Family:Whitney, Hezekiah (1767-1839)

Dea. Hezekiah⁶ Whitney (Timothy⁵, Jonas⁴, Moses³, Richard², John¹), son of Timothy⁵ and Alice (Whitney) Whitney.^[1] was born 14 Oct 1766 [Pierce], or 14 Oct 1767, Petersham, MA,^[2] and died 25 Oct 1839, Otis, MA, aged 73 or 74 years.^[3] He was buried in Norton Cemetery, Otis, MA.^[4]

He "of Loudon" married 15 Sep 1790, Sandisfield, MA, Mehitable Haven "of Sandisfield".^[5] She probably was a daughter of Nathan and Tabitha (Sumner) Haven of Sandisfield, MA, since Nathan's mother was named Mehitable, and Tabitha's father was named William. She died -- Aug 1849, Otis, MA, aged 79 years.^[6]

He was a farmer all his life and resided in the east part of Otis, MA. He chronicles the following: "One Sunday, 11 Jul 1819, God visited us with lightning and thunder and destroyed the south part of the house and preserved our lives in the north end of the house." The house was struck by lightning while the family was at prayer one warm Sabbath evening. A curious fact was that every room in the house was damaged but the one occupied by the family at the time. No one was hurt, although his daughter, Julia, was struck to the floor, as she stood near a window. The house is yet standing, I think. He married his wife against the wishes of his father, but he was soon reconciled. "Mehitable was a very handsome girl and remarkably smart." He was a very patient, gentle man, was a deacon in the Presbyterian church. He resided Otis, MA.

Children of Hezekiah⁶ and Mehitable (Haven) Whitney:

i.	Julia Whitney, b. 26 May 1791, Otis, MA;[7] d. 6 Aug 1856, New Boston, MA; m. Jesse Williams; resided Sandisfield, MA. A son, Orville, is a physician.
ii.	Paul7 Whitney, b. 18 Jan 1793, Otis, MA;[8] m.(1) Rebecca Desire Freeman; m.(2) Mrs. Harriett (Wheeler) Roberts.
iii.	Lucy Whitney, b. 22 Nov 1794, Otis, MA;[9] "of Otis" m. 2 Dec 1821, Otis, MA, David J. Chatfield "of Windham, NY".[10]
iv.	Sally Whitney, b. 11 Nov 1796, Otis, MA;[11] m. ("of Otis" int. 18 Nov 1816, Becket, MA[12] and 4 Dec 1816, Otis, MA[13]), John Bowen "of Becket", as his first wife. After her death he married Juliette.
v.	Hezekiah Whitney, b. 29 May 1799, Otis, MA;[14] d. young.
vi.	Haven Whitney, b. 20 Mar 1802 (twin), Otis, MA;[15] d. 21 Mar 1802, Otis, MA.[16]
vii.	Mehitable Whitney, b. 20 Mar 1802 (twin), Otis, MA;[17] d. 10 Mar 1803, Otis, MA.[18]
viii.	Hezekiah Whitney, b. 4 Sep 1803 (twin), Otis, MA;[19] d. Buffalo, NY, unmarried.
viii.	Juliette Whitney, b. 4 Sep 1803 (twin), Otis, MA;[20] m. ca. 1821, John Bowen as his second wife.
ix.	Mehitable Havens Whitney, b. 13 Jul 1804, Otis, MA;[21] m.(1) 6 Oct 1831, Otis, MA, Nathan Smith of Sandisfield;[22] m.(2) ----- Galpin. Had 2 sons. Mehitable Whitney, daughter of Hezekiah Whitney, was a small, frail woman, waist measure when a girl less than eighteen inches; her whole figure well proportioned. Yet this frail, little woman, once in winter when the deep snow made stout men wait before braving it, found the supply of fuel almost gone and her father too ill to go for any. She donned her father's coat and trousers, boots and mittens, yoked the oxen, and with shovel to help clear away the snow, went into the woods alone, cut down, drew home, and cut for the fire wood enough to last till her father was well again.
x.	Tabitha Sumner Whitney, b. 20 May 1806, Otis, MA;[23] m. 18 Sep 1828, Amenia, NY, John Bowen as his third wife.
xi.	William Haven Whitney, b. 12 Mar 1809, Otis, MA;[24] d. 14 Sep 1809, Otis, MA.[25]
xii.	Hannah Clark Whitney, b. 18 Jul 1811, Otis, MA;[26] m. 7 Feb 1835, Otis, MA, Isaac Wadsworth Snow "both of Otis";[27] resided Otis.

Notes

For a full discussion of his birthdate, see "The Children of Timothy and Alice Whitney: Names and Birthdates, by Willard S. Moore.

If Mehitable Haven's parentage is correct as stated above, then she is a descendant of two Mayflower passengers:

1. Thomas Rogers of the Mayflower, m. Alice Cosford
2. Joseph Rogers, m. Hannah -----
3. Elizabeth Rogers, m. Jonathan Higgins
4. Joseph Higgins, m. Ruth -----
5. Beriah Higgins, m. Desire Cooke
6. Desire Higgins, m. Hezekiah Sumner
7. Tabitha Sumner, m. Nathan Haven
8. (prob.) Mehitable Haven, m. Hezekiah Whitney

and

1. Stephen Hopkins of the Mayflower, m.(1) Mary -----
2. Giles Hopkins, m. Catherine Whelden
3. Deborah Hopkins, m. Josiah Cooke
4. Josiah Cooke, m. Mary -----
5. Desire Cooke, m. Beriah Higgins
6. Desire Higgins, m. Hezekiah Sumner
7. Tabitha Sumner, m. Nathan Haven
8. (prob.) Mehitable Haven, m. Hezekiah Whitney

