**For the descendants of Richard Edward DeWitt and Mary Catherine Hudson of Colleton County, SC there will be the 20th Annual Family Reunion will be held July 27, 2008. It will be in Walterboro, SC at the Longhorn Restaurant on Hwy 63 which is located off I-95. We will start at noon getting to know each other and a buffet meal at 1 pm. After the meal some information about the family will be presented and photos taken. If in need of further information please email Deborah Mitchell at DebDMitch@aol.com**
I am Deborah the oldest of 4 children born to David and Janet Jolly DeWitt. My father's family line will be on this page. I will follow a numbering system that is found with pedigree charts.
The following surnames will be found associated with my DeWitt line they are as follows: Zellars, Hudson,, Bryan, Benton, Smoak, Avant, Leigh, Breland, Kearse and Harper.
I would like to share with you a little information about the ancestors of my line. Their country of origin was Holland located in northern Europe also called The Netherlands. This family had a great heritage and they were aristocrats. Many died for their country when others would assume power also many escaped and left their country to find freedom from tyranny. It is believed that the surname DeWitt did not originate from Holland but from France. The DeWitt family did stay long enough in Holland to be native. The evidence is strong that long before Holland the DeWitt's (spelled deWitt, deWhitt as well as many other spellings)were from France.
Many people have researched this line and have it researched from Holland to New York to Virgina. I have not been successful to link our group of DeWitt's to the family in Virgina.
I am sure one of the sons of Charles DeWitt of Virginia is the DeWitt from which we descend. The sons were Martin and Thomas who migrated to South Carolina before the Revolution. The descendants of Martin settled near Black Creek (now Darlington County). Thomas settled in what was called Marion District a small place called DeWitt's Bluff.
I am of the opinion that we are the descendants from one of those two sons of Charles DeWitt but at this time this researcher has been unable to find the link.
Now to my dad's DeWitt line.
2- David Smith DeWitt b: Colleton Co., SC
m: Janet Virl Jolly in Charleston Co., SC
*My dad was the youngest of 9 children born to Chesley and Florrie DeWitt.*
Dates are being kept private as they are still with us.
4- Chesley D. DeWitt b: 9 Mar 1883 in Colleton Co., SC
m: Florence "Florrie" Catherine Zellars on 7 Jan 1906 in Colleton Co., SC.
d: 21 Mar 1938 Walterboro, SC.
Buried: Bethel Methodist Church Cemetary in Ruffin, SC
*Chesley was the oldest of 14 children.*
Children of Chesley and Florrie DeWitt:
1. James Edward - died young
2. Lester Guriel
3. William Fairey
4. Eugene Wesley
5. George Hamilton
6. James Kneeley - died young
7. Mary Elvira
8. Catherine Newrell
*9. David Smith DeWitt
* = is my linage
8- Richard Edward "Ed" DeWitt b: Oct 1854 Colleton Co., SC
m: Mary Catherine Hudson ca. 1882
d: 1909 Walterboro, SC.
*R.E. was the 3rd child of 5 (to our knowledge)*
Children of Ed and Mary DeWitt:
*1. Chesley D.
2. Sarah Jane
3. James "Jim" Henry
4. Rosa Josaphene
5. Carrie
6. Edith
7. Ida- died as infant
8. Edward "Eddie" - never married
Richard Edward called Ed and Mary DeWitt had a total of 14 children only 7 made it until adulthood. The youngest was retarded. All of the children who died as infants are buried in the same location as parents. The Hudson Cemetary located on Hwy 63 located on the land of Helen Rentz (believe now owned by Helen's daughter)in Walterboro, SC. Many Hudson's are buried in this cemetery. I was told by Ernest Hudson now deceased in 1990 that there were over 100 Hudson's buried in that cemetery. Edward DeWitt and his sister Lizzie are also buried there.
16- James "Jim" DeWitt b: ca. 1822 in SC
m: Levinia "Vinie" Benton ca 1843 in SC
d: ca 1881 in Colleton Co., SC
The children of Jim and Vinie DeWitt:
1. James Fishbourne "Bud": b: ca. 1844 in Heyward Twp.
Colleton Co. SC m: Alice (unknown surname)
2. Stephen Washington "Wash" b: Jan 1848 same as above location
m: Susan Ruth Benton ca 1873 d: 23 Jan 1925 in Walterboro, SC
*3. Richard Edward "Ed" b: Oct 1854 *see above*
4. Laura Elizabeth "Lizzie" b: 1859 never married d: aft 1910
5. Mary M. b: 1865 same location as siblings
This is all of the documented information thus far for my dad's DeWitt line. I did find evidence that another ancestor Rev. Richard Bryan married a Charles DeWitt and a Phoebe Crosby in 1808 and then Phoebe died and Charles married Mary Blocker on 11 Apr 1816.
This was the first mention I could document of a DeWitt in Colleton County. Mary DeWitt (could be Mary Blocker DeWitt) along with two sons one being James was found by another researcher mentioned in the will of a Charles DeWitt. This could be James the father of Richard E. DeWitt. The dates and locations are right this could be the piece that has been missing in my research. More research is necessary to be able to bring this all together, but it is getting closer.
If you have any information on any of the low country SC DeWitt Families, if you have or know of other DeWitt web pages please contact me. I would like to make as many links available to help others be able to work on this great family.
Please be sure to come and check for updates as I am working on these pages regularly.
Thanks for stopping by and visiting with my DeWitt family.
This page was last updated July 20, 2008.
DEWITT LINKS
Dick Rose's DeWitt Genealogy Page
Mitchell & Cadle Family Pages (My husband's line)
To continue with the ZELLARS Page click the graphic below.
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