THE AVERETT FAMILY IN AMERICA
The following information of the Averett fami1y in America was taken from the book by Will F. Averitt from Indiana. He did a lot of research on the Averitt/Averett family. How much of this information has been researched out and verified is not known. Most of it comes from family tradition and some valid records.
"According to tradition, the first knowledge of our family was in France. The name "Averitt" or "Averett" would justify this assumption, anyway. The double "t" in the name would indicate that it was of French extraction. Nothing is known of the family during the Middle Ages except that we were of Huguenot extraction, and tradition has it that in 1066 the family, or members of the family, came over to England with William, the Conqueror.
"The Averitt family, that which we know anything about, seem to have been tillers of the soil or artisans. The first authentic record that we have in England is that of Christopher Averitt, who was born in Cornwall, England in 1590. He was a weaver by trade, and in 1630 decided to migrate to America. He came over to Charles County, Virginia, on a boat captained by Captain Chelsman, and was bound for his passage for three years. This was a practice in vogue in those days, and the records in the libraries show that he later completed his contract with the captain of the boat for his passage, and was released from his debenture. Before he left England, he was known to have conceived two sons: Jacob, who was born in 1616, and James, born in 1622.
In 1638 James also migrated to Charles County, Virginia, and there raised a family. Jacob also migrated to Warrick County, Virginia, where he reared his family. Today, throughout all the boundaries of the United States, we find descendants of these two Averitts. The family name was thus established in America only about ten years after the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers. It is possible that the family came to the United States to escape religious persecution, since they were of Huguenot extraction and fearless in expression. According to the historian Montgomery, "No better class of immigrants could have been desired. They represented not only the best bone and sinew, but the best intellect and conscience of Europe." All the Averetts, whichever way they spell their names, came from these first immigrants in Virginia."
Will Averitt continues and states that in many of the early records, he found the name spelled "Avery", "Averett", "Avritt", and "Averyt." "However, I have checked in several libraries and find that "Averitt," or the pronunciation of it, is the correct one." He failed to mention the spellings "Everett", and "Everitt", which are two other common spellings of the name.
He continues in his book, in Chapter II, with the early genealogy of Christopher Averitt and his descendants:
1. Christopher Averitt, born in Cornwell, England, 1590, migrated to Charles County, Virginia in 1630. His sons were:
3. Joshua Averitt, born in Surrey County, Va, in 1635. Joshua had two sons:
4 William Averitt, born in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, in 1690.
4 Henry Averitt, born in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, in 1685.
5. Thomas Averitt, born in Brunswick County, Virginia, in 1713.
5. Henry Averitt, born in Brunswick County, Virginia, in 1715.
5. John Averitt, born in Amelia County, Virginia, in 1717.
5. Joel Averitt, born in Amelia County, Virginia, in 1721.
(Other sources state he had another son, George Averitt, born abt. 1723, in Amelia Co., Virginia.)
Of this family, Thomas Averitt was the progenitor of the Illinois Averitts.
Henry was the progenitor of the Averitts in North Carolina, Georgia, and Texas.
John Averitt was the progenitor of the Averetts in Utah, Wyoming, Nevada Arizona and other western states.
Joel Averitt was the progenitor of the Indiana, Kentucky Tennessee Arkansas and some Of the Texas Averitts.
In Chapter VIII, of Will Averitt's, The Averitt Family in America, we read a continuation of the Averett genealogy Utah Averetts."
"Going back to the fifth generation of the Averett family in America, you will find that Henry Averett had four sons one of whom was John Averett, the third son who was born in Amelia County, Virginia, in 1717. John Averett married a lady from Amelia County, Virginia, whose name was Ann. They were the parents of three sons:
Daniel, who was born in Amelia County, Virginia, in 1742.
James Averett, who was born in Amelia County, Virginia in 1744.
Aaron Averett, who was born. in Amelia County, Virginia in 1748, and died in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, in 1789.
"Aaron was married in 1752 to Martha Ray or Rea, in Pittsylvania County, Virginia." (This date is incorrect, because he would have been only four years old when he was married. The date must have been about 1772.) "The following children were born to them:
Nathan Averett was born in 1774, in Amelia County, Virginia.
Joel Averett was born in Amelia County, Virginia, in 1776.
Elijah Averett was born in Amelia County, Virginia, in 1778.
John Averett was born in Pittsylvania County, Virginia on April 29, 1780.
Diannah Averett was born in Pittsylvania County in 1782.
This information was taken from the book, The Averitt Family in America, written and published by Will F. Averitt, of Greenwood, Indiana, pages 1-3, 4-5, 39-40.
Now for a completely different version of the history of the Averett family "in America," written by Christine Shumway Soloman Walser, in her book:
"Please join us now as we travel into the past, starting less than one hundred years from the time of the Everitt line coming into America from England.
