Generation 1

JOHN WHITNEY (abt 1599 - 1673)

Parents: Unknown

John Whitney was born about 1599. He died on 1 Jun 1673, age 74. [Ref] He married first Elinor Unknown. [Ref] She died on 11 May 1659, age 54. [Ref] He married second Judah Clement on 29 Sep 1659. [Ref] She died before he wrote his will. [Ref]

John Whitney left London for New England in the Elizabeth and Ann on Apr 1635. [Ref] He gave his age as 35. [Ref] He was accompanied by his wife Elinor, age 30, and his sons John, age 11, Richard, age 9, Nathaniel, age 8, Thomas, age 6, and Jonathan, age 1. [Ref][Ref] He arrived in New England in Jun 1635 and settled in Watertown. [Ref]

John purchased a 16-acre homestead in Watertown from John Strickland. [Ref] This homestead was situated a little distance north of Belmont St. and east of Common St. [Ref] In 1668 he promised to leave this homestead to his son Benjamin, if Benjamin - who had moved to York, ME - would return and live with him. [Ref] Prior to 1645 the town granted John nine other lots, amounting to 198 acres. [Ref] He gave his son Jonathan 39 acres in about 1659. [Ref]

John was admitted freeman on 3 Mar 1635/6. [Ref][Ref] He was appointed Constable of Watertown by the General Court on 1 Jun 1641. [Ref] He was Selectman in 1638 - 1655. [Ref] He was town clerk in 1655. [Ref]

Children of John Whitney and Elinor Unknown:

1. John Whitney, Jr. was born in 1624 in England. He died on 12 Oct 1692. [Ref] He married Ruth Reynolds, probably in 1642. [Ref] He had ten children. [Ref]
   John Whitney, Jr. is on the 26 May 1647 list of freemen. [Ref]
2. Richard Whitney was born in 1626 in England. He married Martha Coldam on 19 Mar 1650/1. [Ref] He moved to Stow as early as 1681. [Ref] He had eight children. [Ref]
   Richard Whitney is on the 7 May 1651 list of freemen. [Ref]
3. Nathaniel Whitney was born in 1627 in England. He is not mentioned in his father's will and probably died young. in England.[Ref]
4. Thomas Whitney was born in 1629 in England. He died on 20 Sep 1719. [Ref] He married Mary Kedall on 11 Jan 1654/5. [Ref] He was admitted freeman on 18 Apr 1690. [Ref]
5. Jonathan Whitney was born in 1634 in England. He died in Sherburne between 21 Dec 1702, when he wrote his will, and 1 Mar 1702/3, when it was proved. [Ref] He married Lydia Jones, the daughter of Lewis Jones of Watertown, on 30 Oct 1656. [Ref]
   Jonathan Whitney is in the Watertown section of the 29 Apr 1668 list of freemen. [Ref]
6. Joshua Whitney was born on 15 Jul 1635 in Watertown. [Ref says "John"] He died between 17 Apr 1713 and 6 Oct 1719. He married first Lydia Unknown. He married second Mary Unknown. He married third Abigail Tarball.
7. Caleb Whitney was buried on 6 Jun 1640 in Watertown. [Ref says 12 (5) 1640][Ref][Ref]
8. Benjamin Whitney was born on 6 Jun 1643 in Watertown. [Ref][Ref] He died in 1723 in Sherburne. [Ref] He married first Jane Unknown on 14 Nov 1690 in Sherburne. [Ref] He may have married second Mary Poor on 11 Apr 1695. [Ref] He was of Cocheco, Watertown and Sherburne. [Ref]

Generation 2

JOSHUA WHITNEY (1635 - 1713/9) of Watertown and Groton

Parents: John Whitney and Elinor Unknown

Joshua Whitney was born on 15 Jul 1635 in Watertown. [Ref] He died between 17 Apr 1713, when his will was signed, and 6 Oct 1719, when it was proved. [Ref] He married first Lydia Unknown. [Ref] He married second Mary Unknown, who died on 17 Mar 1671/2. [Ref] He married third Abigail Tarball on 30 Sep 1672. [Ref][Ref]

Joshua moved to Groton. [Ref] In 1671, Joshua's brother Benjamin, with their father's consent, conveyed his rights and obligations in the homestead in Watertown he stood to inherit from his father, for £40. [Ref] After his father's death, Joshua returned to Watertown and on 29 Oct 1697 he sold the homestead to Dea. Nathan Fiske. [Ref]

