Family:Whitney, Josiah Billings (1811-1888)

Josiah Billings⁸ Whitney (Zachariah⁷, Zachariah⁶, Zachariah⁵, John⁴, Joseph³, John², John¹), son of Zachariah⁷ and Sally (Holt) Whitney, was born 30 Apr 1811, Lunenburg, MA,^[1] and died 17 Mar 1888, Sandgate, VT.

Marriage intentions were published 2 Mar 1833, Lunenburg, MA, for him "Mr." "of Lunenburg" and "Miss" Mary Ann Patch "of Leominster".^[2] He "of Lunenburg" married, 25 Mar 1833, Leominster, MA, Mary Ann Patch,^[3] daughter of Aaron and Mercy (Porter) Patch. She was born 15 Jul 1807, Hamilton, MA, and died 20 Aug 1875, Lunenburg, MA, aged 69 years 1 month 6 days, of hydrothorax and dropsy.^[4]

He was left an orphan at three years of age and then went to live with his grandfather with whom he resided until in his teens. He drove a two-horse team from Fitchburg, MA, to Boston -- this was before railroads. Later he was a stone mason, then learned the carpenter's trade and was actively engaged as contractor for many years in Fitchburg. Later in life he owned and ran a saw and grist mill. He resided Lunenburg, MA, and Sandgate, VT.

Children of Josiah Billings⁸ and Mary Ann (Patch) Whitney:

i.	Aaron Porter9 Whitney, b. Apr 4, 1836; m.(1) Mary Conlon; m.(2) Mrs. Maria M. Payne.
ii.	Josiah Steaton Whitney, b. 3 Mar 1838, Lunenburg, MA; m. Nancy Monroe.
iii.	Augusta Maria Whitney, b. 2 Nov 1841; m. 14 Dec 1859, Bellows Falls or Rockingham, VT, Ezra Goodenough or Ezra G. Goodhue, son of Simpson & Maria (-----) Goodhue;[5] resided Arlington, VT. He was b. 14 Mar 1822, Brattleboro, VT, is a mechanic. Children: a. Lizzie M. Goodhue, b. 23 Feb 1861; m. George L. Towsley; resided Manchester, VT. b. Isabella A. Goodhue, b. 13 Apr 1862; m. James D. Nay; resided Manchester, VT. c. Florence S. Goodhue, b. 27 Oct 1864; m. Joseph Farrar; resided 260 8th. St., Brooklyn, NY. d. Etta M. Goodhue, b. 23 Feb 1866; m. Fred O. Davis; resided Merrimac, MA. e. Eugene Goodhue, b. 9 Apr 1868; d. 25 Apr 1868. f. Henry Vernon Goodhue, b. 14 Mar 1870. g. Grace A. Goodhue, b. 27 Mar 1872. h. Jennie Louise Goodhue, b. 15 May 1874. i. Margaret Irene Goodhue, b. 17 Sep 1876.
iv.	Harriett A. Whitney, b. 28 Jul 1843; m. 17 Mar 1863, Harman Bentley; resided Sandgate, VT. He was b. 30 Nov 1840; farmer. Children, all res. Sandgate, VT: a. Fred Bentley, b. 27 Apr 1864; m. 1 Jan 1884, ----- -----. b. Martha Bentley, b. 30 Sep 1867; m, 8 Apr 1888, ----- -----. c. George Bentley, b. 30 Aug 1872. d. Charles Bentley, b. 11 Mar 1885.
v.	Mary Ann Whitney, b. 25 Dec 1844; d. 16 Aug 1846, Lunenburg, MA, aged 2 years, of dysentery.[6]
vi.	David Franklin Whitney, b. 11 Dec 1845. Killed in a saw mill in Texas, 9 Mar 1871.
vii.	Henry Thomas Whitney, b. 11 Apr 1849, Hamilton, MA,[7] or Lunenburg, MA;[8] m. Lurie Ann Seaver.

Census

• 1840, Lunenburg, Worcester Co., MA: Josiah Whitney, 1 male 20-29, 2 males 0-4, and 1 female 20-29; 1 engaged in agriculture.
• 1850, Hotel, Salem, Rockingham Co., NH:

133 177 Frederick Kimball 25 M - Tavernkeeper Ms. ... Josiah Whitney 38 M - Wheelwright Ms. ...

• (poss.) 1850, Lunenburg, Worcester Co., MA:

140 154 Robert Remington 41 M - Farmer $2000 Mass. Mira Remington 29 F - Mass. Franklin P. Remington 5 M - Mass. Attended school Aaron Whitney 13 M - Mass. Attended school

• 1860, Roxbury, Cheshire Co., NH:

915 1011 Josiah B. Whitney 49 M - Shoe Maker $600 $200 Mass. Mary A. 47 F - " Harriet A. 17 F - " David F. 13 M - " Attended school Thomas H. 11 M - " Attended school

• 1870, Lunenburg, Worcester Co., MA:

44 48 Whitney, Mary A. 60 F W Keeping house Mass. -----, Josiah B. 58 M W Farm hand " Male citizen over 21

• 1870, Keene, Cheshire Co., NH:

98 102 Keyes, Mary N. 59 F W Keeping House $15000 N.H. Whitney, Thos. H. 21 M W Divinity Student Massachusetts Male citizen over 21 -----, David L. 22 M W Farm Laborer Massachusetts Male citizen over 21 Eames, George 23 M W Clerk in store N.H. Male citizen over 21 Howes, Henry C. 20 M W Carpenter N.H.

• 1880, Sandgate, Bennington Co., VT:

Harmon BENTLEY 40 Self M M W VT Farmer VT VT Harriet BENTLEY 36 Wife F M W MA Keeping House MA MA Fred BENTLEY 16 Son M S W VT Farm Laborer VT MA Martha BENTLEY 12 Dau F S W VT At Home VT MA George BENTLEY 7 Son M S W VT VT MA Josiah WHITNEY 69 FatL M W W MA At Home MA MA

References

• All data imported from Frederick Clifton Pierce, The Descendants of John Whitney, Who Came from London, England, to Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1635, (Chicago: 1895), p. 468.

1.^  "Josiah Billings [Whitney], s. Zechariah, Junr., and Sarah, [born] Apr. 30, 1811," according to Walter A. Davis, comp., Early Records of the Town of Lunenburg, Massachusetts, Including That Part Which is Now Fitchburg, 1719-1764 (Fitchburg, MA: Fitchburg City Council, 1896), volume 3, page 272.

2.^  "Josiah B. [Whitney], Mr., of Lunenburg, and Miss Mary Ann Patch of Leominster, int. Mar. 2, 1833," according to Lunenburg Vital Records, volume 3, page 96.

3.^  "Josiah B. [Whitney] of Lunenburg and Ann Patch, [married] Mar. 25, 1833," according to Franklin P. Rice, ed., Vital Records of Leominster, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849 (n.d.).

4.^  "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 276, page 393.

7.^  Vermont, Vital Records Index, Marriages.

8.^  "Mary Ann [Whitney], d. Josiah and Mary Ann, Aug. 16, 1846, a. 2 y., of dysentery, b. Lunenburg," according to Lunenburg Vital Records, volume 4, page 46. "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 27, page 169.

9.^  "Thomas [Whitney], s. Josiah B., laborer, born in Lunenburg, and Mary Ann, born in Hamilton, Apr. 11, 1849," according to Lunenburg Vital Records, volume 4, page 6.

---

Copyright © 2006-2008, 2014, 2015, 2018, Robert L. Ward and the Whitney Research Group.