Individual Details

William C. is said to be a child of William and MIlly Whitsitt. This is not possible based on court records of William & Milly's daughters' grandparents' estates. This son is unfortunately named as a child of William Whitsitt and Emily Haden in the Whitsitt "Annals of a Scotch-Irish Family" but he is never mentioned in the Court Records during the estate settlement of William Haden, only the three daughters, thus eliminating him as a child of Emily Haden. It has been suggested that his middle name was Crawford. Was he the child of a later marriage [There is no indication anywhere of a later marriage for William Whisitt and, although he had land holdings in both Logan & Butler Counties, there is no indication he had any links to Barren Co.] Was he an illegitimate child? Has he just been placed in the wrong Whitsett family?

Court Orders from Logan Co KY found by another researcher seem to only confuse this issue:
Dec Term 1820. Stokely Knox appointed guardian to William W. Crawford, infant orphan of Jane Crawford, dec'd. Bond of $200 with James Neeley. [Stokely was married to Margery Crawford, daughter of Andrew Crawford of Botetourt Co, VA, and she may have had a sister named Jane. Neely married Nancy C. Knox, 12 Sep 1822.
1820 Census. Logan, Co, KY. Stokeley Knox: 1 male under 10, 1 male age 26-45 [presumably Stokeley], 1 female 10-16, 2 females 26-45 [one perhaps Margery] - male under 10 in 1820 could have been William Crawford/Whitsett if he lived with his guardian

William Whitsitt had also had business with Stokely Knox:
1 Jan 1815 Date of IOU to Mr. Whitsett for $100, signed by Stokely Knox, due 1 Jan 1827. Later assigned to Wm. W. Crawford who at some point prior to 1832 began to use the name William C. Whitsett. Date assigned not known. Note presented as evidence in Court, April 1834.
20 Nov 1821 DB L, p.31 William Whitsitt to John & Cardwell Breathitt. $1000 tract lying in Logan Co on head spring of Muddy River ..part of Alexander Parks military warrant #735 …Stake in the Barrens …1000 acres …except 100 acres which was sold to James Barnett and 10 acres sold to Stokely Knox & not conveyed. Signed: Wm Whitsitt. Witness: H. R. Whitaker, C. H. Blakey Rec. 5 Jul 1822
18 Feb 1822 DB K, p.413 18 Feb 1822 William Whitsitt to Stokely Knox . $100. 10 acres. Signed: Wm Whitsitt. Witnesses names are faded: Charles ?? John Kelly
18 Apr 1826 DB N, p.441 William Whitsitt to John & Cardwell Breathitt. Heretofore assigned to said Breathitts an agreement he had with William Stewart …having been annulled with Stewart by decree of Logan Co Ct and in consideration of $2500 paid to him the said Whitsitt. Doth grant the following tract in Logan Co on head waters of Muddy River bounded according to survey made by D. Jackson on 2 Nov 1785 for Alexr Parker ..part of military warrant #735 and patented to sd Parker on 23 Jun 1808. Containing 1000 acres except 100 acres conveyed by Whitsitt to James Barnett; 10 acres to S. Knox not yet conveyed. Signed: Wm Whitsett. Witness: John F. Todd, Wm. C. Danley. Proven by witnesses & rec. 25 Apr 1826.
[See Book L, p.31 on 20 Nov 1821]

1830 Census. No Whitsitt found in Logan Co. No Knox.

Sep 1831 WB E, p.14-15. Sale & Appraisal of the estate of Stokeley Knox. Administrator: James Neely
4 Sep 1832 p.112-133 Settlement of the estate of Stokeley Knox. Administrator: James Neely. Commissioners were M. B. Morton and Thomas Slaughter.

