Fitts Family Roots
Vol. 1 No.1March 24, 2001
Vol. 1March 24, 2001
This is a first for me. My grammar is not the best and I will ask that you, teachers, give me a chance or offer to help. If anyone has research information they would like to share with others let me know via email ().
Brady Fitts
How was the name derived
The family name Fitz or Fitts comes from the Norman French prefix “Fiz” or “Fitz”. It came from the Latin word, filius, and so did the modern French word “fils”, meaning son.
The following has been taken from “Genealogy of the Fitts or Fitz Family in American” by James Harris Fitts and “Fitts Families (Fitts-Fitz-Fittz) a Genealogy” by Sylvia Fitts Getchell. James Harris Fitts quotes at some length from a correspondence of Isaac Taylor, A. L. Mayhew, and Walter W. Skeat, concerning the derivation of Fitz. A simple statement is that the family surname was arrived from filius, and means son or son of.
For an example of the meaning look at the many well-known surnames, which use Fitz as a prefix, such as Fitzgerald, Fitzwilliams, Fitzpatrick, etc. Originally meaning a man being the son of Gerald, William or Patrick and for later generations these names became true surnames.
“The prefix Fitz was sometimes used to identify an illegitimate son, as in the case of the Fitsroys (Dukes of Grafton) who were descendants of Robert FitzRoy, an illegitimate son of King Henry I of England. (Roi being the French word for king.) According to James Harris Fitts, the FitzClarences (Earl of Munster), and the FitzJames’ (Dukes of Berwick) are other noble families with illegitimate royal heritage.” We have to say, at this point that not ever surname with the prefix Fitz may be illegitimate or of a royal line.
Our surname is fairly modern in that it came about in recent times. The Norsemen had individual names and as far as we know did not have a surname. It was a custom to add the suffix “son” to the name of the father in order to identify each other. Examples are Steven Richardson and Sven Ericson. The next generation’s names will be Stevenson and Svenson. Best known example would be Leif Ericson the son of Eric. If Leif had a son then his name would have been Leifson.
Norse settled in Normandy in the tenth century. They used the French language and they started to use “Fitz” in place of suffix “son.
England was conquered the England in 1066 A.D., and from that time on we find in English records many uses of Fitz as part of the personal name. When the family surnames became common and it is more than likely in the fourteenth century that “Fitz” as a prefix for true surnames.
Variations of our name are Fitz, Fytts, Fitts, Fitt, Fits, Fytz, Fytze, Fiz, Fittz, Futts, Feats, Vize, Fite and Fites.
“The Chester Herald of the College of Arms has suggested that further English research should not preclude investigation of the spelling Fitch.
Some early references:
Faurel Fitz circa 1166
Roger Fitz circa 1201
Robert Fitz circa 1220/25
John Fitz circa 1249/50
Thomas de Fytze circa 1326 or 1356
Thomas Fitz circa 1449
William Fitz circa 1489
Where did our ancestors come from?
Let me say, that we really do not have proof that any of the Fitz or Fitts in the New World came from Fitzford, Tavistock County, England.
The earliest person with the family surname was John Fitz, a lawyer and Bencher of Lincoln’s Inn. The Inn is locate in the heart of London, south of High Holburn, north of th Royal ourts of Justice, west of Chancery Lane and east of Lincoln’s Inn Fields.
John Fitz’ name appeared as a Master of the Bench, or Governor, of Lincoln’s Inn in the years 1427/8, 1428/9, 1429/30 and probably in 1432/4.
John made his fortune in the practice of the law. He settled in a manor house near Tavistock close to the ford across the River Tavy and the manor became known as Fitzford.
John Prince in the “Worthies of Devon” suggest that “either he, or some of his ancestors, gave their additional name” to the ford, so Prince is suggesting that the name Fitzford might be older than John Fitz, the bencher of Lincoln’s Inn.
I will continue this in following letters. It is my hope that others will add to this letter with information.
John (Tandy) Walker FITTS, Sr.
