Family:Whitney, Abigail (1763-a1815)

Abigail⁶ Whitney (Jonathan⁵, Jonathan⁴, Richard³, Richard², John¹), daughter of Jonathan⁵ and Sarah (Holt) Whitney, was born 29 Jan 1763 (twin), Harvard, MA,^[1] and died after 3 Mar 1815.

Marriage intentions were published 21 Dec 1788, Littleton, MA, for her and Josiah Reed, both "of Littleton".^[2]

She married, 25 Oct 1789, Littleton, MA, Benjamin Hoar, both "of Littleton".^[3] She married, 17 Nov 1789, Harvard, MA, Benjamin Hoar, both "of Littleton",^[4] son of Benjamin and Anna (Brooks) Hoar. He was born 16 Apr 1762, New Ipswich, NH, and died after 1820.

He petitioned the State of New York to change his name and those of his wife and children from Hoar to Whitney:

"Benjamin Hoar/Whitney b. abt 1758?

"5/l5/1777 Enlisted from Old York, Maine (still part of Mass. at that time) for 3 yrs. in a company commanded by Capt. Samuel Darby, 2nd Reg. Inf., Mass. line. Honorably discharged at West Point (bad copy of discharge papers in file)

"Changed his name & that of all his family members to WHITNEY via petitions thru NY State Legislature - no reason given.

"Included on the petition were: Benjamin Hoar, himself Abigail Hoar, his wife His minor children: Oliver Hoar Polly Hoar Abigail Hoar His 'adult' children: Abel Hoar Silence Hoar (no ages or birth dates were included in file)

"Places referenced on his petitions: 3/3/1815 - Cambridge, Washington County, New York 4/6/1818 - 'of Washington County, New York' - age 'upwards of 60' 8/16/1820 - 'of Salem, Washington County, New York - age 62'

"In 1820 he says he is a shoemaker by trade but is unable to work due to something wrong with his right arm and reduced vision."^[5]

Also:

:PETITION FOR A NAME CHANGE BENJAMIN WHITNEY S.44044 Revolutionary War Pension File Passed March 3, 1815 National Archives, Washington DC Whereas a petition has been presented to the Legislature of the State of New York by Benjamin Hoar of the Town of Cambridge in the county of Washington on behalf of himself and his wife Abigail Hoar and his minor children Oliver Hoar, Polly Hoar, and Abigail Hoar; and also by Theophilus Hoar, Abel Hoar and Silence Hoar the adult children of the said Benjamin Hoar all of the same place praying that the name of the said Benjamin and his said wife and children may be changed from that of Hoar to that of Whitney Therefore Be it enacted by the people of the State of New York represented in Senate and Assembly that the names of the said Benjamin Hoar and his wife Abigail Hoar and his said children Theophilus Hoar, Abel Hoar Silence Hoar Oliver Hoar Polly Hoar and Abigail Hoar shall be and the Same are hereby changed from that of Hoar to that of Whitney and the said Benjamin Hoar and his said wife and children and their descendants shall for ever be called and known by the name of Whitney and shall sue and be sued pleas and be impleaded by the name of Whitney and no other name until their marriage with persons of other names shall render it otherwise by the laws of this State. State of New York ) I certify the preceding to be a true copy of Secretary's office) an original act of the Legislature of this State on file in this office. In Testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed the Seal of this Office at the City of Albany January 2, 1819 Arch C. Campbell Dep Secretary"

[Benjamin Whitney was an ancestor of William D. Daniels, D 802, Cimarron, Kansas, on a maternal line as follows: Benjamin Whitney; his son Oliver Whitney; his son Oliver Whitney; his son Elmer Ellsworth Whitney; his daughter Ruth Leona Whitney (Daniels, Goodwin); her son William D. Daniels.]^[6]

Children of Benjamin and Abigail⁶ (Whitney) Hoar:

i.	Theophilus7 Hoar alias Whitney, b. say 1790, Littleton, MA; m. [?Anna -----?].
ii.	Abel Hoar alias Whitney, b. 25 Jun 1793, Londonderry, VT; m.(1) Permelia Howard; m.(2) Ann Marie Howard.
iii.	Silence Hoar alias Whitney, b. 8 Jun 1795, Londonderry, VT; unmarried in 1860.
iv.	Oliver Winship Francis Hoar alias Whitney, b. 13 Jul 1799, Londonderry, VT; m. Rachel Westfall.
v.	Mary "Polly" Hoar alias Whitney, b. 2 May 1804, Londonderry, VT; d. 23 Apr 1870, Shelbyville, MO; m. 23 May 1855, Shelbyville, MO, William Hatfield; bur. Bonnel Cemetery, Bethel, MO.
vi.	Abigail Hoar alias Whitney, b. ca. 1804, VT; unmarrried in 1850.

Census

• 1790, Littleton, Middlesex Co., MA, p. 328: Benj^a Hoar, 1 male over 16, 1 male 0-15, and 1 female.
• 1800, Londonderry, Windham Co., VT, p. 611: Benj^a "How", 1 male 26-44, 1 male 10-15, 2 males 0-9, 1 female 26-44, and 1 female 0-9.
• 1810, Fort Ann, Washington Co., NY: Benjamin Whitney, 1 male over 45, 1 male 26-44, 3 males 10-15, 3 males 0-9, 1 female 26-44, 1 female 10-15, and 1 female 0-9.
• 1820, Fort Ann, Washington Co., NY: Benjamin Whitney, 1 male over 45, 2 males 10-14, 1 male 0-9, 1 female over 45, and 1 female 16-25; 1 engaged in agriculture.
• 1830, Bennington, Bennington Co., VT: Theopilus Whitney, 1 male 40-49, 1 male 20-29, 1 male 15-19, 1 female 60-69, 1 female 30-39, 1 female 20-29, and 1 female 15-19. These could be Abigail and her unmarried children.

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), pp. 187-188.

1.^  "Abigail [Whitney], d. of Jonathan Jr. and Sarah, [born] Jan. 29, 1763. Twin," according to Harvard Vital Records.

2.^  "Abigail [Whitney] and Josiah Reed, both of Littleton, Dec. 21, 1788. Int. not recorded," according to Records of Littleton, Massachusetts, Printed by Order of the Town. First Installment: Births and Deaths from the Earliest Records in the Town Books, Begun in 1715 (Littleton, MA: Town of Littleton, 1900), p. 275.

3.^  "Abigail [Whitney] and Benj[amin] Hoar, both of Littleton, [married] Oct. 25, 1789. Int. not recorded," according to Littleton Vital Records, p. 275.

4.^  "Abigail [Whitney] and Benjamin Hoar of Littleton, [married] Nov. 17, 1789," according to Harvard Vital Records.

5.^  E-mail from Jeanne Muse dated 12 Jan 1997.

6.^  Whitney Whistler, 4, No. 3 (Fall 1984).

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Copyright © 2009, 2012, Robert L. Ward and the Whitney Research Group.