Family:Whitney, Silas (1779-1848)

Silas⁶ Whitney (Josiah⁵, Nathaniel⁴, Nathaniel³, Benjamin², John¹), son of Josiah⁵ and Elizabeth (Harding) Whitney, was born 23 Jun 1779, Gorham, ME, and died 6 Nov 1848, Moose River, ME, aged 69 years.^[1]

He married 12 Jan 1818, Brownfield, ME, Elvira J. Lane,^[2] daughter of William H. and Alice (Haines) Lane. She was born 21 Apr 1799, ME,^[3] and died 22 Apr 1896, Lowell, MA. She married secondly, 9 Apr 1849, Somerset Co., ME, Daniel Williams, of Embden, ME. He died 1875.

Mrs. Williams, who is remarkably vigorous, both physically and mentally, was born in Broomfield, ME, 21 Apr 1799, the town at that time being in the district of Massachusetts. Most of her life has been passed in the Pine Tree State, although of late years she has made protracted visits to her children and grandchildren in Massachusetts. She said that she was born in a log cabin in Broomfield, ME, 21 April 1799, which was many years before frame houses were built in that section of Maine. Her early life was similar in its history to that of all country girls. She referred, however, to a dream when she was but 6 years old, in which distinctly appeared a puffing locomotive and a long train of passenger cars. Up to that time she had never heard any one speak of steam cars, carriages, in fact, being seldom seen, yet many years after, the Portland & Ogdensburg railroad was built, a portion of the track running across her father's farm. The first train she ever saw was identical with the one conspicuous in her dream. Her father was William H. Lane, who died in Broomfield, ME, aged 93 years. 12 Jan 1818, Miss Lane was married to Silas Whitney, with whom she lived happily until his death in 1848. Nine children blessed the union, of whom the following survive: Mrs. Asa Fletcher, of Solon, ME, aged 72; Joseph F. Whitney, of Solon, ME, aged 68; Mrs. Nancy B. Redmond, of Solon, ME, mother of the late Charles C. Redmond, of this city, aged 62; Mrs. James B. Gilman, of Lowell, aged 58 years; Mrs. Emma A. Bassett, of Lowell, aged 56 years; Eben A. Whitney of Madison, ME, aged 53 years, who will care for his dear old mother the coming winter. Her second husband was Daniel Williams, of Embden, ME. He died in 1875. He was a blacksmith and farmer. There were no children by this marriage. Mrs. Williams says that she has 27 grandchildren, and 39 great-grand-children. She was always an early riser, and always enjoyed excellent health up to last winter, when she was stricken with la grippe. Fortunately she recovered from the disease. She takes a deep interest in current events, and finds much pleasure in reading the daily papers. In 1824 she joined the Methodist church in Broomfield, and has continued her membership up to the present time. Mrs. Williams is descended from a long-lived race, her mother being 91 years old when she died, and her father 93. Her aunt, Mrs. Abigail Edgecomb, died in Gardiner, ME, a few years ago, aged 100. Mrs. Lucy Wood, who died in Barre, VT, aged 107 years, was a near relative of Mrs. Williams. Silas resided Gorham, ME.

Children of Silas⁶ and Elvira J. (Lane) Whitney:

i.	Silas Harding7 Whitney, b. 18 Nov 1818, Brownfield, ME;[4] went west.
ii.	Elizabeth Hannah Whitney, b. 19 Feb 1822, Brownfield, ME;[5] m. (int. 24 Oct 1842, Moscow, ME[6]) 7 Nov 1842, Moscow, ME, Asa Fletcher,[7] b. 6 Jan 1813, Moscow, ME, son of Asa and Lydia (-----) Fletcher;[8] resided Solon, ME. They had at least four children, all found in the Vital Records of Moscow, Somerset Co., ME: a. Sophronia Fletcher, b. 13 May 1843, Moscow, ME.[9] b. Silas Fletcher, b. 22 Aug 1844, Moscow, ME.[10] c. Elvira J. Fletcher, b. 28 May 1846, Moscow, ME.[11] d. Thomas Fletcher, b. 1 Jun 1848, Moscow, ME.[12]
iii.	Elvira Jane Whitney, b. 9 Jul 1823, Brownfield, ME;[13] d. 14 Mar 1824, Brownfield, ME.[14] Buried in the Pine Grove Cemetery, Brownfield, ME.
iv.	Josiah F. Whitney, b. 23 Mar 1824; m. Mary Moore.
v.	William L. Whitney, b. 28 Apr 1827; d. 15 Nov 1832.
vi.	Nancy Bradbury Lane Whitney, b. 22 Mar 1831; m. 1849, Peter Redmond, son of Hugh and Marcella (Fitzsimmons) Redmond, b. 1828, Ireland, d. 13 Nov 1895, Solon, ME, buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Solon; resided Solon; son Charles C., res. 17 Symonds Street, Boston, MA.
vii.	Catherine Grenough Whitney, b. 2 Jun 1835, ME; m. 27 Jul 1872, Lowell, MA, James B. Gilman, Jr., b. 6 Nov 1841, Tuftonborough, NH, son of James B. and Clarissa H. (-----) Gilman;[15] resided 45 19th Street, Lowell. He was a carpenter. Children: a. Edith Gilman, b. 19 Jun 1873. b. Alice Gilman, b. 5 Jul 1875. c. J. Bruce Gilman, b. 23 Jan 1878.
viii.	Emma A. Whitney, b. 16 Aug 1837, Solon, ME; d. 13 May 1905, Dracut, MA, aged 67 years 8 months 13 days, of apoplexy;[16] m. 17 Nov 1857, Lowell, MA, Martin L. Bassett, b. ca. 1836, Orrington, ME, son of John S. and Sylvia E. (-----) Bassett;[17] resided Dracut, MA.
ix.	Eben Augustus Whitney, b. 6 Oct 1840; m. Ellen J. Woodcock.

