Thatcher Hiatt 1800-After 1840 (110000)

Grayson County, Virginia

Thatcher Hiatt was born about 1800 in Grayson County, Virginia. Thatcher was living next door to William Hiatt in the 1820 Census in Fleming Kentucky, which strongly suggests that this is his father. The fact that Phoebe Thatcher was William's mother, makes this even more likely, since Thatcher was likely named after his grandmother's family.

1820 Census, showing Thatcher next door to his father, William Hiatt.

The Census data (from the 1820 through 1840 census) gives us a narrow range for Thatcher's birth date, 1800-1804. The fact that Thatcher married and had a son in 1821 makes it likely that he was born in the earlier part of this range, making him closer to 20 than to 16 when he had his first child. When we look at his birth family, we can see that he had a brother born in 1798 and a sister born in 1803. This makes it likely that he was born sometime in 1800 or 1801.

Thatcher Hiatt was probably born in
Grayson County, Virginia where his family
lived until about 1808.

Thatcher did not live to be enumerated in the 1850 Federal Census when place of birth were declared for the first time; however, Allen Hiatt (b. abt 1797), Thatcher's brother, states in the 1850 Census that he was born in Virginia. Since their parents were living in Virginia as early as 1797, where they had moved from North Carolina, then it is probable that Thatcher was born in Virginia as well. Another piece of evidence for Thatcher's place of birth was the marriage record of one of Thatcher's daughters by his second wife, Jemima (Johnson) Hiatt. This daughter, Margaret W. Hiatt, married William L. Royse in Mason County KY on 23 Feb 1865, and in their marriage record it says that her father was born in Virginia.

In 1808, Thatcher's family moved from Virginia to Ohio, where they could buy land at a much lower rate. Most of the Quakers in Grayson County, Virginia at this time migrated to Ohio for the inexpensive land available there. By vastly expanding their land holdings, it would enable them to ensure that future generations would be able to stay within the community and still support themselves. The Hiatt family in Virginia were still mostly Quakers in the early 1800s, and they migrated with this large Quaker group into Highland County, Ohio.

Thatcher Hiatt married Esther Hunt Green Markwell
in Fleming County, and can be found there for the
1820 and 1830 Census. They probably lived near
the Licking River on the western border of the county.

Thatcher's family did not stay long with the Ohio group. Within a decade they had moved south into Kentucky. Three of Thatcher's siblings married while they lived in Campbell County, Kentucky, just across the border from Ohio. By 1820, the family had relocated again to Fleming County, Kentucky. This is where Thatcher met his first wife.

Thatcher Hiatt's first wife, Esther Hunt, had been widowed twice before. She had been married to John Green (with whom she had a daughter Amelia), and Landy Markwell (with whom she had son Landy, and a second son who died as a young child) before she married Thatcher. She was at least thirteen years his senior, and had three children, but Thatcher must have looked past all of that. Thatcher and Esther Hunt Green Markwell were married the 11th of August in 1820:

Marriage Records of Fleming County, Kentucky 1798-1851

Name: Thatcher Hiatt

Spouse: Esther Markwell

Marriage Date: 11 Aug 1820

1820 United States Federal Census

Name:	Thatcher Hiatt
Home in 1820 (City, County, State):	Fleming, Kentucky
Enumeration Date:	August 7, 1820
Free White Persons - Males - Under 10:	2
Free White Persons - Males - 16 thru 25:	1
Free White Persons - Females - Under 10:	1
Free White Persons - Females - 16 thru 25:	1
Free White Persons - Females - 26 thru 44:	1
Number of Persons - Engaged in Manufactures:	1
Free White Persons - Under 16:	3
Free White Persons - Over 25:	1
Total Free White Persons:	6
Total All Persons - White, Slaves, Colored, Other:	6

The children enumerated in Thatcher's household for the 1820 census were the daughter that Esther had by John Green, and two sons that she had with Landy Markwell. Given that their marriage took place four days after this census, Thatcher and Esther must have been living together before the marriage. As is often the case, even in this day when living together before marriage is the accepted norm, this did not bode well for the stability of the marriage. People who are rash at the beginning of a relationship, are generally so throughout the relationship.

Thatcher and Esther had only two children together:

1) William Thatcher Hyatt b. 11 May 1821 Fleming, KY; d. 18 Mar 1885 Rowan, KY; m. Louvina Jane Hedges

2) Josiah A. Hyatt b. 1824 Fleming, KY; m. Charlotte Gregory

They can be found in Fleming County Kentucky for the 1830 Federal Census.

1830 United States Federal Census

Name:	Thatcher Hyatt
Home in 1830 (City, County, State):	Eastern Division, Fleming, Kentucky
Free White Persons - Males - 5 thru 9:	2
Free White Persons - Males - 10 thru 14:	2
Free White Persons - Males - 20 thru 29:	1
Free White Persons - Females - 15 thru 19:	1
Free White Persons - Females - 40 thru 49:	1
Free White Persons - Under 20:	5
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49:	2
Total Free White Persons:	7
Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored):	7

1830 Census showing Thatcher Hyatt living next door to James Hawkins. James' great-granddaughter
would later marry Thatcher's grandson.

Family tradition says that Thatcher Hiatt left Esther and the children behind when he went to Gallia County Ohio on business, but as a farmer it is hard to imagine what business he may have had so far from home. We know that there were some extended Hiatt family in Ohio, that he may have been visiting. We also know that he never returned home.

Thatcher filed for divorced from Esther while living in Ohio sometime between 1830 and 1835. He married Jemima Jonston the 28th day of April 1836, in Gallia County, Ohio.

By the 1840 Federal Census Thatcher can be found in Gallia County OH with his new family.

Thatcher Hiatt in 1840 Census, Gallia County, OH

By the 1850 Federal Census Thatcher was gone. He left behind his second wife, Jemima Johnson Hiatt, and 5 young children. "Gemina Hiatt" (aged 35, born in VA) can be found in that census as head of household, with their children, living in Mason County, Kentucky. Children listed are:

Hester age 14 b. OH

Stephen age 11 B. OH

Elizabeth age 10 B. OH

Margaret age 7 b. OH

Sarah/Sally age 3 b. OH

That they named their first child Hester is suggestive. It was common practice in the 1800s to name a child in honor of a deceased spouse. Hester is a variation of the name Esther. It is likely that Thatcher had told Jemima that his first wife had died, and she suggested honoring this "deceased" wife in the traditional manner. She may have had no way of knowing that Thatcher's first wife was still living at the time, and raising Thatcher's two sons by herself. However, Thatcher would have known the truth.

Thatcher's death date and place of burial are unknown, though it can be assumed that he probably died no earlier than 1846 given that he had a daughter born the following year. The fact that Jemima was living in Mason County, Kentucky in 1850 also suggests that he may have relocated his family shortly after Sally was born about 1847. One can only wonder if Jemima ever discovered the truth about Thatcher's first marriage, and the two sons he had by Esther.