Family:Whitney, Abijah (1781-1856)

Abijah⁶ Whitney (Benjamin⁵, Joseph⁴, Joseph³, Jonathan², John¹), son of Benjamin⁵ and Rebecca (Fitch) Whitney, was born 22 Aug 1781, Pepperell, MA,^[1] and died 30 Mar 1856, Pepperell, MA, aged 74 years 7 months 8 days, of heart disease.^[2]

He married 28 May 1818, Pepperell, MA, Lydia Tarbell,^[3] daughter of Thomas and Molly (Farnsworth) Tarbell. She was born 17 Aug 1792, and died 12 or 19 Nov 1864, Pepperell, MA, aged 72 years 3 months 25 days, of old age.^[4]

He was a carpenter. He resided Pepperell, Massachusetts.

Children of Abijah⁶ and Lydia (Tarbell) Whitney:

i.	Eliza7 Whitney, b. 5 Jan 1820, Pepperell, MA;[5] d. 12 Dec 1860, Wells River, VT; m. 30 Nov 1843, Pepperell, MA, Union Isaac Durant "of Boston",[6] b. Shirley, MA, 18 Oct 1816, d. 7 Nov 1883, Wells River, VT, aged 67 years. He m.(2) Sophia J. Randall, dau. of Mason Randall, of Newbury, VT. b. ca. 1839, d. aft. 1889. Union Isaac Durant learned the trade of putting up machinery for paper-mills with Goddard and Rich in Worcester; later he traveled for this firm in New England and the West. In 1855 he bought a paper-mill at Wells River; soon after he also operated a paper-mill at Bradford, VT; later he owned mills at Bellows Falls and Newport, VT. While engaged in the paper business, he also kept the Coosack House, a hotel at Wells River. He was a sharp, driving, business man; and a noted character in a wide section of that country.[7] Children of Union Isaac and Eliza (Whitney) Durant:[8] a. Thomas Durant, b. ca. 1842, Pepperell, MA; d. aged 1 ½ years. b. Ellen Whitney Durant, b. 25 Apr 1844, Pepperell, MA, d. 16 Aug 1875, Brattleboro, VT, s. p.; m. 1870, Boston, MA, Henry Haynes, a wood engraver. c. Isabel Durant, b. 9 May 1846, Pepperell, MA; unmarried in 1892; she dwelt with her brother Robert E. Durant, at Newton Highlands, MA, was 5 feet 4 1/2 inches tall, of light complexion, with blue eyes and brown hair, educated in private schools at Wells River, VT, and a member of the Congregational church there. d. Joseph Union Durant, b. 23 Apr 1848, m. 4 Aug 1869, Haverhill, NH, Mary Jane McLean, b. 3 Nov 1849, Durham, QC, dau. of Alexander and Margaret (Rief) McLean, began in a paper-mill at the age of 13 yrs, and after 1867, he was superintendent of such mills, in 1888 holding that position in the Lancaster Manufacturing Co., was 5 feet _ inches tall, weighed 220 pounds, had black hair and eyes with dark complexion (his wife was a member of the Free Baptist Church, was 5 feet _ inches tall, with dark complexion and hair, and dark brown eyes), dwelt twelve years at Wells River, VT, two years at Bloomingdale, NJ, three years at Derby, VT, after 1887 in Lancaster, MA, until 1891, when they settled in Minneapolis, MN. e. Robert Emmons Durant, b. -----; dwelt, 1892, at Newton Highlands, MA. f. Henrietta Durant, b. 1855; d. 1858. g. Alice Eliza Durant, b. 30 Dec. 1856, Wells River, VT; m. 19 Oct 1887, Haverhill, NH, Harlan Bronson Poore, son of Ira Noyes and Louise Eaton (Webster) Poore, b. 26 Oct 1852, Haverhill, NH; grocer. h. Abijah Courtland Durant, b. 15 Jun 1858, Wells River, VT; living 1889, in Minneapolis, MN; Secretary and Treasurer of the W. J. Nott Company. i. William Hoar Durant, b. 15 Feb 1860, Wells River, VT; living, 1888, at Concord, NH; unmarried. After the death of his mother, when he was ten months old, he dwelt with his sister, Isabel Durant, until his 9th year. Then he went into the hotel kept by his father at Wells River, VT, under the firm name of Durant and Adams, making himself useful there and in the livery connected with the hotel; later he helped on his father’s farm used on the paper-mill. Soon after coming of age he entered a machine shop at Lebanon, NH, as an apprentice. About two years later he went to Concord, NH, as a machinist in the railway shops. In Dec 1855, he was ________ leave of absence for six months ____ from a _______trouble. Going to Florida, and finding the climate beneficial to him, he entered the shops of the Florida Southern Railway at Palatka, where he continued until 1888, when he returned to Concord. He invented and patented an automatic fire-extinguisher, to put out fire in car stoves and lamps in case of railway accidents. In Jul 1875 he joined the Congregational Church at Wells River. He was 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighed 150 pounds, had light complexion, with dark hair and blue eyes. In disposition he was somewhat independent, but kind and benevolent. He m. ca. 1888, Anna Edmunds Jones, b. 1869, Concord, NH.
ii.	Henrietta Whitney, b. 10 Feb 1823, Pepperell, MA;[9] d. 10 Apr 1858, Groton, Massachusetts; m. ("of Pepperell" int. 10 Apr 1847, Groton, MA[10]) 3 Jun 1847, Pepperell, MA, Asa Sumner Graves, b. ca. 1819, son of Asa and Sarah (-----) Graves.[11]
iii.	Joseph Whitney, b. 25 Jun 1827, Pepperell, MA;[12] m. Mary P. Baker.
iv.	Mary Ann Whitney, b. 30 May 1833, Pepperell, MA;[13] d. 24 Mar 1883, Marlboro, Vermont; m. 16 Apr 1856, Phinehas P. Fletcher.

