The Chitwood family

The Chitwood family of Scott County was the first to settle the area we now know as Winfield, arriving at about the same time as the Trammell family in the early 1800s. The area was long known as Chitwood, before becoming known as Winfield after the Civil War.

See Also: The Scott County Lineage Project

Origins

The Chitwood family in Scott County dates back to Revolutionary War veterans James Chitwood and Shadrach Chitwood, who were first cousins.

The Chitwood family was originally from Virginia, and represented split loyalties during America’s war for independence. James Chitwood was a Patriot, and fought for the Continental Army. However, his father, Richard Chitwood, and his father’s brother, also named James Chitwood, along with two of James Chitwood’s sons, were Tories and fought for the British crown. At the Battle of Kings Mountain, brothers Richard and James, along with two of James’ sons, were captured by Continental forces and sentenced to hang. James Chitwood was hanged, along with eight others, before bystanders intervened. The rest were granted reprieves.

Following the war, James Chitwood and Shadrach Chitwood both moved to what is now Winfield. James Chitwood settled in the Piney Grove area, where he operated the community’s first post office. Shadrach Chitwood later moved to Missouri. It has traditionally been believed that Shadrach Chitwood was the son of Capt. James Chitwood, one of the Tories sentenced to hang after the Battle of Kings Mountain. However, an alternative theory suggests that Shadrach was actually a brother to Scott County’s James Chitwood, and fought with him in the South Carolina militia during the war.

Dating the move

There are some indications that James and Shadrach Chitwood moved to present-day Scott County as early as 1795. However, there is no documentation to prove this.

Although originally from Virginia, the Chitwood family moved to North Carolina prior to the start of the Revolutionary War. It was in North Carolina that James Chitwood’s father, Richard, died in 1785. James Chitwood married his wife, Martha White, before the move to North Carolina, in 1769.

The family still lived in North Carolina in 1787, when James and Martha’s son, William, was born. It has been reported that their next son, Daniel, born about 1795, was born in what is now Scott County, Tenn. However, there is no documentation to support this. To the contrary, Daniel told census enumerators in 1850 that he was born in North Carolina.

The family’s next-oldest child, Elizabeth, told census enumerators in 1850 that she was born in Kentucky. Later, however, she told census enumerators that she was born in Tennessee.

There was a James Chitwood listed in Rutherford County, N.C., when the 1800 census was taken. However, it’s not clear that it was the same James Chitwood who later moved to Winfield. It also seems possible that the Chitwoods first moved to the Somerset, Ky., area before moving to Tennessee.

James Chitwood’s oldest son, Lazarus, was married in 1801 in Knox County, Tenn. Their oldest son, James Lawrence Chitwood, was born in 1802. Some records suggest he was born in present-day Scott County; others suggest he was born in Pulaski County, Ky.

Census records suggest that the Chitwood family lived in Pulaski County, Ky., in 1810. James, Zakerous (Lazerus) and Pleasant Chitwood are each listed in the census. Some family historians contend that they were living in Winfield at this time but included in the Pulaski County census. It is true that Tennessee and Kentucky both claimed the northern part of present-day Scott County (including the Winfield area) in the early 1800s, due to the contested “Walker Line.” (Surveyor Thomas Walker incorrectly surveyed the line that would eventually serve as the border between Tennessee and Kentucky when he surveyed the region on behalf of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the 1770s.) Additionally, Pulaski County extended all the way to the TN-KY border until 1825.

The Chitwoods still lived in Pulaski County, Ky., when the 1820 census was taken.

Adding to the intrigue is an 1813 court document showing that James Chitwood was surveyed 200 acres of land on Roaring Paunch Creek. This creek flows through McCreary County, Ky., including what was Pulaski County prior to 1825, but its headwaters are located in the Winfield area.

It is not until the 1830 census was taken that the Chitwood family was listed in Campbell County, Tenn., which included much of what is now Scott County, including the Winfield area.

Family Tree

First Generation

James Chitwood (1751-1839)

Born: June 21, 1751, Powhatan County, Va.

