Archive:The Descendants of John Whitney, page 478
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The Descendants of John Whitney, Who Came from London, England, to Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1635, by Frederick Clifton Pierce (Chicago: 1895)
Transcribed by the Whitney Research Group, 1999.
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| 478 | WHITNEY GENEALOGY. |
musical education, under VANNUCINI, the celebrated master of the Royal Opera. This eminent musician, it will be remembered, was the pupil of ROMANI, whose name is become a synonymn for all that is great and honorable in the world of song. In the summer of 1871, partly for the sake of travel and recreation, and partly for professional purposes, Mr. WHITNEY went to London, and was absent about one year, returning in season for the Christmas oratorio of 1872. During a greater portion of this time he was under an engagement to Mr. MAPLESON, of Covent Garden Theater, under whose auspices he appeared in London and the provinces. The engagement opened with a season of seven weeks at Covent Garden, during which he appeared every evening. At the close of this engagement Mr. WHITNEY had the honor of sing- ing in "Elijah" at the great Birmingham Festival. The peculiar interest of this occasion was that he sang from the same stage as that occupied by MENDELSSOHN, when he directed the first production of his immortal work in 1848. Several of the eldest of the choristers, who had assisted in the first performance under MENDELSSOHN, came forward at the close of the oratorio and congratulated Mr. WHITNEY upon his eminent success in the role of "Elijah." He appeared at Oxford university in HAN- DEL'S Acis and Galatea," in which he created a furor in the arduous role of "Polyphe- mus," the music of which is seldom sung as originally written, as HANDEL composed it for an exceptional bass voice. But our basso required no favors in the score, and treated our English cousins to a hearing of this music in the original key, and with All the elaborate fiorituri with which HANDEL embellished it. At the Cincinnati Musical Festival of 1873, Mr. WHITNEY'S already glorious reputation may be said to have culminated, and at its close he stood before our entire people hailed and acknowledged as the greatest living basso speaking and singing in English. This popular verdict has since been affirmed and reaffirmed, and is entirely just and well deserved. Mr. WHITNEY'S reappearance in the west during the early summer of 1874, in Cincinnati and Indianapolis, secured for him still warmer regard. In 1876 he was the principal solo singer at the opening exercises of the Centennial exhibition in Philadelphia. Since that year he has sung in his native country, and has appeared in nearly all the May festivals held in different cities of the Union. For several years he was a member of the Boston Ideal Opera Company. He possesses a fine bass voice of nearly three octaves compass, and is especially noted as an oratorio singer. No man has more friends, both in and out of his profession, and few are more deserving; res. Watertown, Mass., "Hillside ", Palfrey street. 7610. i. WM. LINCOLN, b. Jan. 11, 1861; m. Florence J. ROBERTS. 7611. ii. LIZZIE GERTRUDE, b. July 18, 1862; m. Waldo D. HADSELL. Ch.: Duane Whitney, b. Sept. 30, 1890; Eleanor Gertrude, b. May 2, 1891; Irving Whitney, b. May 14, 1892. 7612. iii. MYRON W., Jr., b. Jan. 15, 1873. He was given an excellent com- mon school education and prepared for college. He graduated at Chauncey Hall school, Boston, with the highest honors as best boy, taking the gold medal for scholarship and conduct. He is at present (1894) in the senior class at Harvard university, and has already begun his musical career. He has a magnifi- cent bass voice, and is destined to make a name and fame for himself. At present he sings in Dr. MINER'S church on Colum- bus Ave., and at the close of his college course will make music his profession. 4353. GEORGE WHITNEY (Joseph Holden, Joel, Jonas, David, Benjamin, John, John), b. Westminster, Mass., Oct. 14, 1822; m. Mar. 31, 1846, Aldice ADAMS; b. Apr. 11, 1828; d. Feb. 18, 1881. He d. Mar. 7, 1880; res. Phillipston, Mass. 7613. i. MALCOM C., b. Dec. 28, 1846; d. Aug. 12, 1849. 7614a. ii. MALCOM R., b. June 14, 1851; m. Catherine L. WOOD. 4357. JUSTIN WHITNEY (Horace, Joel, Jonas, David, Benjamin, John, John), b. at Westminster, July 9, 1831; m. Nov. 2, 1856, Betsey Jane Winchester TAYLOR; b. Sept. 27, 1831; d. Nov. 17, 1863; m. 2d, Feb. 14, 1878, Emma Jane NASH; b. Dec. 5, 1847, The life of Justin WHITNEY, son of Horace and Mary WHITNEY, born in West- minster, Mass., July 9, 1831, is not of moment. At the age of 2 years moved to Hub- bardston, Mass. In 1845 returned to Westminster. In 1849 removed to Gardner, Mass., and engaged in the chair business. In 1852 removed to Leominster, Mass., and engaged in the pianoforte business. In 1857 removed to Boston and engaged in the pianoforte business. In 1868 engaged in the apothecary business in Boston, and still continues therein. Has held and does hold the commissions of a justice of the
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