Family:Whitney, James (1755-1800)

James⁶ Whitney (Benjamin⁵, James⁴, John³, Jonathan², John¹), son of Benjamin⁵ and Esther (Leland) Whitney, was born 21 Oct 1755, Sherborn, MA,^[1] and died 30 May 1800, Sherborn, MA, aged 46 years,^[2] or Jun 1800, Dover, MA.

Marriage intentions were published 13 Mar 1780, Holliston, MA, for him "of Sherburne" and Susanna Hill.^[3] He married, 20 Apr 1780, Sherborn, MA, Susannah Hill "of Holliston",^[4] daughter of Isaac and Lydia⁴ (Whitney) Hill. They were third cousins once removed. She was born -- Jul 1751 (calculated from age at death),^[5] baptized 15 Jul 1753, Holliston, MA, and died 25 Sep 1841, Sherborn, MA, aged 90 years 3 months.^[6]

He was in Capt. Brooks' company from Sherborn, in the Revolutionary war. He resided Sherborn and Dover, Massachusetts.

Rev. Abner Morse's History and Genealogy of the Towns of Sherborn and Holliston, Mass. - "James received from his grandfather Leland in 1779 a deed of half his farm."

Children of James⁶ and Susanna (Hill) Whitney:

i.	Benjamin7 Whitney, b. 1 Jul 1781, Sherborn, MA;[7] d. 2 Sep 1781, Sherborn, MA.[8]
ii.	Isaac Whitney, b. 4 or 6 Sep 1782, Sherborn, MA;[9] m.(1) Mary Moore; m.(2) Sarah Thayer.
iii.	Benjamin Whitney, b. 5 Mar 1785, Sherborn, MA;[10] m. Hepzibah Moore.
iv.	Martin Whitney, b. 17 Jun 1787, Sherborn, MA;[11] m. Nancy Orne.
v.	Sukey Whitney, b. circa 1790 (calculated from age at death); d. 13 Dec 1799, Sherborn, MA, in her 10th year.[12]
vi.	Martha Whitney, b. 5 Mar 1792, Dover, MA (calculated from age in guardianship petition); d. 10 Dec 1809, Sherborn, MA, aged 18 years.[13] On 5 Sep 1801, Sherborn, MA, petition of Susanna Whitney, widow of James Whitney, late of Dover, deceased, that she not be appointed guardian of their two daughters Martha, aged 9 the 5th of March last, and Silva, aged 5 the 2nd of December last, and that Capt. Peter Twitchell be appointed instead. On 15 Sep 1805, Sherborn, MA, Capt. Peter Twitchell, gentleman, of Sherborn, was appointed guardian of Martha and Sylva Whitney, minors under 14, children of James Whitney, late of Dover, Norfolk Co., deceased, and posted bond with Daniel Whitney, Esq., and Timothy Hill, yeoman, as sureties. She "died unmarried." She was also known as Patty Whitney.
vii.	Sylvia Whitney, b. 2 Dec 1795, Dover, MA (calculated from age in guardianship petition); d. 14 Nov 1813, Sherborn, MA, aged 18 years.[14] On 5 Sep 1801, Sherborn, MA, petition of Susanna Whitney, widow of James Whitney, late of Dover, deceased, that she not be appointed guardian of their two daughters Martha, aged 9 the 5th of March last, and Silva, aged 5 the 2nd of December last, and that Capt. Peter Twitchell be appointed instead. On 15 Sep 1805, Sherborn, MA, Capt. Peter Twitchell, gentleman, of Sherborn, was appointed guardian of Martha and Sylva Whitney, minors under 14, children of James Whitney, late of Dover, Norfolk Co., deceased, and posted bond with Daniel Whitney, Esq., and Timothy Hill, yeoman, as sureties.

Census

• 1790, Boston, Suffolk Co., MA: James Whitney, 1 male over 16, 3 males 0-15, and 3 females.
• 1800, Sherborn, Middlesex Co., MA: Susanna Whitney, 1 male 16-25, 1 male 10-15, 1 female over 45, and 2 females 10-15.

References

• All data imported from Frederick Clifton Pierce, The Descendants of John Whitney, Who Came from London, England, to Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1635, (Chicago: 1895), pp. 202-203.

1.^  "James [Whitney], s. of Benjamin and Esther, [born] Oct. 21, 1755," according to Thomas W. Baldwin, ed., Vital Records of Sherborn, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 (Boston, MA: 1911).

2.^  "James [Whitney], [died] May 30, 1800, a. 46 y. G.R.5," according to Sherborn Vital Records.

3.^  "James [Whitney] of Sherburne, and Susanna Hill, int. Mar. 13, 1780," according to Vital Records of Holliston, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 (Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1908).

4.^  "James [Whitney] and Susanna Hill of Holliston, [married] Apr. 20, 1780," according to Sherborn Vital Records.

5.^  See next note.

6.^  "Susanna [Whitney], wid. of James, [died] Sept. 25, 1841, a. 90y. 3m. G.R.5," according to Sherborn Vital Records. Also, "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 1, page 84.

7.^  "Benjamin [Whitney], s. of James and Susanna, [born] July 1, 1781," according to Sherborn Vital Records.

8.^  "Benjamin [Whitney], s. of James and Susanna, [died] Sept. 2, 1781," according to Sherborn Vital Records.

9.^  "Isaac [Whitney], s. of James and Susanna, [born] Sept. 4, 1782," according to Sherborn Vital Records.

10.^  "Benjamin [Whitney], s. of James and Susanna, [born] Mar. 5, 1785," according to Sherborn Vital Records.

11.^  "Martin [Whitney], s. of James and Susanna, [born] June 17, 1787," according to Sherborn Vital Records.

12.^  "Sukey [Whitney], d. of James and Susanna, [died] Dec. 13, 1799, in her 10th y. G.R.5," according to Sherborn Vital Records.

13.^  "Martha [Whitney], d. of James and Susanna, [died] Dec. 10, 1809, a. 18y. G.R.5," according to Sherborn Vital Records.

14.^  "Sylvia [Whitney], d. of James and Susanna, [died] Nov. 14, 1813, a. 18y. G.R.5," according to Sherborn Vital Records.

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Copyright © 2006-2008, Robert L. Ward and the Whitney Research Group