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The Watts On-line
Issue No. 15
February 14, 1997


Happy Valentines Day!  Keep those submission of research coming.  How about some of you who are doing research in the Northern part of the United States. 

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Contents:

1.  Members Lines
2.  Queries
3. Statement of Mrs. Mary M. (WATTS) Pitts
4. Watts/Moore in Pennsylvania
5.  Miscellaneous
6. Butler County, Ohio Marriages
7. Clermont County, Ohio Marriage Records
8. Jefferson County, Ohio Marriage Records

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MEMBERS LINES

We have new members but no new submissions for new lines.  If you have not submitted your Watts lineage or would like to resubmit it please send it along.  This is a vital section of the newsletter because it enables us to connect with others searching our line.  If your line was submitted in early issues of the newsletter, I would suggest revising and submitting again as we add new members each week.

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QUERIES

1.  From:  hguinter@csrlink.net (Mr. & Mrs. Harold Guinter Jr.)

looking for Watts' in or from Pennsylvania

2.  From:  FShel75865@aol.com

Need info on families of Stokley R. Watts b. 1829 &Mary Hendrix Watts b.1834.

Children:

Mary Jane Watts b. 1852  MO; Nancy Watts1854 MO; John Watts b.1856 MO;
William Watts b. 1859; Lousia F. (Louann)Watts b.1865 MO. mrr: George W. Turner;
James H Watts b. 1869; Joseph B. Watts b.1869 MO; Ida C. Watts b.1878 MO Marr: Joseph Choate.

Appreicate your help.    Juanita

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MARY WATTS PITTS

Note:  Below is the statement of Mrs. Pitts who is a daughter of William Watts.  This is a wonderful piece of history and was sent to me by Camp Gilliam (cgilliam@intcomm.net).  I have typed it as best I could, adding a few periods etc. to help the reading along.  The statement was typed by persons unknown and  the copy is difficult to read in places.  Where I was not sure, I put question marks.  I also have added a few words in parentheses to help in placement of people but I did not add all of the words in parentheses.  Even if you are not a descendant of this line I think you will find this very interesting.  Thank you Camp for this submission!.  Lori. 

Lineage of  Ms. Mary Pitts.
Thomas Watts and Ester (Wilkins or Stone)
William Watts and Lucy Woods
William Watts and Mary Burke Smith
Mary Matilda Watts md. a Pitts.

 Statement of Mrs. Mary M. Pitts

          Captain Harris came to the Colonies in 1611, his first wife as Adra.  I do not know her last name, he was married a second time, but don’t know the name of his second wife.  his son, Major William Harris married Lucy --- her last name I do not know.  His second son, Thomas, married Mary, whose last name I do not know.  His Harris (son of Capt. Thomas Harris above named) married Obedience Turpin, a daughter of Thomas Turpin,  Thomas Turpin married Mary Jefferson, sister of Thomas Jefferson’s father.  The above mentioned John Harris and his wife Obedience Turpin Harris (niece of Thomas Jefferson) were the parents of my grandmother, Lucy Smith.  The children of John Harris and Obedience Turpin Harris were my Grandmother Lucy Smith Harris, so that my grandmother Lucy Smith was a niece of Thomas Jefferson’s father.  The above mentioned major Jordan Harris was the grandfather of Mrs. James O’Fallon.  Mrs. O’Fallon’s father was Horatio? Turpin Harris who married Keturah? L. Taylor, daughter of John James Taylor of  New Port, Kentucky  above mentioned John Harris had other children, among them Dr. Frank Harris, who was a graduate of the medical college of Edinburgh, Scotland.

