Levi (Pickerell) Pickrell Sr (abt. 1782 - 1852)

Born about 1782 in Prince William, Virginia, United States

Husband of Susannah (Hitt) Pickerell — married 12 Jan 1809 in Fauquier County, VA

Descendants

Died 1852 at about age 70 in Wirt County, VA (now Roane County, WV) [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Roy Lockhart [send private message]

Biography

This Individual is a Brickwall for all the researchers that I have been in contact with about this line. The following is a summary of what has been found about this individual so far and where I have researched for more details about him.

Levi PICKERELL, Sr. was born about 1782 in Virginia and died about 1852 in Virginia (now West Virginia).

Marriage:

Fauquier County, Virginia Marriage Records Volume 3, page 97^[1]

Levi PICKERELL, Sr. was married on 12 January 1809 in Fauquier County, Virginia to Susannah (Rosannah) Hitt. The marriage record has Rosannah, but in every other record she is referred to as Susannah or Susan.

Spouse:

Levi's wife was Susannah Hitt and it is believed that she was born on 2 April 1790 in Fauquier County, Virginia and died on 24 December 1852 in Virginia (now West Virginia). She was the daughter of John Hitt. She is buried in an unknown location.

Susannah's ancestry is believed to connect to the HITT / HEITE Family found in Germanna, Fauquier County, Virginia.

Census Records After Marriage:

1810 United States Federal Census Record of Dumfries, Prince William County, Virginia^[2]

1820 United States Federal Census Record of Fauquier County, Virginia^[3]

1830 United States Federal Census Record of Fauquier County, Virginia^[4]

1840 United States Federal Census Record of Jackson County, Virginia^[5]

1850 United States Federal Census Record of Wirt County, Virginia^[6]

Possible Illegitimate Child

1. Unnamed daughter of Nancy Carrol (Born: 21 February 1808) - see research of Paul A. THORN in research progress section. Unproven as documentation has not been verified due to lack of information on original source. Further research needed.

Children's List of Levi PICKERELL, Sr, and Susannah Rosannah HITT:

1. Lucinda PICKERELL (Born: About 1815 in Fauquier County, Virginia; Died: About 1878); Married: 5 April 1838 in Jackson County, Virginia to Thomas MAZE
2. Sarah Ann PICKERELL (Born: About 1820; Died: Between January 1850 and 2 November 1850 possibly in Wirt County, Virginia); Married: 5 October 1842 in Jackson County, Virginia to Ephraim Thomas DOOLITTLE
3. Levi PICKERELL, Jr. (Born: About 10 December 1822 in Fauquier County, Virginia; Died: Between 1880 and 1900 in Roane County, West Virginia; Burial: Good Hope Baptist Cemetery, Cain's Run, Reedy, Roane County, West Virginia^[7]); Married: 21 September 1848 in Wirt County, Virginia to Mrs. Mariah (RADER) WALKER
4. Stephen A. PICKERELL (Born: About 1825 in Virginia; Died: 24 July 1881 in Meigs County, Ohio^[8]; Other info: According to "The Athens Messenger," Athens Ohio, 12 May 1881, Stephen PICKERELL was declared insane but returned home to his family to pass away at home. I believe however, that he was buried in a grave that was marked only by number in the Asylum's cemetery. His death record stated he died from sores on leg.); Married: 8 February 1863 in Meigs County, Ohio to Eliza WOODRUFF.
5. Susan PICKERELL (Born: About 1827; Died: About 1859); Married: About 2 April 1848 in Jackson County, Virginia to William PRICE
6. Alfred PICKERELL (Born: About 15 March 1829 in Virginia; Died: 28 December 1911 in Vernon County, Missouri); Married: About 1851 to a woman named Elizabeth
7. Elenor Jane PICKERELL (Born: About 15 July 1833; Died: About 19 May 1897 in Wirt County, West Virginia); Married: About 30 November 1850 in Wirt County, Virginia to James Lewis BOARD

Personal Property Tax Lists

Levi Pickerell was found in the Fauquier County, Virginia Personal Property Tax Lists^[9] for 1815-1817 in Andrew Turner's District, with only 1 titheable. He disappears for 1818 and 1819, then he's back in 1820 and 1821, then gone again. From 1825-1832 he is in the Tax Lists once again, and then disappears again, this time he has probably moved to Jackson County, Virginia. Wirt county was created from parts of Jackson and Wood Counties in 1848. Given that Levi appears in the 1850 Census for Wirt County, he probably hadn't moved, he had just settled in the part of Jackson that became Wirt.