Census

• 1800, Loudon, Berkshire Co., MA: Hezekiah Whitney, 1 male 26-44, 1 male 16-25, 2 males 0-9, 1 female 26-44, and 3 female 0-9.
• 1810, Otis, Berkshire Co., MA: Hez^h Whitney, 1 male 26-44, 1 male 16-25, 1 male 10-15, 1 female 26-44, 2 females 10-15, and 2 females 0-9.
• 1820, Otis, Berkshire Co., MA: Hezekiah Whitney, 1 male over 45, 1 female over 45, 1 female 26-44, 1 female 16-25, 1 female 10-15, and 1 female 0-9; 1 engaged in agriculture.
• 1830: not found.
• 1840: Widow Mehitable not found.
• 1850, Buffalo Ward 4, Erie Co., MA:

459 666 William Blood 38 M - Chairmaker Vermont Mary " 40 F - Newyork Charles " 14 M - Canada Attended school George " 5 M - Newyork Thoradea " 3 F - " Harriet " 3/12 F - " Hezekiah Whitney 51 Joiner Mass.

• 1860, Buffalo Ward 4, Erie Co., MA:

326 475 Hezekiah Whitney 62 M - Saw Filer $300 Massachusetts

• 1870, son Hezekiah not found.

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. 170-171.

1.^  His parentage is proven by his birth record.

2.^  "Hezekiah [Whitney], s. Timothy and Alice, [born] Oct. 14, 1767," according to Franklin P. Rice, ed., Vital Records of Petersham, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849 (Worcester: The Systematic History Fund, 1904), p. 54.

3.^  "Hezekiah [Whitney], a. 73, C.R.2 [a. 74, G.R.4], [died] Oct. 25, 1839," according to Vital Records of Otis, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 (Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1941).

4.^  Find A Grave Memorial #105814740, Hezekiah Whitney.

5.^  "Hezekiah [Whitney] of Loudon and Mahitabel Havens (int. Mehitabel Haven) of Sandisfield (dup. 1799, sic, int. 1790) in Sandisfield, [married] Sep. 15, 1790," according to Otis Vital Records.

6.^  "Mehitable [Whitney], wid. Hezekiah, [died] Aug ___ 1849, a. 79, C.R.2," according to Otis Vital Records.

7.^  "Julittea [Whitney], d. Hezekiah and Mehetabel, [born] May 26, 1791," according to Otis Vital Records.

8.^  "Paul [Whitney], s. Hezekiah and Mehetabel, [born] Jan. 18, 1793 (Mehitabel, C.R.2)," according to Otis Vital Records.

9.^  "Lucy [Whitney], d. Hezekiah and Mehetabel, [born] Nov. 22, 1794 (Mehitabel, C.R.2)," according to Otis Vital Records.

10.^  "Lucy [Whitney] of O. and David I. Chatfield of Windham, N.Y., (Miss Lucy of O. and David J. Chatfield of Windham, N.Y., [married] ___ __, 1821, in O., C.R.2), Dec. 2, 1821," according to Otis Vital Records.

11.^  "Sally [Whitney], d. Hezekiah and Mehetabel, [born] Nov. 11, 1796 (Mehitabel, C.R.2)," according to Otis Vital Records.

12.^  "Sally [Whitney] of Otis, and John Bowen, int. Nov. 18, 1816," according to Becket, Massachusetts, Vital Records.

13.^  "Sally [Whitney] (int. Miss) of O. and John Bowen of Becket, (in O., C.R.2) int., Dec. 4, 1816," according to Otis Vital Records.

14.^  "Hezekiah [Whitney], s. Hezekiah and Mehetabel, [born] May 29, 1799," according to Otis Vital Records.

15.^  "Haven [Whitney] (twin), s. Hezekiah and Mehetabel, [born] Mar. 20, 1802," according to Otis Vital Records.

16.^  "Haven [Whitney], [twin] s. Hezekiah and Mehetabel, [died] Mar. 21, 1802," according to Otis Vital Records.

17.^  "Mehetabel [Whitney] (twin), d. Hezekiah and Mehetabel, [born] Mar. 20, 1802," according to Otis Vital Records.

18.^  "Mahetabel [Whitney], (twin) d. Hezekiah and Mehetabel, [died] Mar. 10, 1803," according to Otis Vital Records.

19.^  "Hezekiah [Whitney], ch. Hezekiah and Mehetabel, [born] Sep. 4, 1803. C.R.2," according to Otis Vital Records.

20.^  "Julitta [Whitney], ch. Hezekiah and Mehetabel, [born] Sep. 4, 1803 C.R.2," according to Otis Vital Records.

21.^  "Mahitabel Havens [Whitney], ch. Hezekiah and Mehetabel, [born] Jul. 13, 1804," according to Otis Vital Records.

22.^  "Mahitable H. [Whitney], Miss of O., and Nathan Smith of Sandisfield, [married] Oct. 6, 1831," according to Otis Vital Records.

23.^  "Tabatha Sumner [Whitney], ch. Hezekiah and Mehetabel, [born] May 20, 1806 (Tabatha Sumner Whitney)," according to Otis Vital Records.

24.^  "William Haven [Whitney], ch. Hezekiah and Mehetabel, [born] Mar. 12, 1809," according to Otis Vital Records.

25.^  "William Haven [Whitney], ch. Hezekiah and Mehetabel, [died] Sep. 14, 1809," according to Otis Vital Records.

26.^  "Hannah Clark [Whitney], d. Hezekiah and Mehetabel, [born] Jul. 18, 1811," according to Otis Vital Records.

27.^  "Hanna C. [Whitney], Miss, and Isaac W. Snow, both of O., int. Feb. 7, 1835," according to Otis Vital Records.

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