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From: "John L. Whitney" <>
Subject: [WHITNEY-L] Re: Florida Whitney's 1850 Census
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1999 00:20:13 -0400


Thanks to all who responded offering or requesting assistance. The sum
total of what I know about my Maine Whitney's is as follows.

John Whitney with wife and three children are enumerated in the Census
living in St. Augustine. John and his wife state they were born in Maine.
She is not named on the census, but Cumberlanad County vital records for
Harpswell (Marriage to John) show her to be Mahala Clark. According to the
census, John was age 50 in 1850. Since that census was taken in December,
he was possible born in 1800.
Family history says March of 1800 but cannot confirm. We know nothing of
his parents or siblings.

He married Mahala in June of 1845 and their first son (my ggrandfather was
born at sea on November 25, 1845, while they were enroute to Florida.

My speculation is that John was married previously, raised a family, and
lost his first wife sometime before 1845. This is only an assumption.

John was a carpenter (at Picolata, on the St. Johns River) and later a
farmer
in Putnam and St. Johns Counties here in Florida. At the beginning of the
War between the States, he enlisted his oldest son in Graysons Artillery
which became the Florida Militia. John himself traded horses around East
Florida and reported Confederate activities in the area to the 48th New York
at St Augustine.
This activity caused him to be hanged by some of the locals. They disposed
of the body in the Mantanzas River along with his horse.

This has been an ongoing search for over 45 years. If anyone can give me
any pointers to my elusive gggrandfather, I will be most grateful.

John

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