During the decade following his 5th year his parents home was at Stafford, CT., where they owned a good sized farm of about 200 acres or more. In 1720 the family moved to Palmer, Mass and purchased another farm. The summer after Joseph's marriage, his father died after a short illness and Joseph as eldest son inherited a double portion of the esate. In 1740 he sells land in Kingston (Palmer) Mass. His family had a large amount of adventure spirit, loved life close to Narure's heart and scattered widely to settle on the extreme Colonial frontiers. While lacking a missing link of proof, we have strong convictions that this Joseph established the sturdy branch before the Revolution at Augusta, Ga. which spread out to Edgefield Courthouse, South Carolina, to Miss. and other parts of the South. This is based on information we have found: "This Indenture", Made this 28th day of June in the year of Our Lord One Thousand seven hundred and sixty nine, Between Joesph Doolittle of Tryon County and Province of North Carolina, and Hezekiah Pigg, of the County and Province aforesaid. Witnessth: That the said Joesph Doolittle for and in the consideration of Fifty Pounds, like money of the said Province, to him in hand paid by the said Hezekiah Pigg, and receipt whereof the said Joesph Doolittle doth hereby acknoweldge the said Joesph Doolittle, hath bargained and sold, aliened and confirm unto the said Hezekiah Pigg his heir and assigns forever, all that messuage or tenement of land situate and lying in the County of Tryon and Province aforesaid on both sides of Doolittle Creek, to wit:....... IN WITNESS WHEREOF the above said Doolittle hath hereunto set his hand and affixed his seal the day and year first written. (signed) Joseph X Doolittle. Signed Sealed and Delivered in the presence of us.
his markGeorge Blanton
his
Isham x Peoples
mark
North Carolina
Tryon County July Trem 1770
This is to certify that the execution of the within deed was proved in open court and recorded in the clerks office according to law. Ordered to be registered. Ezekiel Polk C.C.
This is futher confirmed by information found in the South Carolina Archives, Vol. 12, Part 2, Page 450 aud. " A Memorial exhibited by William Motte to be registered in the Auditor Office of a plantation or tract of 200 acres of Land Situate as Supposed when run out to be in Pellsey Evancia in the Province of Virginia but now in Craven County S Carolina on the North Side of Broad river on both sides of Doolittle Creek beginning at a post oak thence North 7 east 180 poles to a pine then South 83 East 180 poles to a Red oak then South 7 West 180 poles to a post oak thence North 83 West 180 poles to the beginning Originally granted to Joseph Doolittle and conveyed by Hezekiah Pigg to the Memorial Wm. Motte by deed or release bearing date the 23 of June 1773. In Witness whereof he hath hereunto Set his hand the 14th December 1773. (Signed) Peter Quin." Wm Tryon was Governor of Georgia, and this land grant was in Georgia, the area now being a part of North Carolina. The description of the land is the same as that sold the 28th day of June 1769 by Joseph Doolittle to Hezekiah Pigg. The above quoted is entitled "William Motte 200 acre 4/pro North Patent Certified by Charles J. Lindfors Pr. D. Aud.
We belive him to be the one by that name mentioned in the following copy of a quaint "Kings Grant" in the Ga. Colony shortly before the Revolution:
"George the Thrid by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King Defender of the Faith and so forth. To all to whom these presence shall come. Greeting. Know ye that we of Our Speacial Grace, certain knowledge and mere motion, have given and Granted and by these presence for us, Our Heirs and Successors do Give and Grant unto Joseph Doolittle, His Heirs and Assigns all that tract of Land containing one hundred and fifty acres situate lying and being in the Parish of Saint Paul (near Augusta) in our Province of Georgia, bounded north eastwardly by lands lately run the owner unknown; north westwardly by Gliska Creek and land of Daniel Colman; southwestwardly by land vacant, and south easterly by land unknown Having such Shape, Form and Marks as appears by a plan thereof annexed together with all woods, underwoods, Timber and Tpmber Trees, Lakes, Ponds, Fishings, Waters, Water Courses, Profits, Commodities, Hereditainments and Appurtenances whatsoever thereunto belonging or in any wise appertaining, together also with privilage of Hunting, Hawking and Fowling in and upon the same, and minerals whatsoever, Saving and reserving neverthless to Us, Our Heirs and Successors all White Pine Trees if any should be found growing thereon; and also saving and reserving to Us, Our Heirs and Successors One Tenth Part of mines of Silver and Gold only.