Land

Fauquier County, Virginia Land Deed Book 30, page 375-376^[10] July 11, 1829 Between Levi Pickrell and Susanna his wife & Stephen Hitt and Sarah his wife of Fauquier County on the one part to John R Callow and Elizabeth his wife of Fauquier County of the other part. For thirty five dollars (which was left the said Elizabeth Callow by the last will and testament of Elijah Hitt) Lawful money of the United States for 9 acres of land.

Research Progress

Name:

Name Reported in the 1810 Census Record^[2] as "Levi PICKERELL"

Name Reported in the 1820 Census Record^[3] as "Levi PICKRELL."

Name Reported in the 1830 Census Record^[4] as "Levi PICKRELL."

Name Reported in the 1840 Census Record^[5] as "Levi PICKERELL"

Name Reported in the 1850 Census Record^[6] as "Levi PICKEREL"

Birth:

The oldest male enumerated in the household of Levi PICKERELL in 1810 was listed in the age bracket of 16 - 25 years.^[2] [Estimated Birth: 1785 - 1794]

Note: Column transcription for 1810 was based upon census form. I have been unable to locate the correct column headings for this census record on the document.

The oldest male enumerated in the household of Levi PICKRELL in 1820 was listed in the age bracket of 26 to 45 years.^[3] [Estimated Birth Year: 1775 - 1794]

Note: The oldest male was the only adult male in the household which means it should be Levi PICKRELL who was listed as the head of the household.

The oldest male enumerated in the household of Levi PICKRELL in 1830 was listed in the age bracket of 40 to 50 years.^[4] [Estimated Birth: 1780 - 1790]

The oldest male enumerated in the household of Levi PICKERELL in 1840 was listed in the age bracket of 60 to 70 years.^[5] [Estimated Birth: 1770 - 1780]

The 1850 United States Federal Census Record of Wirt County, Virginia^[6] stated that Levi PICKEREL was listed in this census record as age 68 Years and born in Virginia. [Estimated Birth Year: about 1782]

Death:

In an article about James L. BOARD, it stated that his wife (Eleanor J. PICKRELL)'s parents, Levi and Susan (HITT) PICKRELL both died in 1852 and that Susan died on 24 December.^[11]

Last known census record in which he was enumerated was the 1850 United States Federal Census Record of Wirt County, Virginia.

Parentage:

His parents names are currently unknown.

The Pedigree Resource File found on Family Search stated that his parents were Samuel PICKERELL, Jr. and Mary LOWE.^[12] I believe this to be a false parentage claim due to the following reasons:

The Pedigree File does not have any source references to back up the parentage claim.

Information from the same Pedigree File listing stated that Samuel PICKERELL, Jr. who married Mary LOWE was born 1757 in Port Tobacco, Charles County, Maryland and died 9 May 1850 in Brown County, Ohio.

Information from the same pedigree file listing stated that Samuel PICKERELL, Jr. and Mary LOWE have children born around the time of Levi PICKERELL's birth in Mason County, Kentucky. [Does not make sense why Levi PICKERELL, Jr. would have been born in Virginia and then his parents move to Kentucky and then he moved all the way back to get married? ]

Jane PICKERELL who was born 3 December 1782 in Maysville, Mason County, Kentucky. [NOTE: only census record with ages that we have for Levi Pickerell, Jr. stated that he was aged 68 years in 1850 which would place his birth about 1782 and his place of birth was recorded as Virginia.]

Dennis PICKERELL was born 12 December 1786 in Mason County, Kentucky.

Emily PICKERILL was born August 1784 in Virginia, married 9 May 1808 in Mason County, Kentucky. [Levi PICKERELL, Jr. married in 1809 in Fauquier County, Virginia.]

Johanna PICKERELL was born 1788 in Mason County, Kentucky, m. 25 December 1811 in Adams County, Ohio to Henry CRUTE.

