The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-06-11
For the Farmer and Mechanic.
The WhitmelI Family and it's De-
YivativeS.


common cause than Col. Thomas Whit
nell. Though advanced in years and in
firm, being nearly three score aud ten
he was among the first, to lend tht
weight of his name, and ''blameless lite
to the cause Of the Colonies, and we fine
him elected by the Assembly Of Patriots
that met in Hillsborough in 10, as Colo
nel for Bertie county, with Thos. Pugh
IA connection of his family, as Lieutenant
Colonel
As yet, we have been unable to trace
the origin of this distinguished individu-
al. On the first book "A" Of the record;
of Bertie county, which date back tC
1922, we find, among the first convey
ances of real estate, several deeds from
Thomas Whitmell and Elizabeth Blount
Whitmell, his wife, showing that he was
a large landed proprietor at early period
of the Colony Farther back than this
we cannot trace him, unless the books IN
the court House at Edenton, where the
early records Of Albemarle county are
kept, or the papers in the Secretary OF
States office at Raleigh, will reveal the
secret.
We know this, however. that he was a
gentleman of wealth and culture, Judging
from traditionary lore and specimens OF
his handwriting and composition which
have come down to us; lived near what
is now Windsor, the county seat of Ber-
tie, and that he was the Senior Warden
of the old Glebe Church, hard by his
home, where his ashes now mingle with
the dust. OF this old Church not ves-
tige is now left, to tell the passer by, that
he stands on sacred grounds, save
few old mossy bricks and heaps of rub
bish, so completely has the rude and
iconoclastic hand of time swept away the
sacred fame. This old church, like most
Colonial Churches, was built of English
brick, at least, we were SO informed by
an old gentleman. Mr.. Jonathan s. Tay-
loe, who for years was living link be-
tween the past and present, recently dy-
ing at the advanced age Of 81, and who
lived for nearly century, near the site
Of the old church.
Elizabeth Blount, wife of Col. Whit
nell, was descended from an ancient fam
lily, and like Tennyson's Lady Clara We're
de We're, surely deserved the name OF
The daughter of an hundred Earls' of any
one ever did, as the Blount family traced
their lineage back through more than
ZOO years Of titled and Distinguished an
cestry. the first of the name, james
Blount who emigrated to Virginia about
1868, being a linea! descendant of both
Sir William, and Sir Robert lie Blond
or lie Bount" both of whom, were
distinguished followers of William. the
Norman, at Hastings. The family have
documentary evidence to establish the
fact of their descent through the Barns
of Ixworth and other noble houses of
England from these two brothers, the
heir and heiress of both branches having
inter married, and the writer Of this, has
pedigree of the family in his possession
tracing back to the brothers who Tough,
at Hastings
Col. Thomas Whitmell had a large fam
ily, one son, Thomas Bount Whitmel
and i've or six daughters. Thomas Blount
Whitmell married Miss West, Ia daugh
ter Of an ancien. family of the county and
had one son Thomas West Whitmell,
whom tradition says was killed at the
battle of Germantown, Pa, when but Z
youth. Hence the name as surname
became extinct, though it has been hand
ded down as a double or middle name
and worn by numbers of defendants, ever
to the present time. OF these daughters
one was married to Whitaker and had q
daughter Elizabeth, of whom nothing
more is known Another, daughter wa.
married to an Aston and left distinguish
ed representatives, the Alstons, kearneys
and other prominent families of Warren
and Halifax counties descending from
this branch. a third daughter married
Henry Hunter, Esq, and left a large
number of descendants among whom art
l,l - H.. g Ha ',l InSSn al
Florida, formerly of Bertie county, \. C.
General Joseph II. Bryan, Mrs. Mary
Bryan Hill. who was the mother of the
Honorable William Whitmell Pugh, who
was at one time speaker of the House OF
Representatives of Louisiana, the family
of DIR. Jos. Bryan Outlaw, who married
Hannah Turner Stone, the daughter OF
Hon. Davie Stone, Gov. and United
States Senator of n c., the descendants
of John Drew, Esq brother of William
Drew, Esq., once Attorney General OF
n. c., the descendants of Col David
Outlaw, NJ. c.. the Suttons of BERTHE anC
the Pinmmers of Warren and Franklin
and many other families long known in
lCarolina and other States as ''thc bes
people" Martha, another, daughter o.
Col. Whitmell was married first Bate,
a Collat, ral ancestor of the present dis
tinguished Governor of our sister, OF
daughter State of Tennessee. She bad Dt
issue by him, and after his death mar
ried second time, Colonel John Hill
who al one time was Sheriff of Berti,
county, and distinguished citizen. By
Hill, She had Henry Hill. who married
Martha " Milliams of Halifax county, n
c., the daughter Of Col. Joseph JohI
Williams, the distinguished patriot, anC
Elizabeth Aston, his wife. This osepl
John Williams was a member of the Com
mittee of Safety for Halifax county ii
IVA. He was also a delegate to the As
sen bly, at Halifax in l776, with Hon
Willis Aston, Nj. c.. Gen. Willis Jones
and ether distinguished patriots. ii,
was also The member from Halifax eoun
ty TO the House of Commons in III, anc
a brother of Col. VIM. Williams whose
name will be mentioned later on. Henr.
Hill, (above mentionedl had one son
John Hill, who was killed in childhood
by fall from horse, and dying young
his widow was married to DIR. Samue
Thorne of New York, from whom the
noted family of that name descend, Col
Walter Clark of Raleigh, n. G., being {
descendant. through his mother, Ann
. Thorne Another son of John Hill. wa.
the celebrated Col. Whitmell Hill of Hal
flax and Martin. who was graduated from
the University Of Pennsylvania, who Wa
a member of the Continental Congress:
and of whom Wheeler says: "He early
entered with great earnestness into the du
bious and dangerous conflict between En-
gland and America and threw into tht
scale of liberty, his lite, his fortune ant
his .acred honor.
TO BE CONTINUED.