"To Have and To Hold the said Tract of one hundred and fifty acres of Land and all singular other Premesis hereby granted with the Appurtenances unto the said Joseph Doolittle, his Heirs and Assigns forever, in free and common Soccage, he the said Joseph Doolittle, his Heirs or Assigns, Yeilding and paying therefore unto Us, Our Heirs and Successors or to our Receiver General for the time being, or to his Deputy or Deputies for the time being, yearly and every year on the 25th day of March at the rate of two shillings Sterling for every hundred acres and so in proportion according to the quantity of acres contained therein, the same to commence at the end and expiration of two years from the date here provided always, said this present Grant is upon condition never in the less That he the said Joseph Doolittle his Heirs or Assigns shall and do within three years after the date hereof for every fifty acres of plantable land hereby granted clear and work three acres at least, in what part thereof as he or they shall judge most convenient and advantageous or else do clear and drain three acres most convenient and advantageous or else do clear and drain three acres of swamp or sunken grounds or drain three acres of marsh, if any such contained therein and shall and do within the time aforesaid put and keep upon every fifty acres thereof accounted barren, 3 meat cattle or 6 sheep or goats and continue the same thereon until 3 acres for every 50 acres is fully cleared and improved or otherwise, if any part of the said Tract shall be stony or rocky ground and not fit for planting or pasture, shall and do within 3 years as aforesaid, begin to employ thereon and so continue to work for 3 years then next ensuing in digging and stone quarry or Coal or other mine, one good and able hand for every hundred acres, it shall be accounted as sufficient cultivation and improvement. Provided also that every three acres which shall be cleared and worked or cleared and drained as aforesaid shall be accounted a sufficient Seeding, Planting, Cultivation and Improvement, to save forever from forfeiture, fifty acres of land in any part of the Tract hereby granted. And said Joseph Doolittle, his heirs and Assings, shall be at liberty to withdraw his or their Stock, or forebear working in any Quarry or Mines, in proportion to such Cultivation and improvements as shall be made upon the Plantable lands, Swamps, Sunken Grounds, or Marshes, therein contained. And, if said rent hereby reserved shall happen to be in Arrear and unpaid, for the space of One Year from the time it shall become due, and no distress can be found on the said lands, Tenement and Hereditaments, hereby granted, that then, and in such case, the said Lands, Tenements and Hereditaments hereby granted, and every part and parcel thereof, shall revert to Us, Our Heirs and Successors, as fully and absolutely as if the same had never been granted. PROVIDED ALSO, if this grant shall not be duly registered in the Register-Office of our said Province, within Six Months from the date hereof, and a Docquet thereof al entered in the Auditor's Office of thye same, that then this Grant shall be void, anything herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding. Given under the Great Seal of Our Province of GEORGIA. Witness out Trusty and Well-beloved Sir James Wright Baront Captain General Governor & Commander in Chief of Our Province, the third day of January in the Year of our Lord 1775 and in the 15th year of Our Reign.
(Signed) James (LS) Wright
Signed bt his excellency the Governor in Chief.
(Signed) David Montaigue DCC
The above ia a copy from the Register of Grants in the Office Book M, page 869 in Office of Sec' of State, Alanta, Georgia We have a copy of grant to we belive, this Joseph in South Carolina:
"South Carolina: GEORGE The Third by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland, KING, Defender of the Faith, and so forth. To all to whom THESE presents shall come Greeting: KNOW YE THAT WE of our special Grace, certain Knowledge and mere Motion have given and granted, and by these Presents, for us, our heirs and successors, DO GIVE AND GRANT unto Joseph Doolittle his heirs and assigns, a plantation or tract of land containing One hundred and Fifty Acres situate in Colleton County Bounding all sides by vacant land. And hath such shape, form and marks, as appear by a plat thereof, hereunto annexed: Together with all woods, under-woods, timber and timber-trees, lakes, ponds, fishing, waters, water-course, profits, commodities, appurtenances and hereditaments whatsoever, thereunto belonging or in anywise appertaining . . . . TO HAVE AND TO HOLD, the said tract of One hundred and Fifty acres of land and all and singular other the premises hereby granted unto the said Joseph Doolittle . . . . . Given under the Great Seal of our said Province. WITNESS His Excellency the Rt. Honorable Lord Charles Greville Montagu Capt. General Governor, and Commander in chief in and over our said Province of South Carolina, this twenty-first Day of May A nno Dom. 1772 in the Twelfth Year of our Reign.
