[Ed Yancey]

Bill, I dug this old information out of my older files. Have no direct information to link this Richard Fitts with my Fitts/Fitz folk but find him to be of interest.

Richard Fitts in Va, NC, TN. : Listed in census as being Mullato

born around 1810, either Halifax Co. Va or Person Co. NC

married 1 — 1839 in Person Co. to Mildred Hall

married 2 — 1850 in Guildford Co. NC to Susal Pettiford

1840 census — in Person Co. NC

1850 census — in Halifax Co. Va

1860 cansus — in Guildford Co. NC in 2nd wife’s brother’s home

About 1867-68 family moved to Hawkins Co. Tenn.

1870 census — in Hawkins Co. Tenn.

1880 cansus Widow Susan still there

Richard’s sister Lucy Fitts/Fitz born around 1828-1830 was married to Franklin

Pettiford in Guilford Co. NC around 1850. Frankliln and Lucy’s family acc

accompanied Richard and Susan Fitts to Hawkins Co. Tenn. and from

there moved to Pope Co. Il.

Really interested in who Richard and Lucy’s parents and family were ?

ED

[Bill Childs]

Hi, Ed,

This has been fun and given me several headaches 🙂

There are very few FITTS in 1850 Halifax Co., Va.

Richard and Mildred (Hall) Fitts were at Mary A. Hall’s (widow since the 1820s) ;

and John W. Fitts, 30 (actually b.15 Apr 1814 Halifax Va – d. 6 Dec 1893 Washington Co., Ark), a blacksmith with a 15 yr old Thomas EPPS, probably his apprentice. There is a 3 month old Sarah E. Fitts in this household which indicates John was probably a recent widow.

There had been a bunch of Fitts in Halifax, Va., who came from Dinwiddie Co. in the 1700s but most moved into NC in the early 1800s, and I think John W. and Richard belong to this group, but haven’t found the connection yet.

The above John W. Fitts also moved to Hawkins Co., Tenn before 1860 with his wife Susan Childry (m’d 10 Oct 1850 Halifax Co). John W.’s middle name is ‘Wesley’ (lot’s of ‘Walker’ Fitts there in the early 1800s).

John’s kids m’d a couple people named WINN/WYNN who appear to be related to a MINOR line from SC.

William D. EPPS was the Bondsman on Richard Fitts and Mildred Hall’s Marr.Bond. in 1839 Person Co., NC.

Richard Fitts’s 2nd wife Susan, (provisionally) was the dau (census) of Richard and Elizabeth (EPPS) Pettiford (M.B. 20 Apr 1841 Stokes Co., NC, B.M. William Pittiford), who lived in 1850 & 1860 Guilford Co., NC.

This Richard Pettiford also moved by 1870 to Hawkins Co., Tenn –

In 1870 Hawkins Co., Tn, John and Eveline (Pettiford) Harris and Eveline’s brother Hiram lived next door to their father Richard Pettiford.

In 1880, Richard Pettiford lived with John and Eveline (Pettiford) Harris in Knox Co.

This process of going “around the horn” has produced a stack of paper that I still have to wade thru and not produced Richard Fitts’s parents, but I’m working on it.

Bill

[Ed Yancey]

Bill, your information has set fireworks going off in my head. We have tried so hard to make the connection with our NA family and no surnames have specifically connected to the ones we know back to Halifax Co, Va . This Richard Fitts was listed as mulatto and his residence both in Halifax Co. Va and in Person Co. N.C. made me wander is he a part of the High Plains Community or like our known family always living just on the edge of an Isolate Native Community. This the migration to Tennessee which seems to follow so many other’s of mixed heritage. We know for many reasons folk moved west and other family stayed behind and in our case also attempted to assimilate and blend in. This still had not happened even well after 1900 when outside their immediate home community they experienced the discrimination and prejudice. We also know in the early 1900’s they still had family in Halifax identified as being “Indian” by the younger children in the family after family visits.

Interesting also the surnames of Epps and Pettiford in particular which have been associated with the NA communities and families. I think several of the other names have been brought forth on the forum also.

Our earliest known Fitts in our direct line is Mary A. Fitts listed in the 1840 census of Halifax Co. Va. I don’t think we have an identity of her husband and in 1840 she is head of household with “Fannie” Francis A Fitts her daughter in law and mother of my grandmothers father James Edward Fitts. Francis Ann Smith Fitts was married to Mary’s son John but he is never listed or recorded and strange 20 years after birth of her first son James Edward she has another son by John Fitts named Nathaniel. Mary A Fitts was born around 1786 or 87 if I remember correctly.

I also think it is interesting that the name Walker is a surname often known in NA. communities and in the earlier fitts in Halifax Co it becomes a given name although it would be hard to prove without more research but I would assume following the practice of often naming children using one of the parents and in particular the woman’s maiden name could have introduced the names of Walker and Tandy into the Fitts names.

I really wonder if we were able to go futher back if this Richard and my line might not have shared a common line. It is interesting to think about and I appreciate so much your help here. Ed

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