Parents: Richard Chitwood (1722-1785) and Winnie Randolph (1724-1754).

Siblings: Elizabeth Chitwood Hubbard (1747-1828), Mary Ann Chitwood (born about 1747), Shadrach Chitwood (born about 1757), Moses Chitwood (1755-1779), Daniel Chitwood (born about 1760), Richard Chitwood (1764-1822), Pleasant Chitwood (1765-1848), Seth Chitwood (1766-1850).

Married: Martha White (1749-1834), about 1769.

Children: Lazarus Chitwood (1770-1840), Pleasant Chitwood (1775-1851), Winnie Chitwood Robertson (1780-1840), William Chitwood (1787-1871), Daniel Chitwood (1796-1882), Elizabeth Chitwood Ross (1796-1884), Richard Chitwood (1813-1891).

Died: March 4, 1839, Winfield. Buried at Chitwood Cemetery.

+ Martha White Chitwood

Born: 1749, Orange County, Va.

Parents: Thomas White (~1730-1815) and Sarah Shelton.

Siblings: N/A.

Married: James Chitwood, about 1769.

Children: Lazarus Chitwood (1770-1840), Pleasant Chitwood (1775-1851), Winnie Chitwood Robertson (1780-1840), William Chitwood (1787-1871), Daniel Chitwood (1796-~1860), Elizabeth Chitwood Ross (1796-1884), Richard Chitwood (1813-1891).

Died: 1834, Winfield. Buried at Chitwood Cemetery.

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Shadrach Chitwood

Born: About 1757, Virginia.

Parents: Richard Chitwood (1722-1785) and Winnie Randolph (1724-1754) or James Chitwood (1722-1780) and Alice Chitwood (1725-1782).

Married: Margaret Carpenter (1775-1820).

Children: Shadrach Chitwood Jr. (1790-1861), Andrew Preston Chitwood (1792-1868), John Riley Chitwood (1796-1875), Mathias Chitwood (1799-1891), Martha Chitwood Cassel (1802-1877).

Died: Unknown.

+ Margaret Carpenter (1775-1820)

Born: About 1775.

Parents: Unknown.

Siblings: Unknown.

Married: Shadrach Chitwood (born about 1757).

Children: Shadrach Chitwood Jr. (1790-1861), Andrew Preston Chitwood (1792-1868), John Riley Chitwood (1796-1875), Mathias Chitwood (1799-1891), Martha Chitwood Cassel (1802-1877).

Died: Unknown.

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Second Generation

Lazarus Chitwood (1770-1840)

Born: About 1770, Rutherford County, N.C.

Parents: James Chitwood (1751-1839) and Martha White (1749-1834).

Siblings: Pleasant Chitwood (1775-1851), Winnie Chitwood Robertson (1780-1840), William Chitwood (1787-1871), Daniel Chitwood (1796-~1860), Elizabeth Chitwood Ross (1796-1884), Richard Chitwood (1813-1891).

Married: Mary Oliver (1777-1850) in 1801, Knox County, Tenn.

Children: James Lawrence Chitwood (1802-1883), Dolly Chitwood (born about 1802), Nelson Chitwood (born about 1806), Pleasant Chitwood (born about 1810), Ezekiel Chitwood (1812-1864), Moriah Chitwood Parker (1813-1873), Russell Birdwell Chitwood (1817-1880), Sallie Chitwood (born about 1820), Loniza Chitwood (born about 1822).

Died: About 1840. Burial location unknown.

Note: A marriage license shows that Laz. Chitwood and Mary Leiper (the last name is difficult to decipher from the original handwriting) were married in Knox County, Tenn., in November 1801. Later, a land survey lists 200 acres as belonging to Lazarus Chitwood on Roaring Paunch Creek in 1813. His father and brothers were also surveyed land on Roaring Paunch Creek. Roaring Paunch Creek is located in both Scott County and in McCreary County, Ky., which was part of Pulaski County, Ky., in 1813. Lazarus and the other Chitwoods were listed in the 1820 census as living in Pulaski County, Ky. However, some family historians believe this was actually Winfield. The northern part of Scott County, including Winfield, was contested between Tennessee and Kentucky until the state legislatures reached an agreement in the 1820s. Later, census records indicate that Lazarus and Mary Chitwood moved to Middle Tennessee, then to Alabama, and eventually to Mississippi. There is no concrete evidence that this was the same Lazarus and Mary Chitwood, or that it wasn’t. If it was the same Lazarus and Mary Chitwood, Lazarus did not die until after 1850; he appears in the 1850 census with Mary and several minor children.

