Thomas Whitney (abt. 1560 - 1637)

Born about 1560 in England

Husband of Mary (Bray) Whitney — married 10 May 1583 in Westminster, Middlesex, England

Descendants

Died 14 Apr 1637 at about age 77 in Westminster, Middlesex, England

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Project Protected by the Puritan Great Migration project as his ancestry has recently been disproved and is unknown.

Previously Questioned Pedigree

Earlier scholarship by Henry Melville^[1]had Thomas Whitney as son of Robert and Elizabeth (Guillams) Whitney of Lambeth, Surrey, England. This Robert was then cited to be the son of Sir Robert and Sybil Baskerville Whitney. Problems were noted in these accounts, which were thought to be the timing of Thomas' birth, and thus doubtful parentage of John.

Modern scholarship, especially by Robert Leigh Ward and Tim Doyle,^[2] shows that, yes, there are dating issues, but that these issues are not with Thomas as father of John, but were with the parentage of Robert, Thomas' father. Ward and Doyle concluded that John Whitney of Watertown, Massachusetts was a son of this Thomas^A Whitney of Castleton, son Robert^B Whitney, son of Robert^C Whitney, possibly the son of Robert Whitney and Elizabeth Vaughan.

However, in 2013 Adrian Burke took a closer at the will of Robert^B Whitney.^[3][4] It was clear that his son Thomas was of full age when he wrote his will in 1555, so born by 1534. This makes him too old to be the same as Thomas^A Whitney who began having children in 1584. Robert Whitney has been disconnected as his father.

John Whitney as son of Thomas Whitney and Mary Bray of Westminster, London, is probably confirmed. Thomas Whitney's birth date and place of birth, however, are different than previously thought. Thomas was born about 1550 in Castleton, a part of Clifford, Herefordshire, across the river Wye from Whitney-on-Wye.

Biography

Thomas was born about 1560 based on his marriage in 1583. Earlier statements that he was born about 1550 resulted from the false belief that he was the son of Robert Whitney and Elizabeth Guillims (Williams) of Westminster, London, according to Ward and Doyle.^[2]

He obtained, May 10, 1583, from the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, a license to marry Mary Bray, in which document he is mentioned as "Thomas Whytney of Lambeth Marsh, Gentleman."^[5] Note: Lambeth Marsh is across the Thames bridge from Westminster.

Thomas Whitney and Mary Bray were married 12 may 1583 at Saint Margaret in Westminster, London, England.^[6]

Thomas and Mary had the following children, all baptized in Westminster:

• Margaret, born 1584, died 1604;
• Thomas, 1587, died 1587^[7]
• Henry, 1588, died 1589^[8]
• Arnwaye, 1590, died, 1591^[9]
• John 1592^[10]
• Nowell, 1594, died 1597^[11]
• Francis, 1599, died at Westminster, 1643^[12]
• Mary, 1600, died 1600^[13]
• Robert, 1605, died in parish of St. Peter's, Cornhill, London, England, 1662.^[14]

He apprenticed his son, John, on February 22, 1607, and his son, Robert, on November 8, 1624.^[5]

In 1611 he paid the subsidy tax, and on December 6, 1615, on the probate of the will of his father-in-law, John Bray, he was appointed executor.^[5]

At the time of his death, in 1637, administration of his estate was granted, May 8, 1637, to his remaining sons, Francis and Robert.^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ Melville, Henry, The Ancestry of John Whitney, Who, with His WIfe Elinor, and Sons John, Richard, Nathaniel, Thomas, and Jonathan, Emigrated from London, England, in the Year 1635, and Settled in Watertown, Massachusetts: the First of the Name in America, and the One from Whom a Great Majority of the Whitneys Now Living in the United States Are Descended (New York, 1896) citation from Ward and Doyle below.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Ward, Robert Leigh, and Doyle, Tim, The Whitney Lineage of John Whitney of Watertown, Massachusetts, The American Genealogist Vol. 81, No.4, (May 2007) pg. 249-262.
3. ↑ The American Genealogist, Vol. 86, No. 3 (April 2013; published June 2014): pp. 209-212. "A Note on the Ancestry of John¹ Whitney of Watertown, Massachusetts," by Adrian Benjamin Burke.
4. ↑ The American Genealogist, Vol. 88, No. 4 (October 2016): pp. 312-313. "More on the Will of Robert Awhitney (Whitney) of Castleton, Herefordshire," by Adrian Benjamin Burke.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3} Whitney Research Group "Thomas Whitney (1550-1637)"
6. ↑ Name Thomas Whiteney Spouse's Name Mary Bray Event Date 12 May 1583 Event Place Saint Margaret,Westminster,London,England Citing this Record "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V526-F8Q : 10 February 2018), Thomas Whiteney and Mary Bray, 12 May 1583; citing Saint Margaret,Westminster,London,England, reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 942 B4HA V. 64, 942 B4HA V. 88, 942.1 W1 V26M PT 1, 942.1 W1 V26M PT 2.
7. ↑ England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Name Thomas Whittnay Gender Male Baptism Date 25 Jul 1587 Baptism Place Saint Margaret,Westminster,London,England Father Thomas Whittnay FHL Film Number 908519
8. ↑ England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Name Henry Whitney Gender Male Baptism Date Nov 1588 Baptism Place Saint Margaret,Westminster,London,England Father Thomas Whitney FHL Film Number 908519
9. ↑ England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Name Arnewey Whitney Gender Male Baptism Date 02 Feb 1590 Baptism Place Saint Margaret,Westminster,London,England Father Thomas Whitney FHL Film Number 908519
10. ↑ England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Name John Whitney Gender Male Baptism Date 20 Jul 1592 Baptism Place Saint Margaret,Westminster,London,England Father Thomas Whitney FHL Film Number 908519
11. ↑ England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Name Nowell Whitney Gender Male Baptism Date Oct 1594 Baptism Place Saint Margaret,Westminster,London,England Father Thomas Whitney FHL Film Number 908519
12. ↑ England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Name Francis Witney Gender Male Baptism Date 27 Jan 1599 Baptism Place Saint Margaret,Westminster,London,England Father Thomas Witney FHL Film Number 908519
13. ↑ England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975vName Mary Whytney Gender Female Baptism Date 02 Aug 1600 Baptism Place Saint Margaret,Westminster,London,England Father Thomas Whytney FHL Film Number 908519
14. ↑ England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Name Robert Whitney Gender Male Baptism Date 10 Nov 1605 Baptism Place Saint Margaret, Westminster,London,England Father Thomas Whitney FHL Film Number 908519

See also:

• Whitney Research Group "Thomas Whitney (1550-1637)"
• The American Genealogist, Vol. 86, No. 3 (April 2013; published June 2014): pp. 209-212. "A Note on the Ancestry of John¹ Whitney of Watertown, Massachusetts," by Adrian Benjamin Burke.
• The American Genealogist, Vol. 88, No. 4 (October 2016): pp. 312-313. "More on the Will of Robert Awhitney (Whitney) of Castleton, Herefordshire," by Adrian Benjamin Burke,