The Johannes Branch of the Fite Family

Johannes Vogt Anglicized Fite - was one of three brothers referred to in the Foreword who landed in Philadelphia September 28, 1749. He came from the province of Hessen-Kassel which joined Vogtland in Saxony. He and Catharine were not married until after they arrived at Philadelphia. The ship bearing most of their clothes and money never came to port and Johannes went to work for a millwright near Philadelphia and learned the trade. Several of his children were born there. He later moved to Sussex Co. New Jersey, about 1754, where he followed his trade as a millwright. He furnished General Green's army with some of his supplies during the Revolutionary War. He and his family belonged to the Lutheran Church, known as old "Greenwich Church," which is still in use.

Johannes Fite and his wife, Catharine, reared a large family. The names of only nine of these children have been preserved however; possibly because these were the children who went to North Carolina, thence to Tennessee, forming what is now known as the Tennessee branch.
The Last Will and Testament of Johannes(John) Fite made in 1782.
The updated list, children of Johannes Fite and Catharine Cunningham were:

• Peter
• Catherine
• Conrad
• Mary
• Christina
• John
• Leonard( Our Direct Ancestor )
• Jacob
• Gilbert

All of these brothers served in the Revolutionary War according to records from old "Granny." The war records of John and Leonard were found in Washington, D. C.. Search was not pursued for the record of the others. Saffell gives the name of John Fite in the list of Capt. Hazlett's "Minute Men" under Col. McKinney, in the Continental Army, during the Revolution. He served under Capt. William White, James Anderson, Mackey, David Phillips and Major Hoope.

The main objective of the authors of this booklet is to give the genealogical and biographical records of the direct ancestors of Thomas Bethel Fite and his descendants, who founded the New Mexico branch of Fites. However, during the past few years many Fites have migrated to these far Western states and in order to facilitate, to a limited extent, the establishing of family relationships, the names of the descendants of these direct ancestors are listed through the fifth generation, except descendants of the brothers of Leonard (our direct ancestor) are to the third generation.
Children of Peter Fite, (brother of Leonard), son of Johannes, were:

• Jacob
• Elias
• Henry
• Christina
• Rachel
• Mary
• Catherine
• Peter

No records are given for children of Catharine, Conrad, Jacob, Mary and Christina Fite.

Children ofRev. John Fite, son of Johannes, insofar as listed were:

• Peter
• Thomas
• John
• Moses
• Henry
• Margaret

Children ofGilbert Fite, son of Johannes, (Names of only four given), were:
 The updated list(7), children of Gilbert Fite and Eva Earlywine were:

• Jacob
• John
• Nancy
• Sarah