INDEX to the Whitney Family Files

Generation 1

ROBERT WHITNEY (c. 1436 -aft. 1492) of Whitney

Parents: Unknown

Robert Whitney was born about 1436. [Ref] He died after 1492. [Ref] He married first Constance Touchet. [Ref] He married second Elizabeth Vaughan. [Ref]

Children of Robert Whitney and Constance Touchet:

1. Joan Whitney married Roger Vaughan. [Ref]

Children of Robert Whitney and Elizabeth Vaughan:

1. James Whitney married Blanch Milbourne. [Ref] She married second Sir William Herbert. [Ref]
   some descendants of James Whitney
2. Robert Whitney was born about 1470.
3. John Whitney [Ref]
   John may be the ancestor of the Whitneys of Clifford. [Ref]

Generation 2

ROBERT WHITNEY (b. c. 1470) of perhaps Pencomb and Castleton

Parents: Robert Whitney and Elizabeth Vaughan [Ref], "perhaps"

Robert Whitney was born about 1470. [Ref]

Robert was perhaps of Pencomb and Castleton. [Ref]

Children of Robert Whitney:

1. Robert Whitney was born about 1498. He died in 1555. He married Elizabeth, the daughter of Morgan ap William.

Generation 3

ROBERT WHITNEY (c. 1498 - 1555) of Castleton

Parents: Robert Whitney [Ref]

Robert Whitney was born about 1498. [Ref] He died in 1555. [Ref] He married Elizabeth, the daughter of Morgan ap William. [Ref] She died after 17 Jul 1555. [Ref]

Robert paid subsidy taxes in 1542, 1545 and 1547 at the Bage, Clifford Parish, co. Hereford. [Ref] This was three miles southeast of Castleton. [Ref]

Robert Whitney of Castleton, gentleman, signed his will on 17 Jul 1555. [Ref] His executors were his wife and his son Nicholas Whitney. [Ref] His beneficiaries were his unmarried daughters Elinor and Magaret and his son Thomas. [Ref]

Children of Robert Whitney and Elizabeth, the daughter of Morgan ap William:

1. Anne Whitney was born say 1535. [Ref] She married Thomas Robage of Letton, Herefordshire before 1555. [Ref]
   Thomas was a servant of William, Earl of Pembroke. [Ref]
   some descendants of Anne Whitney
2. Nicholas Whitney was born say 1538. [Ref] He died in 1587. [Ref]
   Nicholas was one of the executors of his father's will. [Ref] Nicholas Whitney of Castleton, parish of Clifford in Hereford, signed his will on 20 Nov 1587. [Ref] He mentions his brother Richard Whitney, his cousin John Morgan and his own children, but not by name. Witnesses included Elinor and Margaret, probably his unmarried sisters. [Ref]
   some descendants of Nicholas Whitney
3. William Whitney was born say 1542. [Ref] He was buried on 28 Oct 1591 in Isleworth. [Ref] He married Johan Unknown. Johan, the wife of William, was buried on 24 Jul 1572 in Isleworth. [Ref]
   some descendants of William Whitney
4. Elinor Whitney was born say 1546. [Ref] She was probably alive and unmarried on 20 Nov 1587 when she presumably witnessed her brother Nicholas's will. [Ref]
5. Thomas Whitney was born say 1550. He was buried on 2 May 1637 at St. Margaret's Westminster. He married Mary Bray.
6. Margaret Whitney was born say 1553. [Ref] She was probably alive and unmarried on 20 Nov 1587 when she presumably witnessed her brother Nicholas's will. [Ref] She later married William Powell or Unknown Williams. [Ref]
   
7. Richard Whitney
   Richard is mentioned in the 20 Nov 1587 will of his brother Nicholas. [Ref]
   

Generation 4

THOMAS WHITNEY of city of Westminster, London (say 1550 - 1637)

Parents: Perhaps Robert Whitney and Elizabeth, the daughter of Morgan ap William [Ref]
He is too old to be the son of Sir Robert Whitney. [Ref] Reed suggests that he may be descended from the Whitneys of Chester at Coole Pilate in Acton, near Nantwich. [Ref]

Thomas Whitney was born say 1550. [Ref] He was born before 1562, on the basis that no consent was required for his marriage. [Ref] He was buried on 2 May 1637 at St. Margaret's Westminster. [Ref] He married Mary Bray on 12 May 1583 [Ref] in St. Margaret's, Westminster. [Ref, p. 297] Mary might be the daughter of John, baptised on 24 Dec 1564 in St. Margaret's. [Ref, p. 23] A John Bray married Margaret Haslonde on 13 Aug 1554 in St. Margaret's. [Ref, p. 450]

Children of Thomas Whitney and Mary Bray:

