Facts and sources for Joseph Whitsitt (1773-1824) of Kentucky and Gibson County, Indiana

1860, November 26 -

[Samuel Whitsitt Letter, Gibson Co., IN. to Lafayette Co., MO]
Envelope: Nov. 26 Princeton Ia (Indiana) to Joseph A. Whitsitt, Rennick Mills, Layfayette [sic]
County, Missouri.
Princeton Ind. Nov the 26th.
Dear Nephews, Sisters & Nieces:

I have received the sad tidings of the death of brother James a hard trial is to us to loose our nearest friend I was in great hopes when I sent that medicine that he would recover although I knew he was in a dangerous condition when I visited him. The way I came to hear of his death was by your letter the postman having heard of his death before starting the letter. I was sorry to hear of sister Polly's sickness also. Your letter was only about 8 days on the way from date. We received it on Wednesday. We are all well at the present time and all relatives as far as I know and I hope that you will have better health in future than you have had. We have had a very cold spell for the past week. We have had snow and now it is raining and very cold. It is the first of our winter. We will have cold wether for a month yet. We have had clear pleasant weather for a month before this spell tho. Health in this part of the country is very good this fall not such fever and ague like there used to be. I think pork will be about six dollars per hundred corn about 35 cents per bushell. I see an account of Montgomery being in there killing up the people. I want you to write and give me a straight account of it. There has been considerable said about Lincoln election. I feel sure that Lincoln will do justice by all. You need not fear I think we ought to submit to the majority of the people. Tell Arin Shaw to write to me. Tell Rev Nance & wife to write to me. John says for Joe to write to him and tell Beny to write and tell Beny to take Doctor Williams medicine if he wants to get well and tell Sister Polly Summers to write to me and we will answer all letters. Write in your next letter and tell me what Brother James said about dying. I hope that our loss is his gain and we ought to all try and prepare to meet him in better world. There was eight brothers of us and there is seven dead. I am the only one left out of eight. Brother Simeon Lemasters is still alive and well he was a half brother. Sister Margaret is living and well all the connection is well as far as I know my relations are nearly all dead in this country. I want you and your mother and Joe to come in here. You can come by the railroad in two days and stay all night in St. Louis or come by water to Evansville come to Lexington and get on a boat and around to Evansville and up on the cars from there in an hour. I know you can all come if you will for you can get Beny to attend to you affairs while you are gone. Tell Joe to be sure to come with you.
Give my respects to all the relations and friends. The children send their love to all of the relations. No more but write soon and tell me all the news and please answer all my questions from your affectionate Uncle
Samuel Whitsitt
The childrens names John S. Whitsitt Nancy Whitsitt William B. Whitsitt
Write soon

1791, 1800 -

These Kentucky tax lists show a Joseph Whiteside in both Bourbon and Montgomery Counties. There is no way to tell if this is the same person with property in both counties, or two different Joseph Whiteside's. Bourbon, Fayette, Montgomery and Clark are all in the same general area of middle Kentucky.  However, a Joseph was the brother of Samuel Whitsitt and removed to Kentucky about the same time.  I believe the Bourbon County Joseph is Samuel's brother, not his son.

1794, December 20 -

The index to the Clark County marriage bonds lists James Whiteside and Rebecca Stewart, Clark County, Kentucky.  The name should be Joseph; this mistake maybe because the name was actually written as Jos. (mistaken for Jas.) and the compiler made the mistake when she extracted the data from the original document.  It will be impossible to tell until we can locate and examine a photo copy of the original document.

1803, April -

Joseph Whitesitt (sic) placed a notice in the Kentucky Gazette (published in Lexington) that his wife Rebecca had left him and he would not pay her bills.  (Karen Mauer Green, THE KENTUCKY GAZETTE 1801-1820, Genealogical and Historical Abstracts)

1803, May 6 -

Montgomery Co., Ky. Deeds, DB 2-529; Indenture, 6 May 1803, Joseph Whitsitt's sons James and Levi; be apprenticed to Samuel Whitsitt until age 21 (in year 1818); Samuel to teach art of farming, lodge, feed and teach boys to "read and right" recorded 10 Sept. 1803.  (Montgomery Co., Ky. Deeds, film 252348, Kentucky State Archives, Frankfort, Ky. (sent to me as handwritten note by Jane Buchanan, 114 Berwick Dr., Oak Ridge, TN, June 5, 1985)).

