"Who Do You Think You Are?" Tim McGraw Episode

Jost HITE (1685-1760) traveled from Germany, to England,
1709 to Governor's Island New York,
to Pennsylvania, and 1731 to Shenandoah Valley, Virginia.

New York Subsistence List
Jost HITE listed as #69 Johannes Hetterich

The father of your country George Washington

wrote in his 16 year old journal about staying with the Jost HITE family (1748.)

In 1767 George Washington wrote to a neighbor citing the Hite family as an example of "provident living."

Tim McGraw country singer was featured on "Who Do You Think You Are?" the REASOR-ROBERSON family and Tim have a common grandfather Jost HITE. You can watch the full episode on line.

JOST HANS (JUSTUS) VON DER HEYDT also known as Hans Jost HITE or Joist HITE, was born December 05, 1685 in Strasbourg, Alsace, Germany or Bonfeld, Kraichgau,(the northern tip of Baden) Germany, and died May 07, 1761 in Long Meadows House, Middleton, Virginia. He married ANNA MARIA MERCKLE, daughter of ABRAHAM and ANNA MERCKLE. They are my ancestors.

Jost Hans (Justus) Von Der HEYDT also know as Hans Jost HITE or Joist Hite, was born 5 Dec 1685 in Strasbourg, Alsace, Germany or Bonfeld, Kraichgau, (the northern tip of Baden) Germany, and died 7 May 1761 in Long Meadows House, Middleton, Virginia. He married Anna Maria MERCKLE, daughter of Abraham and Anna Merckle. Jost Hite was the son of Johannes HEYDT and Magdelena.

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Hans Justus Heydt, "the Baron of the Shenandoah"

There is a myth about a German Baron who immigrated to America aboard his two private ships, using his inherited wealth to purchase large tracts of land in what would become Frederick, Hampshire, Shenandoah, and Hardy counties of Old Virginia. Reportedly, the Baron ruled as a European autocrat in the Shenandoah Valley in lieu of British Colonial authorities. Let the myth end here.

Hans Justus Heydt, later Americanized to Jost Hite, earned the nickname, the Baron of the Shenandoah; this is true. But his personal circumstances were completely different from the myth. Immigrating to America as a refugee from the Palatinate of the Rhine, Jost earned everything he had through his wits and the sweat of his brow. Speculating on lands west of the Blue Ridge, Jost came to be the single largest private landholder in the Colony of Virginia. Note, Lord Fairfax was the largest individual landholder; however, his holdings were actually the property of groups of investors.

In truth, Jost did not rule but acted as an extension of the local Colonial Government, holding court and settling disputes on his vast holdings. In English speaking localities, Jost would have been referred to as Squire. But living in a predominantly German speaking area of Virginia, Jost received the moniker Baron.

(CE Lewis - http://lewis187.home.mchsi.com/Weaver/Hite-1.htm)

Ancestry Chain: 7th great grandfather Hans Joist (Justus) HITE b.1685, Elizabeth HITE b.1711, Jacob FROMAN Sr. b.1748, Jacob FROMAN Jr. b.1771, Fannie Eliza FROMAN b.1810, Fielding ROBERSON b.1838, Reuben Russell ROBERSON b.1893, Grandma Wanda, MRR, JR.