Elizabeth Stith (about 1780 - 1858)

     James Daigh and his wife Elizabeth Stith (in the record as James Day and Elizabeth Stiff) were married in Bath Co., Virginia on the 8th of October, 1802. The marriage record says that John Stiff consents for his daughter Elizabeth. Isaac Mays was surety and a witness. No Stiths were found in Mason, Botetourt, or Kanawha county records. In 1802, James Daigh would have been only about 17 years old and at most 25. By 1810, he had moved to Mason Co. where he was listed in the census.
     The name Stith is found in many records as Stiff. Especially in Virginia records, where both names occurred, it is necessary to search records for both spellings. The oldest son of James and Elizabeth Daigh was named John Stith Daigh, which would tend to confirm that the name was Stith.
     Rebecca Daigh, the oldest daughter of James Daigh and Elizabeth Stith was born in Bath Co., Virginia on December 12, 1802 (Christian Co., Ill., History, Sesquicentennial Edition, 1968). Bath Co. was formed in 1790 from Augusta, Greenbrier and Botetourt Counties.
     James Daigh sold land in Bath Co. (two tracts on the west side of the Cowpasture River) to John Lewis (Bath Co. Land Records, Bk. 7 p. 74). The name is spelled Day in the deed but signed Daigh. At this time (1812) James Daigh lived in Mason Co., Va. This land was surveyed for James Day in 1804. The land was described as "on the westside of the Cowpasture River on both sides of the road leading from the Warm Springs to Lohn Lewiss joining Jno. Stith and bounded as follows, beginning on Stiff's corner on three hickories (Survey No. 1538). James Day bought land in 1805 from John Stiff (Bk. 3, p. 51), 130 acres, part of 359 acres on the north side to the Cowpasture River for $1.00. In 1815, when John Stiff sold land in Bath Co., James Daigh was a witness to the transaction.
     James Daigh and Elizabeth Day sold land in Mason Co., Virginia, in 1828, 1833, and 1853 (Bk. G-136, H-57, H-406, 14-341). James also sold land to Samuel S. Crawford in 1817. The land was in the town of Hannon and was on Ohio Eighteen Mile Creek.
     James Daigh is listed in the 1820 census of Mason Co. (p. 121). In 1830, only James Daigh and Charles Day are listed from Mason Co. James Daigh had 1 male less than 5, 1 5-10, and 10-15, 1 15-20, and 1 40-50 with 1 female less than 5, 1 5-10, 1 10-15, 1 15-20 and 1 40-50 (U.S. Census, 1830, Mason Co., p. 140). In 1840, James Day lived in Sangamon Co., Illinois (U.S. Census, p. 72). He had 1 male 10-15, 20-30, and 1 50-60 ?? females??.
     Elizabeth Stith and her husband, James Daigh lived in Mason Co., Virginia until 1830-1840 (see the Daigh family) when they moved to Illinois.
     In the 1850 census, Elizabeth Daigh stated that she was born in Georgia (U.S. Census, Christian Co., Illinois, p. 160) ??when ??. Her birthplace is possibly an error, but many Virginia families went south and later returned during this period.
     A number of James and Elizabeth Daigh's children moved to Illinois quite early. Robert Hazlett and several of the Daighs moved to Sangamon and later Christian (Dane) Co., Illinois beginning in the 1820's. James Daigh and Elizabeth, his wife, came between 1830 and 1840.
     In 1840, James Daigh lived in Pike Co., Illinois (the son of James Daigh of Christian Co.) (U.S. Census, p. ??). He also lived there in 1850 and died in 1854 in Shasta City, California. His family later moved to Christian Co. (?). Another son, John Stith Day had moved to Jamestown, Wisconsin by this time (Grant Co.). Most of the other children lived in either Sangamon or Christian Co., lllinois.
     In 1853, she granted a power of attorney to her son William and he sold land belonging to her in Mason Co., Virginia (see the Daigh family).
     James Daigh died on 29 March 1844, and is buried in Buckhart Cemetery, Christian Co., Illinois. Elizabeth Stith Daigh died on March 4, 1858 and also is buried in the Buckhart Cemetery.

