Family:Whitney, Abel (1786-1853)

Abel⁶ Whitney (Aaron⁵, Jonas⁴, Moses³, Richard², John¹), son of Aaron⁵ and Sally (Pollard) Whitney, was born 17 Feb 1786, Harvard, MA,^[1] and died 30 May 1853, Harvard, MA, aged 67 years, of liver complaint, lawyer, married.

He married firstly, 8 Feb 1817, Lancaster, MA, Abigail Holman Townsend,^[2] daughter of Robert Townsend. She was born 1 Apr 1795, Lancaster, MA, and died 24 Sep 1823, Lancaster, MA, aged 27 years, at her father's.

He "of Boston" married secondly, 14 Oct 1826, "Mrs." Lucy (Washburn) Lyon,^[3] daughter of Abram and Rebecca (Leonard) Washburn. She was born 31 Dec 1781, Bridgewater, MA. She had married firstly, 22 Apr 1813, Bridgewater, MA, Lawson Lyon, son of Josiah and Sarah (Willard) Lyon. He was born 8 Aug 1771, Northborough, MA, and died 8 Mar 1822, Boston, MA.

Robert Townsend was a shrewd man. He had a brick yard and built the Lancaster House. He was deputy sheriff at one time and held other employments. One of his interesting daughters was married to the schoolmaster, Abel Whitney.

Abel Whitney, of Boston, was one of the teachers of the Lancaster academy, which was founded in 1815. He taught for some years prior to this. His school was of larger pretensions in its size and fitted up more elaborately, besides it had a greater number of scholars and was more advanced in studies, than any other in the town. It embraced pupils from all parts of Lancaster. Mr. Whitney was a stout man with dignified step, and self-possessed, resolute aspect. He always spoke pleasantly. He was by no means a hard master, though severe. He maintained good order in the school and his examinations were always highly spoken of by the committee men in attendance. Jared Sparks, the historian, and at one time president of Harvard college, was for a short time a teacher in the academy. He resided Boston, Lancaster and Harvard, MA.

Children of Abel⁶ and Abigail Holman (Townsend) Whitney:

i.	Giles H.7 Whitney, b. 18 Jan 1818, Boston, MA; m. Lydia Ann Davis.
ii.	Alfred Whitney, b. -- --- 1820, Winchendon, MA; m. and resided in Cambridge, MA.

Children of Abel⁶ and Lucy (Washburn)(Lyon) Whitney, if any, unknown.

Census

• 1820, South Russell St., 7th Ward, Boston, Suffolk Co., MA: Abel Whitney, 3 males 26-44, 1 male 0-9, 2 females 26-44, and 1 female 0-9.
• 1830, 5th Ward, Boston, Suffolk Co., MA: Abel Whitney, 1 male 40-49, 1 male 20-29, 2 males 10-14, 1 female 40-49, and 1 female 20-29.
• 1840, Harvard, Worcester Co., MA: Abel Whitney, 1 male 50-59, 2 males 20-29, 1 female 50-50, and 1 female 40-49.
• 1850, Harvard, Worcester Co., MA:

240 279 Abel Whitney 64 M - Counselor $4500 Mass. Lucy Whitney 68 F - " Benjamin Willard 57 M - Laborer "

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), p. 309.

1.^  "Abel [Whitney], s. of A[a]ron, bp. May 28, 1786. C.R.1. (Abel Esq., b. Feb. 17, 1786. G.R.1.)," according to Thomas W. Baldwin, ed., Vital Records of Harvard, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 (Boston, MA: Wright & Potter Printing Co., 1917).

2.^  "Abel [Whitney] of Boston to Miss Abigail [H] Townshend, Feb. 8, 1817. 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. 230.

3.^  "Abel [Whitney] of Boston, and Lucy Lyon, [married] Oct. 14, 1826. [Mrs. Lucy. C.R.1]," according to Vital Records of Bridgewater, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 (Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1916).

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