Thomas P. Hitch ^{2 3 4}

Thomas Hitch received a land grant in Bracken County, Kentucky on Nov 22 1799 (his obituary below states he moved to Kentucky in 1797 first in Bracken County and then on to Pendleton County in 1802).

In the Federal Census for 1810, we find Thomas Hitch in Pendleton County, Kentucky as indicated on page 105 with a household consisting of two males under age 10, one male age 10-16, one male age 16-26, one male age 26-45, three females under age 10, one female age 10-16 and one female age 26-45.

However, Thomas Hitch moved to Ohio in 1814. We find him in the Federal Census of 1820 in Clermont County, Ohio indicated on page 031 for the Ohio Township with household containing one male age 10-16, one male age 16-18, one male age 16-26, one male over age 45, two females age 10-16, one female age 16-26 and one female over age 45.

The Federal Census for 1830 again lists Thomas Hitch in Clermont County as indicated on page 236 in Monroe Township with household of one male age 5-10, two males age 20-30, one male age 50-60, one female age 15-20, one female age 20-30 and one female age 50-60. By the Federal Census of 1840, Thomas Hitch is listed alone in his Clermont County household on page 201 in the Monroe Township as one male age 60-70. He is listed with his son Edward Hitch's family in 1850 and William Hitch's family in 1860. Thomas Hitch's will was written on Oct 13 1859 and probated Mar 26 1862. (Clermont County, Ohio Wills Index, Will Book I-48)

The following is from Major Edgar T. Hitch of Washington, DC in a letter dated Feb 6 1931 (from A Hitch Orchard, Daisy Hitch, 1931):

I have a copy of the Clermont Sun of Mar 5 1862 in which is a notice of the death of my great grandfather, Thomas Hitch. This article states that he died Feb 22 1862 at the age of ninety years, that he was a native of Somerset County, Maryland; that he moved with his wife and one child in 1797 to Limestone, near Maysville, KY.; then to Bracken County, in 1802, to Pendleton County in 1814; (note by Daisy Hitch - from another source Apr 12 1814) and to Clermont County, Ohio in 1855 (note that this does not agree with census records); that at the time of his death he was the father of eight children, seven of whom were living, the eldest being 68 and the youngest 52; that he left 40 grandchildren, 52 great grandchildren and four great-great grandchildren. Two of his grandsons and three of his great grandsons were at that time in the Union Army. Of the children living at the time of his death, John, William and Thomas were living in Ohio, also Sarah Simmons and that Hester Doler, another daughter, was living in Indiana and Mrs. G. J. Hitch in Kentucky.

He at one time had a farm in Kentucky adjoining that of his brother Joseph who came from Maryland to Kentucky about two years after Thomas. Their farms were bounded on one side by the Licking River.

Thomas Hitch was opposed to slavery. Before leaving Maryland he freed his slaves. This opposition to slavery was what caused him to move to Ohio from Kentucky. In Ohio he raised his family and lived there for the rest of his life. It was no easy thing to take such a decided stand on the slave question at the time Thomas Hitch lived, and in the place he resided. He was a man who had the courage of his convictions even though it affected his wealth for slaves were valuable. We admire and love him for his strength and beauty of character.

The following is a copy of Thomas Hitch's obituary sent to me by Charles E. Hitch of Billings, Montana:

Died, at his residence, near Bantam, Clermont County, Ohio, on Saturday, Feb 22 1862, THOMAS HITCH, sen., in the 90th year of his age.

He was a native of Somerset County, MD. He removed from there with his wife and one child to Kentucky in 1797. They landed at Limestone, now Maysville, and shortly afterward settled in Bracken County, where he improved a small farm, from whence he removed, in 1802, to Pendleton County, in the same State, where he cleared out another farm, but preferring a State where slavery did not exist, in 1814 he moved to the State of Ohio and settled again in the woods in Clermont County, where the village of Laurel now is. Here he remained till 1855. His eight children that he brought here with him having all set up for themselves, and the companion of his youth and one of riper years having passed away, he sold his farm and removed to near Bantam, where he remained at his comfortable quiet home until he was removed to a better home above.

He obtained religion and attached himself to the M.E. Church in Maryland in the year 1792, in which he lived (as the writer has often heard him say) without any charge having been preferred against him for seventy years, when he quietly fell asleep in Jesus, having lived in full belief of his atoning merits. Weakness and frailties on him, as on others, were entailed, and consequently he was not without his foibles and faults; but his sincerity, strict regard for truth, high sense of honor and sterling integrity were unquestioned. He left seven children living; the oldest in his sixty-eighth year, and the youngest in her fifty-second year, forty grand children, and fifty-two great grand children and four great great grand children, making one hundred and three living descendents.

All the children but one are the pale of the church in which their father lived and died, and a large portion of the grand children possess the same faith. Two of his grandsons and three of his great grandsons are now in the army of the Union, battling for the preservation of those constitutional rights and blessings and the flag whose folds so long protected their progenitor.

Though much enfeebled by length of years, he could, until a few months past, mount his horse or drive his buggy alone; and the day before his death, as usual, he dressed himself and took his regular meals at table. The infirmities of age were borne with remarkable resignation and patience. Nothing seemed to mar his peace so long as the distracted stat. of the country and the declension of the church as he thought from its original simplicity and spirituality. He deeply deplored the division of the church of his choice, and was much aggrieved that the opposing wings had ran into such extremes on the slavery question, and that this caused so much crimination and recrimination between those whose united object had so long been "to spread scriptural holiness through the whole length and bredth of these lands." But his love for its primitive usages and doctrines were undiminished, and received his unqualified approval.

His children are scattered in four states. Three sons, John, William and Thomas, are living near Bantam, O: Mrs. Sarah Simmons and Mrs. Hester Dole in Indiana; Mrs. Mary Robb in Iowa; and Mrs. E. J. Hitch in Kentucky. Though scattered so widely now, may they meet their father and mother in "That sun bright clime where sickness, sorrow, pain and death are felt and feared no more."

Obituary, Clermont Sun, Clermont County, OH, Mar 5 1862: states that Thomas Hitch died Feb 22 1862 at the age of ninety years, a native of Somerset County, Maryland.

Thomas married Jane* Smullen, daughter of Edmund Smullen and Unknown, on 19 Sep 1793 in Somerset Co., MD.¹ (Jane* Smullen was born on 29 Nov 1769 in MD,^{1 8 10 11} died on 03 Feb 1843 in Clermont Co., OH ^{1 12} and was buried about 06 Feb 1843 in Laurel Cemetery, Clermont Co., OH ¹³.)

Thomas next married Florence S. Bainum on 21 Jun 1850 in Clermont Co., OH. (Florence S. Bainum was born in 1780.)

Clermont County, Ohio Marriage Records (DAR)