Archive:A History of Franklin
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Towle, Martha Hannah, A History of Franklin: Past and Present, Fact or Fancy, Legend or Folksay, 1789-1989, (Franklin, VT: Franklin Historical Society, 1989), pp. 278-281.
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Contents
- 1 The John Whitney Family
- 1.1 John K. Whitney/Ford/Scott/Benjamin Line
- 1.2 The Nathan and Abigail (Whitney) Whitney Line
- 1.3 The Oliver and Abigail (Crampton) Whitney Line
- 1.4 The Hon. John K. and Philura (Hubbard) Whitney Line
- 1.5 The Hon. Bartholomew Whitney Line
- 1.6 The William Arnold Whitney Line
- 1.7 The Stephen Bartholomew Whitney Line
The John Whitney Family
The Whitneys were English immigrants to North America in 1635. The first who came were John and his wife Elinor, with six children and settled in Watertown, Massachusetts. After coming to America they had three more children.
There were five generations between the first John and Silas who married Jane Pearson from Shrewsbury, Massachustts. They lived in Winchendon and later moved to Rindge, New Hampshire. From Rindge the family moved to Clarendon, Vermont. Their fourth child was named Oliver and we will follow his line.
[Transciber's note: The ancestral line is Silas6, David5, Benjamin4, Thomas3, Thomas2, John1.]
Oliver Whitney married Abigail Crampton. They lost much porperty while in business in Clarendon so left this town and moved to St. Armand, Quebec. Oliver and Abigail had five children: 1) Oliver, Jr., 2) Bartholomew I., 3) John B., 4)Abigail and 5) Hulda.
Oliver, Jr. was born in 1786 in Clarendon, Vermont but moved with his family to Canada when hew was very young. Her married Rebecca Leonard and was a farmer all his life. He died in August 1824. Oliver and Rebecca had four children: 1) Leonard, 2) Abel, 3) Maria and 4) John K. We will follow the line of John K.
John K. Whitney/Ford/Scott/Benjamin Line
John K. was born Juanry 4, 1813 in St. Amand, Canada. He resided there until some time after he was married when he moved to East Frankllin. He was a farmer by occupation. He twice represented the town in the General Assembly in 1859 and 1860 and also at the extra sessions in the spring of 1861. He was twice elected commissioner for the county and twice county judge in 1869 and 1870. He was justice of the peace for nearly a score of years. He was active in the temperance reform and manifested a good degree of interest in the social, intellectual and religious advantages of the community and was respected by all who knew him. Thus he was known as the Hon. John K. Whitney. He married Philura Hubbard who was born on June 29, 1804. John K. died on September 26, 1873, and she died on October 3, 1880. They had eight children. Their daughter, the fifth child, was Sarah Rebecca Whitney. It is her line we will follow.
Sarah Rebecca Whitney was born on April 23, 1841. She married Harrison Ford, the son of Leonard Ford, of East Franklin. Harrison was a farmer and a good businessman.
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He helped in settling estates, did business favors for people and had a lot of money. Leonard Ford left the farm on the East Franklin School Road to his son, Harrison. He and his wife, Sarah, farmed there for years. They had four children: 1) Harriet C., b. Dec. 2, 1861; m. Aug. 26, 1885 to Clarence P. Ewins; res. No. Troy, Vt.; 2) Orloff W., b. Aug. 31, 1864; m. Nov. 24, 1887 to Dell Burleson; res. West Berkshire; 3) Alice Mabel, b. June 26, 1868; m. June 6, 1888 to Charles W. Scott; res. Scottsmoore, P.Q.; 4) Clarence W., b. May 12, 1871; m. Sept. 16, 1891 to Mina Ladd; res. W. Broome, P.Q. We will follow the line of Alice Mabel Ford.
Alice Mabel Ford was born on June 26, 1868 and married Chalres Scott on June 6, 1888 of Scottsmoore, Quebec. Charles' father was Marvin Scott and hjis moterh was Sophronia Pettie of Broome, Quebec. Charles and Mabel came to the Ford farm but spent much of their life in the house in East Franklin where Norma Carman and Leona O'Neill now run a rest home for elderly ladies.
