What a great name - I have been fascinated with Pelatiah Whitehurst since I first learned his name. It is such an uncommon name that I thought that he would be the easiest of the the three brothers to research and that has proven to be the case. The first record that I located for Pelatiah was his enlistment on June 10, 1811 as an ensign in 26th Regiment of the Tennessee Militia. We know that his brother John Wesley Whitehurst would serve as a private in Lieutenant William Cooley's Company in September 1813 in Georgia and that Willoughby Whitehurst would serve as a private in Cobb's Pitt County, North Carolina Regiment.
The second record that I have is a power of attorney issued on 30 of October 1812 issued in Putnam County, Georgia by Pelatiah appointing Willoby Whitehurst of the state of North Carolina Pitt County granting him power to collect any and all monies due him in North Carolina and Virginia. This document is recorded in Pitt County, North Carolina. The next document recorded in the deed book is Batson Whitehurst of Pitt County North Carolina granting a power of attorney to Williba Whitehurst to act in his his behalf as guardian for John Whitehurst to collect any and all monies due him in Virginia . These documents establish links between Willoughby, Pelatiah, and John Whitehurst (John Wesley Whitehurst). I believe that these documents support that these brothers' grandfather died before 30 October 1812. John Wesley Whitehurst would still be a minor at this time and the reason Batson was acting as his guardian.
The third record that I have located for Pelatiah is the marriage license to join Pelatiah Whitehurst and Sally (Sarah) Pounds which was issued on 29th of April 1813 and executed on 6th of May 1813 in Putnam County, Georgia.
Pelatiah was listed on the 1817 Georgia Property Index in Putnam County. His land adjoined Buckner's land. It appears that Pelatiah remained in Putnam County, Georgia until at least 22 October 1818 when he sold his land to Daniel Buckner, possibly his neighbor on the 1817 Georgia Property index.
It appears that Pelatiah and John Wesley Whitehurst moved to Henry County, Alabama about 1819. Pelatiah Whitehurst and Robert Irwin built a courthouse at Richmond, which became Dale County. Pelatiah was a Probate Judge in Henry County, Alabama sometime between 1819 and 1823. This is based upon Alabama Historical Markers and court records.
On 15 March 1826, Pelatiah Whitehurst was granted 80.34 acres in Tallahassee, Leon, Florida. This grant was signed by John Quincy Adams. On 1 May 1829, Pelatiah purchased 160 acres from Robert Williams. On 10 December 1834, Sarah Whitehurst placed an advertisement for an Administrator's Sale at the late residence of deceased Pelatiah Whitehurst, which ran in the December 27, 1834 Floridan and Advocate in Tallahassee, Florida.
My next post will focus on Willoughby Whitehurst.
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Thursday, April 17, 2014
John Whitehurst Documents
I promised documents about John Whitehurst a couple of weeks ago, but I went to the beach for a week and got caught up in tax season the last week or so, but here's what I have collected over the past year.
They can be viewed by copying and pasting this link in your browser: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0XNtXv2dBFpOFJLQ0hXV24xWjQ/edit?usp=sharing. Now I will share what I believe this all means. I am biased because I have been searching for my 4th great grandfather for about 15 years. I was certainly excited when I found a copy of Diane Whitehurst Collins' book, The Whitehurst Family of Princess Anne County, Virginia and Pitt County, North Carolina and it stated that John Whitehurst is the father of Willoughby, Pelatiah, and John Wesley Whitehurst.
The first document is the 11 March 1775 deed in which John Whitehurst sells his land in Martin County, North Carolina to William Maye for 50 pounds. The second document is the 20 February 1777 deed in which James Maye, Jr. sold John Whitehurst 160 acres in Pitt County, North Carolina for 72 pounds. John and Batson Whitis (Whitehurst ) are shown on the 1775 tax list of Pitt County. John is shown as having a white male <16 in his household and a white female youngster in the household. I do not have a copy of the third document that Diane Collins Whitehurst mentions in her book in which John Whitehurst sells the 160 acres that he bought from James Maye, Jr. to Reuben Manning on 23 December 1782 for 130 pounds. I do see it listed in Volume II (1782-1801) Index and Abstracts of Deeds of Record of Pitt County, North, Carolina by Judith DuPree Ellison.
