The Stites Family

When researching this family the researcher must also look for references under other spelling variations, notably Stiles & Stits. To quote Edmund J. James in 1897 (see 1.) :-
"I find in looking over old deeds, wills, etc., that it is very common mistake for the copyist to write Stiles instead of Stites, the former being a much more common name than the latter."

There are many pedigrees on the Stites line available mainly on the Internet. These pedigrees have extensive details on the American line back into the 1600's and thence back into England and Western Europe (France, Germany, Holland). These pedigrees need to be checked and properly verified against source documentation. Some claim to go back to Charlemagne and can never be reliably proven or researched. However they do make very interesting reading of the exploits and history of people (family or not) in the past. However the American history of the Stites family have been reliably researched by many people with many articles being  published. Some of note include :-

1. "The Stites Family" by Edmund J. James. New York Genealogical & Bibliographical Society Record, Vol XXVIII (July 1897), 165-166; (Oct 1897), 237-239; Vol XXIX (Apr 1898), 93-98. Also "Genealogies Long Island  Families Vol II by the same.
James also recommends the following (2-10):-
2. Claytons "History of Union and Middlesex Counties, N.J. page 362 and following.
3. "History of Hunterdon and Somerset Counties, N.J. by the same.
4. "Annals of Hempstead, L.I."
5. Hatfields "History of Elizabeth, N.J."
6. "Records of Mt. Bethel (N.J.) Baptist Church.
7. "Lydia Sexton's Autobigraphy" Drayton, O., 1882 pg 54.
8. Brink McDonough & Co.'s "History of Marion and Clinto Counties, Illinois" pg 78.
9. Reuben Guild's "Life of James Manning"
10. Otherwise the chief sources are wills, deeds, and other documents in the records of Central New Jersey, especially of Union, Middlesx and Somerset Counties, and in Southern New Jersey, of Cape May and Atlantic Counties. The early histories of Cincinatti (one of whose founders was Major Benjamin Stites) and of surrounding country contains many references to members of the same family, as also the annals of Frankfort, Henderson, Loiusville, Ky., Clinton and St. Clair Counties, Illinois., and various counties in Missouri and Kansas.

Other references appear in my web pages for specific events or notes on the page of the person concerned.
 

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