Family:Whitney, Samuel (1794-1870)

Samuel⁷ Whitney (Asa⁶, Levi⁵, Daniel⁴, Jonathan³, Jonathan², John¹), son of Asa⁶ and Mary (Wallis) Whitney, was born 27 Feb 1794, and died 16 Dec 1870, Waltham, MA, aged 76 years 11 months, of gravel, machinist.^[1]

He married firstly, 30 Sep 1813, Polly Wallace. She was born about 1797, and died 20 Nov 1825, Townsend, MA, aged 28 years,^[2] or Sep 1823, Nashua, NH.

He married secondly, Kezia M. Gage, probably daughter of John and Dorcas (Merrill) Gage, of Nashua, NH. She was born about 1800, and died 16 Dec 1837, Townsend, MA, aged 37 years.^[3]

He married thirdly, 18 Apr 1839, Townsend, MA, or 30 Apr 1839, Nashua, NH, Hannah Marshall.^[4] She was born about 1805, NY, and died 31 Aug 1866, Townsend, MA, aged 61 years.^[5]

Samuel Whitney was the inventor of what is known as the Woodworth planer. He spent considerable time and money on this machine. He had a model made by a competent machinist, which did the work admirably, and he intended to secure a patent on the same; but while he delayed in attending to that business and dreaming about the fortune he hoped to make by it, a dishonest man stealthily invaded the premises in which the model was stored, took the drawings and admeasurements of it, from which another model was made and sent to Washington, and a patent was taken out in another man's name. By this bold and villainous theft Mr. Whitney was defrauded out of the benefit of his ingenious and useful invention. He resided Townsend and Waltham, MA, and Hudson, Lenawee County, MI.

Children of Samuel⁷ and Polly (Wallace) Whitney:

i.	Mary J.8 Whitney, b. 11 Feb 1814; m.(1) Dec 1854, Varnum Spaulding; m.(2) 4 Jun 1867, Joel Shattuck, b. Aug 1784; d. 21 Jun 1871; resided Brookline, NH, s. p.
ii.	Samuel J. Whitney, b. 20 Jul 1817, MA; m. Lydia Stowell.
iii.	Jonathan Wallace Whitney, b. 13 May 1819; m. Mary A. Brooks.
iv.	Harriett Newell Whitney, b. 23 Jun 1822, MA; d. Jun 1858, Nashua, NH, s. p.; m. 1846, Concord, NH, Simon B. Whicher.

Children of Samuel⁷ and Kezia (Gage) Whitney:

v.	Helen M. Whitney, b. Aug 1832, South Boston, MA; d. Aug 1851, Nashua, NH.
vi.	Adelia Gage Whitney, b. 19 Feb 1837, Townsend, MA; d. 12 Nov 1841, Townsend, MA, aged 6 years.[6]

Census

• 1820, Townsend, Middlesex Co., MA: Samuel Whitney, 1 male 26-44, 2 males 0-9, 1 female over 45, 1 female 26-44, and 1 female 0-9; 1 engaged in agriculture.
• 1830, West Cambridge, Middlesex Co., MA: Samuel Whitney, 1 male 30-39, 2 males 20-29, 2 males 15-19, 1 female 50-59, 2 females 20-29, 1 female 15-19, and 1 female 10-14.
• 1840, Townsend, Middlesex Co., MA: Samuel Whitney, 1 male 40-49, 1 male 20-29, 1 female 30-39, and 1 female 5-9; 2 in engaged manufacture or trades.
• 1850: not found.
• 1850, Nashua, Hillsborough Co., NH:

596 665 John H. Gage 35 M - Manufacturer $4600 New Hampshire Catharine A. " 30 F - " Julius F. " 8 M - " Attended school Helen M. Whitney 19 F - Massachusetts 666 John Gage 75 M - None $1000 New Hampshire Dorcas " 68 F - " Harriet T. " 40 F - " Fidelia Mahannnan 20 F - Ireland

This was his daughter Helen.

• 1860, Hudson, Lenawee Co., MI:

1100 1120 Samuel Whitney 62 M - Farmer $3500 $400 Mass. Hannah 56 F - N.Y. Mariah Maurice 14 F - Do

• 1865 State, Pepperell, Middlesex Co., MA:

295 327 Samuel Whitney 73 M W Townsend M Farmer - - 1 1 - Hannah " 72 F " Peterboro, N.H. " - - - - -

• 1870, Waltham, Middlesex Co., MA:

581 734 Whitney, Samuel J. 53 M W Machinist $3000 Mass. Male citizen over 21 " Lydia M. 53 F W Keeping House Vermont " Elbert W. 20 M W At College New Hampshire Attended school " Charles H. 10 M W At School " " Attended school " Samuel 76 M W No Occupation Mass. Male citizen over 21

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), p. 360.

1.^  "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 230, page 225. Also "Samuel [Whitney], [died] Dec. 16, 1870, a. 76y. G.S.," according to Henry C. Hallowell, ed., Vital Records of Townsend Massachusetts: Town Records to 1850 with Marriage Intentions to 1873 and Cemetery Inscriptions (Boston, Mass.: N.E. Historic Genealogical Society, 1992). Pierce gives the place of death as Hudson, MI.

2.^  "Mary W. [Whitney], w. Samuel, [died] Nov. 20, 1825, a. 28y. G.S.," according to Townsend Vital Records.

3.^  "Kezia M. [Whitney], w. Samuel, [died] Dec. 15, 1837, a. 37y. G.S.," according to Townsend Vital Records.

4.^  "Samuel [Whitney], and Hannah Marshall, [married] 18 Apr 1839," according to Townsend, Massachusetts, Vital Records. Also, "Samuel Whitney & Hannah Marshall, m. 30 Apr 1839, Nashua, Hillsborough Co., NH," according to New Hampshire, Vital Records, Marriage Index.

5.^  "Hannah M. [Whitney], w. Samuel, Aug. 31, 1866, a. 61y. G.S.," according to Townsend Vital Records.

6.^  "Adelia [Whitney], d. Samuel and Kezia, [died] Nov. 12, 1840, a. 6y. G.S.," according to Townsend Vital Records.

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Copyright © 2006, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2015, Robert L. Ward and the Whitney Research Group.