Joseph Witt (abt. 1747 - 1819)

Born about 1747 in Goochland County, Virginia Colony

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 14 Nov 1819 at about age 72 in Jefferson County, Tennessee, USA

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Biography

Joseph Witt served with Virginia during the American Revolution.

Joseph Witt was a Virginia colonist.

Joseph Witt was born about 1747 in Goochland County, Virginia Colony. He was the oldest son of Charles Witt and Lavinia Harbour. He passed away on 4 November 1819 in Jefferson County, Tennessee. His middle name is sometimes given as Nathaniel, but a primary source is needed.

Dr. Robert Baird has completed extensive, well sourced research on Joseph Witt and his family, as described below^[1].

Birth

The record of Joseph Witt’s death in November 1819 in the minutes of French Broad Baptist Church gives his age as 67, implying a birth year of 1752. The documentary evidence indicates an earlier birth, about 1747. His father's will written in 1771 names him as co-executor. He had to have been at least 17 years old to legally be named, and it was usual for the executor to be 21 years old or more. This would indicate a birth year of about 1747. Charles Witt's will also implies that son Elijah was of age (born by 1749) and since Joseph was older, that again indicates a birth year of about 1747. Son Caleb is specifically referred to as not of age.

Marriage

Joseph married about 1778/9 in Halifax County, Virginia Colony. He is said to have married Sarah Kimbrough; no marriage record has been found. Sarah was the name of his wife in 1786 when they joined the French Broad Baptist Church, but it is not certain she was his first wife.

If Sarah was a Kimbrough, she was not one of the Kimbrough's living in Halifax County at the time; all of their daughters are accounted for. She may have been a second wife, married in Jefferson County, Tennessee. There were Kimbrough's living there when Joseph was. A Duke Kimbrough was on the committee with Joseph to organize the Dumplin Creek Church in 1797.

There is a gap in the births of John's children. Sons John and Nathaniel were born about 1780 and 1782 in Halifax County; son Silas was not born until 1790, after Joseph moved to Tennessee. This could be explained by the death of a first wife and marriage to Sarah in Tennessee.

Children

Joseph had eight known children. His widow, Sarah, and all eight children were named in the deed when his land was sold in 1821, after his death:

1. John Witt (abt.1780-)
2. Nathaniel (b ca 1782)
3. Silas Witt (1790-1881)
4. James R. Witt (1791-1846)
5. Mourning (Witt) Moore (abt.1798-aft.1860)
6. Sarah (Witt) Sellers (abt.1800-abt.1859)
7. Patsy Witt (abt.1802-aft.1850)
8. Joseph L. Witt (abt.1800-abt.1839)

Patsy was still unmarried when her mother's will was written in 1837 and son Joseph was charged with “maintaining my daughter Patsey Witt as long as she lives.”

A 9th child is also proposed on Find-A-Grave^[2] and in the HalcyonDays database^[3]:

1. Elizabeth (Witt) Sevier (abt.1777-abt.1855), married Charles Sevier 1802. (Also see Research Notes below.)

Timeline

1749 Birth of Joseph Witt
1775 21 December 1775 Joseph and Elijah Witt witness to deed^[4]
1777 6 October 1777 Joseph witnessed two deeds; one from Charles Henderson to Sherwood Walton and another from Sherwood Walton to William Mayes Jr.^[5] William Mayes [Maze], Jr. is probably the husband of Joseph's sister, Lydia Witt. William and Lydia moved to Jefferson County, Tennessee after 1789.
1781 23 June 1781, death of Charles Witt; Joseph approved as executor of will
1783 11 May 1783 Joseph sold the land he inherited from his father on Mirey Creek in Halifax County to his neighbor James LeGrand, “…which is the same land on which the said Joseph now dwelleth, and is the same which the aforesaid Charles Witt, late deceased, purchased from Sherwood Walton…” in 1767.^[6]
1783 22 October 1783, Joseph Witt entered claim #103 at the land office in Hillsboro, North Carolina for 160 acres in Greene County. The land was surveyed in 1785 and the grant was issued on 1 November 1786.^[7]
1786 25 March 1786 The French Broad Baptist Church was organized at the home of Michael Coons, two and one-half miles east of Dandridge and less than two miles from Joseph Witt's land. Joseph and wife Sarah were on the original roll of members. ... In 1797 a committee consisting of Duke Kimbrough, Robert Gentry, Joseph Witt and _____Smelson were appointed to organize Dumplin Creek Church on July 29 of that year.^[8]
1786 1 November 1786 Joseph Witt was issued a grant for 160 acres of land in Greene County, North Carolina "upon French Broad River..." Grant No. 61, based on Warrant No. 235, 26 May 1785 surveyed by F. A. Ramsey. Thos. Dance & Alexander Montgomery, Chain Carriers. On the same day his brother Elijah Witt was issued a grant for 200 acres in the same area.^[9] This grant was not issued as a result of Revolutionary War service as has been maintained. It was a cash purchase from North Carolina.^[10] This area became Jefferson County, Tennessee in 1792 and Joseph's land was about three miles from a settlement that became Dandridge, Tennessee.
1800 Joseph Witt listed on Jefferson County, Tennessee Tax list-1783-1895,Capt. Carson's Company, 160 acres, 1 white poll.^[11]
1800 Joseph Witt listed Jefferson County, Tennessee Tax list, Captain Fansher's Company, 1 white poll. Also listed Ayers Witt, Elijah Witt, and Noah Witt.^[12]
1803 Joseph is named executor in the will of his friend, Michal Coons, on 17 March 1803. His sons John and Nathaniel were witnesses.^[13]
1804 2 August 1804 Joseph Witt purchased 200 acres on the head of Immanuel’s Branch from Elizabeth Johnson, the widow of Samuel Johnson, and her children.^[14] He may have moved on to this land and given his original 160 acres to one of his sons.
1819 Joseph Witt died intestate on 14 November 1819. The inventory was filed in March 1820 and an estate sale was held that same month. Joseph's eldest son, John Witt, apparently took possession of the 160 acre tract. He was taxed on it in 1822. The 200 acre parcel was sold by Sarah Witt and eight children (John Witt, Nathaniel Witt, Silas Witt, James Witt, Mourning Witt, Edward G. Sellars [husband of Sarah Witt], Patsy Witt, and Joseph L. Witt), all of Jefferson County, on 6 March 1821.^[15]

Research Notes

Witt-1888 00:39, 7 March 2021 (UTC): John and Sarah appears to have had 9 children; the 9th being Elizabeth whom married Charles Sevier in 1802 (b1777). Patsy (aka Martha) was still unmarried at the time of her mother's will in 1837, so it's clear Patsy and Elizabeth are not the same person. At least one source shows Elizabeth to be Patsy Elizabeth, but this strongly suggests that's not correct^[16]. Elizabeth is shown as born 1777 (per her headstone photo on FAG Index) in Greene County, Tennessee, but Green Co. was not formed until 1783 from Washington Co., North Carolina, so that's not correct.

Sources

1. ↑ https://genfiles.com/witt/joseph-witt-c1749-14-november-1819/. Accessed 27 Jan 2020.
2. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/19448198/elizabeth-sevier
3. ↑ http://www.halcyondays.com/tng/getperson.php?personID=I15607&tree=Tree1. Accessed 6 Mar 2021.
4. ↑ Halifax County Deed Book 10, p98. (Thomas Justice to Thomas Wilson Jr. for land on Astin’s Creek).
5. ↑ Halifax County Deed Book 10, p 331 and p 332. Both dated 6 October 1777.
6. ↑ Halifax County Deed Book 12, p 427.
7. ↑ North Carolina Grant #103, Greene County (original file at NC Archives contains warrant, survey order, and survey), Warrant #235, Grant #61, filed in Book 59, p 422.
8. ↑ Goodspeed, p. 861.
9. ↑ Tennessee State Library and Archives; Nashville, Tennessee; Early Tennessee/North Carolina Land Records; Roll: 3; Book: B. 7.
10. ↑ NC Land Grants in Tennessee by the Brothers Witt
11. ↑ Early Tax List
12. ↑ Early Tax List
13. ↑ Jefferson County Will Book 2, p 38.
14. ↑ Jefferson County Deed Book G, p 88 from Holdaway, p 141.
15. ↑ Joseph Witt (c1749 – 14 November 1819)
16. ↑ Witt, Robert W. 2006. Descendants of John Witt the Virginia immigrant. Bowie, MD: Heritage Books. Pages 27 and 45.

• https://services.dar.org/public/dar_research/search_adb/?action=full&p_id=A127243
• Goodspeed's History of Tennessee From the Earliest Time to the Present; Chicago and Nashville: The Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1887. Jefferson County section available online at History of Tennessee
• Tennessee, Early Tax List Records, 1783-1895 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013. Early Tax Lists of Tennessee. Microfilm, 12 rolls. The Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, Tennessee.
• Baird, Robert W. Bob's Genealogy Filing Cabinet, Joseph Witt (c1749 – 14 November 1819)
• U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 (SAR Membership: 62574)