6

There are many African American men with the family name “Hite” born in Lochleven, Lunenburg County including Pleasant, Moses, Charles and Benjamin. We do not know if they were related, but we assume they were all enslaved to the familiy of Julius Hite, his son-in-law and daughter, the Hines. Charles Hite is the youngest one born in Lochleven in 1866. We assume the families migrated to Brunswick between 1866 and 1869 in search of better economic opportunities.

After the war, Pleasant moved his family from Lunenburg to nearby Brunsswick County where employment opportunities were better.
Brunswick County Freedmen’s Contracts and Apprenticeship Indentures, 1865-1868
http://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaxtf/view?docId=lva/vi03936.xml

In 1868 Pleasant filed a grievance at the court house against one of his neighbors.
Freedman’s Bureau notes
http://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaxtf/view?docId=lva/vi02810.xml

Other records on Pleasant Hite:

1870 United States Federal Census for Brunswick, Virginia
Name: Pleasant Hite
Age in 1870: 57
Birth Year: abt 1813
Birthplace: Virginia
Home in 1870: Totaro, Brunswick, Virginia
Race: Black
Gender: Male
Post Office: Sturgeon
Value of Real Estate: View image
Household Members:
Name Age
Pleasant Hite 57
Lucy Hite 54
Misoura Hite 23
Jackson Hite* 32
Richard Hite** 18
Mary Hite 16
Julina Hite 13
Benjamin Hite 10
Adaline Hite 7
Thomas Hite 3

*Jackson was possibly the son of another slave from the Hite farm - Moses - who may have in turn been Pleasant’s father, brother or just a close friend. It appears he did not survive the Civil War.
**Richard Hite is Richmond Hite.

1880 United States Federal Census for Totaro, Brunswick, Virginia
Name: Pleasant Hite
Age: 64
Birth Year: abt 1816
Birthplace: Virginia
Home in 1880: Totaro, Brunswick, Virginia
Race: Black
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Self
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: Lucy Hite
Father's Birthplace: Virginia
Mother's Birthplace: Virginia
Neighbors: View others on page
Occupation: Laborer
Name Age
Pleasant Hite 64
Lucy Hite 60
Mary Hite 25
Addie Hite 16
Thomas Hite 10

Pleasant is also listed in the marriage and death certificates of his children

Virginia marriage records
Name: Jackson Hite
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Widowed
Age: 53
Birth Date: 1839
Birth Place: Lunenburg Co, VA
Marriage Date: 31 Jan 1892
Marriage Place: Mecklenburg, Virginia
Father: Moses Hite
Mother: Lucy
Spouse: Emma Butler
FHL Film Number: 32551
Reference ID: p 370 n 11

Jackson lists his father as Moses and his mother as Lucy. Was Lucy with Moses before she married Pleasant? Moses was alive in 1851, but is not listed in Totaro in 1870. At that point Jackson is living with his mother and father, Pleasant. What happened to Moses? Was Moses related to Pleasant? Were they brothers or just enslaved by the same family?

Virginia marriage records
Name: Isaac Hite
Gender: Male
Race: Black
Age: 23
Birth Date: 1850
Birth Place: Lunenburg County
Marriage Date: 16 Dec 1873
Marriage Place: Brunswick, Virginia
Father: Pleasant Hite
Mother: Lucy
Spouse: Mary E. Lester

Richmond Hete in the Virginia, Select Marriages, 1785-1940
Name: Richmond Hete
Gender: Male
Race: Black
Age: 23
Birth Date: 1853
Birth Place: Lunenburg Co.
Marriage Date: 27 Dec 1876
Marriage Place: Brunswick, Virginia
Father: Pleasant
Mother: Lucy
Spouse: Ann Evans

Benjamin Hite in the Virginia, Select Marriages, 1785-1940
Name: Benjamin Hite
Gender: Male
Race: Black
Age: 28
Birth Date: 1863
Birth Place: Lunenburg Co., VA.
Marriage Date: 28 Jan 1891
Marriage Place: Brunswick, Virginia
Father: Pleasant Hite
Mother: Lucy
Spouse: Alice Elder

Isaac’s death certificate
Name: Isaac Hite
Gender: Male
Race: Black
Death Age: 64
Birth Date: 25 Jan 1849
Death Date: 7 Jan 1913
Death Place: Brunswick, Virginia, USA
Registration Date: 11 Jan 1913
Father: Pleasants Hite
Mother: Lucy

Regarding the African Hites in Totaro
in 1880
Pleasant Hite 64
Charles Hite 36
Isaac Hite 29
Richmond Hite 26
Nearby
J. Cephas Hite 34
Tobie Hite 29
Roger Hite 18
William Hite 26
James Hite 20

In 1900
Isaac Hite 49
Richmond Hite 44
Benjamin Hite 40
James 18

Nearby
Fletcher Hite 50
Toby Hite 42
Roger Hite 39
Peter 2 Hite 4
Sidney Hite 21
James Hite 20

In 1910
Benjamin Hite 45

Nearby
Henry Hite 29
Sidney Hite 28

Enslaved
Slave owner Julius Hite
Julius Hite was born in 1756 in Sussex County, Virginia. He was closely associated with the family of William Hight and it is quite likely that he was William's son, although the relationship has not been proven. Julius served in Virginia regiments of the Continental Army during the American Revolution. He married Agnes Land in 1784 and they had four children. They settled in Lunenburg County, Virginia and died there, Agnes in 1845 and Julius in 1851.