1. Margaret Whitney was baptised on 18 Oct 1584 in St. Margaret's. [Ref, p. 45] Margaret, the daughter of Thomas, was buried on 12 Jan 1604/5 in Isleworth. [Ref]
2. Thomas Whitney was baptised on 25 Jul 1587 in St. Margaret's. [Ref, p. 48] He might be the Thomas who was buried on 19 Aug 1587 in St. Margaret's. [Ref, p. 450]
3. Henry Whitney was baptised on 11 Nov 1588 in St. Margaret's. [Ref, p. 50] He was buried on 4 Jan 1589 in St. Margaret's. [Ref, p. 452]
4. Arnewey Whitney (son) was baptised on 2 Feb 1590 in St. Margaret's. [Ref, p. 52] He was buried on 11 Aug 1591 in St. Margaret's. [Ref, p. 456]
   Arnewey is probably named after Thomas Arneway. Thomas was buried o 8 Dec 1603 and on the north wall of St. Margaret's church there is a monument to him with a verse that begins, "Who in his lyfetyme loved the poore and in that love did dye ... " [Ref, pp. 242-3]
5. John Whitney was baptised on 20 Jul 1592 in St. Margaret's. He died on 1 Jun 1673 in Watertown. He married first Elinor Unknown. He married second Judah Clement.
6. Nowell Whitney was baptised on 30 Oct 1594 in St. Margaret's. [Ref, p. 58] He was buried on 28 Feb 1597 in St. Margaret's. [Ref, p. 468]
7. Francis Whitney (son) was baptised on 27 Jan 1598/9 in St. Margaret's. [Ref, p. 62]
8. Mary Whitney was baptised on 2 Aug 1600 in St. Margaret's. [Ref, p. 64] She was buried on 8 Aug 1600 in St. Margaret's. [Ref, p. 79]
9. Robert Whitney was baptised on 10 Nov 1605 in St. Margaret's. [Ref, p. 72] He was buried on 3 Apr 1662. [Ref] He married Mary Towers of Tarvin, co. Chester on 18 Jan 1635/6 at Stepney. [Ref] According to her son John, Mary was the daughter of John Towers. [Ref] She died between 23 Oct 1667 and 11 Feb 1667/8.
   Robert was a merchant tailor. [Ref] He signed his will on 19 Jan 1661; it was proved on 16 Apr 1662. [Ref] He left his children John and Mary five shillilngs each and John was left the great ring that Robert got from his father. [Ref] Mary, the relict of Robert Whitney of St. Peter Cornhill, London, signed her will on 23 Oct 1667; it was proved on 11 Feb 1667/8. [Ref] She left her son Joh and his wife Elizabeth five shillings each and she left her grandchild Jane a silver guilt spoon. She left the residue of her estate to her daughter Maryfrances Whitney. [Ref]
   some descendants of Robert Whitney

Generation 5

JOHN WHITNEY (bp. 1592 - 1673) of Watertown

Parents: Thomas Whitney and Mary Bray [Ref]

John Whitney was baptised on 20 Jul 1592 in St. Margaret's, Westminster, London. [Ref, p. 55] John Whitney, the son of Thomas Whitney, gentleman, and his wife Mary (Bray), was baptised on 20 Jul 1592 at St. Margaret's, Westminster, London. [Ref] He died on 1 Jun 1673 [Ref][Ref] in Watertown. [Ref] He married first Elinor Unknown. [Ref] She died on 11 May 1659, age 54, [Ref] in Watertown. [Ref] He married second Judah Clement on 29 Sep 1659 [Ref] in Watertown. [Ref] She died before he wrote his will. [Ref]

On 22 Feb 1607/8 John Whitney, the son of Thomas Whitney of the city of Westminster, yeoman, was apprenticed to William Pring of the Old Bailey of the Company of Merchant Taylors. He was made free by William Pring on 13 Mar 1614/5. [Ref, p. 366] John was a tailor and lived in Bow Lane in London. [Ref] He was a member of the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors. [Ref]

John Whitney and his family left London for New England in the Elizabeth and Ann in mid-May1635. According to records dated 13 Apr 1635, he was 35 years old and he was accompanied by Ellen, age 30, and his sons John, age 11, Richard, age 9, Nathaniel, age 8, Thomas, age 6, and Jonathan, age 1. [Ref][Ref][Ref] He arrived in New England in Jun 1635 and settled in Watertown. [Ref]

John was granted an allowance for 83-1/2 yards of cloth, valued at 12 d. per yard at a Quarter Court in Boston on 1 Jun 1641. [Ref, p. 105][Ref, p. 367]

John Whitney, tailor, bought six acres of land in Watertown from Robert Daniel on 6 Apr 1653. [Ref]

John purchased a 16-acre homestead in Watertown from John Strickland. [Ref] This homestead was situated a little distance north of Belmont St. and east of Common St. [Ref] In 1668 he promised to leave this homestead to his son Benjamin, if Benjamin - who had moved to York, ME - would return and live with him. [Ref] Prior to 1645 the town granted John nine other lots, amounting to 198 acres. [Ref] He gave his son Jonathan 39 acres in about 1659. [Ref]