Notes

There is no Broomfield, ME. Presumably this should be Brownfield, Oxford Co., ME, per census.

Census

• 1820, Brownfield, Oxford Co., ME: Silas Whitney, 1 male 26-44, 1 male 0-9, 1 female 16-25; 1 engaged in manufacture or trades.
• 1830, Dead River Settlement, Somerset Co., ME: Silas Whitney, 1 male 40-49, 1 male 10-14, 1 male 5-9, 1 male 0-4, 1 female 30-39, and 1 female 5-9.
• 1840, Holden Plantation Moose River, Somerset Co., ME: Silas Whitney, 1 male 40-49, 1 male 15-19, 1 femlae 40-49, 1 female 15-19, 2 females 5-9, and 1 female 0-4; 2 engaged in agriculture.
• 1840, Holden Plantation Moose River, Somerset Co., ME: Silas H Whitney, 1 male 20-29; 1 engaged in agriculture. This was his son Silas Harding Whitney.
• 1850, Solon, Somerset Co., ME:

611 621 Danl. Williams 68 M - Farmer $1800 Maine Elmira " 51 F - " John " 22 M - " Emily A. Whitney 12 F - " Attended school Ebenr. " 10 M - " Attended school

This was his widow and two youngest children.

• 1850, son Silas and daughter Catherine not found.
• 1860, Solon, Somerset Co., ME:

312 312 Daniel Williams 77 M - Farmer $800 $100 Massachusetts Elvira " 61 F - Maine Eben A. Whitney 20 M - Millman "

• 1865 State, Lowell Ward 3, Middlesex Co., MA:

911 1218 Elizabeth D. Waldron 42 F - Rhode Island W Housekeeper - - - - - Catherine Whitney 31 F - Maine S Operative - - - - - Rebecca Newell 32 F - Massachusetts S " - - - - - George F. Smith 40 M - Rhode Island W Paper Maker - - 1 1 -

• 1870, Solon, Somerset Co., ME:

41 37 Williams, Daniel 87 M W Farmer $100 Massachusetts Male citizen over 21 --------, Elvira 71 F W Keeping House Maine

• 1880, Nineteenth Street, Lowell, Middlesex Co., MA:

308 311 Gillmore, James B. W M 39 ---- mar Carpenter New Hampshire N.H. N.H. -----, Catherine G. W F 45 Wife mar Keeping House Maine Maine Maine -----, Edith W F 6 Dau sgl At Home Massachusetts N.H. Maine -----, Alice W F 5 Dau sgl At Home Massachusetts N.H. Maine -----, James B. W M 2 Son sgl At Home Massachusetts N.H. Maine Williams, Elvira W F 81 MiL wid At Home Maine Maine Maine Haskell, George W. W M 48 ---- mar Carpenter Maine Maine Maine -----, Esta R. W F 38 Wife mar Keeping House New York N.Y. N.Y.

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. 408-409.

1.^  "Silas [Whitney], [died] Nov. 6, 1848, a. 69," according to Ethel Colby Conant, Vital records of Augusta, Maine, to the year 1892, (Maine Historical Society, 1934), vol. II, pp. 467-468.

2.^  "Silas Whitney and Elvira Lane, married 12 January 1818," according to Brownfield, Maine, Vital Records.

3.^  "Elvira Lane b. 21 April 1799," according to Brownfield, Maine, Vital Records.

4.^  "Silas Harding [Whitney, son of Silas and Elvira (Lane)], b. 18 November 1818," according to Brownfield, Maine, Vital Records.

5.^  "Elizabeth Hannah [Whitney, daughter of Silas and Elvira (Lane)], b. 19 February 1822," according to Brownfield, Maine, Vital Records. Also, "Elizabeth H. Fletcher, his wife [of Asa], born 19 February 1822," according to Moscow, Maine, Vital Records.

6.^  "Intentions of marriage entered 24 October 1841 for Mr. Asa Fletcher, Jr. and Miss Elizabeth H. Whitney, both of Moscow," according to Moscow, Maine, Vital Records.

7.^  "Married 7 November 1842, Mr. Asa Fletcher and Miss Elizabeth H. Whitney, both of Moscow, by Davis Chase, J.P.," according to Moscow, Maine, Vital Records.

8.^  "Asa Fletcher, born 16 January 1813," according to Moscow, Maine, Vital Records.

9.^  "Sophronia Fletcher, born 13 May 1843," according to Moscow, Maine, Vital Records.

10.^  "Silas Fletcher, born 22 August 1844," according to Moscow, Maine, Vital Records.

11.^  "Elvira J. Fletcher, born 28 May 1846," according to Moscow, Maine, Vital Records.

12.^  "Thomas Fletcher, born 1 June 1848," according to Moscow, Maine, Vital Records.

13.^  "Elvira Jane [Whitney, daughter of Silas and Elvira (Lane)], b. 9 July 1823," according to Brownfield, Maine, Vital Records.

14.^  "Elvira Jane [Whitney, daughter of Silas and Elvira (Lane)], died 14 March 1824," according to Brownfield, Maine, Vital Records.

15.^  "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 245, page 236.

16.^  "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 1905/36 (Death), page 104.

17.^  "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 109, page 150.

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