This was posted yesterday on another list I am on. Maureen ----- Original Message ----- From: <Farns10th@aol.com> To: <MAMIDDLE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, February 11, 2001 5:14 PM Subject: [MAMIDDLE] Rev. Phinehas Whitney, Pastor, Church of Shirley, MA, his wives & children > Subject: Phinehas Whitney, Minister of Shirley, MA > Source: History of Groton by Caleb Butler 1848 > Chapter XX > p.367 > > The first vote of the district of Shirley to raise money for hiring a > minister was passed > September 27, 1753 when ten pounds were granted. April 4, 1754 a committee > was chosen to > ask advice of six neighboring ministers about settling a minister. May 2, > 1754 "Voted, To > hire three months' preaching, and also voted, to try for some other minister > besides what > we have had." June 18, 1755, was appointed a fast, according to the custom of > the times, > as a preparation for giving a minister a call to settle in the place. > > A Mr. Goodhue from Hollis, New Hampshire, preached some time as a candidate, > and received > two several invitations to settle; the first which he accepted conditionally, > and the last > he declined. April 30, 1760, it was again voted to take advice of the > neighboring ministers > and probably another fast was kept. A Mr. Sparhawk of Lynn then preached > some time, received > a call to settle, but declined. At length, Mr. Phinehas Whitney of Weston, a > graduate at > Harvard college, 1759, having preached some time as a candidate, received a > unanimous in- > vitation to become the minister of the district. To this invitation Mr. > Whitney gave an > affirmative answer. His ordination took place June 23, 1762 on which day a > church was duly > organized, a church covenant adopted and signed by the pastor and twelve male > members. July > 26, 1762, a church meeting was held when John Longley and Hezekiah Sawtell > were chosen deacons. > The church covenants and confession of faith were taken from those in the > church at Groton. > They were plain, simple expressions of Christian duties and obligations > without the unscriptur- > al and unintelligible formulas which at a later period became general in the > churches. > > The church received a present of 1 pound, 6 shillings, 8d from Mr. Samuel > Barron of Groton, > which was expended for a cloth and cups for the communion tables; and Capt. > B. Bancroft of > Groton presented a flagon for the church's use. John Ivory was chosen Deacon > December 2, > 1777; Joseph Brown, July 5, 1784 and John Heald September 13, 1790. > > Mr. Whitney's ministry exceeded half a century. It was peaceful, harmonious, > prosperous. > The only controversy he had with his people, and that seems to have been > conducted with > friendly feelings on both sides, was respecting the competency of his > support. His salary > at his ordination was fixed at 66 pounds, 13 shillings, 4 d. This, at the > time, Mr. Whitney > acknowledged to be liberal. But as the revolutionary war soon after > commenced, deranging the > currency, and enhancing the price of the necessaries of life, that sum paid > in paper currency > was evidently inadequate to his support. Several communications passed on > the subject between > the pastor and the people, and the matter was finally adjusted to the > satisfaction of the > parties by some temporary grants and a method of equalizing the salary by the > price of grain. > > During his ministry, one hundred and thirty-seven persons were admitted to > the church in full > communion; one hundred and ten acknowledged the baptismal covenant; eight > hundred and forty-one > persons were baptized. No record of marriages is found. > > Having suffered several years from a paralytic affection, and arrived at the > age of almost 80 > years, he expired, December 13, 1819. His family are named in the list of > families in the > Appendix. (see p. 497, below) > > Mr. Whitney was a prudent manager of his temporal affairs; so that, > notwithstanding the small- > ness of salary, he provided well for the education of his children and left > them some property. > He was one of the trustees of Groton Academy from its foundation till his > death, and patronized > science and literature. His standing among the clergymen of his time and > vicinity was respect- > able, and he was often called to take part in ecclesiastical councils, and to > deliver occasional > discourses, some of which were published. In his religious sentiments, he > was liberal, as were > most of the clergy with whom he associated. He was a kind parent, > affectionate husband and > faithful friend. > > p.497 Reverend Phinehas Whitney m. Meriam Willard. > He m. (2) Lydia Bowes and m. (3) Jane Gar- > field, widow. He died December 13, 1819 > > Meriam Willard died March 20, 1769 > Rev. Whitney m. (2) in 1770 Lydia Bowes d. Oct 11, > 1805. > Rev. Whitney m. (3) Jane Garfield who died March 4, > 1824. > > 1. Thomas Whitney b. Mar 19, 1771 m. Henrietta Parker; died Jan 14, 1844. > > 2. Nicholas Bowes Whitney b. March 21, 1772, m. Nancy Adams; died Nov 6, 1835. > > 3. Lydia Whitney b. Sept 8, 1773, m. John Watson. > > 4. Elizabeth Whitney b. Nov 8, 1775, m. Dr. Amos Parker. > > 5. William Whitney b. Oct 30, 1778, m. Betsey Fisk and Martha Simonds; died > Jan 30, 1837. > > 6. Rebecca Cook Whitney b. Sept 2, 1781, m. William B. Meriam. > > 7. Phineas Sullivan Whitney b. July 6, 1785, m. Lucy Cobb and Julia Ann > Robinson. > > 8. Sarah Whitney b. Dec 19, 1787. > > 9. Clarissa Whitney b. Dec 2, 1790, m. Henry Isaacs. > > 10. Charles Whitney b. Jan 2, 1794 m. Dolly Davenport; died Oct 6, 1832. > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth > > > ============================== > Ancestry.com Genealogical Databases > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/rwlist2.asp > Search over 2500 databases with one easy query! > >