In this writing we will attempt to list all the known children of Joshua and Rachel Pettit and their birth date and birth place.\u00a0 The aim is to clearly show what is established by supporting documentation, what is family tradition, and what is not established at all.\u00a0 This document will be updated periodically when new information\u00a0 is discovered. (Change log is at the end of the document.)\u00a0 Documentation will not be formally notated at this time but feel free to post a comment below if you want to know the source of anything mentioned.\u00a0 Please note that it is not my intention to discredit or discount something simply because it is not supported.\u00a0 However, it is important for genealogy purposes to determine what is theory and what is fact.\u00a0 Areas that are weak in documentation should only invite more research.<\/p>\n
BIRTH DATE: 1734.<\/strong> Old Joshua’s birth date of 1734 has been assumed but has no known supporting documentation.\u00a0 Evidence suggest that researchers in the early part of the 20th century assigned a year range of 1735-1740 to Joshua. Sometime around the 1960’s, 1734 became widely used for some unknown reason.\u00a0 Since virtually everyone\u00a0 today shows his birth date as 1734, I use it as a way to identify him but don’t necessarily think it is or isn’t correct.\u00a0 His death date is claimed by many to have been September 15, 1786 but that is most likely incorrect.\u00a0 (An article on his death can be found here.<\/a>)<\/p>\n BIRTHPLACE<\/strong>: NJ?<\/strong> It has been assumed that Joshua Pettit was born in various locations in NJ around Elizabeth or Essex Co.\u00a0 This is based probably on the fact that his son Henry was born in NJ, and that a Joshua Pettit can be found in the records of Essex Co., NJ.<\/p>\n BIRTH DATE: Around 1735-1740<\/strong>.\u00a0 Researchers have assigned 1735 as Rachel’s birth year but, like her husband, there is no supporting records.\u00a0 However, we can estimate Rachel’s birth date based on the birth of her first known child on January 22, 1763 and her last known child on April 9, 1779.\u00a0 In colonial times it was not uncommon for women to birth their last child around age 41-42.\u00a0 If this were the case for Rachel then her birth year would not have been earlier than 1737.\u00a0 If she was born in 1740, then she would have been 23 at the time she gave birth to her first child in 1763.\u00a0 1735, therefore, seems to be a bit outside of the norm but alas we do not know for sure.<\/p>\n MAIDEN NAME: UNKNOWN.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>At this time Rachel’s maiden name has not been discovered.\u00a0 Monroe, Valentine, and even Moody have been suggested but nothing conclusive has been found.\u00a0 It is also theorized that Rachel’s middle name may have been Hannah.<\/p>\n BIRTHPLACE: UNKNOWN.\u00a0 <\/strong>We know some of the places she lived but do not know where she was born.<\/p>\n Two articles devoted to Rachel Pettit can be found at the following links:<\/p>\n Rachel Pettit the Wife of Joshua Pettit (1734) of Spartanburg Co., SC<\/a><\/p>\n Monroe or No? Rachel Pettit -wife of Joshua Pettit (b. 1734)<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n BIRTH DATE: January 22, 1763<\/strong>.\u00a0 Henry’s birthday is established by several sources, most of which can be found in his Revolutionary War pension application.\u00a0\u00a0 He testified \u201cFrom the Records of my father I was born in the state of New Jersey on the Schoolkill in the year 1763.\u201d\u00a0 <\/em>Also in this record we find the testimony of Henry Sr’s son John who states:<\/p>\n “…by a record in the handwriting of his father the said Henry also in his possession in his family Bible he finds his father was born January 22, 1763 and his mother the said Ann was born February 1763”<\/p>\n This date also fits with all available census data on him.<\/p>\n BIRTHPLACE<\/strong>: New Jersey, “Schoolkill”.\u00a0<\/strong> A New Jersey birth has a good source: Henry Pettit\u00a0 himself.\u00a0 He told the court this was where he was born.\u00a0 For years researchers took the “Schookill” statement to mean “the Schuylkill River in NJ”.\u00a0 The obvious problem with this is the Schuylkill River flows through Pennsylvania and empties into the Delaware on the side opposite\u00a0 of NJ and never comes close to NJ and never has.\u00a0 The word “river” is \u00a0not actually found in his statement however. Other options researchers have considered are “School Hill”, “Short Hill”, “Schuyl Hill”, “Schooly Hill”, “Stoney Hill” and “Schuyl’s Mountain”.\u00a0 All these locations exist in and around Essex Co., NJ.<\/p>\n Henry’s son John also reported on the 1880 GA census that his father Henry was born in NJ.