At 03:43 AM 11/26/00 -0500, you wrote: > >From the book "Known Military Dead During The American Revolutionary War > 1775 >- 1783" by Ex-Lieut. Clarence Stewart Peterson, M.A. Copyright 1959 > >Whitney, Abram Pvt 8 Mass Died 7/8/1777 >Whitney, Andrew Pvt Mass " 1778 >Whitney, Caleb Pvt 15 Mass " 2/1/1778 * >Whitney, Daniel Mass " 1782 ** >Whitney, Eliasaph Conn " 1/1782 >Whitney, Hezekiah Pvt Mass " 6/15/1778 * >Whitney, Israel Pvt Mass " 7/1778 * >Whitney, John Pvt 18 Conn " 5/5/1776 >Whitney, Jonas Pvt Mass " 1781 >Whitney, Silas Mass " 1781 > > * These Soldiers were included on Robert L. Ward's list with death dates >that would indicate that their deaths were related to their being at Valley >Forge Dec 1777 to June 1778. > > ** My 6G Grandfather - does any list know if one of these Israels is >Daniel's (Benjamin, John, John) son? > >Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the War of the Revolution, 17 Vols. > >Volume 17 >page 222 >Whitney, Israel, Brookfield.Return of men raised to serve in the Continental >Army from Capt. Daniel Gilbert's co., Col. James Converse's (4th Worcester >Co.) regt.; residence, Brookfield; engaged for town of Brookfield; joined >Capt. Slaton's co., Col. Shephard's regt.; term, 3 years; also, Private, >Capt. Field's co., Col. William Sheppard's regt.; Continental Army pay >accounts for service from Feb. 2, 1777, to Aug. 2, 1778; reported deceased; >also, Capt. Reuben Slayton's co., Col. Shepard's (3d) regt.; return dated >Valley Forge, Jan. 30, 1778; mustered by State and Continental Muster >Masters; also, same co. and regt.; muster roll for July and Aug., 1778, dated >Camp at Providence; reported deceased. > >Volume 17 >page 223 >[p.223] Whitney, Israel, Harvard.Corporal, Capt. Isaac Gates's (4th) co. of >militia, Col. Asa Whitcomb's regt., which marched in response to the alarm of >April 19, 1775, to Cambridge; service, 8 ½ days; reported returned home April >26, 1775; also, Capt. Hezekiah Whitney's co., Col. Josiah Whitney's regt.; >entered service July 22, 1777; service, 2 days; company marched on an alarm >at Rhode Island. > > >Volume 17 >page 223 >Whitney, Israel.Private, Capt. Manasseh Sawyer's co., Col. Josiah Whitney's >regt.; service from July 30, 1778, to Sept. 13, 1778, 1 mo. 15 days, at Rhode >Island. Roll sworn to at Lancaster. > > >Sincerely, >Kate None of these can be Daniel-4 WHITNEY's son Israel-5, since the latter died 11 Sep 1774, Watertown, MA, before the start of the Revolution. The first I cannot identify. The second would be Israel-5 WHITNEY (Elijah-4, Isaiah-3, Thomas-2, John-1), and, according to Pierce, the third is the same person. All the other Israel WHITNEY individuals of whom I know either were too young to serve in 1777, or were already dead by then. My ignorance is patent here! Regards, Robert Robert L. Ward rlward1@erols.com <http://users.erols.com/rlward1/> 12236 Shadetree Lane, Laurel, MD 20708-2832 301-776-1659

Dear WRG, Here is an obituary supplied by Deane Merrill: ============================================================================ =========== Greenfield (MA) Recorder, 17 Nov 2000 Catherine L. Whitney GREENFIELD -- Catherine L. (Stebbins) Whitney, 85, or 33 Freeman Drive died Wednesday (11-15-00) at the Franklin Medical Center. Born in Northfield, May 6, 1915, she was the daughter of Waldo and Isabel (Flansburg) Stebbins. She was educated in Northfield schools, and was a graduate of Northfield High School. She was married to Preston Whitney in 1933. They had lived in Bernardston for more than 30 years. He died in 1985. Whitney enjoyed sewing. Survivors include a son, Preston Jr. of Greenfield; three sisters, Mary Clarke of Greenfield, Martha Potter of East Longmeadow and Charlotte of Longmeadow; seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Services will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Kidder Funeral Home, 1 Parker Ave., Northfield, with the Rev. William Whitney, grandson of the deceased, officiating. Burial will be in Center Cemetery, Bernardston. Calling hour at the funeral home will be Saturday from 10 a.m. to time of service. Memorial contributions are suggested to Charlene Manor Extended Care Facility's Alzheimer's Unit, 130 Colrain Road, Greenfield, MA 01301. ============================================================================ =========== Can anyone identify her husband Preston WHITNEY, Sr., b. say 1910? Regards, Robert Robert L. Ward WHITNEY Research Group <http://www.whitneygen.org/>

