The Children of Nathan Pettit (b.1775) and Levina Pettit

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FAMILY EPILOGUE

Mother Levina Pettit

Levina, Nathan’s wife, was born between 1780 and 1790.^[134] If she was the mother of all the known children, then she would have been born closer to 1780 since their son Thomas was born in 1800. Levina had moved with Nathan from Spartanburg County, South Carolina to Butler County, Ohio to Vermilion County, Illinois, to Ralls County, Missouri. She died there on December 20, 1834. She was by his side as they covered nearly 1,000 miles of ground before finally reaching her oldest daughter’s home in Ralls County. Levina never saw the home Nathan built in Hancock County, Illinois, where he would spend his remaining years running a successful farm and mill.

Jemimah Pettit Brashears

Jemimah Pettit was born in South Carolina around 1797. She married Solomon Brashears. They did not move in 1829 with Nathan but settled in Ralls County, Missouri two years later in 1831. They prospered there, raising a large family who were all sons. Their known children were Joshua Pettit, Joberry, Albert Gallatin, Gowan Clayton, Francis Marion, Doctor Wiley, William Riley, David Lee, James C., and Tyre R. Solomon traveled to Spartanburg County, South Carolina in 1848 to visit family. His brother Meredith Brashears returned with him, moving his family to Ralls County before the 1850 census was conducted. That census shows the household of Meridith Brashears in Ralls County with a 17-year-old John Pettit under his roof.^[135] Jemima Pettit Brashears, the mother of at least ten children, two of which were twins, died sometime in 1853 in Ralls County. She would have been in her late fifties. She is thought to be buried at the nearby Bethel Church cemetery in an unmarked grave.^[136] Solomon died on October 7, 1857. It was said that he “worked himself to death” tending to cattle and putting up hay.^[137] He is believed to have been laid to rest at the old Hazel Green cemetery in Clay, Missouri.^[138]

Thomas Pettit

Thomas Pettit was born in South Carolina around 1800. He married Nancy and remained in Butler County, Ohio, when Nathan moved on to Vermilion County, Illinois, in 1830. Thomas and Nancy Pettit had two children: Austin Pettit, born in South Carolina in 1828, and Benjamin F. Pettit born in June of either 1835 or 1836, in Ohio. Thomas Pettit died sometime before April 19, 1837 –the date his widow married James A. VanHorn in Butler County. James VanHorn died shortly after the marriage leaving the widow with two Pettit boys and two VanHorn children, Abijah and Elizabeth F. In 1850 Nancy VanHorn was the head of her own home in Oxford, Ohio. In the home were three of her children, Austin Pettit, Abijah VanHorn and Elizabeth VanHorn. Her son Benjamin F. Pettit had been taken in by Joel Fithian, a local doctor.^[139]

Austin Pettit was confusingly identified as “Oscar” in Nathan’s probate packet. To add to the confusion, there was actually an Oscar Pettit in Ohio of similar age that was misidentified by researchers as Nathan’s grandson. This Oscar had no sons. As none of Nathan’s other grandsons produced male children that had issue, Nathan’s male Pettit line was considered extinct by researchers for many years. However, in 2025 it was discovered that the name was actually Austin, not Oscar.^[140] The correct Austin Pettit was found, and it was also discovered that he had living Pettit descendants. Nathan’s male line did not die out and in fact lives on through the several descendants of Austin Pettit.

Rachel Pettit Tomlinson

Rachel Pettit was born around 1802 in South Carolina. She married an unknown Tomlinson and had one child, Hannah Tomlinson. According to Nathan Pettit’s probate papers, they were thought to have lived somewhere in Tennessee. Rachel died before 1856.

A Lemuel Tomilinson is listed on the same page of 1830 census Vermilion County census as Nathan Pettit, Hampton Loftis, and William Pettit. There are several children in his home. His relationship, if any, with Rachel Pettit or whether he may have been her husband has not been determined.

Keziah Pettit Wells

Keziah Pettit was born in South Carolina around 1803. Keziah married Anthony Wells on April 5, 1836, in Ralls County, Missouri.^[141] Some believe she had an earlier marriage, but her maiden name was shown as “Pettit” on the marriage certificate suggesting this was her first husband. Not much is known about Anthony Wells, but he is thought to have died or moved on by 1844. In 1844 Keziah and a boy believed to be her son, James Wells, moved in with Nathan Pettit in Hancock County, Illinois. Keziah took care of the housework for him there for 12 years until his death.^[142] She then moved in with the family of her niece, Elizabeth Humphrey, in Fountain Green, Hancock County, Illinois. The 1870 census in Fountain Green lists her as a 60-year-old “domestic servant” in the home of James T. and Elizabeth (Loftis) Humphery.^[143] Also, in the home was 38-year-old Lavina Taylor who was previously a Pettit either by marriage or by birth.^[144] Keziah has not been located in the 1860 census or in any records after 1870. She is believed to have died before 1880. There is speculation that she was the mother of at least two children, both possibly born out of wedlock.^[145]

Catherine Pettit Loftis

Catherine Pettit was born in South Carolina around 1809. She married Hampton Loftis probably in Spartanburg County, South Carolina. They moved with Nathan and his family to Vermilion County, Illinois, in 1829 and lived near one another in Hancock County, Illinois.^[146] Catherine Pettit Loftis died in 1847 while residing in Hancock County leaving at least four children for her husband to tend to. The children were Lavina Loftis who married James T. Humphrey, William Daniel Loftis, Olive Loftis who married a Caldwell and Elizabeth Loftis who married first Joseph Tilburn^[147],^[148] and second James T. Humphry (widower of her sister Lavina).^[149],[150] Hampton Loftis remarried but died of bilious fever in September of 1849.^[151] Two of the Loftis children, William Daniel and Olive, were taken in by Nathan Pettit. Lavina Loftis went to stay with her uncle John W. Pettit and his wife Liddie in Sullivan County, Missouri.^[152] William Daniel Loftis was still a minor under age 21 when Nathan passed away and the Hancock County Court appointed R. S. Montague, Esquire, as his guardian for the purpose of the chancery cause.^[153]

Joseph Pettit

Joseph Pettit was born in South Carolina around 1810. He married Nancy B. Martin on July 6, 1837. According to the claim papers he submitted in the estate suit for Nathan, Joseph lived with Nathan from 1836 until Nathan died. In Nathan’s later years, Joseph had full charge of the farm and helped with the mill. In the Illinois state census conducted on July 3, 1855, Joseph Pettit was counted as head of his own household with one male age 30-40 and one female age 40-50.^[154] Joseph would have been forty-five at the time, so this record seems to be off by at least 5 years. Also, the identity of the female in his home has not been determined. His wife, Nancy, was last seen on record on October 27, 1837, when she appeared with her husband before the Justice of the Peace for a land deed.^[155] She was not living with him in 1850 and may have died by this time or they may have separated. She never appeared with Joseph on any federal census records. On April 5, 1858, Joseph Pettit and Caswell Smith provided the security for the guardianship of William Holden and Jacob Holden to Sarah Holden.^[156]

He is found in the 1860 Hanock County census under the household of David Frederick. He gave his occupation as “farm laborer.” Though he was enumerated under Frederick’s home, he also had his own real estate value assessed at $1400 –that was $400 more than the man for whom he was working. He was a laborer for hire and apparently was not afraid of hard work. James Hill would later testify that Joseph managed the Pettit farm, but he was also frequently gone, working elsewhere too. Joseph held onto one of the original homestead tracts throughout his life. Records indicate he continued to operate the mill on Pettit Creek until the year he died.^[157] He was recorded in the Illinois State census in 1865 for Hancock County and was shown as being between age 50 and 60 and living alone.^[158] He died at his home on April 15, 1868, and left “no widow, no children.”^[159] His estate was administered by his brother John W. Pettit.