"William Everitt and his wife Ann came from England in 1635 and settled in Virginia. His five sons and three daughters spread out over Virginia and into Maryland* Their children were found in North Carolina, Maryland, and Virginia.
"It may well be that Nathaniel Everit with whom we start, should really be shown as the third generation in America. More research should prove whether he is three or four generations down the line.
"In the course of time the name was changed from the immigrant Everitt to Averitt. In a few localities it is found as Avery and Evett. Often times two different spellings will be found in the same document.
4. NATHANIEL EVERIT, b. abt. 1675; will dated 2 Sep. 1720 in Edenton, Chowan, North Carolina; son of THOMAS EVERIT: Nathaniel married to MARY.
5. NATHANIEL AVERITT, b. abt. 1690, of Chowan County, N.C.; will dated 4 Dec* 1755, in New River, Onslow, N.C.; son of (4) NATHANIEL and MARY EVERIT; m.
6. BENJAMIN NATHANIEL AVERETT, b. 1735, in Onslow, N.C.; will dated 28 Feb. 1797 ill Onslow, N.C., Probate Apr. 1798; son of (5) NATHANIEL and ANN (MELTON) AVERETT: married to AMEY.
7. AARON AVERETT, born abt. 1760, of Onslow, N.C.; son of (6) BENJAMIN and AMEY AVERETT: Married to DINAH RAY, born abt. 1760.
8. JOHN AVERETT, born 29 Apr. 1780, in Pittsylvania County, Virginia; died 19 Apr. 1847, in Pleasant Hill, Pike, Illinois; buried Apr. 1847, in McMillin Cemetery by Mississippi River, Illinois.
Mrs. Walser states that Aaron Averett and Dinah Ray had three children: Elijah, born abt. 1779, in Virginia; John, b. 29 Apr. 1780, in Pittsylvania County, Virginia; Miss Averett, b. abt. 1782.
Her sources of information from legal records from North Carolina stop with the birth of Aaron and his brothers and sisters in Onslow County, N.C. As a source of information on Aaron Averett, his wife, and children, she writes: "Family record of George Washington Gill Averett (grandson): It is stated that Aaron's wife was a Ray of Va. John was born April 29, 1780, in Pittsylvania Co., Va. John had an older brother called Elijah and one or two sisters."
She continues, saying that many situations arise in establishing the true identity of Aaron. Then she finishes by stating: "Because of this situation, the record found on the family group must rest on the family tradition of Aaron's grandson."
Since the Aaron her research turned up was born in Onslow County, N.C., and John's father was Aaron, she undoubtedly thought this was the Aaron she was searching for.
After much research on the same sources stated by Mrs. Walser, a connection could not be found between the Aaron in her research and the Aaron on Will F. Averitt's research. They seemed like two separate branches of the same family, settling in two separate states. Both researchers state that more than one Aaron Averett had been found in research. Perhaps Aaron is an old family name. The question comes down to "Where was Aaron Averett born, who was the father of John Averett, of our line?"
After more "digging" into L.D.S. Church records, a record was found in the St. George(Utah) Temple records entitled "Endowments for the Dead". On page 488, dated 27 Sept 1882, item 8287, we find "Aaron Averett: Date of Birth ______ ; Place of Birth: Pittsylvania Va.; Date of Baptism: 13 Sept 1871:Date of Confirmation: 13 Sep 1871; Ordinance Performed by: Elijah Averett; Relationship G d Son.
This information is found on film #170,544, Genealogical Society, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Since Elijah stated that his grandfather, Aaron Averett, was born in Pittsylvania County Virginia, it appears the research done by Will F. Averitt is the accurate one. His account states that John had three brothers: Nathan born in 1774; Joel, born in 1776; Elijah, born in 1778 (not 1779 as stated by Mrs. Walser); and a sister, Dinnah, born in 1782, the same year as Mrs. Walser said "Miss Averett" was born. Will Averitt's record says that Aaron Averett was born in Amelia County, Virginia and died in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. The state was correct. Aaron did move to Pittsylvania County where Elijah's father, John, was born, and where be died. It is probable that Elijah thought Aaron was born there, too. Both Will F. Averitt and Elijah stated that Aaron was born in Virginia, not North Carolina.
Sources of Information:
The Averitt Family in America, Chapter VIII, p. 39, by Will F. Averitt, Greenwood, Indiana.
Averitt Lines and Related Families, by Christina Shumway Soloman Walser, pages 1-3. Genealogical Society, Salt Lake City, Utah.
(Additional research done by, Charles Ray Averett, Jr.)
L.D.S. Church Archives and Genealogical Library, Salt Lake City, Utah
St. George Temple records, page 488, dated 27 Sept 1882. Film #170544.