Family:Whitney, Elijah (1707-1755)

Elijah⁴ Whitney (Isaiah³, Thomas², John¹), son of Isaiah³ and Sarah (Woodward)(Eddy) Whitney,^[1] was born 2 Aug 1707, Cambridge or Lexington, MA,^[2][3] baptized 3 Aug 1707, Lexington, MA,^[4] and died 19 Feb 1755, Harvard, MA, aged 47 years 6 months.^[5]

He married 11 Mar 1730/1, Lancaster, MA, Mercy Heald "of Lancaster",^[6] daughter of Oliver and Hannah (Gates) Heald.^[7] She was born about 1714,^[8] and died before 30 Oct 1736.^[9]

Marriage intentions for him and Rebecca Winship "of Lexington" were published 30 Oct 1736, Harvard, MA;^[10] and he married 8 Dec 1736, Lexington, MA, Rebecca Winship,^[11] daughter of Nathaniel and Rebecca (Peirce) Winship.^[12] She was born 7 Dec 1717, Cambridge, MA,^[13] and died 3 Dec 1769, Stow, MA, in 51st year.^[14] Marriage intentions for her "of Harvard" and Dea. Joshua Whitney "of Stow", were published 25 Jan 1764, Harvard, MA.^[15]

He "of Harvard" was admitted to the church.

Pierce says the following:^[16]

Inventory of his estate was made Apr. 25, 1755. The estate was divided Dec. 31, 1770.

He signed the first church covenant in 1733. The farm of Elijah WHITNEY was located from land rights purchased before the incorporation of Harvard. His son Israel succeeded to the homestead, and was followed by Luther and Luke. It is now owned by Michael SWEENY. The first dwelling here probably stood in the orchard opposite the present house. This property Elijah purchased of James ATHERTON.

Children of Elijah⁴ and Mercy (Heald) Whitney:

i.	Elias5 Whitney, b. Dec 1731, Lancaster, MA; bapt. 25 or 26 Dec 1731, Lancaster, MA; d. before 11 Jun 1740.

Children of Elijah⁴ and Rebecca (Winship) Whitney, all born Harvard, MA:

i.	Mary5 Whitney, b. 26 Jun 1738; m. Micah Stone.
ii.	Elias Whitney, b. 11 Jun 1740; d. 19 Apr 1755, Harvard, MA, aged 14 years 9 months 21 days.
iii.	Rebecca Whitney, b. 25 May 1743; m. Paul Whitcomb.
iv.	Lydia Whitney, b. 7 May 1746; m. Phineas Warner.
v.	Israel Whitney, b. 29 Dec 1748; d. 9 Jan 1748/9, Harvard, MA, aged 10 days.
vi.	Dea. Israel Whitney, b. 22 Jun 1751; m.(1) Hannah Mead; m.(2) Abigail Puffer.
vii.	Elijah Whitney Jr., b. 8 Jul 1755; m. Lydia McElwain.

References

1.^  Source of parentage

2.^  Source of birth

3.^  Source of birth

4.^  Source of baptism

5.^  Source of death

6.^  Source of marriage

7.^  Source of parentage

8.^  Source of birth

9.^  Source of death

10.^  Source of marriage intentions

11.^  Source of marriage

12.^  Source of birth

13.^  Source of death

14.^  Source of marriage intentions. Also see Frederick W. Bailey, ed., Early Massachusetts Marriages Prior to 1800 (1897-1914), 3 vols.

15.^  Frederick C. Pierce, The Descendants of John Whitney, Who Came from London, England, to Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1635 (Chicago, IL: The Author, 1895), p. 54.

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Copyright © 1999, 2006, 2007, Robert L. Ward and the Whitney Research Group