FOUND: Another Old Genealogy of John Pettit (1608) Hand Written by Elnora Pettit (1808-1886), Daughter of Dr. James Pettit (1777-1849) and Lucy Felt (1777-1859)

Preface by Pettit Research Project
What follows is a transcribed account of some of the John Pettit (1608-1662) family history as written by Elnora Pettit DELVIN (1808-1886) who was the daughter of Dr. James Pettit and Lucy Felt. This history appears to have been written for Elnora’s granddaughter, a daughter of Lucy Delvin BAILY. It was compiled from personal experience, recollections of stories passed down, as well as from ancient letters and records in the possession of her sister, Harriet Pettit, which stretched back into the late 1700s. Elnora’s account starts by retelling an 1825 record taken down by her brother William Pettit from his interview of their grandfather, Captain Johnathan Pettit (1753-1835). Elnora began this family history project in 1864 and concluded it on July 20, 1878. The primary focus of her writing was her mother, Lucy Felt Pettit, who she affectionately called “Golden Hair”. However, a good number of other family members and other figures are discussed.

Excerpt from Elnora Pettit letter summarizing the 1825 account of the Pettit genealogy given by Captain Jonathan Pettit.
Following her self-described conclusion in July of 1878, in November of that same year, her sister Harriet died, and Elnora inherited the family records which had been in her sister’s possession. She described these records as “voluminous”. It would seem she also came to possess 38 letters written between her brother William Harrison Pettit and his wife Hannah BARLOW. William worked as a clerk in Washington DC in the war years from 1863 up until the time of his accidental death in 1865. The sum of all these records eventually found their way into the hands of one Mr. Paul Durrie. Mr. Durrie’s wife, Marion Lucille Waldron, was the daughter of Edward Moorhouse and Lucy Orinda Pettit. Lucy Orinda Pettit was William Harrison Pettit’s daughter and a niece to the author of this account.
Elnora Pettit and William Harrison Pettit’s father, Dr. James Pettit is known for inventing the Pettit Eye Salve later sold by the Howard Brothers, as well as his family’s involvement in the underground railroad prior to Lincoln’s War. Many of his children were involved in the abolition movement. Perhaps the most prominent was Eber M. Pettit whose memoirs were published in Sketches in the History of the Underground Railroad in 1879. (A full PDF version of this book is available for download in the Documents section of this website.)
This branch of Pettits was well educated and careful to preserve their lineage to the 1600s. Aside from the account which is the subject of this article, there are at least two other accounts, both of which are senior to this one. These early accounts traced their lineage to the Pettits of Sharon, CT and a John Pettit born around 1608. It is said that the Pettits came to New Rochelle, NY from France at the time of the revocation of the Edit of Nantes which doesn’t easily square with the historical timeline presented. Nevertheless, this tradition is firmly cemented in the written and oral history of this Pettit clan and should not be dismissed without considering the root of the legend .
From other records, Elnora Pettit’s lineage appears to be as follows:
- Elnora Pettit (1808-1886)
- Dr. James Pettit (1777-1849) + Lucy Felt (1777-1859)
- Captain Jonathan Pettit (1752-1835) +Agnes Riddell (1752-1833)
- John Pettit (1720-1754) + Hannah Dunham (1721-1805)
- Jonathan Pettit (1693-1772) +Hannah Holly (1694-1739)
- John Pettit (1668-1715) +Mary Bates (1671-1702)
- John Pettit (1638-1676) +Sarah Scofield (1645-)
- John Pettit (1608-1662) +Debrow (-1654)
Dr. James Pettit and his wife Lucy Felt (“Golden Hair”) had the following children:
- Samantha Pettit (1798-1871)
- Sophronia Pettit (1800-1855)
- Dr. Eber Moffat Pettit (1802-1885)
- James Jacob Pettit (1804-1877)
- Lucy Maria Pettit (1806-1812)
- Elnora M. Pettit (1808-1886)
- Harriet Pettit (1810-1878)
- Samuel Felt Pettit (1812-1812)
- William Harrison Pettit (1813-1865)
- Charles Pettit (1815-1868)
- Melancton Smith Pettit (1818-1878)
- Lucy Marie Pettit (1821-1821)
With the background given above, the family history produced by Elnora Pettit can be understood in its original context. The account is full of details which can easily be verified and other private information which simply cannot. Be that as it may, the reader is advised to weigh this source carefully and respectfully. The transcription has been produced as near to the original form as possible with minimal comments, edits, or corrections.
