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Subject: [WHITNEY-L] Whitneys of Vermont, to Ohio, Michigan, Illinois 1790+
Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 03:41:21 EST

Dear Robert Ward,
Early last year, you posted an erudite message postulating the ancestry of
three Whitneys of Vermont; Nathan, Eleazer, and Jonathan. From my
investigations pursuant to my Whitney Families of Michigan in 1850 project
(ongoing, an earlier version was posted, but the link is broken) I would like
to add to the information, and postulate for them some descendants, while
providing some ties for the above mentioned Nathan to Vermont, which you
mentioned were lacking.

The 1820 Census Index lists in Lyme, Huron County Ohio; Nathan, Nathan Jr.,
and Eli Whitney, all on the same page. This is Nathan, the Rev. Soldier you
mentioned.

The 1830 Census Index lists in Thompson, Seneca County, Nathan Jr., Eli,
Jasper, Willard, William, p. 140 and 141.

The Underhill Genealogy identifies this Willard Whitney as the husband of
Mary Underhill, daughter of James and Love (Sykes) Underhill and gives a
lengthy and detailed account of their migrations, with her brothers, David,
James, Jasper, and Cyrus, from Dorset, and Halifax, Vermont, then to Norwalk,
(Lyme) Huron County, OH, and then to Thompson, in Seneca County, OH, and
finally to Algansee, Lester, and Muskegon, in Michigan and eventually to
Minnesota.

In 1830, in Thompson, Seneca, OH, we have David, James, and Jasper Underhill,
p. 141. An older brother is still in Norwalk. Also we have on p. 141 James
and John Whitmore, but more of them later. Nearly the whole page is taken up
with these three families; Whitney, Whitmore, and Underhill.
This confirms the account of the Underhill family's travels in the Underhill
Genealogy. It only mentions Willard Whitney as an aside, the husb. of Mary,
but obviously there was a large contingent of Whitneys traveling with this
family from Vermont, to wit, Nathan, the old man; and Eli, Nathan Jr,
William, and Willard, of an age to be brothers, and Jasper, a bit younger.

What is known of Eli, Nathan Jr., Willard, William and Jasper Whitney, who I
postulate were sons or nephews of Nathan, Sr.?

1. Willard Whitney, b. Dorset, VT, 1781, married, 1822, in Seneca, OH,
Mary Underhill, b. 1803, VT. He died in Alpine, Kent, MI, October 3, 1867,
age 86y8m, death record gives POB as Vermont, nothing more. He resided in
1820 in Lyme, Huron, OH, 1830 Thompson, Seneca OH, and in 1850 in Kent,
Alpine, MI. I have not found him in 1840. An closer examination of the
census records of his kin might show him. His wife was living in 1888 in
Casenovia, Muskegon, MI. They had no children.
The IGI gives an incorrect birthdate (1789) with his marriage, as does the
Underhill Gen. (1793) and also makes mention of a Willard Whitney b. Halifax,
VT, son of Nathan and Eunice, b. 1793. Could be the same. He was a bit older
than his wife and may have shaved a few years off at his marriage.
(Census Records, MI GENDIS, Underhill Gen. IGI)

2. William Whitney, b. abt. 1790, VT, m. Jennie Whitmore, b. about 1792, dau.
of Benjamin Whitmore and Martha, of Bratus, NY. She died 22 March, 1874,
Casenovia, Muskegon, MI. age 81y1m8d. He died 1882, presumably in Muskegon,
so there should be death record. MI death records aft. 1867 are supposed to
list parents.
He resided in 1820 Lyme, Huron, OH; 1830 Thompson, Seneca, OH; 1850 in
Sparta, Kent, MI, with wife, son Benjamin, Orrin, and a relative, Hamilton C.
Whitney, who I have not been able to place, but is promising because there is
an older Hamilton C. Whitney in earlier censuses, or censi, if the term is
proper, and this might add information on the family. They then moved on to
Casenovia, Muskegon, MI, with the rest of the clan. They had children:
a. Nathan, was born in Huron County, OH, Nov. 11, 1821, settled in
Dupage Co, Illinois, in 1844, in Kent Co., MI, in 1850, in Casenovia,
Muskegon, MI, in 1854. He m. (1) Matilda Chambers, b. Tompkins Co., NY, Feb
1824, d. March 26, 1858;  m.(2)Lovicy Henry, b. Monroe Co., NY, Sep 23, 1820.
b. Eunice A., also b. Nov 11, 1821, Seneca, OH, m. Erastus Cook. She
died 1902, in Casenovia.
c. Benjamin, b. 1823, d. 1901, m. Rachel Blauvelt, who d. 1877, age 44
years, in Casenovia, Muskegon, MI. A descendant, Jill Leach, states he also
lived in Rives, Jackson, MI.
d. Orrin, b. 1825, m. Mary E. Cook, dau. of Augustus Cook, and sister
of Erastus Cook, above. He also dwelt in Casenovia eventually.
(MI GENDIS, Jill Leach of Muskegon, MI, IGI, Census Records, Hist. of
Muskegon Co. MI)

3. Eli Whitney, b. Dec. 24 1793, VT; m. Nancy Whitmore, b. abt. 1796, NY.
(Nancy may be a sister of Jennie Whitmore, wife of William, because the
father of Jennie, Benjamin Whitmore, b. 1766, and wife Martha, appear right
next door to Eli and Nancy in Lake Co, Ill, in 1850, at age 89. He also had
a son James, who is probably the James Whitmore in Seneca County next to
Nathan Jr, Eli, Wm. and Jasper Whitney in 1830. James was b. 1794 and is
also present with Benjamin in Lake Co. 1850.)
An earlier post by (can't remember who) details Eli Whitney's children from
probate record filed by his grand nephew, Charles. I won't go into them here
there are a dozen or so. Eli d. in 1855 in Lake Co, IL. He had a number of
land transactions with a son, Willard, in Kent County in the 1850's, and
that Willard also lived in Sparta.
(WRG post, IGI, Census Records, Gravestone of Eli, Kent County Land Records)
3. Nathan Jr., was born in VT, lived in 1820 in Huron, OH, in 1830 in Seneca,
and after that I know not, but he may be the Nathan Whiting in Branch County
in 1840, and the Nathan in Calhoun County, Emmet, MI, in 1850. I have not
reached his county yet in my researches, but I believe he made it to Michigan.
4.. Jasper Whitney, b. abt. 1803, m. Elizabeth Gunwar, and lived in Seneca
County. Perhaps named after Jasper Underhill.

I know there are descendants of these gentlemen on this list, and a great
many interested persons would be gratified if these Vermont Whitney families
could be tied together. Perhaps some insight into the three Vermont
Whitneys, Nathan, Jonathan, and Eleazer, as well as Asa, can be gained by
investigating these above, who I postulate, for the present, are sons or
nephews of Nathan Whitney, of Vermont.
A. W. Brown, Greenwich, CT

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