Sarah Ann (Witt) Kirby (abt. 1750 - abt. 1828)

Born about 1750 in Goochland County, Colony of Virginia [uncertain]

Ancestors

Died about 1828 at about age 78 in Tennessee, USA [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Holly Witt [send private message], Connie Witt [send private message], and Julia Ryan [send private message]

Biography

Sarah (Witt) Kirby was a Virginia colonist.

Sarah Witt was born about 1750 probably in Goochland County, Virginia Colony. She was the daughter of Charles Witt and Lavinia Harbour. Her death date is unknown.

Sarah is named in her father's will dated 30 January 1771 in Halifax County, Virginia Colony, as Sarah Kirby, indicating she was married.^[1] Unfortunately, there were several Kirby families in the area at the time, and at least two other Sarah Kirbys. One was the daughter of a neighbor of Charles Witt, Samuel Davis. His daughter was named in his own will in 1772. Another Sarah Kirby was the wife of Richard Kirby of Halifax County. She was named in his will which was proved on 21 Feb 1782, along with three minor sons. Information in the will eliminates her as Sarah Witt.

Some have decided Sarah Witt was married to Richard's brother, Henry Baker Kirby. However, Henry B. Kirby was married to Mary Anderson in 1767 and they appear in Quaker records for the South River Monthly Meeting in Halifax County.

Whomever Sarah was married to, it is possible they remained in Halifax County or they may have migrated into Tennessee, as several of Sarah's brothers and sisters did. Any documentation for Sarah and/or her husband would be welcome.

Research Notes

Robert Baird wrote the following about Sarah Witt-Kirby^[2]:

Sarah Witt (c1750? – ?) She was “Sarah Kirby” in her father’s will. An interesting complication is that Samuel Davis, who lived on land adjoining Charles Witt, also had a daughter named Sarah Kirby, whom he named in his own will in 1772 just a year after Charles Witt’s will. (Samuel Davis had lived adjoining Thomas Harbour in Goochland County, and had migrated to Lunenburg County, then purchased the adjoining land the same day as Charles Witt in 1767.) There were several Kirbys in Halifax County whom I have not attempted to sort out. There are six Kirbys in the poll list of 1765, for example. Among them is a Richard Kirby whose will was proved on 21 Feb 1782 naming his wife Sarah and three minor sons: Joseph, Richard, and William. Richard Kirby bequeathed a feather bed to his wife Sarah, “it being the said bed left her by her grandfather.” If his wife was Sarah Witt, the grandfather would have been either Thomas Harbour or John Witt, neither of whom left a will as far as we know. [The Witt’s End website claims Henry Baker Kirby, brother of Richard Kirby, as Sarah Witt’s husband. That seems unlikely, for there is a marriage record for Henry Baker Kirby and Mary Anderson in 1767 and they appear in Quaker records for the South River Monthly Meeting.]

A death date for Sarah of 30 Aug 1828 in Rutherford County, Tennessee,USA, has been reported ^[3], without additional verification.

Sources

1. ↑ Halifax County Will Book 1, page 414. Transcript of Will available at Charles Witt on Geni.com.
2. ↑ https://genfiles.com/witt/charles-witt-c1715-c1781/
3. ↑ http://www.halcyondays.com/tng/getperson.php?personID=I2871&tree=Tree1. Accessed 26 Jan 2020.

• Yates Publishing. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.
• Edmund West, comp.. Family Data Collection - Marriages [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2001.