Family:Whitney, Phinehas (1740-1824)

Phinehas⁶ Whitney (Joshua⁵, Nathaniel⁴, Nathaniel³, John², John¹), son of Joshua⁵ and Mehitable (Wilson) Whitney, was born 24 Jun 1740, Spencer, MA, and died between 7 May and 3 Jul 1824, German Flats, NY.

He "of Leicester" married, 20 May 1770, Worcester, MA, Sarah Harrington, of Worcester, daughter of Josiah and Dinah (Flagg) Harrington. She was born 11 May 1746, Worcester, MA. She was mentioned in her husband's will, 1824. She died 16 Jan 1844.

Phineas lived in Spencer, MA. Afterwards moved to Dudley, Worcester County, MA; then moved and finally settled near German Flats, NY. He was a chair maker. His son [sic: should be brother] Elisha settled in Stockbridge, MA, on the homestead of his grandfather Wilson. He resided Spencer and Dudley, MA, and Oswego, NY, near Mohawk River.

Herkimer County, NY, Wills, liber D, pages 145-148. Phineas Whitney of the town of Germanflatts, Co. Herkmer, N.H. -- at an advanced age -- to my wife [no name] all my personal property & also 30 Acres of my real estate of 50 Acres purchased of Jacob G. Weeber, the remainder 20 Acrds to my Son Joseph Whitney -- to my Son Lyman Whitney $1 -- to my Son Franklin $1 -- to my dau Sally Brown $1 -- to my Son Phineas $1 -- appt. my Sons Joseph Whitney & Franklin Whitney my Exrs to aid & assist my Wife Sally -- h & S 7 May 1824 (sg) Phineas Whitney (L.S.) pf Dennis Clapsattle, Joseph Whitney (or by two wits) pvd 3 July 1824.^[1]

"Phineas, MA Line, Sally, R11486, a son Joseph Whitney appl 1 Jan 1853 in Oneida Co NY aged 66 a res of Vernon NY, sol had lived at Lester in Worcester Co MA & in early spring of 1775 he moved with his father (not named) to Harvard MA & lived there when he enl, sol's home burned in 1832 at German Flats in Montgomery Co NY & sol died in said town on 25 Jun 1839 aged 81 leaving his wife Sally a widow, sol had m Sally Harrington in 1784 & she d 16 Jan 1844, the son Joseph Whitney was b 9 Jul 1787 & he stated he had 1 older bro Simon who was b in 1785, sol & wife had 5 children; Simon, Joseph, Franklin, Sally & Phineas, Jr. & all were dec'd in 1853 except Joseph Whitney & he stated his bro Simon Whitney was supposed to have drowned on Lake Erie several yrs prior to 1853, in 1853 a Leonard Whitney & Eli Hubban Whitney both of Vernon NY made aff'dt & stated they were grandsons of Phineas Whitney the Rev sol & the sons of Joseph Whitney."^[2] Evidently there is some error here! Almost all the dates are refuted by other records.

Children of Phinehas⁶ and Sarah (Harrington) Whitney:

i.	Elizabeth7 Whitney, b. 19 Aug 1772, Spencer, MA; bapt. 2 Apr 1780, Dudley, MA; not mentioned in her father's will, 1824.
ii.	Elisha Whitney, b. -----; resided Stockbridge, MA. This seems to be an error by Pierce, confusing him with his uncle Elisha. If he existed, he is not mentioned in his father's will, 1824.
iii.	Joseph Whitney, b. 1777; bapt. 1 Sep 1782, Dudley, MA; d. 28 Feb 1870; m. Herkimer, NY, Sylvia Woodbury. He resided Vernon, NY. Mentioned in his father's will, 1824.
iv.	Lyman Whitney, bapt. 8 Apr 1781, Dudley, MA; mentioned in his father's will, 1824.
v.	Franklin Whitney, b. say 1784; m. Mar 1808, Phebe Brown. Mentioned in his father's will, 1824.
vi.	Sally Whitney, b. say 1786; m. say 1810, Denison Brown. Mentioned in her father's will, 1824.
vii.	Phinehas Whitney, b. 10 Mar 1788, Worcester, MA; m.(1) Martha Mattison; m.(2) Rebecca Palmer.

Census

• 1790, Dudley, Worcester Co., MA: Phinehas Whitney, 1 male over 16, 4 males 0-15, and 2 females.
• 1800: not found.
• 1810, German Flats, Herkimer Co., NY: Phinehas Whitney, 1 male over 45, 1 female over 45.
• 1810, Schuyler, Herkimer Co., NY: Franklin Whitney, 1 male 16-25, 2 males 0-9, 1 female 16-25, 1 female 10-15, and 1 female 0-9. This was his son Franklin.
• 1820, German Flats, Herkimer Co., NY: Phineas Whitney, 1 male over 45 and 1 female over 45.
• 1820, Schuyler, Herkimer Co., NY: Franklin Whitney, 1 male 26-44, 2 males 10-15, 1 female 26-44, 1 female 10-15, and 4 females 0-9; 2 engaged in agriculture.

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), p. 138.

1.^  Abstracts of Wills, Administrations and Guardianships in NY State, 1787-1835., (Online database: NewEnglandAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2006), (From material originally compiled by William A. D. Eardeley, now held by the Brooklyn Historical Society.) Herkimer Co., NY, pp. 247-248.

2.^  White, Virgil D.. Genealogical Abstracts of Revolutionary War Pension Files, Vol. III, Waynesboro, Tennessee: The National Historical Publishing Company, 1992.

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Copyright © 2006, 2007, Robert L. Ward and the Whitney Research Group