Family:Whitney, Silas (1752-1798)

Capt. Silas⁶ Whitney (Samuel⁵, William⁴, Nathaniel³, John², John¹), son of Samuel⁵ and Abigail (Fletcher) Whitney, was born 20 Oct 1752, Westminster, MA,^[1] and died 14 Nov 1798, Ashburnham, MA, aged 46 years.^[2]

He married, 27 Jan 1774, Westminster, MA, Sarah Withington,^[3] daughter of William and Sarah (Locke) Withington. She was born 1 May 1754, Stow, MA, and died 12 Jan 1820, Leicester, MA, in her 66th year.^[4] Intentions of marriage were published, 1 Aug 1802, Ashburnham, MA, for her and her second husband Thomas Earle of Leicester, MA.^[5]

After his marriage he lived four years in Westminster. He sold his farm in that town in 1778 and purchased a large tract of land in the southeast part of Ashburnham, MA. Here he soon became the leading farmer in this vicinity. The size of his barns and granaries and the number of his horses and cattle are the living theme of tradition. He was a captain of the militia and was prominent in town affairs. In the midst of a life of industry and usefulness he died at mid. age, 14 Nov 1798. Mr. Cushing records his death with the remark that "he died suddenly after a few days of complaining, though not confined. He was sitting in a chair leaning on a table and sunk down, and almost immediately expired." The widow settled the estate and prudently managed the affairs in the interest of her children. She married second 1802, Thomas Earle, of Leicester, and died in that town 12 Jan 1820. There were four sons and twenty-four grandsons of Capt. Silas and Sarah (Withington) Whitney, and including the female lines the number of their descendants named in these registers is above two hundred. He resided Ashburnham, MA.

Children of Silas⁶ and Sarah (Withington) Whitney:

i.	Susannah7 Whitney, b. 29 Sep 1776; m. Apr 1797, Josiah Brown; resided in Stow; a granddaughter is Mrs. Susie A. Dyer, resided 824 Columbus street, Ottawa, IL. Children: a. Silas Brown, b. 12 Dec 1797; d. 4 Mar 1856, Stow, MA; unmarried. b. Josiah Brown, b. 21 Jan 1799. c. Susan Brown, b. 2 Jul 1801. d. Ohio Brown, b. 29 Apr 1803; m. Sarah Ellis [his first cousin]. e. Horatio Brown, b. 25 July 1805. f. Nancy Brown, b. 11 Nov 1806. g. Reuben Brown, b. 17 Mar 1808. h. Sally Brown, b. 17 Sep 1811. i. Anna Brown, b. 7 May 1815; m. Ephraim Ray, of Stow, MA.
ii.	Silas Whitney, b. 1 Oct 1779; m. Hannah Cushing.
iii.	Sarah Whitney, b. 1 Jul 1781; d. 14 Jun 1820; m. 27 Nov 1800, Capt. Caleb Wilder, b. 22 Mar 1773; d. 29 Jan 1834. He was Capt. of the Ashburnham Light Infantry, and often chosen to office in town affairs. Children: a. Samuel Wilder, b. 30 Dec 1801; d. 11 June 1817. b. Sarah Wilder, b. 7 May 1803; m. Silas Smith, resided Farmington, IA. c. Nancy Wilder, b. 19 Nov 1806; m. David Laws. d. Silas W. Wilder, b. 13 Dec 1808; d. 31 Oct 1812. e. Caleb Wilder, b. 28 Oct 1810; d. unmarried. f. Silas W. Wilder, b. 26 Jul 1814; m. Caroline Bishop. g. Abel T. Wilder, b. 9 Oct 1816; d. 14 Mar 1839. h. Dorothy C. Wilder, b. 16 Jun 1819; m. Samuel Twombly; resided IA.
iv.	Samuel Whitney, b. 20 May 1783; m. Abigail Wilder.
v.	William Whitney, b. 5 Aug 1785; m.(1) Lucy Brooks; m.(2) Mercy (Burgess) Bemis.
vi.	Ohio Whitney, b. 22 Mar 1789; m.(1) Mary Bolton; m.(2) Mrs. Dorothy (Maynard) Brown.
vii.	Abigail Whitney, b. 15 May 1791; d. 24 Jan 1869; m. 8 Nov 1807, Jesse Ellis, b. June 19, 1789; d. 17 Jul 1870; resided Ashburnham, MA. Children: a. Mary W. Ellis, b. 19 Mar 1809; m. Oliver G. Caldwell. b. Samuel Ellis, b. 1 Apr 1811; m. Sarah W. Cushing [his first cousin]. c. William P. Ellis, b. 31 Jun [sic] 1813; m.(1) Annes Green Randall; m.(2) Mrs. Martha (Swain) Wellington. d. Obed Ellis, b. 13 Mar 1815; m. Mercy Stoddard. e. Nancy Ellis, b. 3 Sep 1817; m. Bailey Marble. f. Sarah Ellis, b. 20 Jan 1822; m. Ohio Brown [her first cousin]. g. Lucy C. Ellis, b. 11 Dec 1824; m. Noyes B. Herrick. h. Susan B. Ellis, b. 23 Apr 1829; m. Jonathan A. Perham. i. Mary J. Ellis, b. 13 Aug 1833; m. William H. Brown.
viii.	Nancy Whitney, b. 19 Nov 1794; m. 23 Apr 1811, Laban Cushing; b. 29 Apr 1791; d. 17 Oct 1847. She d. 27 Jan 1871; resided Ashburnham. Children: a. Nancy W. Cushing, b. 20 Jun 1813, m. John Munroe. b. Sarah Cushing, b. 18 May 1815; m. Samuel Ellis [her first cousin]. c. Joseph Cushing, b. 6 Oct 1817; m.(1) Elmira Marble; m.(2) Mary Ann Arnold; m.(3) Betsey Cushing; resided Fitchburg, MA. d. Laban Cushing, b. 22 Mar 1820; m. Adaline Keyes; resided Fitchburg, MA. e. Rebecca A. Cushing, b. 12 Sep 1822; m. Isaac D. Ward. f. Susan A. Cushing, b. 13 Nov 1824; m. Jonas Corey. g. Mary J. Cushing, b. 27 Feb 1826; m. Gardner P. Hawkins; resided Fitchburg, MA. h. Charles G. Cushing, b. 16 Feb 1829; m. Jane E. Willard. i. Harriett M. Cushing, b. 22 Aug 1831; m. Porter E. Barton. j. George R. Cushing, b. 8 Sep 1835; m. Julia Thompson. k. David M. Cushing, b. 11 Oct 1839; m. Ellen A. Foster. l. Hannah E. Cushing, b. 29 Jul 1841; m. George S. Doe; resided Great Falls, NH.

Census

• 1790, Ashburnham, Worcester Co., MA: Silas Whitney, 1 male over 16, 4 males 0-15, and 3 females.
• 1800, Ashburnham, Worcester Co., MA: Sarah Whitney, 2 males 16-25, 2 males 10-15, 1 female over 45, 1 female 16-25, and 2 females 0-9.

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. 147-148.

1.^  "Silas [Whitney], s. Samuel and Abigail, [born] Oct. 20, 1752," according to Franklin P. Rice, ed., Vital Records of Westminster, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849 (1915).

2.^  "Capt. Silas [Whitney], [died] Nov. 14, 1798. C.R. [a. 46, G.S.1] Suddenly after a few days of complaining, tho not confined. He was sitting in a chair leaning on a table sunk down and almost immediately expired, a. about 50y. C.R.," according to Franklin P. Rice, ed., Vital Records of Ashburnham, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849 (1909). Also, "Silas [Whitney], s. Lieut. Samuel and Abigail, [died] Nov. 14, 1798, a. 46," according to Westminster Vital Records.

3.^  "Silas [Whitney] and Sarah Withington, [married] Jan. 27, 1774," according to Westminster Vital Records.

4.^  "Sarah [Whitney], wid. Capt. Silas, [died] Jan. 12, 1820, in 66th year. G.S.1," according to Ashburnham Vital Records.

5.^  "Mrs. Sarah [Whitney] and Thomas Earle of Leicester, int. Aug. 1, 1802," according to Ashburnham Vital Records.

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