Dear WRG, In the last few weeks someone posted that they could not find Ohio Whitney. Others and I wrote and told the person not to give up. Last night I was going through some old drafts, and I found information on Ohio Whitney. Am I now suppose to post this information to the list? I can not find the email of the person who had originally posted. Thank you for any information you can give me, Maureen

Dear WRG, A few weeks ago someone wrote they can not find information on Ohio Whitney. I wrote to them not to give up. I was just going through some old drafts and found some information on Ohio Whitney. I can not find the persons email to send them the information I have found. Am I now suppose to post this information to the list or wait until the person contacts me? Thank you for any information you can give me, Maureen

>From the book "Known Military Dead During The American Revolutionary War 1775 - 1783" by Ex-Lieut. Clarence Stewart Peterson, M.A. Copyright 1959 Whitney, Abram Pvt 8 Mass Died 7/8/1777 Whitney, Andrew Pvt Mass " 1778 Whitney, Caleb Pvt 15 Mass " 2/1/1778 * Whitney, Daniel Mass " 1782 ** Whitney, Eliasaph Conn " 1/1782 Whitney, Hezekiah Pvt Mass " 6/15/1778 * Whitney, Israel Pvt Mass " 7/1778 * Whitney, John Pvt 18 Conn " 5/5/1776 Whitney, Jonas Pvt Mass " 1781 Whitney, Silas Mass " 1781 * These Soldiers were included on Robert L. Ward's list with death dates that would indicate that their deaths were related to their being at Valley Forge Dec 1777 to June 1778. ** My 6G Grandfather - does any list know if one of these Israels is Daniel's (Benjamin, John, John) son? Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the War of the Revolution, 17 Vols. Volume 17 page 222 Whitney, Israel, Brookfield.Return of men raised to serve in the Continental Army from Capt. Daniel Gilbert's co., Col. James Converse's (4th Worcester Co.) regt.; residence, Brookfield; engaged for town of Brookfield; joined Capt. Slaton's co., Col. Shephard's regt.; term, 3 years; also, Private, Capt. Field's co., Col. William Sheppard's regt.; Continental Army pay accounts for service from Feb. 2, 1777, to Aug. 2, 1778; reported deceased; also, Capt. Reuben Slayton's co., Col. Shepard's (3d) regt.; return dated Valley Forge, Jan. 30, 1778; mustered by State and Continental Muster Masters; also, same co. and regt.; muster roll for July and Aug., 1778, dated Camp at Providence; reported deceased. Volume 17 page 223 [p.223] Whitney, Israel, Harvard.Corporal, Capt. Isaac Gates's (4th) co. of militia, Col. Asa Whitcomb's regt., which marched in response to the alarm of April 19, 1775, to Cambridge; service, 8 ½ days; reported returned home April 26, 1775; also, Capt. Hezekiah Whitney's co., Col. Josiah Whitney's regt.; entered service July 22, 1777; service, 2 days; company marched on an alarm at Rhode Island. Volume 17 page 223 Whitney, Israel.Private, Capt. Manasseh Sawyer's co., Col. Josiah Whitney's regt.; service from July 30, 1778, to Sept. 13, 1778, 1 mo. 15 days, at Rhode Island. Roll sworn to at Lancaster. Sincerely, Kate Surnames of interest: Mass: Sewall, Fairbanks, Peters, Morse, Devere(a)u(x), Quincy, Wight, Ellis, Elliot, Woods, Walley, Metcalf(e), Chenery, Fisher, Fuller, Flamer, Frye (Frie), Clap(p), Gam(b)lin, Beamsley, Aslebe, Hull, Glazer, Henchman, Burrill, Blaney, King, Knightly, Arden, Garnish, Wendell, Dekay, Flint, Gookin, Willet, Dolling, Pares, Palmer, Storer, Dummer, Hunt, Archer, Grazebrook, Keene Penn: Roehm (Westphalia), Morgenroth, Riebel (Alsace & Latvia) later Calif. Wash: Hanlon, Peters, McPhee, Murphy, McDonald Pictou NS Can.: Grant, Holmes, Crichton, MacIntosh, Ramsay, Sutherland, McLean, McDonald, Fraser, Munro Corrimony, Urquhart, Inverness, Scotland: Grant, Ogilvie, Keith, MacDonald, Rose Copenhagen Denmark/Oslo Norway: Tiemroth, Möller, Foght, Dittich

