Family:Whitney, Nathaniel (1647-1733)
Nathaniel3 Whitney (John2, John1), son of John2 and Ruth (Reynolds) Whitney was born 1 Feb 1646/7 at Watertown, MA[1] and died 7 Jan 1732/3 at Weston, MA, aged about 90 years[2].
He married firstly, 12 Mar 1673/74, Watertown, MA, Sarah Hagar, daughter of William and Mary (Bemis) Hagar.[3] She was born 1 Sep 1651 or 3 Sep 1651, Watertown, MA[4], and died 29 Jul 1722 at Weston, MA.[5]
He married secondly, 2 Nov 1724, Concord, MA, Sarah (Shepard) Goble, by Rev. John Whiting.[6] She was daughter of John and Sarah (Goble) Shepard, born about 1658 (calculated from her age at death). She had married, 4 Jan 1686/7, Concord, MA, her first cousin Thomas Goble, son of Thomas and Mary (Mousall) Goble, who died 16 Mar 1723/4, Concord, MA.[7] She died on 7 May 1746 at Weston, MA, aged about 88 years.[8]
For a discussion of Nathaniel's two wives named Sarah, see an essay on that subject.
The supplemental Watertown Records shows on p. 118 an entry in the Church records (Pastor's Record Book, 1686-1819) that says Sarah Whitney, w. of Nathaniel, admitted to full communion on 8 May 1687.[9]
On February 27, 1685, he was named as a son in the imperfect will of his father.[10]
On 12 and 13 Mar 1692/3, he signed agreements of heirs in his father's estate.[11]
He and Sarah Hagar lived as early as 1694 at Weston, MA.[12]
On 3 Jun 1711 he owned the covenant.[13]
On 7 Jul 1720, he was named a surety for widow Martha Whitney as executor of the estate of her husband and his son William Whitney.[14]
His estate was probated 30 Jan 1732/3 at Weston, MA; Mr. John Warrin, Mr. Daniel Carter, and Mr. John Walker sworn to take the inventory; his estate was probated 1 Feb 1732/3 at Weston, MA; inventory taken by John Warrin, Daniel Carter, and John Walker, amounting to £422-18s-4d; his estate was probated 17 Feb 1732/3 at Weston, MA; inventory exhibited by Mrs. Sarah Whitney and her grandson William Whitney, the administrators; his estate was probated 17 Feb 1732/3 at Weston, MA; administration account; his estate was probated 2 Mar 1732/3 at Weston, MA; administration granted to Sarah Whitney of Weston, widow, with George Herrington and Oliver Livermore, both of Watertown, yeomen, sureties, on the estate of Nathl. Whitney late of Weston, husbandman, decd; his estate was probated 11 Mar 1733 at Weston, MA; widow Sarah Whitney, administratrix, was ordered to appear on 25 Mar 1733 to render an account; his estate was probated 13 Jan 1734 at Weston, MA; heirs appeared before the commission, and Mr. Joseph Harrington (who married -----) moved for an adjustment; his estate was probated 25 Mar 1733/34 at Weston, MA; administration account exhibited; his estate was probated 15 Apr 1734 at Weston, MA; appointment of Dea. John Coollidge of Watertown, Mr. William Williams of Watertown, Lt. Josiah Jones of Weston, Mr. Ebenezer Allen of Weston, and Mr. Nathan Fisk of Weston, as a committee to apprize the real estate and divide it among the heirs; his estate was probated 30 Sep 1734 at Weston, MA; Dea. John Coollidge of Watertown, Mr. William Williams of Watertown, Lt. Josiah Jones of Weston, Mr. Ebenezer Allen of Weston, and Mr. Nathan Fisk of Weston, sworn as a committee to apprize the real estate and divide it among the heirs; his estate was probated 25 Oct 1734 at Weston, MA; report of commission to apprize and distribute the real estate, John Coollidg, Josiah Jones, Ebenezer Allen, Nathan Fiske, and William Williams, amounting to £91; descriptions of the parcels; his estate was probated 18 Nov 1734 at Weston, MA; citation to the widow and heirs to appear