Children of Joshua Whitney and Lydia Unknown: [Ref]

1. Hannah Whitney married Thomas Wood of Groton and had four children. [Ref]
2. Joshua Whitney was born on 14 Jun 1666 in Groton. [Ref] He died on 1 Dec 1753. [Ref, p. 14] He married first Mary Unknown. [Ref, p. 14] She died on 25 Jun 1751 in Plainfield. [Ref, p. 14] He married - at age 85 - Sarah (Unknown) (Warren) Fellows on 11 Dec 1751 in Plainfield, Windham, CT. [Ref] He was an early freeholder of Plainfield, living on the east side of the Quinebaug. [Ref]

Children of Joshua Whitney and Lydia Unknown or Mary Unknown

1. Sarah Whitney was born on 10 Oct 1668 in Groton. [Ref] She married Nathaniel Jewell, Jr. [Ref says "___ Juell"] on 11 Jul 1704 in Plainfield, Windham, CT. [Ref]
2. Abigail Whitney married John Hutchins and had five children. [Ref]

Children of Joshua Whitney and Abigail Tarball:

1. Mary Whitney was born on 1 Jul 1675 in Groton. [Ref] She married Ephraim Pierce and had nine children. [Ref]
2. William Whitney was born on 28 Feb 1678. [Ref]
3. Cornelius Whitney married Sarah Unknown. [Ref]
4. Capt. David Whitney was born in 1682 in Groton. He died in Dec 1769 in Canaan. He married first Elizabeth Warren. He married second the widow Prudence (Merrills) Sedgwick.
5. Martha Whitney married Isaac Williams, Jr. of Newton and had eight children. [Ref]
6. Elizabeth Whitney married Eben Farnsworth and had eight children. [Ref]
7. Eleanor Whitney married Unknown Shepherd. [Ref]

Generation 3

CAPT. DAVID WHITNEY (1682 - 1769) of Groton and Plainfield

Parents: Joshua Whitney and Abigail Tarbell [Ref, p. 25]

David Whitney was born in 1682 in Groton. [Ref, p. 25] He died in Dec 1769 in Canaan. [Ref, p. 25] He married first Elizabeth Warren on 20 Jan 1712/3 in Plainfield. [Ref "daughter of Jacob"] He married second the widow Prudence (Merrills) Sedgwick on 28 Jul 1767. [Ref] Prudence, the daughter of Abraham Merrills of Hartford, was born on 22 Dec 1700 and died on 1 Feb 1793 when she "fell into the fire". [Ref]

David moved to Groton. [Ref] He later moved to Plainfield. He was an innkeepper and a colonel in the militia. [Ref] He was a deputy from Plainfield on 11 May 1732. [Ref] He was appointed captain of the second company or trainband in Plainfield in May 1736. [Ref]

He moved to Canaan in 1759. [Ref, p. 25] Capt. David Whitney of Canaan was Justice of the Peace in Hartford in 1739 and 1742 - 1746. [Ref]

He signed his will on 27 Oct 1769; it was proved on 13 Dec 1769. [Ref]

Children of David Whitney and Elizabeth Warren:

1. Esther Whitney was born on 1 May 1714 in Plainfield. [Ref] She married Unknown Kingsbury and died before 1769. [Ref]
2. David Whitney was born on 16 Sep 1716 in Plainfield. [Ref] He married Mary Gun on 23 Sep 1739. [Ref] He lived in New Haven and Poultney, VT. [Ref]
3. Joshua Whitney was born on 11 Oct 1718 in Plainfield. He married Amy Blodgett.
4. Elizabeth Whitney was born on 26 Feb 1720/1 in Plainfield. [Ref] She married Unknown Stanton and died before 1769. [Ref]
5. Jacob Whitney was born on 13 Jul 1723 in Plainfield. [Ref] He died on 20 Sep 1738 in Canterbury. [Ref]
6. Tarball Whitney was born on 1 Nov 1725 in Plainfield. [Ref] He died in 1794 in Canaan. [Ref] He was executor of his father's will. [Ref]
7. Mary Whitney was born on 13 Mar 1727/8 in Plainfield. [Ref] She died there on 28 Jun 1729. [Ref]
8. Rev. Josiah Whitney was born on 11 Aug 1731 in Plainfield. [Ref] He died in Sep 1802. [Ref] He married first Lois Breck and second the widow of Samuel Chandler. [Ref] He graduated from Yale in 1752 and received a D.D. from Harvard in 1802. [Ref]

