THE KITTRELL FAMILY

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We have been asked a number of times to furnish something of the history of the Kittrell family of Middle Tennessee. First we are frank to say that our records are limited and far from complete. In the second place we are too busy with a lot of other work to look into this record as carefully and as fully as we might desire.

All indications point to Dutton Kittrell as having been the ancestor of this family. However, this is not positively known. Records indicate that he was of English and Welsh descent, coming from a royal line dating back to the time of Edward I, who was king of England for a number of years. Edward was born June 18, 1239 and died July 7, 1303. This Dutton Kittrell descended through a line of Lords and cadets of the Catherall name. Dutton Kittrell's wife appears to have been an heiress named De Horton. This Dutton Kittrell was most probably an early settler in Eastern Maryland.

Jonathan Kittrell was evidently a son of Dutton Kittrell. Jonathan died in Chowan County, North Carolina, in 1748. His name first appears in the North Carolina records about 1718 when he bought lands in Chowan County. He was a juror and a Justice of the Peace in that county in 1723 and 1727. This Jonathan Kittrell had a son named Jonathan, who was a soldier of the American Revolution, being captain of the Granville Couty, North Carolina militia during the Revolution. This second Jonathan was granted lands in granville County in 1761 by Lord Granville for his (Jonathan's) military services in Bertie County, North Carolina. Jonathan's will was made in 1811, and in this will is mentioned his son, Joshus Kittrell.

Isaac Kittrell, son of Jonathan Kittrell, is the ancestor of our Middle Tennessee branch of the family. He was was born in December, 1779 in Granville County, N. C. He married Elizabeth Read, the daughter of Christopher Read, who was captain of a ship and owner of another. Elizabeth was born in Bertie County, North Carolina, in 1787, and was married to Isaac Kittrell on December 5, 1805. Following the death of his first wife, he later married Frankie Snipes. He was married a third time to Mildred Maxey. By his first wife he had the following children: Mary R. Kittrell, who married Lorenzo Dow Ballou; Isham Kittrell, married Cary Proctor; and Margaret, married Green Proctor. By his second wife he had: Edwin Kittrell, married a Robinson; Phelan, married an Allen; Tom, married a Tarver; Lucinda, married Spear Robinson; Thenie, married Josiah Reese. By the third wife he became the father of Martha Kittrell, who married a McMurray. William Kittrell was another son of Isaac, but we do not know which of the three women was his mother.

Mary R. Kittrell, who married Lorenzo Dow Ballou, was born September 25, 1808 in Granville County, N.C. She was married to Ballou on November 5, 1829. To this union were born the following: William A. Ballou, born april 22, 1830; and married Miss Martha Gregory; James E. Ballou, born November 1, 1831; Leonidas W. Ballou, known as Lon Ballou, born February 1, 1833; Diogenes Ballou, born September 28, 1834; Julia A. Ballou, married Jack Kittrell, born July 4, 1838; Anthony S. Ballou, born December 4, 1837; Margaret E. Ballou, born August 18, 1840; Mary B. Ballou, born November 6, 1842, married Clark Cartwright; Albert C. Ballou, born September 7, 1844, married Ann Davis; and Rufus C. (Ward) Ballou, born October 24, 1847.

Isham Kittrell, who married Cary Proctor, became the father of Isabel, married David Mabry; Lizzie, married Joe Davis; Geroge, married Callie Stewart; John Bell (Jack) married his own cousin, Julia A. Ballou; Tant, married Mary Bettis; and Isham, Jr., (Babe) married Sallie Ramsey.

Phelan Kittrell, who married an Allen, was the father of David, never married; Edward, married Julia McDowell; and Marion, who died a short time ago, and perhaps others. Later information shows that a daughter, jane, married Dr. Swann; and Mary, married a Reece.

Edwin Kittrell, married a Robinson and became the father of Dave, married a Dillehay; Isham, married a Dillehay; Fannie, married a Bennett; and Mollie, married a Cooper.

Tom Kittrell married a Tarver. He had by her: Billie, married a Birdwell and Dixon; Martha, married Dick Cornwell; Bettie, married Rankins; and one other whose name is not known.

If Margaret Kittrell, who married Green Proctor, had children, we are not so informed.

Lucinda married Spear Robinson and became the mother of : John, Joe, Allie and Eddie Robinson.

Thenie, wife of Josiah Reece, became the mother of Isabelle, died young; Eddie and Jane, twins, both dying early, as did two other children, Lucy and Isaac; Charity Hix married Owen Hailey.

Martha Kittrell McMurray was the mother of Dave and Daisy McMurray.

William Kittrell, married a Cornwell, but died withouth issue.

Issac Kittrell, father of the above children, was the son of Jonathan Kittrell, who married Miss Tabbie Bryant. She died prior to 1811, when her husband, Jonathan Kittrell made his will and died.

This Isaac Kittrell, who married Tabbie Bryant, had a brother, Solomon Kittrell, who married a Miss Norman in Granville County, North Carolina, and who moved to Mississippi and settled between 1800 and 1825. From this line is descended Judge Norman Goree Kittrell, U. S. Judge, at Houston, Texas. Solomon Kittrell settled at Winona, Miss. sister of Isaac and Solomon, married a minister by the name of Scruggs, but we do not have his given name.

Isaac Kittrell had another brother whose name was Joshua. He had two sons, Seth Reddick and Michael John Kittrell, who settled near Mt. Pleasant in 1826. Their mother was Ruth Kittrell. She was an orphan and a daughter of a brother of Isaac and Joshua. We believe his name was Benajamin Kittrell, who did not come to Tennessee but died in North Carolina.

There is another branch of the the same family, which has lived mostly in White County, but we do not know of the connection between the White County Kittrells and those outlined above. This branch lived near Cassville in that county in the years gone by.. The first member of the family of whom we have any record was William Kittrell, married first to a Sullivan and later to a Bartlett. Their children were: Lucy, married a Sparks; Ann, married a Cope; Rev. John Kittrell born in 1849, died in 1849, married Lucinda Nolan; Tom Kittrell, Jacob, Billie, Mary, Becky, and Simeon. Old William Kittrell had a sister Nancy Ann, who married Dabney Baker.

It appears that Jonathan Kittrell, the father of Isaac Kittrell, had a brother, Rowland Kittrell. The children of Rowland were in part at least: Marion Kittrell, married a Kittrell, than a Haynie and last a Johnson. Four of his children's names are known: Dick, Fannie, married a Talley; Chalmers and Lura, who married a Houston. Another son of Rowland was John Kittrell, born in 1819 and died in 1857. He married Adeline, daughter of Henry Beasley: and later married Mary Kittrell. John's children were: Mary, married a Bowles; Sallie never married; William Rowland, married a Grissom, a Bradley and a Gass; and Ellen who died young.

Another son of the old Rowland Kittrell was Sam Kittrell, who married first to a Frye and last to a Shoe. This family lived in Rutherford County, Tenn. Children were: Hannibal, married supposedly his step-sister, Shoe; John, Prudilla and Emma. No further information about them is available except that Prudilla and Emma never married.

William Rowland Kittrell, son of John Kittrell, son of old Rowland Kittrell, and who married a Grissom, a Bradley, and a Gass, was born august 13, 1851 and was the father of Ocia, married a Martin; Lura, married a Sailors; and Homer, who went to Louisville, Ky.

The claim that old Rowland Kittrell was an uncle of Isaac Kittrell lacks verification, but this is in keeping with the known records.

Any reader of this paper or article who has additional information will please send it to us and we will try to find space for it in the near future. If any errors are discovered in the above, we shall be __* same.

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