John was admitted freeman on 3 Mar 1635/6. [Ref][Ref] He was one of the 11 freeman chosen to order the civil affairs of Watertown on 30 Dec 1637. [Ref, p. 3] He was appointed Constable of Watertown at the Quarter Court in Boston on 1 Jun 1641. [Ref][Ref, p. 105] John Whitney, the constable, was fined for not warning Charles Chadwicke at the Quarter Court in Boston on 12 (3) 1642. [Ref, p. 105] He was one of seven men chosen to order the civil affairs of the town on 8 (9) 1647. [Ref, p. 10] He was chosen to take the invoice for the town and to have ten shillings for his pains on 8 Feb 1647. [Ref, p. 14] He was one of seven men chosen to order the civil affairs of the town on 16 (10) 1650. [Ref, p. 14] He was Selectman in 1638 - 1655. [Ref] John and John Wincoll were chosen to dispose of part of the estate of the widow Broboke to pay her debts and to provide for her maintenance and that of her children at a selectman's meeting on 29 Jan 1654. [Ref, p. 40] At the same meeting he was chosen to take account of the rate and to take account of the constables. [Ref, p. 40] He was town clerk in 1655. [Ref] He was chosen to take an invoice for the town on 1 Oct 1655. [Ref, p. 42] On 3 Feb 1656 Mr. Whitney was owed ten shillings for taking the town's invoice. [Ref, p. 51] Mr. Whitney was chosen to take inventory of the estate of the town on 6 (12) 1662. [Ref, p. 76]

Either John or his son was appointed juror for Watertown for the Middlesex court on 4 - 7 - 1651 [Ref, 1;5], 22 - 3- 1657 [Ref, 1;73], 18 Jun 1663 [Ref, 1;162] and on 7 Mar 17663/4. [Ref, 2;5] Mr. John Whitney testified in the case of the "disorderly carnage of Elizabeth Ball to Richard Gate's family" on 23-4-1659. [Ref, 1;69]

John signed his will on 3 Apr 1673; it was proved on 17 Jun 1673. He mentions his sons John, Richard, Thomas, Jonathan, Joshua and Benjamin Whitney. He appointed his sons John and Joshua his executors. [Ref, p. 369]

Children of John Whitney and Elinor Unknown:

1. Mary Whitney was baptised on 23 May 1619 in Isleworth, co. Middlesex. [Ref] She was buried on 15 Feb 1626/7 in St. Mary Aldermary, London. [Ref, p. 370][Ref, p. 165, "a child of John Whitney"]
2. John Whitney was baptised on 14 Sep 1621 in Isleworth. [Ref] He died on 12 Oct 1692 [Ref] in Watertown. [Ref, only the year][Ref] He married Ruth Reynolds [Ref], probably in 1642. [Ref] Ruth was the daughter of Robert Reynolds. [Ref, p. 370]
   John came to New England with his parents when he was about 16, although the records say that he was 11. John Whitney, Jr. is on the 26 May 1647 list of freemen. [Ref] John Whitney, Jr. was chosen surveyor of highways on 3 Feb 1656 in Watertown. [Ref, p. 54]
   some descendants of John Whitney
3. Richard Whitney was baptised on 6 Jan 1623/4 in Isleworth. [Ref] He married Martha Coldam on 19 Mar 1650/1. [Ref][Ref, just the year, Martha or Mary]
   Richard came to New England with his parents when he was about 11, although the records say that he was nine. He is on the 7 May 1651 list of freemen. [Ref] He went to Stow in 1680. [Ref] He moved to Stow as early as 1681. [Ref]
   some descendants of Richard Whitney
   
