James Hitch

*The children listed here under James Hitch, with the exception of Thomas James Hitch, are uncertain.

An account of the spouses and in-laws of James Hitch was thoroughly analyzed by John Lyon and sent to me on Dec 7 1999, to wit:

A few notes on James Hitch b. 1734, establishing a wife or wives and other stuff:
From your URL:
'In 1753, James Hitch received a deed for land from Anne Records (SoLR-B:262).

James Hitch was listed in the Somerset County Rent Rolls for Feb 16 1759 for a tract called "Records Delight", totaling 100 acres with a yearly rent of £0.4.0. This land had been surveyed Dec 24 1729 lying between the head of the Wicomico River and Nanticoke River. James bought 100 acres from Ann Records. (SoRR-10:328).'

While you cite the B:262 deed - which I haven't looked at - as well as the Rent Rolls, this reference is a little odd, in that the conveyed land was surely from the 1754 resurvey of the original 1729 survey: cf. Somerset Patented Certificate No. 2015 (also cf. MD Patents and Certificates BC&GS No. 09:298 and BC&GS No. 07:394) - survey 09 Sep 1754 and patent 09 Sep 1754 to Ann Records for "Records Delight", a resurvey of "Givans Lott" (pat. 1694, Robert Givans, 150 ac) and "Records Delight" (pat. 1731, John Records, 100 ac). I just don't know why the citation would be against the old, not the new, patent. A peculiar little nit.

More meaningfully, picking up on your note that:

When an account of the estate of Susanna Hardy was taken between Feb 11 and Apr 7 1762, James Hitch was listed as next-of-kin along with Thomas Magee. (MdPrI Abstracts-1760/63).

James Hitch was evidently married twice: (1) to ____ Tully and (2) to Anna ____, widow of George Toadvine. The first is certain, the second very likely.

James Hitch and Thomas Magee were certainly married to daughters of Susanna (Huffington) (Tully) (Nicholson) Hardy by her first husband James Tully (d. 1744). This can be shown tediously but unambiguously only by the rundown of the estates of five people - I only give the basic gist of some of the records here:

a. Susanna's father John Huffington, Sen. [SoW-EB9:281; Feb 17 1748/9 - Mar 22 1748/9]. Names daughter Susanna Nicholson. She swims out of the mists via the following:

b. James Tully, her first husband

MdPrA-21:4196 Jul 1745. Accounts of Susanna Tully, admx of James Tully, deceased. £90.4.6 Payments to Isaac Cooper (bond) Capt. Joseph Ennals (bond) William Taylor (note) Officers? fees Charity Tully (account)£1.1.0 William Farrington (note)£6.4.0 William Taylor (account)£2.0.0

No children mentioned, but Thomas Magee is named in the inventory:

Inventories: 30:171 James Tully. Susannah Tully came 23 Nov 1744 £90.4.6 horse, cart, 12 geese, 8 sheep, table, barrows, 3 sows, 19 pigs, beds, blankets, rugs, chest of drawers, linen wheels, wooden ware, pott iron, hackle, frying pan, other such household goods, 3 cows, bull, 10 shoats, 5 sows, 6 small shoats. William Taylor and Isaac Cooper greatest creditors. Appraisers: Robert Twilley and William Brown. Nearest kin: Joseph Tully, Thomas Magee

c. James Nicholson, her second husband.

EB06: 21 7 Mar 1750. Accounts of James Hardy and Susanna his wife, who was admx of James Nicholson. Bond paid by Hardy to William Tully, another to Jos. Weatherly, accounts to Edward Kellam, Charity Tully, John Handy, Henry Lowes, John Huffington, George Paris, Joshua Moore, Eleanor Alexander, Thomas Moore for John Dennis, Joseph Tully, Benjamin Venables, William Farrington, Col. Joseph Ennols. Total estate £67.09.0 Children of deceased: Mary, Roger, Esther, Jonathan, Huffington Nicholson. Sureties: John Huffington, Hezekiah Read.

d. James Hardy, her third husband.