Nathan Pettit Junior

Nathan Pettit, Jr., was born around 1812 in South Carolina. He married Polly Ann Zink in Hancock County on February 9, 1843. By 1850 he was living without Polly Ann in his father’s house. He was deceased by at least 1856 but probably died much earlier. His father’s probate papers make one reference that he left an heir, but the heir was not named. The final disbursement of the estate occurred on April 16, 1860, and there is no mention of the heir of Nathan Pettit, Jr. The heir, if he or she even existed, must have been dead before the estate was settled. Nathan, Jr., either had no children or they did not survive past 1860.

John W. Pettit

John W. Pettit was born in South Carolina around 1814. He married Isabella Martin on November 10, 1836, in Hancock County, Illinois, with David Hill as a witness. Isabella died and he married a woman who was likely her sister, Lydia Martin, on October 6, 1839, in Hancock County before magistrate Isaiah Guyman.^[160]

The next year, in 1840, he was enumerated in the Hancock County census next door to Hampton Loftis.^[161] He had no children in the home. It was only he and his new wife.

On June 29, 1849, he was granted forty acres of land in Sullivan County, Missouri for $50.^[162] He soon left Illinois and spent the rest of his life in Missouri. He was living there in Sullivan County near his father-in-law Lewis Martin in 1850. That year he was enumerated on the census with his wife Lydia along with 16-year-old Levina Loftus listed as a laborer. On November 9, 1850, he sold forty acres in Sullivan County to Enoch M. Smith for $100.^[163]

He was counted in Sullivan County again in the 1860 census and this time the home included a nine-year-old girl, Nancy Pettit.^[164] Nancy was most likely John’s only child.

On June 3, 1868, John and his brother Aaron jointly purchased two small tracts of land in Hancock County from John Kropp.^[165] One was two acres and the other ten. The smaller tract may have had a home on it because it was sold for $2400. This business was likely somehow related to the settlement of the estate of Joseph, their brother, who had died just two months prior. For the sum of $1500, Aaron deeded his ½ interest in both recent purchases to John a few months later on October 31, 1868.^[166] John sold both tracts to John T. Hopkins and Edward Libbee on April 8, 1870, for $700.^[167]

As administrator of the estate of Joseph, John assumed legal power over Joseph’s land which was the old 80-acre farm that once belonged to their father Nathan. On July 5, 1870, John and Lydia sold the old homestead tract in Illinois to Jacob D. Stromp for $100.^[168] With that sale, the original Pettit lands in Hancock County passed from the family and into obscurity leaving only the name of Pettit Creek as a memento.

Lydia’s father, Lewis Martin made out his will on August 24, 1869.^[169] In it he ordered that his estate was to be sold after the death of his wife, Ales, and proceeds to be distributed among his living children including Lydia Pettit. His property, both real and personal, was in Sullivan County. Lewis survived long enough to be counted in the 1870 Sullivan County census.^[170] The 78-year-old farmer, his 75-year-old wife Ales, and 40-year-old daughter Ales Perkins were the only people in the home. However, John W. Pettit and Lydia were living next door. A few months later, on November 5, 1869, John and Lydia sold Anderson W. Harris 40 acres in Sullivan County for $425.^[171] When the 1870 census was taken, John and his wife Lydia were still living in Sullivan County. His occupation was listed as a “miller,” and the value of his property was a respectable $3500.

Strangely, by the time of the 1880 census, 65-year-old John and 60-year-old Lydia had moved across the state to Big Creek Township in Taney County, Missouri and were cultivating a brand-new farm there. He was officially granted the 80 acres in Taney County on September 10, 1880, for the price of $5.00.^[172] Back in Sullivan County, on April 9, 1881, Lydia Pettit and John were named alongside twenty three other plaintiffs in a suit against a number of children and grandchildren to Lewis H. Martin, Lydia’s late father.^[173] It was alleged that William H. Martin obtained a deed “by direct fraud and falsehood” because at the time “Alice Martin was by reason of both physical and mental disability… wholly unable and incompetent to make such said deed.” The suit was settled in favor of the Pettits and the other plaintiffs.

A few months later, John Pettit voluntarily relinquished his claim to the Taney County grant on September 15, 1881, and the land reverted to the state.^[174] He may have moved back to Sullivan County but no further record of John W. Pettit has been found. He died sometime after 1881.

Aaron Pettit

Aaron Pettit was born around 1815 in South Carolina. Aaron married Sarah L. Zink.^[175] He was living in Hancock County on April 28, 1840, when he was summoned to appear as a witness in a court case there.^[176] Aaron Pettit and his wife Sarah were living in Houston, Adams County, Illinois, when the 1850 census was taken.^[177] They had no children in the home. While living in Illinois they had a son named George L. born in 1851 (no issue), and a daughter Louisa Ellen born in 1853.^[178] In the fall of 1856 a number of men helped bring in the crops on the old Nathan Pettit farm after his passing. Records show that Aaron Pettit spent three and a half days working the harvest there with his brother Joseph.^[179]

Aaron later married Barbara A. Medley in Clark County, Missouri, on August 5, 1856.^[180] Barbara was born as Barbara Zink and had previously married a Kilpatrick and then a Medley. It is likely she was a sister to Aaron’s first wife as well as a sister to Nathan Pettit, Jr.’s, wife. Aaron and Barbara had a daughter, Sarah A, born October 7, 1858, in Hancock County, Illinois.^[181] This family was recorded in the 1860 Knox County, Missouri census which included Aaron, his wife Barbara, all three Pettit children, along with a 17-year-old James Kilpatrick, 11-year-old Jacob Medley and 13-year-old Mary Medley –all children of Barbara by previous marriages.^[182]

After his brother Joseph died, Aaron was present on June 20, 1868, to purchase items from his estate in Hancock County. He bought a horse halter, buggy, 2000 bricks, and bed and stead.^[183]

He gave written permission for his daughter Louisia Ellen to wed James Birch in Hancock County on March 30, 1870, suggesting he may have returned to Rocky Run by that time.^[184] He, Barbara, and their son George resided in Hancock County by census time in 1880 where they were enumerated in the home of their son-in-law James Birch in Rocky Run Township that year.^[185] The Warsaw Signal mentioned Aaron on July 31, 1880, as someone who had unclaimed mail at the post office for over a week.^[186]

His daughter Sarah Ann married first William Trout who died in 1892 and second Nathaniel Winn. Sarah moved with her daughter’s family to Odem, Texas where she passed away on August 24, 1943. Sarah consistently reported her father’s birthplace as South Carolina.

