Re: Margaret daughter of John PITTS and Mahalia Yarbrough

My great-grandmother, Mary Emma Pitts Thomas, was a youngersister of Margaret Ellen Pitts Dison.She married John Anderson Thomas, son of David A. Thomas & Alcey McCain.My grandfather, his siblings, even my mother and her sisters, knew some of the Disons.
Have you seen the Pitts ancestry given in the Bicentennial Hist. of Newberry Co., S.C.?John Moore Pitts was the son of Nathan & Martha Floyd Pitts.Nathan's father William (m. Eliz. Davenport, supposedly) was a son of Henry & Hannah Collier Pitts who came from Virginia to S.C.His lineage as published in books by Doreecie Pitts Pierce, her daughter Marianna Frost, & her granddaughter Olivia Harrington, as well as Hazel Anderson's book, is questionable.Have you read Leonardo Andrea's manuscript on Pitts of S.C.? The Pitts of Isle of Wight Co., VA. are confusing to me.There appear to be many errors in all the published accounts (the ones I've read), including "Southside Virginia Families" by John Bennett Boddie, and Boddie's "Historical Southern Families."The three immigrant brothers were Col. Robert Pitt, Henry & Thomas (has anyone researched Thomas?).The Hardys also are confusing to me.Boddie's list of the Hardy girls' husbands conflicts with Stella Pickett Hardy's in "Some Colonial Families of the Southern U.S."
Like the Hardys, the Collier immigrants were of royal ancestry and their documented lineage is more accurate than what's been published on Pitts or Hardy.Of course, Pierce, Frost, Anderson & Harrington published erroneous pedigrees of Hannah Collier's lineage, too.
A book on the family of John Floyd & Nancy Andrews' family, at the Ala. State Archives, shows her Floyd ancestry back to the Welsh immigrant, and there is also a little on the Floyds in the Bicentennial History of Newberry.I have a copy of a letter from the author of the Floyd book in which she cites a book called "Early Floyds of Pike Co., Ala." as containing much info. on our ancestors, as well as "The Andrews-Maxey Family" by James Ray Andrews Sr., but I've yet to find these two books.The letter gave the direct line to the immigrants, however, and I find these families at the Floyd & Andrews websites, too.
Mahalia Yarbrough Pitts was the daughter of Reuben Yarbrough & Cynthia Short, whose plantation was near Hanover, Coosa Co., though they had a townhouse in Rockford, too.You've probably seen Col. Avant's book Colonial Southern Families, vol. 5, which is primarily the Yarbroughs.Reuben's father Jeptha was Col. Avant's ancestor.Jeptha, a War of 1812 veteran (and nephew of the Revolutionary War soldier of the same name, though many have said he was the same man) & wife Nancy Ann are buried with sons Jeptha Jr. & Franklin & their families at Beulah methodist Church, Lee Co., Ala. (formerly part of Chambers Co.).They lived nextdoor, gave the land & founded the church.Their graves have raised tombs of big old rocks.Franklin is said to have owned more land & more slaves than anyone in the county.He's mentioned on several pages in The History of Lee Co. by Alexr. Nunn.
Do you know Nancy Ann's maiden name?Jeptha's parents were Joshua & Susanna Thompson Yarbrough.She was a daughter of Benjamin & sister of Jennings & Drury Thompson.The Thompsons are confusing -- many Drurys, a name connected with the Pitts, Bridgers, Drivers, & Norsworthys of Isle of Wight Co., VA.Joshua is traced back to Thomas Yarbrough, reputed son of the immigrant Richard Yarbrough.Richard's ancestry in England is presently being authenticated and revised by the Yarbrough historians.There are two different versions, one very likely, but they're two related branches and go back into antiquity.
Cynthia Short Yarbrough was the daughter of John Wall Short & 1st wife Cynthia Hawthorn, who died in Jackson Co., Ala. 1810, where he married 2nd wife Eliz. Garrett.They came to Clay Co./Randolph Co., Ala., & are buried at Old Union Cemetery.John Wall Short's ancestry to the immigrant is given in "Short, An Early Virginia Family," by Josephine S. Lynch, 1972.Cynthia Hawthorne was kin to Peter Hawthorne of Brunswick Co, VA, but I'm confused about the Hawthornes.
I have much more family history on paper which I will be glad to snail-mail if you'll send me your mailing address.My email is isbell@iar.net.There is a James Pitts who has spent several years now tabulating John & Mahalia's descendants, and he listed many of the Disons.He is responsible for some pretty regular Pitts reunions, but I don't know if he has email.
One of my aunts married a Haynes, who was her McCain cousin as well as a descendant of Dreadsil/Dretsel Pace, who I thought I read was a son of Drury Pace.Do you have information on Drury's descendants?I suppose you know that the late Pace historian, Miss Maude Kelly of Sylacauga, was a descendant of his.She was Alabama's first female attorney, the first woman to try a case before the U.S. Supreme Court, etc.My grandfather O.L. Thomas was a good friend of her brother, "Red" Kelly, who married an Oden, his cousin.They lived at the historic Oden-Bledsoe-Kelly House (1842) in Sylacauga, which Miss Maud's grandfather Bledsoe bought after Capt. Henry Penn Oden (who m. Sarah Ann Frances Thomas) was killed at Vicksburg.Across the road is the Oden-Hunter-Dickson House (also 1842) where my 2nd cousin lives.She is Linda Hollingsworth Dickson, granddaughter of Lydia Thomas Hammond, daughter of Emma Pitts Thomas.The Kellys, who were Pace descendants, were kin to the Odens through the Busseys, and both the Kellys and Odens would be distant cousins of the Pitts through the Colliers.Tell me what your Pace lineage is.I don't know if these Kellys were related to the Kelleys who married into the Yarbrough family.
Why did they call him "Col." John Moore Pitts?So far as I know, he never saw any military service.Was it a courtesy title?He was given a Justice of the Peace commission after the War because he had NOT been a Confederate soldier, though some relatives want to believe he was.He owned several farms and slaves before the war,
Emma told my grandmother several things about her parents.They owned several farms and slaves before the war (I've yet to find a census that lists slaves, but there were many black Pitts families in Talladega Co. after 1870.They are listed in both Talladega Co. & Coosa Co. in the 1850 census.He owned the land where Clairmont Springs is (& is mentioned in the book HISTORIC HOTELS & RESORTS OF ALABAMA) in northern Clay County, another farm in southern Clay Co., and othersat different times.I've intended to go through the deedbooks one of these days, but haven't.Have you?
Sincerely yours, Ray Isbell.