Diane Whitehurst Collins loses the paper trail on John Whitehurst until 1809 in Hancock County. I started searching for additional records in Georgia for John Whitehurst and found the third document, a listing for John Whitehurst in the 1788 Tax Digest showing he had 200 acres in Greene County, Georgia. This is consistent with him selling his land in North Carolina in 1782.He is also listed in the 1789 Tax Digest showing he had 200 acres in Greene County. The next document shows that John, Ann, and Naomi Whitehurst sold 200 acres on 24 September 1792 to John Roe, Junior for 60 pounds. If John is the brothers father, Elizabeth would probably be on the sale of the 200 acres in Georgia. I believe Ann is his wife and that Naomi is his daughter. According to Hancock County, Georgia Deed Books, John Whitehurst purchased 50 acres from John Tripp on 10 August 1793. John Wesley Whitehurst was born 10 March 1793. This would mean John Wesley Whitehurst was only 5 months old when John Whitehurst purchased the 50 acres from John Tripp. We do know that Willoughby, Pelatiah, and John Wesley were all born in North Carolina. If John is the father that would suggest that although John owned land in Georgia from 1788, he would have to return to North Carolina to possibly marry Elizabeth and have his three sons and then return to Georgia to live out his life. This is not a likely scenario. The most likely scenario is that the young man on the 1775 Pitt County tax list is John’s son and that he not John is the father of Willoughby, Pelatiah, and John Wesley Whitehurst. The next document shows John on the 1793 tax list with the 50 acres that he purchased from John Tripp. He apparently formed a close relationship with Tripp family. According to Diane Whitehurst Collins, he and Henry Tripp appraised one sow and five pigs for James Savage, which is listed in the Hancock County Estuary book dated 14 October 1809. I like the next document that I found in Hancock County where John registers his mark as a swallow fork in the left ear and a slit in the right. This was apparently the way, he would mark his animals.
The last three documents that I list deal with the 1805 Georgia Land Lottery. The 1805 Land Lottery distributed lands that the Creek Indians gave up to the citizens of Georgia.The citizens of Georgia could pay 12.5 cents for a chance in the land lottery. John purchased his ticket and was a fortunate drawer (he won!). He was awarded 202 1/2 acres in the second land district of Baldwin County (part of which would become Putnam County). John payed an additional $8.10 for his 202 1/2 acres (see the last document). The document just before the land lottery documents shows that John was still listed on the 1812 tax digest with his 50 acres in Hancock County. I am not sure what he did with the 202 1/2 acres in Putnam County; however, we do find Pelatiah Whitehurst in Putnam County in 1818 and know that he married his wife Sally Pounds in 1812 in Putnam County. I believe that John died in Hancock County during 1812 based on a 1812 power of attorney in which Batson Whitehurst, John's brother, represented John Wesley Whitehurst, who was still a minor. Pelatiah Whitehurst will be my focal point in my next post.
They can be viewed by copying and pasting this link in your browser: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0XNtXv2dBFpOFJLQ0hXV24xWjQ/edit?usp=sharing. Now I will share what I believe this all means. I am biased because I have been searching for my 4th great grandfather for about 15 years. I was certainly excited when I found a copy of Diane Whitehurst Collins' book, The Whitehurst Family of Princess Anne County, Virginia and Pitt County, North Carolina and it stated that John Whitehurst is the father of Willoughby, Pelatiah, and John Wesley Whitehurst.
The first document is the 11 March 1775 deed in which John Whitehurst sells his land in Martin County, North Carolina to William Maye for 50 pounds. The second document is the 20 February 1777 deed in which James Maye, Jr. sold John Whitehurst 160 acres in Pitt County, North Carolina for 72 pounds. John and Batson Whitis (Whitehurst ) are shown on the 1775 tax list of Pitt County. John is shown as having a white male <16 in his household and a white female youngster in the household. I do not have a copy of the third document that Diane Collins Whitehurst mentions in her book in which John Whitehurst sells the 160 acres that he bought from James Maye, Jr. to Reuben Manning on 23 December 1782 for 130 pounds. I do see it listed in Volume II (1782-1801) Index and Abstracts of Deeds of Record of Pitt County, North, Carolina by Judith DuPree Ellison.