Aaron spent his childhood in the backwoods of South Carolina around neighbors who had fought in the Revolutionary War with his grandfather Joshua Pettit. He moved with his family across the country to the western frontier when he was a teenager. Aaron died sometime after 1880, and with his passing the male Pettit line of Nathan disappeared from Hancock County.

Hannah Pettit Martin

Hannah Pettit was Nathan’s last child. She was born in 1820 in South Carolina. Hannah married William H. Martin on June 1, 1843, in Hancock County, Illinois. She was the mother of at least eight children: Nancy J., Melissa G., Alice M., Hiram W., Rachel T., George W., and Dorah H.^[187] She and her family are found on the 1860 census of Marion County, Missouri where they lived for a time.^[188] Hannah Pettit Martan died before July 19, 1864, for it was on that date that William Martan married again to Amanda M. Johnson in Ralls County, Missouri.^[189]

GENEALOGY MYSTERIES SURROUNDING NATHAN PETTIT

Who Was the Mysterious William Pettit?

A William Pettit was present in Butler County, Ohio when Nathan and his son Thomas were there on the tax lists in 1829. In the 1830 Vermilion County, Illinois, census a William Pettit was present two households down from Nathan Pettit and next door to Hampton Loftis who was married to Nathan’s daughter Catherine. Assuming this was the same man, his movements tracked closely with Nathan and his children. His proximity to the other Pettits in both places combined with the relative rarity of the Pettit surname and the small population of these places at the time strongly suggests a familial connection of some sort. What that connection was, is an enigma.

What is known for certain is that he was not one of Nathan’s sons. Those, both living and dead, were all named in Nathan’s probate files. The 1830 census, if accurate, places the year of his birth between 1800 and 1810. Given the number of children and their ages, he was likely born very close to 1800. It is also possible he should have been enumerated in the next older age bracket. In either case, he was too young to be a brother, being born well after Nathan’s father, Joshua Pettit, was deceased. The most likely explanation is that he was a nephew. Nathan Pettit had several brothers who had many sons. Could one of them have fathered a William Pettit who moved with Nathan?

One serious candidate is Nathan’s brother Joshua, Jr. He and his wife Judith Poole Pettit had a son named William P. Pettit. He is found in the 1830 census in Spartanburg County at the same time this William was in Illinois which casts serious doubt on him being the same William.^[190] However, it was not uncommon for a family to be enumerated in two different places and the ages of the children of both these Williams match up. The other problem, however, is the age of William P. Pettit versus the age of William Pettit on the Vermilion County census. William P. was born around 1793.

William’s father died on May 29, 1827, and his oldest son Nathan (b.1792) was the primary benefactor of the estate, having oversight of the family mill.^[191] William P. received a section of his father’s land as well but perhaps he found the arrangement inadequate. If William P. decided to head west with Nathan in 1829, he did not stay in Illinois long. He is found consistently in the records in South Carolina and all his children were born there. As noted, the census data is not harmonious regarding the age of the two Williams. This should exclude William P. from being a match to Vermilion County William, but the reliability of census data is often questionable.

Whether he went to Illinois has not been established, but William P. did have the urge to move at least once in his life. His War of 1812 pension file mentions that from 1853-1855 he lived in Hamilton County, Tennessee.^[192] He did in fact own and sale land there but after two years he moved back to his South Carolina tract where he spent the rest of his days. William P. Pettit is buried in the Pettit cemetery next to his wife Lucinda, as well as his parents Joshua and Judith on the land he owned near the Pacolet.^[193]

There are other brothers of Nathan who still must be considered as fathers of Vermilion County William. Nathan’s brother Henry Pettit named his first son William. His William was born on April 21, 1784, but he died on December 10, 1785, at the age of one.^[194],[195]

Nathan’s brother Benjamin left two Bible records with a list of his children and their birth years.^[196] He had no child named William. Nathan’s brother Abraham was considered “a poor foolish lad” that was supported by others and had no children.^[197] There may have also been a brother to Nathan who died in the late 1700s but if he existed and had children they would have been born well before this mystery William.^[198]

The last brother that could have possibly been Vermilion County William’s father was John Pettit, born in 1771.^[199] Census data in Spartanburg County, South Carolina for the years 1800, 1810, 1820 and 1830 reveal this John had at least six sons.^[200] To date, not a single one of his children have been connected to him with conventional genealogical sources. Though there is ample circumstantial evidence, solid proof remains elusive. However, recent discoveries by Michael Cooley and Janet Wood at the Pettit Pilgrim Y-DNA project^[201] have made a compelling case that John Pettit (b. 1771) was the father of Daniel (b. 1812) as well as Nathaniel H. (b. 1813). This has been decided through process of elimination by testing descendants of John’s brothers. It is very likely John was the father of these children:

• Elijah b.~1795
• Solomon b.~1796
• Benjamin b.~1804
• Ruth b.~1807
• Daniel b.~1812
• Nathaniel H. b.~1813

Turning back to William Pettit, the 1830 census sets his birth year between 1800 and 1810. If the four minors in his home were his own children, then he most certainly would have had to have been born around the 1800 end of the timeline. One possible scenario that explains the birth years for this household based on the 1830 census is as follows:

• William Pettit born about 1800
• Wife born about 1800
• Son #1 born about 1821
• Son #2 born about 1823
• Son #3 born about 1826
• Daughter born about 1830

Taking all this into consideration, a hypothesis can be proposed for careful consideration. It is possible Vermilion County William Pettit was the son of Nathan’s brother John Pettit (b. 1771). He would have been born around 1800 in South Carolina. He married in South Carolina. He had children in South Carolina and moved with Nathan to Ohio where he was counted on the duplicate tax rolls in 1829. He then moved to Vermilion County, Illinois, where he was counted on the 1830 census. He would have had to survive The Winter of the Deep Snow (1830-1831) and may have lost one or two of his children there.

There is another reason to consider this possibility. John’s suspected children married into the same Brashears family that Nathan’s children married into. They also lived very nearby. Both Elijah and Solomon married Brashears sisters, Tabitha and Elizabeth respectively. Also, it is thought that John’s daughter Ruth married Isaiah Brashears.

After 1830 there is no sign of what became of Vermilion County William. One thing that must be considered is he may have moved back to Spartanburg County, South Carolina. There is a William Pettit found in the 1840 census there and, despite the Spartanburg Pettits being thoroughly documented, this 1840 William’s connection is not known.^[202] His neighbors in the 1840 census included Drury McAbee, Hiram McAbee, and James Silman. These men were known to own property around Fords Creek which was a branch of Fair Forest Creek probably near present-day Roebuck.^[203] No Pettit families were known to inhabit this particular area besides this William.