+ Mary Leiper Oliver Chitwood (1777-1850)

Born: About 1777, Virginia.

Parents: Nickerson Oliver (1704-1781) and Elizabeth Durrett.

Siblings: N/A.

Married: Lazarus Chitwood (1770-1840) in 1801, Knox County, Tenn.

Children: James Lawrence Chitwood (1802-1883), Dolly Chitwood (born about 1802), Nelson Chitwood (born about 1806), Pleasant Chitwood (born about 1810), Ezekiel Chitwood (1812-1864), Moriah Chitwood Parker (1813-1873), Russell Birdwell Chitwood (1817-1880), Sallie Chitwood (born about 1820), Loniza Chitwood (born about 1822).

Died: About 1850. Burial location unknown.

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Pleasant Chitwood (1775-1851)

Born: May 9, 1775, Rutherford County, N.C.

Parents: James Chitwood (1751-1839) and Martha White (1749-1834).

Siblings: Lazarus Chitwood (1770-1840), Winnie Chitwood Robertson (1780-1840), William Chitwood (1787-1871), Daniel Chitwood (1796-~1860), Elizabeth Chitwood Ross (1796-1884), Richard Chitwood (1813-1891).

Married: Sarah “Sally” Cowan (1778-1847).

Children: James Chitwood (born about 1798), David Chitwood (1800-1850), Daniel Chitwood (1808-1889), Hugh Chitwood (1812-1885), Isaac Shelby Chitwood (1815-1870), Andrew Chitwood (1817-1865), Pleasant Chitwood Jr. (1819-1905), Safrona Chitwood Wilson (1824-1901).

Died: March 14, 1851. Buried at Perkins Cemetery, Winfield.

+ Sarah “Sally” Cowan (1778-1847)

Born: Feb. 27, 1778, Sevier County, Tenn.

Parents: David Cowan (1742-1811) and Jane Wright (1741-1786).

Siblings: N/A.

Married: Pleasant Chitwood (1775-1851).

Children: James Chitwood (born about 1798), David Chitwood (1800-1850), Daniel Chitwood (1808-1889), Hugh Chitwood (1812-1885), Isaac Shelby Chitwood (1815-1870), Andrew Chitwood (1817-1865), Pleasant Chitwood Jr. (1819-1905), Safrona Chitwood Wilson (1824-1901).

Died: Aug. 15, 1847. Buried at Perkins Cemetery, Winfield.

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Winnie Chitwood Robertson (1780-1840)

Born: 1780, North Carolina.

Parents: James Chitwood (1751-1839) and Martha White (1749-1834).

Siblings: Lazarus Chitwood (1770-1840), Pleasant Chitwood (1775-1851), William Chitwood (1787-1871), Daniel Chitwood (1796-~1860), Elizabeth Chitwood Ross (1796-1884), Richard Chitwood (1813-1891).

Married: Stephen Robertson (1775-1837).

Children: Lazarus Robertson (1801-1847), Martha Robertson Ellis (1805-1868), Shadrack Robertson (1807-1869), Elizabeth Robertson Fleener (1809-1867), Isaac Robertson (1817-1876), Joseph Robertson (1822-1901), Daniel Robertson (1828-1902).

Died: About 1840, Indiana. Buried at Robertson Cemetery, Brown County, Ind.

Note: Stephen Robertson was first married to Sally Curtain (Sartain). While Winnie’s children were born in Tennessee and some of them married here, the entire family moved to Indiana in the late 1820s.

