John Whitaker Sr. (abt. 1658 - 1713)

Born about 1658 in England

Husband of Catherine Whitaker — married 1685 in St Georges Parish, Harford, Maryland

Descendants

Died 25 Nov 1713 at about age 55 in Baltimore County, Province of Maryland

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Biography

John Whitaker Sr. was a Maryland colonist.

Origin

There are several sources naming a place and year of birth for John Whitaker as: "John Charles Whiteaker, Sr was born 26 April 1660 in Dewsbury, Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England" ^[1] Without a primary source linking this individual to the man who died in Maryland in 1713, the place and year of birth has been changed to uncertain.

Immigration

An indentured servant named John Whitaker is listed among the men and women transported to Maryland on the Golden Lion by the commander named Leonard Weeker in a patent record dated 12 MAR 1674.^[2] Since Whitaker is not a common name in colonial Maryland, this is very likely the subject of this profile and his status as a servant meant that he had to work off his passage for 4 to 5 years. The usual age of servants was between 14 and 18 so this has been used to estimate his age.

Property

On 7 DEC 1690 Robert & Sarah Love conveyed to John Whitticar a 150 acre tract of land called Whitticar's Ridge lying in Baltimore County at the head of Bush River for an unnamed sum of tobacco.^[3] Since the ridge was named Whitticar's at the time of purchase, he was probably leasing the same land before he actually bought it.

John was able to claim two tracts of land later in his lifetime by using the patent process. Both tracts were in Baltimore County at the time, but are now in Harford County in the area around Bush River.

1701 - Whitaker's Ridge 250 acres ^[4]

1704 - The Englargement 128 acres ^[5]

Marriage & Family

John Whitaker was married at least twice. His first wife was named Catherine and the second wife was Mary.^[6] On 12 JUN 1714, Mary Witicar, widow, married to her second husband, Jacob Robinson. ^[7] John was the father of the following children mentioned in his will.

John b. about 1684

Charles b. about 1686

Peter b. about 1688

Abraham b. about 1690

Elizabeth b. about 1692

Sarah b. about 1694

Hannah b. about 1696

Isaac b. about 1698

Jane b. about 1690

Death

The Find-A-Grave site claims many members of the family died in a measles epidemic. No evidence of this could be found. There is a record of the death of John Whiteaker who departed this life 25 NOV 1713 in "St. George's Parish Register of Births, Marriages & Deaths, 1681 - 1799" ^[8] and this matches the dates on his will. ^[9] John Whitaker's will was dictated to someone who consistently spelled his last name as Witticar. An abstract of the will which is available online is as follows: I Jno Whitticar of Baltimore County being sick & weak in body . . .

• to my son Jno Witticar & son Charles Witticar all my rights in a tract called Witticar’s Ridge being by patent 250 to be equally divided between them and to hold it forever.
• to my son Peter Witticar & my son son Abraham Witticar all my right to a tract known by the name of The Enlargement to be equally divided between them and to hold it forever.
• to my son Isaac Witticar & my dear wife & the child she goes with all my rights to the tract where I now live know by the name of Witticar’s Ridge by patent containing 150 acres and the same to be equally divided between Jane Witticar & Mary Witticar and the child she goes with.
• my son Isaac shall live with my dear wife until he comes to full age if she shall so long live.
• after my just debts have been paid my personal estate to be equally divided between my daughters Elizabeth, Sarah and Hannah Witticar, only my son Charles may have 2 young horses named Prince & Wise as they are appraised.
• I appoint my wife Mary Witticar & my son Jno Witticar to be my executors.

Signed by Jno Witticar with his initials on 11 NOV 1713 and witnessed by Jno. Macomus, Thos. Ramsey and Edwd Harry. Probated 3 DEC 1713. ^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #169640905 Profile for John Charles Whiteaker, Sr. Accessed 12/5/2019 jhd
2. ↑ Maryland Patents Liber LL folio 796
3. ↑ Baltimore County Deeds liber IS IK folio 182
4. ↑ Maryland Patents DD 5 folio 58
5. ↑ Maryland Patents CD folio 235
6. ↑ Barnes, Robert W. “Baltimore County Families, 1659-1759” Baltimore, MD: Clearfield 1989
7. ↑ Peden, Henry Co. Jr. "St. John's & St. George's Parish Registers 1696-1851, Westminster, MD: Family Line Publications, 1987
8. ↑ St. George's Parish, Harford Co. Register image 1045 page 213
9. ↑ Reamy, Bill & Martha. “St. George's Parish Register 1689-1793”. Westminster, MD: Willow Bend Books 1999
10. ↑ Prerogative Court Wills of Maryland Liber 13 folio 639 [1]

• "The Whitaker Family of Baltimore County, Maryland 1677-1767" by Beaumont W Whitaker. Available at Family Search, 29 pages. 929.273 A1 no.4557

Most of this is not confirmed by primary source evidence: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/169640905/john-charles-whiteaker