Source:
"Who was John Wheldon of Falmouth and Salem?" in NEHGR, 168:188-190, which itself is a sub-section of:
Capers W. McDonald, "Whelden/Whilden Family from Falmouth, Maine, to Salem, Massachusetts, to Sewee Bay, South Carolina, 1690-1696," in NEHGR 168(2014):182-
Highlights:
- His earliest known record in Falmouth was 23 Sept 1680 when granted land; therefore he was at least 21 and therefore born before 1659. His wife's age at her adult baptism calculates back to a birth of before 1657.
- John and Mary had seven children born between Oct 1681 and Sept 1695-- all but the last two (recorded in Salem) born in Falmouth.
- They escaped to Salem from Falmouth, York Co., ME by 25 Sep 1690 during Maine's 2nd Indian war.
- John Whilden testified in the Salem witch trial of George Burroughs in May 1692.
- His last known record in Salem was 18 Jan 1694/5 when he was taxed.
- 1696: John Whelden, his children and prob. wife Mary relocated from Salem, MA to Sewee Bay (then part of Berkeley Co., SC). They were part of the 52 New England travelers shipwrecked at Cape Fear, rescued, and settled in what became Christ Church Parish, where John died 20 Nov 1706. By this time, the surname spelling switched to Whilden. [Not true; I've subsequently looked at published parish records and seen post 1706 entries that used Whelden.]
- He was first recorded in South Carolina 3 Apr 1697 with a warrant for land of 500 acres. (He subsequently added many hundreds of acres by 1701)
Starting on page 188 of this article, the author explores the possible origins of John Whelden of Falmouth and Salem:
- could have been an immigrant to NE; could as likely have been son or grandson of an immigrant
- Neither Savage nor Gen. Dict. of Maine and NH reveal a John Whelden (var. spellings) who fits the profile of our John W. (Author summarizes a few similar names, none of which could be our John.)
- John W of Falmouth/Salem could NOT have been the son of John (son of Gabriel) Whelden and Mary Folland because a 30 Oct 1677 record makes reference to the older John's three known sons Joseph, Jonathan and Thomas, all still alive in 1677, therefore John was not one of the three sons.
- The author argues for the greater likelihood that John of Falmouth/Salem/SC was son of Henry Whelden who was baptized in Basford, Nottingham, England 21 Feb 1618/9 and died in Yarmouth 28 Oct 1694; married Y. 25 Jan 1647/8 Eed _____ who died in Y 15 May 1682. "Neither Henry nor Eed left probate, and only one child has been attributed to them, a daughter Sarah."
- The author points out the similar naming patterns of children of both the Yarmouth families and the Falmouth/Salem family.
- Gabriel had no other sons who survived infancy who could have fathered John of Falmouth/Salem/South Carolina.
Other facts:
- John Whelden/Whilden was born by 1659 and perhaps some years earlier. [If son of Henry, then he was born after Jan 1647.] He died by 20 Nov 1706 when admin of his estate was granted to his son John. He married by 1681 (birth of first known child) Mary ____ who prob died in SC.