Wills 30:135. James Hardy of Worcester Co, planter. 6 May 1756, 2 Jul 1756. - To Susannah, my well-beloved wife, riding saddle and third part of estate. - To son Isaac, my now dwelling plantation [described as near the Cypress Swamp]. - Son William 10 pounds current money and land to west of Isaac's [described generally]; also William to serve as apprentice to John Claypoole until 18 in the trade of a taylor. - To grandsons James and William Jones, sons of Matthias Jones. - To daughter Temperance Jones, wife of Matthias. - Remainder to be divided equally among my five children: Isaac and William and daughters Mary Claypoole (wife of John) and _Ayn [?] and Acworth. Wife and son Isaac executors. Test: Joseph Collins, Esther Tully and Jonathan Bell

e. Susanna herself, as you cite.

Susanna Hardy 77:303 Somerset 11 Feb 1762. Late of Somerset deceased. Livestock, household goods, beef. Desperate debts from Thomas Magee and Isaac Hardy. Debt due from John Huffington. Next of kin: James Hitch and Thomas Magee. Largest creditors: Isaac Taylor, Susanna (backward integral sign) Tully. Appraisers William Brown and Benjamin Venables. William Tully and Joshua Moore, adms.

More compellingly:

PC 51:45 16 Mar 1764. Accounts of William Tully and Joshua Moor, adms of Susanna Hardy, deceased.

Estate totals £53.19.01. Open accounts to: Isaac Hardy Susanna Tully, 3.0.0 Joseph Forman, Isaac Taylor Joshua Moor0.15.8 1/2 Thomas Magee0.16.4 1/2 Alexander Stewart, William Hayward, for advice on administration of estate John Henry, George Farrington, 0.19.1 Isaac Parramore Cornelius English, James Acworth, 0.4.6 Joseph Weatherly, 0.7.6 Joseph Venables, Ephraim King, James Twilley, 0.4.6 Robert Curry, Joseph Tully, 0.5.0 Isaac Roads, Solomon Harris, Benjamin Venables, 0.5.0 William Brown,0.10.0one of appraisers Nehemiah King, fee for granting letters of administration Hon. John Rideout, commissary general Stephen Bordley Accountants for funeral charges John Fritz, From: Thomas Magee [desperate, but see below list], McKemey Porter [desperate], To: Representatives: Stephen Stevens, Thomas Magee, Joseph [or Josiah] Ricards, James Hitch, John Langford, and both these accountants. A similar balance as for each of these [£1.19.0] to Huffington Nicholson.

Balance of Final Distributions 4:33 Susannah Hardy19 Mar 1764£53.19.1 Representatives not known to this Office Administrators:William Tully, Joshua Moore

****

Analysis of the above estates establishes that the Susanna Nicholson named as daughter of John Huffington in his estate in 1748/9 was, in fact the same as the widow of all three of the above husbands. While James Hitch was named among representatives in Susanna's estate along with two of her sons and several sons-in-law, his Tully wife's given name is nowhere seen. But quite likely a Worcester estate finds him and a second wife: MdPrA-66:35, 21 Jun 1771, and, same date, Inventories 106:417, by James Hitch et ux. Anna, extx of LW&T of George Toadvine. This suggests that James' first (Tully) wife was deceased by 1770 (but she was living in 1764). It's clear that ____ Tully was the mother of Thomas James Hitch (by the latter's age in the 1780s).

No children or widow are mentioned in James' own 1784 Somerset estate, administered by his brother Joshua: (a) Somerset Admin Bonds 1780-89, EB18:134, 10 Jan 1784. Estate of James Hitch. Joshua Hitch (adm), Joseph (x) Leonard, George Addams. ?2000. And (b) Somerset Inv. EB8:51. James Hitch. 14 Jan 1784. Household goods, including one Old Testament and an "old spelling book", one horse. Total: ?40.7.14. Nearest kin: John (I: his mark) Perdue, George Perdue. Appraisers: Levin Irving, Will. Stone. Creditors: Daniel Cathell Jonathan (x) Shockley. 05 Jun 1784, came Joshua Hitch, adm., etc.

Just for completeness, a few more mentions of James Hitch:

Somerset Judicial Records:

1766-67: 161. At Jun court 1767 James Hitch undertook for John Carmichael in an assault complaint brought by James Read.

1772-74: 26. Aug court 1772. James Nevin v. James Hitch, planter. Debt per 20 May 1771 note for ?3.16.1. Jonathan Shockley, planter, was surety. Hitch confessed and the plaintiff was awarded an additional 244 lbs tobacco in damages.

