NOTE: You are viewing this data at The Pettit Research Project website.\u00a0 For free genealogy and family history about the Pettit family, click here to go to the home page.<\/a><\/p>\n PETTIT: Pronounced p-EH-t-ih-t or pet-tit.<\/p>\n “The Pettits are a restless<\/em><\/span> Clan…<\/span> idealistic, <\/span>not afraid of new ideas,<\/span> always found in the fore\u00ad<\/span>front of those seeking the truth, w<\/span>illing to sacrifice<\/span> material possessions<\/span> when convinced they <\/span>were right.<\/span> They accorded no man the right to<\/span> dictate in matters<\/span> of personal conscience or <\/span><\/em><\/strong>liberty.<\/em>”\u00a0 –William A. Pettit, 1961<\/strong> <\/p>\n These are indeed prevailing characteristics found in many of those who bear the Pettit name.\u00a0 <\/em>This persistent familial temperament has led to many documented cases of Pettits breaking with fruitless traditions, contradicting false authorities, opposing religious hypocrisy and tyranny, and being\u00a0 revolutionaries and rebels when the situation warranted… and sometimes when it didn’t.\u00a0 Equally important, it has led many to enjoy their hard-earned freedoms to their fullest –establishing honest enterprises, loving testimonies, and solid families.\u00a0 The documented history of this family is entertaining, colorful and powerful.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Many theories and historical assessments of the ancient Pettit origins have been put forth.\u00a0 It has been postulated that the name is a derivative of the French word “petit” meaning small.\u00a0 Some speculate that the first to hold this name were from France and small in stature, though that theory is understandably hard to prove.\u00a0 According to researcher John S. Wurts, the name is first found as early as 650 AD in Normandy.\u00a0 An 11 century recording of the Pettit name is also found in the so-called Doomsday Book.\u00a0 This was a survey of England conducted in 1086 ordered\u00a0 by William I.\u00a0 Some sources say Aluric Petit is found in a list of names for Hampshire.\u00a0 It is suspected the English Pettits were French transplants from the Norman Conquest.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A question asked on The Pettit Survey<\/a> and one this researcher has asked every American Pettit for the last several years is this:<\/p>\n According to what has been passed down to you, where did the Pettits come from before coming to America?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The question is phrased in such a way to obtain a response that is not based on the respondent’s genealogy knowledge of the family from their own research. Rather, the answer sought is what family legend or lore has been handed down and is unpolluted by modern theories and internet assumptions.\u00a0 The answer to the question, according to the prevailing genealogical theory of Pettit origin, should be “England”.\u00a0 But, as with many things pertaining to genealogy, the answer is not always what one would expect.\u00a0 With very few exceptions, Pettits who answer the question of where the American Pettits came from always give the same resounding reply:<\/p>\n The Pettits came from France<\/strong>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n This answer is found regardless of the branch of Pettits one asks.\u00a0 This answer can be found amongst the descendants of Joshua Pettit (1734) of Spartanburg Co, SC,\u00a0 as well as various Pettit families from colonial New Jersey, New York, and Virginia.\u00a0 It is found in the confirmed descendants of Thomas Pettit and his (presumed) wife Christian Mellows of Boston.\u00a0 It is also found amongst the descendants of John Pettit of Sharon, CT.\u00a0 It is even found in families who do not know their genealogy beyond a few generations back.\u00a0 For whatever reason, it seems our collective Pettit ancestors wanted us to know that we came from France, even if they may have came here by way of England.<\/p>\n The legend passed down to this researcher from his own father is no different.\u00a0 A 1936 letter from William Henry Pettit in Harrison, AR to his cousin Stephen Fletcher Pettit in Ellijay, GA, stated that “Joshua P. was the son of sea [sic] builder who came from France.<\/em>”\u00a0 This William Henry Pettit was the brother of this researcher’s 2nd great grandfather.\u00a0 In this branch of Pettits, the older generation said that the Pettits came to America seeking religious freedom and that they came from the Alsace-Lorraine region in France.\u00a0 The fact that a specific region in France was handed down is an interesting one.\u00a0 At the time this was spoken, nobody even knew where Alsace-Lorraine was at in France.\u00a0 It is not likely that this detail was spontaneous or baseless but not much research has been done to confirm.<\/p>\n Others researching this branch report similar origins. In the book, The Annals of Upper GA centered in Gilmer Co<\/em>, a chapter on Gilmer County Pettits states:<\/p>\n Much of the data on this family was supplied by T. H. Tabor, who stated that the grandfather of Henry Pettit I was a French merchant who came to America in 1760. Pettit, a French word, means “little.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n It is commonly assumed that any Pettits fleeing France because of religious persecution by the Roman Catholic church must have been protestant Huguenots.