Archive:Our Pioneer Families
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Our Pioneer Families: Genealogies of Whitney, Groathouse and Lignitz, by Vivian Gail Morrow Wade.
Title page, 50, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 76, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 107, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 120, 120(a), 120(b), 122.
Transcriber's Note: The original of this book has many errors: typographical, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, and so on. I have not tried to correct any of them.
[Title page]
Genealogies of Whitney, Groathouse and Lignitz
Researched and Compiled by
Vivian Gail Morrow Wade
[p. 50]
John, the first American Immigrant Whitney, son of Thomas Whitney, was born in 1589 in Isleworth Parish, not far from London; by the Thames River. John married Elinor and began their family in 1619.
In April 1635; John, his wife, Elinor and five sons booked passage to America. The ship was the Elizabeth and Ann with Roger Cooper, The ships Master. John was 56 years old; Elinor quite a few years younger. After they landed in the new land (1635) Joshua was born at Watertown, Massachusetts Colony.
Studying the usual reasons for most of the people leaving for the new world, we find neither religion, freedom of persons, or political reasons, to have made John decide to come to the new world and it's hardships. They already had wealth and position in the land where they lived. Maybe it was the adventure in his character. However, it could have been the promise of the vast lands to be claimed for the working.
Elinor b. 1599- died in 1659, but John lived until the age of 85. He remarried to Judah Clements on 29 Sept 1659. On June 1, 1673, John also succumbed leaving his worldly goods to his sons, that by now totaled eight. This included 212 acres. John had been a tax collector, constable and statesman in the Colony. The Whitneys were a prominent family in the Colony. The Whitney boys had by this time married and started their own families. Benjamin had sold his portion of his Dad's estate to Joshua, before his father's death and with his approval, as he moved to Harvard with his wife and couldn't care for his Father until his death as requested. They became very famous and well known throughout the manufacturing industry, arts, music, railroads, mining, schools, politicians, bankers, professors, farmers, ministers; the list goes on and on:
Following is a schedule of John and Elinor, their sons, and their descendents:
[p. 53]
BEFORE 1602-- The territory of Maine belonged to the savages and beasts. It was 1603 before civilized man arrived. Bartholomew Gosnold, an English navigator, was the first to see and chart; but he made an error in his charting concerning the altitude of the points of land. However he received much respect for his work. The honor of discovery went to Martin Pring in 1603.
In the beginning Maine was a part of the Massachusettes territory, along with other portions of states.
Gorham was first settled in 1740-the first baptist church in Gorham was built in 1768. In 1796 it appears that the population was not in fellowship in the church and they probably became freewill baptists. It is quite certain that they never became of any associational body to the baptist church.
A small baptist church was organized in Hollis--formerly Phillipsburg on August 20, 1805 (not our town of Phillips).
The first permanent settlement in Maine was in Saco; in 1623, and the first seat of Government in the Province.
It is quite evident that the Whitney family was not coming to America in hardship or because of repression. They had both title and wealth. Therefore we must look to the other reasons. It could be adventure and opportunity. For they did prosper in this new land and became known in almost every faucet and field of endeavor.
The puritan's were the ones who came over as the reli- gious pioneers who really were set out to make changes in the government of holy organization of the churches. However, they found the long arm of the King still had influence on their lives. If the hardships of life in the new colony had not been so great, they may have dissented sooner and the revolutionary war may have been fought earlier. But as it was, it took so much of their time and energy just to stay warm, fed and housed; they had little time left. Most of the early settlements were on the coast and when they started spreading out, they used the many waterways because of the rough terrain. The rough land and many trees and shrubbery made it difficult to make roads for land passage. The winters were harsh and there were alot of marshy areas inland and around the coastline. However, the determination and hard work of the immigrants conquered the land, savages and the beasts.
references: Williamsons history of Maine, Vol.1- Bancrofts history
of America Vol 1- Microfilm-Baptists in Maine-LDS, Salt Lake, UT.
