Whitney Family Source: History of Hartford, Vermont - by William Howard Tucker p.475 Benjamin Whitney of Windham, Conn., was one of the Charter proprietors of Hartford, Vermont In the first division of land among the proprietors, in 1761, he drew lot "No. 1," comrising nineteen acres, located on the north side of White river at its confluence with the Connecticut River. This lot was purchased by Elias Lyman 3d about 1795, after which time, until the completion of the Passumpsic Railroad, that portion of the town was called "Lyman's Point." Mr. Whitney subsequently owned lot No. 64, on which is now located the hamlet known as Centreville, but it is not known that he ever lived in that town. A family of Whitneys lived in West Hartford for many years prior to 1838. The father of the family, Peter Whitney, carried on the manufacture of castings of various kinds. He had several children. One of his sons, Ebenezer Whitney, was postmaster in West Hartford in 1833. The entire family emigrated to Ohio in 1888. Jonathan Whitney, better known as Deacon Whitney, resided in Quechee as early as the year 1800. He was a farmer by occupation; a deacon of the First Congreagational Church at the center of the town, and was influential in the civil p.476 and religious affairs of the town. He was probably a lineal descendant of Benjamin Whitney. The following brief history of his family is taken from a record foound in the office of the Town Clerk of Hartford, viz: Jonathan Whitney Family. Jonathan Whitney, son of Nathan and Abigail Whitney b. July 16, 1761; m. Mary Woodward, March 3, 1785 and had: Polly b. Aug 6, 1785, Mary, (parent died Aug 20, 1785. Jonathan Whitney who m. Lucy Woodward Aug 19, 1786. There children were: Ira b. May 25, 1787; Irena b. Feb 17, 1789; died FEb 4, 1813. Jonathan2 Whitney b. Feb 2, 1791; d. May 10, 1812. Samuel b. Nov 22, 1792. David b. Dec 12, 1794. Polly b. July 23, 1796; d. Nov 4, 1798. Russell b. May 5, 1798; d. May 30, 1798. Dolly b. Jan 16, 1800. Russell (again) b. Feb 2, 1802. Lucy b. Oct 2, 1804. Delinda b. Mar 6, 1806. Lurinda b. Feb 12, 1810. Deacon Jonathan Whitney d. Jan 29, 1813, aged 52 yrs. Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth Subject: Whitney Source: Historic Homes & Personal Memoirs of Worcester County, Mass. by Ellery Bicknell Crane. p.79 Levi Whitney. John Whitney1, the immigrant ancestor of Levi Whitney of Upton, Mass., was born in England 1589. He was the son of Thomas Whitney, and the grandson of Robert Whitney of England. For further particulars of John Whitney and his ancestry see Whitney family elsewhere in this work. He settled at Watertown, Mass., June 1635. He married in England, Elinor ____ who was born there in 1599 and died at Watertown May 11, 1659. John Whitney m. (2) at Watertown, Sept 29, 1639, Judith Clement. He died June 1, 1673. Children of John & Elinor Whitney are given elsewhere in the Whitney family sketch. (II) John Whitney, son of John Whitney (I) was born in England 1620. He settled in Watertown. He married Ruth Reynolds, dau. of Robert Reynolds. (III) Nathaniel Whitney son of John Whitney2 was born at Watertown, Mass., Feb 1, 1646. He m. Mar 12, 1673, Sarah Hagar. She b. Sept 3, 1651 and died May 7, 1746 at Weston. He settled in Weston about a mile and a half from the village, on the road to Lexington. Dr. Bradbury who now or lately owned the place has built on the original site of the first house an attractive modern house. Nathaniel died at Weston Jan 7, 1732. Children of Nathaniel & Sarah (Hagar) Whitney were: Nathaniel b. Mar 5, 1675; Sarah, Beb 12, 1678; William May 6, 1683; Samuel bap. July 17, 1687; Hannah b. at Weston, bap. Mar 1688; Elizabeth born Dec 15, 1692; Grace born 1700; Mercy. (IV) Nathaniel Whitney son of Nathaniel Whitney3 was born at Weston, Mass., Mar 5, 1675. He m. Nov 7, 1695 Mercy Robinson, b. Sept 6, 1676; died Dec 31, 1740. They res. at Watertown, Mass. where he d. Sept 23, 1730. Children: Nathaniel; Sarah b. Mar 3, 1698; Amos b. April 19, 1701; Elizabeth July 23, 1702 m. Daniel Bigelow; they were the parents of Colonel Timothy Bigelow from whom the local chapter of the DAR is named; Jonas b. Dec 1703; James b. abt 1710; Susanna, bap. June 17, 1711; Solomon (twin) bap. June 17, 1711; Samuel (twin bap. June 17, 1711; Ebenezer bap. April 25, 1714 was a doctor, res. in Worcester Co., d. Jan 23, 1743; Joshua b. Mar 25, 1714; David b. 1716. (V) Nathaniel Whitney son of Nathaniel Whitney (4) was born at Weston, Mass., Jan 23, 1696. He m. June 22, 1721, Mary Childs b. 1699 and died Dec 3,1776. They settled at Westboro, Mass., where he and his wife were admitted to the church, Jan 21, 1728. He had owned the