William Snow, a member of our list, recently visited London. I had suggested to him that he might contact the Westminster School (where Melville, in Pierce, says John Whitney was a student), to see if they had any record of JW's attendance. William didn't actually get to the school, but he phoned them and they suggested contacting Mr. Eddie Smith, Deputy Headmaster and historian about any inquiries. I did so, and below is his reply--no record. But as you see below, that doesn't mean John Whitney didn't study there. Does anyone know where Melville's information comes from? Karl Schwerin SnailMail: Dept. of Anthropology Univ. of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM 87131 e-mail: [email protected] ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 1 Aug 2005 17:59:12 +0100 From: Eddie Smith <[email protected]> To: karl h schwerin <[email protected]> Subject: RE: Seeking information Dear Dr Schwerin Thank you for the enquiry concerning your forebear. I am afraid that I can find no record of his having attended Westminster School; I have of course checked under various variant spellings. I have to admit that that is not entirely conclusive! Only by the nineteenth century do records become fuller; we have a dodgy period around 1700, and earlier, anything that is Elizabethan derives very largely from archival material in Westminster Abbey and that is far from complete, it is usually based on bills. So the reords for the period of which you enquire are somewhat meagre. If Whitney were a King's/Queen's Scholar or proceeded to Christ Church or Trinity then I would be confident that we had a record. Otherwise we cannot be sure. Have you any knowledge of the basis for Pierce's statement or is it based on geographical proximity? Do not be too anxious about his age of leaving school, ages varied considerably until later in the eighteenth century (for example Christopher Wren was only fourteen when he left Westminster to go to Wadham College, Oxford). May I suggest another way of discovering is by association? In other words are there early friends and/or colleagues to whom he was close? If there are enough who are old Westminsters a degree of inference may be made. Names such as Ireland, Dudley Carleton, Bancroft, Gunter, Dolbey, Duppa, Hacket, and of course George Herbert. I am sorry if I am less than helpful. Do let me know if there is anything more that I can do, and in particular do let me know if you find further evidence for his having been here and we shall be able to add him to our list! Yours sincerely E A Smith Under Master and Archivist ________________________________ From: karl h schwerin [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sun 31/07/2005 21:46 To: Eddie Smith Cc: [email protected] Subject: Seeking information Mr. Eddie Smith Deputy Headmaster The Westminster School Dear Mr. Smith: I am an eleventh-generation descendant of John Whitney, who emigrated from London to Watertown, Massachusetts in 1635. According to Henry Melville (in Pierce 1895*, p. 17) John was born in Lambeth Marsh in 1589. He was baptized in the St. Margaret's Church, London on July 20, 1592. He goes on to say that John "probably received, for those days, a good education in the famous 'Westminster School,' now known as St. Peter's College, and February 22, 1607, at the age of fourteen (sic), was apprenticed by his father to William Pring of the Old Bailey, London" (of the Merchant Tailors' Company). *Pierce, Frederick Clifton. 1895. Whitney. The descendants of John Whitney, who came from London, England to Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1635. Hammond, IL: Press of W. B. Conkey Company. William Snow, another descendant of John Whitney, recently contacted the Westminster School while in London to find out about any mention of our John Whitney in your school records. The woman he spoke to said that, rather than his going there in person, we should contact you, since you are not only the deputy headmaster of the school but also a historian. On behalf of Mr. Snow, myself, and other Whitney descendants, we would like to know if there are records in your archives pertaining to the attendance of John Whitney at the Westminster School sometime during the approximate period between 1595 and 1607. We would be interested in any and all information about him that might still be extant in your records. Thank you in advance for whatever assistance you may be able to render this inquiry. Sincerely, Dr. Karl H Schwerin Professor Emeritus Dept. of Anthropology Univ. of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM 87131 e-mail: [email protected]