Rev. Elijah Hitch ³

  Notes:

In the 1828 Tax Assessment records for Sussex County, Elijah Hitch is listed in Little Creek Hundred, Sussex Co., DE as follows: 1829: add for his person 1832: add 221 acres of land from Robert Hitch. In the 1830 Federal Census, Elijah Hitch was listed in Little Creek Hundred, Sussex County, Delaware in a household with one male age 20-30 and one female age 20-30. (page 139)

On Sep 23 1831, Elijah Hitch received a deed from Robert Hitch and Betsey his wife. Elijah Hitch paid Robert Hitch $1,000 for 221¼ acres of land in Little Creek Hundred called "Oak Level", "Records Delight" and others that adjoin the lands of Perry B., William and Elijah Moore. (SxLR-AT42:78) On Sep 8 1832, Elijah and Robert Hitch, Gideon Bradley Sr., James Twilley Sr., William Phillips, Elijah Moore all of Sussex County, Delaware and Matthew Morain of Somerset County, trustees in trust, bought a lot for $5 from Elijah and Mary Robertson near Sharptown to erect a place of worship for the Methodist Episcopal Church. (SoLR-GH6:375).

In the 1833 Tax Assessment records for Sussex County, Elijah Hitch is listed in Little Creek Hundred as follows: 2 horses 1 yoke of steers 2 cows and calves 12 head of hogs 8 head of sheep undefined amount of land. In the 1836 Tax Assessment records for Sussex County, Elijah Hitch is listed in Little Creek Hundred as follows: Negro boy Sandy, age 17, to serve 8 years 1 horse 1 yoke of steers 2 cows 1 yearling 2 shoats 8 sheep 225 acres of land. In the 1840 Tax Assessment records for Sussex County, Elijah Hitch is listed in Little Creek Hundred as follows: Negro man with 2 years to serve 2 horses 1 yoke of steers 4 cows 1 yearling 6 shoats 6 sheep 1841: add 225 acres of land.

In the 1840 Federal Census, Elijah Hitch was listed in Little Creek Hundred, Sussex County, Delaware in a household with one male under age 5, one male age 10-15, one male age 30-40, one female under age 5, one female age 5-10, one female age 15-20 and one female age 30-40 (page 459).

Rev. Elijah Hitch held services for St. George's Church in 1842. Also on the building committee for Mt. Pleasant Church in 1863 (History of Delaware, Scharf, 1888). This compiler has a copy of the first couple of pages of an historical sketch of Moore's Chapel completed in 1888 by Rev. Elijah Hitch.

In the 1848 Tax Assessment records for Sussex County, Elijah Hitch is listed in Little Creek Hundred as follows: 2 horses 1 yoke of oxen 4 cows and calves 1 sow and pigs 4 shoats 9 sheep 4 oz silver plate 225 acres of land.

In the 1850 Federal Census, Elijah Hitch was listed in Little Creek Hundred, Sussex County, Delaware in a household on page 248 with the following: - Elijah Hitch, age 43 - Leah A. Hitch, age 45 - Mary Hitch, age 19 - Maria Hitch, age 16 Everyone was listed as born in Delaware.

In the 1852 Tax Assessment records for Sussex County, Elijah Hitch is listed in Little Creek Hundred as follows: 2 horses 1 yoke of oxen 3 cows and calves 1 sow 9 shoats 5 yearlings 220 acres of land. In the 1856 Tax Assessment records for Sussex County, Elijah Hitch is listed in Little Creek Hundred as follows: 2 horses 1 pair of steers 4 cows 1 yearling 2 shoats 6 pigs 222 acres of land

In the 1860 Federal Census, Elijah Hitch was listed in Laurel, Little Creek Hundred, Sussex County, Delaware in a household on page 459 with the following: - Elijah Hitch, age 52 - Leah A. Hitch, age 53 - Maria C. Hitch, age 28 - Julia T. Hitch, age 20 - Sarah A. Hitch, age 16 - Charles R. Hitch, age 13 - Annie A. Hitch, age 8 - James Hitchens, age 8 months Everyone was listed as born in Delaware.

In the 1870 Federal Census, Elijah Hitch was listed in Sussex County, Delaware in a household on page 687 with the following: - Elijah Hitch, age 62, farmer - Annie Hitch, age 17 Everyone was listed as born in Delaware.

