Dekalb Co TN Deed--District 7--David Pitman, witness

Dist 7  Dekalb Co TN Deed Recorded--David Pitman & John Linton Witnesses

Starky Cotton deed to Two Hundred and one half acres of land in Civil District No. 7 Dekalb County TN to John P Titsworth proven by the oaths of John Linden and David Pitman 21st June 1860

                                                                                                M G Martin Clk

Source:
Dekalb County, Tennessee, deeds, Feb 1857-Feb 1872, p. 106, Deed, Starky Cotton to John P Titsworth, Witnesses John Linden & David Pitman, 21 June 1860, imaged at FamilySearch(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-2RT4-S9 : accessed 4 Mar 2024), IGN 004776221, image 343 of 540; citing Dekalb County Court Clerk, Smithville, Tennessee.                                                          

Daniel Pitman--Warren Co. TN (9th Jan 1858)

I've been using FamilySearch's experimental search tool to find records that might be relevant to my research.  The search has been pretty successful at locating items for those in my Wm C Cook's FAN club a lot faster than I would have been able to without it.  I'm finding names of those who have purchased from an estate sale as well as those who were listed in deeds as owning property next to the land that was registered. 

I spend a lot of time working on the Cook line because it is the one I have not gotten back as far as my other lines.  Today it was nice to be able to find one of my maternal lines using this search tool.  Daniel Pitman(my 3rd great) is listed in a Warren Co TN Court Book in a list of folks who owed notes that were turned over to the court.  

"Tennessee Probate Court Books, 1795-1927," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-2567-Y9?cc=1909088&wc=M6QW-STL%3A179838801%2C180074401 : 22 May 2014), Warren > Inventories, Wills, 1863-1870, Vol. 04 > image 131 of 336; county courthouses, Tennessee.[The entry for Daniel Pitman is one which is a list of notes that were given to the court for collection. Most of the ones on the same list as Daniel Pitman are folks which lived in the District 6 Dekalb Co TN area even though this is a Warren Co TN Court Book ]

David Pitman(Apr 1838-11 Feb 1922)--52 Ancestors

David Pitman(Apr 1838-11 Feb 1922) is my maternal 2nd Great Grandfather. This week's 52 Ancestor prompt was "branching out" and I can think of no other ancestor of mine who fits that more than he does.  He was born near Paint Rock Alabama in 1838 to Daniel & Comfort Hatfield Pittman.  His family was in Dekalb Co TN by the 1850 Census which is where he was living when he met and married his first wife Mary D. T. Adcock(1842-1902) 22 DEC 1859.  I descend thru their daughter Nancy Florence Pittman(my Mom's Paternal Grandmother).

David's surname is spelled several different ways:  Pittman, Pitman and Pitmon.  It's also "butchered" in the 1920 census and several other documents a few times. Also, nicknamed Dave.   There are some online trees that have his name as David Harlin Pitman but I've never found anything to indicate that.  He did name one of his sons David Harlin Pittman but I've never found a record showing that name for the elder David "Dave'" Pitman.

David was in the Civil War with the Co A 16th TN Regiment(Confederate) and is listed among others that served with him in an article in the Southern Standard from 1884.  I have a copy of his 2nd wife's confederate pension application which was approved.  

There had been some tails passed down thru the family that he had made his own alcohol but I'd never found any proof until I located several Federal court case announcements at Newspapers.com.  These were spanning the years from 1873-1876.  I haven't yet been able to get copies of the cases but that is one of my top items on my to-do list in my research on him.  

In 1870 he and his wife Mary are enumerated in the Florence District of Rutherford Co Tennessee.  Next door are his Mom, Comfort(likely widowed) and several of his siblings with their children.  I have no idea what brought them to the Murfreesboro area unless it was the war.  David and Mary would go back to Dekalb County.  Several of his sister would marry in Rutherford Co TN and move on to Gibson Co TN before moving on to other parts.  I don't know if Comfort moved on to Gibson Co TN with them or died before the move because I can't locate her in the 1880 census.

David and Mary had at least 12 children together according to the records which I have found.  They also helped to raise several of their grandchildren before Mary's death in 1902.  After Mary passed,  David remarried to a much younger woman, Florence Alabama Prater(Widow of Leonidas Poss) and had 4 more children.  Avorilla Poss, a step daughter from his wife's previous marriage also lived with them until she married in 1915. David passed in 1922 at the age of 83 and is buried in Young Bend Cemetery in Dekalb Co. Tennessee.  Several branches of his descendants moved to Alabama, California and Texas and there are some who still live in Dekalb, Warren & White Co area of Tennessee.  I see many of them among my maternal DNA matches. I don't know if this is because of the shear number of them or if they are more interested in DNA testing than cousins from other of my ancestors.

Sources:

"Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKH3-XYL5 : 10 March 2021), David Pittman and Mary D F Adcock, 22 Dec 1859; citing DeKalb, Tennessee, United States, Marriage, p. , Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville and county clerk offices from various counties; FHL microfilm 593,050.

