Family:Whitney, John (1790-1864)

John⁸ Whitney (Oliver⁷, Silas⁶, David⁵, Benjamin⁴, Thomas³, Thomas², John¹), son of Oliver⁷ and Abigail (Crampton) Whitney, was born 18 Dec 1790, Clarendon, VT, and died 7 Sep 1864, Saint Armand, QC.

He married, 7 Jul 1811, Frelighsburg, QC, Lucy Leonard. She was born 7 Jul 1794, Saint Armand, QC, and died 30 Jun 1863.

He was a native of Clarendon, VT, and early in life moved to Canada with his parents. He had a fine farm and managed it well, but he was more of a speculator than farmer, trading, buying and selling and making more money in this way than from the farm. He resided Saint Armand, Canada East.

Children of John⁸ and Lucy (Leonard) Whitney:

i.	Hannibal H.9 Whitney, b. 9 Jul 1814; m. and resided Montreal, QC. He d. 29 Jan 1877. His wid. and son resided Seattle, WA.
ii.	Rebecca Leonard Whitney, b. 15 Aug 1817; m. 14 Dec 1837, St. Armand, Dr. William H. Ellsworth. He was b. 12 Sep 1815; d. 10 Feb 1864; resided Greenville, MI. Dr. William H. Ellsworth, late of Greenville, MI, d. 1864, Michigan City, IN, of typhoid pneumonia. Dr. Ellsworth was born 1815, Berkshire, Franklin Co., VT; studied medicine with his father, Dr. William C. Ellsworth; attended the medical college of his native state, at Woodstock, for some time, but completed his professional education in Montreal, Canada. He settled in his native village where he was obliged not only to compete with his father, a distinguished physician of long experience, but with many other justly celebrated physicians, yet he soon succeeded in establishing for himself a reputation equal to any around him. In 1855 the doctor went to Michigan and settled in Greenville, Montcalm Co., and immediately entered upon the practice of his profession, and in a remarkably short time acquired a large practice, which he retained until his death. By his unwearied attention and kind sympathies toward the sick and suffering, he won the confidence and love of a vast number, and to a wonderful degree, which was strikingly exhibited by the tearful eyes that gathered around his lifeless remains when they were borne back to his home by his stricken companion. Only a few weeks before the doctor went south with his brother, Maj. C. C. Ellsworth, to visit the Army of the Cumberland, and on his return home was seriously injured by a railroad accident, which occurred in the state of Indiana, and which induced the disease of which he died. Dr. Ellsworth was in the very prime of life and in the midst of his greatest usefulness. This strange providence has cast a deep gloom over the entire community, and his loss will be long and heavily felt. Ch.: Julia Caroline, b. 11 May 1840; m. 4 Sep 1860, Alexander Mcpherson, Detroit, MI; Mary Elisabeth Susan, b. 30 Oct 1841; m. 19 Nov 1860, Charles Jesse Church; resided Greenville, Montcalm Co., MI; John Charles, b. 24 Aug 1847; address Fowlerville, MI; m. 28 Feb 1874; Gertrude, b. 17 May 1855; m. 8 Jun 1875, C. F. Morgan, M. D.
iii.	Nathaniel Stevens Whitney, b. 2 Dec 1820; m. Helen I. Mills.
iv.	Lucy Ann Hibbard Whitney, b. 27 Jul 1824; m. 10 Feb 1845, Rev. Aaron Slaght, the son of Aaron and Catherine (Whitehead) Slaght, and was born in Townsend, County of Norfolk, ON, 18 Aug 1822. He was married at St. Armand, Province Quebec, by the Rev. F. N. Jersey, Baptist minister. She d. 25 May 1849, Waterford, ON. She was an active member of the church and worked quite actively among the young people, with whom she was a great favorite. Her remains were interred at the cemetery near that place. The first child was Lucy Annabelle, b. 8 Jun 1846, the second child was Mary Helen, b. 15 Jun 1848; m. 12 Apr 1872, London, Ontario, John Bostwick Backus, M. D., by the Rev. Dr. Cooper, then pastor of the London Baptist Church. She removed to Braidwood, IL, with her husband, and died there 30 Mar 1874, leaving one daughter six days old, who is living and at present at school in Hartford, CT, named Helen Whitney Backus. On 23 Aug 1876, Lucy Annabelle Slaght m. John Bostwick Backus, M. D., at Waterford, ON, by the Rev. Mr. Cameron, pastor of the Brantford, Ontario, Church. There are two children of this union, Grace Constance, b. 8 Jun 1878, and Erie Waters, b. 28 Jul 1879, both of whom are living. Mrs. Backus was noted for her gentleness of demeanor, kindliness of disposition and purity of character, and was endeared to a large circle of friends and acquaintances at her demise. John Bostwick Backus, M. D., is the son of John A. Backus and Sarah M. Bostwick (both deceased), b. 27 Apr 1845, Simcoe, Norfolk Co., ON; attended McGill college, Montreal, and graduated in medicine in 1870. He practiced a few months in Simcoe and then later at Braidwood, IL, where he still resides.

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. 531-532.

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