Peter Wittum & The Indian Wars

This time, we get to meet Peter and Redigon's son, Peter Wittum.

Peter Wittum
B: 15 May 1656 Boston, Suffolk, MA
D: Kittery, York, ME

Wife: Annis (AKA: Agnes, Eunice)
B: Kittery, York, ME
D: 13 Oct 1732 Probably Kittery, York, ME

Peter married Annis in 1684 in Boston.

They had the following children:

Peter Wittum
B:Kittery, York, ME
D: Maine
M:Judith Gattensby on 3 Aug 1713 Berwick, York, ME

John Wittum
B:Kittery, York, ME
M:Elizabeth Tidy on 9 Jan 1708 Kittery, York, ME

Daniel Wittum
B:Kittery, York, ME
M:Hannah Tidy

Andrew Wittum
B:Kittery, York, ME
M:Ann Beard
M: Abigail Mills on 1 Oct 1726

James Wittum
B:Kittery, York, ME
M:Elizabeth Drown on 12 Mar 1720 Kittery, York, ME

Samuel Wittum
B:Kittery, York, ME

Abigail Wittum
B:Kittery, York, ME
M:Michael Brawn on 8 Jan 1722 Kittery, York, ME

Eunice Annw Wittum
B:Kittery, York, ME
D: York, York, ME
M:Richard Brawn on 5 Nov 1725 Kittery, York, ME

Ichabod Wittum
B:York, York, ME
D:24 Mar 1755 York, York, ME
M:Deborah Spencer on 8 May 1734 York, York, ME

Benjamin Wittum
B:Kittery, York, ME
M:Mary Rankin on 11 Mar 1728 York, York, ME

Peter Wittum's other spouse: Judith Gattensby 3 Aug 1713 Kittery, York, ME

Peter Wittum was a yeoman (turner) in Kittery, Maine.

He deposed in April 1729 that he was a soldier at Blue Point under Capt. Winscoll fifty two or three years earlier. NOTE FROM MIKE: I FOUND THE FOLLOWING REFERENCE TO CAPT. WINSCOLL THAT LINES UP WITH THE DATE GIVEN BY PETER WITTUM. IT APPEARS THIS PETER WITTUM FOUGHT IN THE INDIAN WARS:

"From Bodge's book conerning the Indian wars:
1676: --“Scottow was very angry with Mackshawine for saying that Captaine Winscoll & his company were all cut off, telling him though some might be killed and the rest fled yet it might be to gain advantage of ground as it proved---”. From Bodges “Soldiers in King Phillips War” pg 334"

In 1686, he exchanged land with his brother, William, getting fifty acres on Sturgeon Creek between Leonard Drown and William Sanders.

In 1694, he received a grant of ten acres from Kittery, and later received another twenty acres from that town.

In March 1723/24, he deeded to his son John after death of self and wife Eunice.

In 1730, they had lived in York for six months when he was ordered to leave town. His wife could not be found at the time. Peter was often fined for small offenses, especially for not attending church.

Three of Peter's sons, John, Andrew, and Daniel, took upland in Bell Marsh Brook region north of Agamenticus Hill close to Scotland, York County, Maine, about 1725.

Next time, we'll meet Peter & Annis' son, John Wittum.

Witham Family Cemetery

We've been covering a blog post series on the new line of Withams we just discovered. I would like to take a quick break from that series to cover something else that just popped up. We'll get right back to our series after this, but this is too good not to share right away.

Let's talk about the Witham Family Cemetery.

The Witham Family Cemetery is where George Washington Witham and his wife, Catherine Bunch are buried. George and Catherine are the parents of Francis Calvin Witham. There are other Withams buried there, too.

The Witham Family Cemetery is located about 10 miles from Albany, KY in Clinton County off Highway 127 North. It's located on the Newman Ryan farm just past Aaron Ridge Road. You can see the cemetery from Highway 127 N.

Our Becky Bucalo (great-granddaughter of Alex Clay Witham) has a contact near the Witham Family Cemetery who agreed to go take pictures of it for us. Our deepest appreciation goes out to Judy Reneau for spending her time and resources taking these pictures that mean so much to us. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

And a big thank you to Becky for her continued effort in helping us further develop our family history.