(Signed) C. G. (LMS) Montagu
Signed by his Excellency the Governor in Council
(Signed) J. Woodin Pro. C.C.
And hath hereunto a plat thereof annexed, representing the same, certified by John Bremar, Deputy Surveyor-General 5th February 1772." (Royal Grants Vol 25, pg 256)
Then another grant as follows: (This from State Grants Vol. 7, page 450, in S. C. Archives Department, Columbia, S. C.)
"STATE of SOUTH-CAROLINA. To all to whom these Presents shall come, GREETING:
Know Ye, That for an in Consideration of Nine Pounds Six Shillings & Eight pence Sterling Money paid by Joseph Doolittle into the Treasury for the Use of this State, We have granted, and by these Presents do grant unto the said Joseph Doolittle, his Heirs and Assigns, a Plantation or Tract of Land, containing four hundred Acres Situate in the District of Orangeburgh So. Side of So. Edisto River . . . . Given under the Great Seal of the State. Witness his Excellency William Moultrie Esquire, Governor and Commander in Chief in and over the said State, at Charleston, this Sixth Day of February Anno Domini, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty Six and in the Tenth Year of the Independence of the United States of America.
(Signed Willm L.M.S. Moultrie)
And hath thereunto a Plat thereof annexed, representing the same, certified by Ephraim Mitchell, Surveyor-General. 14th Sept. 1784."
We feek aknist certain that the foregoing lands were granted to this Joseph. We cannot be absolutely sure, and they might have been granted to his son Joseph, but we do not think so. His s Joseph was b prob in 1736 and would have been 32 yrs old in 1768, but then Joseph #158 was only 53 yrs of age in 1768, so we feel almost sure that these land grants were made to this Joesph.
We have other documents, or records of documents, such as in the old Plat Books in Barnwell County ----- "100 acres in Orangeburg District on Middle Fork of Dean Swamp of So. Edisto River. Plat certified 22 Jan 1785 by George Renerson, D. S. " (This is a perfect square, all sides vacant. In 1785 the section not Barnwell County was in old Orangeburg Distrtict, a judicial division. The head waters of Edisto were in Edgefield and the stream passed on into Barnwell). From same source: "100 acres on Holmes Camp Branch of Edisto River, plat certified 22 Jan 1785 by George Renerson, D. S. This plat is also a perfect square. The land was probaly at the corner where Edgefield, Barnwell and Orangeburg Districts met.) Now these two tracts of land could have been lands belonging to Joesph #158 son Joseph #158-B.
Joseph's acreage seems to have been located in the up-country near the Savannah River above where Agusta is now located. Here he appears to have established his plantation above the "fall line" into the dense forests of Southern pine cutting. It was much healthier there than in the low lands and combined forest, pasture and a fertile, arable soil with good water supply and equitable climate.
May not this Joseph have been among that sizeable New England migration to South Carolina come yrs before the Revolution and either he or a son named after him have been the Joseph who enlisted in South Carolina in the Revolution? We are inclined to believe it was the son Joseph who enlisted in the "Saltcatchers" and served in the Revolutionary War. By the opening of the 18th century there was a New England settlement at Dorchester in South Carolina (Provencial Soc'y p. 168).
The facts that we have at hand indicate the following were the sons of this Joseph.
i. Joseph, b prob in 1736
ii. Samuel, b 6 Dec 1740
We have trailed Joseph, with his brothers Samuel and Moses, from Palmer, Mass. to Batemans Manor in Duchess Co. New York. Samuel moved on to Shaftsbury, Vt. but we have not been able to determine if Joseph went to Vt. with him, but Joseph with his bro Moses ventured down into Virgina, the precise part now being in West Virgina, and then he received a land grant in Georgia; from Georgia he went to South Carolina. His bro Moses remained in Virgina. Our records show that Joseph d Edgefield Courthouse, South Carolina 11 March 25 Nov 1792 and his wf Experance Bartlit d Edgefield Courthouse, South Carolina 11 March 1781. Both are bur at Edgefield Courthouse S. C. We are told that their prob burial sitewas out at Dry Brook or Dry Creek Cemetery where the Doolittle's had considerable holdings, but this we have not been able to confirm to date. There is mention of "Dry Brook" when Ephraim Doolittle "a son and heir of Joseph Doolittle's dec'd (158-B) sold 40 acres in 1801 and it is described as "these 40 acres lay s of Dry Brook" That is why we say Dry Brook or Dry Creek Cemetery --- there may be both cemeteries in that area, and there may be only one by one of the names --- and then again, there might not be any.