Family:Whitney, Samuel Dorwin (1804-1852)

Major Samuel Dorwin⁷ Whitney (Paul⁶, Timothy⁵, Jonas⁴, Moses³, Richard², John¹), son of Paul⁶ and Dollie (Dorwin) Whitney, was born 18 Oct 1804, Hinesburg, VT, and died 8 May 1852, Williston, VT.

He married, 10 Feb 1828, Shelburne, VT, Clarissa Read,^[1] 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 Dorwin⁷ 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; m. Harriet Augusta Whitney.
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.

Notes

Corrections after checking the Hinesburg and Williston records Aug.2012: Samuel DORWIN (not Darwin). Also Reed is sometimes spelled READ.

Census

• 1830, Williston, Chittenden Co., VT: Samuel Whitney, 1 male 20-29, 1 male 15-19, 1 female 30-39, 1 female 20-29, and 1 female 0-4.
• 1840, Williston, Chittenden Co., VT: Samuel Whitney, 1 male 30-39, 1 male 15-19, 2 males 5-9, 1 female 30-39, 1 female 15-19, 1 female 10-14, and 1 female 0-4; 2 engaged in agriculture.
• 1850, Williston, Chittenden Co., VT:

88 90 Samuel D. Whitney 47 M - Farmer $6000 Vermont Clarissa R. " 46 F - " Ellen O. " 20 F - " Attended school George W. " 17 M - Farmer " Attended school Albert R. " 16 M - " Attended school Marion E. " 14 M - " Attended school Martha C. " 8 F - " Attended school Francis J. " 5 F - " Margaret Crinnar 18 F - Canada

• 1860, Williston, Chittenden Co., VT:

133 135 Geo. Whitney 27 M - Farmer $7500 $1000 Vermont Marion " 22 F - " Murray " 2 M - " Clara " 55 F - " Frances " 16 F - " John Roland 36 M - Farm Laborer Ireland Mary Sullivan 20 F - Servant "

• 1860, Frances not found.
• 1870: not found.
• 1870, Frances not found.
• 1880, Frances not found.

• 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.

XX.^  Vermont, Vital Records Index, Marriages.

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