[p. 54]
JOHN WHITNEY b. 1589, in Isleworth Parish, England; d. 1 June 1673, Watertown, Massachusetts Colony- U.S.A. m. Elinor b. 1599, d. 11 May 1659 in Watertown, Mass. Colony, U.S.A.--
Children:
1- John b. 1620, London, England, married Ruth Reynolds in 1642,
Watertown, Mass. John was baptized 14 Sept. 1621 in Isleworth
Parish, near London, d. 12 Oct 1692 in Watertown, Mass.
Ruth is daughter of Robert Reynolds of Watertown, Mass.
children:
a- John b. 17 Sept. 1643, Watertown, Mass.
b- Ruth b. 15 April 1645, Watertown, m. John Shattuck
c- Nathaniel b. 1 Feb 1646-7, Watertown, Mass.
d- Samuel b. 28 July 1648, Watertown
e- Mary b. 29 April 1650, Watertown
f- Joseph b. 15 Jan 1651-2, Watertown
g- Sarah b. 17 March 1653, Watertown, m. Daniel Harrington
h- Elizabeth b. 9 June 1656, Watertown, m. Daniel Warren
i- Hannah never married
j- Benjamin b. 28 June 1660, Watertown, Mass..
2- Richard b. 6 Jan. 1624(26), London, m. Martha Caldam 19 March 1651, Watertown, Mass. Moved to Stowe in 1681.
children:
a- Sarah b. 17 Nov 1652, Watertown, Mass.
b- Moses b. 1 Aug 1655, Watertown
c- Joanna b. 16 Jan 1656, Watertown, Mass.
d- Rebecca b. 15 Dec 1659, Watertown,; d. Feb 1660
e- Richard b. 13 Jan 1660, Watertown, m. Elizabeth Sawtell
d. 15 Dec. 1723: Elizabeth b. 3 Feb 1668, Groton, Mass.
d. 24 Nov 1723 at Stowe, Mass; dau. of Jonathan Sawtell.
children:
1- Richard
2- Jonathan(became a Deacon) b. 26 Feb 1699, Stowe, Mass;
m. Alice Willard on 29 Jan 1718; d. 8 Nov 1773.
3- Joshua
4- Ruhamah
[p. 55]
5- Sarah
6- Hannah
7- Elizabeth
8- Hepzibah
f- Elisha b. 26 Aug 1662, Watertown, Mass
g- Ebenezer b. 30 June 1612, Watertown, Mass, m. Anna
h- Deborah b. 12 Oct 1658, Watertown, Mass.
3- Nathaniel b. 1627, London, England NFK
4- Thomas b. 1629, London, England, m. Mary Kendall or Kettle;
on 11 January 1654, Watertown, Mass. d. 20 Sept 1719, at
Watertown, Mass
children:
a- Thomas b. 24 Aug 1656, Watertown, Mass
b- Mary b. 22 Dec 1663, Watertown, Mass. d. young
c- John b. 9 May 1659, Watertown d. young
d- John b. 22 Aug 1661, Watertown, Mass; d. 26 Aug 1661
e- Eleazer (twin) b. 7 April 1662, Watertown
f- Elnathan (twin) b. 7 April 1662, Watertown
g- Bezaleil b. 16 Sept 1665, Watertown,
h- Sarah b. 23 Mar 1667, Watertown, Mass m. Charles Chadwick
i- Mary b. 6 Aug 1668, Watertown, d. 16 Sept 1669
j- Isaiah b. 16 Sept 1671, Watertown m. Sarah Woodward, dau.
of George Woodward, (widow of Joseph Eddy) They had 7
children: John, Isaiah, John, Nathaniel, Sarah, Elizeh, &
Jonas.
k- Martha b. 30 Jan 1673-4, Watertown, never married
5- Jonathan b. 1634, England; m. Lydia Jones on 30 October, 1656 in Watertown, Mass; d. Dec. 1702 at Sherbourne, Mass. second wife was Jane, last name unknown.