The pages that focus on the history of the Sharon. CT, descendants of John Pettit (1608-1662) will be presented below. They represent just the 6 pages that focus on the Pettit family out of the entire 18-page document. The full transcription will be included in another article which will be published soon.
Family Reminiscence by Elnora Pettit c 1864
Transcribed by B. W. Pettit at Pettit Research, March 29, 2022
Note: Researchers may freely copy this transcription but are asked to please cite the source similar to what is exemplified below.
[Written on the front and back of old ledger pages with two columns per page. Pages 12-17 transcribed below. They are numbered page 6-9 in the original. The complete transcription and paper including the source will be published in a separate article.]Sample Citation: Pettit, B.W., “FOUND: Another Old Genealogy of John Pettit (1608) Hand Written by Elnora Pettit (1808-1886), Daughter of Dr. James Pettit (1777-1849) and Lucy Felt (1777-1859)”, The Pettit Research Project, March 29, 2022. https://pettitresearch.com/familyhistory/2022/03/29/found-another-old-genealogy-of-john-pettit-1608-hand-written-by-elnora-pettit-1808-1886-daughter-of-dr-james-pettit-1777-1849-and-lucy-felt-1777-1859/
“First draft of my family reminiscence.” by Elnora Pettit (b1808)
Page 12 Column 1
- “In the year 1695 Lewis fourteenth of France
- Revoked the edict of Nantez granted by Henry
- fourth for the toleration of the protestant
- While their worship was suppressed
- their churches demolished, and their minis-
- ters banished, the protestant layety were
- forbidden under the most rigorous penalties
- to quit the kingdom. France however by
- this measure, lost above 500,000 of the
- most industrious and useful subjects,
- and the name of Lewis fourteenth is
- execrated to this day” [See note #1] Among the
- many who found a welcome in the new
- world, were three young men, Hugonuts
- who being pursued, escaped in a small
- boat in the harbor of Rochelle, and em-
- barked in a vessel which lay at anchor
- in the bay. When but a little way from
- the shore, they saw the baffled troops
- of their royal murderers, it is not for
- a certainty known where they landed
- at all events it is ^a certainty that they selec-
- ted a place for a home, and named it
- New Rochelle, after their home in France
- Which still bears that name. It is situated
- on the coast of Long Island Sound not far
- distant from NY City. The year is
- not known in which they made their
- escape nor whether they were brothers one
- two, or three, Pettitt was the name of one at
- least and from him is descended all of
- that name, now very numerous.
- In my possession is a record given by
- my grandfather Johnathan Pettit, taken from
- his lips by my brother William, about
- the year 1825, of which the above is a
- copy also that his ancestry were farmers,
- persons of information, and respectability
- men of influence and nominated and
- second in public offices of the places in
- which they lived also that his great
[Note #1: This quotation appears to be copied from a book titled Elements of General History: Ancient and Modern by By Lord Alexander Fraser Tytler Woodhouselee and published in 1831]
Page 12 Column 2
- grandfather’s name was John and it
- is probable that he was the refugee
- as the revocation occurred in 1695.
- His grandfather’s name was Jonathan
- Born 1703, died aged 90 in 1773
- In the gazettes of the state of Connecticut
- it is mentioned that Johnathan Pettit was
- one of the first settlers of the town of
- Sharron, which is ^in the north west
- corner of that state, He was the grand
- father mentioned of our grandfathers of
- the same name. His father’s name
- was John named after the Hugono
- ancestor, and his mother’s name was
- Hannah Dunham, daughter of
- Samuel Dunham also one of the first
- settlers of Sharon, and of Welsh origin
- John Pettit died young leaving a family
- of six children. Four sons and two
- daughters after the death of his father
- our grandfather ^Born July 25, 1752 only 69 years after the revocation Johnathan Pettit was
- apprenticed, bound to learn the trade
- of a tanner and shoemaker, the two
- trades being one in those early days
- at the age of seventeen. I have heard
- him say often that he never went to
- school but one day and a half
- in that early day it did not in this
- new world, require a capitol to set
- one’s self up in the trades. A man
- possessed of that was the artist of his
- own fortunes. So when our grand
- father came to his majority he
- settled himself, sunk his vats
- and prepared himself to commit
- into leather the skins of animals
- killed for the sustenance of the new
- settlers, in the wild of saratoga.
