Col. Robert Pitt & Hester Stevens

4966. Col. Robert Pitt & 4967. Hester Stevens [England, VA]


3/16/1606, Robert born in Bristol, England, s/o 9936. William Pitt & 9937. Mary Gibbs.
~1610, Hester born in England, d/o 9938. George Stevens.
5/1/1613, Robert named in the will of his grandfather Thomas as s/o William.
Bef. 2/4/1624, Robert’s father died in England leaving him “the tenement without Temple Gate called the Saracens Inn and the new house built by my father Thomas Pitt.”.
1628, Robert Pitt was the owner and Captain of the privateer of Bristol named the Thunder. He sailed and fought the ship in the English War of 1628 against France to help the Huguenots. (S) Bristol Privateers, Powell, P84.
1631 in England, Robert married Hester.
6/8/1634, Robert named executor in the will of his mother and left “part of the manor of Compton Magna in the County of Somerset”. [Older brother William died in 1634].
[Robert, a mariner, likely traveled frequently to England.]
2/14/1637, Robert Pitt, merchant, and patented 550 acres in Isle of Wight. The land was about 3.5 miles up New Haven River, then called Pagan River. He received the land “for his own personal adventure and that of ten other persons.”
12/1643, Robert Pitt in a land deal with Wm Brunt and Thomas Hinson. (S) Isle of Wight, B1, P895.
Aft. 1645, Robert married Martha Stevens [Probably younger sister of Hester. Wife Martha is named in his will; a daughter Martha is named in his will; land documents show that Robert Pitt married a d/o George Stevens, a Burgess from Surry Co.]
8/10/1646, Robert listed as attending the Lower Norfolk Co. Court. (S) Lower Norfolk County, VA Ct. Rcds: B–A, P33.
4/17/1648, Lt. Robert Pitt patented 1200 acres. (S) Isle of Wight, B2, P118.
1649, Robert a Burgess representing Isle of Wight Co. [He had continuous service through 1660.]
1650, Robert Pitt of Isle of Wight Co. gave a power of attorney to his son John Pitt of Northumberland Co. (S) AP&P, 1956, P152.
6/7/1654, “Lieut. Col. Robert Pitt”, 1200 acres. (S) Isle of Wight, B3, P271.
10/10/1655, Robert Pitt, merchant, has a male indentured servant Edward Mills, a tailor, who sailed from Bristol for VA. (S) Virtual Jamestown Records, Bristol database, 1654–1686.
11/8/1655, Robert Pitt, merchant, has a male indentured servant Issac Gale, a tailor, who sailed from Bristol for VA. (S) Virtual Jamestown Records, Bristol database, 1654–1686.
1660, Robert’s last year as a Burgess representing Isle of Wight Co.
1662, Robert, Commander of the Isle of Wight militia and a member of the Governor's Council.
3/12/1662, Robert patented 1000 acres in Accomac Co.
1663, Robert, Accomac Co., 3000 acres. (S) Accomac Co., B5, P81.
1664, “Col. Robert Pitt” & William Burgh, 1800 acres. (S) Isle of Wight, B4, P613.
3/21/1664, “Col. Robert Pitt”, Capt. Joseph Bridger, & William Burgh, 3000 acres. (S) Isle of Wight, B4, P614.
8/20/1668, agreement bet Col 1668 Robert Pitt of Isle of Wight and John Williams … of Nansemond for Williams to have timber on 100a in Nansemond on Newton Haven River adj Col Pitt.
Bef. 1672 Martha died.
6/6/1672 Robert wrote his will, son, Capt. John Pitt, appointed executor of the estate. (S) Family notes.
10/1/1673, Joseph Bridger and his father-in-law Col. Robert Pitt appeared in the James City Grand Assembly to address a land issue between them.
Bef. 1/9/1674 Robert died; son John appointed Executor of the will on this date. (S) Will proved 3/22/1674.
(S) Seventeenth Century Isle of Wight County Virginia, John Boddie, 1938.

Family notes:
• Will: I Robert Pitt, merchant, being sick and weak of body, … First, I give thanks … Item: I give and bequeath as a gift of my beloved wife Martha Pitt one parcel of land … executor is to build one house of Twenty-five feet in length within four years after my decease which aforesaid land and housing is to be for the estate of poor women and three cows. Item: I give and bequeath as a gift for my daughter Martha Pitt, two cows and two female calves, … Item: I give and bequeath the dividend of land, where I now live upon being twelve hundred acres … unto my son John Pitt, … and after his death to my grandson William Pitt … I give and bequeath that land … unto my son John Pitt … afterwards to my grandson, John Pitt … I give and bequeath unto my son John Pitt that land that Thomas Turner liveth on … after my son John’s decease, I give to my grandson Robert Pitt … Item: I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary Brassier the value of ten thousand pounds of Tobacco and cattle in goods … Item: I give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth Norsworthy five hundred pounds of Tobacco and cattle … Item: I give unto my grandson Robert Pitt, the son of Robert Pitt deceased … I hereby do revoke all former wills and do make my son John Pitt my executor … sixth day of June 1672. (S) Isle of Wight, WB2, P128.

Children of Robert and Hester:

i. William Pitt, born ~1631.
6/8/1634, William named in the will of his grandmother Mary Pitt.

ii. Robert Pitt Jr., born ~1631.
6/8/1634, Robert named in the will of his grandmother Mary Pitt.
Robert married Elizabeth ?.
Robert was a mariner of London.
Bef. 6/6/1672 Robert died before his father wrote his will. (S) His father’s will.
10/20/1674, “Jno. Willie, tallow chandler of London, had married Elizabeth, who was widow and administrator of Robert Pitt, late mariner of London. Elizabeth was the mother and guardian of Robt. Pitt, the only child of her deceased husband. They gave an 11 year lease to Thomas Newbold, merchant of London, on a plantation containing 3000 acres on the Pokamack River and Chesepiaack Bay in Accomack County Virginia. Part of the land had been patented by Pitt and part assigned to him by Col. Edmond Scarburg. The rent (400 pounds of tobacco per year on 20 October) was for the use of young Robert Pitt; ...” (S) Accomack County VA Court Order Abstracts, V4, McKay, P116-7.
Child:
Robert Pitt, born ?.
6/6/1672 he is named in his paternal grandfather’s will.

ii. Hester Pitt ( 2483), born 1633.

iii. Martha Pitt, born ~1634.
6/6/1672, daughter Martha “Pitt” was instructed in her father’s will to give half poor women and the other half to poor female orphans.

iv. Elizabeth Pitt, born ~1636.
6/6/1672 Elizabeth [Norswothy] received thousands of pounds of tobacco in Robert’s will.

v. Mary Pitt born, ~1638.
Mary married John Brashear. John’s deed of 4/20/1682, “… sd. Brashear, as marrying Mary, dau. of Col. Robert Pitt, and heir at law …”. (S) Abstracts of Surry Co. Land Patents, P100.
6/6/1672 Mary [Brassiuer] received thousands of pounds of tobacco in Robert’s will.
11/10/1682, John, of “Nanzemd:”, a member of the Gen. Assembly at James Citty. (S) Leg. Journals of the Council of Col. VA, Waine, P19.

vi. John Pitt ( 2484), born ~1640 in VA.