Julius was the founder of the Hite family of Lunenburg County VA. He married Agnes Land of Sussex County, VA He served in the Revolutionary War. The family has letters he wrote to Washington, DC concerning his war pension. Apparently he was not satisified with their replies because he walked from his home all the way to Washington, collected his pension in silver and walked all the way back home. It must have taken him months. Julius born in Sussex Couty, VA and removed to Lunenburg County, VA. He bought 600 acres and named his home Oak Grove. The Okd Julius Hite Family cemetery is in back of the orginal homeplace. There are some stones but a lot of graves are marked with large rocks. The cemetery is kept in the best condition by the family. A list of people buried there comes from my aunt, Elsie Ione Cliborne Hite who always lived there from her marriage to Willie Harrell Hite. A stone has been placed in the cemetery for Julius by his family at the spot where family history says he was buried.

"I, Julius Hite of the County of Lunenburg & State of Virginia do make and ordain this my last will and testament in the manner and form following, to wit: Item 1st.I give to my daughter Nancy S Hines the following slaves, Moses and Pleasant to dispose of as she may think proper, also Joe and Eliza his wife and their children Lucy & Andrew during her natural life and at her death to be equally divided between her youngest children, viz:Millington, Benjamin W, Turner S, Warner P, & Virginia Hines.I also give her a bond executed to me by her on the 19th day of January 1842 for between seven and eight hundred dollars, which bond is either lost or mislaid.I also give her the two hundred acres of land on which Thomas S Hines now resides. Item 2nd.I give to my grandson Edmund M Hite my man Sandy and his tools, also Macklane, Coleman & Tempe to him & his heirs forever. Item 3rd.I give to my grandson Walter W Hite the following slaves Griffin & Peggy & her three girl children also five hundred dollars in money to him and his heirs forever. Item 4th.I give to my grandson James L Hite my man Cheeseman and Nicholas, also a lot of land beginning at a corner turkey oak on the ridge road, thence a new chopped line bearing west to corner white oak, thence north west to Harpers road to a corner turkey oak also the hire of Cheeseman for the last year to him and his heirs forever. Item 5th.I give to my grandson Wm L Hite, the following slaves, George & his tools, Robin, Minerva and her three children, Milly & child & Edinborough, also the tracts of land whereon I now reside beginning at Harper's Road on a corner white oak, thence a new chopped line to a corner maypole on the Tacheln branch, thence up the branch to William E Walker's corner white oak, thence south west to Meherrin river, thence up the river to Samuel Ozlin's line, thence along said Ozlin's line to Miss Marietta Blackwell's line, thence to Harper's road, thence along said road to beginning, supposed to contain six hundred acres. Also the tract purchased by Walter W Hite known as the mill tract which I give him in payment for the tract which I have herein before willed to Nancy S Hines.Also one-half of my grist mill & cotton Machine to him and his heirs forever. Item 6th.I give to my granddaughter Eliza Strange, my boy Drury also one hundred dollars to her and her heirs forever. Item 7th.I give to my granddaughter Susan Williams, to be paid into the hands of Benjamin Strange as trustee the sum of three hundred dollars or interest to be paid to her as her necessities may require. Item 8th.I give to my granddaughter Minerva Thompson my boy Henderson, also two hundred dollars to her and her heirs forever. Item 9th.I give to my granddaughter Ermin Kennedy my boy Sam also one hundred dollars to her and her heirs forever. Item 10th.I give to my granddaughter Pamelia Ozlin my woman Angelina & child also one hundred dollars to her and her heirs forever. Item 11th.I give to my grandson Thomas H Callis my man Davy and his wife Violet also one hundred dollars to him and his heirs forever. Item 12th.I give to William A Hines' six oldest children, Viz: Washington, James, Thomas, Martha, Elizabeth & Mary the sum of twelve hundred dollars to be paid into the hands of James L and Edmund M Hite on interest for the benefit of the children and to give to them as their necessities by require.And when the boys shall arrive to lawful age to pay over to them their proportion of the sum then in hand, and to the girls in like manner when they shall arrive to lawful age or marriage. But should any of them die the their proportion to be equally divided between those that are living. Item 13th.I give to my two great grandsons Benjamin Hite & Llewellyn Hite each one hundred dollars to be paid to their guardians. Item 14th.I give to my granddaughter Henrietta Buford's four children three hundred dollars each, to them and their heirs forever. Item 15th.I give to my grandson Wm A Hines the sum of two hundred dollars to be paid into the hands of Edmund M Hite to be paid to him as he may stand in need for the support of his family. Item 16th.I give to Wm E Walker my woman Tabby & girl Martha. Also the balance of my land not herein before willed away, including the tract on which he now resides, dower interest to him and his heirs forever. Item 17th.It is my will that my old servants, Jimmy, Betty & Cherry should be permitted to choose masters whom they may prefer. Item 18th.All the residue of my estate not herein before willed away I wish my executors to sell and pay the legacies herein willed away.And the remainder to be equally divided between Edmund M Hite, Walter W Hite, James L Hite, William L Hite and Nancy S Hines. Lastly, I nominate and appoint my grandson Edmund M Hite and my friend Robert Blackwell Executors of this my last will and testament. Witness my hand and seal this 22nd day of February 1851. his Witnesses:William T Blackwell JuliusX Hite E H Blackwell mark Thomas H Gee Wm E Walker Griffin O Hardy Wm H Hardy Enos H Barnes TESTE:T. W.Winn, CC"