     Based on the age of John Stith's seven children and land records which pertain to him, he must have been born about 1760. From land recoreds we know that his wife's name was Elizabeth ----, and that she died after 1805, but apparently before 1810. She was not listed in the census with John Stiff in that year.
     John Stiff is in the tax list of Greenbrier Co. in 1783-1786 (the list is alphabetized). He was listed next to John Stiffy.
     He was also listed in the Land Book of Greenbrier Co. in 1787, had 75 acres as indicated in a survey in the Surveyors Record Book of Greenbrier Co. (p. 57, plat and survey No. 182), and is listed in the Voters List of Bath Co. in 1791, 1792, 1793, 1796, 1798, 1799, 1802, 1803, 1805 and 1806. In 1795, he bought 27 acres of land in Bath Co. from John and Mary Cowarden on the west side of the Cowpasture River (p. 265) and in 1798, he bought 200 acres in Bath Co. from Robert Richardson between John Gillespie and the Warm Spring Rd. (Bk. 2, p. 272).
     John Steth had a Northern Virginia Neck Grant in Hardy Co. for 248 acres in 1791 (Vol. V, p. 278). Valentine Cooper was his assignee.
     In 1799, John Stiff had a survey of land in Bath Co. made. The land was 200 acres on both sides of the Cowpasture River (Surveyors Book, Bath Co., p. 265).
     John Stiff was listed in the Tax List of 1800 in Bath Co. In that year he had 5 males over 21.
     In 1802, Joseph Stiff married Hannah Scott, security Henry Scott. John Stiff consented for his son Joseph. The witness was Joseph Mayes. In 1808, John Stiff married Jane Clark, surety Wm. McDonald. Samuel Clark consented for his daughter Jane. In 1800, Thomas Stiff witnessed the wedding of William Bradley and Elizabeth Gore. In 1802, Joseph Stiff inventoried an estate (Bath Co. Probate Records).
     In 1804, James Stiff bought land from John Stiff (Bk. 3,p. 52), in 1812, John Stiff Jr. bought land from John Sr. (Bk 7, p. 261) 170 acres on the Cowpasture River.
     In 1805, James Day bought land from John Stiff (Bk 3, p. 51). He sold 130 acres part of 359 acres on the north side of the Cowpasture River for $1.00. The deed was signed John and Elizabeth Stiff. John Stiff sold land to James Stiff (Bk. 3, p. 52, 1805) on both sides of the Cowpasture River (196 acres). In 1801, John and Elizabeth Stiff sold land Layne Robt on Stuarts Creek (Bk. 2, p. 404). John Stith sold land in Wm. Douglas on the Cowpasture River in 1810, 160 acres (Bk. 4, p. 40). John Stiff Sr. sold land to John Stiff Jr. in 1812 (Bk. 4, p. 261). In 1815, John Stiff of Virginia sold 31 acres to Wm. Douglas. James Daigh witesssed a record in ?? (Bk. 5, p. 121).
     John Stiff, Hannah Stiff and John Stiff Jr. are listed in the 1810 census of Bath Co. John Stiff was over 45 and apparently with no wife. Joseph Stiff, the husband of Hannah, had apparently died also. John Stiff Jr. was 16-20 years old, with 1 male than 10 daughter and 1 16-26 year old wife (p. 437).
     A John Stiff is listed in the DAR Patriot Index, Centennial Edition. He was b. about 1730 in Virginia, d. about 1810, Virginia, and served from Virginia.