Generation 4

JOSHUA WHITNEY (1718 -1761) of Plainfield

Parents: Capt. David Whitney and Elizabeth Warren

Joshua Whitney was born on 11 Oct 1718 in Plainfield. [Ref] He died on 10 Feb 1761 in Plainfield, at age 42 y., 3 m., 29 d. [Ref] "Joshua Whitney, Esq., died of ye smallpox." [Ref] He married Amy Blodgett "about the 8th" of Apr 1743 in Plainfield. [Ref]

John Bacon gives slightly different dates for Joshua's birth and death: "Joshua Whitney, Esq. my maternal grandfather born 2nd October 1720 O.S. married Amy Blodgett and died at Plainfield 10th February 1762 or as my maternal Uncle Nathaniel Stevens asserts he died 1761." [Ref] The The First Congregational Church records say that Joshua Whitney died on 22 Jan 1761. [Ref]

A Joshua Whitney was a member of the First Congregational Church in Plainfield. (undated, but mid 1700s). This might have been this Joshua or his uncle. [Ref]

Joshua Whitney and Amy Blodgett had the following children:

1. Abigail Whitney was born on 10 Jan 1744. She died on 21 Sep 1821 in Woodstock, CT. She married Capt. Asa Bacon.
2. Mary Whitney was born on 7 Jan 1746. [Ref] She died on 22 Nov 1817 in Canaan, CT. [Ref] She married Lemuel Kingsbury. [Ref] She survived her husband. [Ref]
3. Huldah Whitney was born in 1748. [Ref] She died in 1750. [Ref]
4. Joshua Whitney was born on 28 Nov 1750. [Ref] He died in Mar 1822 in Bridport, VT. [Ref] He married a Miss Cohran. [Ref] He left several children. [Ref]
5. Josiah Whitney was born 11 Aug 1752. [Ref] "His friends never knew where or when he died." (John Bacon [Ref])
6. Huldah Whitney was born on 20 Jan 1755. [Ref] She died in Stillwater, NY. [Ref] She married Elias Palmer of Stillwater. [Ref]
7. David Whitney was born on 25 Mar 1757. [Ref] He lived in Addison, VT. [Ref]
8. Amy Whitney was born on 23 Mar 1761. [Ref] She died after 1825. [Ref] She married Nathaniel Stevens of Canaan. [Ref]

Generation 5

ABIGAIL WHITNEY (1744 - 1821)

Parents: Joshua Whitney and Amy Blodgett [Ref, p. 134]

Abigail Whitney was born on 10 Jan 1744 in Plainfield. [Ref][Ref, p. 132] She died on 21 Sep 1821 of "quick consumption" in Woodstock, Windham, CT [Ref] and is buried in the Hyde Cemetery in Canterbury, Windham, CT. [Ref] Click here to see a photo of her grave. She married Capt. Asa Bacon on 2 Jun 1768 [Ref] in Canterbury. [Ref]

"Abigail the second wife of Asa Bacon died in Woodstock on Friday afternoon 21st September 1821 of a consumption which proceeded from a sudden cold which continued 17 weeks. She was at the house of Mr. William May where she went to make a social visit." (John Bacon [Ref])

References

Cemeteries

Windham County Cemeteries, Windham County, US GenWeb project.

Church Records

Talcutt, Mary Kingsbury, trans, "Records of the First Congregational Church, Plainfield, Conn.," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 70, 1916, 171-181.

Family Genealogy

Foster, Warren Woden, Some Descendants of Arthur Warren of Weymouth, Massachusetts Bay Colony, Washington, D.C., Press of Judd & Detweiler, 1982.

Trowbridge, Francis Bacon, "Whitney Genealogy," Notes and Queries section, New England Historical and Genealogical Register 50, 1896, 357.

Personal Records

Dumas, David W., "Bacon - Adams - Whitney - Kingsbury Family Record," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 138, 1984, 32-38.

Public Records

Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, 1636 - 1776.

Vital Records

Barbour Records, Windham country, CT