- here he set up housekeeping hired
- a scotch woman to do the work
- boarded his journeyman and apprentice
Page 13 Column 1
- this was in the year 1773
- meantime among the many who were
- attracted to the now celebrated town of
- Saratoga was a man named ^George Riddel
- from Freehold Monmouth Co N Jersey
- pure scotch Irish of the genuine John
- Knox type of Presbyterians of keen
- **** intellect. A weaver by trade
- and occupation. emigrated to America
- from country uncertain[?] his native
- place at the age of twenty years
- his wife Margaret Melegan was
- brought to America when a child
- of eight years by her uncle
- David Rae and bound to a Dutch
- family name forgotten by whom
- she was brought up in the habits
- of industry, economy and thrift
- peculiar to that nation of people.
- The family consisted of four daughters
- and one son ^born November 2, 1755 the oldest to whom
- our grandfather Johnathan Pettit
- married ^in 1775 after an acquaintance of
- six weeks. Polly or Mary who
- married twice, first husbands name
- Dunham probably a cousin of our
- ancestor the second Daniels Margaret
- married a very pious man an
- Irishman tailor by trade who after
- many years of respectability proved
- to be a thief and in his shame
- ran away leaving a large family
- He never was heard from
- but his children were all very
- respectable people and highly intellect-
- ual if James Finn is an exception
- on account of his infidelity
- made one by the investigations
- of doctrines of the Calvinistic
- creed as I have heard him
- [last line under fold of page]
Page 13 Column 2
- Elizabeth married an Irishman a tailor
- named Laverty also very pious but was
- subject to sprees when he abused his
- wife as drunken brutes are apt to do
- between times he was a thorough **
- Methodist the son David by name
- also married and raised a very respectable
- family After the marriage of our grandfather
- to Agnes Riddel in 1774 they lived in
- Saratoga until two years previous to the
- commencement of the revolutionary war
- they remained in Saratoga until after
- the town of Schenectady was burned
- by Tories and Indians as was not uncommon
- in those times of trial. “brother was against
- brother the father against the daughters. As
- there were strong partisan feelings in both
- families but great grandfather Riddle being
- a born subject of the British Crown continued[?]
- loyal to that party also a part of the
- Pettit family were what was called Tories
- grandfather and his brother James and one
- sister were of the Revolutionary party
- The brother Dunham Pettit was one of the number
- of whom General Washington said he hoped
- they would go to Ne**** but they went
- go by the way of Name **** and this same
- Dunham Pettit was father of John Pettit the
- Democratic member of Congress from
- Indiana, Seemingly inheriting the strong
- Democratic principles of his tory father
- one of the sisters was married to a tory
- named Bissell also emigrated after the
- war to Canada. This Bissel was put
- into jail at Saratoga for some offense
- of his party. and the morning of the
- day in which he was to be tried
- it was discovered that he had escaped and
- our great grandmother Pettit’s blanket
- made into a rope
Page 14 Column 1
- The notorious Jones, who sent for
- his sweet heart and betrothed
- Jeannie McCrea[?] by in****
- and by whom she was murdered
- was a cousin on the mother’s side
- Jones is a Welch name and he held
- a commission in the royal army, but
- his name is only mentioned in con-
- nection with a deed of honor.
- The brother James Pettit died during
- the war, and his great grandparents always
- spoke of him with much affection
- He was engaged to Margaret Riddel
- the same who married the thief Finn.
