Isaac William Hitch

In the book Past and Present of Fayette County, Iowa (Volume 2, pg 1423, published in 1910 and available at the DAR Library in Washington, DC), it gives a biography of William B. Hitch. In it, it describes his father and mother as Isaac and Malindy (Stobaugh) Hitch, the former of Delaware and the latter of Virginia.

This is probably the Isaac Hitch listed in the 1833 Tax Assessment records for Sussex County, Delaware, Little Creek Hundred (SxTA-1833).

Isaac Hitch came to Fayette County in the early '40s (according to marriage and census records, he was in Adams County, Illinois by Aug 1839 and Des Moines County, Iowa by mid-1840) where he erected a log cabin, cleared a small patch of land and set to work developing a farm. He later bought a farm in section 35 of Union Township and still later an 80 acre farm in Illyria Township where he stayed until 1866 when he moved to Chickasaw County, Iowa.

In 1875 and in failing health, Isaac Hitch moved with his family to the San Joaquin Valley in California. There, he raised wheat until his death in 1877.

Further, the same reference states that Isaac Hitch was the son of Isaac and Goodie/Patsy (Lynch) Hitch of Delaware.

Research does not turn up an Isaac Hitch in Delaware at the proper timeframe to be a candidate for father of Isaac Hitch of Iowa. However, Isaac IS a frequently-used family name in Delaware among the Hitch family. It could be that the Isaac referred to and became known by a first or middle name that was different as is often the case in the late 18th and into the 19th centuries.

We note that there was a Samuel Hitch in Adams County, Illinois at the same time as Isaac Hitch of Iowa and who seemed to also come from Sussex County, Delaware. This Samuel (born 1791) may have been an uncle of Isaac The bio on Isaac refers to him being a son of ISAAC and Goodie Lynch. In the land records for Sussex County, Delaware (SxLR-AM35:421), it describes land John Linch (Lynch) purchased of Grace Linch, Priscilla Linch and Severn and Goodie (Lynch) Hitch on Jan 25 1822. Thus, Severn and Goodie Hitch are believed to be the parents of this Isaac Hitch. Severn's name may have been Isaac Severn Hitch or Severn Isaac Hitch which may account for the discrepancy with the referenced source from Fayette County, Iowa.

Perhaps, alternatively, the account given in the reference - which was probably provided by William B. Hitch himself - was based on erroneous information. William would probably have never met his grandfather and only recollected what he had been told. Consequently, the information could have been corrupted over the years. Perhaps William B. Hitch meant to say that his GREAT-grandfather was Isaac Hitch. For these reasons, I place this lineage as such with a good degree of confidence in its accuracy.

In the Federal Census of 1840, Isaac Hitch is indicated on page 118 in Des Moines County, Iowa in a household comprised of one male age 20-30 and one female age 20-30.

In the Federal Census of 1850, Isaac Hitch is indicated on page 135 in a household in Fayette County, Iowa as follows: - Isaac Hitch, age 38, farmer, born in DE - Malinda Hitch, age 26, born in VA - John Hitch, age 10, born in IA - Lorenzo Hitch, age 8, born in IA - Mary J. Hitch, age 4, born in IA - Margaret Hitch, age 2, born in IA.

In the Federal Census of 1860, Isaac Hitch is indicated on page 122 in West Union Township, Fayette County, Iowa in a household as follows (note, the family is erroneously given surname FITCH): - Isaac Hitch, age 40, farmer, born in DE - Melinda Hitch, age 38, born in VA - John Hitch, age 19, born in IA - Lorens Hitch, age 15, born in IL - Mary J. Hitch, age 13, born in IL - M. Hitch (female), age 11, born in IL - L. Hitch (female), age 9, born in IA - Sophia Hitch, age 7, born in IA - Samuel Hitch, age 5, born in IA - Perry Hitch, age 3, born in IA - William Hitch, age 1, born in IA

In the Federal Census of 1870, Isaac Hitch is indicated on page 563 in New Hampton Township, Chickasaw County, Iowa in a household as follows: - Isaac Hitch, age 55, farmer, born in DE - Malinda Hitch, age 47, born in VA - John Hitch, age 30, born in VA - Lorenzo Hitch, age 28, born in IL - Mary Hitch, age 27, born in IL - Margaret Hitch, age 21, born in IL - Louisa Hitch, age 19, born in IA - Sophia Hitch, age 17, born in IA - Samuel Hitch, age 15, born in IA - Perry Hitch, age 13, born in IA - William Hitch, age 11, born in IA - James Slaughter, age 5, born in IA.

Isaac married Malinda Stobaugh, daughter of John Stobaugh and Margaret (?), on 08 Aug 1839 in Adams Co., IL.¹ (Malinda Stobaugh was born on 05 Dec 1820 in VA,^{4 7 8 9 10} died on 30 Mar 1898 in Fayette Co., IA ⁷ and was buried about 02 Apr 1898 in Pleasant Grove Cemetery, Fayette Co., IA ⁷.)