Stitt - James
During a period of firsts, Co-Judge James Stitt might be first
By Karen Zach, Around the County
Thursday, April 23, 2020 4:00 AM
• •
I recently wrote about William Burbridge, one of the first co-judges of Montgomery County. Since I’ve not technically seen the appointment, not sure which was first but I kind of did them alphabetically, thinking Burbridge was first; however, if we go by ability, I’d think this man, James Stitt would take first place.
Stitt was born in 1790 in Grayson County, Virginia the oldest child of Robert and Jane Sayers Stitt’s seven children. Oddly, but kind of neat, too, James Stitt would also have seven children with his adored wife, Mary F. Richardson (married 1818). Most of their children carried her maiden name. At least one of their seven died young (Robert) and most didn’t marry so out of seven children, Mary who married Thomas Sayers I believe only had one son William Q; Virginia married Thomas Cloud (lived for awhile in Elizaville, Boone County where they ran a Dry Goods store, then moved to Iowa) and had four children, James, Indiana, Oscar and Mary; the Judge’s daughter Rachel, who married Rev. George Stafford made up for the rest mothering eleven. George Stafford was the Chaplain for the 40th Indiana during the Civil War. Other children of the Judge’s were Sarah and William (who ran the family farm) who never married, lived together their whole lives and have the same tombstone along with their sister, Rebecca who was a school teacher for many years.
Of the Stafford’s 11 children, they had two ministers, farmers, attorneys and several very impressive grandchildren for the Judge and wife. I’d like to do an article on Rev. Stafford someday as he converted over 3500 people, 400 in his very first Indiana charge (Newtown) ten of whom became ministers. As a Methodist minister he was also a first generation Irishman. The Staffords enjoyed their 50th anniversary by the way, having been married at the impressive home of Judge and Mary Stitt!
The judge saw that his children were all very well educated sending them to Dr. Philander Wiley’s seminary in early Crawfordsville.
The Stitt family were supposedly Irish as well and came to America in an early day. The judge’s grandfather was said to have been in the Revolutionary War but was captured and then liberated by his uncle who was a British Officer. Love that tale.
Another Methodist family, the Judge’s wife was one of the first five members of the Methodist group in Crawfordsville, along with Isaac Elston’s wife, Maria and her mother, Sylvia Morgan Aiken Winters; Mrs. Killian (mother of a doctor whom I’ve not found much on) and Nancy Nicholson who was the mother-in-law of Elder Matthias Mount Vancleave. These women had made arrangements for the then famous Rev. James Armstrong of the circuit ministry to come and give the first sermon at the new Baptist Church, a small brick building near Allen’s Flour Mill in the northern part of the city near Sugar Creek.
However, that day the Baptists decided they didn’t want another minister preaching there so the nearby schoolhouse folks were petitioned. Nope from them, too. Armstrong a bit upset, mounted a large stump and cried out in a loud voice, “All who desire to hear Armstrong should draw near!” His sermon evidently was amazing, too, as many remembered it until their dying day and it gave the boost to the church that was needed. In fact, Judge Stitt sawed and gave the lumber and the other lady’s gave money, time, and needed supplies as well as their husbands and families contributing. Additions were soon added and just a few years after the judge passed away, his son-in-law, the Rev. George Stafford, mentioned above was their minister for several years, and with his work and prompting and generous donations of some of C’ville’s most famous, a new church was erected at about $8,000. The Stitt family remained true to that church for life.
Stitt first purchased land right in the heart of Crawfordsville today on 10 September 1823 when the land office at Terre Haute was still selling Montgomery land but soon decided he did not like that and purchased property which still was at the tip of the area on January 1, 1824. He bought even more about ten years later, having at that point quite a large holding. One source says he built a mill but that may have been in Washington County before moving here. Rarely in the upcoming years would anyone in his family miss a religious meeting, some of their children being saved at a religious camping just south of Crawfordsville in the early 1830s.
A strong Democrat he was involved in many and various party decisions. His first trail co-judged with William Burbridge took place at the May Term, 1825 at the newly built (by Eliakam Ashton for $295) first courthouse on Main Street, a four room, two story building. Jesse Keyton was on trial for receiving stolen goods and the judges sent him off to two years in the state penitentiary.
He and Isaac Elston must have been good friends as they were involved in several situations together, including Isaac giving surety for James Stitt (September 1829) to be guardian and raise Guilford Burns son of deceased Morgan Burns. Stitt was judge for 21 years and had just been elected for seven more years, except he passed away in 1844. His wife, Mary would live 15 more years, all Stitts knowing that they would meet in the greater world, all strong in their Methodist faith.
Karen Zach is the editor of Montgomery Memories, our monthly magazine all about Montgomery County. Her column, Around the County, appears each Thursday in The Paper of Montgomery County.