Family:Whitney, George (1804-1842)

Rev. George⁸ Whitney (Peter⁷, Peter⁶, Aaron⁵, Moses⁴, Moses³, Richard², John¹), son of Peter⁷ and Jane Lambert (Lincoln) Whitney, was born 2 Apr [Pierce] or 2 Jul 1804, Quincy, MA,^[1] and died 2 Apr 1842, Roxbury, MA, aged 38 years, of bilious fever.^[2]

He married, 15 Dec 1829, Roxbury, MA, Anne Greenough Gray,^[3] only daughter of Rev. Dr. Thomas and Deborah (-----) Gray. She was born 5 Jan 1800, Roxbury, MA, and died 20 Aug 1873, West Roxbury, MA, aged 73 years 7 months 15 days, of diphtheria.^[4]

He was born in Quincy, MA, educated there, graduated at college, studied theology and was settled in West Roxbury over Theodore Parker's Church, the First Parish Church of West Roxbury, more popularly known as Theodore Parker's church. It is a relic of ante-revolutionary times, is now past its days of service and remains as an historic landmark. The society was organized in 1712 and in 1773 the church was built, being the second Unitarian church of Boston, the first one having stood for some years previous in Roxbury. During the twenties and the early thirties the congregation was served by Mr. Whitney, and he is described as bright and pleasing, fond of children, and a good preacher; he quite won the heart of the child of one of his parishioners, who is now (1894) a white-haired old lady, by giving her free access to his library, with permission to use any book it contained. It is almost the only memory she retains of him, but it still brings a glow to her cheek when she peaks of it, for in those days when books were few and not easily obtained, such a privilege was rare and accordingly appreciated. When Mr. Whitney resigned his pastorate to go as assistant to his father-in-law, Rev. Dr. Gray, a minister in Jamaica Plain, his congregation deeply regretted it, for in their church he had been ordained, and they had been his first charge. The few remaining members of that old congregation remember him kindly, but around the name of Theodore Parker cluster the sweetest flowers of their memories, of him they speak most tenderly and with tearful eyes. To them he was an ideal man. He was Mr. Whitney's immediate successor, coming in the summer of 1837.

Children of George⁸ and Anne Greenough (Gray) Whitney:

i.	Elizabeth Eustis9 Whitney, b. Sep 1830; bapt. 7 Nov 1830, Roxbury, MA;[5] d. 26 Apr 1834, Roxbury, MA, aged 3 years 7 months, of whooping cough.[6]
ii.	Anne Gray Whitney, b. 14 Jun 1832, Roxbury, MA; bapt. 29 Jul 1832, Roxbury, MA;[7] d. 4 Jan 1864, Astoria, NY; m. 9 Nov 1859, West Roxbury, MA, Paschal W. Turney, b. ca. 1821, New York, NY,[8] d. 23 Oct 1875. Mr. Turney was born in New York City, being almost the youngest child of a family of eleven children. At the age of fourteen he went to work as an office boy in the law office of Graham, Hoffman & Bosworth. The business of this firm was carried on through many changes of name, until before his death Mr. Turney found himself the leading member. Through perseverance and hard work he won a high reputation in the legal profession, and was looked upon as an authority on all real estate matters. He had the care of large estates as trustee, and was a conservative investor. Mr. Turney was a very quiet man of domestic habits and very fond of his friends and his friends of him. He also was of a benevolent disposition and there were many recipients of his charity. He was a great reader and collected quite a large library of standard works. He himself has said that he read all the books in his father's house (a small book-case full) before he was thirteen years old. He received a good common school education, and though he never attended college, was considered a well educated man. He always felt the loss of a college education, though, and the thorough training it gives. In his later years he traveled extensively in Europe. He had the air of a man of the world combined with quite gentlemanly habits. He was one of the founders of the Century club of New York. Mr. Turney lived in New York City in his younger days, going at the age of fourteen to live in Mr. Graham's house, the senior member of the firm he was with. He married late in life and continued to live in New York for a year or two, when he moved to Astoria, Long Island, where his children were born and his wife died. As a widower with one child he continued to live in the house in Astoria until his death. Children: a. Winthrop Turney, b. 12 Dec 1864, address 55 Liberty St., New York City, was born in Astoria, Long Island, in the house in which he at present resides. He studied under governesses until he was thirteen, when he was sent away to school and college. He graduated from Yale college in 1888, and from the Yale law school in 1890. After serving a clerkship in Syracuse, NY, with the law firm of Stone, Gannon, & Petit, he opened an office for himself in New York City, where he is now practicing law at 119 and 121 Nassau St. b. Ahee Gray Turney, b. 18 Aug 1863; d. same day.
iii.	George Harrison Gray Whitney, b. 22 May 1835; bapt. 12 Jul 1835, Roxbury, MA;[9] m. Lucinda Chapman Collins
iv.	Caroline Baker Whitney, b. 8 Apr 1838, Roxbury, MA; bapt. 3 Jun 1838, Roxbury, MA;[10] d. 30 Nov 1906, Boston, MA, aged 68 years 7 months 22 days, of insanity;[11] m. 8 or 18 Nov 1862, West Roxbury, MA, William Furness Cabot, b. 17 Jan 1835, Philadelphia, PA, son of Frederick and Marian (-----) Cabot;[12] d. 12 Nov 1891; dry goods commission merchant, s.p.; resided Jamaica Plain, MA.
v.	Edward Herbert Whitney, b. 14 Sep 1841; bapt. 25 Nov 1841, Roxbury, MA;[13] m.(1) Annie H. Fairbanks; m.(2) Jennie R. Robinson.