     In his later years, there are a number of records for John Stith and his family in Bath Co. Bath Co. was formed in 1790-1791 from Augusta, Botetourt, and Greenbrier counties. There are records previous to that time for Stiths or Stiffs in Mason, Kanawha, Botetourt, or Greenbrier Co., Virginia.
     Previous to this time, a branch of the Stith family lived in Bedford Co., Virginia, about 70 miles south of the Bath-Botetourt-Greenbrier Co. area. Samuel Warner married Sarah Stiff in Bedford Co., in 1778. James Stiff was security.
     The genealogy of Joseph Stith of Bedford Co. is known. He was b. 6 Sept. 1758 in Virginia, m. 8 Sept. 1782 in Bedford Co., and d. 3 Nov. 1837 in Kentucky. Joseph Stith was the son of Richard Stith, b. 30 Sept. 1727, Virginia, m. 29 Dec., 1746, Virginia, d. 16 Nov. 1802, Virginia. Richard Stith was the son of Drury Stith, b. about 1695, m. about 1717, Virginia. Drury was the son of Drury, b. about 1670, m. 1695. He was, in turn, the son of John Stith, b. about 1635, m. 1656 in Charles City Co., Virginia. There is an extensive genealogy for the older members of this family.
     In 1800, a Thomas Stith with 6 males over 21 and Benjamin with 3 males over 21 lived there and were listed in the tax list. In 1810, Jacob Stiff, John Stiff, John Stiff, James Stiff, and William Stiff still lived in Bedford Co.
     A younger John Stiff of Bedford Co. married Bathsheba Stone in 1809. He filed for a bounty warrant in 1828 as an heir of John Stiff. The court found him a nephew of John Stiff Sr., a Revolutionary War soldier in 1829. He still lived in Bedford Co. in 1839, but may have moved to Kentucky after that time. He was a son of James and Molly or Mary Lewis Stiff.
     A number of Stiths lived in Pittsylvania Co., Virginia in the late 1700's. Based on their names, this family seems to have been related to the family of Bedford Co.
     The name Stith is well known in genealogical circles in Virginia. There are numerous publications dealing with the Stith family from Brunswick and nearby counties (Swem's Index, Virginia Wills and Administrations, several published genealogies, etc.). In the 1782-87 tax lists of Virginia, Stiths lived in King George Co., Brunswick Co., Northampton Co., Bedford Co., James City, Charles City and Campbell Co. In 1810, Stiths were only listed from Brunswick and King George Co., but these tax lists are not complete.
     John Stith had a land patent granted on 29 July 1664, for 550 acres on the north side of the James River in Charles City County. His grandson Rev. William Stith wrote a "History of Virginia" and was a President of William and Mary College.
     Among these Stiths, a Major Anderson Stith4 (John3, Drury2, John1) lived lived in Charles City Co., in 1755. His wife was Joanna Basset. They had the following children: Bassett Stith (who went to Halifax Co., N.C.), Elizabeth Stith (who went to Halifax, N.C., and died there unmarried), and John Stith who went to Georgia (Wm. and Mary Quarterly, p. 181) (Virginia Historical Magazine, p. 438). A William and Katherine Stith (who were cousins) also married and went to Georgia. They had sons Peyton, Anderson, John, and William Jr., and daughters Frances, Susan and Catherine. William Stith died in Georgetown, Wilkes Co., Georgia, on March 17, 1799. The John Stith (above) that moved to Georgia was his nephew.
     In a book of early Georgia Land Grants, Payton R. Stith received land in Franklin Co. in 1787, and the heirs of Payton R. Stith in Effingham and Richmond counties in 1805. William Stith received land in Camden (1797), Franklin (1790) and (with T. Glasscock) in Wilkes Co. (3 times) in 1786. Wm. Stith Jr. received land in Columbia Co. (2 times) in 1791 and in Franklin Co. in 1787. At one time they all lived in Wilkes Co., but later William moved to Columbia Co. Several of them also show up in the Warren Co., Georgia records. William Stith'a will was probated there in 1808. He left money to his wife Millie and her heirs. She was the executrix. In 1820, a John Stith lived in Warren Co., Georgia (U.S. Census).
     A John Stith of Stafford Co., Gent. had 850 acres, the residue of 1300 acres granted Jarvis Dodson in 1653 and 602 acres granted Christopher Boyce in 1653. These became property of John Buckner by conveyances and decents, who divised came to his nephew said John Stith (Stafford Co. Court, 27 Apr. 1748). Inclusive deed to Stith for 1114 acres in Stafford Co. Adjacent landowners given. 2 July 1757 (Northern Necks Grants Book I, p. 23).
     A Thos. Stiff had 100 acres in Middlesex Co., Virginia and is listed in the 1704 Rent Roll. This Thomas Stiff was born about 1663, and m. 1) Sarah Salter (8 Feb. 1684), m. 2) Eliz. Walker about 1693. He died in 1710. He lived and died in Middlesex Co., Virginia. He had children by 1) Jacob Stiff (b. 11 January 1686, Constantine Stiff (b. 1688) and by 2) Nicholas Stiff (b. 8 July 1694, d. 1698), Elizabeth Stiff (b. 1700), and James Stiff (13 January 1702/1703). James Stiff and his wife Edy Dudley had children Elizabeth Stiff (b. 4 January 1728) and John Stiff? (b. about 1730). This last John Stiff is not established in records, however. This John Stiff supposedly married and had a son John Stiff who died about 1778 in the Revolutionary War, James Stiff (b. about 1758), Sarah H. Stiff (m. 1778), Jacob Stiff (m. 1787), and Jesse Stiff (m. 9 Oct. 1786). According to the Rev. War Pension Application (W4344) of James Stiff, he was born in Cumberland Co., Virginia and moved to Bedford Co. at an early age (from the book "My Name is Stiff"). The links of this family back to Middlesex Co. are not particularly strong, however, and the family may be descended from Stiths of Charles City Co., as suggested by others.
      There is a probate for a will for John Stiff, late of this county, in 1694, in Middlesex Co. This record says that Mrs. Vallott chould have all the estate he had for the good of her and her children. It was signed by Ann Vallott. It is not clear if this is the John Stiff of the Charles City Co. grant, or whether this John Stiff was the father of Thomas Stiff, or, perhaps, his brother.

© Copywrite by David SEIGLER Oct. 1997

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