12 May 1832 Equity box 34, Case #868 William W. Whitsett alias William Crawford under age 21 by next friend Henry T. Loving vs. heirs of Stokeley Knox who died intestate. Knox was indebted to Whitsett/Crawford for $100 with interest from 1 Jan 1827 and for the value of a horse - $60 - sold to Knox for which he had not been paid. Administrator of the estate of Knox was James Neeley and he is the defendant. The heirs are widow Margery Knox and James Knox, David Knox, Reuben Knox, Leonard Knox, John A. Holly [siblings of Stokeley Knox] There is no personal property out of which the debt can be paid but Knox had a tract of land in Logan Co on the Muddy River. The judge decreed a sale of the land or enough of it to pay the debt and the costs of the suit, reserving to the widow her dower land.
5 Apr 1834 Deposition of William Whitsett taken at Russellville as evidence in a suit pending in which William Whitsett alias William Crawford is complainant and the Admin. & Heirs of Stokely Knox are defendants. The deponent is of lawful age. [the answers to the questions indicate that this is William Whitsett's deposition, not that of the former William Crawford] Whitsett stated that Knox had told of the purchase of a white horse belonging to Crawford/Whitsett at the price of $60 or $65. Knox had so stated not long before he was killed and Knox had not paid for the horse. Whitsett also identified a note and stated he had transferred or assigned the note to the complainant. There was a scrap of paper, "I Stokely Knox bind…to pay to Mr. Whitsett $100 which may be discharged in property [livestock] on or before 1 Jan 1827. Signed 1 Jan 1815. Signed: Stokley Knox." And "Pay the within note to Wm. W. Crawford, Wm. Whitsett" - this last probably the back side of the scrap.
Apr 1834 April Term. Judge's decree in Equity Case of William Whitsett alias William Crawford vs. heirs of Stokeley Knox. He notes claimant has now reached full age. Land to be sold to pay debts reserving the widow's dower. See 12 May 1832.
11 Jul 1834 Discrepancy in name in this deed, but court records show it is Crawford, not Comfort. DB T, p.252 James Knox, David Knox, Ruben Knox, Leonard Knox & John A. Halley and unk heirs of Stokely Knox dec'd by Wm J. Morton, commissioner. In the case of William Whitsett alias William Comfort against the heirs. For $1. Said Whitsett alias Crawford obtained decree of Logan Circuit Court at April Term 1834 against the heirs for $205 and costs. Sale of lands of Stokely Knox, reserving the widow of sd Knox her dower. 30 Jun 1834 did sell & Whitsett became purchaser being highest bidder $232.11. Tract on which said Stokely Knox dec'd was seized. Near head of Muddy River adj lands of William C. Dawson, William Cole & the late Governor Breathett. 110 acres. Reserving the widow's lands including the mansion house. Signed: James Knox, David Knox, Ruben Knox, Leonard Knox, John A. Hally. Ack. by Commissioner. Rec. 24 Jul 1834


Many believe his middle name to have been Crawford, certainly that did seem to be his original surname. Does this indicate the married surname of his mother? Or ....there is a tradition of the given name Crawford among the descendants of Ralph Whitsett, thought to be a brother of William Whitsitt who married Elizabeth Dawson. There are letters from a son of William C.'s - Joseph "Hade" Whitsett - when he refers to the Confederate soldier Sim Whitsett who rode with Quantrill as a "cousin". Sim Whitsett did indeed descend from Ralph Whitsett.

One wonders how loosely the word "cousin" is used. William E. Whitsett, oldest son of William C. also made contact with his "cousin", Daniel B. Comfort, in Kosciusko, MS, during the Civil War and Daniel B. Comfort was certainly a grandson of William Whitsitt & Emily Haden. [The same letter that names Daniel B. Comfort is also very much in error concerning information about another Comfort cousin.]

There was another Whitsett connection in Fannin Co, TX as well - perhaps further identification of this man would suggest William C.'s lineage. There is a marriage in Fannin Co. in 1856 of a Miriam D. Whitsett to William H. Cobb. Miriam was the abandoned wife of a James S. Whitsett. She was Miriam Dotson Vandiver, born about 1830 in Washington Co, AR [her father Moses is found in Crawford Co AR which was formed from Washington Co, in 1840] - she had married James Whitsett in Washington Co, 26 Sep 1850. They had one son, Finis Thomas Whitsett, born 1851 in Dodd City, Fannin Co, TX. Around 1853, James deserted his small family. He is said to have "gone to California". Finis Thomas would name one of sons Joseph Haden Whitsett in 1907. I also find land patents issued in Washington Co AR in 1854 and 1860 to a John Fielder Whitsett - John Fielder Whitsett also believed to have been a descendant of Ralph Whitsett. Strangely, no Whitsett can be found in the census in Washington Co AR in either 1850 or 1860 [John F. was in Hempstead Co, AR, however]. In the genealogical line of John Fielder [his great-grandfather] is a Samuel Whitsett who lived in Montgomery Co KY - interestingly there is a recorded deed there with a Samuel Hadden.

And I have also read that William C. may have been in Arkansas before coming to Texas, but without proof and that may very well be an assumption because of these Whitsetts found there.