         My grandmother Lucy Harris Smith was a lineal descendant of Capt. Thomas Harris who came to this Colonies in 1611 and represented Henrico County, Virginia in the House of Burgess.  His son major William Harris was also in the House of  Burgesses and his son, John Harris, a member of the Cumberland Committee of  Safety.  He married Obedience Turpin, daughter of Lt. Col. Thomas Turpin, whose wife Mary was an aunt of Thomas Jefferson.  Her father’s sister, my Grandmother, Lucy Harris, was the daughter of John and Obedience Harris.  My grandmother had three brothers and several sisters.  JordanHarris, a brother, served as Lieutenant in the Revolution:  Dr. Frank Harris, another brother of my grandmother’s was a graduate of a medical college at family of daughters and two sons--among them Hiram Harris I know very well.  My grandmother had several sisters, among them Judith Harris who married John Crittenden and became the mother of John J. ????, Attorney General and United States Senator.  Ex-Governor Thomas Crittenden is a grandson of Aunt Judith above mentioned whose husband John Crittenden was a officer of the of the Continental Line.

         My grandmother, Lucy Harris, married Obadiah Smith during the war of Revolution.  he was out on furlough when they were married and he returned and served his time out obtaining rank as major at the close of the war.  I remember hearing my grandmother often tell of little amusing incidents in his camp life.    I was 15 years old when my grandmother, Lucy Harris Smith,died.  My grandmother had quite a large family, many of the children dying very young.  I think my mother, Mary Burk Smith, was the oldest child.  My grandmother, Lucy Harris Smith, had three sons, who lived to be old men, John, Peter, and Jordan.  I think my mother’s sisters all died young.  Her oldest brother John Harris Smith, married Harriet Crittenden, his first cousin, a sister of John J. Crittenden.  The above mentioned Peter Field Field Smith both had large families.

         My uncle, Jordan Smith, youngest brother of my mother, never married.  My mother, Mary Burk Smith, married William Watts of Madison County, Virginia.  They lived near the home of President Madison.  All of my grandfather Watts’ children were baptized by the same minister, all of my mother’s children were baptized by the same.  They hauled my up and had me baptized and I was so mad I was getting to big and knew all about what was going on and I was as mad as I could be.

         The battle of the Rapidan, was fought on the farm on which my father William Watts lived, seven miles from Orange.  My mother had nine children, seven sons, two daughters.  My oldest brother (William) Bonaparte  Watts, second child Lucy Lavinia Watts, third child Obadiah Watts, forth child Mary Matilda Watts, fifth child James Jordan Watts.  Four of the children died in infancy.  One of my brothers, Obadiah Smith Watts lived to be 24 years and died in Henderson Kentucky.  My oldest brother, Dr. William B. Watts, was twice married.  His first wife was Mariah Blakey, a very beautiful woman.  His second wife was Elizabeth Ann Burton, daughter of Capt. James Burton, a soldier in the Revolutionary War.  She was very literary and well informed on almost all subjects, not many liked to get into an argument with her, as they usually got the worst of it.  My brother, Dr. William B. Watts had eight

 children.

 1.  Polly Smith Watts, married John Peter William of Harpers Ferry, Virginia
 
2.  Betty who married Charles Gilliam
 
3.  Lavinia who married Tom Ed Gilliam
 
4.  Lucy who married Harvey McCune
 
5.  William who was a soldier in the Confederate Army in the Civil War and was drowned while being pursued by the Federal soldiers.
 
6.  James Burton Watts who died in the Confederate Army.

         Polly Smith Watts, above mentioned, who married John Peter Williams, they had four children.