Census

• 1820, Pepperell, Middlesex Co., MA: Abijah Whitney, 1 male 26-44, 1 male 10-15, 1 female 26-44, 1 female 10-15, and 1 female 0-9; 1 engaged in agriculture.
• 1830, Pepperell, Middlesex Co., MA: Abijah Whitney, 1 male 70-79, 1 male 40-49, 1 male 15-19, 1 male 0-4, 1 female 30-39, 1 female 20-29, 1 female 15-19, 1 female 10-14, and 1 female 5-9.
• 1840, Pepperell, Middlesex Co., MA: Abijah Whitney, 1 male 80-89, 1 male 50-59, 1 male 40-49, 1 male 10-14, 2 females 40-49, 1 female 15-19, and 1 female 5-9; 6 engaged in agriculture; pensioner Thomas Tarbell age 82.
• 1850, Pepperell, Middlesex Co., MA:

571 641 Abijah Whiting 67 M - Farmer $300 Mass. Lydia " 58 F - " Joseph " 23 M - " " Mary A. " 17 F - " Attended school Eliza Durant 30 F - " Ellen W. " 6 F - " Attended school Isabelle " 4 F - " Attended school Joseph U. " 2 M - " Thomas " 5/12 M - " Benjamin Whiting 50 M - " N.H. Eliza Fletcher 55 F - Mass. Phineas Fletcher 23 M - Farmer Mass. Union Durant 34 M - Machinist $1300 " Abigail " 63 F - "

Benjamin is Abijah's first cousin, son of James.

• 1855, Pepperell, Middlesex Co., MA:

219 264 Abijah Whitney 73 M - Farmer Mass. Lydia Whitney 62 F - " Benjamin Whitney 62 M - Farmer " Joseph Whitney 28 M - " " Mary Ann Whitney 22 F - " Phineas P. Fletcher 27 M - Farmer "

• 1860, Pepperell, Middlesex Co., MA:

1745 1713 Joseph Whitney 33 M - Farmer $5000 $500 Mass. Mary P. 34 F - Vermont Joseph A. 2 M - Mass. Lydia 68 F - " Benjamin 65 M - N.H. Sumner Coburn 21 M - Farm laborer Mass.

Lydia is his widow. Benjamin is Abijah's first cousin, son of James.

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. 208.

1.^  "Abijah [Whitney], s. Benjamin & w. [Rebecca], b. Aug. 22, 1781," according to George A. Rice, comp. and ed., Vital Records of Pepperell, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 (Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1985).

2.^  "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 103, page 106.

3.^  "Abijah [Whitney], and Lydia Tarbell, [married] May 28, 1818," according to Pepperell Vital Records.

4.^  "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 175, page 163.

5.^  "Eliza [Whitney], d. Abijah & Lydia, b. Jan. 5, 1820," according to Pepperell Vital Records.

6.^  "Eliza [Whitney], and Unien Durant of Boston, [married] Nov. 30, 1843," according to Pepperell Vital Records. Also, "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 7, page 47.

7.^  John¹ Durant of Billerica, Mass. and His Descendants 1659 to 1906: Compiled from Town Records and by Correspondence by the Rev. William⁸ Durant, D. D., a Descendant in 8th generation from George¹ Durant who settled at Middletown, Conn., 1663; Probably from Cornwall England.

8.^  Ibid.

9.^  "Henrietta [Whitney], d. Abijah & Lydia, b. Feb. 10, 1823," according to Pepperell Vital Records.

10.^  "Henrietta [Whitney], of Pepperell, and Asa S. Graves, int. Apr. 10, 1847," according to Vital Records of Groton, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849 (Salem, MA: Essex Institute, 1926-1927). Also, "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 31, p. 110:.

11.^  "Henrietta [Whitney], a. 24y., d. Abijah & Lydia, and Asa S. Graves of Groton, farmer, a. 28y., b. Groton, s. Asa & Susan, [married] June 3, 1847," according to Pepperell Vital Records.

12.^  "Joseph [Whitney], s. Abijah & Lydia, b. June 25, 1827," according to Pepperell Vital Records.

13.^  "Mary Ann [Whitney], d. Abijah & Lydia, b. May 30, 1833," according to Pepperell Vital Records.

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