Another follow-up: I assume you already know that James Whitney appeared in the 1803 Ohio State Census, and in the 1810 through 1850 Federal Census, and his widow Rebecca in later Census reports, always I believe shown as residing in Marietta, Washington County, OH. The listing of James' family, with numbers of family members in various age categories, may help you in your detective work. While your William does not appear by name in the Washington County Census reports, if he was born in 1820 perhaps he is one of the six William Whitneys who were listed in various Ohio counties in the 1840 Ohio Census, when he would have been 19 at census-taking time, or surely in an 1850 Census. The listing of family, with numbers of family members in various age categories, may help you in your detective work. You probably are aware of all this, and have already checked it out. Good luck.