The Lytton Study Group
Lytton/Litton/Letton/Letten/Leyton/Litten/Lutton/etc
Bits and Pieces 1000-1900
[Note: These are old pieces of information, some have since been disproved]
Bits and Pieces:
1000-1600 1600-1700 1700-1800 1800-1900
Bits and Pieces 1000-1600:
One early home of the Litton family in England was at the Parish of Litton
in Yorkshire Co., England.
In 1039 England, Hugh Litton was knighted and became Sir Hugh de Litton.
Bits and Pieces 1600-1700:
The 'General Historie of Virginia' by Captaine John Smith (vol 1 p 262) lists
Sir William Litton as an adventurer for Virginia in 1620. He arrived with two
or three sons, one was killed in 1622 in an Indian uprising, the other one or
two sons survived. Oral family history states that the Lyttons of Jackson Co,
WV, all came from Sir William but no links have yet been established. Who was
Sir William? Sir William de Lytton of Knebworth, England? This is one mystery
we will try to resolve here. At least we do know about The Adventurers.
Dead at Warwick Squeak: John Litton
("Complete Book of Emigrants 1607-1660" by Peter W. Coldham; Feb 16 1624 list
of the names of the living in VA and of those who have died since April 1623)
_ Letton was born cir 1635 in Harford Co, MD. He/she (probably a he) went to
Bourbon Co, KY, before dying 1877 in IN. (source unknown)
Litton, Nicho. 1650, by William Gooch, Gent [person or patentee bringing
him over]. ("Early Virginia Immigrants 1623-1666" by George Cabel Green)
Thomas Litton b. 1660, MD, m. Mary Webster (source unknown)
Letters from Wm. Fitzhugh to and about Mrs. Susanna Letten in London, 1690 to
1692, show that he is raising tobacco for her in Virginia. (Virginia Magazine
of History & Biography, Vol 3, pgs 10, 161, 164, 259; vol 4 pgs 67, 177).
Bits and Pieces 1700-1800:
Will of Thomas Letton of Baltimor Co, MD, was proved in Nov 1700. His
beneficiaries were son Thomas and daughter Sarah, at majority, and
wife Mary, who was also executrix. "Brother John Webster" was to assist her.
Witnesses were Walter Morrow, Benj. Smith, Wm. Backett.
("Maryland Calendar of Wills" Vol 2 pg 201; compiled by Jane Baldwin).
Will of Thomas Litten, of Baltimore Co, drawn 1756, proved 1761, mentioned
as beneficiaries his wife Ann; sons Samuel, James, Michael, Isaac, John
(also had son Thomas, dec'd); daughter Mary; grand-children Samuel and Ann
Prichard, and Ann Letton (dau. of dec'd son Thomas). Witnesses were Jacob
Giles, Wm. Smith, John Bigbie. (Maryland Will Book 3i, pt. 1, pg 419)
Richard Litten was one of six who inherited personalty from Ann Lambert of
Anne Arundel Co, MD, 1703. Residue of estate, except the slaves, was to be
sold, and two-thirds of proceeds to be given to Quakers on Western Shore of
MD, and one-third to Quakers in London, England.
("Maryland Calendar of Wills" Vol 3 pg 26; compiled by Jane Baldwin)
Thos. Leyton was a witness, 1704, to will of Rich. Jarrett, Somerset Co.
("Maryland Calendar of Wills" Vol 3 pg 70; compiled by Jane Baldwin)
[Birth] Solomon Litten, 22 Dec 1751, England
Solomon Litten--Martha Dunkin Sp
(LDS CD Rom, British Isles, birth/christening records for Lympstone, Devon,
England, 1654-1875)
1754 Caleb Letton of Frederick Co, MD, sold to Thos. Allison, of same, 33
acres - part of "Oatry", a tract of 405 acres in Rock Creek Parish, Prince
George's Co, MD (now in Montgomery Co, MD), which he had patented in 1720.
(Frederick Co. Deed Book E, pg 604; "History of Western Maryland" vol 1
pg 650; by John T Scharf)
Will of Caleb Letton, of Frederick Co, MD, drawn 1759, probated May 12 1763.
Beneficiaries were wife Grace, sons Michael, Caleb and John; daughters Grace
Summers amd Johannah Hall. All remaining of "Oatry" was divided equally
between the two Graces. [Note: James and his brothers who moved to Virginia
had received their shares before his death, hence are not mentioned in their
father's will, according to Miss Lulu I. M. Thompson, dec'd].
(Frederick County Will Book A 1 pg 187)
Marriage of Abraham Litten & Christena, 4 Sep 1775, Lympstone, Devon, England
(LDS CD Rom, British Isles, birth/christening records for Lympstone, Devon,
England, 1654-1875)
Elizabeth Letton - 1 white woman, 3 white children
John Letton - 1 white male. 2 wh. women, 2 wh. children
("Maryland Records" by Brumbaugh, Vol 1 pgs 408 & 414; 1776 census record for
All Hallows Parish, Anne Arundel Co., MD)
A Solomon Letten is recorded in the old "Certificate Book" or "Doomsday Book
of the Conquest of Kentucky" as having made an actual settlement in Mar 1779
on 400 acres on the "Middle Fork of Coopers Run above Francis Berry's claim,"
in Kentucky.