Diane Whitehurst Collins loses the paper trail on John Whitehurst until 1809 in Hancock County. I started searching for additional records in Georgia for John Whitehurst and found the third document, a listing for John Whitehurst in the 1788 Tax Digest showing he had 200 acres in Greene County, Georgia. This is consistent with him selling his land in North Carolina in 1782.He is also listed in the 1789 Tax Digest showing he had 200 acres in Greene County. The next document shows that John, Ann, and Naomi Whitehurst sold 200 acres on 24 September 1792 to John Roe, Junior for 60 pounds. If John is the brothers father, Elizabeth would probably be on the sale of the 200 acres in Georgia. I believe Ann is his wife and that Naomi is his daughter. According to Hancock County, Georgia Deed Books, John Whitehurst purchased 50 acres from John Tripp on 10 August 1793. John Wesley Whitehurst was born 10 March 1793. This would mean John Wesley Whitehurst was only 5 months old when John Whitehurst purchased the 50 acres from John Tripp. We do know that Willoughby, Pelatiah, and John Wesley were all born in North Carolina. If John is the father that would suggest that although John owned land in Georgia from 1788, he would have to return to North Carolina to possibly marry Elizabeth and have his three sons and then return to Georgia to live out his life. This is not a likely scenario. The most likely scenario is that the young man on the 1775 Pitt County tax list is John’s son and that he not John is the father of Willoughby, Pelatiah, and John Wesley Whitehurst. The next document shows John on the 1793 tax list with the 50 acres that he purchased from John Tripp. He apparently formed a close relationship with Tripp family. According to Diane Whitehurst Collins, he and Henry Tripp appraised one sow and five pigs for James Savage, which is listed in the Hancock County Estuary book dated 14 October 1809. I like the next document that I found in Hancock County where John registers his mark as a swallow fork in the left ear and a slit in the right. This was apparently the way, he would mark his animals.
The last three documents that I list deal with the 1805 Georgia Land Lottery. The 1805 Land Lottery distributed lands that the Creek Indians gave up to the citizens of Georgia.The citizens of Georgia could pay 12.5 cents for a chance in the land lottery. John purchased his ticket and was a fortunate drawer (he won!). He was awarded 202 1/2 acres in the second land district of Baldwin County (part of which would become Putnam County). John payed an additional $8.10 for his 202 1/2 acres (see the last document). The document just before the land lottery documents shows that John was still listed on the 1812 tax digest with his 50 acres in Hancock County. I am not sure what he did with the 202 1/2 acres in Putnam County; however, we do find Pelatiah Whitehurst in Putnam County in 1818 and know that he married his wife Sally Pounds in 1812 in Putnam County. I believe that John died in Hancock County during 1812 based on a 1812 power of attorney in which Batson Whitehurst, John's brother, represented John Wesley Whitehurst, who was still a minor. Pelatiah Whitehurst will be my focal point in my next post.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
John Whitehurst of Pitt County North Carolina and Hancock County Georgia
From the North Carolina Supreme Court case discussed last week, we know that Simon Whitehurst, Sr. owned land in Martin County, which he sold or gave to his son, Daniel Whitehurst, who in turn sold or gave the same land to his daughter, Nancy Kelly. The ownership of this land is the object of the court case. This court case confirms that Simon Whitehurst, Sr. had four sons, Simon Whitehurst, Jr., John Whitehurst, Daniel Whitehurst, and Batson Whitehurst. We also learned that John Whitehurst left Pitt County, North Carolina and moved to Georgia prior to October 1806. From deed records, we know that John Whitehurst sold land in Martin County, North Carolina on March 11, 1775 (see Martin County Deed Book A, page 111) and that he purchased land in Pitt County, NC from James Maye, Jr. on February 20, 1777 (see Pitt County Deed Book F, page 312). His brother, Batson, was already living in Pitt County as this time. On December 23, 1782, we see that John Whitehurst sold this land to Reuben Manning (see Pitt County Deed Book I, page 96). We also know from the court case that John moved to Georgia prior to October 1806. A second confirmation that John was living in Hancock County, Georgia is confirmed when he conveyed his interest to the land in the court case to Charles Whitehurst on February 21, 1807 (see Martin County Deed Book E, page 419). After returning to my home in Georgia after discovering Diane Whitehurst Collins book, I was interested in seeing what evidence of John Whitehurst that I could discover in Hancock County, Georgia and Greene County, Georgia. Hancock County was formed from Greene County in 1793. I was ecstatic to discover that John Whitehurst sold land in Greene County, Georgia on September 17, 1792 (see Greene County, Deed Book Volume