Census

• 1830: not found.
• 1840, Roxbury, Norfolk Co., MA: George Whitney, 1 male 30-39, 1 male 20-29, 1 male 10-14, 1 male 0-4, 2 females 50-59, 1 female 40-49, 1 female 5-9, and 1 female 0-4; 2 engaged in learned professions.
• 1850, Roxbury, Norfolk Co., MA:

2335 3102 Ann G. Whitney 50 M - Mass. Ann G. " 18 F - " Caroline " 12 F - " Attended school Herbert " 8 M - " Attended school

• 1850, son George not found.
• 1855, West Roxbury Ward 1, Norfolk Co., MA:

42 51 Ann G. Whitney 50 F - Mass. Anna G. Whitney 20 F - " Caroline B. Whitney 17 F - " Herbert Whitney 13 M - " Sarah Folsom 60 F - " Ellen Hurley 23 F - Ireland

• 1860, Roxbury, Norfolk Co., MA:

961 1049 Edwd. H. Whitney 19 M - Salesman Mass. Caroline B. " 22 F - " Ann G. " 60 " - " Margaret Jordan 20 " - Servant Ireland

• 1870, West Roxbury, Norfolk Co., MA:

671 794 Cabot, William F. 35 M W Dry Goods Dealer $15000 Pennsylvania Male citizen over 21 -----, Caroline B. 32 F W Keeping House $10000 -- Massachusetts Whitney, Anne G. 70 F W No Occupation $5000 Massachusetts Brannon, Margaret 28 F W Domestic Servant Ireland Parents foreign born, Illiterate Kerrigan, Bridget 25 F W Domestic Servant Ireland Parents foreign born, Illiterate

References

• All data imported from Frederick Clifton Pierce, The Descendants of John Whitney, Who Came from London, England, to Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1635, (Chicago: 1895), pp. 481-482.

1.^  "George Whitney, son of Revd. Peter Whitney and Jane his wife, b. 2 Jul 1804," according to Quincy vital records.

2.^  "George [Whitney], Rev. [bilious fever. C.R.3.], [died] Apr. 2, 1842, a. 38 y.," according to Vital Records of Roxbury, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 (Salem, MA: Essex Institute, 1925-1926). Also, "Rev. George Whitney, Junior, pastor of the Unitarian Society in that place, a native of this Town and son of Rev. Peter Whitney, his age was 38 years, d. 2 Apr 1842, in Roxbury," according to Quincy vital records.

3.^  "George [Whitney], of Quincy, and Ann Greenough Gray, [married] Dec. 15, 1829," according to Roxbury Vital Records.

4.^  "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 257, page 340.

5.^  "Elizabeth Eustis [Whitney], d. George and Ann G. G., bp. Nov. 7, 1830. C.R.3," according to Roxbury Vital Records.

6.^  "Elizabeth Eustis [Whitney], d. Rev. George [whooping cough. C.R.2.], [died] Apr. 26, 1834, a. 3 y. 7 m.," according to Roxbury Vital Records.

7.^  "Ann Gray [Whitney], d. George and Ann G. G., bp. July 29, 1832. C.R.2," according to Roxbury Vital Records.

8.^  "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 127, page 216.

9.^  "George Harrison Gray [Whitney], s. Geo[rge] and Ann G. G., bp. July 12, 1835. C.R.2," according to Roxbury Vital Records.

10.^  "Caroline Baker [Whitney], d. George and Ann G. G., bp. June 3, 1838. C.R.2," according to Roxbury Vital Records.

11.^  "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 1906/20, page 305.

12.^  "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 154, page 277.

13.^  "Edward Herbert [Whitney], s. George and Ann G. G., bp. Nov. 25, 1841. C.R.3," according to Roxbury Vital Records.

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