A different Pedigree File listing stated that Levi PICKERELL who was the son of Samuel PICKERELL, Jr. and Mary Jane LOWE, was born 1787 around Frauquier County, Virginia and died about 1814 in Virginia. No spouse was listed in this record for Levi PICKERELL. the source of this record was listed, however, as a tree over at ancestry.com^[13]

I believe that Samuel PICKERELL was not the father of Levi PICKERELL, Sr. I think it would be more likely that he might have been an Uncle or a Cousin, but again documentation is lacking in proving this relationship. [Statement made by J. M. HOWELL, 11 January 2017]

Burial:

He is buried in an unknown location.

Levi Father of Illegitimate Child (?)

An email from Paul A. THORN received on 2 February 2005 by Jeanne HOWELL stated that Levi PICKERELL, Sr. was accused of being the father of an illegitimate daughter born on 21 February 1808 by Nancy CARROLL.

Email Summary: A woman named Nancy Carrol gave birth to a daughter on 21 February 1808 (date not entirely clear), and declared that Levi was the father. This took place at the house of Joseph NEALE, probably the same Joseph NEALE who married Nancy PICKERELL in 1803. Because the child was born out of wedlock, and "likely to become a public charge," a warrant was issued on 7 February 1809 for Levi's arrest. The name of the child was not given to me by the researcher either because it was not mentioned in the documentation or he just forgot to tell me. The researcher had not learned whether Levi had been apprehended, gave bond, stood trial or was acquitted at the time that he provided me with this information. He did mention that the next record that can be found for Levi PICKERELL was the 1810 census record of Prince William County, Virginia and the next after that was in 1812 in Henrico County, Virginia when Levi gave bond for the marriage of John R. CALLOW and Elizabeth HITT (his sister in law). These locations are some distance away from Fauquier County, Virginia. It was mentioned that John R. CALLOW was a resident of Fauquier County, Virginia. It is a puzzle why all three of them were in Henrico County in 1812. The question remains why Levi and his family were in Henrico County, Virginia in 1812 and apparently moved back to Fauquier County, Virginia by 1820.

Residences

Levi last appears in the 1832 personal property tax lists of Fauquier County, Virginia as he and family moved to Jackson County, Virginia in the spring of 1833. Parts of Jackson and Wood County, became what is now Wirt County, West Virginia in 1848. The Pickerells (various spellings) don't appear in the personal property tax lists of Fauquier County, Virginia until 1788 having previously been located in Prince William County, Virginia where Levi was probably born.

“Pioneers of Roane County” West Virginia,” by John A House, c1906
Left Fork of Reedy - Its Early Settlers and Their Families
Callow Family
[excerpt]
John R. Callow married Elizabeth Hitt, a girl of Pennsylvania Dutch descent who as born in Fauquier County, Virginia, April 2, 1790. Her twin sister married Stephen Pickerell, who came with the Callows to Reedy.
[NOTE: Stephen Pickerell should be Levi Pickerell, Stephen was Levi’s son.]

Both Elizabeth and Susannah were age 60 in the 1850 census indicating that they were indeed twins.

“Hardesty’s
Historical and Geographical Encyclopedia...
Special History of the Virginias.
Maps and Histories of
Jackson, Wirt and Calhoun Counties, West Virginia...”
H. H. Hardesty & Co. Publishers, Chicago and Toledo.
1883
Personal History Department of Wirt County.
Reedy District
Pages 22-23
“James L. Board...and Eleanor J. Pickrell..[page 23] were united in marriage...November 20, 1850... Levi and Susan (Hitt) Pickrell, the parents of Mrs. Board, both died in 1852. Her mother’s death was on the 24th of December, of that year...”

Transcriptions

Census Records of Levi PICKERELL, Sr. with Parents, [Names unknown]

• The 1790 United States Federal Census Records from Virginia were lost and as such cannot be transcribed. A reconstructed “Heads of Family” Index for the State of Virginia was taken from the 1785 to 1787 tax lists. Other States that were lost: Delaware, Georgia, and New Jersey.

• The 1800 United States Federal Census Records from Virginia were lost and as such cannot be transcribed. Other states that were lost: Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, New Jersey, Indiana Territory, Mississippi Territory and Northwest Territory (Only Washington County records from the Northwest Territory survive).

