Family:Whitney, John (1745-1829)

John⁵ Whitney (James⁴, Joseph³, Jonathan², John¹), son of James⁴ and Eleanor (Robbins) Whitney, was born 15 Aug 1745, Dunstable, MA,^[1] and died 3 Nov 1829, Troy, NH.^[2]

He "of Jaffrey, N.H." married, 7 Feb 1781, Westminster, MA, Polley Jones, both "of Fitzwilliam" [N.H.]. She was born 1757, Framingham, MA, and died 19 Apr 1836, Troy, NH.

His father's estate was probated 4 Jul 1757, Dunstable, MA; Thomas Harwood of Dunstable, N.H., innholder, was appointed guardian of John, Jonathan, Elizabeth, Benjamin, and Lucy, all minors under 14, children of James Whitney, late of Dunstable, deceased, and posted bond with William Angier of Cambridge as surety. On 23 Oct 1760, Dunstable, MA; petition of John and Jonathan Whitney, choosing Thomas Harwood of Dunstable as their guardian. On 5 Mar 1764, Dunstable, MA; Thomas Harwood of Dunstable, N.H., innholder, was appointed guardian of John and Jonathan Whitney, over 14, sons of James Whitney late of Dunstable, deceased, and posted bond with William Angier of Cambridge, gentleman, as surety. On 20 Jan 1772, Dunstable, MA; gave a receipt to his guardian for his portion of his father's estate.

He lived at Fitzwilliam, NH, all his life.

Pierce says the following:^[3]

John Whitney, a brother of Jonathan, went to Fitzwilliam, N. H., from Dunstable, Mass., before 1776. His wife was Mary JONES, a native of Framingham, Mass. He died in Troy, N. H., in 1829. He was in the battle of Bunker Hill, in Capt. WHITCOMB's company, of Col. James REED's regiment. In 1776 in Capt. Abijah SMITH's company for New York, mustered Sept. 21. He was one of the men returned for Fitzwilliam for three years or the war. In 1777 he marched to reinforce the garrison at Ticonderoga, on the alarm in Capt. John MELLEN's company. Was for a time in Col. Timothy BIGELOW's regiment for Worcester, Mass. John WHITNEY served in the Revolutionary army, and early in 1780 in company with his brother Jonathan he left his home in Dunstabie, Mass., having purchased the tract of land on "the east side of the road," in Troy, N. H., later Fitzwilliam. He resided on the farm until his death.

Children of John⁵ and Polley (Jones) Whitney, all born Fitzwilliam, NH:

i.	Nathan6 Whitney, b. 18 Jun 1781; d. 1811, Sherburne, VT; unmarried.
ii.	Polley Whitney, b. 2 Mar 1783; d. 19 Dec 1816; m. 16 Feb 1812, Luke Harris, as his first wife.
iii.	Lucy Whitney, b. 22 Jan 1785; d. 18 May 1794, Fitzwilliam, NH.
iv.	Sally Whitney, b. 30 May 1787; d. 1864; m. 26 Dec 1844, Troy, NH, George Farrar. They had no children.
v.	John Whitney, b. 10 Dec 1789; m. Augusta Fisk.
vi.	Betsey Whitney, b. 12 Jul 1792; m. 10 Apr 1817, Luke Harris, as his second wife.
vii.	Sophia Whitney, b. 20 Jan 1795; d. 1866; "of Troy, N.H." m. (int. 20 Jan 1823, Royalston, MA) Eseck Dexter.
viii.	Luke Whitney, b. 25 Dec 1798; m. Louisa White.

Census

• 1790, Fitzwilliam, Cheshire Co., NH: John Whitney, 1 male over 16, 2 males 0-15, and 4 females.
• 1800, Fitzwilliam, Cheshire Co., NH: John Whitney, 1 male over 45, 1 male 16-25, 1 male 10-15, 1 male 0-9, 1 female 26-44, 1 female 16-25, 1 female 10-15, and 2 females 0-9.
• (Apparently) 1810, Fitzwilliam, Cheshire Co., NH: Whitney, "Joel", 1 male over 45, 1 male 16-25, 1 female over 45, and 2 females 16-25.

References

1.^ 

2.^ 

3.^  Frederick C. Pierce, The Descendants of John Whitney, Who Came from London, England, to Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1635 (Chicago, IL: The Author, 1895), p. 109.

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Copyright © 1999, 2006, 2007, Robert L. Ward and the Whitney Research Group