| Notes |
- Whitney, The Descendants Of John Whitney, Who Came From London, England, To Watertown, Massachusetts, In 1635. By Frederick Clifton Pierce, Author Of The Pierce, Peirce, Pearce, Forbes, Forbush, Gibson, and Harwood Genealogies, and Histories of Grafton and Barre, Mass. Published By The Author. Press Of W. B. Conkey Company, 341 Dearborn Street. Chicago, Illinois. 1895. [Excerpt from this book]: July 20, 1592, John Whitney was baptized in the St. Margaret's Church London. He was son of Thomas, who was grandson or great-grandson of the last Sir Robert Whitney. In 1635 with his wife, Eleanor, and five children he embarked for America. Here he settled in Watertown, where he continued to reside the remainder of his life. His sons settledeither in Watertown or towns near it. His grandson, Nathaniel, settled in the western part of Watertown, which is now Weston.
John Whitney and Elinor (--?--) emigrated in Apr 1635 fromIpswich,Suffolk, in the "Elizabeth and Ann," Roger Cooper, master. Listed areJohnWhitney, aged 35; wife Ellin aged 30; sons John aged 11, Richard aged9,Nathaniel, aged 8, Thomas aged 6, and Jonathan aged 1 year. He and Elinor (--?--) immigrated in Jun 1635 to Boston, Suffolk, MA.
[Excerpt] John Whitney, Puritan Emigrant. By Henry Melville, Esq. He was the first of the name in America, and the son of ThomasWhitney, "gentleman," of Westminster, by his wife, Mary Bray, and was baptized in St. Margaret's, the parish church standing in the shadow of thefamous Abbey, on the 20th day of July, 1592.
Thomas was not a native of the city of his residence, but had comefrom one of the oldest and most distinguished families in the west ofEngland, the Whitneys of Whitney, where, on the banks of the Wye, the crumbling ruins of their ancestral castle could still be seen survivingcenturiesof border warfare. His uncle, Sir James, knighted by Queen Elizabeth at Winsor in 1570, was lord of Whitney, Clifford, Pencombe, OclePitchard, Kings Capell, Boughrid, Tremayne, Icomb, Clifton and Comwich, and sheriff of Herefordshire; his grandfather, Sir Robert, knighted byQueen Mary in 1553, represented that county in parliament, and from thelatter could be traced back a long knightly line of Whitneys and De Whitneys to the twelfth century, when the name originated, and, beyond them, Norman ancestors, with other names even to the conquest.
One or more of his forefathers had gone on a crusade to the HolyLand,one had fought under Edward I. in the Scotch war of 1301, another hadtwice represented Richard II. abroad in important affairs of state and hadbeen slain "at the capture of Edmund Mortimer," a fourth had followed HenryV. in the triumphs of English arms in France, a fifth had risked landandlife for the "White Rose" and had had his praises sung by the Welsh bard, Glyn Cothi, and nearly every one had been sheriff of his shire and had satinthe great national council. They quartered on their shields the armsofMilbourne. Eynesford, Furnival, Verdon, Lovetot, Baskerville, Boteler,Rees,Lienthall, Le Gros, Bredwardine, Sollers, Brugge and Blackett, and their marriage alliances had been, almost without exception, with families whosenames are great in history, through at least two of which Thomas couldclaimblood relationship to royalty from William the Conquerer to Edward I.
The family name, Whitney, or, as originally written, De Whitney,wasderived from the name of the parish where the castle stood. Aluard, a Saxon,heldthe land before the Conquest, but at the time of the "Domesday Survey,"1086 A. D., it was "waste" with no owner, save the King as paramount lord.
John Whitney in the US: His will, dated April 3, 1673, is as follows: I John Whitney senior of Watertowne in ye county of midlesexx being perfect and sound in my memory and understanding blessed be god for it: I do declare this to be my last will and testemant In manerand form as followeth1ly I committ my spirit into ye hands of god yt gave it: and my body unto the earth from whence it was taken: 2ly I give unto my Son John Whitney: my meadow called beeverbrook meadows with yt upland yt doth appertain thereunto: and a yoke of oxen: ornine pounds ten shillings: and ten acres of my land called devedent and a trunke and one pair of sheets and one pair of pillows beers and two pewter dishes a great one and a small one and ye bed whereon I lie with all the furniture thereunto belonging. 3ly I give unto my son Richard Whitney my ten acres of land called devident and two cowes and a great sea chest. 4ly I give unto my son Thomas Whitney ten acres of my land called devident and two cowes and a sad colered sute namely a payer of breeches and a close coate and a puter dish. 5ly I give unto my son Jonathan Whitney an iron kitle and a greatbrass skilet. 6ly I give unto my son Joshua Whitney twenty acres of my land called devident and a cubbard and a little table and a chest and agreat kitle and a warming pan and a skillett. 7ly I give unto my sonBenjamin Whitney the old mare if she live. 8ly My will is yt what of my estatebe left after all is paid out as ye aboves namely of my moveables yt itbe equaly devided between my execeutors and I doe nominate and apoynt my well beloved sones John Whitney and Joshua Whitney to be my execeutors to this my will and testament and I doe desire my loveing friend William Bond sen to se yt this my will be performed acording to ye true intent of it as is aforesaid and doe set to my hand this 3d of Aprill 1673. Ye centerline in ye line 24 ye wood devided was don before any subscribing or sealining. The marks of X Jon Whitney sen and a seale. In ye presince of us William Bond sen Sarah Bond sen
|
1592 - 1673 (80 years)