covenant at Concord, Mass., Oct 15, 1727. Children of Nathaniel & Mary (Childs) Whitney were: Ephraim b. at Groton, July 1722. Oliver b. Dec 1, 1724; DAvid Bapt. Nov 8, 1726; Mary b. Feb. 15, 1727; Nathaniel b. July 22, 1728; Anna b. Mar 8, 1730 m. May 4, 1749 David Forbush son of one of the earliest and most prominent citizens of Westboro, Mass. (ancestor of Judge Forbes of Worcester); Amos b. Mar 17, 1732; Lucy b. April 26, 1734; Love b. Sept 13, 1736; Lois b. Feb 9, 1738; Eli bap. May 3, 1740. The inventor of the cotton gin, Eli Whitney was of this Westboro family. (VI) Ephraim Whitney son of Nathaniel Whitney (5) was born at Groton, Mass., July 1722. He m. Dec 6, 1749, Thankful Harrington, born 1729, d. July 16, 1795. He moved with his parents from Groton to Weston and thence later to Westboro, Mass. After his marriage he purchased a large farm at Upton, Mass., on which he res. the remainder of his life. As his death the farm was divided equally between his two sons. He died at Upton July 21, 1797. Children of Ephraim and Thankful (Harrington) Whitney were: Thankful b. Nov 11, 1750 m. Jonathan Batchelor and res. at Upton; Beulah b. Jan 23, 1753 m. May 7, 1772, Samuel Forbush, granson of Daniel the emigrant from Scotland; Ephraim b. May 13, 1760 m. Jemima Whipple & Joanna Sadler; Amos b. June 29, 1759. (VII) Amos Whitney, son of Ephraim Whitney (6) was b. at Upton, June 29, 1759. He m. Eunice Taft, Feb 7, 1784. He always lived in Upton. At his father's death, he inherited part of the farm, on which he lived the remainder of his life. He d. Sept 22, 1814. Eli Whitney, the inventor, was a cousin. Eli's p.81 father was Eli. Amos' father, Ephraim was a brother of Eli Whitney, Sr. father of the in- ventor, whose pedigree back of his father is the same as that here given. Children of Amos and Eunice (Taft) Whitney were: Esther, b. Oct 26, 1783, m. Deacon Morse; Hannah b. Nov 26, 1785, died unm.; Levi b. Mar 26, 1788; Elijah b. Mar 5, 1791 m. Sarah Reed; Amos b. May 8, 1793 m. Nancy Warren; Polly b. Nov 21, 1796, died unm. Daniel b. July 1, 1799; Sally b. Aug. 11, 1801, m. April 1827 Eron Fiske; Joel Whitney b. April 19, 1804 m. Mary J. Whitney. (VIII) Elijah Whitney son of Amos Whitney (7) was b. at Upton, Mass., Mar 5, 1791. He m. at Stow, Mass., April 12, 1822, Sarah Reed. They lived in Upton and Harvard, Mass. Children of Elijah and Sarah (Reed) Whitney were: Levi b. May 22, 1827; Harriet b. Sept 7, 1832 m. Emory Whitney King, b. Mar 31, 1826, and lived in Upton; he was a farmer & highway surveyor of Upton for many years; he was a son of Samuel & Sabra King of Upton; their children were: Arthur Elijah who m. Isabel McBride of Northbridge; Etta, Sarah, Myrtice, Samantha. (IX) Levi Whitney son of Elijah Whitney (8) was born at Upton, Mass., May 22, 1827. When he was a young boy his parents removed to Harvard, Mass and he attended the district schools there. His father returned to Upton to help his grandfather with the farm. Levi Whitney worked on his father's farm in Upton until he was 27. He worked in the straw shop of William Knowlton & Sons in the winter and after he left the farm, worked at the carpenter's trade during the summer months. Mr. Whitney possessed a modest competence largely through his habits of industry and good management of his property. In 1894 he built an attractive home on Maple Avenue, West Upton, where he has since resided. He is a steadfast Republican in politics. He is an active member of the Upton Methodist Church. He m. Nov 13, 1859, Violetta J. Gilman, dau. of Stephen & Jane (Creddiford) Gilman. She was born at Wells, Maine, Jan 15, 1834. Her father was a native of Monmouth, Maine. They were married at Upton. Children of Levi and Violetta J. (Gilman) Whitney were: Clara Belle, b. Sept 10, 1860, died unm. July 22, 1903. Charles Oscar, b. Dec 13, 1861 m. Sarah Ryder of Middleboro; he was educated in the Upton district & high schools; was employed in the straw shop of William Knowlton & Sons; their son George Gilman b. Sept 1, 1884 was in the class of 1906, Worcester Polytechnic Inst.; Dora May b. Sept 6, 1863, was a bookkeeper for William Knowlton & Sons graduate of Upton High Schook, 1881; Ella Maria b. Sept 16, 1865, m. Allen W. Risteen of Hartford, CT, editor of the trade paper Locomotive, published by the Hartford Steam Boiler Ins. Co.; she was a grad. of the Upton High School, 1883 and of the State Normal school in Worcester in 1885; Nellie Frances b. Sept 18, 1869, graduate of the Upton High School, 1887 and of Becker's Commercial School in 1888 worked in the Knowlton shop; lived with her parents in West Upton. Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.