+ Stephen Robertson (1775-1837)

Born: About 1775, Virginia.

Parents: N/A.

Siblings: James Robertson (1737-1828) and Mary Fuqua (born about 1740).

Siblings: Roysden Robertson, William Robertson, James Robertson, Elizabeth Robertson Smith.

Married: Sally Curtain (Sartain), 1797.

Children: Unclear.

Married: Winnie Chitwood (1780-1840), 1800, Knox County, Tenn.

Children: Lazarus Robertson (1801-1847), Martha Robertson Ellis (1805-1868), Shadrack Robertson (1807-1869), Elizabeth Robertson Fleener (1809-1867), Isaac Robertson (1817-1876), Joseph Robertson (1822-1901), Daniel Robertson (1828-1902).

Died: About 1837, Indiana. Buried at Robertson Cemetery, Brown County, Ind.

Note: Stephen Robertson’s first wife, Sally Sartain, was likely from the same family as other Sartains who lived in the Winfield area in the early 1800s and married into the Duncan and Stanley families. However, the exact relationship is unclear.

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William Chitwood (1787-1871)

Born: Feb. 16, 1787, Rutherford County, N.C.

Parents: James Chitwood (1751-1839) and Martha White (1749-1834).

Siblings: Lazarus Chitwood (1770-1840), Pleasant Chitwood (1775-1851), Winnie Chitwood Robertson (1780-1840), Daniel Chitwood (1796-~1860), Elizabeth Chitwood Ross (1796-1884), Richard Chitwood (1813-1891).

Married: Sarah “Sally” reed (born about 1783).

Children: Mitchell Chitwood (born about 1809), Joel B. Chitwood (1812-1884), Seth Chitwood (1818-1834), and Martha Ann “Patsy” Chitwood Reed, 1820-1901.

Married: Rachel Smith (1809-1886), 1826.

Children: Elizabeth Chitwood Hamby (1827-1897), Elijah Chitwood (1831-1893).

Died: June 29, 1871. Buried at Wright Cemetery in Winfield.

+ Sarah “Sally” Reed (1783-about 1820)

Born: Jan. 21, 1873, North Carolina.

Parents: John Reed (1760-1838) and Nancy Morris (1760-1856).

Siblings: N/A.

Married: William Chitwood (1787-1871).

Children: Mitchell Chitwood (born about 1809), Joel B. Chitwood (1812-1884), Seth Chitwood (1818-1834), and Martha Ann “Patsy” Chitwood Reed, 1820-1901.

Died: Between 1820 and 1826. May be buried in Chitwood Cemetery, unmarked grave.

See Also: The Reed Family

+ Rachel Smith (1809-1886)

Born: Aug. 24, 1809, Pulaski County, Ky.

Parents: Josiah Smith (1780-1852) and Elizabeth “Betsy” Todd (1783-1861).

Siblings: James Smith (1805-1882), Sarah “Sally” Smith Meadors (1807-1893), Eli Smith (1813-1894), John Letcher Smith (1814-1882).

Married: William Chitwood (1787-1871), 1826.

Children: Elizabeth Chitwood Hamby (1827-1897), Elijah Chitwood (1831-1893).

Died: Jan. 12, 1886, Whitley County, Ky. Buried at Concord Cemetery, Williamsburg, Ky.

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Daniel Chitwood (1796-before 1860)

Born: About 1796, North Carolina.

Parents: James Chitwood (1751-1839) and Martha White (1749-1834).

Siblings: Lazarus Chitwood (1770-1840), Pleasant Chitwood (1775-1851), Winnie Chitwood Robertson (1780-1840), William Chitwood (1787-1871), Elizabeth Chitwood Ross (1796-1884), Richard Chitwood (1813-1891).

Married: Anna Reed.

Children: Mary Chitwood, Martha Chitwood, Elizabeth Chitwood, John Chitwood (1810-1864), Nancy Chitwood Hamby, Hannah Honor Chitwood Ross (1817-1890), James Chitwood (1823-1880), Joel Chitwood (1833-1918).