"United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCD8-MSV : 23 December 2020), David Pitmon in household of Daniel Pitmon, DeKalb, Tennessee, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

"United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8TH-ZY6 : 18 February 2021), David Pittman, 1860.

"United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MD8M-DHH : 29 May 2021), David Pitman in entry for Comfort Pitman, 1870.

“The Courts,” Republican Banner, 19 Nov 1873, p. 4, col. 5 ; digital images, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 30 Jan 2022).

“The Courts,” The Tennessean, 25 Oct 1874, p. 4, col. 4; digital images, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 30 Jan 2022).

“The Courts,” The Tennessean, 21 Oct 1876, p. 3, col. 7; digital images, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 30 Jan 2022).

"United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MD79-LNM : 15 January 2022), David Pitman, Civil District 11, DeKalb, Tennessee, United States; citing enumeration district , sheet , NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm .

“Roll Company A 16th Tenn. Regiment.,” Southern Standard, 21 Jun 1884, p. 4, col. 4; digital images, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 30 Jan 2022).

"United States Census, 1900", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MS8Z-4V1 : 29 January 2022), Davis Pitman, 1900.

"Tennessee, U.S., Marriage Records, 1780-2002" imaged at Ancestry.com,  Dekalb > 1899 Jan-1909 Aug: Marriages Image 525 of 843 (pg 427) David Pitman to F. A. Prater: accessed 30 Jan 2022.

"United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MGFM-J8B : accessed 31 January 2022), David Pittman, Civil District 7, DeKalb, Tennessee, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 57, sheet 2A, family 21, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1497; FHL microfilm 1,375,510.

"United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNPL-G3Z : 3 February 2021), David Pinon(should be Pitman), 1920.

"Tennessee Deaths, 1914-1966," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N9BD-BM2 : 1 March 2021), Dave Pitman, 11 Feb 1922; Death, Smithville, DeKalb, Tennessee, United States, Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/93245425/david-pitman : accessed 30 January 2022), memorial page for David “Dave” Pitman (Apr 1838–22 Feb 1922), Find a Grave Memorial ID 93245425, citing Young Bend Cemetery, DeKalb County, Tennessee, USA ; Maintained by Walela (contributor 47310007) .

"Tennessee, Confederate Pension Applications, Soldiers and Widows, 1891-1965", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q571-M9LP : 31 October 2018), Florence A Pitman in entry for David Pitman, 1891-1965.

Nice DNA surprises...2nd cousin 1 removed uploads to GEDmatch

What a difference it makes to have a closer known cousin upload to GEDmatch.  I had asked one of my maternal cousins(a 2nd cousin once removed) if he would consider uploading and sent him a link to a how-to.  We both had our tests done at Ancestry.com.  Since I am not a subscriber outside of having my test done there I really don't get much use from the circles because you can't see who is in those circles with you.  I had actually been so caught up in things around here that I had not looked at my research for the last several days which is unusual for me.  Now that this cousin, has uploaded I am able to compare a known to unknowns.  So my plans for the day are to compare segments that he and I have in common to others who match along those segments.  We share DNA on 7 different chromosomes with two segments on one of those chromosomes.  Our largest segment match is 69.5cM and our total shared over all is 198.9 cM, which falls within the high range  of 2C1R using this chart.  Gedmatch estimated us to be 3.1 generations away from the MRCA.  The Most Recent Common Ancestors are my Gr Grandparents, David Enoch Luna & Nancy Pitman Luna.  They are his GG Grandparents.

Path to the  MRCA
Me----->Mom ----->Mom's Dad --------->MRCA Luna & Pitman
Him---->His Dad--> His Dad's Mom --->Her Mom--->MRCA Luna & Pitman

Chromosome Mysteries and hopes for some answers....A learning process for sure.

After having gotten my DNA results almost a month ago I have been working on finding matches to help solve a few of the research issues I have had on several of my family lines.  While waiting for responses from some of those I contacted I started looking more in depth at names and groupings of people that match along each chromosome.  I have been comparing matches along the X chromosome(Chromo 23) and noticed that I have over 6 matches who have the Taylor surname listed in their user name.  Given the X inheritance pattern (paternal grandmother and maternal grandparents) it intrigues me even further because you would think that there would be a wide assortment of surnames.  I don't have a Taylor surname in my direct line that I know of though I have always suspected that my GGG Grandfather, William Taylor Hale(Warren & Van Buren Co. TN), possibly had the middle name because it was the maiden name of either his Mother or one of his Grandmothers.  Since I have not gotten his line back with proof any further than him I do not know if this is so.  Another thought as I was looking through the family tree shares of people who match my DNA --I have noticed that there are several who have the surnames Archer, Collins Martin & Scott in their trees. I checked over my new matches at AncestryDNA and found a tester's name that I recognized.  She is a 4th cousin through my Daniel Pittman & Comfort Hatfield line.  I have had known matches of Daniel & Comfort's son David & his wife Mary Adcock but to get the DNA connection back even further is exciting.  I recommended that she put her DNA data at GEDmatch so that we could compare chromosome segment matches.  Sure hope she does as it would really help to sort those lines out.  Still waiting on Mom's DNA to show up as processing.  I would expect to have the results by the end of this month which will help me to determine what matches are on her side and which were from Dad..

