John M Hitt (1813 - 1887)

Born 2 Aug 1813 in Laurens, South Carolina, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth M. (Pearson) Hitt — married 2 Apr 1835 in Greene Co., Alabama

Died 24 May 1887 at age 73 in Lauderdale, Mississippi, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Neal Parker [send private message]

Biography

John M. Hitt, son of David Hitt and Jane Meek, was born August 2, 1813 in Laurens County, South Carolina. He married Elizabeth Maria Pearson on April 2, 1835 in Greene County, Alabama.^[1][2]. After Elizabeth died, John married Mary A. Elizabeth Trueman on March 10, 1856 in Sumter County, Alabama.^[3][4] John died May 24, 1887 in Lauderdale, Lauderdale, Mississippi and was buried in Lauderdale Cemetery, Lauderdale, Lauderdale, Mississippi^[5].

John M and Elizabeth Maria (Pearson) Hitt had the following children:

1. Adolphus Hitt
2. Martha A Hitt
3. Cornelia E Hitt
4. Alexander Pearson Hitt
5. Josephine F Hitt
6. Larkin H Hitt

John Milton and Mary A Elizabeth (Trueman) Hitt had the following children:

1. Cora M Hitt
2. Fannie Matilda Hitt

Middle Name

Many researchers say that his middle name was 'Milton'. I have never seen 'Milton' or any other middle name in public documents. What is the evidence?

Census

1840 Federal Census Greene County, Alabama; page 29^[6]
John Hitt 01001 -- 100001; 5 in agriculture; 9 slaves
male female
< 5 1
1 5-10
10-15
15-20
1 20-30
30-40 1
40-50

He lives 7 entries away from his father.

1850 Federal Census Greene County, Alabama; Nov 19, 1850^[7]
John M. Hitt 37 M SC $3000 Farmer
Elizabeth M. Hitt 39 F SC
Adolphus I. Hitt 13 M Al
Martha A. Hitt 11 F Al
Cornelia E. Hitt 9 F Al
Alexander P. Hitt 7 M Al
Josephine F. Hitt 4 F Al

In the Slave Schedule (Mt. Hebron Beat, Nov 19) he is the owner of 20 slaves.

Snedecor's Directory of Greene County for 1855-1856 (1963 reprint) has the following entry for John M. Hitt:

Hitt, John M., planter and methodist preacher, Mt. Hebron, Gainesville, 31, 22, 1w

Mt. Hebron is his precinct of residence and Gainesville in his post office. He resides in Section 31, T22N R1W.

1860 Federal Census p.o. Gainesville, Gainesville, Sumter, Alabama; June 1, 1860; page 1^[8]
2/3
John Hilt 46 MW SC $3000/$10000 Merchant
M. A. Hitt 24 FW Al
M. A. Hitt 19 FW Al
C. E. Hitt 17 FW Al
J. F. Hitt 13 FW Al
A. P. Hitt 17 MW Al
C. M. Hitt 4 MW Al
F. M. Hitt 2 MW Al
N. J. Hitt 22 MW Al Merchants clerk

In the Slave Schedule he is the owner of 8 slaves.

1870 Federal Census p.o. Lauderdale, Township 8, Lauderdale, Mississippi; June 16, 1870; page 56^[9]
362/362
John Hitt 56 MW SC $600/$325 Farmer
Mary A. Hitt 34 FW Al Keeping House
Cora M. Hitt 12 FW Al
Lucy M. Hitt 10 FW Al
Contin Johnson 22 FB Al Domestic Servant
Lincolen Johnson 3 MB Ms
David Killinsworth 22 MB Ms Farm Laborer

1880 Federal Census ED 93, Western Portion of Beat 2, Lauderdale, Mississippi; June 19, 1880; page 10^[10]
100
John M. Hitt 66 SC Va SC Farmer
Mary A. E. Hitt 44 wife Al House Keeper

Land

In January 1837 John M. Hitt bought 160 acres from his father in Greene Co., Alabama in S31 T22N R1E (H/315). In December of the same year he bought 240 contiguous acres at auction (I/49). In April 1839 he bought 80 acres in S31 and in S30 (K/106). In January 1841 he bought 240 acres in S32 and in S31 (L/204) and in May 1844 40 acres in S29 (N/529). He now owned a total of 560 acres since in November 1839 he sold to his father 200 acres including the 160 he had purchased from him in January 1837 (K/382). The 760 acres that he and his father owned formed a contiguous block. In November 1848 John M. Hitt sold 291 acres (Q/8). By February 6, 1857 he had acquired additional land; on that date he sold all his remaining land in Greene Co. (526 acres, U/31). See also R/488, R/727, S/1009.

In March 1856 he had remarried in Sumter Co., Alabama, and in March 1857 he purchased 3 town lots in Gainesville, Sumter Co. for $2500 (O/243). Presumably there was already a house on the lots; it was the homestead of the seller. In March 1858 he purchased a commercial building in Gainesville for $3300 (O/789). The 1860 census lists him as a merchant in Gainesville. His career as a merchant did not last long. In May 1860 he sold the building for $3300 (P/670, Q16) and in March he sold for $1800 the house that he bought in 1857 (O/18). It appears that he had substantial debts and in March 1860 he transferred to his nephew Dr. David H. Williams, who was the surety for those debts, various notes and accounts that were owed to him (Q/5). In 1870 he was again a farmer -- in Lauderdale Co., Mississippi.

Sources

1. ↑ Pauline Jones Gandrud, Marriage Records of Greene County, Alabama 1823--1860, 1969, page 69
2. ↑ "Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKZ3-H33W : 19 February 2021), John M. Hitt and Elizabeth M. Pearson, 02 Apr 1835; citing Greene, Alabama, United States, County Probate Courts, Alabama; FHL microfilm 1,290,852; by R. G. Christopher; Greene County, Alabama Marriages Book B, page 110
3. ↑ "Sumter County, Alabama Marriage Records," LDS microfilm 1293884, 885, Vol 2, pg 306.
4. ↑ "Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG17-HQ27 : 19 February 2021), John M Hitt and Mary E Triseman, 8 Mar 1856; citing Sumter, Alabama, United States, County Probate Courts, Alabama; FHL microfilm
5. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #108701007 John M Hitt
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1840", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHTL-Q37 : Thu Oct 05 10:47:31 UTC 2023), Entry for John Hitt, 1840.
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1850", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MH5M-36D : Tue Oct 03 17:07:46 UTC 2023), Entry for John H Hitt and Elizabeth M Hitt, 1850.
8. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHDV-D64 : Fri Oct 06 17:46:32 UTC 2023), Entry for John Hitt and M A Hitt, 1860.
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1870", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFSD-54N : Wed Oct 04 19:12:11 UTC 2023), Entry for John Hitt and Mary A Hitt, 1870.
10. ↑ "United States Census, 1880", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4GJ-78K : Thu Oct 05 01:25:59 UTC 2023), Entry for John M Hill and Mary A.e. Hill, 1880.

• Probate of David Hitt