4. Nathaniel Whitney was born in 1627 in England. [Ref] He is not mentioned in his father's will and probably died young. [Ref]
   Nathaniew came to New England with his parents when he was about eight. He was a resident and proprietor of Stow, Massachusetts. [Ref]
5. Thomas Whitney was baptised on 10 Dec 1627 in St. Mary Aldermary, London. [Ref, p. 370][Ref, p. 80, "s. of John Whitne, dwelling in Bowe lanne"] He died on 20 Sep 1719. [Ref][Ref] He married Mary Kedall on 11 Jan 1654/5. [Ref][Ref]
   Thomas came to New England with his parents when he was about six. He was admitted freeman on 18 Apr 1690. [Ref] He lived in Watertown. [Ref]
   Thomas tesified about an accusation of Jonathan Phillips at the 2 Oct 1666 Middlesex court. [Ref, 2;28]
   some descendants of Thomas Whitney
6. Mary Whitney was baptised on 29 Dec 1629 in St. Mary Aldermary, London. [Ref][Ref, p. 81, "d. of John Whitney, taylore, dwelling in Bowe lanne"] She apparently died before 13 Apr 1635.
7. Jonathan Whitney was born about 1632 in England, based on his 20 Dec 1671 testimory that he was about 40. [Ref, 2;135] He died on 1 Jan 1702/3 in Sherborn. [Ref] He married Lydia Jones, the daughter of Lewis Jones of Watertown, on 30 Oct 1656. [Ref] Lydia, the widow of Jonathan, Sr., died on 3 Feb 1701/2 in Sherborn. [Ref]
   Jonathan Whitney was about three when he came to New England with his parents. He is in the Watertown section of the 29 Apr 1668 list of freemen. [Ref]
   Jonathan signed his will on 21 Dec 1702, it was proved on 1 Mar 1702/3. [Ref]
   Jonathan was a witness at the 15 Jun 1671 inquest on the death of John Lawrence, about ten, and James Smith, about seven, who were run over by a load of bricks. [Ref, 2;191]
   some descendants of Jonathan Whitney
8. Dea. Joshua Whitney was born on 15 Jul 1635 in Watertown. [Ref says "John"][Ref] He died on 7 Aug 1719. He married first Mary Unknown. He married second Abigail Tarball.
9. Caleb Whitney was buried on 6 Jun 1640 in Watertown. [Ref, says 12 (5) 1640][Ref says 12 (5) 1640][Ref][Ref] He was buried on 12 -15 - 1640. [Ref]
10. Benjamin Whitney was born on 6 Jun 1643 in Watertown. [Ref][Ref][Ref][Ref, 16 -7 -1643] He died in 1723 in Sherborn. [Ref] Or, he died on 14 Nov 1690 in Sherborn. [Ref, pp. 263-4] He married first Jane Unknown on 14 Nov 1690 in Sherburne. [Ref] Jane, the wife of Benjamin, died on 14 Nov 1690 in Sherborn. [Ref] He may be the Benjamin Whitney who married [second] Mary Poor on 13 Apr 1696 [Ref, 11 Ap 1695] in Marlborough. [Ref]
    Benjamin was a tailor. [Ref, pp. 263-4] He was of Cocheco, Watertown and Sherburne. [Ref] He was taxed in Dover in 1667. [Ref, pp. 263-4] He moved to York, Maine in 1668. [Ref, pp. 263-4] His father promised him his house and land if he would return and live with him but he did not accept. [Ref, pp. 263-4] He moved to Sherborn. [Ref, pp. 263-4]
    some descendants of Benjamin Whitney

Generation 6

DEA. JOSHUA WHITNEY (1635 - 1713/9) of Watertown and Groton

Parents: John Whitney and Elinor Unknown

Joshua Whitney was born on 15 Jul 1635 in Watertown. [Ref][Ref] He probably went to Groton and died there on 7 Aug 1719. [Ref] He is buried in the Groton Cemetery. Click here to see a photo of his grave. He married first Mary Unknown, who died on 17 Mar 1671/2 [Ref][Ref, pp. 117-23] in Watertown. [Ref] He married second Abigail Tarball on 30 Sep 1672. [Ref][Ref][Ref, pp. 117-23][Ref] He is said to have had a first wife named Lydia. But there is no record of such a wife. Perhaps there is confusion because his brother Jonathan had a wife named Lydia. [Ref, pp. 371]

Joshua moved to Groton. [Ref] He was an original proprietor of Groton. [Ref, p. 26] In 1671, Joshua's brother Benjamin, with their father's consent, conveyed his rights and obligations in the homestead in Watertown he stood to inherit from his father, for £40. [Ref] After his father's death, Joshua returned to Watertown and on 29 Oct 1697 he sold the homestead to Dea. Nathan Fiske. [Ref]

Joshua was deacon of the Groton church. [Ref, pp. 117-23]

He signed his will on 17 Apr 1713, it was proved on 6 Oct 1719. [Ref]

Children of Joshua Whitney and Mary Unknown: [Ref]

1. Hannah Whitney married Thomas Woods of Groton and had four children. [Ref] She probably died before 30 Apr 1723, when her husband remarried. [Ref] Thomas was the son of Samuel Woods. [Ref] He was born on 9 Mar 1663 in Groton. [Ref] He married second the widow Abigail [Nutting] Chamberlain on 30 Apr 1723 in Groton. [Ref] Abigail Nutting married first Thomas Chamberlain on 16 Aug 1699 in Concord. [Ref]
   some descendants of Hannah Woods
2. Joshua Whitney was born on 14 Jun 1665 in Groton. [Ref][Ref, 1666] He died on 1 Dec 1753. [Ref, p. 14] He married first Mary Unknown. [Ref, p. 14] She died on 25 Jun 1751 in Plainfield. [Ref, p. 14] He married - at age 85 - Sarah (Unknown) (Warren) Fellows on 11 Dec 1751 in Plainfield, Windham, Connecticut. [Ref] Sarah died on 28 Mar 1759. [Ref, p. 14] She married first Jacob Warren. [Ref, p. 12] She married second John Fellows. [Ref, p. 14]
   Joshua was an early freeholder of Plainfield, living on the east side of the Quinebaug. [Ref]
   Joshua signed his will on 8 Jan 1754. [Ref, pp. 117-23] He mentions his brothers William Whitney and Cornelius III Whitney; the heirs of his sister Abigail Huching; the heirs of his sister Mary Prince; his sister Elizabeth Farnum; his sister Sarah Tyler; his kinswoman Mary Lawrence, the wife of Joseph Lawrence; his loving friend John Crery; his brother David; Suasan, his eldest sister. Jonathan (Shepherd), the eldest son of is sister Elinor was to be excluded "he not behaving himself repectively to me." [Ref, pp. 117-23]
3. Sarah Whitney was born on 10 Oct 1668 in Groton. [Ref][Ref] She married first Nathaniel Jewell, Jr. [Ref says "___ Juell"] on 11 Jul 1704 in Plainfield, Windham, Connecticut. [Ref] Nathaniel was the son of Nathaniel and Mary (Smedley) of Groton. [Ref, pp. 117-23] He was born on 10 Nov 1678. [Ref, pp. 117-23] He died in 1730. [Ref, pp. 117-23] Sarah married second Unknown Taylor. [Ref, pp. 117-23]
   some descendants of Sarah Whitney
4. Abigail Whitney married John Hutchins [Ref] of Groton about 1673. [Ref, pp. 117-23]
   John and Abigail lived in Groton. [Ref, pp. 117-23]
   some descendants of Abigail Whitney

