Family:Whitney, Jonas (1699-1770)

Jonas⁴ Whitney (Moses³, Richard², John¹), son of Moses³ and Sarah (Knight) Whitney, was born ca. 1 Feb 1698/9, Stow, MA,^[1] and died 18 Sep 1770, Harvard, MA, aged 71 years 7 months 7 days.^[2]

Marriage intentions were published 19 Jan 1723/4, Stow, MA, for him and Dorcas Wood "of Concord",^[3] daughter of Jacob and Mary (Wheeler) Wood. She was born 10 Feb 1703/4, Concord, MA, and died 21 Feb 1724/5, Stow, MA.^[4]

Marriage intentions were published 12 Mar 1725/6, Stow, MA, for him "of Stow" and Margaret Stratton "of Chelmsford".^[5] He married, 13 Mar 1725/6, Chelmsford, MA, Margaret Stratton,^[6] daughter of Richard and Margaret (Sheafe) Stratton. She was born 1 Oct 1705, Boston or Charlestown, MA, and died 4 Jan 1785 at Harvard, MA, "-----, wid. of ----- Whitney, aged 76 years."^[7]

"He went with brother Isaiah, Jr., from Lexington, Mass., Cambridge farms, to Harvard, probably then called Stow (leg) and buying a farm of 200 acres or so, according to tradition, which is supported by facts. He was a blacksmith and had a shop on the old farm; later he went to the center of the town and set up business there on his own account, and was there when the town was incorporated in 1732. He was admitted to the church when it was organized and was a respected citizen. The geography of Stow offers some difficulties to the correct understanding of records and traditions. Some of the Whitneys moved from Stow to Harvard without leaving their farms. He signed the first church covenant in 1733."^[8]

"Jonas Whitney was of Stow to be one of the petitioners of Stow to be included in a township in 1731." "Jonas and Margaret were married in 1726 and established their home in the fertile valley east of Oak Hill. Their farm (in 1894) was in possession of a lineal descendant, Samuel F. Whitney, Esq. and the buildings in Harvard fix the site of the original homestead." "Jonas Whitney was constable in 1732." "Jonas Whitney was one of the original founders of the church." "Jonas Whitney owned pew number 7."^[9]

"He left a will on 12 Dec 1769, Stow, MA; inventory of estate made 15 Oct 1770."^[10]

Will of Jonas Whitney of Harvard, Worcester Co., Mass., dated 12 Dec 1769, proved 15 Oct 1770. Executor, son Aaron Whitney. Sons Jonas, Moses, Ephraim, Timothy, and Aaron Whitney; daughter Margaret Wheeler; granddaughter Margaret Whitney. Witnesses Jeremiah Laughton, Jacob Robins, and Sarah Marble. Assent to probate signed by all of the above.^[11]

His inventory was taken 15 Oct 1770 at Stow, MA.

Children of Jonas⁴ and Dorcas (Wood) Whitney:

i.	Jonathan5 Whitney, b. about early 1724, prob. Stow, MA; d. young. The only source for his existence is Pierce.
ii.	Dorcas Whitney, b. before 21 Feb 1725; d. 21 Feb 1725[4/5], Stow, MA.[12]

Children of Jonas⁴ and Margaret (Stratton) Whitney:

i.	Jonas5 Whitney, b. 2 Jul 1727, Stow, MA;[13] m. Zebudah Davis.
ii.	Ephraim Whitney, b. 19 Sep 1728, Stow, MA;[14] m. Marcy Winslow.
iii.	Timothy Whitney, b. 1 Feb 1729/30, Stow, MA;[15] m. Alice Whitney.
iv.	Margaret Whitney, b. 22 Oct 1731, Harvard, MA; m. Jonas Wheeler.
v.	Moses Whitney, b. 17 Oct 1733, Harvard, MA;[16] m.(1) Betty Hutchins; m.(2) Martha Peck.
vi.	Ruth Whitney, b. 8 Sep 1736, Harvard, MA;[17] m. Jonathan Adams.
vii.	Aaron Whitney, b. 2 Jun 1740, Harvard, MA;[18] m.(1) Anna Lawrence; m.(2) Sally Pollard.

References

1.^  Calculated from age at death, but not found in vital records.

2.^  "Jonas [Whitney], [died] Sept. 18, 1770, a. 71 y. (a. 71 yr. 7 m. 7 d. G.R.1.)," according to Thomas W. Baldwin, ed., Vital Records of Harvard, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 (Boston, MA: Wright & Potter Printing Co., 1917).

3.^  "Jonas [Whitney] and Darcos Wood of Concord, int. Jan. 19, 1723-4," according to F. Apthorp Foster, ed., Vital Records of Stow, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 (Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1911).

4.^  "Darcos [Whetney], w. Jonas, [died] Feb. 22, 1724," and "Dorcas [Whitney], w. Jonas, [died] Feb. 21, 1725," according to Stow Vital Records.

5.^  "Jonas [Whetney] and Margaret Stratton of Chelmsford, int. Mar. 12 1725-6," according to Stow Vital Records.

6.^  "Jonas [Whetney], of Stow, and Margrett Stratton, int. Mar. 13, 1725/6," according to Vital Records of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849 (Salem, MA: Essex Institute, 1914).

7.^  "----- [Whitney], wid. of [died] -----, Jan. 4, 1785, a. 76 y. C.R.1," according to Harvard Vital Records.

8.^  Frederick C. Pierce, The Descendants of John Whitney, Who Came from London, England, to Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1635 (Chicago, IL: The Author, 1895), p. 47.

9.^  Henry S. Nourse, A.M., History of the Town of Harvard Massachusetts 1732-1893 (Harvard: printed for Warren Hapgood, 1894), pp. 57, 97, 112, 184, and 189.

10.^  Frederick C. Pierce, The Descendants of John Whitney, Who Came from London, England, to Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1635 (Chicago, IL: The Author, 1895), p. 54.

11.^  Elizabeth Annette (Hartshorn) Phillips, C.G.R.S., 1589-1989, Four Hundred Years and Thirteen Generations, One Line from John Whitney the Immigrant (1989), typescript; p. 14. Cites Worcester County Probate Records, File #64,931. Copy supplied by Ruth (Whitney) Major, Apr 2009.

12.^  "Dorcas [Whitney], ch. Jonas [and Dorcas], [died] Feb. 21, 1725," according to Stow Vital Records.

13.^  "Jonas [Whetney], s. Jonas and Margaret, [born] July 2, 1727," according to Stow Vital Records.

14.^  "Ephraim [Whitney], s. Jonas and Margaret, [born] Sept. 19, 1728," according to Stow Vital Records.

15.^  "Timothy [Whitney], s. Jonas and Margret, [born] Feb. 1, 1729-30," according to Stow Vital Records.

16.^  "Moses [Whitney], s. of Jonas and Margaret, [born] Oct. 17, 1733," according to Harvard Vital Records.

17.^  "Ruth [Whitney], d. of Jonas and Margaret, [born] Sept. 8, 1736," according to Harvard Vital Records.

18.^  "Aaron [Whitney], s. of Jonas and Margaret, [born] June 2, 1740," according to Harvard Vital Records.

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