Notes for Robert Pitt

Notes for Robert Pitt

!information from web site: http://www.cnesco.com/gen/story.htm
!Bristol Privateers, Powell, Page. 84: Colonel Robert Pitt born about 1607 in England was like most of his family a sailor and served as a captain of a privateer out of Bristol named the "Thunder", aiding the Huguenots in the war against France in 1628.
As a sea merchant he owned a fleet of ships which sailed out of the port at Bristol, England. He had moved to the colonies by 1637 as he had patented 550 acres of land in Isle of Wight, Virginia, on 14 February 1637. This land was located on the New Haven River which was later changed to the Pagan River (On 17 April 1648 he patented 300 acres adjacent to the original land. On 7 Jun 1654 he patented an additional 1200 acres. in 1664 he patented 3000 acres on the Blackwater with his son-in-law, Captain Joseph Bridger, and William Burgh. Also, he patented 1000 acres in Accomac on 12 March 1662 and 3000 acres in Accomac on 2 Oct 1663.
Between 1649 and 1660 he served as a member of the House of Burgesses for isle of Wight, served as a Lt Col in 1662 commanding the Isle of Wight militia, and on the Governor's Council.
It is assumed that Col Robert was married twice; first to Elizabeth Stevens -and last to Martha Lear.
Colonel Robert Pitt died before 9 January 1674, as his will was recorded on that date, It was dated 6 Jun 1672 and witnessed by Richard Jones and Thomas Hill. His wife, Martha, had died before that date as he left, in her memory, a parcel of land with the stipulation that his executor would build one house of twenty-five feet within four years of his death on the land to be used for poor women. He also left in memory of his daughter, Martha, "two cows and two female cows, which cattle and their increase are to be put upon the aforesaid land and not any to be disposed of until they increase to a number of twelve which number is to be continued upon the aforesaid land, and what shall be over that number of cattle shall be disposed of by the Sheriff, then one half of the benefit of the cows and the whole benefit of the land to be for the estate of poor women and the other half of the benefit of the cattle to be for the estate of poor female orphans". (will of Col Robert Pitt recorded in isle of Wight Co., VA)