Many cite the fact that William C. Whitsett also named a son as Joseph Haden [called Hade] Whitsett [b. 1847] as the proof he was a son of Emily Haden, which he could not have been. However, his wife Elizabeth Edmunds had a sister that had married Haden Trigg Curd back in Kentucky in 1830 [named for his grandfather Haden Trigg of Barren Co KY], and the name Haden occurs as a given name in several of the families of Elizabeth's siblings. I will also point out that Samuel Whitsett of Montgomery Co, KY was married to a Margaret, surname unknown, but he did have a deed in 1810 to a Samuel Haddon [probably of the family of Elisha Haddon and not a Haden family at all].

If there was a tradition that William C. Whitsett's father was a William and not necessarily which William, there were two William Whitsetts living in Montgomery Co KY, as well as a Ralph and a John R.
William Whitsett: 1m age 15-20, 1m age 20-30, 1f under 5, 1f age 15-20
William Whitsett: 2m under 5, 2m 5-10, 1m age 40-50. 1f under 5, 1f 5-10, 1f 10-15, 1f age 30-40

The book says this about the family of William C. Whitsitt, all of which seem accurate as far as it goes:
William C. Whitsitt, MD, married Miss Edmunds of Glasgow, KY. Their children: (1) Mary Jane married a Major J. M. Collins and went to Ft. Smith, AR (2) Elizabeth married a Mr. Smith of Fannin County TX (3) William E. married an Indian girl and lived in Salisaw, Indian Territory (4) Churchill died without issue.

1840, Barren Co KY, Glasgow; p.186 Wm C. Whitset. 1m -5; 1m 10-15, 1m 20-30. 1f 20-30. William married Elizabeth in 1836 and only their son William Edmunds Whitsett was living in 1840, about age 3 - who was the older male child in the household?.

1850 Barren Co KY Census: Glasgow, 1st Division, p.396, Household #1280. There are 3 families listed in this household - 2 lawyers' families and Dr. Whitsett's. He has only the children with him; Wm. E. age 12, Mary J. age 8, Elizabeth H. age 6, James age 4, Jos. H. age 2. His wife Elizabeth is in the household of David Lock, #1297. In this Census in Barren Co in the 2nd District, p.404, household 7, is a four-year-old boy named Haiden C. Whitsett, living with the family of Samuel Forrister. Identification of this boy might be significant.

1860 US Census; Fannin Co TX Beat #1, p.35 W. C. Whitsett age 47, Physician, born KY. Wm E. age 23, E. H. age 17, female; James age 15; Jos. H. age 13 all born in KY. Charles C. age 5, born TX. Wife must have been back in KY. In 1860, she and son Charles were living in the household of E. A. Edmunds [her brother], Barren Co and she's marked "Insane". Apparently Charles counted both places.

Elected to the Texas legislature in 1866, but it was disbanded by reconstruction.

1870 Census, Fannin Co: William Whitsett, age 57, farmer born KY and Haden, age 21, teamster born in KY. Also in household: Joshua Smith age 35, Elizabeth age 27 b. 8; Wm. W. age 6, Belle age 4, and Elizabeth age 2. Obviously daughter Elizabeth and her family lived with William.
Also on P. 9 of the same Precinct, household 59 is "Jack Whitsett, age 44, farmer born in TN and Judia?, age 25, born in KY.

1880 Census. Fannin Co TX, Prec. 1, Hh 340
Wm. C. Whitsett, age 68, retired physician, b. KY, parents b. VA
Elizabeth L., age 64, wife, b. KY, parents b. VA
J. L. Smith and wife Elizabeth and their children were the next household.

Found in Willow Wild Cemetery in Bonham, Fannin County, TX "Dr. W. C. Whitsett 1810-1883, dau Elizabeth 1843 married J. L. Smith" Marriage in Fannin Co TX 10 Oct 1861 for Elizabeth H. Whitsett to Joshua L. Smith; perhaps 1843 was her birthdate. Also found a marriage for Mary J. Whitsett to James M. Collins on 4 Aug 1859.

Birth	3 Aug 1812	Kentucky
Marriage	15 Dec 1836	Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky - Elizabeth Lee Edmunds
Death	9 Jan 1882	Bonham, Fannin County, Texas

Spouse	Elizabeth Lee Edmunds (1815 - 1883)
Child	William Edmunds Whitsett (1837 - 1901)
Child	Joseph Whitsett (1837 - 1839)
Child	Mary Jane Whitsett (1841 - 1900)
Child	Elizabeth Henry Whitsett (1843 - 1908)
Child	James Whitsett (1845 - 1862)
Child	Joseph Haden "Hade" Whitsett (1847 - 1951)
Child	Charles Churchill Whitsett (1855 - 1887)

Father	Maj Gen William Whitsitt IV (1776 - 1842)
Mother	Jane Crawford ( - )