Sources

"Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940," database, FamilySearch , Julius Hite and Agnes Land, 22 Dec 1784; citing Sussex, Virginia, reference 36; FHL microfilm 34,154.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=35803862
Lunenburg County Virginia Will Book #14, Page 15-17
http://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/callis/283/
http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~doug/hitea/lineages.html#41
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/35803862/julius-hite
http://revwarapps.org/s18024.pdf
https://books.google.com/books?id=s9YRAAAAYAAJ&...=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjTnO2erazgAhWprVkKHT-xA78Q6AEwBXoECAEQAQ#v=onepage&q=Julius%20Hite&f=false

Additional research:
Julius Hite was born in 1761 in Sussex County, Virginia. Hite was a corporal in the Virginia Line during the Revolution. . Hite enlisted as a private in February 14, 1776 in Sussex County. Hite served under Captain Nathaniel Mason, and in Colonel Robert Lawson’s 4th Virginia Regiment and under Captain Joseph Eggleston and in the 5th Troop, of Colonel Henry Lee's 1st Continental Dragoons. Hite fought in the battles of Brandywine, Germantown, Guilford and Ewtaw Springs and was discharged June 13, 1783.

Julius Hite married Agnes Land on December 23, 1784.

In 1790 Julius and Agnes Hite moved from Scott County to Lunenburg County.

Julius and Agnes Hite had 4 children, 2 of whom died before 1830, and a third, Benjamin, before 1845.
In 1794 Julius Hite received a land warrant for 100 acres as part of his pension as a soldier. Their homestead was in an area today known as Forksville in Lunenburg County.

At some point in the next 20 years, Julius Hite purchased an additional 500 acres for a total of 600 acres, which he named Oak Grove. It was also called Groveland.

In 1812 Lunenburg County established a non-importation policy meaning that for Julius Hite to grow his slave holdings he would have to buy from other slaveowners in the county or “breed" his own.

Julius Hite is shown having 24 slaves in the 1820 US Federal Census and 48 slaves in the 1830 US Federal Census.

Our gg grandfather Pleasant might have been a part of that enslaved population in 1820. Given the non importation policy enacted in Lunenburg County before his birth, it's likely that Pleasant was a 2nd or 3rd generation slave.

Our gg grandmother Lucy Pennington may have been part of the slave population in 1830, as we think her parents were enslaved, The Penningtons sold their slaves before 1801 so Lucy would have been born to an enslaved couple, and therefore a 2nd, 3rd or even 4th generation enslaved person.

Julius's daughter Nancy Hines is shown having 17 slaves in 1830 US Census. Nancy Hite's husband Millington Hines, died in 1838 in Lunenburg County.

The 1840, 1850 and 1860 US Census do not list slaves, but Nancy is shown as having slaves in the 1850 Virginia Slave Rolls, and in Julius Hite's will it appears that Hite still owned approximately 30 human beings in 1851.

Hite was given a full pension on July 4, 1832 at which time he was listed as a resident of Oak Grove, Lunenburg County, Virginia.

Oak Grove and Groveland no longer exist but Forksville does. There is still an Oak Grove road and an Oak Grove Baptist Church. Julius Hite and the Hines Family cemeteries are both listed as in Lochleven, Lunenburg County. Lochleven is adjacent to Forksville so we may assume Julius’s property was large enough to encompass both of them.

Our great grandfather Richmond Hite was born in Lochleven. After the Civil War our family left Lunenburg County and settled in Totaro, Brunswick County, Virginia. Totaro is 30 miles from Lochleven. Nancy Hines died in 1868. Pleasant and Lucy farmed and raised their children 9 and Mose’s son Jackson - they were together until their deaths between 1895 and 1910.

Problems with this option -
Jackson and Isaac are not listed in Julius’s will. It’s possible that Jackson had been given or sold already, but Isaac would only have been 2 years old and therefore should have been have been listed as Lucy’s child. Pleasant and Moses are both alive in 1851 but there in no mention in the will of their infant children . The logic of this may be that since enslavement was dependent on the status of the mother, the children, the father was never listed.

We do not know for sure that our Lucy was the daughter of Joe and Eliza. It’s possible that Julius Hite meant Joe and Eliza’s ‘family’, but he specifically describes children Lucy and Andrew. Our Lucy was already 31 years old with a 12 year old and 2 year old.