What do we know about him? Who were his parents? The following is information that my Uncle John Fitts compiled and some that I (Brady E. Fitts) have added. Uncle John gave me a great base to start with; he had already completed most of the legwork before I started to work on the family roots.
John (Tandy) Walker Fitts was born in New Kent County, VA. Between 1730 and 1755. He died sometime after 1810; he is listed in the 1810 Census for VA in Halifax County with Woodson, Mary, John Jr., Walker and Tandy. It is known that he married from Halifax County, VA one Mary Ann Pass during 1786. Children of John and Mary Ann were:
- Woodson P. Fitts born 22 Aug., 1787
- Mary Fitts born Abt. 1788
- John Walker Fitts, Jr. born Abt. 1789
- Walker Fitts born Abt. 1790
- Keziah Fitts born Abt. 1791
- William H. Tolliver Fitts born Bet. 1790-1800
Who are the parents of John? Could they be Robert Walker and Elizabeth Stanton of Halifax County, VA? On a census in 1782 for Halifax County, VA there is a Robert Walker Fitts II listed. My Uncle felt that there was confusion with this family and question if the John Tandy Walker Fitts listed may have been two one being John Walker Fitts and the other being Tandy Walker Fitts. He was able to complete his research on this family. So it is still up in the air weather or not we are talking about one or two.
Judy at in 1999 researched the Fitts Family in Richmond, VA. She found several deeds recorded. One was:
Halifax Co. VA Deed Book 16 1793-1796, T.L.C. Genealogy, Miami Beach, FL page 48 Deed of Trust 7/8/1794 from Tandy Fitts of Halifax to Richard Howson of Halifax for 23 pounds which sd. Fitss owes to Jos. Jones of Dinwiddie Co. and wants to secure and pay to sd. Jones, and for 5 shillings to Fitts paid by Howson, Fitts grants to Howson a small bay horse called Costes, being the horse which sd. Howson had from Jas. Costen and sold to the sd. Tandy and 2 other dark bay horses, one called Smooker, the other Bob, being the horse’s sd. Fitts bought from sd. Jos. Jones. This deed is upon trust that Howson shall, after July, 1795 or as soon thereafter as Howson thinks proper, sell for the best price after giving public notice at the Halifax courthouse, 10 days at the least, and out of the money from such sale, pay sd. Jones the 23 pounds with legal interest from today and all related charged. Signed Tandy Fitts (X), witnesses: Clemt. Glenn, Rowland Rice, Henry Clift. Recorded 12/22/1794.
In the 1787 Census – Taxpayers
Tandy Fitts – Mecklenburg Co.
0 Males between 16 – 20
1 blacks above 16
2 blacks under 16
7 horses
4 cattle
Questions, Questions:
John Henry Fitts
What do we know about John Henry? Who was his parents and where did he come from? We know of him from researchers in Kentucky.
Is William H. Tolliver and Mary M. (Christian) Fitts son John Fitts born Abt. 1825 the above John Henry Fitts???
Robert Fitts
Is Robert Fitts of Virginia and Robert Fitts of Ipswich, Massachusetts the same person? Did Robert of VA leave a wife, children and plantation to take another wife and move to New England and start over? The question of checking the DNA of both the southern and northern branch of the Fitts to see if they are kin. One problem with this is that the southern branch cannot at this time prove their lineage. It could start with Robert, Thomas or Cary Fitts who where in Virginia in the 1600s. Both Robert and Thomas arrived in the new world in 1623/4 just after the Indian up rising in VA.
HELP
I need help with this letter. Please give me something that I can put in the letter even if it is only one paragraph or one sentence. Let me know if you disagree with something I have put in or have something to add. At this time I will try to put something out every two weeks but do not hold me to that. I will try to include information on several different Fitts families.
If anyone can get photo of family gravestones that would be great to put into the genealogy record of the family. Also photos of family members present and pass that would also great.
LETS SHARE FAMILY INFORMATION.
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