on 2 Dec 1734; his estate was probated 2 Dec 1734 at Weston, MA; widow and heirs appeared in court, but were continued to 16 Dec 1734; his estate was probated 2 Dec 1734 at Weston, MA; administration account presented; present were William Whitney, a grandson; Mr. George Herrington attorney for four of the heirs; Mr. Josiah Hobbs, attorney for Samuel Whitney and Nathl. Billins; Abraham Gregory, a grandchild; and Charles Chadwick; his estate was probated 16 Dec 1734 at Weston, MA; widow and heirs appeared in court, but were put off a month; his estate was probated 13 Jan 1734/5 at Weston, MA; assignment of the real estate to William Whitney of Weston, husbandman, son of William Whitney, decd., and grandson of Nathaniel Whitney, Senr., late of Weston, decd., intestate (except the widow's dower thirds); value £348; he to pay to widow Sarah Whitney £12; to his uncles and aunts (children of the sd. intestate), vizt. Nathaniel Whitney £14-15s-10 2/7d; Samuel Whitney £60-7s-11 1/7d; Sarah Chadwick £60-7s-11 1/7d; Hannah Billing £60-7s-11 1/7d; Mercy Greaves £60-7s-11 1/7d; and heirs of William Whitney, decd. £60-7s-11 1/7d; his estate was probated 15 Jan 1734/35 at Weston, MA; widow and heirs appeared in court, which decided that the estate was to be settled on the grandson William Whitney, son of William, by agreement of the parties, the said Whitney to pay the rest of the heirs in 9 months from this day, and 6% interim; heirs named as Nathaniel (eldest), Sarah Chadwick, William, Samuel, Hannah Billing, and Mercy Greaves; his estate was probated 10 Nov 1735 at Weston, MA; administration account presented, including payment to Josiah Hobbs, attorney to Saml. Whitney of Stratford, and to George Harrington, attorney to Mercy Whitney, for service done by my husband and sons for the deceased in his lifetime.[15]
"ABOUT five years ago I rode from Cambridge to Weston in search of any relics I could find there of the WHITNEYs, as I knew that my grandfather, Phineas, was born in Weston. I found there the farm, which had been owned by them through several generations down to about ten years previous to the time of my visit. It is not an especially attractive farm, although there are some beautiful prospects to be had from it and the surrounding country. I should suppose it to be a good grazing farm. Some old apple trees still remain. It is about a mile and a half from the centre village of Weston, on the road to Lexington. On the side hill, and a few rods from the road, is an old cellar and an old well, which mark the sight of the first WHITNEY house, built, probably, by Nathaniel, grandson of John."[16]
Children of Nathaniel3 and Sarah (Hagar) Whitney:
i. Nathaniel4 Whitney, b. 25 Mar 1675, Watertown, MA;[17] m. Mercy Robinson. ii. Sarah Whitney, b. 13 Feb 1678/79, Watertown, MA;[18] m. Charles Chadwick. iii. William Whitney, b. 6 May 1683, Watertown, MA;[19] m. Martha Peirce. iv. Samuel Whitney, bapt. 17 Jul 1687, Watertown, MA;[20] m. Anne Laboree. v. Hannah Whitney, bapt. Mar 1688/89, Watertown, MA;[21] m. Nathaniel Billing. vi. Elizabeth Whitney, b. 15 Dec 1692, Watertown, MA;[22] m. Joseph Harrington. Neither she nor heirs is mentioned in the settlement of her father's estate on 15 Jan 1734/5 at Weston, MA. Probably she died soon after marriage, leaving no children. vii. Mercy Whitney, b. say 1696; apparently m. (--?--) Graves. viii. Grace Whitney, b. circa 1700; calculated from age at baptism; baptized 3 Dec 1710, Weston, MA, age 10 years;[23] d. 23 Mar 1719/20, Weston, MA.[24]
There were no children of Nathaniel3 and Sarah (Shepard)(Goble) Whitney.