1775-84: 58. Nov court 1775. The Grand Jury returned an indictment, cause unspecified, against James Hitch. I find no case summary, but the court became pretty ragged during the Revolutionary years.

Another probate appearance: MD Balance of Final Distributions 4:88 (6 Nov 1764). James Hitch and brother Joshua were sureties for Phyllis Humphries (wife of Thomas Humphries), admx. of estate of William Byrd."

Other references in the records to James Hitch:

James Hitch's birth is indicated in the Stepney Parish records as Jan 23 1734 (1735 new style).

In the 1751 Tax List for Wicomico Hundred of Somerset County, James Hitch is listed in the same household as John Hitch Sr. and 3 negroes. In the 1753 Tax List for Wicomico Hundred of Somerset County, James Hitch is listed in the same household as John Hitch Sr. and negroes Staford, Hanah, Mower. On Feb 16 1753, James Hitch received a deed for land from Anne Records for £50. Beginning at a marked gum on the north side of a savanna called the Watery Savanna at NW end of said savanna thence N 22 perches, thence N63E 176 perches, thence S60E 5 perches, thence S26E 60 perches, thence S58W 202 perches, thence N49 45minW 62 perches, thence right line to beginning containing 100 acres. (SoLR-B:262).

In the 1754 Tax List for Wicomico Hundred of Somerset County, James Hitch is listed in the same household as Ratchell Caldwell and negroes Green, Mall, Sue, and Dick. In the 1756 Tax List for Wicomico Hundred of Somerset County, James Hitch is listed as the only taxable in his household. In the 1757 Tax List for Wicomico Hundred of Somerset County, James Hitch is listed in the same household as Joseph Hitch. James Hitch was listed in the Somerset County rent Rolls for Feb 16 1759 for a tract called "Records Delight", totaling 100 acres with a yearly rent of £0.4.0. This land had been surveyed Dec 24 1729 lying between the head of the Wicomico River and Nanticoke River. James bought 100 acres from Ann Records. (SoRR-10:328)

In the 1759 Tax List for Wicomico Hundred of Somerset County, James Hitch is listed as the only taxable in his household. When an account of the estate of Susanna Hardy was taken between Feb 11 and Apr 7 1762, James Hitch was listed as next-of-kin along with Thomas Magee. (MdPrI Abstracts-1760/63). James Hitch kept an account at John Nelms' store in Salisbury around 1769. He is listed as "Brought balance and interest from Ledger C of £1/0/11. Paid in cash in 1769."

On Jun 21 1771, will records list James Hitch and Anne his wife, executrix of George Toadvine of Worcester County (MdPrW-66:35). Between Nov 27 1770 and Jun 11 1771, James' brother Joseph Hitch's estate was inventoried at a value of £221.11.0. James and Joshua Hitch were listed as next of kin with Joshua Hitch also as Administrator. (MdPrI Abstracts-1769/72). On Nov 1 1782, James Hitch conveyed land in "Polk's Folly" to George and Mary Austin. However, James Hitch died before the conveyance could take place upon which his son Thomas Hitch had rights to 100 acres of that land and conveyed. (SoLR)

An administrative account was performed on James Hitch's estate between Feb 7 1788 and Oct 16 1788. The administrator was Joshua Hitch with payments to Benjamin Riley, Elizabeth Shockley (being the deceased part of his and Jonathan Shockley's bond to William and Isaac Horsey), David Cathell, James Perdue, Gowan Wright (coroner for the inquisition on the deceased and his wife, George Disharoon adm dbn of George Toadvine by James Hitch and wife (former executrix), Ebenezer Callaway, George Smith by account proved and paid by Isaac Cooper. It states the inventory of his estate proved Jun 5 1784 was in the amount of £40.7.4 with a balance on Feb 7 1788 of £11.9.6½. (SoAA-EB16:222, 232/233)

James Hitch's birth date, son of John and Elizabeth Hitch, is written in the Stepney Parish church records, Somerset County.

On Nov 1, 1782, James Hitch conveyed land in "Polk's Folly" to George and Mary Austin; however, the record states that James Hitch died before the conveyance could take place. (SoLR)

James married (?) Tully, daughter of James Tully and Susanna Huffington. ((?) Tully was born about 1735 and died in 1764-1770 in Somerset Co., MD.)

James next married Anna (?) about 1772 in Somerset Co., MD. (Anna (?) was born about 1745.)