Family:Whitney, Benjamin (c1670-a1760)

Benjamin³ Whitney (Benjamin², John¹), son of Benjamin² and Jane (———) Whitney,^[1] was born circa 1670 at probably York, ME,^[2] and died after 1760, when living at Framingham, MA.^[3]

Benjamin married 7 Aug 1705, Boston, MA, Esther (———) Maverick.^[4] She was born circa 1673, probably Boston, MA,^[5] and died after 10 Sep 1728.^[6]

She had married, before 1693, Framingham, MA, James Maverick,^[7] son of Peter and Martha (Bradford) Maverick,^[8] baptized 25 Apr 1675, Boston, MA,^[9] and died probably about 1695.^[10] James Maverick lived in Winnissimet, MA, and was a ferryman and mariner.

"James Maverick received 15 acres of land by will of his grandfather Elias Maverick, dated 13 Sept. 1681.

"On 16 July 1703 Hester Maverick of Lynn, widow of James Maverick late of Boston, petitioned the Governor and Council for permission to sell a part of her husband's estate on Wing Lane in Boston. She stated that her 'husband did about Eight years Since go out of this Port in a Voyage bound for London, & was then taken by the [F]ffrench, & Since not heard of by any of his Relations, he Left me two Children a boy & a girl, with very Small matters to Support & maintain them'. (Chamberlain's History of Chelsea, pp. 43-45.)

"On 18 June 1718 Hester, wife of Benjamin Whitney, certified to the birth of her two children by her former husband James Maverick, at Winnisimett, Martha, born 17 Apr. 1693, and James, born 2 Oct. 1699. [Footnote: This is error of the recorder, as on 16 July 1703 Hester Maverick testified that her husband had been missing for about eight years.] This was corroborated by Phebe Brentnal, aged 45, and Sarah Eustace, aged 52.^[11]

"BENJAMIN WHITNEY of Framingham, Innholder, drew land in Douglas, 1715. Benjamin and Hester Whitney sell land to bro. Jonathan W., 1718-19, and in 1729 convey estate in Boston, formerly of James M., to her children, James Maverick, and Martha, wife of Thomas Bellows of Southboro."^[12]

"BENJAMIN WHITNEY (Benjamin, John), b. ———; m. in Boston, Aug 7, 1705, Mrs. Esther MAVERICK, wid. of James; for an account of him see Sumner's History of East Boston, 1858. Benjamin and Esther WHITNEY sell land to Bro. Jonathan, 1718, abd in 1729 convey estate in Boston formerly James M. to James, Jr., and Martha, wife of Thomas BELLOWS, of Southboro. Benjamin was an innholder in Framingham and drew land in Douglass in 1715. On Suffold Deeds, vol. 33, p. 15, Hester, wife of Benjamin WHITNEY, certifies to birth of her two children by former husband, James MAVERICK at Winnissimet. Martha, b. April 17, 1698: James b. Oct 2, 1699. Corroborated by Phebe BRENTNAL, aged 45, and Sarah EUSTACE, aged 52, June 18, 1718."^[13]

"On 10 Sept. 1728 Benjamin Whitney, yeoman, and his wife Esther sold to Thomas Bellows, carpenter, and James Maverick, cordwainer, a house and land part of the estate of James Maverick, dec. the former husband of Esther Whitney and father of James Maverick and Martha Bellows wife of Thomas Bellows" (Suffolk Co. LR 46:151).^[14]

"Benjamin, s. of Benjamin 4; innholder; l. Sherb. and Fram. on Mellen's Neck; constable, 1723 ad 25; tythingman, 1726; sold, 1731, to his son, "for love," 40 a. with se. ho., barn. He was l. in F. 1757 and 1760. He m. in Boston, Aug. 7, 1705, Esther Maverick, wid. of James. Chil. Benjamin, b. May 22, 1709 11."^[15]

Child of Benjamin³ and Esther (———)(Maverick) Whitney:

i.	Benjamin⁴ Whitney, b. 22 May 1709, Sherborn, MA;^[16] m. Margaret Sanderson.

References

1.^ His parentage is proven by his sale of land to his brother Jonathan Whitney, as stated in Whitney, Henry Austin, "The Descendants of John and Elinor Whitney, of Watertown, Mass.," NEHGR, vol. XI (1857), p. 117.

2.^ This is an estimate, based largely on the estimated age of his wife.

3.^ Temple says that he was still living in Framingham in 1760.

4.^ "Benjamin [Whitney] and Esther Maverick, [married] Aug. 7, 1705," according to Record Commisioners of the City of Boston, A Report of the Record Commissioners of the City of Boston, Containing the Boston Marriages from 1700 to 1751, vol. 28 (Boston, MA: Rockwell and Churchill, 1898), p. 17.

5.^ We have no clue to her parentage.

6.^ Her age is estimated from the age of her oldest child.

7.^ She was still living when she and her husband conveyed land on that date.

8.^ They were married before the birth of their oldest child.

9.^ Ann Smith Lainhart and Robert S. Wakefield, F.A.S.G., Mayflower Families through Five Generations, Descendants of the Pilgrims who Landed at Plymouth, Mass. December 1620 (Plymouth, MA: General Society of Mayflower Descendants, 2004), vol. 22 (William Bradford), pp. 572-573.

10.^ Greenlaw, William Prescott, "John¹ Maverick and Some of His Descendants," NEHGR, vol. XCVI (1942), p. 364.

11.^ Ibid.

12.^ Ibid. Also, [[Archive:NEHGR, Volume 11|Whitney, Henry Austin, "The Descendants of John and Elinor Whitney, of Watertown, Mass.," NEHGR, vol. XI (1857), p. 225; Suffolk Deeds, vol. 33, p. 15.

13.^ Whitney, Henry Austin, "The Descendants of John and Elinor Whitney, of Watertown, Mass.," NEHGR, vol. XI (1857), p. 117.

14.^ Frederick C. Pierce, The Descendants of John Whitney, Who Came from London, England, to Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1635 (Chicago, IL: The Author, 1895), p. 38.

15.^ Lainhart and Wakefield, loc. cit.

16.^ Josiah Howard Temple, A Genealogical Register of Framingham Families Including All Who Took up Residence in Town Before A.D. 1860, (Framingham, MA: Town of Framingham, 1887), pp. 743.

17.^ "Benjamen [Whitney], s. of Benjamen and Hester, [born] May 22, 1709," according to Baldwin, Thomas W., ed., Vital Records of Sherborn, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 (Boston, MA: 1911), p. 92.