In the 1880 Federal Census, Elijah Hitch was listed in Broad Creek Hundred, Sussex County, Delaware in a household with the following: - Elijah Hitch, age 72 - Drusilla C. Hitch, age 37 - Alfred C. Hitch, age 6 - Fannie E. Hitch, age 4 Everyone was listed as born in Delaware.

The following story was copied from the Nettie Walson Calloway papers sent to me by Susan Cramer of Pinehurst, NC:
"Rev. Elijah Hitch was born near Laurel, Sussex County, Delaware Nov. 15, 1807 and died Oct 18, 1888. About the age of eighteen or twenty, he became a Christian and united with the M.E. Church, after a brief period of spiritual declension he reconsecrated himself to God. I think at a Camp Meeting called the Union, and ever afterward he remained a firm and staunch Christian until called to enter the Kingdom of Glory. After being an exhorter for some time he was licensed as a Local Preacher in 1842. In this capacity he was abundant in labors and not without success. His home being in a rural district where the circuit system-prevailed, and the circuits being large and preaching by the regular circuit preachers only on alternate Sundays, abundant opportunity was afforded by the local preachers for the exercise of his gifts in preaching the Gospel of Christ and many were the open doors into which Brother Hitch went with the message of salvation.

As a preacher he was clean, strong and practical and earnest and devout follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. He served the church as trustee, steward, and class leader, Sunday School Supt., exhorter and Local Preacher, retaining the last office up to the time of Ins death. The last few years he suffered from paralysis and was not able to preach. Though sorely afflicted his faith faded not and he had a good and happy experience in his old age. He was not a bigot, but he dearly loved the Methodist Episcopal Church. During the late Civil War, many of his associates in the Church turned from it and forsook him, but he never swerved, maintaining his integrity and his allegiance to the church of his choice. In the words of St. John we can say of him, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from hence forth, Yea saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labor and their works do follow them.

As was said of Abel He being dead yet speaketh. So the life of Brother Hitch as lived among the people, continues to speak for truth and righteousness. He was ever ready for every good word and work. In the temperance cause he was a stalwart, indeed in everything that had for its object the helping and bettering of humanity he was among those in the front. He was liberal with his means to the fall extent of his ability. His house was a home for the itinerant minister of the Gospel. At whatever hour he might come, day or night, he was sure -of a welcome. To this the Writer can testify from personal experience, as he happened to be Bro. Hitch's junior pastor at a very early period in his itinerant life, while traveling as colleague with the late Brother James Hargis on what was then known as Quantico circuit. About eight years afterward he moved from the old homestead to a point between Laurel and Seaford and united with Mt. Zion Church one of the appointments of Bethel Charge, where he continued to reside up to the time-of his death. - J. Owen Sypherd, Laurel, Del."

Elijah married Mary Mitchell Moore on 26 Dec 1829 in Sussex Co., DE.^{1 2} (Mary Mitchell Moore was born on 21 Oct 1807 in Sussex Co., DE ¹ and died on 23 Oct 1831 in Sussex Co., DE ¹.)

Elijah next married Leah Ann Armstrong, daughter of George Armstrong and Euphemia Marshall, on 05 Dec 1832 in Little Creek Hundred, Sussex Co., DE.^{1 2} (Leah Ann Armstrong was born on 25 Dec 1805 in Sussex Co., DE,^{1 10 11} died on 08 Jul 1868 in Laurel, Sussex Co., DE ^{1 9} and was buried about 11 Jul 1868 in Ralph Hill Cemetery, Route 509, Sussex Co., DE ^{9 12}.)

Elijah next married Drucilla Caroline Phillips, daughter of Thomas Phillips and Eleanor S. (Nellie) Cordrey, on 31 Jul 1872 in Sussex Co., DE.^{1 2} (Drucilla Caroline Phillips was born on 29 Apr 1843 in DE,^{1 12 13 14 15} died on 23 Mar 1917 in Laurel, Sussex Co., DE ^{1 9 12} and was buried about 26 Mar 1917 in Laurel Hill Cemetery, Laurel, Sussex Co., DE ⁹.)