Brief Life History of John
When John Whitney was born on 21 January 1784, in Nelson, Cheshire, New Hampshire, United States, his father, Oliver Whitney, was 39 and his mother, Hannah Chase, was 30. He married Mary Spalding on 9 May 1813, in Ludlow, Windsor, Vermont, United States. They were the parents of at least 4 sons and 3 daughters. He died on 27 September 1852, in Ludlow, Windsor, Vermont, United States, at the age of 68.
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Family Time Line
Sources (27)
- John Whitney, "United States Census, 1850"
- John Whitney in entry for Amanda Field, "Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954"
- 1850 United States Federal Census
Spouse and Children
1784–1852 Male
1796–1880 Female
Children (7)
1814–1893 Female
1816–1848 Male
1817–1897 Male
1824–1901 Female
1827–1895 Male
+2 More Children
Parents and Siblings
1744–1813 Male
1753–1797 Female
Siblings (12)
1781–1863 Female
1782–1857 Female
1784–1852 Male
1785– Male
1786–1843 Female
+7 More Children
World Events (8)
1786 · Shays' Rebellion
Age 2
1788 · New Hampshire Helps Ratify the US Constitution
Age 4
1803
Age 19
Name Meaning
English: habitational name from Whitney in Herefordshire, the etymology of which is uncertain. The second element is Old English ēg ‘island, piece of higher ground in a low-lying area’; the first appears to be hwītan, which is either the genitive singular of an Old English byname Hwīta (meaning ‘white’), or the weak dative case (originally used after a preposition and article) of the adjective hwīt ‘white’. The name may also derive from Whitney (now Whitney Wood) in Stevenage (Hertfordshire), probably named from Old English hwītan ‘white’ + (ge)hæge ‘enclosure’.
History: John Whitney came from London, England, to Watertown, MA, in 1635, and had numerous prominent descendents.
Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.
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