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Archiver > WHITNEY > 2002-08 > 1029853412


From: "Ken Whitney" <>
Subject: [WHITNEY-L] Re: Reunion
Date: Tue, 20 Aug 2002 10:23:32 -0400
References: <000501c24546$77d88120$9964e00c@attbi.com>


Hello Ellen,

It's nice to hear from you. I'm interested in your Ebenezer page. Could
you forward the URL? I thought I would take the opportunity to update your
on my Josiah puzzle, and let Larry Tracy update you on his. Neither is
totally solved, but we keep on plugging.

As you know, I am trying to show that Josiah #618, son of Nathaniel and
Hannah (Day) Whitney, did not, as Pierce says, marry first Hannah Barstow.
Nor was he born on Cape Cod. The Vital Records of Biddeford, ME show that
all the other children of Nathaniel and Hannah were born in Biddeford, and
Josiah was baptized there.

I belive that Pierce did not know about Dr. John Whitney, Nathaniel's
brother, and so mixed up Dr. John's Josiah with Nathaniel's Josiah. Dr.
John's Josiah was born in Eastham, on Cape Cod, to Dr. John and Jerusha
(Knowles) Whitney. The records from Nova Scotia show a Josiah Whitney
married to a Hannah, with a son Eliab Turner Whitney. There is a marriage
record in Boston, MA for a Josiah and Hannah Turner. The ages and dates
available from the records make one believe that this is Dr. John's Josiah.

Now for the update. As to Hannah's identity, why would a woman name her
son Eliab Turner Whitney except for her father or brother? I have from a
genealogy of the William Barstow Family a record of the family of Eliab and
Martha (Barstow) Turner. This appears to be a grave marker record of Eliab
and Martha with their children who did not survive. If I could figure out
where this cemetery was located, I might be able to document Hannah's birth
to this couple. Hannah would have been named for her maternal
great-grandmother, Hannah (Maycumber) Randall. Thus, I believe, but have yet
to prove, that Hannah was Hannah Barstow Turner, thus once again confusing
Pierce.

I have a photocopy from the Canadian Archives of a land grant petition
for Josiah Whitney dated 1790 in Gaspe, Canada, the place of Eliab T.
Whitney's birth. It says that Josiah had eight children, four born in Gaspe.
Now, where were the first four born? That's the 64 thousand dollar question.
My bet is that it was somewhere in close proximity to his Coffin relatives
through his stepmother, Margaret Coffin, Dr. John's second wife from
Nantucket. Josiah was living in Gaspe in a neighborhood also populated by
Coffins, who had fishing interests in the area. Josiah, from the records,
was a fisherman. Also, his half-brother, John Coffin Whitney, became a sea
captain. I bet as kids they both trained under the sea-faring Coffins.
Finding the births of Josiah's first four children has been a problem.
However, I bet I know what the names of all of his children were. On an
onomastic basis, they are the children listed in Pierce under Josiah 618, pg
120. Throw out the first Josiah, husband of Elizabeth Harding, who is in the
wrong place. The rest are sensible names for the children of Josiah and
Hannah Turner Whitney. John is for Josiah's father. Noals is really Knowles
for Josiah's mother's family. Eliab T. is for Hannah's father. Hannah after
her mother. Margaret and Sally probably from the Turners. Martha for
Hannah's mother. There is a record in Gaspe for Martha's marriage.

As you can see, a lot has been achieved, but a lot remains to be done.
Only the lack of time to devote to the puzzle is a problem. I hope that
someday we will both be able to solve our particular puzzles. Please keep in
touch.

Ken Whitney


----- Original Message -----
From: "Ellen" <>
To: "Ken Whitney" <>
Cc: "Larry Tracy" <>; "Ken Whitney" <>
Sent: Friday, August 16, 2002 1:00 PM
Subject: Reunion


> Greetings all,
>
> From the reports the Reunion was a success. Now I am wondering
> if anything new turned up re your efforts to nail down the history
> of "Josiah" and the possibility of connections among Ebenezer,
> Josiah, Jeremiah and John and/or as descendants of Samuel Whitney,
> the Indian captive. So far our Ebenezer Whitney page has not
> been presented with info re Ebe's parents - just happy researchers
> who have found their tie-ins to the early NB Whitneys.
>
> Still follow the WhitneyGen. Org updates and am always in
> amazement at the number of people who jump in to lend a hand!
>
> Regards,
>
> Ellen M. Collins
>
>
>


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