John (Whelden) Whilden Sr. (bef. 1659 - bef. 1706)

Born before 1659 in Danvers, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Unknown) Whilden — married about 1680 in Falmouth, Maine [uncertain]

Descendants

Died before 20 Nov 1706 at about age 47 in Sewee Bay, Christ Church Parish, Berkeley Co., Province of Carolina

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Puritan Great Migration Project WikiTree [send private message] and John Wright [send private message]

John (Whelden) Whilden Sr. is currently protected by the Puritan Great Migration Project for reasons described in the narrative. Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: PGM

Due to past confusions about his origins-- both theories tying him to a Great Migration-era immigrant-- WikiTree's Puritan Great Migration project is tracking and co-managing this profile.

Biography

This profile represents the John Whelden, later Whilden, whose life meandered from Yarmouth in Plymouth Colony, north to Falmouth Maine, then Salem, Massachusetts and finally to South Carolina.^[1] Additional research conducted by Adrianne Fortenberry Criminger went even deeper into the records to support John's path from Yarmouth to Maine, to Salem, to South Carolina.^[2]

Origins

The origins of John Wheldon aka Whilden had been in dispute until 2014 when Capers W McDonald made the case for him being grandson of Puritan Great Migration Gabriel Whelden of Yarmouth. Gabriel had two sons who lived to adulthood -- John and Henry.

• Gabriel's son John married Mary Folland; they had three sons alive in 1677, none of which were named John.
• Gabriel's son Henry married "Eed..." (possibly "Edith"). By process of elimination, they were the most likely parents of this John Whelden.

John must have been born after January 1647 (when his parents married) and before 1659, the latest year he could have been born to be old enough to be granted land in Falmouth in 1680.

His earliest known record in Falmouth was 23 "ninth month" (November, not September) 1680 when granted land.

Marriage

Based on the baptism of his oldest known child, John married Mary _____ about 1680. His wife's age at her adult baptism calculates back to a birth of before 1657. There is no evidence that her maiden name was Folland.

King Philip's War

Criminger documents John's participation in King Philip's War in 1675-1676.^[2] She also points out that at least 38 men from Yarmouth were invited (with grants of free land) to relocate to Falmouth, Maine.^{[citation needed]} These included John Whelden.

Trail to Final Settlement in South Carolina

John Whelden and family removed to Falmouth, York Co., Maine probably not long after their marriage. The family then moved south to Salem, Massachusetts by 25 Sep 1690 probably escaping Maine's second Indian war.

His wife and their children were baptized as a group in Salem [on date?].

John Whilden got caught up in the Salem Witch trials, where he was called to testify during the trial of George Burroughs in May 1692.

His last known record in Salem was 18 Jan 1694/5 when he was taxed. [or is this the record where he was "abated" from taxes?]

In 1696, John Whelden, his children and probably his wife Mary relocated from Salem, Massachusetts, to Sewee Bay (then part of Berkeley Co., South Carolina). They were part of the 52 New England travelers shipwrecked at Cape Fear, rescued, and settled in what became Christ Church Parish. The family was among a group of Congregationalist who founded the Wappetaw Congregational Church.

In 1701, there were three warrants for 450 acres were issued to him in Christ Church Parish.

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.

He died in Sewee Bay, Christ Church Parish, Berkeley Co., South Carolina by 20 Nov 1706 when administration of his estate was granted to his son John. By this time, the surname spelling had largely switched to Whilden.

He is believed to be buried in the churchyard of the Wappetaw Congregational Church that he helped found.

Children

John and Mary had seven children (surname "Whelden") born between Oct 1681 and Sept 1695-- all but the last two (recorded in Salem) born in Falmouth.

1. Gershom, b Oct 1681; bp 27 Jan 1694/5 in Salem, age 13; d Salem 25 Dec 1695 "14 years old last October."
2. John, b abt 1684; bp 27 Jan 1694/5, aged 10; d Christ Church Parish, Berkeley Co., South Carolina btw 9 Feb 1722/3 (date of will) and 10 Dec 1723 (date of probate); m abt 1711 Mary ____, named in his will. Children.
3. Mary, b abt 1685; bp 27 Jan 1694/5; age 9.
4. Jonathan, b abt 1687; bpt 27 Jan 1694/5, age 7; d Christ Church Parish btw 26 Jul 1736 (date of will) and 24 Jan 1736/7 (date of probate); m abt 1720 Elizbeth DuBose, b St. James Santee Parish, Craven Co., South Carolina 1691; d Christ Church Parish 1736, dau of Isaac DuBose and Suzanne Couillandeau. Children.
5. Joseph, b abt 1690; bp 27 Jan 1694/5, age 4
6. Samuel, b 19 Jan 1692/3 [Salem]; bp 27 Jan 1694/5 age 2; d unm in South Carolina aft 3 Jun 1731 when he conveyed property to his "cousins" [i.e., nieces] Sarah Wheldon and Ann Wheldon
7. Elisha, b 21 Sep 1695 [Salem]; m by 2 Sep 1719 (when oldest known child baptized) Sarah _____

Sources

1. ↑ Unless otherwise cited, information on this profile comes from "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):182-191
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Adrianne Fortenberry Criminger has self-published the results of extensive research into the origins and life of John Whelden; see in particular , "John Whelden : Seeker of a Safe Harbor" (2021); Safe Harbor at Last (2023).