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Ancestors of William Edgar McNett

Generation No. 4


      8. Adam ( McKnight) McNitt, born 15 Sep 1763 in Rutland, Worchester Co., Mass.; died 25 Jun 1848 in Berkshire, Delaware County, Ohio. He was the son of 16. David (McNutt) McNitt and 17. Martha Patrick. He married 9. Margaret Clark Jan 1781 in Ashfield, Franklin Co., Mass..

      9. Margaret Clark, born Abt. 1767 in Ashfield, Massachusetts; died Abt. 1817 in Stockton, Chautauqua County, New York.

Notes for Adam ( McKnight) McNitt:
                                                      Adam was a private in the Revolutionary War. He enlisted January 31, 1781 in Shelburne, Mass., and served in Colonel Benjamin Tupper's 10th Mass. Regiment for a term of twenty three months, three days and was pensioned May 21, 1818 in Chautauqua County New York. (Chautauqua is situated on Lake Erie, in the south west corner of the state.) He is noted in his enlistment as being 5 ft. 7 in. light complexion and light color hair. He married Margaret Clark of Ashfield, then only fourteen. They remained in Massachusetts until 1812, when they moved to Stockton in Chautauqua County, New York. Some of their children followed them there. (Adam is listed as making one of the earliest purchases of land in Stockton. In 1816 Calvin Hitchcock, Edward Ellis, and Adam McNitt are listed as purchasing land in Township 4, Range 12). Margaret died there at the age of fifty, the mother and grandmother of nearly eighty persons. Three years later, Adam married his second wife, a widow, Mercy Searles of Ellery, New York. They moved to Granville, Licking County, Ohio by 1830; by 1834, according to land deed records, to Bennington Township in Licking County, and then to Genoa Township, Delaware County by 1838 with several of their children. Some of them moved on to Cumberland and Cole counties in Illinois, and beyond. David and James remained in New York. Adam and Mercy are buried in Sunbury, Ohio. His tombstone reads, "Adam McNitt, Patriot of the Revolution". His wife's tombstone reads Mercy McNett, wife of Adam. The 1840 census lists him as McKnight, living in Genoa Twp. His Revolutionary War Pension application names him as McKnight and McNitt in later pension record. So, the spelling of the name changed from McKnight to McNitt to McNett during their lifetime. Peter V. Searles and his wife Jane are buried near Adam and Mercy in the Sunbury Cemetery.       ______________________________________________________________________

REVOLUTIONARY WAR PENSION

Adam's application for his Revolutionary War pension benefits filed June 30, 1820 says that he was almost destitute and listed his real & personal property.....He says ".......my son who lives with me & myself have partly cleared about 20 acres.....we have built a log house .... in which we reside, also a small log barn. I am infirm and unable to labor.....My son Ezra who is about 18 years old lives with me, and is the whole support of the family........My daughter Molly is 12 years old and attends to the domestic affairs of the house......her mother being dead...........We are poor and were it not for the exertions and industry of my son Ezra we could not get a subsistence. We subsist principally on bread and the milk we get from two cows that feed on the herbage that grows in the surrounding woods".
He further said "...we sleep on straw beds.....and we have no chairs nor tables we sit and eat on stools made with planks which we have split out of logs ourselves."
He listed personal property including 1 yoke of oxen, 2 yearling heifers, 1 calf.......also 5 small hogs which run in the woods, 10 fowls.......also listed meager personal tools, cooking items, etc. Ezra 18, Prudence 14, Molly 12, Harriet 8, Alvina 7 lived with Adam, now a widower in that small log house. Adam married Mercy Searles a year later, in November 1821. She, a widow with young children as well. Combining their meager resources, they remained in New York for another nine years before moving to Ohio. By the time they were in Ohio, they had somehow overcome their poverty and were able to make significant land purchases. Adam bought land in Licking County , Ohio as early as 1830.
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WESTERN NEW YORK LAND TRANSACTIONS 1825-1835 (from Ancestry.com):

Oct.18, 1813... Lot 13 Section 4 Township 1 Range 2 Ref. 494 page 63
Oct. 8, 1816... Lot 13 Section 4 Township 1 Range 2 Ref. 506 page 184
Nov. 1, 1828....Lot 12 Section 4 Township 1 Range 2 Ref. 506 Page 166
June 2, 1828.... Lot 12 " 4 " 1 " 2 " 506 " 152
Feb. 23, 1829...Lot 12 "      4 " 1 " 2 " 507 "      143
Mar. 21, 1829..Lot 12 " 4 " 1 " 2 " 507 " 128
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LICKING COUNTY
REAL ESTATE RECORDS

Licking County Deed Book N, page 370....June 24,1830 Aurelius and Catherine Thrall sold 96 and three fourths acres to Adam McNitt and James Mallory (his son-in-law, husband of Olive Searles) formerly of New York, Lot number five in the first division in the fifth range of lots in Range 13, Township 2, Section 2 (96 acres in Granville Township) for the sum of $1000.

