Family:Whitney, Cephas Newhall (1832-1917)

Cephas Newhall⁸ Whitney (Amos Newhall⁷, Peter⁶, Jonas⁵, Jonas⁴, Moses³, Richard², John¹), son of Amos Newhall⁷ and Mary Wyer (Jones) Whitney, was born 12 Aug 1832, Bridgton, ME, and died 30 Jan 1917, Cuyahoga Co., OH.

He "Alphas N. Whitney", of Boston, married firstly, 10 Aug 1853, Roxbury, MA, Joan Plumley, daughter of George W. Plumley^[1] and Mary B. Holmes. She was born about 1832, Boston, MA and died about 1857, prob. Minnesota; no issue.

He married secondly, 1 Jan 1859, Hastings, MN, Cyrena Abigail Patch, daughter of Oliver Smith Patch and Martha Ann McKillips. She was born 1835, Wales, NY and died 24 Feb 1882, Kewanee, IL.

He married thirdly, 31 Dec 1883, Washington, D.C., Anne Elizabeth Woodend, widow of John Meredith and daughter of William Raincock Woodend and Sarah Veale Herbert, d. 3 Jan 1891, Washington, D.C., no issue.

He married fourthly, 4 Nov 1892, Denver, CO, Charlotte F. Parsons, b. 24 May 1844, Dedham, MA, divorcee of Charles William Woodbury and daughter of Nathaniel Smith Parsons and Louisa G. Hough, d. 30 Aug 1913, Kingston, Jamaica, Caribbean, no issue.

In 1890, Cephas N. Whitney was listed in the Washington, DC, city directory as a clerk residing at 1111 H Northwest.

On 5 May 1891, Cephas N. Whitney applied for a passport in New York, NY. He stated that he had been born 12 Aug 1832, Bridgton, Cumberland Co., ME, and that he was then residing in Washington, DC, where he worked as a government officer. He was 59 years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall, high forehead, blue eyes, aquiline nose, had a mustache, a round chin, dark brown hair, a florid complexion, and a round face. He was planning to leave the country and return within one year.

On 16 May 1891, Cephas N. Whitney, born about 1833, arrived in Queenstown, Ireland from New York, NY.

In 1891, Cephas N, Whitney was listed in the Washington, DC, city directory as a clerk in the Pension Office residing at 928 T northwest.

He was a dentist (as was his son, Cephas Jr.) but also started several newspapers in Minnesota and Illinois. He is known for being a temperance lecturer.

Children of Cephas Newhall⁸ and Cyrena Abigail (Patch) Whitney:

i.	William Henry9 Whitney, b. 2 Jun 1860, Monticello, MN; m. Emma Melinda Gwin.
ii.	Minnie Whitney, b. 28 Oct 1862, Hastings, MN; m. Oct 1881, Theron H. Chesley; d. 31 May 1922, Kewanee, IL.
iii.	Lulu Whitney, b. Jan 1865, IA; d. aft. 1900, then unmarried.
iv.	Cephas Newhall Whitney, b. 25 May 1869, Du Quoin, IL; m. Caroline Blanche Penny, 9 Sep 1893 in New York City, NY. This son Cephas N. grew up in and around Illinois and spent about a year (or less) in Washington D.C. around 1890. He became a dentist. From there he went to Jamaica and spent 11 years there. In 1899, Cephas Whitney and Alfred Constantine Lazarus, both of Kingston, Jamaica, received a U.S. Patent for a new and improved bicycle gear. In 1899, Cephas Whitney of Kingston, Jamaica, received a U.S. Patent for an artificial tooth-crown and backing for artificial teeth. Then he moved to British Guyana. Cephas traveled with his wife, Caroline B. and a daughter, Hilda, about 1903; possibly had a son, Newton, b. abt 1904 in Demerara, British Guyana. He divorced Caroline, moved, and married several other times. He married abt 1915, Guilhermina d'Silva, had a son, George Cephas Whitney, b. 1 Apr 1916, British Guyana, d. 15 Jul 2000, Trinidad & Tobago. He married abt 1920, Julie Seca, in British Guyana, birth and death unknown. Three sons were born of this union, Ivan S. Whitney, Robert Whitney, Martin Whitney. He married about 1929, Rona Philpot, b. 1913, British Guyana and d. 21 Mar 1936, Georgetown, British Guyana, shot by her lover in her Georgetown home after a three month affair. Cephas and Rona had one daughter, Gloria Magdalen Whitney, b. 22 Jul 1931, British Guyana, m. Roland Sinson, d. May 2000, Oxfordshire, England. The 1940 U.S. Census shows that on 2 Apr 1940, he had returned to the United States and lived in Los Angeles, CA near his niece, Lucile Eslinger. According to Lucile, Cephas was working on a patent for a dental device that could measure the center of a mouth which could be used to make dentures. According to her, he was working in the office of Dr. Curtis Beauchamp, a colleague, who later created the Western Dental Centers in Southern California. Supposedly, Cephas sold his patent rights to Dr. Beauchamp for the device he invented. In the 1940's, Cephas was the first President of the British Guiana Weightlifting Association in the country's pursuit of Olympic participation in the sport. He was still in office when he died at the age of 92 in abt 1961 in Guyana.

Census

• 1860, Monticello, Wright Co., MN:

39 39 C. M. Whiteney 28 M - M.E. Clergyman $500 $400 Maine C. A. " 25 F - New York Attended school A. H. Patch 15 F - Domestic "

• 1870, Du Quoin, Perry Co., IL:

372 372 Whitney, Cephas M. 37 M W Dentist $4000 $200 Me. Male citizen over 21 -----, Syrena 35 F " Keeping House N.Y. -----, Willis 10 M " At Home Minn. Attended school -----, Mary 8 F " " " " -----, Lulu 5 " " " " Iowa -----, Cephas 1 M " " " Ills.

• 1880, Kewanee, Henry Co., IL:

Cephas N. WHITNEY 47 Self M M W ME Editor ME ME Cyrene WHITNEY 45 Wife F M W NY Keeping House NH VT Will H. WHITNEY 20 Son M S W MN Student ME NY Minnie WHITNEY 18 Dau F S W MN At Home ME NY Lulu WHITNEY 15 Dau F S W IA At School ME NY Cephas N. WHITNEY 11 Son M S W IL At School ME NY

• 1900: not found.
• 1900, 17 Faxon Street, Boston Ward 20, Suffolk Co., MA:

41 67 Whitney, William H. Head W M Jun 1860 39 mar 10 Minnesota Maine New York Insurance Life Mgr., Rents house -----, Emma S. Wife W F Jul 1866 33 mar 10 3ch 3liv Tennessee -- Pennsylvania -----, William H. Son W M Feb 1893 7 sgl Utah Minnesota Tennessee -----, Margerurite Dau W F Nov 1895 5 sgl New York Minnesota Tennessee -----, Emma S. Dau W F Oct 1898 1 sgl Massachusetts Minnesota Tennessee -----, Lulu Sist W F Jan 1865 35 sgl Iowa Maine New York Brantley, Annie Srvt W F Mar 1872 28 sgl North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina Servant

• 1910: not found.

References

• Census records.

• Posts titled 'Re: Cephus N. Whitney' on the GenForum message boards.

1.^  "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 70, page 285.

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