Just want to thank you, Jeanne & everyone who works so hard on the project. Also, thanks to everyone on the list for your contributions. You're great! Carol Paul

Dear WRG, The archives/extracts directory at the WRG website had grown unwieldy, with 235 files. (I'm not complaining, really!!) As a result, I have moved the extracts from the NEHGR (New England Historical and Genealogical Register) and the Whitney Whistler to new subdirectories archives/extracts/nehgr and archives/extracts/whistler, and changed their names. They are still accessible from the Extracts index page <http://www.whitneygen.org/archives/extracts/index.html>, which has been modified accordingly. By the way, the extracts from the NEHGR have reached volume 149, and will soon be complete, thanks to Jeanne Muse! More pages have been transcribed from Phoenix's _Whitney Family of Connecticut_, as well. Regards, Robert Robert L. Ward WHITNEY Research Group <http://www.whitneygen.org/>

Dear WRG, I found the following 25 WHITNEY soldiers who encamped with Gen. Washington's army at Valley Forge Dec 1777 to June 1778: ID Number Surname Given Name State Rank Regt. Please Select MA19953 WHITNEY ABRAHAM MA PRIVATE 13 MA MA19953 MA27508 WHITNEY CALEB MA PRIVATE 15 MA MA27508 MA12866 WHITNEY ELEAZOR MA PRIVATE 4 MA MA12866 MA12867 WHITNEY GERSHOM MA SERGEANT 4 MA MA12867 MA12868 WHITNEY HEZEKIAH MA PRIVATE 4 MA MA12868 MA19952 WHITNEY ISAAC MA PRIVATE 13 MA MA19952 MA12870 WHITNEY ISRAEL MA PRIVATE 4 MA MA12870 NY23036 WHITNEY JACOB NY PRIVATE 4 NY NY23036 MA03701 WHITNEY JAMES MA CORPORAL 9 MA MA03701 MA19599 WHITNEY JOHN MA DRUM MAJOR 12 MA MA19599 MA27333 WHITNEY JOHN MA PRIVATE 15 MA MA27333 MA27393 WHITNEY JOHN MA PRIVATE 15 MA MA27393 CT02541 WHITNEY JOHN M. CT SERGEANT 4 CT CT02541 MA15045 WHITNEY JONATHAN MA PRIVATE 2 MA MA15045 MA19210 WHITNEY JONATHAN MA PRIVATE 1 MA MA19210 CT16030 WHITNEY JOSHUA CT SERGEANT 8 CT CT16030 MA27482 WHITNEY JOSHUA MA CORPORAL 15 MA MA27482 MA02800 WHITNEY JOSHUA MA PRIVATE 10 MA MA02800 CT15713 WHITNEY JOSIAH CT PRIVATE 7 CT CT15713 MA20157 WHITNEY SAMUAL MA CORPORAL 13 MA MA20157 CT21746 WHITNEY SAMUEL CT PRIVATE 2 CT CT21746 CT10897 WHITNEY SAMUEL CT PRIVATE 5 CT CT10897 MA27163 WHITNEY SHUBALL MA PRIVATE 14 MA MA27163 MA27465 WHITNEY SILAS MA PRIVATE 15 MA MA27465 NY25636 WHITNEY THOMAS NY MATROSE 2 ART NY25636 See <http://www.nps.gov/vafo/home.htm>. I can identify these: Abraham-5 WHITNEY (Benjamin-4, John-3, Benjamin-2, John-1) Caleb-6 WHITNEY (Caleb-5, Jonathan-4, Richard-3, Richard-2, John-1) Eleazer-6 WHITNEY (Nathan-5, Thomas-4, Eleazer-3, Thomas-2, John-1) Gershom-4 WHITNEY (Joshua-3, Benjamin-2, John-1) [my ancestor!] Hezekiah-5 WHITNEY (Gershom-4, Joshua-3, Benjamin-2, John-1) Isaac-5 WHITNEY (Benjamin-4, John-3, Benjamin-2, John-1) Israel WHITNEY, enlisted from Brookfield, MA Jacob WHITNEY, possibly Jacob-5 (David-4, David-3, Joshua-2, John-1) James-5 WHITNEY (Isaac-4, Nathaniel-3, Benjamina-2, John-1) John-5 WHITNEY (Nathan-4, Nathaniel-3, Benjamin-2, John-1) John-5 WHITNEY (Abraham-4, Isaiah-3, Thomas-2, John-1) John WHITNEY of Westborough, poss. the one who m. Sarah TWITCHELL. John M. WHITNEY, ??? Jonathan WHITNEY (Isaac-4, Nathaniel-3, Benjamin-2, John-1) Jonathan WHITNEY, perhaps Jonathan-5 (John-4, Benjamin-3, John-2, John-1) Joshua WHITNEY , ??? Joshua WHITNEY, of Lancaster Joshua WHITNEY, ??? Josiah WHITNEY, ??? Samual WHITNEY, ??? Samuel WHITNEY, ??? Samuel WHITNEY, ??? Shuball WHITNEY, of Barnstable and Yarmouth Silas WHITNEY, poss. Silas-6 (Daniel-5, Richard-4, Richard-3, Richard-2, John-1) Thomas WHITNEY, ??? Anyone else care to try? Regards, Robert Robert L. Ward WHITNEY Research Group <http://www.whitneygen.org/>