1810, August 6 -

1810 Census, Harrison Co., Kentucky Roll: 6, pg 311 (stamped 312):  Joseph Whiteside, (males] 3-0-3-0-1 [females] 1-2-0-0-0 (no adult female; this is probably our Joseph who separated from Rebecca in 1803)

1815, 4 September -

Montgomery Co., Ky. Deeds, film 252348, Kentucky State Archives, Frankfort, Ky. DB 7-422.
Indenture, between:
      John Whitsett and Lucy his wife
      William Whitsett and Patsey his wife
      Joseph Whitsett and Polly his wife
      James Whitsett and Betsy his wife
      Ralph Whitsett
      Joseph Bell and Nancy his wife (late Nancy Whitsett)
      John Ramsey and Peggy his wife (late Peggy Whitsett)
      William Ramsey and Rachel his wife (late Rachel Whitsett)
      Patrick Wilson and Sally his wife (late Sally Whitsett)
"Heirs and legal representatives of Samuel Whitsett of the one part and Samuel Whitsett of the County of Montgomery and state of Kentucky of the other part the above to sell Samuel Whitsett for $10.00 the land sold to Samuel Whitsett now dec'd being land deeded by John Treadway to
Samuel Whitsett 27 Aug. 1804, 22 1/2 acres also another tract beginning at a stake corner of Henry Robson, adjacent John Summers, containing 32 acres; land deeded by Samuel Haden 6 July 1810 to Samuel Whitsett.

1817, May 3 -

Indiana Land Entries, Vincennes Dist.,Gibson County, Indiana. Joseph Whitesides, T2S R10W E-NE-S4 (Margaret R. Waters,, Indiana Land Entries, Vincennes Dist., Part I, Vol. 2 (1807-1877))

1820, August 7 -

Census, Gibson County, Indiana

Joseph Whitsitt [males] 3-1-0-0-0-1 [females] 1-2-0-1-0 [compared to a list of the family members we know about, the age grouping on this census is not a good fit]
      3 males 0-9............. [should be 3 males 10-16 = Joseph, age 10; Benjamin, age 11; Samuel, age 13]
      1 males 10-16...........[Isaac Newton Whitsitt?]
      1 male 45+ ..............[Joseph, age 47]
      1 fems. 0-9 ............. [Rachel, age 6]
      2 fems. 10-15...........[unknown]
      1 fems. 26-44...........[Mary, age ??]

James Whitsids (son of Joseph and Rebecca) - age 16-26, 1 female - age 10-16
Simeon Lemasters (son of Mary Lemasters by her first marriage) - 1 male 10-16, 2 males 10-16, 1 female 0-9. 1 female 16-26);
John Whitsett (son of Joseph and Rebecca) - 1 male 0-9, 1 male 16-26, 1 female 0-9, 1 female 16-26);
Polly [Whitsett] Summers (daughter of Joseph and Rebecca, married Caleb Summers) - 2 males 0-9, 1 female 16-26, 1 female 26-44
     [the older female is probably Rebecca Stewart Whitsitt, Joseph's 1st wife].

Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, United States of America, Bureau of the Census, 2004), Ancestry.com, [database on-line] Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., Source Citation: Year: 1820; Census Place: , Gibson, Indiana; Roll: M33_13; Page: 233; Image: 248; page 234, 235, 239

1824, February 9 -

Gibson County, Indiana Wills, pg. 320
February the 9th 1824
I Joseph Whitsitt do make this my last will and testimony, me being in my perfect mind and senses. I Joseph Whitsitt do will and bequeath unto my four boys they being lawful ayres of mine, they being Samuel Whitsitt also Benjamin Whitsitt and Joseph Whitsitt and Isaac N Whitsitt, one quarter section of land it being the quarter section I now live on. It is my will that my wife Mary Whitsitt is to have her thirds of the land [in] her lifetime.
Also my further will is that the balance of the property shall be divided in this way; that is my wife Mary Whitsitt shall have one third of all the personal property and my three girls Rachel Whitsitt and Margaret Whitsitt and Malissa Whitsitt shall have the balance of the personal property shall be equally divided among them.
I Joseph Whitsitt do acknowledge this to be my will
Joseph Whitsitt {seal}
Simeon Lemasters }
David T. King }

STATE OF INDIANA }
GIBSON COUNTY    } be it remembered that on this day the 14th day of February 1824 personally appeared before me John J. Neely clerk of the Gibson Circuit Simeon Lemasters and David T. King subscribing witnesses to the within last will and testament of Joseph Whitsitt late of Gibson County Dec'd who made oath that the Testator signed and sealed the within last will & testament as such in the presence of them and that they witnessed the same by the request of the testator and in his presence and in the presence of each other.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this day and year aforesaid
John J. Neely clk.

1825, March 28 -

Margaret R. Waters, Indiana Land Entries, Vincennes Dist., Part I, Vol. 2 (1807-1877)

Joseph Whiteside, T2S R10W E-NE-S4 (relinquishment) [this is after Joseph's death in Gibson County]

1838,October 19 -

SOURCES

Ronald N. Wall

Modified:  16 August 2022