 1.  Samuel Watts Williams died when he was 21 years old.
 
2.  Luct La Vinia? married Jackson Sterling Rucker and had children, Gertrude Watts Rucker, Harry Hammond Rucker
 
3.  Robert James Williams married Lutie Cune of Keyteville, ? Missouri, who has one daughter, Elizabeth.
 
4.  Horace Crawley Williams who died in infancy.

         The above mentioned Betty Gilliam died leaving four children, on of them Elizabeth married Dr. Christian.  (I do not know anything about the Christian children.)  Betty Gilliam left a daughter, Fannie, who married a Dr. Love, they had one girl, Pancheta Love.  Betty also had two sons, Clauge and Fred, Twins.  They lived in Texas.  The above mentioned Lavinia Ann Watts, who married Tom Ed Gilliam had a large family of children, 7 living, 5 dying in infancy.  Of the living, George Washington married Mary Flood.  James Burton Gilliam married whom I do not know.  Lolia Gilliam and Lucy Gilliam are unmarried.  Thomas Gilliam, Jr. married Ella Clark.  They have three children Lavinia Ellen Gilliam and Thomas Burton Gilliam.

         The other children of Mrs. Tom Ed Gilliam, are William W. Gilliam, Polly Williams Gilliam who married Charles Green.  She is dead now.  Lavinia Ann Gilliam who married Dr. Newman.  I never knew my grandfather Obadiah Smith.  He died before I was born.  James and I were the youngest children of my mother.  Well there was one younger then James died when it was a week old.  James was a little younger then I was 17 months.

  Q.  Who was the father of your father, William Watts?

 A.  My grandfather was also named William Watts.

 Q.  Did you know him?

 A.  No, my grandfather Watts died when I was quite young.

          Col. Littlebury Mosby of Cumberland (afterwards Powhatan) County, Virginia was born in 1720 and died in Powhatan County, Virginia, January 14, 1809.  He was High Sheriff of Cumberland County in 1753 and a member of the revolutionist committee of Safety of the same County in 1774-75.  His brother, Poindexter Mosby of Cumberland County, served in 1758? as a Captain in the war against the French and Indians.

         Of the sons of Col. Littlebury Mosby Sr., one Wade Mosby served in the Revolutionary War as a captain in the Cavalry.  Another son, Littlebury Mosby, Jr. volunteered at an early age and served Lieutenant and Captain and was captured at Charleston.  A third son John was also in the army.

         Reference Virginia Gazette 1774
        
Richmond Enquier 1821 and 1824
        
Henning’s statutes at large Vol. 7, page 213 and good’s Virginia Coms. page 220

  Gaines Family

          Bernard Gaines, son of George and Eleanor Gaines was born in 1719 and died November 1747.  he married March 9, 1741, Elizabeth Ward, daughter of Seth Ward and had one daughter, Martha Ward Gaines, born February 17, 1742.  This daughter married Thomas Turpin son of Thomas Turpin and Mary Jefferson Turpin, his wife.  Martha Ward Turpin had the following children

 1.  Thomas Turpin III born 1758 2.  Lucy Turpin born July 15, 1774
 
3.  Obedience Jefferson Turpin (my great grandmother) born July 11, 1777, married to my great grandfather Thomas Harris.
 
4.  Sally Gaines Turpin married October 31, 1779.  Ora Francis Harris, son of  Col. John Harris and Obedience Turpin Harris (they were my grandparents) Elizabeth Ward Gaines, widow of Bernard Gaines married William Harris.

  William Harris’ first wife was Miss Osborne.  They had one daughter, Mary who married Bernard Marcum.  The children of William Harris and Elizabeth Ward Harris (widow of  Bernard Gaines) was (1) Sally Harris, born 1754, married Vincent Marcum, (2) Alice Harris, born 1756, married Frank Good.  (3) Thomas Harris, born 1762, married Caroline Matilda Harris, his first cousin, a daughter of  Col. John Harris, brother of the above William Harris, who was sometimes called “Silver William”, as he was very rich.  He lived on a large estate near Carterville, Cumberland County, Virginia.

         The issue of  Thomas and Caroline Matilda Harris, son of John Harris and daughter of  Col. John Harris (he is the son of  Elizabeth Ward Gaines, widow of Bernard Gaines)  and Obedience Turpin, his wife were:

 1.  Augustus Harris, one of the twin brothers died of wounds received in the battle in 1863
 
2.  John Barriter Harris, born April 28, 1803 married Julia Graves, who built the present Norwood House on James River in Powhatan County, Virginia.
 
