Family:Whitney, Eli (1797-1867)

Eli Whitney, parentage unknown, but possibly brother of Jacob M. Whitney, was born 31 Jul 1797, Dutchess Co., NY, and died 5 Apr 1867, Shandaken, Ulster Co., NY. He was buried in the Methodist Church Cemetery, Shandaken.

He married, 21 Jan 1821, Shandaken, NY, Catherine Longyear, the daughter of Johannes Longyear and Annatje (Winne) Longyear. She was born 6 Nov 1799, Shandaken, Ulster Co., NY, and died 26 Jan 1884.

Eli was in the War of 1812, Capt. Peter Wynkoop's Company, New York Militia, from 7 Sep 1814 to 13 Dec 1814. He was a substitute for his uncle, John Higgins. Pension Bureau record indicates that Eli was 57 years old in 1855. For his service he received two land warrants--one for 40 acres under the Bounty Land Act of September 28, 1850, and one for 120 acres under the Act of March 3, 1855. In 1878 Catherine Whitney was awarded a pension allowance of $52.

Jacob M. Whitney's grandson, John Howard Whitney, in notes he penned in 1919, speculated that the father of Jacob M. and Eli Whitney may have been a John Whitney, who "built the first fanning mill made in NY and owned by a Joseph Risley of Allaben." (Allaben is in Ulster Co., NY.)

Children of Eli and Catherine (Longyear) Whitney, all born Shandaken, Ulster Co., NY:

i.	Jacob Whitney, b. 5 Dec 1821; m. 22 Aug 1846, Elizabeth Bradstreet, of Shandaken; d. 12 Feb 1899.
ii.	Elizabeth "Eliza" Whitney, b. 19 Aug 1822; m. (1) Henry William Longyear, (2) Joseph Sitts.
iii.	John Whitney, b. 9 Aug 1825; m. 4 Jul 1853, Delilah Piper, b. Michigan (in 1855 they were living with his parents, Eli and Catherine Whitney; not found in 1860-1880 censuses); death date unknown ( he died in an asylum in Poughkeepsie, NY).
iv.	Phoebe Whitney, b. 12 Jul 1826; m. 7 May 1846 Henry D. Knight; d. 5 May 1887.
v.	Hiram Whitney, b. 6 May 1828; m. 15 Oct 1848, Anna Fredenburgh, b. 27 Mar 1829, only child of Isaac H. and Elizabeth (Rose) Fredenburgh.
vi.	Jane Whitney, b. ca. 1830; m. Hiram W. Miller.
vii.	Giles Whitney, b. 4 Apr 1835; m. Mary Crispell.
viii.	Sarah "Sally" Ann Whitney, b. 4 Nov 1837; m. 24 Feb 1859, Cornelius Ostrander; d. 17 Jan 1919.
ix.	William Henry Whitney, b. 20 May 1841, NY; m. 15 Dec 1868 Nettie Winter, of Shandaken; d. 5 Apr 1903.

Census

• 1820, Shandaken, Ulster Co., NY: Eli Whitney, 1 male 18-25 and 1 female 16-25.
• 1830, Shandaken, Ulster Co., NY: Eli Whitney, 1 male 30-39, 2 males 5-9, 1 male 0-4, 1 female 20-29, 1 female 5-9, and 1 female 0-4.
• 1840, Shandaken, Ulster Co., NY: Eli Whitney, 1 male over 40, 1 male 15-19, 1 male 10-14, 1 male 5-9, 1 male 0-4, 1 female over 40, 1 female 15-19, 1 female 5-9, and 1 female 0-4; 2 engaged in agriculture.
• 1850, Shandaken, Ulster Co., NY:

93 98 Eli Whitney 52 M - Farmer $2000 New York Catharine Whitney 50 F - " Jane " 20 F - " Giles " 17 M - " Sarah " 10 F - " Attended school William " 8 M - " Attended school John " 27 M - Farmer " Pheebe " 80 F - "

• 1855 New York State Census, 1st District, Shandaken, Ulster Co., NY:

Household 160 Eli Whitney 56 born Dutchess Co. resident 40 yrs farmer Catherine 45 Giles 21 Sarah A. 18 William 14 John 27 married resident 25 yrs Delilah his wife 25 born Michigan resident 2-1/2 yrs Hiram 1

[Note: Eli's age should be 58, or at least 57 (b. 1797), and Catherine's age should be 55 (b. 1799); John was also 27 in 1850 Federal Census, but was actually 25 then (b. 1825) -- so five years later, in 1855, he should be 30.--Sally Whitney Goodfellow].

• 1860, Shandaken, Ulster Co., NY:

1459 1410 Eli Whitney 63 M - Farmer $1100 $500 New York Illiterate Catherine " 61 F - " Illiterate Giles " 26 M - Butcher " William H. " 18 M - Day Laborer " Attended school Mary J. Howland 17 F - Domestic "

• 1870, widow Catherine not found.
• 1880, Shandaken, Ulster Co., NY:

Hiram WHITNEY 52 Self M M W NEW YORK Chair Manufacturer NY NY Anna M. WHITNEY 51 Wife F M W NEW YORK Keeping House NY NY Anna M. WHITNEY 14 Dau F S W NEW YORK At Home NY MICHIGAN Catharine WHITNEY 81 Moth F W W NEW YORK At Home NY NY Adelbert ALEY 21 Othe M S W NEW YORK Works In Chair Factory NY NY Jacob MYERS 28 Othe M S W NEW YORK Laborer NY NY Polly THOMPSON 42 Othe F S W NEW YORK Servant NY NY Edward LANE 14 Othe M S W NEW YORK Servant NY NY

Widow Catharine is living with her son Hiram.

References

• "The Descendants of Jacob Longyear of Ulster County, New York." Compiled by Edmund J. Longyear, Los Angeles, and privately printed for the compiler, 1942.

• New York State Archives, No. 8825: Eli Whitney of Ulster County, Awards on Claims of the Soldiers of the War of 1812. New York Adjutant-General's Office (1860, 1969).

• Letter of Feb. 20, 1925, from Dept. of Interior, Bureau of Pensions, Washington, D.C., to John H. Whitney, Albany, NY.

• Delaware (County, NY) Gazette 1819-1895.

• Commemorative Biographical Record of Ulster County, NY (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1896).

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Copyright 2011, 2013 User:Sally Goodfellow, Sally Whitney Goodfellow, and the Whitney Research Group.