son William shall give his sons William and Robert ten pounds apiece at the age of sixteen years. To my daughter Alice Northen one silver-gilt ale cup and the sum of forty pounds within two years after my decease to bestow upon her children at her will and pleasure, and in the meantime four pounds every year for the use thereof. To my daughter Anne Merrick one silver-gilt ale cup and to my son in law John Merrick twenty pounds within eight months to be equally divided between my daughter Ann Merrick's children, viz(t) Ann Waters, Mary Waters and Robert Merrick. To my daughter Mary Owen a silver gilt ale cup and to my son in law Robert Owen twenty pounds within eight months to be divided between my daughter Mary's three children: Robert, Mary and Joane Owen. To my cousin Mr. Matthew Havyland, alderman, a ring of gold to the value of twenty shillings. To my kinsman William Pitt, Draper, another. My kinsman Edward Batten. My friend Mr. Samuel Davies to preach my funeral sermon. My daughters in law Mary Marlowe, Cicely Gunning and Elizabeth Batterton. My kinswoman Mary Robinson. Son William Pitt to be executor and trusty friend and neighbor, Thomas Callowhill to be overseer.[4]
[5]


Note: The Diary of William Hedges has a huge Pitt family tree printed in it, but the Will date for Thomas Pitt therein appears to be mistaken as 1618 instead of 1613. [1] [2]S

Thomas Pitt was the son of William Pitt and Helena de Havilland.

By an unknown wife, he had sons William Pitt and Thomas Pitt.

Research Notes

Probable Apprentice Record

There are apprentice and Burgess records for Bristol that are likely to relate to this individual.

On the 28th November 1557 Thomas “Put” who’s father was William from Blandford in Dorset was bound as an apprentice to John Roberts a Bristol draper and wife Mary. [6]. Subsequently on the 8th May 1566, Thomas Pitt a draper was made a Burgess and Freeman of the city of Bristol through apprenticeship, his patron being John Roberts. [7]

Not long after, on 26 September 1657 in Bristol, Thomas, a draper took Thomas Saxton, his father being Richard Saxton from Bramley in Yorkshire as apprentice. Thomas was married by now and his wife is recorded as being Agnes. [8].

It seems probable that Thomas’s wife Agnes died some years later as Thomas married Maud Powell on 13 July 1574 in St Nicholas, Bristol, England.[9]

Soon after, Thomas (now recorder as a merchant) and wife Maude took a further apprentice. While it’s possible that these are two different Thomas Putt, the first clearly comes from Blandford and became a Bristol Freeman the second was a merchant but has no matching apprenticeship and Burgess records. Likely conclusion is that they are one and the same person.

Not Married in Blandford

Previously attached as spouse of Priscilla Searle, but she is an apparent misidentification and had been misaligned, and previously thought to be a spouse of this Thomas Pitt's generation; whereas, he was actually born a quarter of a century earlier and no evidence from his will provides the name of his spouse.

Sources

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Hedges, Diary, Genealogical Tree of the Pitts of Blandford St. Mary's and Pitts of Stratfieldsay, Etc: Facing page xxix. (Misspells Helena's surname as "Hartland". Includes sons John, Thomas, Edward, and Christopher, but leaves out son William which is found in Hutchins.)
  2. 2.0 2.1 Sherwood, Pedigree, p. 374-375.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Hutchins, Dorset, Vol. IV, pp. 90-92.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Boddie, Wight, pp. 506-507.
  5. freespace, full transcript of will
  6. Apprentice : Bristol Apprenticeship Books Volumes 1(a) to 1(n) 26 October 1532 – 24 March 1724, transcript published by Bristol and Avon Family History Society, 2019, bafhs.org.uk vol 1A, page 608, number 2 (accessed 15 Aug 2023)
  7. Burgess: Bristol Burgess Books Volumes 1 to 21, 5 October 1557 - 19 May 1995, transcript published by Bristol and Avon Family History Society, 2005, bafhs.org.uk vol 1, page 28.2, number 7 (accessed 15 Aug 2023)
  8. Apprentice : Bristol Apprenticeship Books Volumes 1(a) to 1(n) 26 October 1532 – 24 March 1724, transcript published by Bristol and Avon Family History Society, 2019, bafhs.org.uk vol 1B, page 10, number 4 (accessed 15 Aug 2023)
  9. Marriage: "Bristol, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812"
    Bristol Archives; Bristol, England; Bristol Church of England Parish Registers; Reference: P/St.N/R/1/b
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 61666 #1220767 (accessed 15 August 2023)
    Thomas Pittes marriage to Mand Powell on 13 Jul 1574 in St Nicholas, Bristol, Eng


