Joshua Whitney (abt. 1635 - 1719)

Born about 15 Jul 1635 in Watertown, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Unknown) Whitney — married about 20 Nov 1669 (to 17 Mar 1671) in Watertown, Massachusetts

Husband of Abigail (Tarbell) Whitney — married 30 Sep 1672 in Watertown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Descendants

Died 1 Aug 1719 at about age 84 in Groton, Middlesex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay, America

Problems/Questions Profile managers: R. Hutchins [send private message] and Cynthia Rushing [send private message]

Biography

Deacon Joshua Whitney, son of John and Elinor Whitney, born in Watertown, Massachusetts, July 15, 1635 (see Notes below), was one of the original proprietors of Groton, Massachusetts, and resided there until it was burned by the Indians in the spring of 1676, during King Philip's War, in which he and his eldest son Joshua Jr were soldiers. Returning to Watertown, he served as selectman of that town, 1681-87; was overseer of highways, 1683, and subsequently constable. he served many years as dean of the church at Watertown, resigning on account of infirmities of age, April 22, 1715.

He was two or three times married. The first, questionable, to Lydia ____ (see Research Notes), the second to Mary _____, whose death is recorded, and the last one on September 30, 1672, to Abigail Tarball.^[1]

Joshua died at Groton, August 1 or 7, 1719.^[2][3][4]

His will was dated 17 Apr 1713, and proved 6 Oct 1719. Deacon Joshua Whitney of Grotton, "aged about seventy six years"; Abigail, my now n[ ]ed wife; son William Whitney, all housing and lands in Grotton; his mother above [i.e. Abigail] and he to be executors; son Joshua Whitney, £30; son Cornelous Whitney; son David Whitney; my five daughters now living, Mary Peirce, Elenor Shepard, Sarah Juell, Martha Williams, and Elisabeth Farnworth; eldest daughter Hutchins's children, her eldest son John Hutchins (under 21), and the rest of her children (under 21); her three daughters; eldest daughter, wife of Thomas Woods, having received her portion; witnesses, Jonathan Bowen, Abraham Moores, Samll. Cummings. ^[5]

Joshua had four children with births recorded in the Vital Records ("VR") of Groton^[6] and Watertown:^[7], and seven other children deduced by Robert L. Ward, on WhitneyGen.org, based primarily on analysis of his will.^[8][9]

Children of Mary and Joshua:

• Joshua, b. 14 June 1665, in Groton per VR
• Sarah, b. 10 Oct 1668 in Groton per VR
• Hannah, b. perhaps 1670 in Groton, per Ward

Children of Abigail and Joshua:

• Abigail, b. perhaps 1673 in Groton, per Ward
• Mary, b. 1 July 1675 in Groton per VR
• William, b. 28 Feb 1677-8 in Watertown per VR
• Cornelius, b. perhaps 1680, in Groton per Ward
• David, b. perhaps 1682, in Groton per Ward
• Eleanor, b. perhaps 1684, in Groton per Ward
• Sarah, b. perhaps 1686, in Groton per Ward
• Martha, b. perhaps 1688, in Groton per Ward
• Elizabeth, b. perhaps 1690, in Groton per Ward

Research Notes

Joshua Whitney's birth date is uncertain. The photo of his grave stone on Findagrave.com shows that Joshua died August 7, 1719 at the age of 83. This would indicate a birth date between August 8, 1635 and August 7, 1636. The Descendants of John Whitney by Henry Austin Whitney, pg 22, states the birthdate of Joshua as 3 July 1635. FamilySearch.org's "Massachusetts, Births an Christenings, 1639-1915" collection provides a birth date of May 15, 1635 but it is unclear what the source of this information is. FamilySearch.org has 854 (!) "User Submitted Genealogies" for Joshua Whitney with birth dates of Feb 15 1634, Feb 15 1635, May 15 1635, June 15 1635, July 5 1635, Aug 15 1635, Feb 5 1636, Feb 15 1636, June 15 1636, July 5 1636, July 15 1636, Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania lists a date of July 15, 1635 but provides no sources. Joshua's mother's name was Elinor.^[10][11]

Wife 'Lydia' is extremely questionable, as stated above, to be a spouse of this Joshua (no verifiable source) with a child Sarah born while he has children recorded with wife Mary at same time. Therefore, disconnecting wife Lydia Tabbell-1 and Lydia's daughter, Sarah Whitney-3085, who is connected to son Joshua as a spouse.

Sources

1. ↑ "Massachusetts, Marriages, 1695-1910," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FCDL-VVZ : accessed 20 Sep 2014), Joshuah Whetny and Abigall Tarball, Sep 1672; citing reference ; FHL microfilm 745869.
2. ↑ Jordan, Wilfred. Colonial & Revolutionary Families of Philadelphia; Genealogical & Personal Memoirs Vol. II. New York: Lewis Historical Pub., 1911. pg.1025.
3. ↑ died 1 August per Vital Records of Groton Massachusetts to the end of the year 1849, p. 278: "Whetney"
4. ↑ died 7 August per gravestone of Joshua Whitney on Find A Grave: Memorial #5043799 Retrieved 23 January, 2018.
5. ↑ Probate file for Joshua Whitney
6. ↑ Vital Records of Groton Massachusetts to the end of the year 1849, p. 252
7. ↑ [http://ma-vitalrecords.org/MA/Middlesex/Watertown/Images/WatertownV1_043.shtml Watertown Records . . . of Births Deaths and Marriages, p. 43: "Willyam Whetny son of Joshuah and Abigail borne the last of february"
8. ↑ Robert L. Ward, The Wives and Children of Joshua Whitney, e-published on WhitneyGen.org
9. ↑ The absence of any birth records in Groton for the last six children might be explained by the instability in that town between 1676 and 1690 arising from repeated attacks by native american warriors.
10. ↑ "Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F465-TVW : accessed 20 Sep 2014), Joshua Whitney, 15 May 1635; citing , ; FHL microfilm 745869.
11. ↑ Nicholas Hutchins of Lynn and Groton Massachusetts by Marvin Hutchins, states a birth date of July 5, 1635.

• Hutchins, Marvin Clayton. Nicholas Hutchins of Lynn and Groton, Massachusetts, and His Descendants: With a Genealogy of Allied Families. Santa Clarita, CA: C. Boyer, 3rd, 1989.

• Green, Samuel A. Epitaphs From the Old Burying Ground in Groton, Massachusetts (Little, Brown, & Company, Boston, 1878) Page 3
• "Pedigree Resource File," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:2:94RB-RVQ : accessed 26 February 2019), entry for Joshua Whitney, cites sources; file (2:2:2:MM95-NZ5), submitted 16 February 2003 by rmauseth2764238 [identity withheld for privacy].
• "Pedigree Resource File," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:2:SRJS-FYW : accessed 26 February 2019), entry for Joshua /Whitney/; file (2:2:2:MMQ5-QT6), submitted 12 May 2011.

See also:

• Find a Grave', database and images (: accessed 19 September 2023), memorial page for Joshua Whitney (15 Feb 1635–7 Aug 1719), Find A Grave: Memorial #5043799, citing Old Burying Ground, Groton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA; Maintained by AllanG (contributor 46922592).

• Ancestry.com