The Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia borders Maryland and Virginia. The first European settlers started arriving about 1730.
Opequon Creek is tributary of the Potomac River. It joins the Potomac northeast of Martinsburg and its source is at the foot of Great North Mountain. It is part of the boundary between Frederick and Clarke counties in Virginia and between Berkeley and Jefferson counties in West Virginia.
Jost Hite was born about 1685 in Germany.
Jost's children probably included:
Anna Maria Hite (died young)
Maria Barbara Hite (died young),
Mary Hite (1707/08, married George Bowman),
Elizabeth Hite (1707/08, married Paul Froman),
Magdalena Hite (1713, married Jacob Chrisman),
Colonel John Hite (1719, married Sarah Eltinge),
Jacob Hite (1719, married Catherine OBannon and Frances Madison)
Isaac Hite (1723, married Eleanor Elting)
Abraham Hite (1729, married Rebecca Van Meter)
Joseph Hite (1731, married Elizabeth Van Meter, daughter of Isaac Van Meter, and Elizabeth McKay).
The family immigrated to America where they settled in Kingston, New York. In 1714 they moved on to Pennsylvania.
Jost bought 40,000 acres in Virginia from the Van Meters and on October 31, 1731 Jostswas granted an additional 100,000 acres. The grants were subject to the condition of settlement within two years.
In 1713 the Hite family moved to Virginia along with a group of 16 families. The settled along the Opequan. The area they settled was in Frederick County, Virginia, but is now West Virginia. Jost had a mill and tavern.
Jost Hite and Robert MacKay began a long legal battle with Thomas Lord Fairfax over the land. More than 500 settlers were affected by Fairfax's ejectment suits.
In 1758, son John wrote to George Washington
Our In habitants is all Fled from Messenuting and we are Generally in Great Fair of the Enemy upon us at Some Quarter or other and as we have No other Dependens for any Intilegance But the Ranging Company, and that Being Weakend by Party Stationed at Fort Loudoun I hope therefore you will Think it Reasonably to alter that Property So that Those Rangers May be Restord to their former Duty to the Sattisfaction of our Inhabetants in General. I am Sir with Regard your Sincear friend and Hum. Servt
Jost died in 1760.
Old Style Calendar
Before 1752 the year began on Lady Day, March 25th,. Dates between January 1st and March 24th were at the end of the year. Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) are used to indicate whether the year has been adjusted. Often both dates are used.
Hite/Fairfax Suit
January, 21 1758, Frederick County, Virginia
Henry Nelson, laid claim to the lands which he holds within the said survey by purchase from Robert McKay, for which he passed his bond, dated December 28, 1763, to be bound between Samuel Odell and Isaac Job and the said Robert McKay, claimed by the will of his father.
Jacob Bruner and Joseph Stickler on behalf of the orphans of John Bumgardner, the said orphans produced a bond from Jost Hite and Robert McKay to Abraham Job bearing the date the 4th of August, 1741, conditioned for the conveyance of three hundred acres of land be the same more or less to the said Abraham Job when they should obtain a patent from the crown for their south River land of which 300 acres.
The land claimed by the orphans is a part which bond was afterwards to wit, Sept. 4th, 1758, assigned by Elisha Job, heir at law to the said Abraham unto Jeremiah Odell, who transferred the same to the said John Bumgardner, July 26th, 1765.
The sale by Hite and McKay to Abraham Job of 300 acres was admitted by the complainants; David Job and Issac Job laid to claim the residue of the said three hundred acres for the conveyance of which a bond was passed by Jost Hite and Robert McKay to Abraham Job as mentioned
and to support their claim to the same produced a bond from Elisha Job, heir at law to the said Abraham, to them bearing date 21 January 1758, condoned for the conveyance of a certain part of the said 300 acres, by certain bounds in the said bond specified to which we refer.
Know all men by those present that I, Elisha Job, of Frederick Co., do owe and stand indebted unto Issac Job or assign the full and just sum of 100 pounds current money of Virginia by the fifth day of April, 1760, next ensuing the date hereof to the fifth day of April, 1760, next ensuing the date hereof to which the payment well and truly made and done I do hereby bind myself and heirs executors sealed wi th my seal and dated this 21 day of January in the year of our Lord, 1758.
