Joshua Hitch

In a Maryland Chancery Court Case dated Jan 1 1805, the case Littleton Aires vs. Joshua and William Hitch and heirs-at-law of William Elgate Hitch states that Joshua was a minor of about 8 yrs old during a Aug 14 1805 deposition by Mary Hitch, their mother and guardian. (MSA S512-126, MdHR 17,898-115-1; MdCC-64:234/262)

In the Commissioners of the Tax Ledger for Election District 1 in Somerset County in 1823, Joshua Hitch is assessed as follows: ·Negro Asa (age 52), a carpenter: $120 ·2 beds etc., gold watch: $50 ·John _____ for slaves Charles and sister??: $160 ·Sarah Handy for slaves John (age 41) and Nancy (age 14): $160 ·Thomas Roberts for land "Flower Field"; 57.75 acres: $170 (SoTA-1823:195)

On Dec 16 1823, Joshua Hitch made two transactions with Thomas Roberts, both of Somerset County. The first was for a 25 acre tract called "Addition to Flower Field" and the second, Joshua paid $400 for another 47¾ acre tract called "Addition to Flower Field". (SoLR-GH1:389,391) On Feb 9 1824, Joshua Hitch and Thomas Roberts paid $400 to John W. Leatherbury, all of Somerset County for a 73¾ acre tract called "Addition to Flower Field". (SoLR-GH1:457) On Jul 8 1828, Joshua Hitch was highest bidder at 80¢ per acre for a 100 acre tract called "Addition" and an 80 acre tract called "Addition to Long Run." He paid the money to Robert Stewart, Esq., Sheriff of Somerset County. (SoLR-GH4:252,254, resp.)

In the Somerset County Tax Assessment Ledger for 1830, Quantico District, Joshua Hitch is assessed for the following: ·"Dumbarton", 285a: $1425 ·"Addition", "Addition to Anderson?", "Long Run"; all total 170a: $595 ·"Partners Choice", 75a: $95 ·Humphrey's Mill & Lot: $100 ·"Calcutta", "Cuba", "Bellaire", 298a: $595 ·Slaves Will (age 60), Phillis (52), Acy (59): $110 ·Charles (27), Peter (18), John (22): $900 ·Bill (14), Lee (7), Erasmus (5): $325 ·unknown (2), ditto (2): $60 ·John (50), Bill Sr. (40), Candis (40): $350 ·Anne (10), unknown (1 month), Nancy (60, infirm, $0): $90 ·Nancy (25), Mary (23), Milly (12): $550 ·Maria (14), Casey (10), 2 horses: $370 ·1 horse, 2 colts, 2 yoke of oxen: $100 ·10 cattle, 10 hogs, 1 Gig: $110 ·2 stills, 12 oz. Plate, other: $75 ·5 beds etc.: $50 TOTAL: $5900 1832 added: ·To a list for Daniel, Silvey, 2 horses: $250 ·2 yoke oxen, 8 cattle, 13 hogs: $115 ·2 beds, 3 oz. Plate, other: $35 ·To Shiles Crockett, 1 horse: $40 ·To Esther Ballard, slaves Milley (40), Isaac (6 mo.): $110 TOTAL: $6450 1832 added: ·By slaves Asa, Milly, Casey exported: $260 1833 added: ·By Peter (dead), Milly exported: $450 ·By Maria, Casey: $230 ·By Silvey (runaway), 2 horses: $120 1835 added: ·By John (exported): $300 ·By amount of Capt. John Turner property (exported): $900 ·By sundries for 2 horses, 1 ditto: $120 - By slave Silvey (runaway), yoke oxen (dead):$75 TOTAL: $2455 ·By amount transferred to Folio 167: $5610 TOTAL: $8065 1832 added: ·To amount debit brought forward: $6450 ·To Silvia (age 6): $50 ·To Capt. John Turner for all his personal property: $900 1833 added: ·To Mrs. Eleanor Handy for 115½a: $460 1834 added: ·To Doctor Johnson for 2 horses: $80 1835 added: ·To Thomas J. Aires for 1 yoke oxen: $25 1836 added: ·To Hannah Hearn for negro Easter: $100 (SoTA-1830:65)