3.  Caroline Matilda Harris married Dr. David.

 Q.  What your grandfather William Watts married more than once?

 A.  My grandfather was married three times.

 Q.  What was his first wife’s name

 A.  I don’t know her first name.

 Q.  Was is Miss Howard

 A.  Yes

 Q.  Are there any children of this marriage?

 A.  Yes the Watts in Virginia, their grandfather was one of them.

 Q.  Your grandfather William Watts was married three times, his first wife was a Miss Howard.

 A.  Yes and she had two children

 Q.  James Watts and Fannie Watts

          My grandfather’s second wife was Lucy Wood.  There were five children of this second marriage, three girls and two sons.  My father was the youngest of these sons of this second marriage, the other children of this second marriage were:

 1.  Martha Watts, who married Col. John White
 
2.  Lucy, who married Col. Dan Allen of Cumberland County
 
3.  Elizabeth who married Mr. Winston Durrett.  
The other children of this marriage were, the oldest Dr. Washington Watts and the youngest son was my father William Watts.

 My grandfather’s third wife was a widow, Mrs. Wills, there were no children of this marriage.

         The above mentioned James Watts, son of my grandfather’s first marriage, married Elizabeth Durrett, sister of Winston Durrett, who married Elizabeth Watts above contained.  of this marriage I remember three children, Richard, Paulins and another son whose name I cannot recall.  Richard was the father of Col. James Watts and Tom Watts of  Lynchburg, Virginia.  I do not know who Pauline married.  The above mentioned Francis, daughter of the marriage of my grandfather with Miss Howard married.  I think a man by the name of White.

 Q.  Where was your grandfather William Watts born, if you know?

 A.  I think he was born right there near where he lived in Madison County, Virginia, near Orange.  I know President Madison and his family and attended his funeral.  I was a particular friend of his niece Mrs. Madison.  I played there many times, raced through the old Madison mansion many times.

 Q.  How far was that from where you lived?

 A.  Jut three miles.  The Sarbers lived right there to. Judge Marier? James Barbery who was Governor of Virginia at one time and Minister to France.  I remember when he was sent to France, I saw his daughter when she came back with a French maid.  She couldn’t talk anything but French when she came  back.

 Q.  How old were you when you left Virginia?

 A.  I was just  twenty.  I was twenty in May and we left in September

 Q.  That was in 18??

 A.  Yes.

 Q.  Do you know what has become of the old home place?

 A.  Well we sold it to a minister, Baptist minister, by the name of Phipp, and they went there to live.  I don’t know who is there now.  Your father went there once that is all couldn’t stand to see the old place.

 Q.  How near was the Watts place to Walker’s place?

 A.  We were about four miles apart.

 Q.  The places did not join did they?

 A.  No, there was a farm between.

 Q.  What was your grandfather’s business?  Was he a farmer?

 A.  Yes he gave that farm to my father.  All his children were born there and  all of my mother’s were born in the same house.  He died there and lift the  farm to my father and as soon as he died my step-mother went away and gave  the farm to my father.

 Q.  That was the widow?

 A.  Yes, she went away and died when brother William was about 15 years old.  She had me at Hamdon? Sidney College when she died.  She took him and raised  him from the time he was 17 or 18 months old.

 Q.  What was the principal crop on the place, tobacco?

 A.  Tobacco, corn and wheat.  The fall we left the most beautiful orchard I  ever laid eyes on and the finest fruit and elegant wheat.  On the low lands  on the river I have seen the most elegant tobacco I have ever seen in my life  and the water would come up and lay it all down the river would rise and lay  it all down.  it was a beautiful farm of 450 acres.  My father had the first  ice house within 100 miles of him and people would come 50 miles to get ice  for the sick.