children:
[p. 56]
a- Lydia b. 3 July 1657, Watertown, Mass m. Moses Adams
b- Jonathan b. 20 Oct 1658, Watertown, Mass
c- Anna b. 28 April 1660, Watertown, Mass; m. Cornelius Fisher
d- John b. 27 June 1662, Watertown
e- Josiah b 19 May 1664, Watertown, Mass
f- Eleanor b. 12 Oct 1666, Sherborne, Mass; d. 23 Nov 1678
g- James b. 25 Nov 1668, Sherborne ; d. 30 Nov 1690
h- Isaac b. 12 Jan 1670, Sherborne; d. 2 Dec 1690
i- Joseph b. 10 March 1672, Sherborne,
j- Abigail b 18 Aug 1675, Sherborne
k- Benjamin b 6 Jan 1678, Sherborne m. Mercy Travis on
24 Oct 1700.
6- Joshua b. 5 July 1635, Watertown, Mass. Colony, m. 1672 to Lydia, Watertown, Mass. 2nd wife--Mary d. 17 March 1671, 3rd wife- Abigail Tarbell. m. 30 Sept. 1672. Joshua was the pioneer settler in town of Groton, Mass.; he died 7 Aug. 1719 in Groton.
children:
a- Hannah m. Thomas Woods - had 4 children
b- Joshua b. 14 June 1666, Groton
c- Sarah b. 10 Oct 1668, Groton; m. Nathaniel Jewell (Juell)
on 11 July 1704
children:
1- Sarah b. 24 July 1711
2- Abigail b 3 Nov 1718
d- Abigail m. John Hutchins - had 5 children
e- Mary b. 1 July 1675, Groton, Mass. m. Ephraim Pierce
and had 9 children.
f- William b. 28 Feb 1677-8, Groton
g- Cornelius
h- David
i- Martha m. Isaac Williams and had 8 children
j- Elizabeth m. Eben Farnsworth and had 8 children
k- Eleanor m. Mr. Sheppard
[p. 57]
7- Caleb b. 12 July 1640, d. 17 July 1643(40) at Watertown, Mass.
8- Benjamin b. 6 June 1643, Watertown, Mass, m. Jane who died
14 Nov 1690, at York, Maine. rem. Mary Poor on 11 April 1695.
Mary was from Marlboro, Middlesex County, Mass.. First seven
children from first m. and two from second marriage. Benjamin
d. in 1723 at Sherbourne, Mass.
children:
a- Jane b. 20 Sept 1669, Watertown, Mass, m. Jonathan Morse on
4 Jan 1693 at Sherbourne. had 6 children
b- Timothy b. York Maine
c- John b. 1678, York, m. Letty Ford
children:
1- Mary
2- Samuel a revolutionary soldier
3- Elizabeth
4- Hannah
5- Mercy
6- Mehitable
7- John
8- Benjamin b. 22 May 1725, York m. Mercy Hinckley, d.8 Nov 1797
Mercy was b. 23 Oct 1734 at Brunswick Maine d. 13 Nov 1814.
She came from a wealthy, prominent family.
children:
a- Abraham b. 1752 m. Ophia Coombs
b- Isaac settled in Little River
c- Jacob b. 11 June 1763, Lisbon, Maine m. Hannah Mills'
ran a grist mill and was a miller- a revolutionary soldier.
settled Phillips in 1792 with a brother, Joseph. d. Phillips
in May, 1846. Hannah was b. 18 July 1760.
children:
1- Mary M. b. 17 June 1788, Lisbon, ME; d. 25 Mar 1790
[p. 58]
2- James M. b. 9 Oct 1790, Lisbon, ME, m. Hinckley, was in the war of 1812, lived Phillips and Appleton, Wisc.
children:
a- Hannah b. Appleton Wisc.
b- James. b. Wisc.
c- Jacob b. Phillips
d- Isaac b. Phillips
e- Abraham b. 1 April 1817, m. Mary Wilbur
3- Christopher A. b. 3 April 1793, Phillips, ME; m. Adeline Howard on 1 June 1823. HE was first Whitney born in Phillips Maine! d. 23 Aug 1869, Tomah, Wisc. Adeline b. 1803 d. 1883 at Black River Falls, Wisc.
children:
a- Rufus Greenleaf b. 17 Nov 1823, Phillips, ME; m.
