Archive:The Whitney Family of Connecticut, page xvii

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The Whitney Family of Connecticut

by S. Whitney Phoenix
(New York: 1878)

Transcribed by Robert L. Ward.

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Of England.
xvii
as authentic and considered of great value by genealogists,1 it would be unreasonable to expect strict accuracy in the commencement of a pedigree extending back to King Arthur's time, in the sixth century of our era. We may, therefore, safely reject the earlier generations as legendary, and consider the authentic history of the family to begin about the time of the Norman conquest of England (A. D. 1066), in the person of Sir Baldwin, of Whitney, in Herefordshire.2
Copies of the documents upon which are based the remaining portion of the pedigree are in the author's possession. He is unwilling to increase the already enormous bulk of his book by printing them in extenso in this place; it is believed, however, that the following extracts will be amply sufficient to prove the authenticity of Mrs. De Salis's work.
The Golden Grove, in the pedigree of Whitney, designates Hugh Whitney (20th gen.) as "of The Hay," a parish in Wales--close to the border of Herefordshire. In another part of that book, as well as in several of the numerous Vaughan, or Vaun, pedigrees contained therein and in Randal Holmes's manuscript collection of pedigrees, he is styled "of Bromhall," Cheshire, and in still another Vaughan pedigree, "of Chester."
It appears from some fines, preserved among the Harleian MSS., that Hugh Whitney, "of The Hay," and Constance, his wife, had land also in Radnor (Wales) and in Cheshire. In the latter county, they owned property at Bromhall, Audlem and Tal . . . . .3, a
There were two Hughs Whitney, as shown by a deed of indenture, dated 1546, of some land, fields, etc., between Hugh Whitney, "of The Hay," and his son, Hugh Whitney, and Jevan ap Morgan and James Meredith.b
An inquisitio post mortem, dated 1537, taken at . . . . . . . . . .3 mentions Richard Vaun, of Leckryd, as seized of various messuages and tenements in Wales, and his daughter Constance as his sole heir. In the inquisition, Richard Vaun's will is cited at length, wherein mention is made of many Vaughans (the testator's nephews and nieces), of his daughter Constance, of his son-in-law Hugh Whitney, and of his Whitney grandchildren, Eustace, Hugh, Robert, Constance, and Elizabeth. The original is in the Public Record Office, London.c A. D. 1537.
From an inquisitio post mortem taken at Hereford and at Chester in 1549, and now preserved in the Public Record Office, London, it appears that Owen Parry died seized of lands in Bredwardyn and other places, the names of which are obliterated. His will is recited in full. In the latter, he mentions his daughter Constance, wife of Richard Vaun, his sons Owen and Thomas Parry, his daughter "Mary Whitnee, recently bereaved of her A. D. 1549.
  1 See, for instance, Notes and Queries, 5th Series, Vol. IV, p. 436.

{{PhoenixFootnote|2|It will be observed that Mrs. De Salis's pedigree differs from the account given on page x, in assigning a Welsh, instead of a Flemish, origin to the family, and in making the first lord of Whitney Sir Baldwin instead of Sir Eustace. We make no attempt to reconcile the differences.

  3 The original manuscript is here illegible.

  a That document was fabricated.

  b That document may exist, but no confirmation of that has been seen.

  c That document was fabricated.

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