Jeanne, A lovely idea, I have one for my Tracy line, but BEWARE of one thing, if you use their family tree layout for creating your own family tree and anyone can add/edit etc, that belongs to the site. It immediately goes into worldconnect and can be searched by anyone!! Ged files stored are safe and cannot be accessed external to the site though!!. Sandra Tracy

Hi Mike! Thanks for your input. Your offerings are interesting! I seem to remember from my US History that there was a difference in the colonies when they were first settled. Wasn't New York a "Royal" colony and some of the others including Massachusetts Bay and Virginia were set up as businesses with the purpose of making money for shareholders. Perhaps someone with more research under their belt concerning early colonial America can add to this? from, Carolyn Whitney Branagan Mike and Annette Poston wrote: > I'm getting ancient, it's true, but even I wasn't present in Jamestown. I > added that bit of nonesense to stir the pot a bit. Virginians get quite > huffy when non-Virginians blythely assume that the Pilgrims had a lock on > the first Thanksgiving. Apparently, Jamestown offered one in 1608 or > 1609--I don't know exactly. > > Of course, the Pilgrims have the better story and have had the better PR > people, after all. In many respects, an argument can be made that the New > England settlements were more successful over all. Virginia's approach to > settlement was generally land oriented, whereas New England's was town > oriented. By that I mean that New England's political organization was much > more democratic (small "d") with each town having real control over its own > life. Virginia seems to have been more autocratic and elitist in the > beginning, although some would argue that has not changed. > > I had best leave this discussion there, else I will be surely skewered by > someone who has more knowledge, sharper wit, or shorter fuse. > > Happy Thanksgiving everyone. > > Mike Poston > Rockville, Maryland > > [What was on the Jamestown menu? Grits, for sure, and maybe crow.] > > ----Original Message---- > > Dear Mike, > > I do not think I said the first Thanksgiving was in Plymouth. > > I was wondering, what was on your Thanksgiving table in Jamestown? > > Thank you for any information you can share, > > Maureen

I'm getting ancient, it's true, but even I wasn't present in Jamestown. I added that bit of nonesense to stir the pot a bit. Virginians get quite huffy when non-Virginians blythely assume that the Pilgrims had a lock on the first Thanksgiving. Apparently, Jamestown offered one in 1608 or 1609--I don't know exactly. Of course, the Pilgrims have the better story and have had the better PR people, after all. In many respects, an argument can be made that the New England settlements were more successful over all. Virginia's approach to settlement was generally land oriented, whereas New England's was town oriented. By that I mean that New England's political organization was much more democratic (small "d") with each town having real control over its own life. Virginia seems to have been more autocratic and elitist in the beginning, although some would argue that has not changed. I had best leave this discussion there, else I will be surely skewered by someone who has more knowledge, sharper wit, or shorter fuse. Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Mike Poston Rockville, Maryland [What was on the Jamestown menu? Grits, for sure, and maybe crow.] ----Original Message---- > Dear Mike, > I do not think I said the first Thanksgiving was in Plymouth. > I was wondering, what was on your Thanksgiving table in Jamestown? > Thank you for any information you can share, > Maureen

