John Pettus

https://pettusheritage.wordpress.com/2016/11/07/misinformation-on-t...

Finally, a breakthrough on this vexing “brick wall” problem occurred when Mr. C. H. C. Whittick of the Norfolk Record Office in Norwich whom the writer had retained to look for further evidence relating to the problem, happened by chance to find a previously overlooked record made in 1699, long after the death of Thomas Pettus of the Virginia Council. The key record shows that a certain John Pettus appeared before the Mayor’s Court in Norwich seeking to prove that “Capt. Thomas Pettus of Virga in America, dec’d” was his late uncle! To prove his case, John submitted two parish records and brought with him witnesses who knew his relationship to Capt. Pettus. The parish records were from the registers of St. Simon and St. Jude parish and St. Lawrence Parish in Norwich. As previously mentioned, the older candidate was baptized in St. Simon and St. Jude parish. The St. Lawrence Parish register has the baptism of John, son of Henry Pettus. Henry was the younger brother of the elder candidate mentioned previously. John did not offer the St. Peter Hungate parish register in evidence. The only logical conclusion is that Capt. Thomas Pettus of Virginia was the elder of the two candidates; i.e., he was the son of Thomas Pettus of Norwich and his wife Cecily King!
The long-standing “brick wall” problem was finally solved by the chance discovery of a record made years after the death of the Virginia Councilor. Stacy was correct in identifying Thomas Pettus of Virginia as the uncle though for the wrong reason!