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Archiver > WHITNEY > 1997-01 > 0852474126


From: "Robert L. Ward" <>
Subject: Re: Children of Henry and Hannah Tombs Whitney
Date: Sun, 5 Jan 1997 09:22:06 -0500


At 02:10 PM 1/4/97 -0500, you wrote:
> A blessed New Year to you, cousins all.
>
>I am redoing my Whitney notebooks and realized I have little information on
>one of my direct line members. His name is Henry Whitney, 7th s/o Daniel and
>Dorothy Whitney b. Dec 31, 1738 in Watertown, MA d. about 1788. He m. Hannah
>Tombs January 5 1769. I would like to know who his children were in addition
>to William Henry who is in my direct line. I would like to know anything you
>might have about him and his wife, also. Thank you. Karen

I am afraid I have good news and bad news for you. The bad news is you have
the identity of your Henry wrong. The good news is that you don't lose any
of your research, since your Henry was really a son of that Henry's brother
Benjamin. The proof of this lies in the probate records of Middlesex Co., MA.

The estate of Dorothy (TAINTOR) WHITNEY, wife of Daniel, who died 7 Aug 1788,
aged 82 years, was distributed on 8 Oct 1790 [Middlesex Probate File #24638,
Dorothy WHITNEY]. The estate was settled on Simon WHITNEY [her son] to
distribute it to sisters Abigail, Joanna, Mary, Dorothy, and Lucy; brothers
Daniel, Joshua, and Elisha; surviving children of brother Benjamin, decd.;
surviving children of Henry, son of brother Benjamin, also decd., vizt.
Benjamin, Elizabeth, and Henry; surviving children of brother Israel, decd.,
vizt. Israel, Jemima, Mary, and Dorothy; surviving children of sister Grace,
decd., vizt. Daniel, Thomas, Leonard, and Grace.

This means, according to my reckoning, that the Henry WHITNEY born 3 Dec 1738
was dead, without surviving issue, on that date. On the other hand, there
was Henry WHITNEY, b. 8 Jan 1745/6, Watertown, MA, son of Benjamin and
Deliverance (-----) WHITNEY, and grandson of Daniel and Dorothy, who was
deceased on that date, leaving three surviving children: Benjamin, Elizabeth,
and *Henry* (who was your William Henry WHITNEY).

According to my records, this Henry WHITNEY was a cordwainer (a kind of
shoemaker)[Middlesex Probate File #24651, guardianship of Benjamin WHITNEY,
his son, 2 Oct 1788]. He married Hannah TOMBS, as you state above, 5 Jan
1769, Newton, MA [Newton Vital Records]. Among his children were:
Benjamin, b. 10 Mar 1769, Watertown [Watertown Records 3:149], living 8 Oct
1790 [Middlesex Probate File #24638, Dorothy WHITNEY], non compos mentis
on 2 Oct 1788 [Middlesex Probate File #24651, Benjamin WHITNEY].
Elizabeth, b. after 8 Sep 1769, Watertown [Middlesex Probate File #24652,
Elizabeth and Henry WHITNEY], living in Dummerston, VT, 2 Oct 1788.
Lydia, b. ca. 1773, d. 28 Dec 1776, Watertown, aged 3 years.
Anna, b. ca. 1773, d. 27 Dec 1776, Watertown, aged 3 years.
Hannah, b. ca. Jul 1774, d. 24 Dec 1776, Watertown, aged 17 months.
(William) Henry, b. after 8 Sep 1769, Watertown [Middlesex Probate File
#24652, Elizabeth and Henry WHITNEY], living in Dummerston, VT, 2 Oct
1788.
Probably this is all the children, but there could conceivably have been
others who died young, before 1790. My guess is that the widow Hannah
(TOMBS) WHITNEY remarried a man who removed to Dummerston, VT, explaining
the fact that Elizabeth and Henry, minors, were living there on 2 Oct 1788.
Can you confirm or deny this guess?

This means that your line goes William Henry-7, Henry-6, Benjamin-5, Daniel-4,
Benjamin-3, John-2, John-1, rather than William Henry-6, Henry-5 (Daniel-4,
etc.). The same mistake is made by Henry Bond in his _Genealogies and History
of Watertown_ (1860), pp. 648-649, and probably by others. What does
Frederick Clifton Pierce have to say on this subject?

More bad news: I know nothing whatsoever about the maiden name or ancestry of
Deliverance -----, wife of Benjamin-5 WHITNEY, but would like to know. I am
interested in the parentage of Hannah TOMBS, too, if you know it.

Regards,

Robert
Robert L. Ward

http://www.erols.com/rlward1/
12236 Shadetree Lane, Laurel, MD 20708-2832
301-776-1659

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