User talk:Normaleo
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Welcome!
Welcome to the Whitney Research Group website. I did a quick search on your line and was able to find the following: "[Whitney,] Melinda, m. Homer SHELDON, 8 Oct 1846, by E. HUNTINGTON, New Milford 2:23" located on our page Archive:Connecticut, Vital Records, Barbour Index. According to our Census transcripts, there was only one Whitney family living in New Milford, CT in 1850:
1850 U.S. Census, New Milford, Litchfield Co., CT, p. 111
106 112 Ruben Whitney 45 M M Laborer Ct.
Mahala " 43 F M Ct.
Henry " 8 M M " Idiot
Frederick " 2 M M " Idiot
In 1840, there were 3 Whitney families in New Milford:
1840 U.S. Census, New Milford, Litchfield County, Connecticut, pg. 1840 Reuben Whitney 0000000000000-0000000000000-200100-001000
1840 U.S. Census, New Milford, Litchfield County, Connecticut, pg. 1872 Abel Whitney 2110001000000-0101010001000
1840 U.S. Census, New Milford, Litchfield County, Connecticut, pg. 1874 William Whitney 0000000000000-0000000000000-000010-000000
One possibility to consider - was she a widow when she married Mr. Sheldon? If so, the following might be of interest:
"Peter T., m. Belinda BATES, 31 Oct 1844, by Rev. D. L. MARKS, Warren 2:1" also from the Barbour Index, linked above. Note that Warren, CT is just 12 miles north of New Milford. Is this is the same woman, this would make her Belinda Bates, widow of Peter T. Whitney, then married to Homer Sheldon.
- Tim Doyle - Talk to me 16:09, 2 March 2009 (CST)
More Information
I've followed Homer & Malinda/Belinda Sheldon through the census records. I found them in New Milford in 1860, New Milford in 1870, and Warren, Litchfield Co., CT in 1880. In 1880, they resided next door to Orrin Whitney, age 42, a brick & stone mason and his wife Ines. In 1900, I find Homer & Malinda's son Egbert Sheldon residing with his family in Warren, just two families away from Orrin Whitney, age 75, with children Egbert age 20 and Ines H. age 10. Residing in Egbert's household is a 4 month old baby named Lillian M. Whitney. I suspect this is the daughter of Egbert and Ines Whitney, she probably died, perhaps in childbirth, and though Egbert was able to raise his two elder children, he asked a relative Egbert Sheldon and his wife to bring up the orphaned baby girl.
Tracing Orrin Whitney back through the census records, I think I find him in 1870 in Washington, Litchfield Co., CT, age 38, a mason residing with probable wife Lydia. He may be the Orrin Whitney, age 34, day laborer, residing with probable wife Phebe in Salisbury, Litchfield Co., CT in 1860. This was probably the Orin Whitney, age 25, laborer, residing with father William Whitney, age 57, in Salisbury in 1850. This William Whitney has a page on our website, located at Family:Whitney, William (c1790-1853). Note that by examining the 1840 census, we know that he had an elder daughter born say 1823. Belinda / Malinda could possibly be this unidentified daughter, but additional research is needed to verify that we've correctly identified the Orrin Whitney of 1870 & 1880 as the same Orrin Whitney of earlier census records.
Note that I am still working on this, but want to save this information.
- Tim Doyle - Talk to me 17:26, 2 March 2009 (CST)