References
1.^ "Nathanell Whetny, s. John & Ruth Whetny, b. 1 12m 1646," according to Watertown Records, Comprising the First and Second Book of Town Proceedings, with the Land Grants and Possessions. Also, the Proprietors' Book, and the First Book of and Supplement of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, Watertown, MA: Historical Society, 1894, p. 12.
2.^ "Nath[anie]ll [Whitney], Mr., [died] Jan. 7, 1732/3, a. about 90y.," according to Peirce, Mary Frances, Town of Weston. Births, Deaths and Marriages, 1707-1850. 1703--Gravestones--1900. Church Records, 1709-1825. Appendix and Addenda, Cent Society, Gleanings from the Town Files, Bits of Genealogy, Error, Indexes, &c.(Boston, MA: McIncloe Bros., Printers, 1901), p. 80.
3.^ "Nathanell Whetny & Sary Hagar, m. 12 Mar 1673," according to Watertown Records, p. 37. Also see Frederick W. Bailey, ed., Early Massachusetts Marriages Prior to 1800 (1897-1914), 3 vols.
4.^ Henry Bond, Genealogies of the Families and Descendants of the Early Settlers of Watertown, Massachusetts, Including Waltham and Weston"" (2nd ed., Watertown, MA: 1860), p. 264.
5.^ "Sarah [Whitney], w. Nathaniel, Sen., [died] ___. __, 1722," according to Weston Vital Records, p. 386; also "Sarah [Whitny], wf. of Nath[anie]ll., d. Jul. 29, 1722", on p. 10.
6.^ "[Marriages:] Nov. 2 [1724] Nathan Whitney and Sarah Goble," according to Brigham, Clarence S., "Concord (Mass.) Marriages, 1724," TAG, vol. 16 (1939-40), p. 23.
7.^ L.D.S. Ancestral File and L.D.S. IGI. These events should appear in Concord vital records, which haven't been examined.
8.^ "Sarah [Whitney], Mrs., wid. Mr. Nath[anie]ll, [died] May 7, 1746, a. 88y.," according to Weston Vital Records, p. 80.
9.^ "8 May 1687, Sarah Whitney, w. of Nathaniel, adm. full comm.," according to Watertown Records, Comprising East Congregational and Precinct Affairs, 1697 to 1737. Also, Record Book of the Pastors, 1686-1819 (1906), p. 118.
10.^ William H. Whitney, A Watertown Farm in Eight Generations: A Memorial of the Whitney Family (Cambridge, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, and Watertown Historical Society, 1898), pp. 132-133.
11.^ Middlesex County probate records file #24,681.
12.^ Weston Vital Records, p. 580.
13.^ Weston Vital Records, p. 389.
14.^ Middlesex County probate records file #24,763.
15.^ Middlesex County probate records file #24,731.
16.^ Frederick Clifton Pierce, The Descendants of John Whitney (Chicago, IL: 1895), page 28.
17.^ "Nathanell Whetny, s. Nathanell & Sary Whetny, b. 25 Mar 1675," according to Watertown Records, p. 39.
18.^ "Sary Whetny, d. Nathanell & Sary Whetny, b. 13 Feb 1678," according to Watertown Records, p. 45.
19.^ "Willyam Whetny, s. Nathaniell & Sary Whetny, b. 6 May 1683," according to Watertown Records, p. 53
20.^ "17 Jul 1687, Samuell, s. of Nathanaell Whitney, bapt.," according to East Congregational Affairs, p. 124.
21.^ "10 Mar 1688/9, Hannah, d. of Nathanaell Whitney, bapt.," according to East Congregational Affairs, p. 127.
22.^ "Elizabeth Whitny, d. Nathaniell & Sarah Whitny, b. 15 Dec 1692," according to Watertown Records, p. 66.
23.^ Weston Vital Records, p. 580.
24.^ "Greace [Whitny], d. Nathaniel, [died] Mar. 23, 1719/20,", according to Weston Vital Records, p. 10.
Copyright © 1999, 2006 Robert L. Ward and the Whitney Research Group