Deed Book P, page 511........October, 1831 James B. Mallory sold to Adam McNitt of Licking County for $500., one equal undivided half of parcel lying in Range 13, Twp.2, Sec. 2, U.S.M. Lands being lot # 5 of lots surveyed by the Licking Land Company. Estimated to contain 96 and three fourth acres.

Deed Book Q, page 348........November 30, 1832 Jacob Cook sold to Adam McNitt _____ acres for $1000 in Range 14, Twp. 4, Sec. 3 (Bennington Twp.)

Deed Book __, page__.........Thomas Fry sold to Adam McNitt 31 acres in Range 14, Twp. 4, Sec. 3

One of particular interest is the sale of a parcel of land "on the road between Granville and Hartford in consideration of the sum of one dollar, sold to the Trustees of the Christian Church of Bennington Township to build a meeting house for the worship of God". This is also mentioned in the History of Licking County. It says "....they were enabled to erect a frame church building; this church was dedicated August 16, 1835, Rev. I.N. Walters preaching the dedicatory sermon."
This transaction is recorded in Licking County Deed Book W, pgs 528-8................... November 10, 1835, a part of lot no. 2, sec. 3, township 4, range 14. Abram C. Been, Jesse Vanfossen, & Elijah Lake were listed as Trustees of the Church.

Deed Book W, pages 688-9.........December 3, 1835, Adam McNitt sold 12 acres being part of lot 2, sec. 3, twp. 4, range 14 for $142.

Deed Book CC, pages 422-23, May 9, 1836, Benjamin G. Carroll and Hannah his wife sold Adam McNitt of Licking County, for $331., land in Licking Co. lying in the south half of lot 25, in section 4 of the 4th township, 14th range U.S.M. containing 75 and one half acres.

Deed Book CC, pages 423-424............July 6, 1836, Adam McNitt and Mercy his wife sold the above to Lewis Searls for $302. This same lot was afterwards sold by Lewis Searles, October 11, 1837, to Martin Light of Licking County for $900. This is recorded in Deed Book CC, page 425. Witnessed by P. Searles & Abram McNitt

Deed Book CC, pages 363-4..........October 9, 1837 Adam McNitt sold to Jeremiah Shumway for $2000. Lot no. 2. Sec. 3, Twp.4, Range 14. Witnessed by Lewis Searles & B.G. Carroll.

There are other transactions, mostly in Bennington Township, involving James and Olive Searles Mallory; Abraham and Louisa McNitt; Peter Searles, Asahel Searles; and Lewis and Lucy Searles all giving proof of the family in Licking County prior to moving to Delaware County sometime before 1839.

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DELAWARE COUNTY
REAL ESTATE RECORDS
                                                      Delaware County Deed Book Vol. 19, page 70.......May 15, 1839 Adam bought 190 acres extending from the Genoa/Harlem Twp. line west to Big Walnut Creek from David C. Carpenter and Sarah Carpenter, Alvah Smith and Katherine Smith for $2000.
being the north part of section four, township three, range seventeen and designated on the plat made by James Eaton as the east part of lot one. Witnessed by Peter V. Searles & H. Scovell.
Ira W. and Phebe (Sebring) Searles were living in adjacent property in the 1840 census.

Deed Book Vol. 27, page 664...............This property was sold to John Roberts in June 1842. William Sebring had property just north of this location, and Josiah Sebring had property just south. Witnessed by Alexander Smith & Asahel Searles.

Deed Book Vol. 26 page 476.....September 4, 1841 Adam McNitt sold 43 acres in Genoa Twp. to John Vantassel for $430. Witnessed by Lewis Searles & Evy Adams

Deed Book Vol. 26, page 631.........October 8, 1845 Adam bought 95 acres in the Sunbury area from Stephen Bennet for $2200. "part of lot no. eight in the east tier of lots in section one, in township four, and range seventeen." That is apparently where he resided until his death in 1848. Deed witnessed by Caleb Roberts & Lenora S. Brown.

Delaware County Deed Book, Vol.28, page 643.........May 16, 1846 Adam sold a small portion of this property to Phebe Stanton for five dollars, being one quarter of an acre of land along the road from Sunbury to Berkshire. Witnessed by Caleb & Eliza Roberts.