The farm of Harrison and Sarah Rebecca Ford was deeded to Charles and Sarah (Ford) Scott who, in turn deeded or willed it to their son, Harold Scott. He married Mary Toof of Franklin Village and they farmed there on the Ford farm. They had two children: 1) Renwick Ford Scott and 2) Charlene Scott.
Renwick and Charlene attended the East Franklin School and graduated from Franklin High School. Renwick chose the U. S. Navy as his life work. He enlisted after his graduation from high school in 1936. He served twenty years. He married Frances Daughtrey, from Springfield, Missouri, who worked for the War Production Board and the Navy Dept. from 1942 - 1955. They had one daughter, Joanne. On his retirement, Remwick and his family came back to Franklin where he had been brought up. Joanne was eighteen months old. She attended Franklin Elementary School and went to Missisquoi Valley Union where she graduated in June of 1972. Joanne participated in the musical shows which have been a part of the MVU's curriculum. She attended Johnson Teachers College and graduated from there in 1976. She did not choose to stay in Vermont so went to New Jersey and New York area, where she gave private music lessons. Renwick Scott died of cancer in 1976 at the age of fifty-seven. Frances stayed on the farm for one year and then returned to Springfield, Missouri, where she returned to secretarial work and retired at the age of 89. Joanne was married in 1982 to Christopher James who is a graduate of the Julliard School of Music in New York. Christopher and Joanne lived in New York City. They had one son, Evan Scott James in 1989.
Charlene Scott married Newell Benjamin. They have 5 children: 1) James, 2) Bruce, 3) Sandra, 4) Mary and 5) Michael. (Their story is inthe Benjamin fmaily account.)
Charlene (Scott) Benjamin
The Nathan and Abigail (Whitney) Whitney Line
Silas Whitney was born in 1737. He went to No Town (Princeton), Massachusetts and purchased land. He married Jane Pearson. He was a blacksmith and followed that trade. In 1763 they moved to Winchendon where he kept a hotel; then moved to Rindge, N. H. from which place he was warned out of town. (Records do hot show the reason.) Next they moved to Clarendon, Vermont. Silas and Jane had twelve children. This line follows the line of the second son, David. He was the brother of Oliver and Bartholomew I.
David was born in Princeton on August 31, 1761. He married twice: 1) Sarah Wilson and 2) ... Mason. David and Sarah had eleven children and David and his second wife had one child. David died on July 25, 1806. Res. Clarendon, Vermont. The line we will follow is that of the sixth child of David and Sarah. His name was Nathan Whitney.
Nathan Whitney was born in 1793 in Clarendon, but moved to Canada with his parents when quite young. He married Abigail Whitney (a first cousin) who was the fourth child of Oliver Whitney, Sr. and Abigail Crampton. Nathan was a farmer and resided in St. Armand, until his return to the States when he settled in Franklin. He died April 7, 1848. Both Nathan and Abigail are buried in the East Franklin Cemetery as are many of the other Whitneys. Nathan and Abigail had seven children. The second child, Olive, is the next descendant in this line.
Olive Whitney was born on December 25, 1829. She married William Heyer of Franklin. She died in 1850. William died in 1889. They had four children: 1) a son who did not live long, 2) Julie Elizabeth Heyer, 3) another son who died as a baby, and 4) Sarah Alison Heyer. We will follow the line of Julie Elizabeth Heyer.
Julie Elizabeth Heyer was born on February 1, 1844. She married Henry Eldred of Sheldon on Nov. 28, 1863. They had three sons: 1) Willie, 2) Fredrick and 3) Meveitt. Our line continues with Fredrick.
Fredrick was born Sept. 30, 1872. He married Lena Davis of Enosburg Falls. They had three daughters: 1) Myrtle Eldred who married Glenn Titemore of Franklin, 2) Gyneth and 3) Helen. (the typist of this document).