Died: Prior to 1860. Burial location unknown, but perhaps near Winfield Baptist Church.

Note: Daniel Chitwood appears in the 1850 census with his wife, Anna. However, Anna is listed alone when the 1860 census was taken.

+ Anna Reed Chitwood

Born: About 1797, North Carolina.

Parents: Unknown.

Siblings: Unknown.

Married: Daniel Chitwood (1796-~1860).

Children: Mary Chitwood, Martha Chitwood, Elizabeth Chitwood, John Henry Chitwood (1810-1864), Nancy Chitwood Hamby, Hannah Honor Chitwood Ross (1817-1890), James L. Chitwood (1823-1880), Joel B. Chitwood (1833-1918).

Died: Unknown. Burial location unknown.

—

Elizabeth Chitwood Ross (1796-1884)

Born: Nov. 20, 1796.

Parents: James Chitwood (1751-1839) and Martha White (1749-1834).

Siblings: Lazarus Chitwood (1770-1840), Pleasant Chitwood (1775-1851), Winnie Chitwood Robertson (1780-1840), William Chitwood (1787-1871), Daniel Chitwood (1796-~1860), Richard Chitwood (1813-1891).

Married: John Ross (1792-1855).

Children: William Ross (1816-1862), Martha “Patty” Ross Harmon (1818-1899), Helon Ross Foley (1822-1889), Mahala Ross Creekmore (1825-1910), Manervia Ross Cain (1829-1888), Sereptia Ellen Ross Campbell (1831-1922), James Calvin Ross (1838-1910).

Died: April 26, 1884. Buried at Jellico Creek Cemetery, Williamsburg, Ky.

+ John Ross (1792-1855)

Born: April 20, 1792.

Parents: Angus Ross (1767-1862) and Elizabeth Haws (1772-1840).

Siblings: Samuel Ross (1793-1852), Asa Ross (1809-1863), Malinda Ross Stephens (1812-1900).

Married: Elizabeth Chitwood (1796-1884).

Children: William Ross (1816-1862), Martha “Patty” Ross Harmon (1818-1899), Helon Ross Foley (1822-1889), Mahala Ross Creekmore (1825-1910), Manervia Ross Cain (1829-1888), Sereptia Ellen Ross Campbell (1831-1922), James Calvin Ross (1838-1910).

Died: Dec. 29, 1855. Buried at Jellico Creek Cemetery, Williamsburg, Ky.

—

Richard Chitwood (1813-1891)

Born: June 1, 1813, Scott County.

Parents: James Chitwood (1751-1839) and Martha White (1749-1834).

Siblings: Lazarus Chitwood (1770-1840), Pleasant Chitwood (1775-1851), Winnie Chitwood Robertson (1780-1840), William Chitwood (1787-1871), Daniel Chitwood (1796-~1860), Elizabeth Chitwood Ross (1796-1884).

Married: Elizabeth “Betsy” Kitchen (1815-1884), 1830.

Children: David Chitwood (1835-1883), Judith J. Chitwood Wertz (born 1842), Sarah E. “Sallie” Chitwood Jones (1845-1916), Allen Chitwood, Helen Chitwood.

Died: Nov. 28, 1891. Buried at New Light Cemetery, Winfield.

+ Elizabeth “Betsy” Kitchen Chitwood (1815-1884)

Born: Aug. 1, 1815.

Parents: Unknown.

Siblings: Unknown.

Married: Richard Chitwood, 1830.

Children: David Chitwood (1835-1883), Judith J. Chitwood Wertz (born 1842), Sarah E. “Sallie” Chitwood Jones (1845-1916), Allen Chitwood, Helen Chitwood.

Died: June 21, 1884. Buried at New Light Cemetery, Winfield.

—

Note: The children of Shadrach Chitwood — Shadrach Chitwood Jr. (1790-1861), Andrew Preston Chitwood (1792-1868), John Riley Chitwood (1796-1875), Mathias Chitwood (1799-1891), Martha Chitwood Cassel (1802-1877) — left Scott County and Tennessee and do not appear to have direct descendants here.