THE PITT FAMILY IN SOUTH AFRICA

The Pitt family came out to South Africa from Gloucestershire in two groups, both headed by sons of William Pitt & Jane Long who lived at Tetbury.

These brothers may have been twins, since it is known that the one, Robert Pitt - a husbandman and turnkey, was born in 1777 and was an 1820 Settler who came to SA in Sephton’s Party with his wife, Lucy Rapley and 8 year old son, Robert Pitt.

Whereas, although the date of birth is not confirmed, it appears that the other brother, William – a shoemaker - may also have been born in 1777, and he and his wife, Mary Rogers, having agreed on 7.5.1826 to pay half their fare, were enabled to join his brother in the Cape Colony. They came out in Shepherd's party in 1826, bringing with them five children, 22 yr old Sarah [although it is uncertain whether this person is actually a conflation with John’s wife Sarah, below], 13 yr old William, 10 yr old James, 7 yr old Thomas and 23 yr old John Pitt. The latter was married to Sarah Roberts, and they appear to have had two children with them on the boat: 1 or 2 yr old John, and baby Mary. Both had just been christened in Middlesex.

• 1.Robert Snr (1777 - ) m Lucy Rapley
  • 1.1 Robert Jnr (1810) m Mary Short
    • 1.1.1 Mary Ann (1836-1873) (married William Forrester)
    • 1.1.3 Joseph (1839 - 1922) (married Charlotte Blackbeard)
    • 1.1.4 Sarah Jane (1840 - ) (married Robert Swan)
    • 1.1.5 Selena Elizabeth (1842-1845)
    • 1.1.6 James (1844 - ) (married Martha Hood)
  • 1.2 James (1813 - < 1820)
  • 1.3 Joseph ( 1818 - <1820)
• 2.William (1777 - ) m Mary Rogers
  • 2.1 John Pitt (1803 Buckinghamshire – 1870), m Sarah Roberts
    • 2.1.1 John (1824 - ) (His wife was a nurse in Grahamstown).
    • 2.1.2 Mary. (1826 - ) (married Joseph Green);
    • 2.1.3 Sarah (1827 – 1893) (married 1847 Samuel Wood)
    • 2.1.4 Ruth (married Edward Dicks);
    • 2.1.5 Ann (married George Flannigan)
    • 2.1.6 Jane (1830 – 1893) (married 1851 Henry Webster).
    • 2.1.7 Phillis (1830 – 1898) (married 1850 William Freemantle). It has been suggested that she was born in London, but as the family were in the Cape Colony by 1826, this may not be so, although her Uncle William did return to England after coming out with the family.
    • 2.1.8 William (1836 – 1850)
    • 2.1.9 Elizabeth (1841 – 1888) (married 1861 John Ashenhurst)
  • 2.2 Sarah (1804 -) (if she isn’t a conflation with John’s wife, Sarah Roberts)
  • 2.3 William (1813 -), (who returned to England)
  • 2.4 James (1816 - 1842), (married 1837 to Penelope Short Grit)
  • 2.5 Thomas (1819 -), (married Dinah ? and died in Grahamstown; they had three children) [Primary Source: http://www.genealogy.amay.co.uk/main.php?p=FF2-pittRoberts. Edits based on new data welcomed - Sharon April 2014].