Family:Whitney, James (1794-a1877)

James⁶ Whitney (John⁵, Abraham⁴, Joseph³, John², Henry¹), son of John⁵ and Ann (Fox) Whitney, was born 22 Jan 1794, in Pudding Lane, Norwalk, CT, and died after 1877.

He married, 18 Jul 1815, Albany, NY, Nancy Mascraft, daughter of John and Hannah (Whitney) Mascraft. She was born 23 Mar 1795, Albany, NY, and died 10 Jul 1872, Albany, NY, in her 78th year, of paralysis.

Phoenix says the following:

"James Whitney, b. in Pudding Lane, Norwalk, Conn., 22 Jan. 1794; the town-record says 1793, which is inconsistent with the preceding records of the same household; a boot and shoe maker; left Norwalk in 1812, for New York City, and served as a soldier in the war of 1812, for which he has since received a pension. He passed three months in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, and, in 1874, was the only survivor of his company of 93 men. In the Spring of 1814, he went to Albany, N.Y., which has since been his home. In a familiar letter, written in 1873, in which he compared portions of his own life with that of his contemporary, Peter Cooper, he spoke of his early life thus: "From the great total eclipse of the sun in 1806, to 1815, when I got married, I believe I went through more trials, hardships, accidents, and difficulties, twice-told, than Peter Cooper ever knew or experienced; and how I escaped them and lived, has been a wonder to myself to the present day. . . . I do not know how my sun will go down, but I have made up my mind to distil from the labor, sorrow, and perplexities of a past life all the joy, happiness and contentment that I can." He was married, 18 July 1815, in Albany, N. Y., by Rev. John Ayers, to Nancy Mascraft, only child of John and Hannah (Whitney) Mascraft, of Albany, where she was born 23 March 1795. After a wedded life of fifty-seven years, she died at Albany, 10 July 1872, of paralysis, in the 78th year of her age, and was buried in the Albany Rural Cemetery. Since her death, while his home has remained in Albany, he has lived with his daughters, and was yet in perfect health and vigor, in March 1877. His house was 173 Hamilton Street, and later 136 Hamilton, or 124 Beaver Street. On Saturday, 26 Sept 1874, he visited his native town, Norwalk, with the following result, as given by himself: 'After diligent inquiry, I could not find a person, male or female, whom I ever knew. Splendid mansions, the houses doubled, the inhabitants diminished, the enterprise gone--and I left the place with sorrow and sadness.'"

Children of James⁶ and Nancy (Mascraft) Whitney:

i.	John Goodrich7 Whitney, b. 28 Sep 1816, Albany, NY; m.(1) Rebecca Weeks; m.(2) Christina Menzies.
ii.	James Alexander Whitney, b. 12 Nov 1818, Albany, NY; m. Mary Melicent Strong.
iii.	Charles Edward Whitney, b. 17 Oct 1820, Albany, NY; d. 29 Nov 1844, Albany, NY, of consumption; bur. Albany Rural Cemeter, Lot 17, Section 49; m. 16 Aug 1842, Albany, NY, Maria Louisa Sharts, daughter of John Sharts, d. after 1874. She m.(2) James H. Keyes, who apparently died in the Civil War.
iv.	Mary Randall Whitney, b. 12 Mar 1823, Albany, NY; a teacher in the Schoharie Academy; d. 9 Dec 1854, Albany, NY, of consumption; unmarried; bur. Albany Rural Cemetery, lot 17, section 40.
v.	William Henry Whitney, b. 20 Apr 1825, Albany, NY; d. 3 Jul 1826, Albany, NY; bur. in the old Presbyterian burying-ground, Albany, NY.
vi.	William Henry Whitney, b. 7 Jun 1827, Albany, NY; d. 22 Jun 1843, Albany, NY, drowned while bathing in the Hudson River; bur. in the old Presbyterian burying-ground, Albany, NY.
vii.	George Carpenter Whitney, b. 15 Sep 1829, Albany, NY; m. Caroline Forman.
viii.	(son) Whitney, b. 1832, Albany, NY; d. aged a few hours; bur. in the old Presbyterian burying-ground, Albany, NY.
ix.	Richard Henry Marvin Whitney, b. 15 Jun 1834, Albany, NY; d. 24 Feb 1852, Albany, NY; bur. there.
x.	Hannah Elizabeth Whitney, b. 18 Jun 1836, Albany, NY; m. Milton Orville Hutchings.

Notes

Hannah (Whitney) Mascraft, mother of Nancy, has not been identified.

Census

• 1820, Albany, Albany Co., NY: Whitney, James, 1 male 26-45, 1 male 16-17, 2 males 0-9, and 1 female 26-44; 2 engaged in manufacture or trades.
• 1830, Albany Ward 1, Albany Co., NY: James Whitney, 1 male 30-39, 1 male 20-29, 2 males 5-9, 2 males 0-4, 1 female 30-39, and 1 female 5-9.
• 1840, Albany Ward 1, Albany Co., NY: James Whitney, 1 male 40-49, 1 male 20-29, 1 male 15-19, 2 males 10-14, 1 male 5-9, 1 female 40-49, 2 females 15-19, and 1 female 0-4; 1 engaged in manufacture or trades.
• 1850, Albany Ward 3, Albany Co., NY:

478 651 Evert Evertsen 34 M - Exchange Broker N.Y. Harriet " 21 F - " Mary Hassell 17 " - " 652 James Whitney 56 M - Bootmaker Conn. Nancy " 55 F - N.Y. George " 21 M - Silver Smith " Henry " 16 " - Clerk " Mary " 27 F - " Anna " 12 " - " Attended school

• 1860, Albany Ward 3, Albany Co., NY:

445 746 Janie McMullen 90 F - New York Jane McMullen 40 " - Do Sarah McMullen 28 " - Do 747 James Whitney 66 M - Shoestore $200 Connecticut Nancy Whitney 65 F - New York George Whitney 31 M " Sulon Smith Do

• 1870, Albany Ward 10, Albany Co., NY:

109 113 Collier, George M. 34 M W Piano tuner $500 Mass. Male citizen over 21 -----, Mary E. 32 F " Keeping House $4000 -- N.Y. -----, Jessie 4 " " " -----, Fred M. 2 M " " Myers, Matilda 13 F " Domestic Servant " Parents foreign born 114 Whitney, James 74 M " Boot maker $300 Conn. Male citizen over 21 -----, Nancy 74 F " Keeping House N.Y.

References

• All data imported from Stephen Whitney Phoenix, The Whitney family of Connecticut, and its affiliations; being an attempt to trace the descendants, as well in the female as the male lines, of Henry Whitney, from 1649 to 1878; to which is prefixed some account of the Whitneys of England. (New York : Priv. Print. [Bradford Press] 1878), p. 157 and pp. 426-428.

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Copyright © 2008, 2009, Robert L. Ward and the Whitney Research Group