Other Whitsett Families in Lauderdale County, Alabama

There are a records in Lauderdale County of a few people with the surname Whitsett who do not appear to be related, at least closely, to the four brothers, Wilson, Isaac, Joe and John Whitsett. Except for Rev. William Whitsett of Florence, Alabama and later Memphis, Tennessee, I have been unable to locate enough information to positively identify these individuals.

The Rev. William Whitsett From Orange Co., NC

The Reverend William Whitsett was a Cumberland Presbyterian minister who made his home in Florence from about 1823 to about 1833. He was born in Orange County, North Carolina in 1780, the son of Samuel and Mary (Stockard) Whitsett of Orange County. William married Jeanne Harden in Orange County on August 12, 1805. He became a Cumberland Presbyterian minister early in that church's history, probably before 1820. There are records in Lauderdale County of marriages he performed and his name appears on some deeds between 1823 and 1833. In about 1833, Rev. Whitsett took his family to Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee where he started a church in the home of his son-in-law Edwin Manning. Rev. Whitsett died in Memphis before 1860. Like some others, early in my research I made the mistake of claiming that Rev. William Whitsett was the father of the four Whitsett brothers who lived near Waterloo. After a time I found enough evidence contrary to this notion to convince me that this was not so. For a more complete record of Rev. William Whitsett click here to go to the page I have devoted to him and his family.

William Whiteside/Whitsett

Lauderdale County, Alabama Marriage Book 2, 1825-1833 (as copied by the WPA)
William Whitsett to Parmelia Hunter, 18 Oct. 1829, by Wm. Bradshaw, J.P.

1830 Census, Lauderdale County, Alabama, page 204 (probably the Rev. William Whitsett, above)
Wm. Whitset, 1 male 5-10, 1 male 10-15, 1 male 15-20, 1 male 40-50; 1 female under 5, 1 female 5-10, 1 female 15-20, 1 female 40-50.

1840 Census, Lauderdale County, Alabama, page 50
W. Whitesides, 1 male 20-30; 1 female 40-50; 2 females 50-60.

William W. Whitsett (1838-1910)
Willie Myrtle Whitsett (1903-1911)

Macedonia Cemetery, T1R13W Section 36, Lauderdale County, Alabama (north side of county road 158); Row 6
William W. Whitsett, 11 May 1838 - 16 Dec. 1910
Willie Myrtle Whitsett, 4 Oct. 1903 - 26 Nov. 1911

I have been unable to identify these individuals on any census. I would have expected to see them on the 1910 census of Lauderdale County if not the 1900 or earlier censuses.

Sarah Whitsett Family
Tobias Whitsett and Charity Williams
Joseph Whitsett and Emma McVay

These are marriages in Lauderdale County. I believe that most of these individuals were African Americans. Isaac Whitsett was the only Whitsett slave owner listed in Lauderdale County in 1840, 1850 and 1860. It is likely that the African-American Whitsett families have a connection to the Isaac Whitsett family. The marriage entries and the pertinent census records are listed below.

Marriage Book A, 1870 - 1876, LAUDERDALE COUNTY, ALABAMA MARRIAGES, BOOK A, 1870 - 1876 (WPA)
Whitsett, Tobias and Charity Williams, 20 Feb 1873. Tobe Whitsett is listed as a single black male farm hand living with an the Alex Carroll family on the 1870 census.
Whitsett, Sarah and Joshway McConn, 11 Mar 1876 by George McKenzie (in 1980 my researcher copied this as Whitsett, Sarah to Wesley McKelly, Vol. 3, pg. 97; there is one Wesley McKelly and family, African American, on the 1880 census but the wife's name is Cornelia, not Sarah and the oldest child was 15). I could not find any "McConn" names listed so I suspect the groom's name is incorrect).

LAUDERDALE COUNTY, ALABAMA MARRIAGES, MARRIAGE BOOK E, JANUARY 1885 - OCTOBER 1887 (WPA)
Whitsett, Joseph and Emma McVay, 28 Jun 1885 Stapler, W. J. T., page 4 [Emma McVay of the right age is listed in the African-American McVay family household in 1870. African American Joe Whitsitt is in the Sallie Whitsitt household in 1870 and 1880].

1840 US Census, Lauderdale Co., AL, pg. 12, I. Whitsett
Slaves 1 male 10-24, 1 female 10-24.

1850 Slave Schedules, District 1, Lauderdale County, Alabama, pg. 100, Col. 2, line 17, Isaac Whitsett
Slaves: 1 fem. age 28, Black; 1 fem. Age 1, Black

1860 Slave Schedule, Western Division, Lauderdale County, Alabama, page 14, Column 2, line 25-29, Isaac Whitsett
Slaves: 1 fem. age 35, Black; 1 fem. Age 20, Mulatto; 1 fem. Age 13, Black; 1 fem. Age 3, Black; 1 male age 3 mos, Mulatto

1870 Census T2R14W, Lauderdale County, Alabama, P.O. Waterloo, pg. 219/551
1607/1554
Whitsit, Sallie    age 40, Fem., Black, Keeping House, born Ala.
David                age 10, Male, Black, born Ala.
Joe                    age 8, Male, Black, born Ala.

1870 Census, T2R13W, Gravelly Springs, Lauderdale County, Alabama, page 195/539
1415/1363
Carroll, Alex       age 40, Male, Black, Farm Hand born Ala.
Mary                  age 30, Fem., Black, Keeping House, born Ala.
Rosa                  age   7, Fem., Black, born Ala.
Bettie                age 80, Fem., Black, born Va.
Whitsit, Tobe    age 25, Male, Black, Farm Hand, born Ala.

1880 Census, Waterloo, Lauderdale County, Alabama, P.O. Waterloo, ED141, pg. 14
Whitsett, Sarah     Black, Fem, age 55, (head of house), Keeping House, born Kentucky (parents birth places unknown)
Joe                       Black, male age 17, Son, Farm Labor, born Alabama, father Tenn., mother Kentucky
Willie                    Black, male age 11, Son, Farm Labor, born Alabama, father Tenn., mother Kentucky
Tompson, Sarah    Black, Fem, age 19, (no relation), Farm Labor, born Ala., Ala., Ala.