Family:Whitney, Joshua (c1707-1787)

Dea. Joshua⁴ Whitney (Richard³, Richard², John¹), son of Richard³ and Elizabeth (Sawtell) Whitney,^[1] was born circa 1706, Stow, MA, calculated from age at death,^[2] or between 1 Mar 1707 and 28 Feb 1708 at Stow, MA, calculated from age on guardianship bond,^[3] and died 15 Mar 1787 at Boxborough, MA, aged 80 years.^[4]

He married, before Feb 1732, Zerviah -----.^[5] She was born about 1712.^[6] She and Zerviah Robbins may be the same person.

Marriage intentions for Joshua "of Stow" and Azubah (Burt) Farnsworth "of Harvard" were published 17 Apr 1762, Harvard, MA.^[7] He married 19 Apr 1762, Stow, MA, Azubah (Burt) Farnsworth,^[8] daughter of John and Rebecca (Grant) Burt.^[9] She was born on 13 May 1711, Harvard, MA,^[10] and died 1812, Shirley, MA.^[11] She had married firstly, 12 Feb 1728/9, Newbury, MA, Phineas Farnsworth,^[12] son of Jonathan and Ruth (-----) Farnsworth.^[13]

He "of Stow" married thirdly, 25 Jan 1764, Harvard, MA, Rebecca (Winship) Whitney "of Harvard",^[14] daughter of Nathaniel and Rebecca (Peirce) Winship. She was born 7 Dec 1717, Cambridge, MA,^[15] and died 3 Dec 1769, Stow, MA, in 51st year.^[16] Marriage intentions had been published 30 Oct 1736, Harvard, MA, for her "of Lexington" and Elijah⁴ Whitney.^[17] She had married firstly, 8 Dec 1736, Lexington, MA, Elijah⁴ Whitney,^[18] son of Isaiah³ Whitney and Sarah Woodward.^[19]

Joshua married after 1769 Mary -----.^[20] She was born about 1700, calculated from age at death, and died 27 Feb 1788, Boxborough, MA, aged 89 or 94 years.^[21]

On 29 Feb 1723/24 at Stow, MA, Richard Whitney of Stow, husbandman, was appointed guardian of Joshua Whitney, in his 16th year, and Sarah Whitney, in her 20th year.

It seems likely that there were a few more unrecorded children born in the interval between 1735 and 1741.

Children of Dea. Joshua⁴ and Zerviah (-----) Whitney:

i.	Charles5 Whitney, b. circa Feb 1732 (calculated from age at death); d. 1 Apr 1797, Boxborough, MA, aged 65 years 2 months; "of Quabin" m. (int. 14 Jul 1753, Acton, MA), Rebeckah Wood "of Acton".
ii.	Sarah Whitney, b. 26 Nov 1733, Stow, MA;[22] m.(1) Simon Maynor; m.(2) David Pierce.
iii.	(poss.) Anna Whitney, b. ca. 1741, m. Thomas Whitcomb
iv.	Mary Whitney, b. 29 Nov 1743, Stow, MA;[23] m. Silas Farr.
v.	Joshua Whitney, Jr., b. 27 Aug 1747, Stow, MA;[24] m. Marcy Pierce.
vi.	Caleb Whitney, b. 23 May 1749, Stow, MA;[25] m. Katharine Maxwell.

Dea. Joshua⁴ and Azubah (Burt)(Farnsworth) Whitney had no children.

Dea. Joshua⁴ and Rebecca (Winship)(Whitney) Whitney had no children.

Dea. Joshua⁴ and Mary (-----) Whitney had no children.

Census

• 1771, Stow, MA (tax list): "Dr. Joshua Whitney" (probably a misreading for "Dea.")

References

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2.^ 

3.^ 

4.^  "Joshua [Whitney], Dea., [died] Mar. 15, 1787, a. 80y. C.R.," according to Thomas W. Baldwin, ed., Vital Records of Boxborough, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 (Boston, MA: 1915), p. 77.

5.^ 

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8.^  "Joshua [Whitney], Dea., and Azubah Farnsworth, wid., of Harvard, int. Apr. 19, 1762," according to F. Apthorp Foster, ed., Vital Records of Stow, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 (Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1911).

9.^ 

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13.^ 

14.^  "Joshua [Whitney] [int. adds Dea.] and Mrs. Rebecca [int. Rebeckah, omits Mrs.] Whitney [int. adds wid.] of Harvard, [married] Jan. 25, 1764, in Harvard," according to Stow Vital Records.

15.^ 

16.^  "Rebekah [Whitney], w. Dea. Joshua, [died] Dec. 3, 1769, in 51st y. G.R.1," according to Stow Vital Records.

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

18.^ 

19.^ 

20.^ 

21.^  "Mary [Whitney], w. of _____, [died] Feb. 27, 1788, a. 89y., "or 94y. as some say." C.R.," according to Thomas W. Baldwin, ed., Vital Records of Boxborough, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 (Boston, MA: 1915), p. 77.

22.^  "Sarah [Whitney], d. Joshua and Zerviah, [born] Nov. 26, 1733," according to Stow Vital Records.

23.^  "Mary [Whitney], d. Joshua and Zeuiah [dup. Zeruiah], born] Nov. 29, 1743," according to Stow Vital Records.

24.^  "Joshua [Whitney], s. Joshua and Zeruiah, born] Aug. 27, 1747," according to Stow Vital Records.

25.^  "Cabel [Whitney], s. Joshua and Zerria, born] May 23, 1749," according to Stow Vital Records. This is an apparent error for "Caleb".

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Copyright © 1999, 2006, 2008, Robert L. Ward and the Whitney Research Group