\u00a0 Henry is the only child of Joshua that has been proven to have been born in NJ.<\/p>\n BIRTH DATE:<\/strong>\u00a0 Before August 6, 1765<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 Though there has been little reason to doubt the connection, we do not technically have any information which connects Joshua Jr. to his father. Neither Joshua Pettit Sr’s Bible record nor Henry Pettit’s Sr.’s list of Joshua Sr’s children visibly show Henry, Hannah or Joshua Jr.\u00a0 This is likely due to deterioration of the original documents as there is ample space on the page and some faint writing can be seen. Consequently we do not have a birth date for Joshua Jr.. \u00a0At the time Henry’s son John submitted these records at least some of it was still visible.<\/p>\n The only Pettits in the 1790 Spartanburg County census who are heads of households are Henry Sr. and Joshua Jr.\u00a0 It is assumed Joshua Jr. is the first younger brother of Henry Pettit because Henry was the son who had to volunteer in place of his father in the Revolutionary War while his father was building Wofford’s Fort.\u00a0 Henry also took charge of the family farm in the absence of his father.<\/p>\n Census data on Joshua Pettit Jr. gives us the following clues to his birth date:\u00a0 1790: born before 1774;\u00a0 1800: born between 1755 and 1774; 1810: born before 1765; 1820: born before 1775.<\/p>\n The enumeration day of the 1810 census was officially August 6, 1810.\u00a0 For Joshua Jr. to have been 45 or older as the census indicates on August 6, 1810, he would have had to have been born before August 6, 1765.<\/p>\n The 1800 census narrows the window on the early end to 1755.\u00a0 Assuming the census date is correct, Joshua Pettit was therefore born between 1755 and August 6, 1765.<\/p>\n It is worth noting that his wife Judith Poole, sister to Henry Pettit’s wife Anna Poole, was born around 1765 according to her original grave stone (which this writer has personally observed and photographed).\u00a0 She may have been around the same age as her husband Joshua, just as Henry and Anna were the same age.\u00a0 Thus, it is very possible Joshua was born in the first half of the year 1765, but the evidence for this is far from conclusive.<\/p>\n BIRTH PLACE: NJ, SC, or VA?<\/strong>\u00a0 The only known record of Joshua Jr’s birth place is the 1880 Comanche Co, TX Census in which his son Henry (b1799) was enumerated.\u00a0 It records that his parents were born in SC.\u00a0 Standard warning for relying solely on this type of census data applies.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n BIRTH DATE:<\/strong> 1765.<\/strong>\u00a0 Aside from Hembree family tradition, there is no known record which indicates Hannah was the daughter of Joshua.\u00a0 Though there is no reason to doubt this tradition, factually speaking there is no proof that a Hannah Pettit even existed.\u00a0 A Hembree Bible record that is now missing was said to contain the name of Hannah Pettit and her marriage to Joel Hembree of Spartanburg Co., SC.\u00a0 On January 23, 1995, Eula Hembree Nichols in a letter answering questions by George Petttet wrote, “The only ‘proof’ is the entry in Benjamin’s [Hembree] Bible, and I have never seen the Bible, only copies of a transcript…<\/em>”\u00a0 I followed the trail of this Bible to its last known location at the McClung Library in Knoxville, TN.\u00a0 The library has no record of this Bible transcript. The librarian in charge of the historical collection who has been there since the 1980’s had no knowledge of it.\u00a0 (If any Hembree researcher has seen this I would love to speak with you.) Mrs. Nichols and many others believed in a 1765 birth date.\u00a0 Researcher Bob Hembree suggested 1758 as her birth date.\u00a0 As it stands right now we don’t have any evidence for any date nor can it be proven with absolute certainty that Hannah married Joel Hembree or that she was a daughter of Joshua.\u00a0 Such a possibility is indicated by other circumstantial evidence but not proven.<\/p>\n BIRTHPLACE:\u00a0 NJ,\u00a0 SC, or VA?<\/strong> Many trees show NJ or SC but there is no known record which even hints at Hannah Pettit’s birth location.\u00a0 I am including VA as a possibility as well.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n BIRTH DATE: May 20, 1767.<\/strong>\u00a0 This date is found in Joshua Pettit Sr’s Bible and Henry Pettit Sr’s Bible records<\/a>.<\/p>\n BIRTHPLACE:\u00a0 NJ,\u00a0 SC, or VA?<\/strong>\u00a0 Most family trees show Mary born in NJ or SC.\u00a0 This is likely an assumption because no known record corroborates this.\u00a0 Another fair assumption<\/em> would be VA.