James Witty, my 4 times great grandfather

first posted: Monday, July 14, 2014

The Witty pioneers in Alabama

James Witty, 1745-1840,  Quaker from North Carolina, moved to Alabama.

In the 1830 census for Limestone Alabama, he is listed with this household.

Name:	James Willy (Witty)
Home in 1830 (City, County, State):	Limestone, Alabama
Free White Persons - Males - 10 thru 14:	1
Free White Persons - Males - 15 thru 19:	1
Free White Persons - Males - 20 thru 29:	1
Free White Persons - Males - 30 thru 39:	1
Free White Persons - Males - 60 thru 69:	1
Free White Persons - Females - Under 5:	1
Free White Persons - Females - 15 thru 19:	1
Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29:	2
Free White Persons - Females - 50 thru 59:	1
Free White Persons - Under 20:	4
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49:	4
Total Free White Persons:	10
Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored):	10

I have looked at the Quaker Meeting Records which are intact from monthly Men's Meeting called The New Garden Monthly meeting of Guilford, NC.  James Witty is noted as a birth (date unclear by the page I've saved).  He also is noted to leave the meeting with his family to move to a meeting called Miami Meeting.  There are two notes to this effect, the first sort of a notice that it's happening, and sending a couple of the members to see if it's true in May, 1806.  The second is their report saying yes, it's true in June, 1806.

Introduction comments for Guildford, NC monthly meeting of Quakers

I found a very interesting survey map with James Witty owning land in N. Alabama.  I don't understand it all.

His name is written across 4 squares that have a creek running through the middle, in the upper part of the map, centrally located.  And then one more square has J. Witty written in it.  I think it is from 1830 also.  The notes regarding it say: "Earliest Township and Range Public Land Survey State: Alabama Principal Meridian: Huntsville Meridian (Northern Part of Alabama)"

He was married first to Mary Witty. Her maiden name is unknown.  They had 5 children before she died sometime between 1792 and 1800, and 3 of her children died between 1793-94. I don't know the dates of the other 2 children deaths, so perhaps they lived to adulthood.

James' second wife is named Elizabeth Wells Witty.  There's a Lucrettia Witty mentioned in a will for James Wells, in Surry County, NC 25 Jan 1810.  I have to check what her relationship to Elizabeth Wells might have been....more in a future post!

The first 2 of the 5 Witty children are listed as having been born in Tennessee according to Ancestry, and the later ones born in Limestone, AL, starting with my ancestor Carrol Witty.

I have no idea how they were also living in Tennessee.  More to research...

The area of northern Alabama was very close to the Tennessee line, especially before the states were actually formed.  Land was offered to veterans of various American wars.  The Tennessee River ran through Limestone County.

James Witty's family may also have been living in Athens AL, or what was to become Huntsville...I'm sorry to not be very familiar with Limestone County AL.

But tomorrow I'll post an interesting article about a rural Alabama town, Mooresville.
It has some historic buildings, which were standing at the time James was growing his cotton.