hi. so many Whitakers (with at least 20 spellings) which one is ours????I got my information about a possible linkage from a USGenWeb project lookup that Nicholas Whitaker was the probable original emigrant. The Family Research Center of ther Mormon Church has him listed, and also his wife Martha,as having been born in Halesowen, Worcester(shire)which is in the northwest part of England. I have read that Winthrop brought a number of families from the westerncounties of England, but he is not listed as far as can tell. I went to the center here and ordered film of the parish records of Belbroughton and also probated wills (that is where this Nicholas died), which will come in 2-3 weeks. (Ah, the suspense!)In the meantime, there are some curious references in Bond's History of Watertown and Genealogies...to wit: p. 368...." he was an apprentice of Whitaker.." (unfortunately I did not record that person's name; p. 518.the reference to Mary Linfield; p 687 " Jan 20 l677 John Whitaker and wife Elizabeth sold to Nathaniel Payne [may be Paine] houses and land in Watertown purchased from Widow Martha Eyre [Eire] and heirs about the time they moved to Billerica [note..that town is bounded by Concord.]..in a trial on Oct. 20. 1677 witnesses John Whitaker age 37 wife Elizabeth age 35 Elizabeth age 16 and John Jr. age 14." a very naughty boy." [hmm.] Martha Eyre was the cond[ brackets mine wife of Simon Eyre, a doctor, who listed in his will as leaving to his wife "property with houses, orchards, etc." She was also a wealthy woman in her own right.Do not know about Mr. Paine. The other thing I am researching is the migration patterns from Watertown since, according to the Great Migrations newsletter(Vol. 1 Jan-Mar 1990 p. 1 "migration patterns within NE will point to long-term patterns of associations of certain families. These associations will provide clues to English origins and to group migrations to NE." Sorry this is so long and may be stuff you already know![ brackets mine] ----- Original Message ----- From: Huie and Joan Landrum <jlandrum@tvec.net> To: Michael Cosner <mcosner@cox.rr.com>; <nancy.bauer@worldnet.att.net> Cc: <billdressel@prodigy.net>; <WHITAKER-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, September 07, 2001 10:03 AM Subject: Re: > Hello Mike and Nancy, > Although I have researched for many years, I have > so far been unable to find the missing link that would > prove that Jonathan Whitaker b. 1690 was the son > of Jonathan Whitaker b. 1664. Ephraim Seward > Whitaker said that he was unable to find the connection > to prove it. Some researchers quote Rev. Oscar Vorhees > a descendant in saying that Jonathan was from Wiltshire, > England and said that he came to Massachusetts but did > not stay long there. He met and married Elizabeth Jervis > or Jarvis, daughter of Thomas and Millicent Jarvis of Long > Island. Their children were born at Huntington and christened > there, and he lived there until the 1740's when he moved > to Somerset Co., N.J. The oral family history about Jonathan > stated that he was shipwrecked off the coast of Massachusetts > along with his brothers and that only Jonathan survived. No > one knows what date, or where he was coming from to > Massachusetts. > > I made a trip to England in May, and while in London and > Wiltshire, researched the Whitakers but was unable to find > a Jonathan Whitaker b. 1690 in Wiltshire. My main focus > was the non conformist church registers since my Jonathan > and his family were Presbyterian. > > It is significant to me that Sarah Whitacus (Whitaker) moved > to Fairfield and to Stratfield Connecticut. These places are > almost directly across from Huntington, Long Island where > my Jonathan married and lived with his family. With here were > her three children, two daughters and a son Jonathan. > > My father was also concerned with finding Jonathan's ancestors, > and along with the old family chart there was a pamplet > which was done by someone stating that the Wiltshire Whitakers > were descended from a Stephen Whitaker of Dorsetshire > who had the following children: > Henry, Stephen, and Jeffery. > Henry( married Judith Hawkins and had Anthony, Elizabeth, > William (who married Honor Hooper and had a son Henry): > and Henry the youngest son who had sons Nicholas and Henry. > > Stephen, son of Stephen had a son Thomas > Jeffery son of Stephen had Nash, Jeffery and 3 daughters. > > I haven't yet been able to determine if the Nicholas, son > of William, was the Nicholas who came to Massachusetts. > > Has either of you found proof that your are definitely > descended from John Whitaker son of John of Watertown? > > more later, > Joan > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Michael Cosner" <mcosner@cox.rr.com> > To: <nancy.bauer@worldnet.att.net>; <jlandrum@tvec.net> > Cc: <billdressel@prodigy.net>; <WHITAKER-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Thursday, September 06, 2001 10:59 PM > > > > Hi Nancy & Joan, > > > > >From all your emails, it looks like we have a collaborative > threesome > > working on two potentially close Whitaker lines that should be > beneficial > > for us all and probably many others. > > > > Hope you don't mind my listing your names to Joyce Dressel who > has > > generously offered to do some onsite research for us. > > > >