Children of Joshua Whitney and Abigail Tarball:

1. Mary Whitney was born on 1 Jul 1675 in Groton. [Ref][Ref] She died on 29 Dec 1749. [Ref, pp. 117-23] She married Ephraim Pierce. [Ref][Ref, pp. 117-23] Ephraim was born on 15 Oct 1673. [Ref, pp. 117-23] He died on 27 Feb 1740. [Ref, pp. 117-23]
   Ephraim and Mary settled in Lunenburg. [Ref, pp. 117-23]
   some descendants of Mary Whitney
   
2. William Whitney was born on 28 Feb 1678 [Ref] in Watertown. [Ref] He is probably the William who died on 4 May 1754, age 77, in Lebanon, New London, Connecticut. [Ref] William of Groton married first Lydia Perham in Mar 1700 (? torn) in Chelmsford. [Ref] Lydia was the daughter of John and Lydia Perham. [Ref] Her mother was Lydia Shepley, the daughter of John and Anne Shepley. [Ref] She was born on 19 Feb 1673 in Chelmsford. [Ref] Lydia, the wife of William, died on 22 Aug 1716, age 42, in Groton. [Ref] She is buried in the Old Burying Ground in Groton. [Ref] William married second Margaret Mirick on 25 Apr 1717 in Newton. [Ref]
   William bought land in Killingly, Windham, Connecticut in 1710. [Ref, p. 1025] He moved to Plainfield in 1720. [Ref, p. 1025]
   some descendants of William Whitney
3. Cornelius Whitney was born in Groton. [Ref, p. 36] married Sarah [Ref, Sarah Unknown] Shepherd. [Ref, p. 36]
   Cornelius was a soldier in Queen Anne's War. [Ref, p. 36] Cornelius and Sarah were admitted to full communion in the Groton church on 21 Aug 1715. [Ref, p. 36] The moved to Killingly, Connecticut. [Ref, p. 36]
   some descendants of Cornelius Whitney
4. Capt. David Whitney was born in 1682 in Groton. He died in Dec 1769 in Canaan. He married first Elizabeth Warren. He married second the widow Prudence (Merrills) Sedgwick.
5. Martha Whitney was born about 1686. Martha, the wife of Isaac, died on 24 Oct 1675, age 77, in Newton. [Ref] She married Isaac Williams, Jr. of Newton [Ref] on 1 Feb 1708/9 in Groton. [Ref]
   
6. Elizabeth Whitney was born about 1686. [Ref, 2;60] She married Ebenezer Farnsworth [Ref] on 17 Apr 1706/7 in Groton. [Ref][Ref, 2;60, 17 Apr 1707] Ebenezer was the son of Matthias and Sarah (Nutting) Farnsworth and the grandson of Matthias Farnsworth and John and Sarah Nutting. [Ref, 2;59-60] He was born about 1684. [Ref, 2;60] He died before 1753. [Ref, pp. 117-23]
   Ebenezer and Elizabeth owned the covenant on 19 Sep 1708. [Ref, 2;61] Elizabeth united with the church on 6 Apr 1718. [Ref, 2;61] Ebenezer united with the church on 3 Mar 1724. [Ref, 2;61]
   some descendants of Elizabeth Whitney
7. Elinor Whitney married Samuel Shepard. [Ref, pp. 117-23] Samuel was the son of Isaac and Mary (Smedley) Shepard. [Ref, pp. 117-23]
   some descendants of Elinor Whitney

Generation 7

CAPT. DAVID WHITNEY (1682 - 1769) of Plainfield and Canaan

Parents: Dea. Joshua Whitney and Abigail Tarbell [Ref, p. 25]

David Whitney was born in 1682 in Groton, Middlesex, Massachusetts. [Ref, p. 25] He died in Dec 1769 in Canaan. [Ref, p. 25] He is buried in the Mountain View Cemetery in North Canaan. Click here to see a photo of his grave. David Whitney of Groton, the son of Joshua, married first Elizabeth Warren on 20 Jan 1712/3 in Plainfield. [Ref "daughter of Jacob"] Col. David Whitney married second Prudence Sedgwick on 28 Jul 1767 in West Hartford. [Ref] Prudence, the daughter of Abraham Merrills of Hartford, was born on 22 Dec 1700 and died on 1 Feb 1793 when she "fell into the fire". She married first Ebenezer Sedgewick. [Ref] He died of dropsey on 4 Dec 1759 in West Hartford. [Ref]