Deed Book Vol. 32, page 638...This land was bought by Asahel B. Searles in June 1849, from Adam's estate for $1500 exception of one quarter of an acre situated in the south east corner between the road leading from Sunbury to Berkshire and the south line of said lot which reserved piece was deeded away by McNitt in his lifetime."
And sold by Searles in April 1853. (Deed Book Vol. 35, pages 149-50)
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CENSUS RECORDS

1790 census.....In Buckland, Hampshire County, Massachusetts. In his household were 1 free white male over age 16, 2 under age 16, 2 free white females. This would have been Adam, Margaret, James, and David.

1800 census.....same location with one male under ten, two 10-15, one 27-45, one female under 10, one 10-15, and one 27-45.

1810 census....same location. one male under ten, two 10-16, two 16-25, and one over 45, four females under ten, one 10-16, two 16-25, & one 26-45. Listed next is James McNitt with one male 16-25, two females under ten, & one 16-25.

1820 census.....In Chautauqua, Chautauqua County, New York....two males 16-26, one 26-45, one over 45, two females under 10, & two 10-16.

In Chautauqua, Chautauqua, New York is widow Mercy Sarles...two males under ten, one 16-26, one female under ten, one 10-16, one 16-26, & one over 45.
Also in Chautauqua County were the families of David McNitt, Reuben Bates, Calvin Hitchcock, Edward Ellis.

1830 census....I believe Mercy & Adam were in the home of James & Olive Searles Mallary in Granville, Licking County, Ohio. In that household were two males 15-20, one 30-40, one 60-70 (Adam), one female 5-10, one 20-30, & one 50-60 (Mercy).

1840 census....In Genoa Twp. Delaware County, one male 20-30 (Ezra), one male 70-80, and one female 60-70.
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More About Adam ( McKnight) McNitt:
Burial: Jun 1848, Sunbury, Ohio Cemetery

More About Margaret Clark:
Burial: Unknown, Chautauqua County, New York

More About Adam McNitt and Margaret Clark:
Marriage: Jan 1781, Ashfield, Franklin Co., Mass.
     
Children of Adam McNitt and Margaret Clark are:
  i.   James McNitt, born 1786 in Buckland, Franklin, Mass.; died Abt. 1851 in Stockton, Chautauqua County, New York; married Roba Jones 27 Nov 1805 in Buckland, Franklin Co., Massachusetts; born 1787 in Massachusetts; died Unknown.
  Notes for James McNitt:
1850 census, Stockton, Chautauqua County, New York. Farmer, property, $700.

  More About James McNitt and Roba Jones:
Marriage: 27 Nov 1805, Buckland, Franklin Co., Massachusetts

  ii.   David McNitt, born 03 Jan 1789 in Buckland, Franklin, Mass.; died 13 May 1860 in Stockton, Chautaugua County, New York; married Jemima Ellis 18 Oct 1814 in Buckland, Franklin Co., Massachetts21; born 09 Apr 1791 in Stockton, Chautaugua County, New York; died 15 Sep 1862 in Stockton, Chautaugua, New York.
  Notes for David McNitt:
In Chautauqua County New York by 1820. David and Jemima were parents of six daughters and two sons. It is believed that Jemima is the sister of Hulda Ellis, wife of Ezra McNitt. There was a census in 1845 at Stockton listing heads of household, how many persons living at home, and how many yards of cloth made by each family. It gives Adam Jr. 6 persons and 40 yards of cloth; David 5 persons and 28 yards of cloth; James 5 persons and no cloth produced.

1850 Census, in Stockton Chautauqua Co., New York. Female, Volusia S. McNitt, age 15 living with him and Jemima.

1860 census David, 71 and Jemima, 69 in same location. David a laborer with real estate valued at $200.

  More About David McNitt:
Burial: May 1860, Old Stockton Cemetery

  Notes for Jemima Ellis:
Jemima, wife of David McNitt was probably a sister of Hulda Ellis who married Ezra McNett. Daniel Ellis, son of Edward Ellis born in New York married Lucinda Searles, daughter of Mercy and Peter. Also, Martha Ellis married Alexander Merchant, in whose home we found Edgar in the census of 1850. (I believe they are all siblings)


  More About Jemima Ellis:
Burial: Sep 1862, Old Stockton Cemetery

  More About David McNitt and Jemima Ellis:
Marriage: 18 Oct 1814, Buckland, Franklin Co., Massachetts21

  iii.   Sarah (Sallie) McNitt, born Abt. 1790; died Bef. 1850; married Leonard Pike 22 Nov 1806 in Buckland, Franklin Co., New York; born 20 Feb 1784 in Whitingham, Windam, Vermont; died 20 Mar 1868.
  Notes for Sarah (Sallie) McNitt:
Died fairly young, leaving three children . Died prior 1850, her share of Adam's estate was noted as "by her heirs".


