Family:Whitney, Mark (c1700-1760)
Mark3 Whitney (Benjamin2, John1), son of Benjamin2 and Mary (Poor) Whitney,[1] was born circa 1700, Framingham, MA,[2] and died 23 Jun 1760, Natick, MA.[3]
He, "of Hopkinton," married, 4 Jan 1725/26 or 1726/27, Framingham, MA, Tabitha Mellen "of Framingham",[4] daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (-----) Mellen.[5] She was born on 4 Jan 1703/4, Framingham, MA,[6] and she died after 17 Jun 1760, when she was mentioned in her husband's will.
"Mark Whitney was born Framingham, Mass. He was a soldier of Capt. Samuel Wright's Rutland Company, in service from Nov 10, 1723, to June 10, 1724. He resided in Hopkinton, which town was purchased of the praying Indians in 1700, And incorporated in 1715, the name being given in honor of Edward Hopkins of Harvard College. It, however, did not assume the privileges of a town until 1724. This year a church was organized in the town and Mark Whitney was, Apr 27 1735, admitted a member. He married his wife in Framingham. He continued to reside in Hopkinton until his removal to Framingham; he was dismissed to the Framingham church Apr 5, 1753, and there he was admitted to the church by letter from Hopkinton Feb 10, 1754. While residing there he kept a tavern on the old Whitney homestead near the Havens. He soon moved to Natick where he afterward resided until his death. Natick lies between Sherborn and Framingham, and it was here that Rev. John Elliot established his first Indian church in America. Until 1746 Natick was an Indian plantation; that year it was incorporated as a district, and in 1781 it was incorporated as a town. In 1759 Mark Whitney was surveyor of highways and member of the parish committee in 1760, assisted im preambulating the town line between Natick and Sherborn, which committee rendered its report Mar 24, 1760. He was a prominent and leading citizen in the various towns in which he resided as the title "Mr" is prefixed to his name in the town records. His will is dated at Natick, June 17, 1760, and was witnessed by Micah Whitney. His widow, Tabitha, taught school in Hopkinton.
"A deed is on file in the Middlesex Probate records of a house lot signed by Benjamin, Sr., Benjamin, Jr., Mark and Isaac. Mark lived on this homestead.
"A petition is also recorded, signed by Benjamin,Sr., Isaac, Benjamin, Jr., and Mark.
"Mark was a soldier from Framingham before his marriage to a Framingham girl; his Hopkinton neighbor and brother (land adjoined as shown by deeds), Isaac Whitney, married Elizabeth Bridges of Framingham. His land came to him from his father, Benjamin Wnitney, who was of Framingham. Thomas Mellen, who was Mark Whitney's father-in-law, and Benjamin Whitney were of those who, in 1732, went to the Hopkinton church on account of dissatisfaction at Framingham.[7]
The Middlesex County, MA, probate docket[8] shows:
No. 24719 Mark WHITNEY of Natick 1760 Jul 14 Will 1760 Jul 14 Probate 46:485 1760 Jul 14 Bond £300 (Thomas WHITNEY of Natick, Exor.) Will recorded 46:482
The will of Mark Whitney of Natick was dated 17 Jun 1760 at Natick, MA. It mentions wife Tabitha; son Thomas Whitney; daughters Love Battle, Mary Cody, Tabitha Whitney, Sarah Whitney, Esther Whitney; son Jason Whitney; sons Thomas and Jason Whitney, executors; witnesses, Micah5 Whitney, Samuel Twitchel, Joseph Peabody. On 14 Jul 1760 at Natick, MA, executors' bond was posted by Thomas Whitney, husbandman, of Natick, with Micah5 Whitney, yeoman, of Natick, and Thomas Greenwood of Newton, sureties. On 14 Jul 1760, Natick, MA, his will was proved.[9]
Children of Mark3 and Tabitha (Mellen) Whitney all born Hopkinton, MA:
i. Love4 Whitney, b. 21 Nov 1727;[10] m.(1) Jonathan Battle; m.(2) Barachias Mason. ii. Jason Whitney, b. 31 Aug 1729;[11] m.(1) Elizabeth Beal; m.(2) Lois (Fisher) Pratt. iii. Mary Whitney, b. 4 Oct 1731;[12] m. Joseph Cody Jr. iv. Mark Whitney; b. 11 Apr 1733;[13] baptized 17 Aug 1746, Hopkinton, MA;[14] d. 1750, Natick, MA, unmarried.[15] Neither he nor his heirs were mentioned in his father's will, dated 17 Jun 1760 at Natick, MA. v. Tabitha Whitney, b. 11 Apr 1735;[16] d. 11 Jul 1735, Hopkinton, MA.[17] vi. Thomas Whitney, b. 24 Feb 1736;[18] m. Mehetable Bacon. vii. Tabatha Whitney, b. 11 Mar 1737/38;[19]; m. John Lessure. viii. Sarah Whitney, b. 12 Jun 1739;[20] m. Nathan Watkins. ix. Esther Whitney, b. 3 Oct 1742;[21] m. James Watkins.
