Family:Whitney, William Glenny (1811-1889)

Capt. William Glenny⁸ Whitney (Ruluff⁷, Christopher⁶, William⁵, William⁴, William³, Joshua², John¹), son of Ruluff⁷ and Susanna (Glenny) Whitney, was born 11 Apr 1811, Dryden, NY, and died 5 Feb 1889, Portsmouth, OH.

He married firstly, 20 Oct 1836, Melvina Fleming. She was born 14 Jun 1814, and died 29 Apr 1847.

He married secondly, 20 Mar 1850, Elcey F. M. Van Voorhees. She was born 5 May 1823, and died 8 Feb 1889. She is a direct descendant of Steven Coerte Van Voor Hess who came from Holland in 1660 and settled at Flatlands, Long Island.

He was a man of medium height, compactly built, but with no spare flesh; dark brown bright eyes and black hair. He worked for and with his father from the time he was large enough to cook and wait on the men digging coal, gradually becoming the responsible head of the family. He became part owner and commander of a steamboat plying between Portmouth and Cincinnati, and it is not known whether he took his title "Capt." from this or the militia company of which he was at one time captain. He retained the grocery up to 1859, also carrying on a commission business. Coming into possession of a canal boat through going security, he decided to run it in connection with his commission (grain) business, and finding there was money in it built a line of boats and gave his whole attention to buying the grain of the Scioto valley and shipping it, until the building of the railroad. Corrupt legislation against keeping up the canal, and ill health ruined his fortunes. He was no politician and never sought office, but filled a few unremunerative city offices to oblige his fellow citizens. In party he was a Whig until after the war, when he voted Republican. In religion he was an Episcopalian. All his life was given to the service of his family, and a long invalidism was borne with patience and gentleness. His purity of life always was a most remarkable part of his character. A filthy jest, slang, or profanity or rough manners were his abhorrence. His creed was "to live and let live;" not meaning by that self-indulgence, but a belief in making use of the good things of this life, but at the same time giving everybody else a chance, even if one must forego some advantage to do it. He never resided anywhere but Portsmouth, OH, after going there with his father in 1821. He resided Portsmouth, OH, 429 Waller St.

Children of William Glenny⁸ and Melvina (Fleming) Whitney:

i.	Ruluff Whitney, b. 26 Aug 1837; m.(1) Ellen M. Cassiday; m.(2) Mary Louis Adams.
ii.	Susannah Whitney, b. 5 Sep 1840; m. 31 Jul 1887, John S. Womble, b. NC, 4 May 1841; resided s. p., Oviede, Orange County, FL.
iii.	William Fleming Whitney, b. 2 Nov 1843; m. Lizzie M. Jones.
iv.	James Whitney, b. 23 Apr 1847; d. 25 Apr 1847.

Children of William Glenny⁸ and Elcey F. M. (Van Voorhees) Whitney:

v.	Isabella Olive9 Whitney, b. 4 Jul 1851; resided at home unmarried.
vi.	Mary Jane Whitney, b. 23 Jul 1853; m. 30 Aug 1876, Charles Edwin Jewell, b. 14 Apr 1851; d. 14 Jun 1889. Ch.: Elsie H., b. 4 Sep 1877; Charles G., b. 28 Jun 1880; Susie M., b. 18 Dec 1883; d. 12 Jun 1884; Tom Whitney, b. 14 Jun 1889. Whitney genealogy of Elsie Howard, Charles Gordon and Tom Whitney Jewell through their father, Charles Edwin Jewell, as shown by "Jewell Register" and book of William L. Whitney, of Pottsville, PA. Richard Whitney, son of John and Elenor Whitney, of Watertown, MA, born England, 1626; had Moses, by wife Martha Coldam, b. Watertown, 1 Aug 1655. Moses married Stow, MA, Sarah Knight; had among other children Abraham, b. 29 May 1692. Abraham had daughter Mary who m. Silas Jewell Jr., 22 Nov 1748; had among other children Silas C., b. 9 Sep 1751; died Marlborough, MA; married Abagail Garfield; had Lewis, b. 11 Apr 1781; m.(1) Lucy Goodwin, 1810; had Silas T., b. 23 May 1812; Silas T. resided Harmar, OH; had by his 2d wife Harriet Howard, Charles Edwin, who married Mary Jane Whitney, Portsmouth, OH.
vii.	Elsie G. Whitney, b. 6 Jun 1858.
viii.	Martha W. Whitney, b. 18 Jan 1860; d. 18 Jul 1862.
ix.	Teresa Whitney, b. 3 May 1863; m. 25 Nov 1886, at Des Moines, IA, Allan C. Mcarthur, b. 4 Mar 1854; resided Circleville, OH. Ch.: Dorothy, b. 18 Nov 1887.

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. 563-564.

---

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