Dear Whitneys, Just for interest in 1621 Governor William Bradford proclaimed a day of Thanksgiving commemorating the harvest reaped by the Plymouth colony. It wasn't until George Washington proclaimed Thanksgiving as a national holiday that it was celebrated throughout the states other than on a sporadic basis, that was on November 26, 1789. Then Abraham LIncoln revived THanksgiving in 1863. Here is his Proclamation which you might enjoy: THANKSGIVING PROCLAMATION Abraham Lincoln, 1863 It is the duty of nations as well as of men to owe their dependence upon the overruling power of God; to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations are blessed whose God is the Lord. We know that by His divine law, nations, like individuals, are subject to punishments and chastisements in this world. May we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war which now desolates the land may be a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins; to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole people? We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us. It has seemed to me fit and proper that God should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. By the way, I have now connected my Alpheus Spring Chandler Whitney to the following line Joel m. to Jane Corthell-Ephraim m. Sarah Noyes-Joel Sr. m. to Mary Weston-Abel m. to Mary Crane-Nathaniel m. to Sarah Ford-Benjamin m. to Jane-John and Elinor. I had sent a message a couple of weeks ago to the Whitney list. Although I received no responses to my message, I did receive a response to an old message I posted on GenForum quite some time ago so all is well. This was quite a surprise and patience is the virtue that geneology teaches us. Happy THanksgiving to everyone. Rebecca Whitney-Smith, Oregon Happy Thanksgiving, Rebecca Whitney-Smith

Hi, Great Idea! But I did not set up the Whitney Family site on MyFamily.com. I believe that Gary Wallace did that. Unless my memory has really gone bonkers. Better check with him first. I believe he is using the site for his more immediate family. Of course, we could set up another one. Am I losing my mind? Shawn Jeanne Muse wrote: > Dear members of WRG: > > In Nov. 1999, Shawn Whitney set up a Whitney Family site on > MyFamily.com - but no one is using it. I have today mailed invitations > to everyone that I have in my address book to join in the site. > > I suggest that we use it for our Current info - people who are living. > Let's share photos, recipes, our family trees via this site, which is > free and password protected. I have a couple of old family recipes that > I can add that were passed down, and Thanksgiving is a good time to > begin. > > Someone recently suggested we organize a Whitney Family Reunion. The > MyFamily.com site would be a great place to begin talking about that. > > I do not have a current member list for WRG, so I'm sure I've left many > people out. If you would like to be included in the above site, email > me! > > Jeanne

Dear Mike, I do not think I said the first Thanksgiving was in Plymouth. I was wondering, what was on your Thanksgiving table in Jamestown? Thank you for any information you can share, Maureen -----Original Message----- From: Mike and Annette Poston <poston@erols.com> To: WHITNEY-L@rootsweb.com <WHITNEY-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Wednesday, November 22, 2000 6:42 AM Subject: Re: [WHITNEY-L] Whitney Thanksgiving >> Now, fast forward to John and Elinor in 1635. My hunch > is that John >and Elinor did not celebrate Thanksgiving at > all. My reasons are that John >and Elinor would not have > been used to celebrating the harvest in >England and > that they were not terribly religious. Further, I think >> that none of the Whitney's celebrated Thanksgiving until > about the >1860's. > > >I think that Carolyn is right, but perhaps not only for the reasons she puts >forth. John and Elinor were residents of Massachusets in Watertown and that >colony was principally comprised of Puritans. Though we tend to lump >together all early settlers in New England, there were really some sharp >differences between the Calvinistic Puritans and the Pilgrims. Although I >am not qualified to discern the theological differences, I suspect that the >Pilgrims had a somewhat less rigid approach to the cycle of the Church Year. >It was the Puritans who did not celebrate Christmas because they saw too >much pagan influence in it. Easter may have been a different matter--the >pernicious greeting card industry and the candy and egg folks weren't yet a >factor. > >Then, too, Thanksgiving did not become an annual event and J & E did not >arrive in New England until some 14 years after the original Plymouth >celebration. > > >> I haven't found any reference to John's >> involvement in a church in Watertown. > >I believe, but have no reference at hand, that John was a freeman of >Watertown. In that era and place, such a designation must have meant that >he was a regular attender at his church. How seriously he espoused its >tenets may be another matter, but he could not ignore the church and be a >freeman in the town. > >Now that we've dealt with that, what's this business about Plymouth's being >the first Thanksgiving in America? Are we to ignore Jamestown? > >Mike Poston >Rockville, Maryland > > >

