Family:Whitney, Samuel Dorwin (1804-1852)

Major Samuel Darwin⁷ Whitney (Paul⁶, Timothy⁵, Jonas⁴, Moses³, Richard², John¹), son of Paul⁶ and Lucinda (Marsh) Whitney, was born 18 Oct 1804, Hinesburg, VT, and died 8 May 1852, Williston, VT.

He married, 1828, Shelburne, VT, Clarissa Read, daughter of Joshua Read, of Shelburne, VT. She was born 1804, and died 1874.

She was a very ambitious woman in the education of her children, and all attended academies, seminaries or colleges. She emulated her father who was a liberal patron of both churches and schools; he was a farmer.

Samuel Darwin (born 18 Oct 1804; died 8 May 1852). The eldest son of Paul and only child of his first wife who was married at an early age and died while he was still a little boy. Her father having died also, the boy, Samuel was left in the care of a younger brother, Lyman Darwin, of Hinesburg, VT, where he was educated and with whom he made his home until his marriage in 1828 with Clarissa Read, daughter of Joshua Read, of Shelburne, VT. They then went to Williston to begin life on the old Murray farm, three miles south of the village. To them were born eight children, four sons and four daughters, three of whom survive, one son and two daughters, the eldest and the youngest. Unlike his father he had large black eyes, the finest of glossy black hair combined with a soft white skin. He was of medium height, with a tendency to corpulence, and though rather heavy in form, quick and light in movement; consequently he excelled in the light fantastic step and was very fond of the terpsichorean art. He was very efficient in military tactics, for which he had a natural fitness, his ardor and enthusiasm evident to all, whether on drill or dress parade. He was major in the Eighth regiment of Vermont militia. He had imbibed the martial spirit of the times of his childhood, and now that the wars were over and the country at peace he still longed for the active engagement of a soldier. As his tastes were not suited to a quiet life of the farm he never extended his possessions, like his grandson who recovered new lands after the confiscation act. He was very fond of his children, especially of his two little girls, Martha and Franc, and enjoyed taking them with him when going to town or city.

In politics he was a Whig. About four years before his decease he was taken with hemorrhage from the nostrils, which occurred occasionally until his last sickness which baffled all physicians, but by post mortem proved to be dropsy of the chest. He was buried in the village cemetery, at Williston, more than forty years ago, but his beautiful face, like a marble state in the sleep of death, is before the writer still, a vivid picture of the gallery of memory. He resided Williston, VT.

Children of Samuel Darwin⁷ and Clarissa (Read) Whitney:

i.	Ellen Orpena8 Whitney, b. 24 Apr 1830; m. 3 Nov 1851, St. Louis, MO, William C. Liggett; resided Oswego, KS. He was born 31 Dec 1828; is a merchant. She was educated at Hinesburg and Castleton seminaries, VT. Ch.: Dr. George S., b. 27 Oct 1853; resided Oswego; Kate C., b. 29 May 1858; resided Oswego; Martha E., b. 7 Dec 1860; m. ----- Carter; resided Fort Smith, AR; Marion I., b. 27 May 1863; m. ----- James; resided Carthage, MO.
ii.	George Washington Whitney, b. 5 Feb 1833; m. Marion Murry.
iii.	Albert Read Whitney, b. 11 Apr 1835; d. s. p. 9 Sep 1872. He was the fourth child. Was just eighteen when his father died, and though tall, was like him in complexion, disposition, and quick in motion, and born to command. He soon started out into the world to earn a livelihood and educate himself, and developed a remarkable business capacity. He studied the physician's course at Pope's medical college, St. Louis, MO, where he received a diploma. Just before the close of the Civil War he enlisted as acting assistant surgeon on board a hospital steamer on the Mississippi river, and at the close of the campaign was in charge of the army hospital at Natchez, MS. Afterward he was physician and merchant in Waterproof Parish, LA, whence he was elected to the state legislature for 4 years, residing meanwhile in the city of New Orleans, enjoying his own home in the suburbs, the beautiful grounds with orange grove occupying one square. He gathered the luxuries of life about him, but near the close of his term died, at the age of 38 years, of hemorrhage from overwork, at Mallett Bay, Lake Champlain, VT, where he had gone for his health in the summer of 1872. He was buried in Williston, beside his father. He had been married about three years; had no children. He had a handsome face and form, and made a fine appearance in military costume.
iv.	Marion Emeline Whitney, b. 27 Sep 1837. She was graduated at Fort Edward institute, New York, and Burlington Seminary; m.; a dau. Ella F. Padou resided Oswego, KS.
v.	Martha Clarissa Whitney, b. 29 Jun 1842; d. -----.
vi.	Frances Julia Whitney, b. 14 Jan 1845; resided Lebanon, IL; unmarried. She was first sent to a select school in Burlington, VT, then to public and academy, entering at 13 where the pupils ranged from 15 to 20 years of age. Went to Lebanon, IL, with her mother, in the year 1860, having then two married sisters settled there, and one recently laid away in the cemetery - the flower of the family. Afterward she attended for one year Monticello seminary, Godfrey, IL; Mrs. Blair's seminary, Lebanon, and graduated at Ripley female college, Poultney, VT.

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. 318-319.

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Copyright © 2006, 2009, Robert L. Ward and the Whitney Research Group