None of Vermilion County William’s children have been identified by name, nor do we know his wife’s name. He may have living descendants today who do not know how they connect to the larger tree. Hopefully, the story of William Pettit will one day be told in full.

Who Was James Pettit of Rocky Run?

There are faint hints of a man name James Pettit who lived at Rocky Run and who may have been related to Nathan Pettit in some way. No parents have been identified, but a number of important facts are known about him.

• He was born in Missouri between July 2, 1835, and July 1, 1836.^[204]
• He was in Rocky Run at least by 1856 and probably earlier.^[205]
• His name appears as a purchaser of items of the estate of Nathan Pettit in 1856.^[206]
• He was sued in 1860 along with Aaron Pettit and Joseph Pettit. The subpoena implies he and Joseph Pettit resided together. ^[207]
• He was still in Rocky Run in 1863.^[208]
• He was married on or before 1863.^[209]

There is no record of the subpoena ever resulting in James Pettit appearing and giving testimony in either case, and no follow-up demands were ever made of him. The court’s purpose for calling him was not because he was an heir but rather a witness. It is not likely he intended to evade the summons because he was openly present at the sale of Nathan’s estate. He purchased a teapot and sugar at the sale on September 5, 1856. He also bought a black cow valued at $26.75. If he did not live under Nathan’s roof, he would likely have lived very nearby as it would have been unfeasible to transport a cow a great distance.

A lawsuit was filed against James Pettit, Aaron Pettit, and Joseph Pettit on March 2, 1860, by Alexander Goodwin “for use of Cole and Newby”. The summons was returned on the same day for James and Joseph. On March 10, 1860, the court entered a judgment against them because they did not appear.^[210]

In the midst of The War Between the States in June and July of 1863, James was listed on a draft record in Hancock County. He was recorded as James “Petit” living in Rocky Run. He was shown to be 27 years old in June/July of 1863 and was a white male born in Missouri. He was also noted as married.^[211]

He was never listed as an heir of Nathan Pettit. One reason for this is that he could have been a grandson, the son of one of Nathan’s sons who was still living when Nathan died in 1855. However, this possibility can be dismissed. Following this train of thought, only Aaron, John W., and Joseph could be his father. Nathan’s other two sons, Thomas and Nathan, Jr., preceded him in death. If James were one of their sons, he would be listed as an heir. Since Joseph had “no children” this leaves only Aaron and John W. as the possible fathers of James under this theory. John W. had no children associated with him on the 1840 census which suggests he was not James’ father. Aaron and his wife Sarah had no children living with them in the 1850 census when this James would have been around 14 years old. This does not rule them out entirely but does cast serious doubt on the likelihood that James was the son of one of Nathan’s boys.

Another possibility is James was the illegitimate son of one of Nathan’s daughters who retained the mother’s last name. Given the marriage dates and other known children of Nathan’s daughters, there is only one daughter with which this would be a remote possibility and that is Keziah. In 1850 she and a young James Wells were living in the household of Nathan Pettit. This James Wells’ birthyear and birthplace match those of James Pettit. It is possible James Wells was Keziah’s son who adopted the name James Pettit since he was raised by the Pettit family.

Adding one more layer of confusion to the enigma is a deposition by one James Hill on behalf of Keziah’s suit against the estate in Nathan’s probate case. James Hill stated:

Known the Pettits, lived with them some 12 years. Jos made the old mans his home. Jos was not on the place all the time. The stock bought by Jos was mostly paid for from the farm. Jos paid $4.00 for out of wheat crops except a horse 4 years old. When everything was sold off the farm, Jos sold it. The old man gave Jos the money he got from the mill. I was about 8 years old when I went to the old mans. Left in June 1856.

Strangely, James Hill’s description would put him at the Pettit home in 1850 at a time when only James Wells is shown on the census. James Hill’s birth year also aligns with that of James Wells and James Pettit. These three men could all be one in the same. If so, the use of three different surnames demands an explanation.

Recall that Keziah Pettit married Anthony Wells on April 5, 1836. The latest James Wells was born, according to all combined sources, would have been just shy of three months later on July 1, 1836. That is the latest he could have been born though he may have been born well before this. If he were born out of wedlock, then it would not have been uncommon for him to take the mother’s last name of Pettit. If he were born just after the marriage it would have been obvious he was conceived out of wedlock but still may have taken Anthony Wells’ last name. Additionally, if he was the illegitimate son of an unknown Mr. Hill^[212] and his mother married Anthony Wells, he may have used any one of the three surnames.

All of this is speculation and meant only to drive more research. Hopefully the name of Keziah Pettit has not been besmirched in this musing.

Setting aside the potential for scandal, perhaps an equally probable theory is this James Pettit was the son of the mysterious William Pettit or some other Pettit nephew from Spartanburg County. He may have been orphaned and taken in by Nathan’s family. As a result, the charitable Keziah may have been his de facto mother.

Who Was Lavina Pettit born in 1830?

An associated Pettit female with unknown origins graced the records of Ralls County in 1847. Her name was Levina P. Pettit, but she was not the wife of Nathan. She was born in Vermilion County, Illinois, in 1830.^[213] Her parents were identified on her marriage license in 1885 as William Thompson and “Petit.” She reported that they were both from South Carolina.^[214],[215]

According to a Ralls County, Missouri marriage record, this Levina Pettit married William D. Taylor on April 28, 1847. She was listed as “Miss,” and her maiden name was given as Pettit. After the marriage they moved to Hancock County, Illinois where they are found living together in the 1850 census.^[216] She was 20 years old and said to have been born in Illinois. There were no children in the home.

In 1870 she is found in the company of Nathan’s daughter Keziah. Keziah and Lavina were living in the home of Keziah’s niece, Elizabeth Humphrey,^[217] in Fountain Green, Hancock County, Illinois.^[218] At age 40 she would marry again, this time to Marandus Thompson, on November 4, 1870, in Hancock County, Illinois.^[219] By 1880 she was in Decatur County, Iowa, in the home of James A. Stewart where she was enumerated in that years’ census.^[220] Five years later, on September 22, 1885, she wed Joseph Moorman in Decatur County, Iowa.^[221]

If the information recorded in her 1885 marriage record is correct, and her father was William Thompson from South Carolina and her mother was an unnamed Pettit also from South Carolina, then her maiden name should have been Thompson and not Pettit. However, her first marriage in Ralls County, Missouri lists her as Miss Lavina Pettit. Again, it must be noted that the most common reason in the 1830s for the child to take the mother’s last name was because the child was born out of wedlock. This Levina Pettit could have been Keziah Pettit’s daughter born before she married Anthony Wells.