A descendent in this line who is still living in Franklin is Harland Titemore, the son of Glenn and Myrtle (Eldred) Titemore.
The Oliver and Abigail (Crampton) Whitney Line
The Whitneys (Bartholomew I., John K., and Alloway) first settled in the northeast section of the Town of Franklin. This is the area where Carl and Nara (Whitney) Emery lived, where Middle Benjamin owned, where Carole (Benjamin) Maschevrault and her children now live and
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where the Ford-Scott family lived a long time and now owned by Renwick Scott's widow, Frances (Daughtrey) Scott.
The Franklin Whitneys all lived a "stone's throw" from the East Franklin Union Church and the East Franklin School in this little village, the metropolis of Franklin Town East.
Oliver Whitney, the son of Silas and Jane (Pearson) Whitney, was born in Princeton, Mass. on Stepember 30, 1764. He married Abigail Crampton. They resided in Winchendon, Mass., Rindge, N. H., and Clarendon, Vt. They had five children: 1) Oliver, Jr. who married Rebecca Leonard, 2) Bartholomew who married a) Sarah Safford and b) Fidelia F. Holmes, 3) John who married Lucy Leonard, 4) Abigail who married Nathan Whitney, and 5) Huldah, who married Peabody Babcock. The line will follow that of Bartholomew.
Capt. Bartholomew Whitney was born in Clarendon, Vt., on December 30, 1792. He married at Frelighsburg, P. Q. 1) Sarah Safford, b. April 2, 1792, d. Feb. 6, 1854; m. 2) Sept. 1, 1854, to Fidelia Holmes, b. Feb. 19, 1832, d. Nov. 4, 1890. Bartholomew went from Clarendon, Vt. in 1812 and settled in Franklin in the same state. He was a farmer and hotel keeper on the province line. He was captain of the local militia company, and received his commission from Robert Skinner, Governor of Vermont, in 1823. He was quite popular and was offered the colonelcy of his regiment but declined. He died June 26, 1860. Res. Swanton and Franklin, Vt. Bartholomew and Sarah had seven children: 1) Alloway who married Lorinda Pratt and Elizabeth Dewing, 2) Bartholomew, Jr. who married Sarah Towle Pearson, 3) Azuba who married Freeman Bridge, 4) Harriet Ellen who married Towle Pearson, 5) Elvira who married Richard Rogers and Robert Stanhope, 6) Curtis and 7) Sarah Paulina who married Rufus Rogers. For this Whitney line we will follow the line of Alloway.
Alloway was born in Swanton on March 23, 1814. He was a child at the time the British under Gen. Prevost were defeated at Plattsburgh, N. Y. He was a farmer and resided in Franklin. He owned a large amount of real estate, was educated in French, and spoke it almost perfectly. He married 1) Lorinda Pratt, b. July 18, 1824, d. March 4, 1852. They had two children: 1) Mary E., b. Feb. 14, 1846 and married Daniel Chamberlain and 2) Eunice Ellen, b. Dec. 28, 1847, and married Hartson Woodard, an attorney. Alloway married 2) Elizabeth Dewing on July 21, 1852. They had three children: 1) Adolphus D., b. Oct. 15, 1855, and married Maria Colcord, 2) Louisa S., b. June 14, 1857 and married Sanford Armstrong and 3) Elnora B., b. Feb. 27, 1865 and married Carl Emery.
Alloway and Elizabeth (Dewing) Whitney bought the farm on the corner of the East Franklin-Pond Road. The farm was eventually sold to the present owner, N. James Benjamin.
To continue the line of Alloway Whitney, I will follow the descendant, Adolphus Dewing Whitney. He was born in St. Armand, P. Q. on Oct. 15, 1855. He married in East Franklin, Vt. on Oct. 20, 1875 to Maria M. Colcord, b. Aug. 8, 1856. Adolphus Dewing Whitney lived in Franklin, and was educated in the common schools and Vermont Methodist Seminary. Adolphus and Maria had five children, the last two were tiwns. The children were: 1) Harlow A., b. Nov. 17, 1877, 2) Charles b. Aug. 1, 1879, 3) Joseph H., b. Jan. 30, 1890, 4) Foster Clement, b. July 25, 1892 and 5) Helen, b. July 25, 1892.