David moved to Groton. He later moved to Plainfield. He was an innkeepper and a colonel in the militia. He was a deputy from Plainfield on 11 May 1732. [Ref]

Capt. David Whitney of Canaan was appointed a justice of the peace for Hartford county in Oct 1739. [Ref, 8;264] He was appointed seven times thereafter between 1742 and 1751. [Ref] He was appointed to be a justice of the peace for Litchfield county in Oct 1751. [Ref, 10;57] He held this position for the rest of his life. [Ref]

Acting as an agent for the inhabitants of Canaan, in Oct 1741 David complained to the Connecticut Assembly that the place chosen by the committee appointed by the Assembly in May 1740 for the Canaan church was not the most suitable place. [Ref, 8;424] David was the proprietors clerk on 29 Nov 1745 in Canaan. [Ref] Maj. David Whitney was a representative to the Assembly for Canaan in May 1757. [Ref, 11;2] Col. Whitney served eight times thereafter. [Ref] In May 1758 David was appointed to a committee to repair and assess the advantages of changing the location of the road through Symsbury, New Hartford, Norfolk and northwestern Canaan towards Albany. [Ref, 11;137] He was on a committee to plan a new road in May 1759. [Ref, 11;293] David was one of those who requested of the Assembly that there be two religious societies in Canaan in May 1767. [Ref, 12;582]

He was appointed captain of the second company or trainband in Plainfield in May 1736. [Ref, 8;32] He was appointed a major of the 13th Connecticut Regiment in Oct 1754. [Ref, 10;493] He was appointed lieutenant colonel of the 13th Regiment in May 1757. [Ref, 11;16] Lieut. Col. Whitney's company went for the relief of Fort William Henry in 1757. [Ref, 9;208] He was appointed the colonel of the 14th Regiment in Oct 1767. [Ref, 12;582]

David was one of five men who wrote a letter of 10 Dec 1745 to the Committee of War at Windsor and Hartford urging an expedition to Crown Point. [Ref, 13;140] In Feb 1757 David or Isaac Baldin were appointed for Canaan to receive the arms and accoutrements belonging to the King and used in the last campaign that had not been returned. [Ref, 10;606] In May 1757 Maj. David Whitney of Canaan was empowered to collect the arms from the captains of the Canaan companies. [Ref, 11;22]

He signed his will on 27 Oct 1769; it was proved on 13 Dec 1769.

Children of David Whitney and Elizabeth Warren:

1. Esther Whitney was born on 1 May 1714 in Plainfield. [Ref][Ref, p. 116] She died on 5 Apr 1752 in Plainfield. [Ref, p. 117] She married John Kingsbury. [Ref, p. 116]
2. David Whitney was born on 16 Sep 1716 in Plainfield. [Ref] He married Mary Gunn on 23 Sep 1739 in Canaan. [Ref] Mary is probably the daughter of Daniel and Hesther (Griswold) Gunn, born on 10 Jan 1719 in Westfield, Hampden, Massachusetts. [Ref]
   David was one of the original grantees who signed the 21 Sep 1761 charter of Poultney, Rutland, Vermont. [Ref, p. 14]
   He might be the David Whitney who served as second lieutenant in Capt. Lewis's 4th Co., 4th Connecticut Regiment from 11 Sep 1755 to Nov 24 1755. [Ref, 9;53]
   some descendants of David Whitney
3. Joshua Whitney was born on 11 Oct 1718 in Plainfield. He married Amy Blodgett.
4. Elizabeth Whitney was born on 26 Feb 1720/1 in Plainfield. [Ref] Elizabeth Whitney of Plainfield married Elijah Stanton of Preston on 18 Apr 1739 in Preston. [Ref]
5. Jacob Whitney was born on 13 Jul 1723 in Plainfield. [Ref] He died on 20 Sep 1738 in Canterbury. [Ref]
6. Capt. Tarball Whitney was born on 1 Nov 1725 in Plainfield. [Ref] He died on 21 Apr 1790, age 66. [Ref] Capt. Tarbel Whitney is buried in the Mountain View Cemetery in North Canaan. [Ref]
   Tarball was a second lieutenant from Canaan in Capt. Benjamin Hinman's 6th company, Col. Elizur Hinman's 2nd Connecticut Regiment in the French and Indian War in 1755. [Ref] He was captain of the 10th company of David Wooster's 3rd Connecticut Regiment in the French and Indian War in 1759. [Ref]
7. Mary Whitney was born on 13 Mar 1727/8 in Plainfield. [Ref] She died on 28 Jun 1729 in Plainfield. [Ref]
8. Rev. Josiah Whitney was born on 11 Aug 1731 in Plainfield. [Ref][Ref, pp. 297-300] He died on 13 Sep 1824. [Ref] He is buried in the South Cemetery in Brooklyn, Windham, Connecticut. [Ref] Click here to see a phot of his grave. He married first Lois Breck on 1 Sep 1756 in Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts. [Ref][Ref, Pomfret record calls her Mrs. Lois Brisby] Lois was the daughter of Rev. Robert and Eunice Breck. [Ref][Ref, pp. 297-300, Eunice (Brewer) Beck] She was born on 11 Dec 1738 in Springfield. [Ref] She was baptised on 17 Dec 1738 in Springfield. [Ref] She died of consumption on 27 Oct 1789. [Ref, pp. 297-300]. She is buried in the South Cemetery in Brooklyn. Click here to see a photo of her grave. Josiah married second as her second husband Anna (Paine) Chandler on 25 Oct 1791. [Ref, pp. 297-300] Anna was the daughter of Daniel and Leah (Smith) Paine of Woodstock. [Ref, pp. 297-300] She was born about 1738. She died on 2 Feb 1801, age 63. [Ref, pp. 297-300] She is buried in the South Cemetery in Brooklyn. [Ref] She married first Capt. Samuel Chandler of Woodstock. [Ref, pp. 297-300]
   Josiah graduated from Yale College in 1748. [Ref] He studied theology with Rev. Robert Breck of Springfield. [Ref, pp. 297-300] He was licensed to preach in Jul 1754. [Ref, pp. 297-300] He studied with Rev. James Cogswell of Canterbury. [Ref, pp. 297-300] He was employed by the church in Brooklyn Society in Pomfret in Sep 1755. [Ref, pp. 297-300] He was ordained on 4 Feb 1756. [Ref, pp. 297-300] He received a Doctor of Divinity from Harvard in 1802. [Ref, pp. 297-300]
   some descendants of Rev. Josiah Whitney

