Joseph D. Hitch

In the 1754 Tax List for Wicomico Hundred, Somerset County, Maryland, Joseph Hitch is listed in the same household as John Hitch Sr. (head of the household) and negroes Staford, Hannah, Mower, Sue. (Note - Joseph Hitch was actually crossed out as if entered by mistake - it could have been that he had not quite reached the taxable age of 16.) In the 1756 Tax List for Wicomico Hundred, Somerset County, Maryland, Joseph D. Hitch is listed in the same household as John Hitch Sr. (head of the household) and negroes Mouer, Staford and Hannee. In the 1757 Tax List for Wicomico Hundred, Somerset County, Maryland, Joseph Hitch is listed in the same household as James Hitch.

On Sep 10 1760, Joseph Hitch bought 134 acres of land for £35 called "Purhepasin" (sic) on the north side of the main branch of Rockawalkin River, land granted to John Caldwell on Apr 20 1715. He received a deed from Thomas Savage who was heir to John Caldwell. No metes and bounds given in this record. (SoLR-C:74) However, Joseph Hitch received a warrant of resurvey on Sep 19 1761 for the tract called "Purchase" that was granted to John Caldwell on Apr 20 1715. The survey was performed on Mar 11 1762 and the tract re-named "Come By Chance", 134 acres bordering "Clowlett" and "Maiden Head". The land was described as on the northside of the main branch of the Wicomico River beginning at a marked white oak, thence S9E 72 poles, thence SW 119 poles, thence S58:30W 120 poles, thence N41W 32 poles, thence S76W 9 poles, thence N60W 40 poles, thence N54W 76 poles, thence N33E 52 poles, thence S34E 132 poles, thence S61E 24 poles, thence S84E 20 poles, thence N58:30E 81 poles, thence NW 140 poles, thence right line to beginning containing 134 acres. It notes that the old tract "Purchase" contained 134 acres and lost 8½ acres to "Clowlett" and 35½ acres to "Maiden Head" but picked up 44 acres of new vacant land.

When the estate of John Hall was inventoried in 1764, Joseph Hitch was listed as creditor standing in for Joseph Forman for the estate value of £6.17.0 (MdPrI Abstracts-1763/66). On Apr 8 1765, Joseph Hitch bought 50 acres called "Chance" and 25 acres called "Last Choice", from his brother George Hitch, mariner of Dartmouth, Massachusetts (land that was conveyed to George by his father John Hitch, deceased), for £75. The land "Chance" was granted to John Hitch on Apr 14 1760 and "Last Choice" granted to John Hitch on Oct 17 1759. No metes and bounds given in this record. (SoLR-C:249) When John Hearne's estate was inventoried between Jun and Oct of 1765, Joseph Hitch was listed as the administrator for the estate valued at £83.10.9 (MdPrI-54:91).

On Aug 19 1766, Joseph Hitch bought 57 acres of land for £35 from Nathan Culver. Land was tract "Mt. Turzey" and described as on the northside of the head of the Wicomoco River and southside of the main road that leads from Spring Hill Chapell to Caldwell's mill, thence NxE 58 poles, N66E 8 poles, S20E 10 poles, S15W 40 poles, S71E 77 poles, N16:30 74 poles, WxN 40 poles, S38W 68 poles, thence with a right line to the beginning laid out for 57 acres. (SoLR-D:35) When the estate of John Talbert (Talbot) was inventoried between Aug and Oct 1766, Joseph Hitch was both a creditor and executor on the estate valued at £260.13.11 (MdPrI Abstracts-1763/66).

Joseph Hitch was listed on the accounts for John Nelms' store in Salisbury, Maryland for 1767 and 1768. His balance was brought forward from Ledger C plus interest of £4/2/4. He bought the following in 1767: Jany 9:1 pint rum, 1 chest lock March 12:1 quart "Best Rum" March 16:2 quarts "Best Rum" March 27:1 quart "Best Rum" July 17:pins and 1 yard ribbon This came to a total of £4/14/2. In 1768, he paid £2/7/6 in cash and carried £2/6/8 to Ledger E (Store Ledger of John Nelms of Salisbury, 1758-1787, microfilm in Nabb Center, Salisbury University).

