Erasmus Darwin Whitney

Brief Life History of Erasmus Darwin

When Erasmus Darwin Whitney was born on 4 May 1824, in Wyalusing, Bradford, Pennsylvania, United States, his father, Dr. Elisha Whitney, was 26 and his mother, Sarah Brown, was 22. He married Laura Bixby on 2 November 1847, in Ogle, Illinois, United States. They were the parents of at least 3 sons and 4 daughters. He lived in Seward Township, Winnebago, Illinois, United States in 1860 and Illinois, United States in 1870. He died on 8 July 1898, in Seward, Winnebago, Illinois, United States, at the age of 74, and was buried in Pecatonica, Winnebago, Illinois, United States.

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Family Time Line

Erasmus Darwin Whitney
1824–1898
Laura Bixby
1827–1920
Marriage: 2 November 1847
Wilber Fisk Whitney
1848–1937
Cleora Whitney
1850–1872
Alta C Whitney
1853–1855
Emerson Bixby Whitney
1856–1932
Sarah Lucinda Whitney
1860–1946
Newton Elbert Whitney
1861–1949
Mary Ellen Whitney
1870–1958

Sources (14)

  • Darwin Whitney, "United States Census, 1860"
  • Darwin Whitney, "Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-1940"
  • Darwin E Whitney, "Find A Grave Index"

World Events (8)

1825 · The Crimes Act

The Crimes Act was made to provide a clearer punishment of certain crimes against the United States. Part of it includes: Changing the maximum sentence of imprisonment to be increased from seven to ten years and changing the maximum fine from $5,000 to $10,000.

1836

Historical Boundaries: 1836: Winnebago, Illinois, United States

1846

U.S. acquires vast tracts of Mexican territory in wake of Mexican War including California and New Mexico.

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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