KappaHall wrote: > > I am looking for information on the Hitt family. I am related twice to > Nancy Hitt, wife of John Miller, I. I believe that Nancy was the daughter of > Peter Hitt, II, born 1726 in Fauquier Co., Va., being himself the son of Peter > Hitt, Sr., of the Germanna Colony. > > I am looking for the following information: > > (1) Who was Peter Hitt, Sr., married to? I have him married to > Elizabeth > Otterbach. Is that correct? What is her ancestry? > > (2) I show Nancy Hitt's mother as Sarah James. Is that correct? > I > show her father as John James of Fauquier County, Va. but that is all I have > on her. Does anyone have more information on her ancestry? Is she somehow > related to Jesse James of the James gang? > > I live in West Virginia. I served for several terms in the WV State > Senate as did my father. My brother was the previous Governor of Kentucky, > being Brereton C. Jones. We lost our father about four years ago. > Unfortunately, we did not develop an interest in tracing our family tree > until after he > was gone. I am sure he could have answered many questions. > > Would appreciate any help anyone could supply. > > Thanks, > > Ned > > ==== HITT Mailing List ==== > Visit the Hitt List Web Site! > http://www.rootsweb.com/~daisy/hitt.htm ____________________________________________ Hello Ned, Happy to meet you. I look forward to learning about your ancestry. I am definitely your JAMES contact. You will find what you're looking for in my book STRAY LEAVES, THE JAMES FAMILY IN AMERICA, 1650-1997. The nearest copy to you is in the Pulaski Co Historical Society in Somerset KY. But the bones I can provide via e-mail. I will be sending you in subsequent e-mail the following: 1. The Descendants of ROWLAND JONES. This is likely your Brereton Jones family, if you don't already have it. I would appreciate learning how you fit into it, because I don't have you yet as a descendant. This line also ties in with the JAMES and HITT families. 2. The descendants of PETER HITT. This may be seriously flawed. I have yet to find an authoritative Hitt family member who can clarify all the Peter Hitts which exist. I've done my best to gain an understanding and to document as best as I understand. But I believe it remains falwed. I just don't know where. Perhaps you have more information. You will find in it the Hitt-James connections. 3. The early generations of JAMES DESCENDANTS, starting with JOHN JAMES of 1650 VA to JOHN M. JAMES & CLARA NALL, migrants from VA to KY. These are my early ancestors. JOHN M. JAMES served in the Kentucky State Legislature in 1800, 1802, and 1807. He was followed by several other James family members in the state legislature. ANDREW JACKSON "A.J." JAMES was secretary of state in KY around the 1870's. I've told people my only condition for returning to Pulaski Co (in which I have never lived) is if they would elect me also to the State Legislature. To answer your question regarding Jesse & Frank. There is abundant circumstanital evidence that JOHN M. JAMES was the father of REV. ROBERT SALLEE JAMES, the father of Frank & Jesse. Many James descendant lines who lived over a 125 year period in seperate parts of the country, all tell similar stories of the relationship. Last year I contacted James Staars, the forensic scientist who exhunmed Jesse and performed the DNA testing. Regretfully he informed me a DNA test would not resolve our dilemma. Apparently the DNA markers were Mimms markers from Jesse maternal side. Our decsndancy would be paternal. Therefore the DNA testing could not possibly produce a result. Last year I started collecting photos to add to my book. For every known Jesse James photo I can now produce a look-a-like family member going back to the 1850s and progressing to today. The matches are nothing short of stunning. In fact in the last year I believe I have been able to convince Jesse James great grandson, Judge James Ross, who lives nearby here in Southern California. He now calls me a cousin. In my book I argued against all the family lore, point for point, in an effort to discredit the possibility. After two years, however, I am now firmly convinced of the relationship. The abundance of evidence is overwhelming. Someday the case will be made conlusively. Do you have any JAMES relatives? In Kentucky in the 1950's-60's there was a C.W.JAMES, an attorney in Harrodsburg. I found his photo in the rare books room at the Kentucky Historical Society. In my estimation, he too is one of my James, although I don't know how. My book documents about 1600+ James family members, and continues to grow. I look forward to hearing more from you. Just let me know how I can help. The James family has a long history of public, as well as religious, service. Our greatest asset is our ability to confound expectation. Best regards, ERIC JAMES