\u00a0 While that is certainly possible, this researcher believes it is also possible the Pettits could have been part of a more ancient religious group known as the Waldensians<\/a>.\u00a0 This group predated the protestant reformation by many centuries.\u00a0 By the time of their departure for the American colonies, they were fairly indistinguishable but the Waldensians did retain some of their old traditions.\u00a0 (See related article on Josue Petit in Manikantown, VA<\/a>)<\/p>\n Some genealogists have specifically documented some of the ancient Pettits.\u00a0 Wurt’s Magna Charta, <\/em>by John S. Wurts states the following on page 2288:<\/p>\n This ancient and honorable Norman family are of record at Meaux, in Normandy as early as AD 650.\u00a0 The family divided in the Nith Century into Petits de Moulines (of the Mills), and Petits des Landes (of the Moors).\u00a0 The Petits des Landes went to Bavari under the Elector, where they prospered.\u00a0 The Petits de Moulines (manufacturers) remained in Normandy.<\/p>\n When William the Conqueror invaded England, he called upon all Normans to join his armies.\u00a0 Several Petits responded…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n In his book, Pettit Peregrinations<\/em>, William Alfred Pettit described the Pettit family origin as such:<\/p>\n When William the Conqueror (1027-1087) <\/span>invaded England,<\/span> he called upon the Normans to <\/span>join his\u00a0 armies.<\/span> Several Petits responded.<\/span> Louis <\/span>Petit was sent as Ambassador to the Court of <\/span>France to obtain war materials<\/span> from Louis XIII.<\/span> He was very successful.<\/span> Jean Petit became <\/span>“Ecuyer” (squire) to d’Amerinthe the Conqueror’s<\/span> nephew.<\/span> Guillaum (William) Petit called “Le <\/span>Petito” joined Sir Hugh de Lacie’s<\/span> Army as one<\/span> of the Conqueror’s<\/span> Captains.<\/span> He defeated the <\/span>Irish at Meath and became “Land Justice”<\/span> or<\/span> Governor of Ireland<\/span> in 1185.<\/span> In 1187 fifty Knights <\/span>led by Le Petito conquered Ireland and were <\/span>awarded large estates<\/span> in County Meath and else\u00ad<\/span> where.<\/span> He had many descendants.<\/span><\/p>\n William the Conqueror burned his vessels<\/span> to <\/span>prevent desertions.<\/span> The Petits remained in <\/span>England where the name was anglicized by adding<\/span> an extra. “T” or two.<\/span> Over the years<\/span> “Les Petits” <\/span>became successively the Petits,<\/span> Pettit,<\/span> Pettye,<\/span> Petty, Pittitt,<\/span> Pettitt,<\/span> Pettet,<\/span> Petyt, Pettis,<\/span> and <\/span>possibly Pettee.<\/span><\/p>\n The Petits prospered in England where <\/span>several were knighted.<\/span> Over the door at the <\/span>Church of St. Just at Roseland in Cornwall is a<\/span> Coat of Arms of Sir John Pettit.<\/span> Lord of Ardover <\/span>who is thought to have built the church,<\/span> was a<\/span> descendant of Sir Otes Petit,<\/span> a Knight who came <\/span>to England with William the Conqueror.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n In the 1936 book, Genealogy of Pettit Families in America<\/em>, author Katherine Louis Van Wyke, stated the following in Chapter III:<\/p>\n The<\/span> data<\/span> concerning<\/span> the<\/span> Petit<\/span> families<\/span> in France<\/span> before<\/span> 1700<\/span> were<\/span> taken<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> French<\/span> “Dictionaire<\/span> de<\/span> la<\/span> Noblesse”<\/span> by<\/span> de<\/span> la<\/span> Chenaye\u2014Published<\/span> by<\/span> Desbois<\/span> et<\/span> Badier,<\/span> Paris.<\/span> It<\/span> is<\/span> included<\/span> only<\/span> as<\/span> part<\/span> of<\/span> an<\/span> interesting<\/span> background.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Petit,<\/span> “ancien Noblesse”,<\/span> originally<\/span> came<\/span> from Normandie<\/span> and were<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> Election<\/span> of<\/span> Caen<\/span> of<\/span> which<\/span> family<\/span> is<\/span> N__e<\/span> Petit,<\/span> ecuyer<\/span> (esquire)<\/span> du<\/span> Vivier<\/span> whose<\/span> arms<\/span> are<\/span> “de<\/span> gueule3,<\/span> au<\/span> lion<\/span> passant<\/span> d’or:<\/span> au<\/span> chef<\/span> cousn<\/span> d\u2019azur,<\/span> charge<\/span> de<\/span> throe<\/span> etoiles<\/span> du<\/span> second<\/span> e’mail”.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Le<\/span> Petit<\/span> are<\/span> descended<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> House<\/span> of<\/span> Moulines<\/span> and were<\/span> divided<\/span> into<\/span> two<\/span> branches:<\/span> one<\/span> established<\/span> in Paris<\/span> under<\/span> the<\/span> name<\/span> of<\/span> Petit<\/span> dos<\/span> Landes,<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> other<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> Palatinat<\/span> under<\/span> the<\/span> name<\/span> of<\/span> Petit<\/span> de<\/span> Mau-<\/span> bisson.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n In<\/span> 1259<\/span> Jean Petit,<\/span> ecuyer<\/span> (esquire),<\/span> cadet<\/span> of<\/span> Moulines,<\/span> election<\/span> of<\/span> Caen,<\/span> birthplace<\/span> Caux,<\/span> attached<\/span> himself<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> service<\/span> of<\/span> Bouchard,<\/span> Comte<\/span> of<\/span> Vendomo<\/span> and<\/span>
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\nThe Origins of the American Pettits<\/h2>\n