One other possibility is that Levina Pettit was the daughter of the mystery William Pettit who was in Vermilion County, Illinois, in 1830. On the census that year he had one daughter and she was born around 1830 just like this Lavina. If William Pettit was a nephew of Nathan Pettit and he had a daughter, Levina Pettit, born in 1830 in Vermilion County, Illinois, he may have died shortly after the 1830 census. Perhaps the marriage record in 1885 confused some of the details. Instead of William “Thompson”, it should have said William “Pettit” and perhaps Thompson should have been listed as the bride’s last name since she had previously married Marandus Thompson. If she was William Pettit’s daughter and something happened to William, Nathan’s family may have taken his daughter into their home where Keziah may have helped raise her. When Nathan died, since she was not one of his descendants, she would not be named as an heir in his estate but her connection to the family would still be close. Though possible, this sharply conflicts with the marriage record that lists her father as William Thompson. That fact, and the fact that there was multiple William Thompsons from Spartanburg County near the Pettits, are hard to overcome.

Who Was the John Pettit with an Unknown Past?

A young John Pettit is found in the 1850 census Ralls County, Missouri home of Merida Brashears. He shows to have been born in South Carolina in 1833. As noted elsewhere, Solomon Brashears left Ralls County to visit his old stomping grounds in South Carolina in 1848. His brother Merida followed him back and it appears he brought this John Pettit with him. John may have been the son of one of Merida and Solomon’s sisters who may have married a Pettit. An older John Pettit (b.1771) was the brother of Nathan and had at least two sons who are thought to have married Brashears girls. His son Elijah Pettit married Tabaitha Brashears and Solomon married Elizabeth Brashears.^[222]

Elijah Pettit was out of the picture, possibly dead by 1843.^[223] Solomon Pettit is thought to have died from scarlet fever around 1848.^[224] Elijah’s children are known by name, but

Solomon’s are not. Perhaps this younger John Pettit (b.1833) was Solomon’s son or perhaps he belonged to the mystery William.

Members of Nathan Pettit’s Household Through the Years

When considering all these possible grandchildren a closer look at some of the census data is warranted. After Nathan left South Carolina there was not a single census in which he was counted where he did not have someone living under his roof besides his wife and children. The identity of these additional people is only given in the 1850 census.

SOLOMON BRASHEARS AND HAP MCCOLLUM FAMILY BIBLE

Researcher Mel Brashears provided the following information regarding the family Bible that was used by Solomon Brashears. He made a comparison of the Bible record and tombstone inscriptions. Below are Mel Brashears’ comments in his own words.

Another mystery is the birth dates of Solomon’s children. I discovered this reading the inlays in Solomon’s Bible that I now have after Dad’s death. The Bible documents dates approximately three to five years earlier than what other family records state.

From tombstone and family records:

• Name: Francis Marion Brashears
  Birth Date: 28 May 1827
  Death Date: 20 Dec 1926
  Cemetery: Lick Creek
  Cemetery Records of Ralls County, Missouri Volume IName: Gowan C. Brashears
  Birth Date: 15 May 1825
  Death Date: 01 Oct 1894
  Cemetery: Bethel Baptist
  Cemetery Records of Ralls County, Missouri Volume I

  Name: Joberry Brashears
  Birth Date: 02 Feb 1823
  Death Date: 14 Mar 1894
  Cemetery: Bethel Baptist
  Cemetery Records of Ralls County, Missouri Volume I

  Name: Joshua P. Brashears
  Birth Date: 10 Dec 1816
  Death Date: 18 Jan 1879
  Cemetery: Bethel Baptist

Solomon’s Bible has the following for his children:

• Joshua Pettit Brashears b. 15 Dec 1811 (4 years off, month same, day off by 5 days)
• Albert Gallatin (Bird) Brashears b. 13 Jul 1814
• Joberry Brashears b. 2 Feb 1818 (5 years off, month & day same)
• Gowan Clayton Brashears b. 8 May 1821 (4 years off, month same, day off by 7 days)
• Francis Brashears b. 20 May 1823 (4 years off, month same, day off by 8 days)
• William Riley Brashears b. 15 Nov 1826
• Doctor Wiley Brashears b. 15 Nov 1826
• James C. Brashears b. 24 Oct 1835
• David Lee Brashears b. ca 1838 (I cannot read the date)
• Tyre Brashears b. 27 Mar 1840

I have no answer to this mystery but continue to research it. Interestingly, the Bible (published in Boston in 1813) was previously owned by Hap MCollum. He wrote births and deaths on the front inlays. These writing are:

• Hogan MCollum was born August the 10th, 1809
• Andrew MCollum was born November the 5th, 1811
• Ephraim MCollum was born July the 30th, 1812
• Jackson MCollum was born December the 5th, 1814
• Metilda McCollum was born March 21st (?), 1817
• Jackson MCollum died June the 4th 1816

I have researched the McCollums and indeed they lived in the Spartanburg area near Solomon and Jemima. My first theory was that the name McCollum might be the missing maiden of Jemima Mother. There is a listing in Solomon’s handwriting that “Mother Pettit died(ed) December the 20^th, 1834 implying that she accompanied them on the trip to Missouri. There is also two unreadable letters before December that I think are dc, an attempt at December with the start over of December with a lower case d just after the two letters. I considered that the two letters are Sc for South Carolina but I believe it is dc as the two d’s are identical.

-Mel Brashears

“Note Found in Sarah Jo’s Files Written by Some Unknown Member of the Family.”

PETTIT FAMILY MARRIAGES

Nathan’s Parents and Family

Nathan Pettit was the son of Joshua and Rachel Pettit of Spartanburg County, South Carolina. Joshua’s family was known to contain the following children:

Children of Joshua Pettit Their Spouses

1. Henry Sr Pettit Anna Poole
2. Joshua Pettit Judith Poole
3. Hannah Pettit
4. Mary Pettit died young
5. Benjamin Pettit Elizabeth Hindman
6. John Pettit [Unknown]
7. Nathan Pettit Levina [Unknown]
8. Abraham Pettit never married
9. Rachel Pettit

Nathan Pettit’s Children -Marriage Reference Guide

Children of Nathan (b. 1775) Their Spouses

1. Jemima Pettit Solomon Brashears
2. Thomas Pettit Nancy [Unknown]
3. Rachel Pettit [Unknown] Tomlinson
4. Keziah Pettit Anthony Wells
5. Catherine Pettit Hampton Loftis
6. Joseph Pettit Nancy B. Martin
7. Nathan Pettit Jr. Polly A. Zink
8. John W. Pettit 1) Isabella Martin  2) Lydia Martin
9. Aaron Pettit 1) Sarah L. Zink 2) Barbara A. Zink
10. Hannah Pettit William H. Martin

Four Martins married into the Pettit family. Lydia and William H. Martin are proven to be siblings and the children of Lewis Hiram Martin and his wife Ales of Sullivan County, Missouri. Nancy and Isabella most likely died before their father. There were also at least three girls from the Zink family who married Pettits. They were from Indiana.

