Eli Witt (1785 - 1851)

Born 15 Aug 1785 in Caswell County, North Carolina, USA

Ancestors

Husband of Nancy (McNealy) Witt — married 13 Jul 1806 in Witt's Foundry, Hamblen County (now Jefferson County), Tennessee.

Descendants

Died 12 Oct 1851 at age 66 in Greene County, Illinois, USA

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Biography

Eli Witt, the son of Elijah Witt, was born 15 Aug 1785 in the area informally known as State of Franklin which would become Jefferson County, Tennessee in 1792.

Eli married Nancy McNealy 13 July 1806 in Jefferson County, Tennessee.^[1].

Page 766 of "1879 History of Greene County Illinois" (under the biography for Eli's son Randolph) states^[2]:

It was during the year 1829 that the Witt family took up the line of departure for the West, landing in Greene County on the 6th of December of this year. Ely Witt rented the first year of his settlement. Son Randolph well remembers the deep snow, and relates that it began falling toward the latter part of December, and continued to do so at intervals during the Winter, at the time the weather continued mild, causing a crust to form on the top of the snow, causing many wild animals to perish, and so emboldened did they become that it was no uncommon occurrence for the early settler to frequently find them at the threshold of his cabin. Ely Witt died during the Autumn of 1851 and nine years later his wife was laid at rest amid the scenes of her early labors.

Will and Death

Eli signed his will on 11 Oct 1843 in Green County, Illinois^[3]. In it he named his wife Nancy and the following eleven children (in this order):

1. John S. Witt: John S. Witt (abt.1804-)
2. Elizabeth Coffman: Elizabeth (Witt) Coffman (1809-1896)
3. Randolph (executor): Randolph Witt (1810-1884)
4. Mary Morris (dec'd)
5. Elijah Witt: Elijah Witt III (1814-1892)
6. Prior D. Witt
7. Martha Bates
8. Andrew L. Witt (remaining are Eli's "four youngest sons"
9. Hogan: Hogan Witt (1824-1906)
10. Daniel
11. Hamilton: Hamilton Witt (1829-1892)

Eli died in 1851 in Greene County, Illinois, and is buried there in Providence Cemetery in Carrolton^[4]. A photo of his headstone is on FAG Index and states: "ELIE WITT; DIED Oct 12, 1851; AE 66 yrs. 1 mo. 27 ds."

Sources

1. ↑ "Tennessee State Marriage Index, 1780-2002," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VNDD-5ZD : 4 December 2014), Eli Witt and Nancy Mcneely, 13 Jul 1806; from "Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2008); citing p. 64, Jefferson, Tennessee, United States, Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, Tennessee.
2. ↑ https://archive.org/details/historyofgreenec00clap/page/n8/mode/2up. Accessed 18 Mar 2020.
3. ↑ * "Illinois Probate Records, 1819-1988," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939K-T19S-B7?cc=1834344&wc=SF2S-3T5%3A162587101%2C162872601 : 20 May 2014), Greene > Will record 1845-1876 vol B > image 141 of 223; county courthouses, Illinois.
4. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56829320?search=true. Accessed 18 Mar 2020.

• "United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH5S-B28 : 20 February 2021), Eli Witt, Greene, Illinois, United States; citing 36, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 24; FHL microfilm 7,649.
• "United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHB8-815 : 10 June 2022), Eli Witt, Carrollton, Greene, Illinois, United States; citing p. 80, NARA microfilm publication , (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll ; FHL microfilm .
• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M855-1T6 : 20 December 2020), Eli Witt, Greene, Illinois, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
• “Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVKY-Y335 : 13 September 2020), Elijah Witt, ; Burial, Carrollton, Greene, Illinois, United States of America, Providence Cemetery; citing record ID 56829320, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.
• Tennessee, U.S., Early Tax List Records, 1783-1895.
• U.S., General Land Office Records, 1776-2015.