> Now, fast forward to John and Elinor in 1635. My hunch > is that John and Elinor did not celebrate Thanksgiving at > all. My reasons are that John and Elinor would not have > been used to celebrating the harvest in England and > that they were not terribly religious. Further, I think > that none of the Whitney's celebrated Thanksgiving until > about the 1860's. I think that Carolyn is right, but perhaps not only for the reasons she puts forth. John and Elinor were residents of Massachusets in Watertown and that colony was principally comprised of Puritans. Though we tend to lump together all early settlers in New England, there were really some sharp differences between the Calvinistic Puritans and the Pilgrims. Although I am not qualified to discern the theological differences, I suspect that the Pilgrims had a somewhat less rigid approach to the cycle of the Church Year. It was the Puritans who did not celebrate Christmas because they saw too much pagan influence in it. Easter may have been a different matter--the pernicious greeting card industry and the candy and egg folks weren't yet a factor. Then, too, Thanksgiving did not become an annual event and J & E did not arrive in New England until some 14 years after the original Plymouth celebration. > I haven't found any reference to John's > involvement in a church in Watertown. I believe, but have no reference at hand, that John was a freeman of Watertown. In that era and place, such a designation must have meant that he was a regular attender at his church. How seriously he espoused its tenets may be another matter, but he could not ignore the church and be a freeman in the town. Now that we've dealt with that, what's this business about Plymouth's being the first Thanksgiving in America? Are we to ignore Jamestown? Mike Poston Rockville, Maryland

Dear members of WRG: In Nov. 1999, Shawn Whitney set up a Whitney Family site on MyFamily.com - but no one is using it. I have today mailed invitations to everyone that I have in my address book to join in the site. I suggest that we use it for our Current info - people who are living. Let's share photos, recipes, our family trees via this site, which is free and password protected. I have a couple of old family recipes that I can add that were passed down, and Thanksgiving is a good time to begin. Someone recently suggested we organize a Whitney Family Reunion. The MyFamily.com site would be a great place to begin talking about that. I do not have a current member list for WRG, so I'm sure I've left many people out. If you would like to be included in the above site, email me! Jeanne

Listers, I really do know how to spell relatives. I guess I did not proof read again. Sorry, Maureen -----Original Message----- From: Maureen <abc@empire.net> To: WHITNEY-L@rootsweb.com <WHITNEY-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Tuesday, November 21, 2000 3:32 AM Subject: Re: [WHITNEY-L] Re: Nathan Watkins >Hi Shawn, > Yes this story of Hopkinton,Mass. is true. I had many relitives that >descended through this area. >Maureen >-----Original Message----- >From: Shawn Whitney <cyberboone@worldnet.att.net> >To: WHITNEY-L@rootsweb.com <WHITNEY-L@rootsweb.com> >Date: Monday, November 20, 2000 8:20 AM >Subject: Re: [WHITNEY-L] Re: Nathan Watkins > > >>Hi Maureen, >>It is straight out of Pierce's book, page 39. I have no idea if it is >further >>researched and true or not. I just cut and pasted it! >>Shawn >> >>Maureen wrote: >> >>> Dear Shawn, >>> Where do you get this kind of information from? i.e.the town of >>> Hopkinton, Mass. was named after Edward Hopkins. Where does all this come >>> from? Is there a biography page that gives this genealogy information? >>> Thank you, >>> Maureen >> >> > >

