Family:Whitney, Joseph (1741-1780)

Joseph Whitney, parentage unknown, perhaps brother of James,^[1] born 27 Oct 1741, died 17 Nov 1780, at sea while rounding Cape May, New Jersey.

He married 2 Aug 1770, St. John's Church, Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island, Mary Waterman, daughter of Christopher Waterman. She was born 18 Mar 1751/52, Cranston, Providence County, Rhode Island.

He is listed in the 1774 Census of Warwick, RI.

Mary Waterman was born on 18 Mar 1752. She married Joseph Whitney on 2 Aug 1770; 1st husband. She died on 19 Apr 1846 at age 94. She "of Warwick" married secondly, 18 Jun 1794, Warwick, Rhode Island, Col. Benjamin Hoppin "of Providence".^[2]

Joseph, RI Line & RI Sea service, Mary Hoppin former mid, W21355, sol m Mary daughter of Christopher Waterman on 2 Aug 1770 at Providence RI & which time she was of Cranston RI & sol was of Pawtuxet RI where he was living when he enl & he was lost at sea on 17 Nov 1780 while roundeing Cape May & his wid m next to Benjamin Hoppin of Providence RI on 27 May 1795 at which time she was of Warwick in Kent Co RI & he d 30 Nov 1809, wid appl 26 May 1837 at Providence RI aged 85, wid d 19 Apr 1846 at Providence RI leaving children; Hercules Whitney, Elizabeth the wid of Royal Farnum & Phebe the wife of David Warren of Westborough MA (the father of the 2 daughters was not stated)^[3]

Among the papers of Phebe Waterman (1757-1847) are letters from a niece, “M. P. Whitney.” M. P. Whitney was at first thought to be Mary Whitney, the daughter of Phebe’s sister Mary and her husband, Capt. Joseph Whitney. However, one letter is dated in 1829, and Mary Whitney, according to Jacobus and Waterman’s genealogy, died in 1814. It is possible that M. P. Whitney was actually a great-niece of Phebe Waterman, the daughter of Phebe’s nephew Hercules Whitney and his wife, Martha P. (Dyer) Waterman. However, no record has been found for the children of Hercules and Martha. [Another interpretation is that M. P. Whitney was identical to Martha P. (Dyer)(Waterman) Whitney, and thus a niece by marriage.]^[4]

Children of Joseph Whitney:

i.	Phebe Whitney, born 22 Jun 1771, died 1862. She married David Warren, of Westborough, Worcester County, MA; Ch: Mary Waterman Warren, born 16 Dec 1799, Westborough, Worcester County, MA.
ii.	Hercules Coit Whitney, born 29 Jul 1773, died 19 Aug 1776.
iii.	Mary Whitney, born 22 Jun 1775, died 3 Jul 1814, Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island.
iv.	Dr. Hercules Whitney, M.D., born 17 Jul 1777, died 1 Oct 1875 in Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island. He married Martha P. Dyer, 24 Apr 1808, Providence. She was born 25 Apr 1789. They resided Wickford, Washington County, Rhode Island. He is buried at the Pocasset Cemetery in Cranston.
v.	Elizabeth Whitney, born 29 Jul 1779, died Oct 1857. She married Royal Farnum, 14 Oct 1801, Providence. He was born 28 Nov 1775.

References

• All information obtained from census records.

1.^  It seems likely that he was a brother of James Whitney who appears in Warwick, RI, in the 1774 and 1782 censuses, too.

2.^  "Hoppin, Col. Benjamin. At Warwick, Col. born H., of Providence, to Mrs. Mary Whitney, of the former place. (W[ednesday] June 18, 1794.)" Marriage Notices for the Whole United States 1785-1794.

3.^  Revolutionary Pension File Abstracts

4.^  Richard Waterman Family Papers

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Copyright © 2006, Tim Doyle and the Whitney Research Group.