Adolphus Dewing Whitney and his mother, Elizabeth Dewing Whitney deeded the land owned by Elizabeth and Alloway in the northeast corner of Franklin to Elnora Whitney Emery. She had married Carl Emery of Sheldon. He was a lay preacher, very religious but no farmer. They managed to hang on to the farm till both of them died. They had no children but cared for state wards for which they received small pay. Carl died in 1930 and Elnora died in 1935.
The Hon. John K. and Philura (Hubbard) Whitney Line
Hon. John K., son of Oliver and Rebecca (Leonard) Whitney and Philura (Hubbard) Whitney had eight children: 1) Sarah Rebecca who died young, 2) Helen I., who married Artemas Holden, 3) Orloff H. (died young), 4) Orloff H. who married Cordelia Whitney, 5) Sarah Rebecca who married Harrison Ford, 6) Philura A. who died young, 7) Philura A. who married W. P. Olmstead and 8) John who maried Annie Colcord. John K. and Philura took up land in the northeast corner of the town right near the Canadian border. The home farm is where Duane Sweet keeps his cows now. The house burned.
John and Philura's fourth child, Orloff, and brother of Sarah Rebecca Whitney, was born in 1839. He married Cordelia Whitney. Both were born in Franklin. At the beginning of the Civil War, Orloff enlisted with Ransom Guards of St. Albans, at the first call for three months' term. Succeeding this he enlisted with the nine months' men in the fall of 1862, as adjutant. In March 1863 he was made captain of Co. H. 13th Vt. Regiment. He was afterward taken sick and died June 2, 1863, in a hospital at Alexandria, Va. Orloff and Cordelia had one daughter, Helen C., b. Jan. 23, 1863, not quite six months old when her father died. Helen was married on Jan. 22, 1890 to Olin Merrill of Enosburg Falls. They had one daughter, Annie Frances, b. Nov. 13, 1892.
The Hon. Bartholomew Whitney Line
Bartholomew II, son of Capt. Bartholomew and Sarah (Safford) Whitney, was born in Franklin on Mar. 8, 1826. He was married on Nov. 3, 1847 in Franklin to Sarah
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Towle Pearson, b. Nov. 10, 1826. Bartholomew always resided in Franklin. Having obtained a common school education, he entered Bakersfield Academy where he graduated. He early joined the M. E. Church in which he was a steward for over thirty years. He was entrusted with all the town offices and in 1880 was unanimously elected a member of the Vermont Legislature at Montpelier. He and Sarah owned eighty acres of land on Whitney Hill (T.H. #29) which they bought from H. H. Bowman and sixty acres of land adjoining the first Calvin Hammond farm. He died Oct. 16, 1893. Bartholomew II and Sarah had six children:
1) William Arnold, b. Mar. 4, 1849; m. Elma Hurlburt.
2) Florence Elizabeth, b. Apr. 11, 1852, m. H. G. Spradling of Sheldon.
3) Herbert E., b. July 8, 1854; m. Ida M. Stowe.
4) Dorothy May, b. May 25, 1857; m. 1) Herman Ebrick and 2) Will Freer of Richford. Dorothy became known as Dora.
Stephen Bart, b. Nov. 25, 1860, m. Addie Parmelia Chaffee of Bershire. They had a farm of 250 acres.
Marion Gertrude, b. June 2, 1864; m. Edward Chamberlin. She was always called Minnie. Res. East Franklin.
We will follow the lines of William Arnold and Stephen Bart.