On Oct 1 1831, Joshua Hitch sold Richard C. Woolfolk 1 negro man age 46, 1 mulatto girl Milly age 15, and 1 mulatto girl Caleb age 14. (SoLR-GH6:84). In the newspaper, the Village Herald in Princess Anne, there is an article in Nov 11 1834 regarding Benjamin Dashiell and Joshua Hitch who offered reward for two escaped negroes; Mingo, about age 30, 5'-6" or 8" and John, about age 25, 5'-10". On Dec 2 1834, Lorenzo Dow Simpson, a mulatto, age 12 on Nov 24 1834, was assigned as an apprentice to learn farming from Joshua Hitch (farmer), released by his mother, Nancy Simpson. (SoAdmBonds-JP13:17)

Joshua Hitch is listed in the 1840 Federal Census in Baltimore County (3rd District) on page 104 with one male age 20-30, one male age 40-50, one free colored person age 10-24 and 12 slaves.

In the Somerset County Assessment Ledger, Joshua Hitch is listed in Election District 9 ledger, Salisbury, and assessed as follows: Joshua Hitch, 1842: ·To "Dumbarton", 285a:$1710 ·To "Calcutta", "Bell Air", 298a:$1190 ·To 1 mill at Wm Town?: $100 ·To Mary (22): $250 Total: $3250 1844 added: ·by error in this a/c: $3250 (SoTA-1841/52:63)

In 1850 for District 2 in Baltimore Co., he is shown to have slaves age 30M, 28M, 25M, 20M, 35F, 30F, 25F, 18F, 25F, 12M, 10M, 6F, 4F, 9F, 7F, 6M, 5M. He is listed as the Postmaster for Harewood, MD in 1842, 1852-1855, 1860 and 1865.

In the 1860 Census, Joshua Hitch is listed alone in a household as age 65, a farmer, in District 12, Baltimore Co., MD with 7 slaves ages 55F, 50F, 28F, 19M, 14M, 12M, 5M.

An account of Joshua Hitch is given in the book "The Underground Railroad, Authentic Narratives & First Hand Accounts" by William Still, a black abolitionist, underground railroad facilitator and author in the 19th century. In his account, "Slaveholder in Maryland with Three Colored Wives," he speaks of James Griffin, aka Thomas Brown, a slave of Joshua Hitch in the 1850s who tilled soil for him on a farm about 17 miles from Baltimore. James spoke favorably of his master and even gave him credit for working his escape from slavery.

Evidently, Hitch had become quite indebted and the Sheriff was frequently visiting him on behalf of his creditors. This meant that there was a likelihood that James and the other slaves would soon be sold at auction to satisfy debts. Besides James, there were three other slaves, all females, in the household. As Still writes, "one of them was his chief housekeeper, and with them all his social relationships were of such a nature to lead James and others to think and say that they were all his wives"! James Griffin's own words were, "he had three slave women: two were sisters, and he lived with them all as his wives; two of them he was very fond of" and he desired to keep them from being sold if possible. The third he felt he could not save from being sold.

Hitch allowed James some time off with his full consent to go find a good master in Baltimore. James took the opportunity to NOT search for slave holders but to procure a ticket on the Underground Railroad (UGRR) towards Canada. And so, he began to WALK towards Canada in the remaining five days of his "time off." After a couple days, he made it into Pennsylvania and was directed by people clandestinely supporting the UGRR and sent him to Philadelphia where he met with the Vigilance Committee and received more aid and directions of how to get to Canada.

Though we do not know for sure if he made it there, it is likely he did. William writes of James Griffin's background as being 31 years old at the time "rather a fine looking man of chestnut color and quite intelligent." He had been a married man but became a 'widower' in the fact that his wife was sold away from him after two years to North Carolina. In those two years, he received only three letters from her and finally gave up on ever seeing her again. He had two boys - Edward and William living in Baltimore that he "was obliged to leave". He was unable to know what happened to them either, once he made it to Philadelphia.

Still then describes Joshua Hitch as "a man of about 50 years [note: this compiler knows he was born in what is now Wicomico Co., MD in January of 1797] - who had never been lawfully married, yet had a number of children on his place who were of great concern to him in the midst of other pressing embarrassments [i.e.; his mounting debts]. While the Committee, whom William Still was a leader, never learned how Hitch's matters were settled after James left, it suspects that his wives, sisters Nancy & Mary, and Lizzie, with all the children had to be sold (however, un 1860, it seems he still owned them.