 Q.  How did you come from Virginia to Missouri?

 A.  We came in our private carriage to Cuyandotte? on the Ohio river, not far  from Wheeling.  When we got to Guyandotte? we had four horses and the  carriage the four of us came to St. Louis we sent the wagons on the river and  we took the boat, put the carriage on the boat.  We came down the Ohio and up  the Mississippi to St. Louis.  My sister was living there at the time.  The  Negroes drove through with the wagons, yes when we got here brother William  met us.
 
Q.  What part of the city did you live in at ???? and ???????

 A.  I stayed all that winter and spring of 1838.

 Q.  How are you related to the Lipscum’s?

 A.  ???? Lipscum father was my father’s brother, he and my father were first  cousins.

Q.  Who do you mean by Miss Lipscum, cousin --mother?

 A.  Yes, we were related to both sides of the Lipscums, two of us married
 
Lipscums, cousin - cousin Lucy married a Lipscum.

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WATTS/MOORE IN PENNSYLVANIA

I kept thinking that really do not have a lot to contribute about WATTS but I decided I would go the indexes of books I have for my other families and pull out any WATTS entries.I will send what I find from time to time.  They do not mean anything to me but someone may find  them of interest.

Source: MOORE Family Register  # 4  (December 1985 )

Petition of the court June 1826 Court in Washington County, Pennsylvania by
James WATT/wife = Nancy MOORE states: 
James MOORE late of Washington County, Pennsylvania died 1801 without issue or widow, leaving heirs-at-law, i.e., His father Robert MOORE,since desceased in 1825 and the following brothers and sisters: a) William MOORE; b) Martha m. Joseph ADAMS;  c) Margaret M. James BOAL; d) Mary M. John GILLESPIE and since deceased,leaving "Now Living" her husband John GILLESPIE and their issue: Robert, Nancy, Martha, William,Thomas & James. e) Nancy married James WATT.  The petition requests that the heirs receive one undivided fifth part of the 49 acres on Brush Run, a branch of Buffalo Creek.  This area now appears to be West Virginia.   This was submitted   to the MOORE Register by

Carolina Bruzas ALEXANDER.

Contributed by  Steve Wilson - WILLSST3@aol.com

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MISCELLANEOUS

Cleaning out my files and found this somebody sent to me a few months ago.

JIM - Jwegger@AOL.COM

Jane Watt to Valentine Hope 29-Nov-1787 Rowan Co; NC
Mary Ann Watt to Robert L. Hood 8-Jan-1849 Mecklenburg Co; NC
Nancy Watts to (Dr) William Remington April 1785 Charleston, SC

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MARRIAGE RECORDS

  Butler County, Ohio Marriages

                Watts

Spouse

Marriage Date

Watts, Vinsant

Broderick, Mary

21 Dec 1820

Watts, Israel

Deweese, Mary

14 Nov 1809

Watts, Joseph

Harden/Harder, Jemima

3 Jan 1805

Watts, Jane

McCracken, Alexander

15 Dec 1816

Watts, Susanna

Morris, Jacob

24 Mar 1814

Watts, Richard

Ward, Parmelia

20 Apr 1807

Watts, Richard

Ward, Parmen

 

  Clermont County, Ohio Marriage Records

Watts

Spouse

Marriage Date

Watts, Samuel

Davis, Jane

7 Jan 1816

Watts, William

Wamble, Caroline

30 May 1830

 Jefferson County, Ohio Marriage Records

Watts

Spouse

Marriage Date

Watts, Mason

Haines, Charles

1 Jul 1819

Watts, John

Jolly, Dellah

25 Apr 1825

Watts, Jennet

Livingston, William

2 Apr 1825

Watts, Astra

Neal, James

9 Oct 1828

Watts, James

Whitten, Julian

22 Dec 1825

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Watts’ On-Line:  Compiled from E-mail and other sources
Distributed by Lori Watts Linnell  Lorlin@aol.com


Wattsline.org
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