Between Jul and Aug 1767, Joseph Hitch was listed as the appraiser when the estate of Joseph Leonard was inventoried and valued at £304.15.3 (MdPrI Abstracts-1766/69). On Aug 18 1767, Joseph Hitch sold 57 acres of land called "Mt. Turzey" for £35 to Ezekiel Bell (SoLR-D:109). This was the same land he bought from Nathan Culver on Aug 19 1766. Also in Aug 1767, he was listed as a creditor for estate of Richard Stephens Bounds valued at a total of £133.11.6 (MdPrI Abstracts-1766/69)

In 1767, Joseph Hitch received a patent for a tract of land called "Come By Chance" for 134 acres. It was a resurvey of tact "Purchase" originally granted to John Caldwell on Apr 20 1715. The new survey was completed on Mar 11 1762 and described as beginning at a marked white oak thence S9E 72 poles, SW 119 poles, S58:30W 120 poles, N41W 32 poles, S76W 9 poles, N60W 40 poles, N54W 76 poles, N38E 52 poles, S34E 132 poles, S61E 24 poles, S84E 20 poles, N58:30E 81 poles, NW 140 poles, thence with a right line to the beginning laid out for 134 acres. It was described as ear tracts "Cloulett" and "Maiden Head". (MdHR Index #54, Land Patents by Name, BC34:123 and GS33:123).

In Robert Hitch Sr.'s will of 1767/1768, he left his two youngest sons Samuel and Nathan to the care of Joseph Hitch Sr. and Joseph Hitch Jr. to bind them out to any trade when they reach age 15 until they are age 20. On Jun 18 1768, Joseph Hitch, with his wife, Jamimiah, sold land called "Hearn's Venture" and "St. Kitts" for £40 to Samuel Haynie. "Hearn's Venture" was described as beginning at a marked white oak standing in a glade about ½ mile to the eastward of a branch called Caldwell's Branch about 100 yards to the north ward of a Bruk(?) Hill thence S72½W 40 poles, S42W 48 poles, S24W 31 poles, S37E 42 poles, S82E 153 poles, N19W 123 poles, thence with a right line to the beginning laid out for 33½ acres. "St. Kitts" begins at a marked red oak on the north side of the head of the Wicomico River back in the woods on the westernmost side of said Hern's plantation (Note how the clerk has given us a clue here - no "Hern's" are of this transaction, however, we now know that Joseph Hitch married Jemima Hearne) thence S35W 80 poles, N55W 100 poles, N35E 88 poles, thence with a right line to the beginning laid out for 16½ acres. (SoLR-D:216)

In an inventory between Jun and Aug 1768, Joseph and Joshua Hitch were listed as appraisers for the estate of John Taton (Tatum) valued at £29.8.5 (MdPrI Abstracts-1766/69). The 1769 will (no month or day) of Joseph Hitch left Jemima Hitch "beloved wife", all land during her widowhood, a negro wench called Hannah, a negro boy called Will, a good cow and calf. He left to son George Bell Hitch, after marriage or death of Jemima Hitch, all lands, a negro girl called Winnah, a negro boy called Isaac, a negro boy called Ephraim, one good bed and furniture. Instructions in the will to sell negro fellow London and give the money to the estate to pay debts with the balance to my wife. Joseph appointed his "loving brother" Joshua Hitch as Executor. Note, an accompanying paper in the will file was dated Jun 30 1770 and states that Joseph Hitch died "last May" without signing the will. Joshua Hitch witnessed. (MdPrW-Box H:140, MSA; also MdOW)

Between Nov 27 1770 and Jun 11 1771, Joseph Hitch's estate was inventoried, arriving at a final value of £221.11.0. Appraisers were Joseph Scrogin and Jonathon Cathell; creditors were George Handy and James Houston; next-of-kin listed was James Hitch and Joshua Hitch; and executor was Joshua Hitch (MdPrI-105:280).

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

There is a 1769 will (no month or day) written by Joseph Hitch in the Hall of Records at Annapolis, MD (MdPrW-Box H:140, MSA; also MdOW). With it, there is an accompanying paper dated Jun 30 1770 and states that Joseph Hitch died "last May" without signing the will. This suggests that he died in May 1770.

Joseph married Jemima Hearn, daughter of Thomas Hearn and Sarah Newbold, in 1762-1769 in Somerset Co., MD. (Jemima Hearn was born about 1735 in Somerset Co., MD and died after 1770 in Somerset Co., MD.)

Jemima is present in the will of her father in 1762 when she was still referred to as Jemima Hearn. This shows the marriage to Joseph Hitch was after 1762 but before Joseph's death in 1770.