James Monroe Pitts/Aletha Walters Jones County, Mississippi
Looking for any confirmed information on James Monroe Pitts and Aletha Walters. They are newly married in the 1850 Census but both are missing in the 1860 Census. They are believed to be the parents of William Walden Pitts (aka Uncle Wall Pitts) b. 1854 d. 1936.
http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=pitts&GSfn=william+&GSmn=walden+&GSby=1854&GSbyrel=in&GSdy=1936&GSdyrel=in&GSob=n&GRid=14506186&df=all&http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=pitts&GSfn=william+&GSmn=walden+&GSby=1854&GSbyrel=in&GSdy=1936&GSdyrel=in&GSob=n&GRid=14506186&df=all&
We are trying to trace our family tree and we were told that our great-great grandmother, Mary J Pitts was the sister of Uncle Wall Pitts of Summerland, MS.
In the 1870 Census Aletha had aparently remarried is going by Aletha Byrd. She and her daughter, Mary Pitts are living with Aletha's younger brother, Justice Walters.
This leads us to believe that Aletha is the mother of both William Walden and Mary Pitts, which would make what we were told correct about these two being brother and sister. But we are not sure when James Monroe Pitts and Aletha Walters parted ways.
In 1860 neither James Monroe nor Aletha have been found. William Walden shows up in the 1860 Census living with Aletha's other brother, Hanson Walters and his family. Mary may not have been born yet, as it is believe that she was born around 1862, which is what her 1900 Census says.
We have heard the story of James Monroe killing a man and leaving his family, and eventually relocating to Texas where he had another family. But when this happened we do not know.
With Aletha going by Aletha Byrd and Mary listed as Mary Pitts in the 1870 Census, it leads us to believe that Mary may have been James Monroe's child as well, and he did not leave the family until sometime after she was born.
Note: We have seen the information on Ancestry.com where a Mary N Byrd was said to be this Mary Pitts. But I have found nothing to substantiate this claim. We know this lady was buried as Mary N Byrd and died in 1929 and that she married S.B. "Doc" Byrd. But I have seen nothing to suggest that this lady's name was Mary Pitts prior to her marriage. I think someone made the assumption that because Aletha was going by Byrd that Mary must have also married into the Byrd family. But I have seen nothing to prove this is correct. We know that our great-great grandmother, Mary J Pitts married a man named Emmanuel Wright circa 1907 and they lived and died in Ovett, MS. We know our Mary did not die until after 1940 because we have found her living with her daughter, Alice Pitts Creel in the 1940 Census. We have met with relatives in Ovett and they remember Mary as Grandmaw Wright.
If anyone has any information that may help us here it would be greatly appreciated.
Jerry Pitts
[email protected]
601-613-6784 or 769-233-3259