Footnotes

Documentation

  • Secondary:Hutchins, John. The History and Antiquities of The County of Dorset. Westminster, England: John Bowyer Nichols and Sons (3rd edition), 1861.
  • Secondary:Boddie, John Bennett. Seventeenth Century Isle of Wight County, Virginia. Chicago, IL: 1938.
  • Secondary:Hedges, William. The Diary of William Hedges, Esq. (Afterwards Sir William Hedges), During his Agency in Bengal; as well as on his voyage out and return overland (1681-1687). Vol. III: Containing documentary contributions to a biography of Thomas Pitt, Governor of Fort St. George; with collections on the Early History of the Company's Settlement in Bengal; and on Early Charts and Topography of the Húglí River. London, England: The Hakluyt Society, 1889.
  • Secondary:Boddie, John Bennet. Seventeenth Century Isle of Wight County, Virginia : a history of the county of Isle of Wight, Virgiina, during the seventeenth century, including abstracts of the county records. Chicago, IL: Chicago Law Print, 1938.
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/195240687/thomas-pitt : accessed 04 April 2022), memorial page for Thomas Pitt (1 Jun 1555–4 Mar 1613), Find a Grave Memorial ID 195240687, citing St Thomas the Martyr Church, Redcliffe, Bristol Unitary Authority, Bristol, England ; Maintained by Ray Isbell (contributor 47188697) .




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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Thomas by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA. Y-chromosome DNA test-takers in his direct paternal line on WikiTree:

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Comments: 6

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Pitts-2192 and Pitt-1381 appear to represent the same person because: comments and discussion on both profiles illustrates that these were the same Thomas Pitt of Bristol. Previously, he was misaligned with a Priscilla Searle, who married a different Thomas Pitt. The sourcing is on the profile Pitt-1381. One son is identified on Pitts-2192. Pitt is the correct surname per the sourcing.

Please let me know if I may be of assistance in getting this merge complete.

posted by Porter Fann
Since this Thomas Pitt's is from Bristol and is linked to the Bristol descendants I do not think that he should be merged with the Thomas from Blandford. (Pitt-82) and so I am rejecting the match.

I believe that this profile should be merged with Pitt-1381 so that the Bristol lineage is maintained but I think that Priscilla Searle should be unlinked as wife. Ros Hayward has a Freespace page concerning the multiple Priscilla Searles .It maybe that she should be merged away.

There are indeed two men called Thomas Pitt, one from Bristol who was the Uncle of the one from Blandford.

1) Thomas Pitt of Bristol. We do not know who his wife was. It is unlikely to have been another Priscilla Searle ((I did quite a lot of research into this some time ago and there is a possibility that his wife may have been a Mary Pyckes, see my note on Pitt-1381) Thomas Pitt of Bristol was Chamberlain of the city. His son is represented by William Pitt, linked as son to this profile. There is a series of wills starting with this Thomas died 1613, these show the transmission of property from father to son(s) These wills are on profiles linked now to this one . transcript , William died 1625 transcript. William d 1631 transcript Marie Pitt wife of William 1 transcript


2) Thomas Pitt 'of Blandford' who was married to a Priscilla Searle. This is from the visitation of Dorset. His son William of Blandford also had a daughter named Priscilla https://www.wikitree.com/photo/png/Pitt-82

Both parts of the family are outlined on this Pedigree Pitts_of_Blandford_and_Bristol.png (though Eleanour Hartland was Eleanor or Helena Havyland)

Previously, the 'internet' in the shape of Geni (https://www.geni.com/people/Thomas-Pitt-of-Blandford/60000000013625787450 and elsewhere had Thomas Pitt, Chamberlain of Bristol married to a Priscilla Searle. The Geni profile has been revised since I last saw it . It now definitely conflates the two Thomases; he is called Thomas Pitt of Blandford married to Priscilla Searle yet lived in Bristol, has a bio calling him the chamberlain of Bristol and has on his profile the will written by Thomas Pitt the Chamberlain.