- After the burning of the town Schenee
- ltady our grandparents moved to Albany
- for greater security. They both took a
- very active part in the stirring times and
- grandfather was made captain of the
- city guards and held office till the
- close of the war was an intimate
- personal friend of General Schuler
- and at one time being at fort Schuler
- at Utica he experienced religion and
- after in the account of his religious
- experience would maintain many
- circumstances connected with the times
- He was baptized *** grandmother in
- the Hudson River at Albany and ***
- from the first Baptist church in that city
- grandmother being the first woman
- baptized by immersion at that place
- The ceremony was performed by elder
- Jacon Statton an English Baptist When
- grandfather was coming up out of the
- baptismal waters, an old Dutch
- gentleman was heard to exclaim
- friend Pettit is right, for just as I
- read it in my old Dutch Bible
Page 14 Column 2
- In the statement before mentioned
- We learn that our grandfather and Peter
- *** Yates a lawyer set up the first
- ^Latin Grammar school in the city of Albany
- and ^was taught by George Merchant
- our father James Pettit was born in
- the city of Albany April 13 1777
- at the age of seven years he was sent
- to NYork to attend a grammar school
- and was at that school taught by
- Elder Holmes[?] the elements of latin
- also writing the peculiar hand we all
- so well know, At the age of eight
- years he attended the latin school at
- Albany and made great pro****
- Our grandfather we would ****
- possessed an enterprising business
- capacity for remembering as I do
- the many conversations and
- reminiscence held between my
- grandparents of journeys to NYork
- of frequent occurrence and he owned
- in company with another man a
- sloop which they named after their
- wives Mary Agnes. Besides this
- regular business, he engaged in the
- lumber trade and at one time have
- invested **** in the construction
- of an immense raft and had it
- ^*** as he thought anchored in NYork harbor. There
- occurred a terrible gale in the
- night, the raft broke up and was
- carried out to sea and as grand
- mother always remarked he was
- two proud to remain in Albany
- a poor man. A circumstance
- she never forgave him for and
- when our father was ten years
- of age he moved into the wilder
- ness in the town of Mayfield
Page 15 Column 1
- with a family of small children
- There he built a church, established
- a school was always very active and
- engaged ***and *** in the
- promotion of any improvements for
- the general good. By reference to
- dates in my possession they
- must have lived in Mayfield
- six or seven years when the spirit
- of unrest or a desire to improve
- his fortunes he again moved
- into a new community with a
- family this time consisting of
- children from twenty years
- down to infants in ****.
- There also he built up churches
- helped form them into associations
- Preached in layman ******
- and was justice of the peace for
- thirteen consecutive years.
- There on the banks of the Chenango
- River it was that golden-hair
- ***** in a spirit of mischief
- drank the health of a **** young
- stranger to whom she was married
- after great opposition from every
- member of her family. She was
- their housekeeper and they meant
- to keep her in that capacity as the
- mother had gone to her rest.
- Another reason for their opposition
- Was the superior cultivation
- and intellectual attainment of the
- family into which she would
- be introduced. So after serving
- three as housekeeper and
- maid of all work, she went out
- from a house where she had
- received the blessings of that
- large household perfectly
Page 15 Column 2
- empty handed. She was not allowed a
- scrap of the scores of linen she had manufac
- tured with her own hands. She went
- with her young husband at her marriage
- 5 day of November 1797 to his father’s
- home were scenes new and strange
- were opened up to her craving heart
- she had early determined to marry a man
- if she ever should to whom she could look
- up, her superior in advantages of education
- There she found her ideal her quick sense
- Taught her how in the home of her young
- husband opportunities appeared and she was glad
- to improve and educate herself up to his
- Standards she had said she would never
- marry a man of whom she would be ash
- ashamed and she determined to so improve
- that he should not be ashamed of her
- it was something new to her to
- see the large dining table left standing
- in the middle of the floor, candles lighted
- and set around while the member of
- the household each with his favorite
- book drew up to enjoy in his own way
- the evening hour after there would be discussions
- in different subjects the favorite ones being
- politics and religion the doctrines and creeds
- also the histories of nations their political
- and religions poetry also Shakespeare and
- all the old poets were their common
- reading our great grandparents were educated
- far beyond their times as also their children
- both their faces and manners indicated
- their moral and intellectual standing.
- our grandmother was naturally beyond
- the littleness of ignorant ***** women
- of her time. she engaged the society of
- cultivated men. she enjoyed arguing
- with ministers and politicians and
- she was a match for any of them.
Page 16 Column 1
- After a few weeks in the home of
- her husband golden hair felt that it
- would be better to go to house
- keeping. Her husband was teaching
- the school in the neighborhood
- and would be at home nights.
