John M. Hitchcock and Mary Roberts Hitchcock

Today, I thought I would tackle a family I know very little about prior to the 1850 census: my Hitchcock line. John Matthew Hitchcock was born about 1805 in Georgia. His parents were Jesse and Lucinda ("Lucy") Harris Hitchcock. (Lucy was the first slave owning ancestor I have come across in my family, but I'll save her for another post.)

On 4 September 1845, John married Mary Roberts. She was born about 1816 in South Carolina. I do not know anything about her family as of yet. (I really haven't even tried looking yet simply because a common name like "Roberts" worries me - particularly when it's before 1850!)

The only children I have been able to find for this family so far are:

• Louisa Hitchcock
• Jesse Hitchcock
• Lucy Ann Hitchcock
• John Hitchcock
• Overton Hitchcock
• Joseph Columbus Hitchcock

Clipping from 1850 census showing Hitchcock household

Clipping from 1860 census showing Hitchcock children in household

The only issues with this list of children is that Louisa and Jesse were born in the mid-1830's which was before Mary and John were married. While I know this did happen from time-to-time back then, the likelihood of it happening that long before their marriage is fairly low.

I have, so far, not found records of John marrying a woman prior to Mary. I have also not been able to locate any proof of the mother of Louisa and Jesse in any records.

As I said before, I know very little about this family before the 1850 census, and unfortunately, the parents of this line died in the 1870's. John died 16 March 1870 (despite appearing in the 1870 census as still being in the household) and Mary died 14 July 1875. Both died in Polk County, Georgia.

This family still requires quite a bit of research, but I'm hoping the fact that I don't know of a Revolutionary War Patriot on this side of the family that I could submit to the Daughters of the American Revolution will only further my quest for answers on this branch.

Sources:

• 1850 Militia District 986, Paulding County, Georgia U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1860 1083 District, Paulding County, Georgia U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1864 Census for Re-Organizing the Georgia Militia (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1870 19th District, Paulding County, Georgia U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• Georgia Marriages to 1850 (accessed on Ancestry)