\u00a0 Joshua was at the Steenbergen Ordinary in Romney, VA on March 31, 1767, -less than two months before<\/span> Mary was born.\u00a0 He was there again in August of the same year after she was born.\u00a0 However, the possibility does exist that the family was living somewhere else while Joshua Pettit was traveling through this area of\u00a0 Virginia.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n BIRTH DATE: July 20, 1769.<\/strong>\u00a0 Benjamin has no less than 4 records which support his exact birth date.\u00a0 They are: 1) The Bible record of his father Joshua.<\/a> 2) The Bible record of his brother Henry.<\/a> 3) His own Bible record. 4) The Bible record kept by his son.<\/a> This date also fits with all available census data on him.<\/p>\n BIRTHPLACE: SC?\u00a0<\/strong> Many trees show NJ or SC and VA would be a possibility as well.\u00a0\u00a0 No records exist that suggest NJ.\u00a0 Benjamin’s youngest son Lecil survived to be enumerated in the 1880 census which usually lists the birthplace of parents.\u00a0 Unfortunately, Lecil either did not know or did not recall where his father was born.\u00a0 The data recorded by the census taker in this column for Lecil is a simple dash.<\/p>\n Benjamin’s son Hiram also survived to be enumerated in 1880 and thankfully he was able to shed some light on his father’s place of birth.\u00a0 The 1880 Bartow Co, GA census shows a 75 year old Hiram Pettit who was born in SC and who says his father was also born in SC.\u00a0 Census data in this area is notoriously sketchy but it does appear Hiram was attempting to provide valid data because he also stated his mother (Elizabeth Hindman) was born in Pennsylvania.\u00a0\u00a0 This unusual surprise suggest that census taker wasn’t just putting “ditto” down the page.<\/p>\n Though it may be quite possible, we must also entertain the idea that Hiram’s proffered birthplace of his father may be an error.\u00a0 After Benjamin was born, his father Joshua purchased land on Deep Spring Run in Hardy Co, VA on October 19, 1769. He can still be found passing through the Steenbergen Ordinary in VA as late as March of 1770, though this doesn’t rule out the possibility he lived elsewhere.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n BIRTH DATE: September 2, 1771.<\/strong>\u00a0 (An article completely devoted to John Pettit can be found here.<\/a>) John has been left off most family trees due to most of his children being incorrectly attached to Benjamin. The Bible record of Henry Pettit Sr., shows that John was born September 2, 1771<\/a>.\u00a0 This date also fits with all available census data on him. Some family trees incorrectly assign this birth date to Nathan or Joshua Jr. for reasons unknown.<\/p>\n BIRTHPLACE:\u00a0 SC?<\/strong> The children of John have not been positively connected to him with supporting documentation but there is extremely strong circumstantial evidence which links him to Daniel, Elijah, Solomon, Nathaniel Henry, Benjamin, and Ruth.\u00a0 (There are others as well).\u00a0 On the 1880 census son Daniel and daughter Ruth (Brashears) Pettit list their father’s birth place as SC.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n BIRTH DATE:\u00a0 September 12, 1775.<\/strong>\u00a0 (An book completely devoted to Nathan Pettit can be found here.<\/a>) Nathan Pettit’s birth date is found in the Bible record of Henry Pettit Sr<\/a>.\u00a0 This date also fits with all available census data on him.<\/p>\n BIRTHPLACE: SC.<\/strong>\u00a0 The 1850 Hancock Co., IL census shows Nathan Pettit’s place of birth as SC.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n BIRTH DATE:\u00a0 October 29, 1776.<\/strong>\u00a0 Abraham’s birth date is found in the family Bibles of both Joshua Pettit Sr. and Henry Pettit Sr<\/a>.<\/p>\n BIRTHPLACE:\u00a0 SC.\u00a0<\/strong> In his Revolutionary War pension application Henry Pettit Sr. stated the Pettit family was living on Lawson’s Fork\u00a0 of the Pacolet in July of 1776.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n BIRTH DATE: April 9, 1779.\u00a0<\/strong> Rachel’s birth date is found in the family Bibles of both Joshua Pettit Sr. and Henry Pettit Sr<\/a>.<\/p>\n BIRTHPLACE: SC.<\/strong>\u00a0 Land records and war records indicate the Pettit family was still living in the same area in SC at the time of Rachel’s birth.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nMother: Rachel Pettit (b. abt 1735-1740)<\/h2>\n
Henry Pettit Sr. (b. 1763)<\/h3>\n
<\/h3>\n
Joshua\u00a0 Pettit Jr. (b. ~1765)<\/h3>\n
Hannah Pettit (b. ~1765)<\/h3>\n
Mary Pettit (b. 1767)<\/h3>\n
Benjamin Pettit (b.1769)<\/h3>\n
John Pettit (b. 1771)<\/h3>\n
Nathan Pettit (b. 1775)<\/h3>\n
Abraham Pettit (b. 1776)<\/h3>\n
Rachel Pettit (b. 1779)<\/h3>\n
Other Children<\/h3>\n