John Fitch was born in England on February 23, 1839. He was the son of Daniel Fitch and Martha Potter Fitch of England. John was a merchant in England on Queen Victoria’s Flagship. He also sang in the Queen’s Quartet.
Mary Victoria Clark was born in Scotland on August 13, 1844. She was raised in England by her two bachelor uncles. Mary’s uncles said she could not marry a sailor, so she ran away with John Fitch and was disowned by her family.
John Fitch and Mary Clark were married in England in 1865 and came to America in 1869 and settled in East St. Louis, Illinois. John became a saloon keeper, but after a few years he went broke and lost his business. The Fitch’s left St. Louis around 1880 and went by boat to the Port of Galveston and then came by wagon to Palestine, Texas.
According to the 1900 Census, John and Mary Fitch had ten children. The children included:
1. Daniel born April 1868 in England. There is no record of his marriage. He died in Dallas,Texas in 1942 and is buried in Grove Hill Cemetery.
* 2. Elizabeth Agnes born April 19, 1875 in East St. Louis, Illinois. She came to Texas in 1880 with her family. She died April 17,1943 in Palestine,Texas and is buried in the East Hill Cemetery in Palestine, Texas.
3. William Richard born November 1879 in East St. Louis, Illinois. There is no record of his marriage . He came to Texas in 1880 with his family. He died May 1945 in Dallas, Texas and is buried at the Restland Cemetery in Dallas, Texas.
4. Olive Janette born October 3, 1882 in Palestine, Texas, after her family came to Texas. She died on July 19, 1960 and is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Chadron, Nebraska.
5 & 6. Twin Boys born in 1887 in Palestine, Texas. They both died young in 1887. They are buried in the old city cemetery in Palestine, Texas with their parents.. There are no grave markers.
7. Rosa Isabel born June 1889 in Palestine, Texas. She married Reuben Still and they moved to Dallas. She died on April 11, 1960 in Dallas, Texas and is buried in Restland Cemetery in Dallas,Texas.
John and Mary Fitch are both buried in the old city cemetery in Palestine, Texas. There are no markers. Mary Fitch died of consumption. John Fitch died of Bright’s Disease. He was good to his children, but he died cursing. Mary Fitch died January 6, 1907 and John Fitch died December 22, 1911.