Family:Whitney, Rosetta (1820-1886)

Probably, Rosetta⁸ Whitney (Amos⁷, Jonathan⁶, (prob.) Jonathan⁵, Samuel⁴, John³, Benjamin², John¹), son of Amos⁷ and Hannah (?Doane?) Whitney, was born 11 Feb 1820, Kennebec Co., ME, and died 4 Sep 1886, Waushara Co., WI.

She married Ira Pierce. He was born 24 or 26 Feb 1810, Maine, and died 10 May 1896, Wautoma, WI. He was buried in Webb Cemetery, Deerfield, WI.^[1]

Waushara Argus, Waushara County, Wusconsin; May 14, 1896

Ira Pierce died Sunday Evening (Maine)

At the residence of his son E. L. Pierce, in the western part of the town of Wautoma, last Sunday evening after a short illness, at the advanced age of 86 yrs, 2 months and 14 days. Deceased was born in the state of Maine and moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, about 46 years ago where he lived a short time before removing to Waushara County where he has since resided and was numbered among the oldest settlers of the county. Mr. Pierce's wife departed from this world about nine years ago and there is still left to mourn his loss, four sons and six daughters who are all grown to manhood and womanhood. The funeral was held Tuesday with the internment to the Webb Cemetery, Rev. F. G. Parish officiating....

Discussion

Conjecture

Washington, Marriage Records, 1854-2013; ancestry.com contains the marriage record of John Franklin “Frank” Taplin and Ellen “Ella” Pierce. The bride’s parents are Ira Pierce and Rosetta Whitney. Frank and Ella were married 11 August 1914, Asotin, WA.

Ella Taplin’s death record is found in the Idaho, Death Records, 1890-1967; ancestry.com. She died 24 Oct 1928 in Lewiston, ID, age 70 years, 1 month, 2 days. She was born in Green Lake, WI, the daughter of Ira and Rosetta (Whitney) Pierce, both born in ME.

These facts prompt the question, who is Rosetta Whitney Pierce? Further investigation so far reveals no direct civil record evidence. Therefore, her identity will have to proceed from circumstantial evidence and conjecture.

Frank Taplin’s marriage to Ella Pierce was not his first. He was first married to Emily Annie Whitney 25 Sep 1875, Waushara Co., WI. Emily Whitney Taplin died in 1910 in Antone, WA. Her death record says she was the daughter of Timothy and Avis (Douglas) Whitney.

Hezekiah Whitney was born in Maine about 1829, the son of Amos and Hannah (Doane) Whitney. Hezekiah and his siblings Timothy, Prince, and Matilda removed to WI, although by census records one can observe that they did not all go together. Timothy remained in Hudson, ME, until at least 1865, Hezekiah was in WI by at least 1857, and Matilda Jane Whitney Warren arrived in WI after Mar 1854. Prince arrived in WI before 1863. Hezekiah and his brother Prince registered for the Civil War draft in 1863. Both were farmers in Wautoma, WI.

Hezekiah and Sarah (Rogers) Whitney had three daughters, the third being Altie Jane “Ella” Whitney. Wisconsin, Births & Christenings Index, 1826-1926; FamilySearch.org reveal she was born 15 Oct 1868, Wautoma, WI. There is not yet discovered a marriage record for Altie Jane to Allden Pierce, but her marriage can be shown through the birth record and death of their son Melvin Warren Pierce. He was born 5 Jan 1897, Wautoma, WI, the son of Allden and Altie Jane Whitney Pierce (Wisconsin, Births & Christenings Index, 1801-1928; ancestry.com). U.S. Navy Casualties Books, 1776-1941; ancestry.com shows that his mother’s name was Altie Jane Spiess. Altie Jane married secondly, Gustav Spiess.

Altie Jane’s first husband, Allden Pierce, was the son of Ira and Rosetta (Whitney) Pierce. Census records show he was born about 1841, ME. Allden was the third of ten children of Ira and Rosetta Pierce. Allden’s youngest sister was Ellen “Ella” Pierce Taplin, as mentioned above. Therefore, Hezekiah Whitney’s daughter married Rosetta Whitney’s son. Who was Rosetta Whitney?