End

SOURCES

134. 1830 U.S. Census, Vermilion County, Illinois, population schedule, p. 224, line 26, household of Nathan Pettit, NARA microfilm publication M19, Roll 25, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C. ↑
135. John’s parents have not been conclusively identified. The census states he was born in South Carolina around 1833. One possibility is he was Meridth’s nephew through Meridth’s sister Elizebeth. Elizabeth is believed to have married Solomon Pettit, the son of Nathan’s older brother John (b1771). Family lore is that Solomon Pettit died from scarlet fever around 1848 which may also explain Meridth taking him into his home. ↑
136. Mel Brashears, Personal Files of Mel Brashears, no date, San Jose, CA 95138; Mel Brashears conducted extensive research at the old homesite and surround locations in efforts to identify graves. It was his belief that Jemima was buried at Bethel Church cemetery. ↑
137. Mel Brashears, Personal Files of Mel Brashears, no date, San Jose, CA 95138; Family records passed down to Mel Brashears state Solomon Brashears “worked himself to death caring for his cattle and putting up hay.” He died of a “congested chill.” ↑
138. Mel Brashears, email message to Frank Wilfey and Sonja Reece, 2 Jun 2008, Trip to Adair County. ↑
139. It is noteworthy that in 1841, a young attorney by the name of Abraham Lincoln would make a name for himself in Vermilion County, Illinois. He began taking cases there in Danville in 1841. He gave a senate campaign speech in 1858 from the home of Doctor William Fithian in Danville. This doctor Fithian was a distant cousin to the Dr. Fithian who took Benjamin Pettit into his home. ↑
140. EStevens and Brandon Pettit, “Austin S Pettit,” The Pettit Research Project Genealogy Forum, 19 Jul 2025, https://forum.pettitresearch.com/d/90-austin-s-pettit ↑
141. Ralls County (Missouri), Ralls County Records, New London, Missouri, Index to Marriage Records 1821-1879, Family History Library Film 972908, Roll 21, Filmed 24 Feb 1975, p. 131, images, Image group 7514136, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G98M-B3QN); Keziah Pettit marriage to Anthony Wells. ↑
142. Hancock County, Illinois probate record, Nathan Pettit, Ibid. ↑
143. 1870 U.S. Census, Hancock County, Illinois, population schedule, Fountain Green Township, p. 3, dwelling 14, family 14, line 17, households of James T. Humphry, NARA microfilm publication M593, Roll 226 National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C. ↑
144. Lewis County (Missouri), Lewis County Records, Monticello, Missouri, Marriage Records, Volume 2, 1848-1863, Family History Library Film 1015324, Roll 52, Filmed 3 Jun 1976, p. 138, images, Image group 7515686, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G989-SQKT); W. D. Taylor marriage to Lavana Petitt. ↑
145. See Appendix A information on James Pettit and Lavina P. Pettit. ↑
146. 1840 U.S. Census, Hancock County, Illinois, population schedule, p 222A, line 15, household of Hampton Loftis, NARA microfilm publication M704, Roll 60, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C. ↑
147. Hancock County (Illinois), Office of the Circuit Clerk, Carthage, Illinois, Chancery Records, Ibid.; Elizabeth Loftis’ married name is given as Humphrey in the Hancock County estate papers of Nathan Pettit ca. 1856 but in the Chancery Court records she is listed as Elizabeth Egin [probably Agan] and then as Elizabeth Tilbourne. The marriage record to Agan has not been located, however, the marriage to James Humphreys gives her name as Elizabeth Agan. She likely first married Tilburn (who died in 1890) and divorced, then married Agan, and lastly James T. Humphreys after the death of his wife Levina who was her sister. ↑
148. Hancock County (Illinois), Office of the County Clerk and Recorder, Carthage, Illinois, Marriage Records, 1829-1849, Family History Library Film 229486, Roll 21, Image Group 4661304, p. 170, images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939J-VGXZ-1) Joseph Tilburn marriage to Elizabeth Loftis. ↑
149. Hancock County (Illinois), Office of the County Clerk and Recorder, Carthage, Illinois, Marriage Certificates, Family History Library Film 1532141, Roll 21, Image Group 4661407, Filmed 15 Dec 1987, p. 814, images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939J-KSSC-2M) James T. Humphreys marriage to Elizabeth Agan. ↑
150. 1860 U.S. Census, Hancock County, Illinois, Walker Township, population schedule, Enumeration district 73, p. 578, dwelling 4106, family 3985, line 23, household of James T. Humphrey, NARA microfilm publication M653, Roll 183, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C. ↑
151. “Illinois, Non-Population Census Schedules, 1850-1880,” Hancock County, Illinois, ibid. ↑
152. 1850 U.S. Census, Sullivan County, Missouri, population schedule, Enumeration district 96, p. 665 (handwritten), dwelling 395, family 395, line 36, household of John Pettit, NARA microfilm publication M432, Roll 420, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C. ↑
153. Hancock County (Illinois), Office of the Circuit Clerk, Carthage, Illinois, Chancery Records, Ibid. ↑
154. “State Census 1855, Hancock County”, Illinois State Historical Society, Springfield, Illinois, Illinois Secretary of State, Image Group 976183, p. 4, line 11, images, FamilySearch, (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:61HH-DPZ); Joseph Pettitt ↑
155. Hancock County (Illinois), Office of the County Clerk and Recorder, Carthage, Illinois, Deed Record Book, Volume 10E, 1837-1838, pp. 163-164; Joseph Petit to Nathan Petit. ↑
156. Hancock County (Illinois), Circuit Clerk, Carthage, Illinois, Probate Record, Conservators and Guardians Index, Volume 1, 1833-1943 Family History Library Film 947482, Roll 28, Image Group 4595129, Filmed 6 Mar 1974, p. 66, images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939X-QL3L-G). ↑
157. Hancock County (Illinois), Office of the County Clerk and Recorder, Carthage, Illinois, Probate Record, Estate Packets, Family History Library Film 954296, Roll 208, Image Group 7655687, Filmed 31 Mar 1988, p. 161, images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C95K-TS32-C); Probate record of Joseph Pettit ↑
158. State Census 1865, Hancock County”, Illinois State Historical Society, Springfield, Illinois, Illinois Secretary of State, Image Group 469628, p13, line 10, images, FamilySearch, (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939V-RMS3-NX); Joseph Pettit ↑
159. Hancock County (Illinois), Probate Record, Image Group 7655687, p. 161. Ibid, Claim of S. L. Symmonds for “sundry work on mill irons” and “sharpening mill.” ↑
160. Hancock County (Illinois), Office of the County Clerk and Recorder, Carthage, Illinois, Marriage Certificates, Family History Library Film 91390246, Roll 145, Filmed 11 Dec 1987, pp. 1038, images, Image Group 4661406, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939J-KQQ9-M); John Pettit marriage to Liddy Martin. ↑
