Family:Whitney, William Dexter (1803-1855)

William Dexter⁷ Whitney (Stephen⁶, Stephen⁵, John⁴, Benjamin³, John², John¹), son of Stephen⁶ and Sally (Dexter) Whitney; born 20 Jul 1803, Lunenburg, MA, and died 26 Oct 1855, Lancaster, MA, of dropsy.

He "Mr." "of Southbridge" married, 16 Oct 1824, Lancaster, MA, "Miss" Harriet Hawks.^[1] She was born 20 Nov 1803, and died 18 Feb 1882.

William D. Whitney was a remarkably reserved and quiet man. He served an apprenticeship of seven years at cabinet-making at Lancaster, MA. He married and began business on his own account at Southbridge, where four children were born. Later he moved to Boston and worked at his trade. At Boston he was employed by Chickering & Sons on work in ivory. Did not hold public office, and never sought preferment of that sort. Had a wonderfully fine musical taste and talent, and was a leader of musical bodies. This talent all his children inherited. He resided Lancaster and Boston, MA.

Mrs. Harriet Whitney was admitted to the church in Lancaster, 1845.^[2]

Children of William Dexter⁷ and Harriet (Hawks) Whitney:

i.	William Stephen8 Whitney, b. 28 Nov 1825; d. 16 Jul 1827.
ii.	Maria Antoinette Whitney, b. 18 Oct 1827; m. 2 Dec 1846, Lancaster, MA, Francis P. Pratt;[3] resided Southbridge. She d. 3 Oct 1859. Ch.: William Francis: resided Herman St., Winthrop, MA.
iii.	Stephen William Whitney, b. 15 Feb 1829; d. 30 Sep 1831.
iv.	Sarah Ellen Whitney, b. 9 Mar 1831; d. 18 Sep 1854.
v.	John Dexter Whitney, b. 29 Nov 1833; d., it is thought, in 1862 in Rebel army. Went from Memphis, TN.
vi.	Edmund C. Whitney, b. 28 Dec 1835; m. Cornelia F. Shepherd.
vii.	William Sidney Whitney, b. 21 Mar 1838; d. 15 Sep 1840.
viii.	Harriet Francis Whitney, b. 19 Nov 1840; d. 6 Dec 1841.
ix.	Georgiana Freeman Whitney, b. 6 Feb 1843; m. 9 Jul 1862, Joseph S. French; res, 86 Union Ave. South Framingham, MA. He was b. 12 Jun 1840; d. s. p. 30 May 1881.
x.	Marietta Isabell Whitney, b. 31 Aug 1845; m. 22 May 1878, Mr. Cunningham; b. 21 Oct 1838; resided 24 Main St., Marlborough, MA. She was previously m. to a Mr. Adams, and had one child, Grace Francis, b. 27 Mar 1866; who m. L. A. Mabee, and resided East Carlton, Orleans County, NY. Ch. by second m.: George Wm., b. 23 Aug 1880; Myrtie Winnifred, b. 8 Jan 1879; d. 30 Mar 1884; M. Maude, b. 16 Aug 1885.
xi.	Francis Herbert Whitney, b. 23 Jun 1849; resided Howes Court, Marlborough, MA.

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. 283-284.

1.^  "William D. [Whitney], Mr., of Southbridge and Miss Harriet Hawks, [married] Oct. 19, 1824. T.R.3," according to Henry S. Nourse, ed., The Birth, Marriage and Death Register, Church Records and Epitaphs, of Lancaster, Massachusetts, 1643-1850 (Lancaster, MA: 1890), p. 235.

2.^  "Harriet [Whitney], Mrs., adm. chh. ___ __, 1845. C.R.3," according to Lancaster Vital Records, p. 394.

3.^  "Maria A. [Whitney], 19, and Francis P. Pratt, 26, of Southbridge, [married] Dec. 2, 1846. T.R.4," according to Lancaster Vital Records, p. 255.

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