A Genealogist's Holiday Wish list

The holidays are drawing near and about this time every year people are wondering what to get the genealogist on their list. I've read articles on this subject which have suggested

• Subscription to Family Tree Magazine, Heritage Quest or another genealogy related magazine
• Database Subscriptions(Footnote.com, Ancestry.com, WorldVitalRecords etc.)
• Week long trip to the FHL in SLC
• A Genealogy Conference
  

All of those are wonderful ideas. I love my subscription to Family Tree Magazine as well as my Footnote.com subscription.

Now if Santa is wondering what I'd like for Christmas:
(Cue the "Santa Baby" music)

• William Clifford Cook's parents' names(he married in Williamson Co TN and lived in Bedford Co. TN)
• Census Entries for the Wm. Taylor Hale family in 1860 & 1870(minus Wm.) they should be in Van Buren Co. TN
• Thomas Adcock's parents' names--(Warren Co TN area)
• Records from Annie Pitman Dunham's visit to Talequah in 1866
• Pictures of the six GG Grandparents( I have pics of 2 sets): Wm C. & Elizabeth Putman Cook, George & Catherine Morrow Jakes, David & Rebecca Manley Frizzell, Elisha & Keziah Rigsby Luna, David and Mary Adcock Pitman, Wm P. & Nancy Arminda Hitchcock Hale.

These should all be fairly easy for Santa. After all, at one time he had to know where these people were in order to deliver Christmas goodies(or perhaps their lump of coal).

My Top Five Brickwalls

1. My Hale family's whereabouts in the 1860 & 1870 census. More on this in my previous post.

2. My Cook(e) ancestry--My Dad's father's lines have been difficult to say the least and is the line on which I feel I've made the least amount of progress. They were in Bedford Co. TN and were originally from NC. We have the traditional three brother story but nothing proven. My Gr Gr Grandparents William Clifford Cook married Elizabeth Putman in Sept of 1831 in Williamson Co. TN. Elizabeth's parents did live in Williamson Co. I think the best bet on getting an idea of where to search with such a common surname is DNA research.

3. John Fleming--I'd love to know more about John Fleming since there are so many conflicting stories and so many of them to try and sort out. My John Fleming(well actually I have two) was the son of John Fleming and Martha Jane(or Nancy) Edwards. One family story says they didn't immigrate until the early 1800s which I find a bit hard to believe. Another says that John(the youngers) mother was in VA & KY and that his half brother William Marrs Logue married there. They then moved to the Warren Co. TN area which is where I find them in the 1830s. I had initially thought he might be kin to the Williamsburg SC Fleming line but DNA has disproved that so now I'm trying to find his connection.

4. My Pitman/Hatfield line--What happened to Daniel & Comfort Hatfield Pitman family between 1860 & 1870 that caused the entire family to move and be in Rutherford Co. TN before some of them moved on to Gibson Co. TN and then on to OK. There is a native american connection on the Hatfield side but I suspect alot of the cause might have been the upcoming war. I do not know where Daniel was in 1870 as it seems that Comfort was widowed by then. She is not found in the 1880 census so I feel that she too must have passed on. Where are their graves? Are they buried in Rutherford Co. TN? If so it would probably be in the area that was then known as Florence. This area is right next to the Stones River National Battlefield & Cemetery which makes me wonder if Daniel died in the War though I've not found any indication that he served.



1860 Census Dekalb Co. TN Daniel & Comfort(w children)

1869 Marriage Rutherford Co. TN E. M. Burkett & Mourning Pittman

1869 Marriage Gibson Co. TN Daniel Monroe Pittman and Josephine Tolbert

1870 Census Gibson Co. TN Daniel M Pittman & wife Josephine

1870 Census Rutherford Co. TN Comfort(and family)Elder Daniel perhaps deceased.

1870 Census Rutherford Co. TN David & wife Mary are next door to Comfort

1870 Census Rutherford Co. TN Mourning & E. Burkett & family

1877 Marriage Dekalb Co. TN(May 8) Wm. Pain to Betsy Pitman

1879 Death Gibson Co. TN Daniel M Pittman of Typhoid Fever

1880 Census Dekalb Co. TN David & Mary Adcock Pittman & Family District 11

1880 Census Dekalb Co. TN Bettie Pittman Payne & Family

1880 Census Dekalb Co. TN Nancy Pittman Lawrence & family

1880 Census Gibson Co. TN Jane Pittman & husband, Joseph Oneal

1880 Census Gibson Co. TN Mourning Pittman Burkett & Family

1880 Census Gibson Co. TN Thomas Lee Pittman & wife, Nancy & Family

5. I've found no proof as to who Thomas Adcock's father was. I have been over the Names of the Adcock men who were in the Warren Co. TN area in 1830 with males in their household who would have been Thomas' age but have not been able to narrow that down as of yet. Perhaps a will or court records exist which would fill in the blanks. I do have Thomas and his widow's pension application but it didn't mention his parents names. Thomas Adcock(1817-1905) lived in the Dekalb Co. TN area the majority of his life.