Generation 8

JOSHUA WHITNEY (1718 -1761) of Plainfield, Norfolk and Canaan

Parents: Capt. David Whitney and Elizabeth Warren

Joshua Whitney was born on 11 Oct 1718 in Plainfield. [Ref] He died on 10 Feb 1761 in Plainfield, at age 42 y., 3 m., 29 d. [Ref] "Joshua Whitney, Esq., died of ye smallpox." He married Amy Blodgett "about the 8th" of Apr 1743 in Plainfield. [Ref]

John Bacon gives slightly different dates for Joshua's birth and death: "Joshua Whitney, Esq. my maternal grandfather born 2nd October 1720 O.S. married Amy Blodgett and died at Plainfield 10th February 1762 or as my maternal Uncle Nathaniel Stevens asserts he died 1761." [Ref] The First Congregational Church records say that Joshua Whitney died on 22 Jan 1761. [Ref]

A Joshua Whitney was a member of the First Congregational Church in Plainfield. (undated, but mid 1700s). This might have been this Joshua or his uncle. [Ref]

In May 1759 Joshua Whitney of Norfolk and Elnathan Ashman of Canaan complained against and prosecuted Jacob Pattingal before David Whitney, justice of the peace, for putting off counterfiet bills of credit. [Ref, 11;271-2]

Joshua was a lawyer in Canaan. [Ref, p. 126]

Joshua Whitney and Amy Blodgett had the following children:

1. Abigail Whitney was born on 10 Jan 1744 in Plainfield. She died on 21 Sep 1821 in Woodstock, Windham, Connecticut. She married Capt. Asa Bacon.
2. Mary Whitney was born on 7 Jan 1746. [Ref] She died on 22 Nov 1817 in Canaan. [Ref] She married [her first cousin] Capt. Lemuel Kingsbury [Ref] on 7 May 1767 in Canaan. [Ref, p. 124][Ref] She died on 22 Nov 1817 in East Canaan. [Ref, p. 124]
3. Huldah Whitney was born in 1748. [Ref] She died in 1750. [Ref]
4. Capt. Joshua Whitney was born on 28 Nov 1750. [Ref] He died in Mar 1821 or 1822 in Bridport, Addison, Vermont. [Ref, Mar 1822][Ref, about 21 Mar 1821, a Revolutionary War pensioner] He married Sally Cochran. [Ref, Miss Cohran][Ref, p. 111] He left several children. [Ref]
   Joshua Whitney, gentleman, was appointed an ensign in the 8th Connecticut Regiment on __ Dec 1777. [Ref, original document] Ensign was typically the lowest rank of commissioned officer. He was later in Capt. McKinstry's Co., 9th New York Regiment of Claverack Batt. [Ref, p. 111] In 1779 he was a captain. [Ref, p. 111]
   Joshua moved to New York and later to Addison county. [Ref, p. 111]
   some descendants of Joshua Whitney
5. Josiah Whitney was born 11 Aug 1752. [Ref] "His friends never knew where or when he died." (John Bacon [Ref])
6. Huldah Whitney was born on 20 Jan 1755. [Ref] She died on 4 Sep 1798 in Stillwater, Saratoga, New York [Ref]. [Ref] She married Elias Palmer of Stillwater [Ref][Ref][Ref, p. 156]
7. David Whitney was born on 25 Mar 1757 [Ref] in Norfolk. [Ref][Ref] He died on 10 May 1850 and was buried in the Bridport Central Cemetery in Bridport, Addison, Vermont. [Ref] He apparently had a wife who died by 1810, when the census has him living alone. He married Eliza Wilson [Ref, in Addison county, he was 62 and she was 16] on 30 Mar 1818 in Bridport. [Ref] Eliza was born about 1803. She married second Calvin Sollace of Bridport on 8 May 1855 in Bridport. [Ref, copy of marriage certificate] Calvin was born on 9 Aug 1786. [Ref] He died on 26 Oct 1865 in Bridport. [Ref, copy of certificate] He is buried in the Bridport Central Cemetery. [Ref]
   David lived in Addison, Vermont. [Ref] In 1790 David Whitney headed a household in Addison, Addison, Vermont. [Ref] In 1800 he headed a household in Addison with one male over 45 and one female over 45. [Ref] In 1810 he was over 45 and living alone in Addison. [Ref] In 1820 he headed a household in Addison with one male over 45, one female between 26 and 45, one male and one female between 16 and 25 and a female under ten. [Ref] In 1830 he headed a household in Addison with one male 60 to 69, one female 20 to 29 and one female 15 to 19. [Ref] In 1840 he was 83 and living in Addison with a female 30 to 39. [Ref]
   David was a Revolutionary War soldier. He was a private in the Connecticut Continental Line. [Ref, p. 928] David enlisted as a private from Canaan in 1775. He served five months from Sep 1775 in Capt. Joshua Stanton's company, Col. Charles Burrell's regiment. From Mar 1776, he was a minute man under Capt. Gresham Hewitt. In Jun 1776 he enlisted in Capt. Edward Roger's company, Col. Gay's regiment and was in the retreat from New York and the battles of Harlem Heights and White Plains. He was discharged on 25 Dec 1776. In the spring of 1777 he served two weeks in Capt. Ruleff Dutcher's company and was at the burning of Danbury. He served three months in Capt. Timothy Gaylor's company, Col. Hooker's regiment. In 1778 he was a minute man in Capt. Dutcher's company and about July was called out and served two months under Major Bull. About the time of the burning of Norwalk he served two weeks under Capt. Dutcher and was in battle there. The following October he served three months. [Ref] At the close of the Revolutionary War he moved to Addison. [Ref]
   The first town meeting of Addison was held on 29 Mar 1784 and David was appointed a fence viewer. [Ref, p. 376] He took the freeman's oath there in 1790. [Ref, p. 363] He had a farm on the north bank of Ward's Creek in Addison, where he lived until a few years prior to his death, when he moved to Bridport. [Ref, p. 371] He was a member of the constitutional conventions of 1793, 1814, 1836 and 1843. [Ref, p. 371] He represented Addison in the legislature in 1790, 1792, 1793, 1797, 1808 - 1815 and 1824. [Ref, p. 371] David Whitney, age 83 and a resident of Bridport, was a Revolutionary War pensioner on 1 Jun 1840. [Ref]
   In Mar 1853 Eliza Whitney, resident of Bridport, age 50, testified to a probate court that she was the widow of David Whitney, late of Bridport. That they were married on 30 Mar 1818 (apparently in Bridport) and that she was Eliza Wilson before marriage. Her husband had died on 10 May 1850. Eliza was the executrix of her husband's estate. [Ref]
   David's gravestone refers to him as Gen. David Whitney, as does the History of Addison County, a rank he perhaps held in the Vermont militia.
8. Elizabeth Sarah Whitney was born on 18 Dec 1759 in Norfolk. [Ref] She died on 3 Feb 1760 in Norfolk. [Ref]
9. Amy Whitney was born on 23 Mar 1761. [Ref] Amy Stephens, the widow of Nathaniel, died on 7 Apr 1842 [Ref, age 81] in Canaan. [Ref] She is buried in the Hillside Cemetery in East Canaan. [Ref] She married as his second wife Nathaniel Stevens of Canaan. [Ref][Ref, pp. 56-7]
   Amy was said to be 79 and living in Canaan in 1840. [Ref] She applied for Revolutionary War widow's pension to be increased in 1842. A letter was written on her behalf on 2 Mar 1842 asking if anythenig further needed to be done. [Ref]
   Amy's will was probated on 26 Apr 1842 in Hartford. [Ref]
   

Generation 9

ABIGAIL WHITNEY (1744 - 1821) of Plainfield and Canterbury

Parents: Joshua Whitney and Amy Blodgett [Ref, p. 134]

Abigail Whitney was born on 10 Jan 1744 in Plainfield. [Ref][Ref, p. 132] She died on 21 Sep 1821 of "quick consumption" in Woodstock, Windham, Connecticut [Ref] and is buried in the Hyde Cemetery in Canterbury. [Ref] Click here to see a photo of her grave. She married Capt. Asa Bacon on 2 Jun 1768 [Ref] in Canterbury. [Ref]

"Abigail the second wife of Asa Bacon died in Woodstock on Friday afternoon 21st September 1821 of a consumption which proceeded from a sudden cold which continued 17 weeks. She was at the house of Mr. William May where she went to make a social visit." (John Bacon [Ref])

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