Census Records of Susannah Rosannah HITT, with parents, [Names Unknown]

• The 1790 United States Federal Census Records from Virginia were lost and as such cannot be transcribed. A reconstructed “Heads of Family” Index for the State of Virginia was taken from the 1785 to 1787 tax lists. Other States that were lost: Delaware, Georgia, and New Jersey.

• The 1800 United States Federal Census Records from Virginia were lost and as such cannot be transcribed. Other states that were lost: Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, New Jersey, Indiana Territory, Mississippi Territory and Northwest Territory (Only Washington County records from the Northwest Territory survive).

Census Records of Levi PICKERELL, Sr. and Susannah Rosannah HITT, after marriage (Married: 12 January 1809):

Name Reported in the 1850 Census Recordas "Levi PICKEREL"

The 1810 United States Federal Census Record of Dumfries Township, Prince William County, Virginia^[2] contained notatiins in the following age brackets:

The 1820 United States Federal Census Record of Fauquier County, Virginia^[3] contained notatiins in the following age brackets:

The 1830 United States Federal Census Record of Fauquier County, Virginia^[4] contained notatiins in the following age brackets:

The 1840 United States Federal Census Record of Jackson County, Virginia^[5] contained notatiins in the following age brackets:

1 Free White Male Aged 15 to 20 Years

1 Free White Male Aged 20 to 30 Years

1 Free White Male Aged 60 to 70 Years

1 Free White Female 15 to 20 Years

1 Free White Female Aged 20 to 30 Years

1 Free White Female Aged 60 to 70 Years

The 1850 United States Federal Census Record of Wirt County, Virginia contained the household of Levi PICKEREL^[6] which contained the following individuals:

(Line: 19): PICKEREL, Levi, Age: 68 Years, [Census enumerator did not supply racial information] Male, Occupation: Farmer, Value of Real Estate: [Blank], Place of Birth: Virginia, Was the Individual Listed as Married within the year: [Blank], School: [Blank, Assume not attending school], Literacy: [Blank, Column was to enumerate individuals over the age of 20 Years who could not Read nor Write], Health: [Blank, Column was to enumerate individuals who were deaf and dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, a pauper, or a convict]. No Further Information Recorded on this Line.

(Line: 20): PICKEREL, Susannah, Age: 60 Years, [Census enumerator did not supply racial information] Female, Occupation: [Blank], Value of Real Estate: [Blank], Place of Birth: Virginia, Was the Individual Listed as Married within the year: [Blank], School: [Blank, Assume not attending school], Literacy: [Blank, Column was to enumerate individuals over the age of 20 Years who could not Read nor Write], Health: [Blank, Column was to enumerate individuals who were deaf and dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, a pauper, or a convict]. No Further Information Recorded on this Line.

(Line: 21): PICKEREL, Stephen, Age: 25 Years, [Census enumerator did not supply racial information] Male, Occupation: Farmer, Value of Real Estate: [Blank], Place of Birth: Virginia, Was the Individual Listed as Married within the year: [Blank], School: [Blank, Assume not attending school], Literacy: [Blank, Column was to enumerate individuals over the age of 20 Years who could not Read nor Write], Health: [Blank, Column was to enumerate individuals who were deaf and dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, a pauper, or a convict]. No Further Information Recorded on this Line.

(Line: 22): PICKEREL, Alfred, Age: 21 Years, [Census enumerator did not supply racial information] Male, Occupation: Laborer, Value of Real Estate: [Blank], Place of Birth: Virginia, Was the Individual Listed as Married within the year: [Blank], School: [Blank, Assume not attending school], Literacy: [Blank, Column was to enumerate individuals over the age of 20 Years who could not Read nor Write], Health: [Blank, Column was to enumerate individuals who were deaf and dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, a pauper, or a convict]. No Further Information Recorded on this Line.

(Line: 23): PICKEREL, Ellen J., Age: 16 Years, [Census enumerator did not supply racial information] Female, Occupation: [Blank], Value of Real Estate: [Blank], Place of Birth: Virginia, Was the Individual Listed as Married within the year: [Blank], School: [Blank, Assume not attending school], Literacy: [Blank, Column was to enumerate individuals over the age of 20 Years who could not Read nor Write], Health: [Blank, Column was to enumerate individuals who were deaf and dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, a pauper, or a convict]. No Further Information Recorded on this Line.