References
1.^ His close association with Benjamin2 Whitney, Sr., Benjamin3 Whitney, Jr., and Isaac3 Whitney, as revealed by the records above, convince me that his parentage is likely by a preponderance of the evidence.
2.^ This estimate is based on the date of his marriage. He might have been a few years older or younger.
3.^ "Whittney, Mark, [died] June 23, 1760," according to Thomas W. Baldwin, ed., Vital Records of Natick, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 (Boston, MA: 1910), p. 248.
4.^ "Mark [Whitney] of Hopkinton, and Tabitha Mellen, [married] Jan. 4, 1726-7," according to Vital Records of Framingham, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 (Boston, MA: 1911), p. 397; also "Mark [Whitney] and Tabitha Mellon of Framingham, [married] Jan. 4, 1726-7, in Framingham," according to Vital Records of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 (Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1911), pp. 388-389.
5.^ Her parentage is established by her birth record.
6.^ "Tabbatha [Mellen], d. Thomas and Elezebeth, [born] Jan. 4, 1703-4," according to Framingham Vital Records.
7.^ Frederick C. Pierce, The Descendants of John Whitney, Who Came from London, England, to Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1635 (Chicago, IL: The Author, 1895), p. 39.
8.^ Middlesex County, MA, Probate Docket.
9.^ Middlesex County, Massachusetts, probate file #24,719. Micah5 Whitney was Mark's first cousin twice removed. Apparently his appearance in these records is coincidental, and not because of close relationship to the family.
10.^ "[torn]ove [Whitney], d. Mark and Tabitha, Nov. 21, 1727. [Love Whittney, C.R.1]," according to Hopkinton Vital Records, pp. 200-201.
11.^ "Jason [Whitney], s. Mark and Tabitha, Aug. 31, 1729. [Whittney, C.R.1]," according to Hopkinton Vital Records, pp. 200-201.
12.^ "Mary [Whitney], d. Mark and Tabitha, Oct. 4, 1731. [Whittney, C.R.1]," according to Hopkinton Vital Records, pp. 200-201.
13.^ "Mark [Whitney], s. Mark and Tabitha, Apr.11, 1732-3," according to Hopkinton Vital Records, pp. 200-201.
14.^ "Mark [Whitney], ch. Mark, bp. Aug. 17, 1746. C.R.1," according to Hopkinton Vital Records, pp. 200-201.
15.^ Pierce, op. cit., p. 40; but no other documentation of that has been seen.
16.^ Pierce, op. cit., p. 40; but no other documentation of that has been seen.
17.^ "Whitnay, Tabatha, d. Mark and Tabatha, [died] July 11, 1735," according to Hopkinton Vital Records, pp. 459-460.
18.^ "Thomas [Whitney], s. Mark and Tabitha, Feb. 24, 1736. [Whittney, C.R.1]," according to Hopkinton Vital Records, pp. 200-201.
19.^ "Tabatha [Whitney], d. Mark and Tabatha, Mar. 11, 1737-8," according to Hopkinton Vital Records, pp. 200-201.
20.^ "Sarah [Whitnay], d. Mark and Tabatha, June 12, 1739.[Whitney, C.R.1]," according to Hopkinton Vital Records, pp. 200-201.
21.^ "Easter [Whitney], Mark and Tabitha, Oct. 3, 1742. [Esther [Esther written in pencil], C.R.1]," according to Hopkinton Vital Records, pp. 200-201.
Copyright © 2006, 2008, Robert L. Ward and the Whitney Research Group