  More About Leonard Pike:
Burial: Unknown, Spragueville, St Lawrence County, New York

  More About Leonard Pike and Sarah McNitt:
Marriage: 22 Nov 1806, Buckland, Franklin Co., New York

  iv.   Abigail (Naba) McNitt, born 1791 in Massachusetts; died Aft. 1880; married Calvin Hitchcock; born Abt. 1795 in New York; died Unknown.
  Notes for Abigail (Naba) McNitt:
Had five children. A widow, she was living in Stockton, Chautauqua County, New York in 1880. Living with her were her three unmarried daughters Abigail, Sally, and Louisa.

  More About Abigail (Naba) McNitt:
Census: 1880, Stockton, Chautauqua, New York

  Notes for Calvin Hitchcock:
In Chautauqua County New York by 1820 and remained there.

In Stockton, Chautauqua County at the 1850 census, Calvin 55, Abigail 54, Sally 31, Lucy 25, and Loisa 23. Calvin's occupation listed...laborer.

1860 census Calvin, 65, Abigail 67, Abigail 42, Lucy 34, Louisa 32. same location. Calvin, a laborer.

1870 census Calvin, Abigail, Sally, Louisa all in the same location.

By 1880 he had died; Abigail a widow living with her three unmarried daughters.

  v.   Abraham (Abram) McNitt, born 1795 in Massachusetts; died Aft. 1850 in Illinois; married (1) Louisa Savage Abt. 1819; born Abt. 1800; died Abt. 1843 in Ohio; married (2) Rebecca Ann Steeples 04 Apr 1844 in Clark County, Illinois22; born in Illinois; died Unknown.
  Notes for Abraham (Abram) McNitt:

Licking County Deed Book TT, pages 21-2.........October 10, 1837 Abraham McNitt & Louis (Louisa) his wife sold for $372. to Jacob Robb 31 acres in the "southeast corner of the third quarter in the fourth township in the fourteenth range". Witnessed by Lewis Searls and B.G. Carroll.




Abraham came with his father to Ohio and owned property in Genoa Township, Delaware County in the 1840 census....one male 5-10, one male 10-15, one male 40-50, one female under five, one female 5-10, one female 10-15, one 15-20 and one 30-40.

He later migrated to Illinois along with Reuben and Willard Bates. In 1850, he was near Marshall and Willard Bates. Living with him were three children....Amplis ? G. age 9 months born in Ohio, Martha age 5 born in Illinois, and David 8 months old born in Illinois. Daughter, Mercy living in the adjacent property in the home of Zera Benedict.


  More About Abraham McNitt and Louisa Savage:
Marriage: Abt. 1819

  vi.   Adam Jr. McNitt, born 09 Apr 1799 in Worcester, Mass.; died 12 Jul 1857 in Stockton, Chautauqua County, New York; married Marilla Ann Unknown; born 1806 in Rensselaer, New York; died 19 Sep 1873 in Stockton, Chautaugua County, New York.
  Notes for Adam Jr. McNitt:
Western New York Land Transactions, Ancestry.com     
Dec. 12, 1829....Lot 19, Sec 4, Twp. 1, Range 2 Vol.507, page 128.

1850 census...Chautauqua County, New York visit 71, John Ellis is visit 73, Alexander Merchant is visit 66, David McNitt, visit 59. Several Beldon's & Mallory's listed on the same pages.

  More About Adam Jr. McNitt:
Burial: Unknown, Greenwood Cemetery

  More About Marilla Ann Unknown:
Burial: Unknown, Greenwood Cemetery

  vii.   Martha (Patty) McNitt, born Abt. 1800; died Unknown; married Unknown Bates; died Unknown.
  Notes for Martha (Patty) McNitt:
           

  viii.   Levi McNitt, born 1800 in Buckland, Franklin, Mass.; died Bef. 1850.
  Notes for Levi McNitt:
Western New York Land Transactions (Ancestry.com) :
Mar. 4, 1830... Lot 25 STR 311....Vol. 508...page 108
These parcels mention both Levi & John Jr. McNitt :
Mar. 20, 1824...Lot 45 STR 310...Vol. 510...page 84
Mar. 20, 1824...Lot 45 STR 310...Vol. 502...page 52                  



Levi is not mentioned in the land sales settling Adam McNitt's estate. He apparently died prior to 1850.