Here are the pictures:

George Washington Witham

Catherine Bunch Witham

Annie P. Witham

Lillie Florance Witham

Witham Family Cemetery

Witham Family Cemetery 2

Witham Family Cemetery 3

Witham Family Cemetery 4

William Granville Witham
Lands Chapel Church Cemetery
Albany, KY

Bascom & Minnie Witham

Lands Chapel Church Cemetery

Albany, KY

Henry Clay & Roxie Witham

Albany Cemetery

Albany, KY

Nancy Colene Witham

Albany Cemetery

Albany, KY

James Curtis Witham

Albany Cemetery

Albany, KY

James Curtis Witham - Closeup of Photo from Gravestone

Albany Cemetery

Albany, KY

Peter Wittum - The Withams come to America

Next we get to meet Peter & Mary's son, Peter Wittum. Most of us know that our line of Withams came from Kentucky, but have you ever wondered where we came from before that? We're about to find out...

This Peter Wittum was born around 1627 in Steeple Parish, Essex, England.
He died around 1697 or 1698 in Kittery, Province of Massachusetts Bay, now Maine. He was around age 70.

Peter Wittum emigrated to Massachusetts, then settled in Kittery, Maine.

On 17 Jun 1652 when Peter was 25, he married Redigon Clark in Boston, Massachusetts.

Redigon Clark:

Born about 1627 in Kittery, Maine. Redigon died in Kittery, Maine on 18 Mar 1700. She was 73. Her father was Robert Clark. Her mother was Ruddegoe Weare.

They had the following children:

Mary (1653-1653)

Elizabeth (1654-1654)

Peter (1656->1730)

Ichabod (~1658-)

William (~1660-)

Sarah (~1664-)

Hannah (~1669-)

Elizabeth (~1670-)

Ruth (1672-)

Abigail (1674-1705)

Peter and his wife Redigon were mentioned frequently in land records as well as legal records. Here are some of the mentions we were able to uncover:

* In 1660, Peter had taken in the highway between Kittery House and Sturgeon Creek. 

* In 1661, Peter slandered James Heard's wife.

* In 1664, Peter was sued by Richard Cutts.

* On 2 Jan 1665, Peter had a grant of land and lived a little North of Sturgeon Creek. 

* On 14 Mar 1672/3 he bought a parcel of swamp from Abraham Conley for the sum of 5 pounds. 

* On 17 July 1673, Peter and his wife, Redigon, signed a deed with their marks to sell two acres of upland and swamp to Nicolas Hodgsden. 

* On 18 Sep 1678, Peter sold the full and just quantity of 40 acres of swamp and upland to Nicolas Hodgsden for 11 pounds, 10 shillings. 

* In 1684, Peter was taken to court for being drunk and putting his wife and children out of doors. 

* On 16 March 1685 , Peter “conveys, assigns and sets over one half of my premises to my son William. I reserve for may own use, during the time of my own and my wife’s natural lives and to include the side fence for security and to be kept tenantable. My son is to pay me 14 bushels of Indian corn yearly and 7 bushels to be paid to my wife yearly following my decease.”

* On 15 Jan 1690, Peter sold to Samuel Small for 60 pounds "all that messuage or tenement which I formerly lived upon with about 16 acres of land belonging scituate on Sturgeon Creek."  

* On 16 Jan 1704, Peter sold fpr 4 pounds to William Furbish "a parcel of land scituate lying in Kittery containing 25 acres."

* Peter's wife Redigon was also presented for stealing cloth from Abra Conly. She was examined for her offense and "upon her ingenuous confession and Abra Conleys satisfaction, by Admonition was accquitted, paying only the Marshall's fees"

* Peter was on a list of sufferers from the Indians in the Second War.

* Both Peter and Redigon were mentioned more than once in the York County, Maine records for not attending church, for drinking, and playing cards. 

Peter also had another wife, named Eunice.

Wow! How was all of that for interesting?! Next time, we'll talk about Peter and Redigon's son, also named Peter.