The 1850 Census of Dunn Co., WI, shows Rosetta Pierce was born about 1819, ME. Since her son married Hezekiah’s daughter, could Rosetta be Hezekiah’s sister?

The 1830 Census of Lisbon, ME, reveals the family of Amos and Hannah (Doane) Whitney. We are interested in the female members:

1 female less than 5 years old (b. 1825-1830)

1 female 10-15 years old (b. 1815-1820)

1 female 30-40 years old (b. 1790-1800)

The 1850 Census of Hudson, Maine for the family of Amos and Hannah Whitney shows the following female members:

Hannah, 49 years old, b. ca 1801

Acsah, 22 years old, b. ca 1828

Mary E., 18 years old, b. ca 1832

Matilda J., 15 years old, b. ca 1835

Daughter Roxanna, born 1825, is already married and out of the household. Acsah is the only daughter from the 1830 census remaining in the household. However, both were less than 5 years old in 1830, but only one is seen in the 1830 census. Also, there is one female in the 1830 census unaccounted for: the female who is 10 to 15 years old, born between 1815 and 1820. Amos and Hannah were married in 1818, so that daughter would be born between then and 1820. Rosetta (Whitney) Pierce, born about 1819, would fill that bill. Was she Hezekiah Whitney’s sister, and the eldest of all of the children of Amos and Hannah (Doane) Whitney? It should be noted that in the Civil War pension file of Timothy Whitney, the following statement is made: On 14 August 1893, E. L. Pierse, a resident of Wautoma, Waushara Co., WI, testifies that he is a farmer and was present at the death of Timothy Whitney at Wautoma, WI. Rosetta (Whitney) Pierce had a son named Eben L. Pierce.

To summarize, if Rosetta Whitney is the eldest child of Amos and Hannah (Doane) Whitney, then multiple marriages occurred within the family. Rosetta’s son Allden married Altie Jane Whitney, the daughter of Rosetta’s brother Hezekiah. Rosetta and Hezekiah’s brother Timothy Whitney had a daughter Emily Annie Whitney who married Frank Taplin. After Emily died, Frank married Ellen Pierce, the sister of Allden Pierce and daughter of Rosetta (Whitney) Pierce. It all seems too coincidental for Rosetta not to be the daughter of Amos and Hannah (Doane) Whitney. In addition, Rosetta Pierce’s son Eben was in attendance at Timothy Whitney’s death.

Children of Rosetta and Ira (Pierce) Whitney:

i.	Eben L. Pierce, b. 2 Jul 1839, ME; d. 17 Pct 1920, Wautoma, WI.
ii.	Edwin S. Pierce, b. ca. 1840, ME; d. aft. 1896.
iii.	Allden Pierce, b. ca. 1841, ME; d. 1913, WI; m. Altie Jane "Ella" Whitney.
iv.	Priscilla Pierce, b. May 1844, ME; d. aft. 1896.
v.	Amos W. Pierce, b. 5 Oct 1847, ME; d. 7 Feb 1935, WI.
vi.	Henrietta Pierce, b. ca. 1849, ME; d. aft. 1896.
vii.	Lafayette Pierce, b. 1851, WI; d. 1 Jan 1921, Jerauld Co., SD.
viii.	Jennie Amanda Pierce, b. ca. 1854, WI; d. aft. 1896.
ix.	Semantha "Mattie" Pierce, b. ca. 1856, WI; d. aft. 1896.
x.	Ellen Pierce, b. 22 Sep 1858, Green Lake, WI; d. 24 Oct 1928, Lewiston, ID; m. John Franklin "Frank" Taplin.

Census

1850 Census: Dunn, Dane Co., WI

1860 Census: Rome, Adams Co., WI

1880 Census: Wautoma, Waushara Co., WI

References

1.^  Find A Grave Memorial #45644539, Ira Pierce.

• Obituary, Cemetery, and Census records

• Idaho, Death Records, 1890-1967; Ancestry.com

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