Research Notes

Birth and death records in West Virginia don’t begin until 1853; therefore, there is no recorded death for either Levi or Susan. The birth and death registers 1853-1869 are missing from the Wirt County courthouse but the marriage records for this period have survived. Duplicates of Wirt County births, deaths and marriages 1853-1860 were provided by the County Clerk of Wirt County to the Auditor of Public Accounts at Richmond, Virginia as required by law and were microfilmed in 1954 by the LDS church at the Library of Virginia; however, the film is very difficult to read and illegible in places, particularly the 1856 births. In 2012 I made an attempt to transcribe the birth and death records from the film. Roy Lockhart

More Research Notes

The three Pickerells who appear in the Prince William County, VA personal property tax lists and later in the Fauquier County, VA personal property tax lists were Frederick, Richard and Samuel. They may have been brothers. Which one of these was the father of Levi Pickerell Sr? Samuel Pickrell who married Mary Lowe has been eliminated as outlined above. Richard Pickerell who married first Amelia Marlow and second Sarah Wilford moved to Kentucky with his family and can probably be eliminated also. This leaves Frederick Pickerell who last appears in the personal property in 1785 as likely the unproven father of Levi Sr. Mary Pickerell first appears in the 1789 personal property tax list next to Samuel Pickerell and is likely the widow of Frederick Pickerell. Roy Lockhart

Sources

1. ↑ Fauquier County, Virginia Marriage Records Volume 3, page 97
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} "United States Census, 1810," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH28-6S8 : accessed 8 July 2020), Levi Pickerell, Dumfries, Prince William, Virginia, United States; citing p. 292, Line 22, NARA microfilm publication M252 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 70; FHL microfilm 181,430.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} "United States Census, 1820," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHLT-TT5 : accessed 8 July 2020), Levi Pickrell, Fauquier, Virginia, United States; citing p. 113, NARA microfilm publication M33, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 136; FHL microfilm 193,695.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3} "United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH54-1VP : 19 August 2017), Levi Pickrell, Fauquier, Virginia, United States; citing 418, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 194; FHL microfilm 29,673.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3} "United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHB9-73W : 19 May 2020), Levi Pickerell, Jackson, Mississippi, United States; citing p. 215, NARA microfilm publication , (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 563; FHL microfilm 29,687.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3} "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8DY-P3F : 4 April 2020), Levi Pickerel, Wirt county, Wirt, Virginia, United States; citing p. 62 B (stamped), dwelling 112, family 112, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 981; FHL microfilm 444,971.
7. ↑ A visit to this cemetery showed no stone for this individual, but there was a plaque from the funeral home on the grave back in the early 1990's. However this plaque did not have a year of death for him listed.
8. ↑ Other researcher stated: Meigs County, Ohio Death record Vol. 1, p. 170 - 171 line 64 for a source of death, but I have not looked for this record to confirm that it was his death record.
9. ↑ Fauquier County, Virginia Personal Property Tax Lists
10. ↑ Fauquier County, Virginia Land Deed Book 30, page 375-376
11. ↑ H. H. Hardesty, "Hardesty's West Virginia Counties, v. 6: Harrison, Cabell, Wirt, Greenbrier," (Richwood, WV : Jim Comstock, 1973), p. 150, James L. Board; digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/299674-hardesty-s-west-virginia-counties-v-06?viewer=1&offset=0#page=152&viewer=picture&o=info&n=0&q= : accessed 8 July 2020), image 152 of 245 [article not searchable. Need to go to the image to find it.]
12. ↑ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "Pedigree Resource File," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:2:3ZG8-XMP : accessed 2017-01-11), entry for Levi /Pickerell/.
13. ↑ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "Pedigree Resource File," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:2:3844-DMC : accessed 2017-01-11), entry for Levi /Pickrel/.

• James L. Board bio in Hardesty's History of Wirt County WV, his marriage bond and record, 1850 census Wirt County, WV.

Acknowledgements

• The family notes of Jeanne Howell posted on Pickerell Family] website show a lot of information on this family. This was last updated several years ago and Jeanne Howell is in the process of verifying the information and placing it on wikitree. See change details for last edit.