Family:Whitney, Theodore (c1791-1851)

Theodore⁷ Whitney (Peter⁶, Timothy⁵, Jonas⁴, Moses³, Richard², John¹), son of Peter⁶ and Mary (Blair) Whitney, was born about 1791, Chester, MA, died 7 Aug 1851, Agawam, MA [according to Pierce] or 8 Aug 1852, West Springfield, MA, aged 63 years, of paralysis.^[1]

He married, Montgomery, MA, Marilla Ann Avery. She was born 8 May 1799, and died after 1852.

He was a farmer and a manufacturer of window blinds and shades. He resided at Chester, MA, but soon moved to Norwich, MA, finally locating in Charlotte, Canada, where he kept hotel until after the war of 1837. He then returned to West Suffield, CT, and thence to Agawam, MA. During the rebellion of 1837 the military occupied his house, and it was used for the officers headquarters, the dancing hall being used to store the soldiers' rations. No person was allowed to leave or enter the house without giving the countersign. The children saw three men killed in front of the house at different times, they not being able to give the password. It was there that he lost most of his property. He also had to be christened by different tribes of Indians. The ceremony consisted of dancing, whoops, and handshaking. He resided Chester, MA, and Agawam, MA.

Children of Theodore⁷ and Marilla Ann (Avery) Whitney:

i.	Charlotte Adelia8 Whitney, b. 27 Nov 1820; m. Apr 1864, Danbury, CT, Aaron Frink; resided Bridgeport, CT.
ii.	Frances Amelia Whitney, b. 6 Oct 1822; m. (int. 6 Apr 1844, Chester, MA[2]) 1 May 1844, James Hezron Harmon, a grocer and hardware dealer, b. 14 Jun 1821; resided West Suffield, CT, and moved to Wallingford, CT. He was son of Deacon Ozias Harmon, who was noted for his great piety, being considered one of the pillars of the church. The house was the oldest in the village, being formerly owned and occupied by Rev. Daniel Waldo, who lived at the great age of 102 years. Her children, two sons and two daughters, were all born at the old homestead.
iii.	Martha Sheldon Whitney, b. 3 Jul 1824, Chester, MA;[3] m. (int. 15 Oct 1842, Chester, MA[4]) 1 Nov 1842, Hezekiah King Nooney. He was a blacksmith; resided Hartford, MI.
iv.	Elizabeth Allen Whitney, b. 12 Jan 1826, Chester, MA;[5] d. 21 Jun 1872; m.(1) 18 May 1854, Goodrich Barnes or George Barnes; m.(2) 12 May 1862, Elisha Vinner Pomeroy; resided Branford, CT.
v.	Catherine Fowler Whitney, b. 18 Jun 1828, Chester, MA;[6] m. 15 Jul 1852, West Springfield, MA, Francis Ashbury Grover, b. ca. 1829, New York, NY, d. 20 Dec 1869, son of P. H. Grover;[7] resided Wallingford, CT.
vi.	Alice Pelton Whitney, b. 19 Sep 1832; m. 8 May 1851, West Springfield, MA, Rowland Harmon, b. ca. 1827, West Suffield, CT, son of Ozias and Cynthia (-----) Harmon;[8] resided West Suffield, CT.
vii.	Marilla Ann Whitney, b. 27 Nov 1835; m. 24 Mar 1862, West Meriden, CT, Henry Graves Smith. She died 13 Jun 1871, West Meriden.

Census Records

• 1820: not found.
• 1830, Chester, Hampden Co., MA: Theodore Whitney, 1 male 30-39, 1 female 30-39, 2 females 5-9, and 3 females 0-4.
• 1840: not found.
• 1850, West Springfield, Hampden Co., MA:

122 139 Theadore Whitney 59 M - Farmer Mass. Marilla " 51 F - " Charlotte " 27 F - " Catharine " 21 F - " Alice " 18 F - " Ann " 16 M - " Attended school

• 1850, Elizabeth not found.
• 1860, widow Marilla not found.
• 1860, Meriden, New Haven Co., CT:

417 474 George Barnes 40 M - Joiner Conn. Elizabeth " 31 F - Mass. Ella " 15 F - " Attended school Robert " 12 M - " Attended school George " 10 M - " Attended school Alice " 7 F - " Attended school Charlotte Whitney 39 F - Hoopskirt " Ann " 22 F - " " John Johnson 30 M - Laborer "

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. 310-311.

1.^  "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 66, page 192.

2.^  "Frances A. [Whitney] and James H. Harmon of W. Suffield, Conn., int. Apr. 6, 1844," according to Vital Records of Chester, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 (Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1911).

3.^  "Martha Sheldon [Whitney], d. Theodore and Marilla, [born] July 3, 1824," according to Chester Vital Records.

4.^  "Martha S. [Whitney] and Hezekiah R. Nooney, int. Oct. 15, 1842," according to Chester Vital Records.

5.^  "Elizabeth Allen [Whitney], d. Theodore and Marilla, [born] Jan. 12, 1826," according to Chester Vital Records.

6.^  "Catharine Fowler [Whitney], d. Theodore and Marilla, [born] June 18, 1828," according to Chester Vital Records.

7.^  "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 60, page 287.

8.^  "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 54, page 308.

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