161. 1840 U.S. Census, Hancock County, Illinois, population schedule, p 222A, line 16, household of John Pettit, NARA microfilm publication M704, Roll 60, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C. ↑
162. State of Missouri Land Grant, Office of Secretary of State (Missouri), 500,000 Acres Land Grants, Volume 3, page 1395, Roll s00141, purchaser John W. Pettit. ↑
163. Sullivan County (Missouri),Sullivan County Recorder of Deeds, Milan, Missouri, Volume A, 1845-1854, Family History Library Film 1009043, Roll 4, Image Group 8489264, Filmed 21 Sept 1976, p. 175, images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C391-M98Q-C); Deed of John W. Pettit to Enoch M. Smith. ↑
164. 1860 U.S. Census, Sullivan County, Missouri, population schedule, Wintersville, p. 8, dwelling 52, family 52, line 25, household of John Pettit, NARA microfilm publication T653, Roll 658, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C. ↑
165. Hancock County (Illinois), Office of the County Clerk and Recorder, Carthage, Illinois, Deed Records Volume 77, 1866-1868, Family History Library Film 954278, Roll 54, Image Group 8320196, Filmed 13 Feb 1974, p. 309, images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSTM-SKJ4); Deed of John Kropp and Eve Kropp his wife to John W. Pettit and Aaron Pettit of Hancock County. ↑
166. Hancock County (Illinois), Office of the County Clerk and Recorder, Carthage, Illinois, Deed Records Volume 79, 1868, Family History Library Film 954275, Roll 55, Image Group 8320197, Filmed 13 Feb 1974, p. 36, images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSTM-3SGB-2); Deed of Aaron Pettit of Knox County, Missouri to John W. Pettit of Hancock County, Illinois ↑
167. Hancock County (Illinois), Office of the County Clerk and Recorder, Carthage, Illinois, Deed Records Volume 83, 1869-1871, Family History Library Film 954277, Roll 57, Image Group 8203235, Filmed 13 Feb 1974, p. 129, images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSLR-6DRF); Deed of John W. Pettit and Lydia Pettit his wife of Hancock to John T. Hopkins and Edwar Libbee of same. ↑
168. Hancock County (Illinois), Office of the County Clerk and Recorder, Carthage, Illinois, Deed Record Book, Volume 86, 1870-1871, Family History Library Film 3523501403, Roll 58, Image Group 8203236, Filmed 13 Feb 1974, pp. 15-16, images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSLR-6336-X); Deed of John W. Pettit to Jacob D. Stromp ↑
169. Sullivan County (Missouri), Office of the County Clerk, Milan, Missouri, Probate Records, Volume A, 1849-1878, Family History Library Film 1009128, Roll 37, Image Group 7632005, Filmed 28 Sept 1976, pp. 84-85, images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99L9-KZYG); Will of Lewis H. Martin. ↑
170. 1870 U.S. Census, Sullivan County, Missouri, population schedule, Liberty Township, pp. 18-19, dwelling 126-127, family 126-127, households of Lewis Martin and John Pettit, NARA microfilm publication M593, Roll 822 National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C. ↑
171. Sullivan County (Missouri), Recorder of Deeds, Milan, Missouri, Deeds, Volume M, 1867-1870, Family History Library Film 1009049, Roll 10, Image Group 8489270, Filmed 13 Jan 1977, pp. 279-280, images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C391-MYJT); Deed of John W. Pettit and Lydia Pettit his wife to Anderson W. Harris. ↑
172. 1880 U.S. Census, Taney County, Missouri, population schedule, Big Creek Township, Enumeration district 125, p. 21B, dwelling 81, family 51, line 1, household of John W. Pettit, NARA microfilm publication M653, Roll 170 National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C. ↑
173. Sullivan County (Missouri), Office of the County Clerk, Milan, Missouri, Circuit Court, Volume F, 1880-1884, Family History Library Film 1009123, Roll 34, Image Group 8116984, Filmed 27 Sept 1976, pp. 452-453, images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSVC-SQ53). ↑
174. The entry shows to be “cancelled” with the additional abbreviation “reld” to the right of the entry. ↑
175. Hancock County (Illinois) Marriage Certificates, Office of the County Clerk and Recorder, Carthage, Illinois, Deed Record Book, Volume 86, 1870-1871, Family History Library Film 1533537, Roll 65, License No 2835, Image Group 4661430, Filmed 19 Jan 1988, p. 132, images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939J-VPP1-H); Marriage license of John M. Anderson and Ellen L. Burch. “Mother’s maiden name: Sarah Zink.” ↑
176. Hancock County (Illinois), Circuit Clerk of the Circuit Court, Carthage, Probate Files 12, Item 2, Image Group 7635672, Filmed 24 Sept 1987, pp. 178, images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99LH-H87L). ↑
177. 850 U.S. Census, Adams County, IL, population schedule, p. 244, dwelling 57, family 57, household of Aaron Pettit, NARA microfilm publication M432, Roll 97, National Archives Records Administration, Washington D.C. ↑
178. 1860 U.S. Census, Knox County, Missouri, population schedule, Edina, p. 127, dwelling 915, family 888, line 26, household of Aaron Pettit, NARA microfilm publication M653, Roll 627, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C. ↑
179. Hancock County, Illinois probate record, Nathan Pettit, Ibid. ↑
180. Clark County (Missouri) Marriage Records, Clark County Recorder of Deeds, Kahoka, Missouri, Marriage Record Book 1856-1872, Family History Library Film 1014944, Roll 28, Image Group 7579389, Filmed 12 May 1922, p. 98, images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89XF-LWPD); Marriage of Aaron Pettit and Barbara Medley. ↑
181. Sarah Ann Winn, Death Certificate, File No. 39299, Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Austin, TX; Birthplace “Hancock Co Mo”, Father “Arion Pette”, Mother “Barbary Medlock”, Informant “J A Winn”, Location San Patricio County Texas. ↑
182. 1860 U.S. Census, Knox County, Missouri, household of Aaron Pettit, Ibid. ↑
183. Hancock County (Illinois), Office of the County Clerk and Recorder, Carthage, Illinois, Probate Record, Estate Packets, Family History Library Film 954296, Roll 208, Image Group 7655687, Filmed 31 Mar 1988, p. 144, images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C95K-TS32-C); Probate record of Joseph Pettit ↑
184. Hancock County (Illinois) Marriage Certificates, Office of the County Clerk and Recorder, Carthage, Illinois, Marriage Certificates, Item 1, Family History Library Film 1533003, Roll 153, Image Group 4661415, Filmed 23 Dec 1987, p. 139, images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939J-VPP1-H); Note from Aaron Pettit to Clerk of County Court. ↑
185. 1880 U.S. Census, Hancock County, Illinois, population schedule, Rocky Run Township, p. 6B, enumeration district (ED) 79, family 50, Aaron. Pettit; NARA microfilm publication T9, Roll211 NARA, Washington D.C. ↑
