Rush Nutt

Rush Nutt
Born	1781 Northumberland County, Virginia, United States
Died	1837 Natchez, Mississippi, US
Resting place	Longwood
Education	University of Pennsylvania
Occupation	Planter
Spouse	Eliza Ker
Children	7, Haller Nutt
Parent(s)	Richard Turner Nutt Elizabeth Rawlings
Relatives	David Ker (father in law)

Rush Nutt (1781–1837) was a Mississippian planter, physician, and scientist. He was the founder of Laurel Hill Plantation and discovered Petit Gulf cotton. He is a former justice of the Jefferson County court in Mississippi.

Early life

Nutt was born as Rushworth Nutt to Richard Turner Nutt and Elizabeth Rawlings in Northumberland County, Virginia. Nutt studied under Dr. Benjamin Rush at the University of Pennsylvania. Nutt changed his name from Rushworth to Rush after Dr. Benjamin Rush.[1]

Career

Nutt moved to the West in 1805 to Jefferson County, Mississippi and established the Laurel Hill Plantation. He established Oakland College.[1] He built the first brick church in Rodney. He toured Egypt, Jerusalem, Syria, Turkey, and Greece. He was the first American to visit those regions. He wrote about his travels, agriculture and scientific studies.[2]

Nutt developed the "Petit Gulf", a hybrid strain, in 1833. He developed the Egypto-Mexican hybrid cotton in 1841.[3] The cotton he developed were easier to pick.[4]

An article about his trips to Chkickasaw tribes was published in 1947 called "Nutt's Trip to the Chickasaw Country" in the Journal of Mississippi History by Jesse D. Jennings.[5][6] He served as an appointed Justice in the court of Jefferson County, Mississippi.[7]

Personal life

Nutt's first wife died six months after their marriage.[8]

Nutt married Eliza Ker, his second marriage, on 23 March 1808. She was the daughter of Judge David Ker.[1] They had seven children.[8] His son was Haller Nutt, was a planter who supported the Union during the United States Civil War.[1] According to Haller Nutt's listed property in 1860, he owned 42,947 acres and 800 slaves.[3]

References

1. "Nutt, Rush, 1781-1837 - Social Networks and Archival Context". snaccooperative.org. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
2. Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Mississippi: Volume II, Part II. Pelican Publishing. p. 519. ISBN 978-1-4556-0119-6.
3. James, D. Clayton (1993). Antebellum Natchez. LSU Press. p. 158. ISBN 978-0-8071-1860-3.
4. "4th grade Chapter 6 Notes" (PDF). cleveland.k12.ms.us. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
5. "The Chickasaw Nation - References - Paper 1 - The Chickasaw Villages". thechickasawvillages.com. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
6. Altherr, Thomas L.; Menna, Larry K.; Kirsch, George B. (1992). Sports in North America: pt. 1. Sports in the colonial era, 1618-1783. Academic International Press. p. 427. ISBN 978-0-87569-189-3.
7. Serial set (no.12001-12799). 1963. p. 34.
8. Whitwell, William Livingston (1975). The Heritage of Longwood. Univ. Press of Mississippi. p. 19. ISBN 978-1-61703-498-5.