Pettit Family Genealogy and History

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Author: Brandon

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Capt William Pettit: A 1690s Carolina Mariner and His Ties to Infamous Pirates Part 1

Part I: Pettit lived during the golden age of piracy in a place that was unofficially welcoming of pirates and their golden bribes.  In life, William Pettit lived near and did business with some of the most successful buccaneers that ever lived.  Records indicate he held close ties to a maritime syndicate of reformed pirates who had used their fortune to buy a place for themselves in high society.  He managed to quickly recover from a ruinous disaster by seizing a rare opportunity to help the powers of the colony flip a ghost pirate ship.

Descendants of Austin Pettit -The Lost Nathan Pettit (1775) Branch

An entire branch of Spartanburg Pettits was missing. Below is the brief story of how they were recently discovered. If you are from this Austin Pettit line, this is the story of how your ancestor was rediscovered. After reading, please please contact The Pettit Research Project here! You have cousins who have been looking for you.

Analyzing an Old Joshua Pettit Family Record Found in Gilmer Co., GA

This old Pettit family record from Gilmer County, GA begins with the families of Joshua and Rachel Pettit and William and Elizabeth Poole of Spartanburg County, SC.  Though we do not know for certain, the evidence suggests this record was written down by someone in the family of Rev. John Fulton Pettit sometime shortly after May 21, 1898.

1833 Sheriff’s Writ: Benjamin Rushmore Suffolk Co, NY vs Benjamin Pettit of Jamaica

In June of 2025 The Pettit Research Project acquired this 1833 Sheriff’s writ from an antique document dealer in New York.  The dealer was unsure of the paper’s origins but believed she had purchased it about 25 years ago from the estate of Tim Green who was a lawyer in Southhold, NY.  The document is a legal writ from the Court of Common Pleas in Suffolk County, NY on behalf of Benjamin Rushmore of Riverhead.  Rushmore sued Benjamin Pettit of Jamaica, NY for $206.26 1/2.

John George’s Grave -George Family of Spartanburg Co., SC

In 1795 a survey was conducted for William Poole in Spartanburg County, 96 District, South Carolina.  This plat was for 23 acres of land which included the “Healing Springs”.  It was situated on the south side of the Pacolet River near Lawson’s Fork.  Neighbors included Henry Pettit Sr, as well as Rutledge and Henderson. 

Latest Full Color Photos -Family Bibles of Joshua Pettit (1734) and Henry Pettit (1763)

Fortunately, in May of 2025, The Pettit Research Project was granted special access to the the Henry Pettit Sr. Revolutionary War Pension file at the National Archives in Washington, DC. The folder containing his records was removed from the vault and given to this researcher by the lead archivist. Examination of the contents was permitted under his supervision for safe handling and security reasons.

Old Story About Gilmer Co, GA Pettit Pioneers and Other Families

The date it was written is not given though it would have certainly been within the author’s lifetime of 1870-1940.  The story opens with an account of the movement from North Carolina to Gilmer County, GA of Henry Pettit Jr (b.1790), his brother John Pettit, and son Elijah Pool Pettit and their families.  The story covers several allied families as well, most notably the Griffiths, Ellingtons, and Kings.