Sarah Gilman on 27 Sept 1847. d. 19 Feb 1910 at
Cambridge, Maine.
son: Dudley Bart Whitney b. 28 March 1856, Phillips
d. 7 March 1939, Cambridge, Maine, married Lena
Genthner b. 19 Oct 1869, Parkman, Maine, d. 7 May 1950.
Cambridge, ME.
son: Raymond C. Whitney b. 25 June 1895, Cambridge.
m. Bernice Lord b. 9 May 1896
son: Robert L. Whitney b. 2 July 1926, Cambridge
m. Betty Norton b. 26 Oct 1925, Mandan, N. Dak.
children:
Rick m. Barbara
Carol m. Larry Oliva
Barbara m. Mark McKusick
b- Samuel W. b. 1826, Phillips m. Elvira Harden 1857;
d. 1906. Elvira b. 1841 d. 1875.
c- Daniel b. Phillips
[p. 59]
d- Benjamin b. Phillips, m. Huldah Sweetser
e- Louise
f- Naomi b. Phillips m. George Prescott
g- Edward
h- Lucette
i- Atwood
4- Patience W., b. 26 Feb 1795, Phillips
5- Joseph S., b. 26 June 1797, Phillips; d. before 1 Aug 1807
6- John H. , b. 5 Nov 1801, Phillips
7- Joseph S., b. 1 Aug 1807, Phillips
d- Nathaniel b. 14 April 1680, York, ME; m. Sarah Ford of York, ME; He was a Weaver and had a mill. At one time owned Sunken Marsh Maine. In 1703 joined forces to defend ~against Indians commanded by Cpt. Preble. Sarah was the dau. of John Ford. Nathaniel died in Gorham, Maine.
children:
1- Lydia d. 14 July 1720
2- Lydia b. 22 July 1726 d. 23 March 1727
3- Naham b. 10 Jan 1706, York m. Lydia Young on 12 Nov. 1730,
she d. 1751.
4- Nathaniel b. 12 Dec 1709, York m. Molly Day; d. 1804 at
Gorham.
children:
a- Moses b. 1739 m. Molly Page 2nd Abigail
b- Natham
c- Josiah m. Hannah Barstow
d- Aaron
e- Asa b. Dec 1754 m. Flora 2nd Phebe Hawkins
f- Abel m. Thankful Morton
5- Abel b. 23 July 1712 at York, ME m. 28 Nov 1735 at York to Mary Crane (Cram) dau. of Nicolas Crane (Cram)
children:
[p. 60]
a- Joanna b. 10 Oct 1756, York, ME
b- Moses b. 17 Feb 1737, York
c- Joseph b. 1 March 1739, York
d- Daniel b. 7 Sept 1741, d. before 1754
e- Joel b. 21 May 1743, York m. Mary Weston
d. 1789, Buried South side of Chandlers River
Joel Whitney very prominent in area. Left large
estate of land, mills and other property to son
Ephraim to manage.
children:
1- Hannah b. Chandlers River, Ma.' (first child
born there in settlement-now called Jonesboro
2- Ephraim (Captain) b. 7 Nov 1770. Chandler River,
Ma, m. Sarah Noyes on 9 July 1794.
He was Captain of Military Co. for years, a rep-
resenative of General Court of Ma., for ten
succesive years, assossor of the town of Jonesboro,
selectman, treasurer and agent of the town, Post-
master for several years. He held first town
meeting on 27 March 1809, was a member of Consti-
tutional Convention held in 1820 to frame the
constitution of Maine. Represented the town of
Jonesboro in state legislature into the statehood
Was a representative of the state into legislature.
children:
a- Gustavus Fellows b. 8 June 1822 m. Hannah Libby
b- Mary
c- Betsey
d- Berick m. Lucy Hall
e- Phoebe
f- Joel
g- Sophia
h- Ann
i- Nancy
j- Porter
k- Josiah
1- Clara
m- Sarah b. Jonesboro m. John Fogg children:
Mariam and Laura Helen
Copyright © 1999, 2006, The Whitney Research Group