Fellow Listers, It is very close to Thanksgiving. I live in New England. This is where the Mayflower docked. I descend through some families that came on the Mayflower. Since I live in Massachusettes, I know that on Cape Cod are numerous cranberry bogs. This would be Ocean Spray now. Anyway there were many Indian tribes that lived on Cape Cod. Cranberries went with Thanksgiving dinner because they were so plentiful in this area. We were introduced to cranberries and corn and popcorn and wild turkey,amongst other things. On Cape Cod is a place called Plymouth Plantation. On Plymouth Plantation is a village that is set up just like in the days of the Mayflower. They dress, talk and do everyday things just like they just got off the Mayflower. It is a village with houses, farm animals, and every day things just like in the days of yore. If you talk to someone there, they answer you in the language of those days. Can you imagine what a feast all these people had cooking in the old and the new ways. This past summer I took my daughter on a trip. I met a young man from England. His name was Mark. I said "Mark, you are from England and I am from NEW England." His reply, "Madame, there is only ONE England and "I" am from it" It made me happy that I am here and I know why we came. Anyway this was just a short note to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving everyone, Maureen

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/HEF/#ChurchRecords

Hi Everyone! I wanted to share a few thoughts on Thanksgiving and to invite your feedback! The first American Thanksgiving is generally recognized as the 1621 event shared by the Pilgrims (known to one another as the Separatists and the Strangers) and their neighbors, the Wampanoag. Their celebration was a mixture of religious and political importance. Certainly, the Pilgrims had much to be thankful for as God provided for them in that first, extremely difficult year. The sharing of food with the natives probably helped the political relationship for a time. The pledges of peace and friendship between the Indian guests and the Pilgrims lasted until the growth of the colonies created tensions between the two groups. Their feast was different from what we know as Thanksgiving. It was probably mostly meat: venison, fresh fowl and fish. There were no pies or breads because the baking wasn't possible and flour was very scarce. Corn was probably served along with beans and squash, and some kinds of dried fruits. This celebration was not repeated by the Pilgrims. Now, fast forward to John and Elinor in 1635. My hunch is that John and Elinor did not celebrate Thanksgiving at all. My reasons are that John and Elinor would not have been used to celebrating the harvest in England and that they were not terribly religious. Further, I think that none of the Whitney's celebrated Thanksgiving until about the 1860's. It is true that a Harvest Festival was sometimes celebrated in rural areas of England, but J& E were from London. Would they have been involved with the rural society enough to recreate a celebration of harvest in their new home in Watertown? Is there record of a widespread non-religious Harvest celebration in England? I think it more likely that John & Elinor would have celebrated days set aside by the church, such as Christmas and Easter, in an effort to fit in with the new community. Immigrants who came to the New World looking for religious freedom certainly celebrated God's grace and bounty by setting aside days of special remembrance. The Pilgrims' 3 day feast reflects the tradition of religious thanksgiving, though these affairs in Europe were usually solemn events held in the church. I think J & E came to the New World looking for economic opportunities, not religious freedom. He signed a statement before stepping aboard the "Elizabeth and Ann" pledging, among other things, loyalty to the Church of England. That was probably a political move he had to make to be allowed to leave. I haven't found any reference to John's involvement in a church in Watertown. If there is some reference I have overlooked, I hope someone shares it. There is plenty of reference to his buying and selling of land. His respected place in the community assumes some level of material gain. His will lists the goods of a well to do person of the times, especially considering all that he gave his children before his death. The notion that John Whitney prospered is widely held. In 1777, the Continental Congress proclaimed a national Thanksgiving to remember the victory over the British at Saratoga. This was to be a quiet day of reflection. Later, Presidents Washington, Adams and Monroe proclaimed days of Thanksgiving, but by 1815 there was not much mention of such a day. In 1825 Sarah Jesepha Hale began a 40 year campaign to establish Thanksgiving and finally on November 26, 1863 Abe Lincoln proclaimed a national day of Thanksgiving to be celebrated the last Thursday in November. In 1939, FDR moved the day to the third Thursday, but the uproar prompted a joint resolution of Congress to move the day to the fourth Thursday in 1941. I haven't found any reference of early Whitney celebration of Thanksgiving. In fact I've found no reference at all until the stories of my parents' experiences of Thanksgiving celebrations during the Depression. More than once I have heard both of them remark about how fortunate they were to have been "poor" in the country rather than the city. I would be interested in Thanksgiving stories others could share. Well.......anyway.........I think John and Elinor would be pleased to see how well the family has done. The numerous branches and generations tell the story of this country! I personally have a great deal for which to be thankful, including all of you who have enriched my studies of family history by adding so much humor, personal insight, and scholarship. Please accept my best wishes for a happy, healthy holiday season. And, I'll be watching for your responses to my above ideas! from, Carolyn Whitney Branagan