Just to add, the Bristol Pitts are the supposed ancestors of an emigrant so probably the reason for the multiple internet trees ,however the Blandford ones are the ancestors of several MPs and Prime Ministers so we really need to get them straight!

posted on Pitts-2192 (merged) by Helen (Coleman) Ford
edited by Helen (Coleman) Ford
Thanks so much, Helen. I had corresponded with Ros, but did not come across the Priscilla free-space page, yet.

I think it would be great if this person's profile could be sorted, as it sounds like connections are available, but because of the incorrect spouse, they are not yet complete. The present profile is basically unsourced; whereas, Thomas Pitt (abt. 1525 - 1613) lines up on the basis of the will sourcing. Presumptively, the son William Pitt of Bristol further "triangulates" the re-alignment. (Thomas' birthdate of c. 1525 does make more sense with the lineage, too.)

Thank you for sorting this out.

I will update this profile based upon Pitt-1381 and then propose the merge. I will note on the spouse's page that she is an apparent misidentification and had been misaligned, and previously thought to be a spouse of this Thomas Pitt's generation; whereas, he was actually born a quarter of a century earlier and no evidence from his will suggests the relationship.

Would you be able to see if she can be properly merged into the other Priscilla?

posted on Pitts-2192 (merged) by Porter Fann
Pitt-82 and Pitts-2192 appear to represent the same person because: the later created "Pitts" profile apparently didn't match because of the stray s (should be Pitt, not Pitts). Particularly because of the relative rarity of the wife's forename (though also spelled alternately), and the exact match on birth date, this is a clear duplicate. The son William will also be a duplicate to be merged, and his history further triangulates the identification of the duplicates.

Thank you for all the hard work on developing the sources. If I may help in any way, please let me know. Please consider your information informative and to take precedence over the less-well documented Pitts-2192 profile.

I can request the merge on Priscilla Searle or feel free to proceed with that, and after the parents are reconciled into a single set of profiles, then the duplicate son, William Pitt-136 and William Pitt-1256 should be good to go, in that order.

Thanks again.

posted on Pitts-2192 (merged) by Porter Fann
edited by Porter Fann
Note also that a different pedigree is hinted at, but not conclusively described, beginning on this profile page: William Pitt (abt. 1489 - 1540) Pitt-86.

It appears from this profile [William Pitt (aft. 1599 - 1687) Pitt-1256] that some conflation may have happened between two Thomas PITTs:

"the Bristol branch descends not from a child of John Pitt and Joane Swayne but from his brother, Thomas Pitt, Chamberlain of Bristol, see his will and that of William Pitt, Merchant of Bristol, Feb 1525."

Thus, the validity of the line is in question, especially for William as a son of Thomas (the key being, which Thomas). Hopefully, someone with a better grasp of the sourcing and an eye for sorting out the lines, based upon locations, can see where the corrections might need to be made.

Thanks, and I hope that these notes help resolve the questions that remain and bring these brick walls to a conclusion.

Thanks again!

posted on Pitts-2192 (merged) by Porter Fann
edited by Porter Fann
I think that the wife of Thomas may have been Maud Pycke (Pyke, Picke, Pike) as suggested by the blurb about this book.(which I can't obtain)

https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/1053609?availability=Family%20History%20Library So far, in support, I find that the families were close but not the elusive marriage. The overseer of son William's will and one of the witness are Pikes

Thomas Pytt and Maud Pytt are together witnesses to a will d 1587 Also named in this will are William son of Thomas, Walter Pykes Alderman. archive books I have found the will of John Pyckes, 1564, Walter appears to be his brother and Maud at the time unmarried, Walter's daughter.

posted by Helen (Coleman) Ford

Rejected matches › Thomas Pitt (abt.1555-abt.1643)

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Categories: Bristol, Gloucestershire | Freemen of Bristol