- But where could they find a
- house, a room even. The aged
- grandmother Pettit was living with
- her son and grandfather besides
- there were children of every age
- from eighteen down to the baby, a
- daughter who was the child of their
- old age. Grandfather still carried on
- the business of tanning leather. So
- goldenhair **** the one of the
- carry **** for the winter to set up
- her housekeeping, and they took
- their little belongings, a bed with an
- improvised[?] bedstead, a little chest, which
- was her own, her mothers gift and
- had been brought from Connecticut
- which for the time being, served as
- a table. not a chair, not a stool
- only as her husband made it, a few
- dishes where brought, and three golden
- **** flax to make her linen and
- their own clothing sitting on that
- same little chest which still is
- in existence in sister Harriet’s
- ***** *****, and there in due
- course of time her eldest child
- was born. Her father gave her
- a cow in the spring, and her
- husband made trays of bass
- wood to set the milk in, which
- tray she always kept. But they
- did not long live in the easy state
- nor did their homemade furniture
- long consist of a chest and a bed,
Page 16 Column 2
- Grandfather Pettit gave his son eight
- acres of land, and there grew[?] a log home, and
- the husband taught the schools in winter
- and could make shoes if he had any to
- make as he with all the sons were learned
- the trade of their fathers. It was after the
- birth of their second daughter that
- the *** husband caught a cold which
- laid him up for a year, and it was feared
- that he would die of consumption but
- after regaining somewhat of health
- again, he found that his constitution
- was imperial unfitted him for labor
- and then it happened that he studied
- the profession of medicine, with Dr.
- Greenby[?] of Hamilton village, moved
- his little family there, built a neat
- little house, and golden hair, *****
- General King and others, their supporting
- them while her husband studied. He
- after would get discouraged, and so
- she intimated herself in his studies
- and became as versed and as thoroughly
- as he did, and then by her very force
- of character he obtained his diploma
- and was even a very successful pract-
- tioner It was a struggle for the first
- few years. But after a time he settled
- in the town of Fabius in Onondago Co
- Grandfather went there with a baptist
- minister to organize a new church and
- form an association of churches. The
- place was new and no one[?] in many
- miles, and he then and there made
- arrangements for our father to move
- Brother James was an infant in
- **** at that time. He prospered in
- every way there, bought land built a
- nice home, and it was the place where
- as one ****ttings, he should have lived
- and died
Page 17 Column 1
- In the course of time several *****
- were made, and also it fell to their lot
- to have the care of our grandparents in
- their old age, fourteen years. They
- sleep in the cemetery in Cazenovia
- side by side. They having died within
- two months of each other, grandfather
- aged eighty one, grandmother 78
- After those happenings my parents moved
- to Fredonia Chautauqua Co in 1835
- Grandfather died May 24, 1849
- aged 72 years
- Our mother the golden hair of my
- story died 1859 Feb 16, aged 81
- years 11 months 13 days
- And now in this 20 day of July 1878
- I bring my narrative to a close began
- eleven years ago. It was ******
- as stated in the beginning, but as I
- proceeded I felt more and more inter-
- ist in the work until I here brought
- it down to the decease of our parents
- It is not without a just degree of
- pride of ancestry that I have jotted
- down some of the most prominent
- features of the lines of my forefathers,
- Still I cannot give full appreciation
- of the general characteristics of our
- mother, her strong good common sense,
- her warm****, her dignity
- her truthfulness, her virtue, her
- Neither of the ******
- the gentle **** of my father, his
- intellect, his highly cultivated mind
- his sense of **** and prosperity
- His ***** of heart, which made
- him one of the earliest abolitionists, who
- bore the stigma of the party, also his
- religion without ****, Let me
- sum it all up, a true man, and of
- my mother, a true woman
Page 17 Column 2
- [blank]
- [blank]
- November 19, 1878,
- After the decease of my sister Harriet
- which occurred the 13 September 1878, and
- who came to that old home with our
- parents, and who helped to make it the
- pleasant place it was, the duty of look
- ing over the papers, letters & of the family
- the date of some extending back to the year
- 1783, has ****** on me, Voluminous
- as it was, I have opened with very few
- exceptions every letter or paper, many
- of which I read through looked all over
- so as to know their contents, and what
- most ***** impressed me was the
- strong religious vein of pure and
- uncorrupted religion that pervaded
- every one without exception,
- irrespective of the subject in
- hand, also the high sense of
- honor, honor between man and
- man, in all business relations
- also the respectful manners each
- addressed the other, especially
- between husband and wife,
- also between children and
- parents, and the strong affection
- and duty of parents to their
- children
NOTE: This transcription is imperfect and will be revised and corrected as time permits. All revisions will be tracked in a change log at the bottom of the page. If you would like to comment on something, want clarification on something or would like to try to decipher a missing word, please leave a comment below.