  4 ix.   Ezra McNitt, born 1802 in Buckland, Franklin, Mass.; died 1839 in Genoa Twp., Delaware County, Ohio; married Hulda Ellis.
  x.   Susannah McNitt, born 1804 in Worcester, Mass.; died Aft. 1870 in Cumberland County, Illinois; married Reuben Bates; born Abt. 1800 in New York; died Aft. 1870 in Illinois.
  Notes for Susannah McNitt:
Had four children. Lived in Illinois with Willard Bates age 28 in 1850.


  More About Susannah McNitt:
Census: 1850, Living in home of Willard Bates, age 28

  Notes for Reuben Bates:
A Roswell Bates is noted in several records of Chautauqua County, he is buried in the same cemetery as David and Jemima McNitt. He is probably Reuben's father.

Susannah and Reuben are in Genoa Twp. Delaware County by 1840. Two males 10-15, two males 15-20, one male 40-50, one female under five, and one female 40-50.
           
He is not listed in the 1850 census, his wife, Susannah living in the home of Willard Bates in Cumberland County, Illinois.

1860 census... There is a Rush Bates listed in Hurricane District, Cumberland County, age 63, born in Vermont, a minister, wife Susannah aged 54 born in Massachusetts, Willard age 34, a Teacher and Harvey age 15 born in Ohio. At the same location as Willard Bates family.

1870 census... has a Ruben Bates age 70, a minister, Susannah age 64 born in Massachusetts, Evaline Bates age 33 born in New York, Henry Bates age 25 born in Ohio, and Isabell Linnabary age 12 born in New York.



  xi.   Prudence McNitt, born 12 Jul 1807 in Buckland, Franklin, Mass.; died Bef. 1850; married (1) Marvin Davis; died Unknown; married (2) Emulus Davis; died Unknown.
  Notes for Prudence McNitt:
Had one son and one daughter. (MacNauchten Saga).

Found Emelus Davis in the 1840 census. Stockton, Chautauqua New York. One male 5-10. one male 15-20, one male 30-40; one female under 5 and one female 30-40. This is one more male, but could be by emelus' first marriage.



  xii.   Mary (Molly) McNitt, born 1808 in Buckland, Franklin, Mass.; died Bef. 1880 in Hartfield, Chautauqua Co. New York; married (1) Elijah (Elias) Scofield; born 1807 in New York; died Aft. 1880 in New York; married (2) William Scovill; died Unknown.
  Notes for Mary (Molly) McNitt:
Bore five children.
Called Molly in Adam's Revolutionary War Pension application.


  Notes for Elijah (Elias) Scofield:
1850 census finds Elias Scofield 42, NY, Mary 41, Mass. and family in Ellery, Chautauqua, New York. A farmer with real estate valued at $4000. All children born in New York.
1860 census in Chautauqua, Chautauqua, New York........land valued at $12000. personal property, $1500.
1870 census, same location... value of land is $1400, property $4000.
1880 census in Chautauqua, Chautauqua County, daughter, Weltha age 22 living with him.

  xiii.   Harriett B. McNitt, born 1809 in Buckland, Franklin, Mass.; died Aft. 1880 in New York; married Joseph (Joshua) Totman; born 1800 in Massachussetts; died Unknown.
  Notes for Harriett B. McNitt:
Harriett had seven sons & four daughters.                               A widow, she was living in 3rd Ward Syracuse, Onondaga County, New York in 1880.

  More About Harriett B. McNitt:
Census: 1880, Syracuse, Onondaga, New York

  Notes for Joseph (Joshua) Totman:
In Chautauqua County, New York by 1830, one male child under five.

In 1860 and 1870, in Stockton, Chautauqua County, a farmer with land valued at $1000, personal property at $275.

  xiv.   Elvira (Alvina) McNitt, born 1809 in Massachusetts; died Unknown; married Norman Ladd; born 1805 in Connecticut; died Aft. 1880.
  Notes for Norman Ladd:
Living in Ohio by 1840 (daughter, Nancy born in Ohio); in Richland Precinct in Clark County, Illinois in 1850 at the time of the census, occupation, laborer; with youngest son age six, born in Illinois; and in Parker, Clark County, Illinois in 1860-1880.

In 1880, Nancy 39, and Sarah 26, unmarried; and grandchildren Margaret and Norman living with them.

In the 1920 census, Nancy and Sarah living next to Norman in Clark County, Illinois.

  More About Norman Ladd:
Occupation: 1850, Farmer



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