1, page 598). After selling this land, he bought 50 acres from John Tripp and I believe that he remained on this land until his death. Next week, I will share much of the information that I have found concerning John Whitehurst in Georgia.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
North Carolina Whitehurst Supreme Court Case
Last week, I promised to share a case that was mentioned in The Whitehurst Family of Princess Anne County, Virginia and Pitt County, North Carolina. If you are or suspect you are a descendant of Simon Whitehurst, Sr. of Princess Anne County, Virginia, this is a must read case for you. On my second trip to North Carolina, my wife found copies of the Pitt County Genealogical Quarterly for the past 10 to 15 years. In the November 2000 issue was printed a transcribed copy of the North Carolina Whitehurst Supreme Court Case. This case establishes that Simon Whitehurst, Sr. had four sons, Simon Whitehurst, Jr., John Whitehurst, Daniel Whitehurst, and Batson Whitehurst. This case also establishes that John Whitehurst was living in Georgia before October 1806. I have a copy of the transcribed case on my Google drive. It can be viewed by copying and pasting this link into your browser: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0XNtXv2dBFpOXRfVWs5S05DakU/edit?usp=sharing.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
The Whitehurst Family of Princess Anne County, Virginia and Pitt County, NC
On my first trip to the Greenville, NC library in March of last year , I found a book, The Whitehurst Family of Princess Anne County, Virginia and Pitt County, NC, second edition by Diane Whitehurst Collins printed in 2004. Ms. Collins has done a tremendous amount of research on the Whitehurst line and in her book, she states that John Whitehurst, the son of Simon Whitehurst, Sr. is the father of Willoughby, Pelatiah, and John Wesley Whitehurst. I was awestruck and when I mentioned this to a descendant of Pelatiah Whitehurst, I was informed that she had seen Ms. Collins's first edition of the book and felt that there was just not enough evidence to draw the conclusion that John Whitehurst is the father of these three brothers and I now agree with her. Since March of 2013, I have been researching Ms. Collins' evidence and conclusion and have checked most of the original documents that Ms. Collins used to draw her conclusion and have only found what I consider two minor errors. I will be sharing the information she used in her book here. In my next post, I will share a North Carolina Supreme Court Case that anyone who believes they are a descendant of Simon Whitehurst, Sr. should check out. It is an amazing piece of Whitehurst genealogy. Until next week.
Mike Whitehurst
Mike Whitehurst
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Who's their Father?
Hi. I'm Mike Whitehurst and I have been searching for the father of Willoughby, Pelatiah, and John Wesley Whitehurst for about about 15 years. I know that these three brothers listed their birth place as North Carolina on the U. S. Censuses that I have found them listed. Pelatiah and Willoughby both died in Leon County, Florida in the early 1830's. John lived a long and prosperous life in Henry County, Alabama and died on September 25, 1874 in Lawrenceville, Henry County, Alabama. Many researchers believe these three brothers were born in Pitt County or Edgecombe County, North Carolina. I made three trips to Greenville, Pitt County, North Carolina last year and from my research, it appears Willoughby left there in about 1828 to join his brother, Pelatiah, in Leon County, Florida. It also appears that Pelatiah and John Wesley left Putnam County, Georgia between 1816 and 1822 and relocated to Henry County, Alabama. John Wesley settled there, but Pelatiah moved on to Leon County, Florida, where he and Willoughby died before 1835. In this blog, I will sharing what I find on these three brothers. If you have information to share, please let me know.
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