Family:Whitney, James (s1765-a1801)

James Whitney, parentage unknown (but see Notes below), was born say 1765 and died after 1801.

He married, before 1795, and probably before 1790, Phebe Higgins. She was born about 1770, Westchester Co., NY, according to the 1855 census, and died after 1855, probably Shandaken, NY.

While Phebe's parentage is unknown, the names of several siblings are revealed in the 1847 will of her brother Joseph Higgins of Kingston, NY: Eben, John (m. Betsey -----), Dorcas (m. Daniel Lane), Abby (m. William Riseley), and Sally (m. Jacob Maricle).

James Whitney appears in the Tax Assessment Rolls . . . for Fishkill in 1799, 1800, and 1801, but none after that.

Phebe and daughter Polly came to Ulster County in about 1804, and Eli about 1815.

Children of James and Phebe (Higgins) Whitney, probably incomplete:

i.	(son) Whitney, b. say 1789; from 1800 census.
ii.	(daughter) Whitney, b. say 1792, from 1800 census.
iii.	Polly Whitney, b. 19 Aug 1795, Dutchess Co., NY; d. 4 Aug 1866, Ulster Co., NY; m. William Cure.
iv.	Eli Whitney, b. 31 Jul 1797, Dutchess Co., NY; m. Catherine Longyear.
v.	Jacob M. Whitney, b. say 1798; m. Nellie Freeman.

Notes

It seems probable that he is identical to James⁵ Whitney, son of Jeremiah⁴ and Eva (Youngs) Whitney.

If he was the male over 45 in the 1800 census entry, then he was born before 1755. This seems a bit problematical, given the record of his father's other children. One explanation is that James and his wife might not be the male and female over 45, but those 26-44, with elderly relatives living with them. That would put their birthdates as 1755-1774, which is more sensible. As a result, we shall identify the census record with this person. If all the young persons in the family at that time were children, then they were married before 1790, had a son born 1784-1790, and had another daughter born 1790-1800. There may have been children born after 1800.

Census

• 1800, Fishkill, Dutchess Co., NY: James Whitney, 1 male over 45, 1 male 26-44, 1 male 10-15, 2 males 0-9, 1 female over 45, 1 female 26-44, 2 females 0-9.
• 1810: not found.
• 1820: not found.
• 1830, Shandaken, Ulster Co., NY: William Cure, includes 1 female 60-69, probably Phebe.
• 1840, Shandaken, Ulster Co., NY: William Cure, includes 2 females 60-69, probably including Phebe.
• 1850, Shandaken, Ulster Co., NY:

93 98 Eli Whitney 52 M - Farmer $2000 New York Catharine Whitney 50 F - " Jane " 20 F - " Giles " 17 M - " Sarah " 10 F - " Attended school William " 8 M - " Attended school John " 27 M - Farmer " Pheebe " 80 F - "

• 1855, Shandaken, Ulster Co., NY:

13 Frame $250 6 William Cone 66 M - - Dutches Co. 1 - 50 Farmer 1 - - - 1 1 - Polley Cone 56 F - Wife Dutches 1 - 51 - - - - - - - - Louisa Cone 24 F - Dau Ulster - - 24 - - - - - - - - Heneretty Cone 13 F - Dau Ulster - - 13 - - - - - - - - Phebey Whitney 85 F - Moth Weschester - 1 51 - - - - - - - -

References

• Stephen Whitney Phoenix, The Whitney family of Connecticut, and its affiliations; being an attempt to trace the descendants, as well in the female as the male lines, of Henry Whitney, from 1649 to 1878; to which is prefixed some account of the Whitneys of England. (New York : Priv. Print. [Bradford Press] 1878), p. 112.

• Census records.

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