Family:Whitney, Joshua (1757-1797)

Joshua⁵ Whitney (Benjamin⁴, Josiah³, [prob.] Benjamin², John¹), son of Benjamin⁴, and Rebekah (Beal) Whitney, was born 23 Dec 1757,^[1] Willington, Tolland, CT, and died 18 May 1797,^[2] Belchertown, Hampshire, MA.

He married, 14 Jan 1781,^[3] Belchertown, MA, Dorothy Knowlton,^[4] daughter of Roswell ["Rosel"] and Anne (Dutton) Knowlton, was born 18 Mar 1765, East Haddam, CT.^[5] She married secondly, 12 Aug 1802, Belchertown, MA, Ezekiel Hartshorn.

Children^[6] of Joshua⁵ and Dorothy (Knowlton) Whitney:

i.	Anna Whitney, b. ca. 1775 [or more likely about 1782]; d. 1845, DeWitt, Clinton Co., IA; m. Warren Percival about 1800 Norwich, VT.
ii.	William6 Whitney; b. 22 Feb 1784, d. 14 Nov 1859 Norwich, Windsor, VT, m. Prudence Brown, 24 Mar 1808[7] Norwich, VT.
iii.	Dorothy Whitney
iv.	Lucinda Whitney; m. 31 Dec 1807, Belchertown, MA, Sylvester Wilson "both of Belchertown"
v.	Electa Whitney; m. 18 July 1809, Norwich, VT, Alfred Brown.[8]
vi.	Joshua Whitney. He is probably the Joshua Whitney, b. 10 Aug 1789, Amherst, MA, who m. Phebe Miller, and lived in Franklin, Delaware Co., NY.
vii.	Betsy Whitney
viii.	Joseph Whitney, b. between 1795 and 1799.[9] He is probably the Joseph Whitney, b. 10 Jan 1795, MA, who m. 13 Jun 1816, Sharon, VT, Mary Louise Hunter.
ix.	(child) Whitney, b. ca. Sep 1797, Belchertown, MA; d. ca. Jun 1798, Belchertown.[10]

Notes

There may have been another daughter since the Congregational Church of Belchertown, Massachusetts Church Records, 1737 - 1832, LDS Film #1862889 Item 1, p117 states: "1790 May 29 a girl died at Joshua Whitney". It's unusual that the record says "a girl died at Joshua Whitney" rather than "daughter of Joshua Whitney".

No information has been located yet that explains why many of the children (William, Joseph, Anna, and Electa) moved to Norwich, VT after the death of their father, while their mother remained in Belchertown.

Census

• 1790, Belchertown, Hampshire Co., MA: Joshua Whitney, 1 male 16+, 2 males 0-15, and 3 females.
• 1800, Belcher[town], Hampshire Co., MA: Dorothy Whitney, 1 male 0-9, 1 female 26-44, 2 females 10-15, and 1 female 0-9.
• 1810: not found.

References

• Belchertown, Mass., Vital Records.

1.^  (need to get LDS records)

2.^  Church records, 1732 - 1832 [Belchertown, Massachusetts], FHL Film # 1862889 Item 1, p120. Record of Deaths: "1797 May 18 Joshua Whitney of consumption, near 40 many [?] of that family [indescipherable] & died of it".

3.^  Church records, 1732 - 1832 [Belchertown, Massachusetts], FHL Film # 1862889 Item 1, p243. Record of Marriages: "1781 June 14 Joshua Whitney and Dorothy Knowlton of B."

4.^  L.D.S. International Genealogical Index.

5.^  Barbour Collection http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~jdevlin/barbour/ehaddam_barbour_i-m.htm

6.^  Probate Records, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, Vol 20, 1796 – 1799, LDS film # 879193, pp95-96. "...I appoint Dorothy my Beloved wife sole Executrix of this my last will and Testament – I give and bequeath to William, Joshua, Joseph, Anna, Dorothy, Lucinda, Electa, Betsy, my children to each one five shillings to be paid by my Executrix...". Joshua's will was written on March 18, 1797 and submitted to the Probate Court on August 29, 1797 with the note that Joshua was deceased. Joshua's sons are most likely listed in order of age, as are his daughters.

7.^  Town records, v. 1-3, 1761 – 1895, Norwich, Vermont, FHL Film # 28587, p315. "Be it remembered that at Norwich in the county aforesaid on the 24th day of march in the year of our Lord 1808 William Whitney and Prudence Brown both of said Norwich were duly joined in marriage by me Pierce Burton Justice of the Peace"

8.^  Town records, v. 1-3, 1761 – 1895, Norwich, Vermont, FHL Film # 28587, p322. "Be it Remembered that at Norwich in the county of Windsor aforesaid on the 18th day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand Eight hundred and nine Alfred Brown and Electa Whitney both of Norwich were duly joined in marriage by me Pierce Burton Justice of Peace". Also Vermont, Vital Records Index, Marriages.

9.^  Probate Records, Hartford District, Windsor Co., VT, Vol. 4, 1809-1816, p365, FHL#29161. "... on the ninth day of January in the year of Our Lord Christ one thousand eight Hundred and thirteen ... Joseph Whitney a minor above the age of fourteen years and now residing at said Norwich and an heir to the Estate of Joshua Whitney late of Belcher in the State of Massachusetts, deceased."

10.^  Church records, 1732 - 1832 [Belchertown, Massachusetts], FHL Film # 1862889 Item 1. Record of Deaths: "1798 June a child of Joshua Whitney deceased, [indecipherable] 10 months". So Dorothy was pregnant with this child when Joshua died.

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Copyright © 2007, 2011, 2012, Robert L. Ward, Doug Wood, and the Whitney Research Group.