186. “Advertised Letters,” Warsaw (Illinois) Signal, 31 Jul 1880, p. 3; “Pettit, Aron” ↑
187. 1860 U.S. Census, Marion County, Missouri, population schedule, Round Grove Township, p. 53, dwelling 372, family 364, line 3, household of W. H. Martin, NARA microfilm publication M653, Roll 633, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C. ↑
188. Ibid. ↑
189. Ralls County (Missouri) Marriage Records, Ralls County Recorder of Deeds, Kahoka, Missouri, Marriage Record, Book A, 1821-1845, Family History Library Film 972909, Roll 21, Image Group 7514137, Filmed 24 Feb 1975, p. 205, images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89XF-LWPD); Marriage of Aaron Pettit and Nabra Medley. ↑
190. 1830 U.S. Census, Spartanburg County, South Carolina, population schedule, p. 248 (handwritten), line 8, household of William Pettit; NARA microfilm publication M19, Roll 171, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C. ↑
191. Joshua Pettit Will, Spartanburg District, SC., South Carolina Will Transcripts, Microcopy No. 9, Series S108093, Reel 0024, Frame 00287, (Will Book B, Page 136, February 15, 1828), S.C. Department of Archives and History. ↑
192. William P. Pettit, Department of Veteran Affairs, “War of 1812 Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application Files,” microfilm publication M313, National Archives, Record Group RG15-1812PB-Bx2698, Washington, D.C. ↑
193. Author is an eyewitness to the original gravestone of William P. Pettit at Pettit cemetery. ↑
194. Record for Henry Pettit, Anna or Ann Petit W5528; Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application Files, 1800–1960; Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15, M804, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.; Henry Pettit family Bible record. ↑
195. “Latest Full Color Photos -Family Bibles of Joshua Pettit (1734) and Henry Pettit (1763)”, The Pettit Research Project, 16 July 2025, https://pettitresearch.com/familyhistory/2025/05/20/the-latest-full-color-photos-of-the-family-bibles-of-joshua-pettit-and-henry-pettit/ ↑
196. “The TWO Bible Records of Benjamin Pettit (1769) of Spartanburg Co., SC and Their Whereabouts Today”, The Pettit Research Project, 13 December 2020, https://pettitresearch.com/familyhistory/2020/12/14/the-two-bible-records-of-benjamin-pettit-1769-of-spartanburg-co-sc-and-their-whereabouts-today/ ↑
197. South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research, Volume IX, Number 4, Fall 1981, p . 210. ↑
198. Latest Full Color Photos -Family Bibles of Joshua Pettit (1734) and Henry Pettit (1763)”, The Pettit Research Project, 16 July 2025, https://pettitresearch.com/familyhistory/2025/05/20/the-latest-full-color-photos-of-the-family-bibles-of-joshua-pettit-and-henry-pettit/ ↑
199. “John Pettit (b. 1771) Son of Joshua and Rachel Pettit of Spartanburg Co., SC”, The Pettit Research Project, 24 October 2023, https://pettitresearch.com/familyhistory/2023/10/16/john-pettit-b-1771-son-of-joshua-and-rachel-pettit-of-spartanburg-co-sc/ ↑
200. Ibid. ↑
201. Ibid. ↑
202. 1840 U.S. Census, Spartanburg County, South Carolina, population schedule, p. 114, line 3, household of William Pettit; NARA microfilm publication M704, Roll 514, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C. ↑
203. Spartanburg Deeds, Conveyance Book AA, p.119, South Carolina Department of Archives and History. ↑
204. Illinois, 4th Congressional District, Class No. 1, L-Z (Volume 2 of 5), Consolidated Enrollment Lists, 1863-1865, p. 221, Records of the Provost Marshal General’s Bureau (Civil War), National Archives Identifier 109429531, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C. ↑
205. Hancock County, Illinois probate record, Nathan Pettit, Ibid. ↑
206. Ibid. ↑
207. Hancock County (Illinois), Office of the County Clerk and Recorder, Carthage, Illinois, Probate Record, Estate Packets, Family History Library Film 954296, Roll 208, Image Group 7655687, Filmed 31 Mar 1988, p. 417, images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C95K-TS32-C); Probate record of Joseph Pettit ↑
208. Illinois, 4th Congressional District, NARA, ibid. ↑
209. Illinois, 4th Congressional District, NARA, ibid. ↑
210. Hancock County (Illinois), Office of the County Clerk and Recorder, Carthage, Illinois, Probate Record, Estate Packets, Family History Library Film 954296, Roll 208, Image Group 7655687, Filmed 31 Mar 1988, p. 416, images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C95K-TSSW-S); Probate record of Joseph Pettit ↑
211. Illinois, 4th Congressional District, NARA, ibid. ↑
212. A Davis Hill was the Justice of the Peace in Hancock County who witnessed the marriage of John W. Pettit and his bride Isabella Martin in 1836. ↑
213. Decatur County (Iowa), Decatur County Recorder and Vital Records Registrar, Leon, Iowa, Marriage Index, Book A, p. 104, Lavina Thompson marriage to Joseph Moorman. ↑
214. Ibid. ↑
215. 1880 U.S. Census, Decatur County, Iowa, population schedule, Decatur City Township, p. 30, enumeration district (ED) 57, dwelling 19, family 19, Lavina Thompson in the home of James D. Stewart; NARA microfilm publication T9, Roll 337 NARA, Washington D.C. ↑
216. 1850 U.S. Census, Hancock County, IL, population schedule, p. 328A, dwelling 817, family 818, William B. Taylor NARA microfilm publication M432, Roll 109, National Archives Records Administration, Washington D.C. ↑
217. Elizabeth was the daughter of Catherine Pettit. ↑
218. 1870 U.S. Census, Hancock County, Illinois, population schedule, Fountain Green Township, p. 3, dwelling 14, family 14, line 17, households of James T. Humphry, NARA microfilm publication M593, Roll 226 National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C. ↑
219. Hancock County (Illinois) Marriage Certificates, Office of the County Clerk and Recorder, Carthage, Illinois, Marriage Record, Volume B, 1862-1890, Family History Library Film 954178, Roll 3, Image Group 4661437, Filmed 29 Jan 1974, p. 75, images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939J-V1T2-R); Marandus Thompson marriage to Mrs. Lavina Taylor ↑
220. 1880 U.S. Census, Decatur County, Iowa, population schedule, Decatur City Township, p. 30, enumeration district (ED) 57, dwelling 19, family 19, Lavina Thompson in the home of James D. Stewart; NARA microfilm publication T9, Roll 337 NARA, Washington D.C. ↑
221. Decatur County (Iowa), Marriage Certificates, Decatur County Recorder and Vital Records Registrar, Leon, Iowa, Marriage Record, Book A, Certificate 1513; Lovina Thompson Petit to Joseph Moorman. ↑
222. George Pettett, Pettett and Pettit: This Family Business, (Wolf City, Texas: Henington Publishing Company, 2001) pp. 61-71 ↑
223. Ibid. ↑
224. The cause of death and date of death were noted in the research of Mel R. Brashears but the sources he relied on for this fact statement are not known. Mr. Brashears passed away on February 14, 2024. ↑