(Register of Kentucky State Historical Society Vol 21, No. 62, pg 140)
Birth, Solomon Litten Abt 1787
Fa Solomon Litten
Martha Dunkin
(LDS CD Rom, British Isles, birth/christening records for Lympstone, Devon,
England, 1654-1875)
In Bourbon Co., KY, a Robert Layton and a John Layton were on the earlist tax
list, 1787. Robert is listed thus: "1 male over 21, 1 mare, colt, or mule,
1 cow." (Bourbon County, Kentucky, 1787 Tax List pgs 2 & 6)
In Jan 1789 Lt. Solomon Litten was one of the officers who presided at a
court-martial in Russell Co., VA.
(Calendar of Virginia State Papers, Vol 4 pg 545)
Abraham Litton, Birth 1799, Lumpstone, Devon, England
Fa Abraham Litton
Betty Burch
(LDS CD Rom, British Isles, birth/christening records for Lympstone, Devon,
England, 1654-1875)
Bits and Pieces 1800-1900:
Thomas Litton, Chris 26 Jul 1807; Lumpstone, Devon, England.
(LDS CD Rom, British Isles, birth/christening records for Lumpstone, Devon,
England, 1654-1875)
Rich. Warburton Lytton, Esq., was one of the sixteen persons, including Thos.
Jefferson, to each of whom was left 16 pounds by will of Lucy (Ludwell)
Paradise of Greenspring, Virginia, who returned 1805 to her native Virginia
from England. (William & Mary Quarterly 1st Series Vol 6 pg 58)
Marriages of Wm. Mathers Jr 1808, Gavin Mathers 1805, James Mathers 1823,
Isabella Mathers, all in Nicholas Co. ("Kentucky Records - Early Wills and
Marriages" by Mrs William Breckenridge Arderly)
Litten, Thomas, Inventory, Aug 1810, Appr John Porter, Warren Co. [formed
from Logan Co., 1796], Book A.
("Abstract of Early Kentucky Wills" by J. Estelle Stewart King, pg 227)
A John Leighton (but no Lettons) was listed in the 1810 census of Montgomery
Co., KY; there were in the family 1 male and 1 female 26-45, 2 females under
10, and one 10-16. There were also listed in the census a Josiah Richard,
Robt. and Elzaphin Richards, Gear Donel, John Berton, a number of Williams
and Hawkins, and Samuel Mathers (who was over 45, had 2 boys and 1 girl
16-26, and 1 boy and 1 girl under 10. (Fayette Co. Will Book Q pg 335)
Reuban Pike Letton, b. 1818, in Rockville, MD, was in the Mexican war
(enlisted in Missouri), went to California in the gold rush of 1849, lived
in Salt Lake City, Trinidad, CO, and Ratin, NM. Had a son, A K Letton.
("History of New Mexico" by Helen Haines)
Michael Letton's will probated in Montgomery Co., MD, on Jun 26 1819,
mentions sons Caleb, John, Michael, Ralph, and Brice; daughters Tabitha
Sutter, Anna Marie Kinsted, Sarah Smith and Ann Forsyth; grandsons Michael
Hartley Letton, son Brice, and Vanwich Michael Letton, son of Ralph. Brice
Letton was executor. (Montogomery Co. Will Book L pg 117)
Caleb Litton, "one of the earliest settlers" in the Rockville District,
Montgomery Co., MD, was elected a church warden in 1826.
("History of Western Maryland" by John T. Scharf)
Litton, En. Solomon
("Alphabetical List of Pensioners Residing Outside of Virginia in 1835 Whose
Pensions were Granted for Services as Virginia Militiasmen", Part V pg 233)
The earliest male Letton will found in Bourbon Co., KY, was that of James
E., probated 1844, who left a wife Eliza Ann and daughters Halima Ali and
America Europe. (Bourbon Co. Will Book M pg 217)
In Fayette Co., KY, was an account filed by Stephen Chipley, executor of the
estate of Thos. K. Layton, 1845. It mentions payments made to Amanda Layton
[relationship not stated], and receipt of dividends from stock of the Bank of
Kentucky. (Fayette Co. Will Book Q pg 335)
Dixon S. Litton listed in the 1850 California Census, Tuolumne Co., as being
31 years old, born in Ireland. (Census location: leaf 147)
William Litten of Bell Grove, Jackson Co., was killed [by the Skeens gang,
sometime after the elections of 1861 and before Jan 1862]. It was said John
Skeens, a son of old Frank Skeens, fired the fatal shot.
(Memoirs of Dan Cunningham, WV Archives, Charleston, WV)
Harriet J., daughter of M. H, and Mary Sands Letton, of Washington, D.C.,
married 1863 Theodore H. Cunningham.
("Commemorative Biog. Encyclopedia of the`Juniata Valley" Vol 1 pg 591)
R. E. Letton and T. P. Letton were of Quincy, IL, in 1879. ("History of
Adams County, Illinois" published by Murray, Williamson & Phelps, 1879)
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