The William Arnold Whitney Line
William Arnold Whitney was born on Mar. 4, 1849 in Franklin. He was married on May 15, 1872 to Elma Hurlburt of Sheldon. William was a farmer, owned an extensive farm and was highly respected in the community. He was entrusted with nearly all the town offices of his fellow citizens. He was prominent in church and all benevolent work. He resided in Sheldon and Bakersfield. William Arnold and Elma Whitney's children were:
1) Edward O., b. July 6, 1873; d. Nov. 18, 1885.
2) Ellen G., b. Sept. 29, 1874; m. Carmi Lathrop Towle.
3) Morton H., b. July 21, 1876.
4) Wayland A., b. Feb. 11, 1879, d. Nov. 18, 1885.
5) Halbert E., b. June 5, 1881; m. Reba Ford.
6) Wilmer C., b. Dec. 9, 1888.
7) Flora Belle, b. Dec. 9, 1888.
Halbert married Reba Ford. She died leaving Faith, Harold, and one and one-half-year-old Hazel. The two older children were brought up by the grandparents, William Arnold and Elma (Hurlburt) Whitney. Aunt Ellen (Whitney) Towle brough up Hazel.
[Note by Ted Whitney, a descendant: "Faith and Harold were brought up by my great uncle and aunt Wilmer Clayton Whitney and Jessie (Barnes) Whitney, not William Albert. Halbert remarried."]
Hazel Whitney married Guy N. Westcot. They have one daughter and three sons: 1) Sylvia who married Francis Lador and lives in Reading; 2) James who does construction work and lives in Baltimore, Maryland; 3) Rachel who runs the farm in Franklin; and 4) David who is a U. S. mail carried in West Hartford, Connecticut.
The Stephen Bartholomew Whitney Line
Stephen Bartholomew Whitney, known as Stephen Bart, the fifth child of Hon. Bartholomew and Sarah Towle (Pearson) Whitney, was born on Nov. 25, 1860. He was married on Apr. 11, 1883 in West Berkshire to Addie Parmelia Chaffee, b. Jan. 18, 1866. Stephen Bart was born in Franklin and lived on the farm previously owned by his father. Stephen was greatly interested in religious work, was steward of the M. E. Church, president of the Epworth League and prominent in all church matters. He and Addie had three children:
1) Cora Leona, b. Jan. 10, 1885; m. Blaize Croft. They lived in Enosburg Falls. Their children were: Ellen, Bernice, Albert, Florence, Ronald and Orman.
2) Bernice Evelyn, b. Nov. 30, 1889; m. Arlan Towle. They had three children: Helen (Towle) Wright, Clenn Towle now of Underhill and Arlan Stanley Towle of St. Albans. Helen Towle married Neil Wright. They had 3 children: 1) Arlene (Wright) Sargent who lives in Cairo, New York, 2) Lauren and 3) Megan who lives in Texas. Helen and Lauren still live in Franklin. Helen winters with her daughter, Arlene, in Cairo, New York.
3) Wesley Ray, b. Aug. 28, 1892; m. Glensa Titemore. They had four children: 1) Carlton, 2) Melba, 3) Arnold who lost his life in World War II. Hew was on a battleship that sank in the Pacific, and 4) Beulah who lived in southern Vermont. Ray was a U. S. postal officer for many years.
Stephen Bart always had good driving horses. He wanted to visit one of his friends one day so drove one of his spirited horses. As they were nearing the friend's home, the horse became frightened at a piece of machinery as they passed the sod shed. The horse jumped and somehow Mr. Whitney was thrown out of the buggy and was killed. This happened in 1922.
Addie (Chaffee) Whitney was a domenstic nurse, caring for mothers and newborn babies. She worked in homes where some extra help was needed to care for a sick person. Eventually the Whitney farm was sold to settle the estate and to take care of Addie in her old age. Wilbur and Winnie (Jones) Towle bought the farm.
Source of the material on the early Whitney lines:
Pierce, Frederick Clifton, Whitney: The Descendants of John Whitney Who Came From London, England, to Watertown, Massachusetts in 1635, W. B. Conkey, Chicago, Ill., 1896.
Copyright © 2005, 2006, The Whitney Research Group
