Family:Whitney, Josiah (c1683-1766)

Josiah³ Whitney ([prob.] Benjamin², John¹) probably son of Benjamin² and Jane (-----) Whitney^[1] was born circa 1683^[2] and died 19 Nov 1766, Willington, CT.^[3]

Josiah married, before 5 Nov 1707, Merriam/Miriam Barrett,^[4] daughter of Joseph and Martha (Gould) Barrett.^[5] She was born 29 Apr 1686, Chelmsford, MA,^[6] and died 26 Jan 1750/1, Willington, CT.^[7]

There is confusion between him and his putative first cousin once removed Josiah⁴ Whitney in a number of sources. I believe the following information should be associated with this Josiah.

He "resided in the southwest part of Chelmsford. This town was at one time next to Groton. In 1713 he resided in that part of Chelmsford which was annexed to Littleton. . . . In 1727 he was one of the original members of the church in Westford, having been a member of the first church in Chelmsford. In 1719 he moved to Willington, Conn. where he afterward resided. He purchased his farm in the latter place of John Arnold, of Mansfield Conn., for £155 N. E. currency. At this time he was called 'Josiah Whittnie, of Cherfford (Chelmsford), in the Co. of Middlesex, in the province of the Massachusetts Bay.' The deed was dated June 27, 1729."^[8]

A deed was given from Josiah Whitney Senior to Josiah Whitney Junior, dated 12 Mar 1736 for land in Willington, CT. Note that Josiah married Mehitabel Fuller on 2 Mar 1737. The deed was witnessed by Thomas Fuller and his wife, Mehitabel (Herring), who signed her mark. Thomas Fuller is the brother of Daniel, who was the pastor of the Congregational Church in Willington from 1728 to 1758. The deed is marked as Recorded 13 Dec 1744.^[9]

Children of Josiah³ and Merriam (Barrett) Whitney all born at Chelmsford, MA:

i.	Eunice4 Whitney; b. 5 Nov 1707;[10] m. William Fisk Jr.
ii.	Martha Whitney; b. 10 Jun 1712.[11]
iii.	Josiah Whitney; b. 26 Jan 1714/15;[12] m.(1) Mehitable Fuller; m.(2) Lydia Ballard.
iv.	Benjamin Whitney; b. 20 Nov 1718;[13] m. Rebekah Beal.
v.	Meriam Whitney; b. 9 Aug 1721;[14] d. 30 Aug 1737, Willington, CT, at age 16.[15]
vi.	Peter Whitney; b. 17 Feb 1724/25;[16] d. 30 Aug 1737, Willington, CT, at age 12.[17]
vii.	Elener Whitney; b. 2 Apr 1727;[18] m. Nathan Fisk.

References

1.^  His parentage is not absolutely proven. His placement here is by a process of elimination. Benjamin² Whitney left no probate records, and there is no record of his birth, which probably was in York, ME, during a period when no records survive. See Josiah Whitney - Most Wanted by Robert L. Ward for more information on efforts to identify his ancestry.

2.^  His birth date is estimated from the birth date of his wife and from his estimated marriage date.

3.^  "Josiah [Whitney], 1st, d. 19 Nov 1766," according to the Barbour Collection of Connecticut Vital Records, Willington, A:86.

4.^  Joseph Hartwell Barrett, "Thomas Barrett of Braintree and William Barrett of Cambridge," NEHGR, vol. XLII (1888), p. 259.

5.^  Ibid.

6.^  "Barett, Meriam, d. Joseph and Marth[a], [born] Apr. 29, 1686," according to Vital Records of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849 (Salem, MA: Essex Institute, 1914).

7.^  "Meriam [Whitney], w. Josiah, d. 26 Jan 1750/1," according to the Barbour Collection of Connecticut Vital Records, Willington A:86.

8.^  Frederick C. Pierce, The Descendants of John Whitney, Who Came from London, England, to Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1635 (Chicago, IL: The Author, 1895), p. 56.

9.^  George Parker.

10.^  "Eunice [Whitney], d. Josiah and Miriam, [born] Nov. 5, 1707," according to Vital Records of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849, (Salem, MA: Essex Institute, 1914), pp. 164-165.

11.^  "Martha [Whitney], d. Josiah and Miriam, [born] June 10, 1712," according to Chelmsford Vital Records, pp. 164-165.

12.^  "Josiah [Whitney], s. Josiah and Miriam, [born] June 10, 1712," according to Chelmsford Vital Records, pp. 164-165.

13.^  "Benjamin [Whitney], s. Josiah and Miriam, [born] Nov. 20, 1718," according to Chelmsford Vital Records, pp. 164-165.

14.^  "Meriam [Whitney], d. Josiah and Meriam, [born] Aug. 9, 1721," according to Chelmsford Vital Records, pp. 164-165.

15.^  "Meriam [Whitney], d. Josiah & Merian, d. 23 Aug 1737," according to the Barbour Collection of Connecticut Vital Records, Willington, vol. A, p. 86, and vol. TM, p. 85.

16.^  "Peter [Whitney], s. Josiah and Miriam, [born] Feb. 17, 1724-5," according to Chelmsford Vital Records, pp. 164-165.

17.^  "Peter [Whitney], s. Josiah & Meriam, d. 30 Aug 1737," according to the Barbour Collection of Connecticut Vital Records, Willington, A:86, and TM:85.

18.^  "Elener [Whitney], d. Josiah and Miriam, [born] Apr. 2, 1727," according to Chelmsford Vital Records, pp. 164-165.

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