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Up Dated 7 February 2007
Henry was born 4 May 1619 in Berkhampsted, Hertfordshire, England and married Sarah KETCHAM. She was born about 1622 in England and died. Henry died after 5 Jun 1672, the date he signed his will, in Norwalk, Fairfield, Connecticut.
Note:
Millwright and Miller. Henry Whitney built a grist mill for Reverend Leverich at Huntington, Long Island. In Norwalk, Connecticut, he was commissioned to build a corn mill at the mouth of the Norwalk River.
(1) Henry Whitney, parentage, date and place of birth, date and ship of immigration, first wife's name, and date and place of first marriage, are unknown. He must have immigrated to New England before 1637, because of the following item:
Thomas Osman gave a deposition in 1658 in which he told the
story of he, William Purrier, Thomas Reeve, James Reeve, Thomas
Terill, William Salmon, Thomas Benedict, Henry Whitney and others
exploring for "sperrits resin" (turpentine) in "ye Chowan country"
(North Carolina) in 1636/37. Upon failure of this adventure, these
men in the following winter or spring settled on Hashamomuck Neck
in the present town of Southold, Long Island.
[A copy of this deposition appears in the Southold Commemorative Book,
1636-1939.]
This would tend to indicate that his first wife and mother of his only known child, John, would have been from one of the earliest families of Southold, possibly a daughter or sister of one of the abovementioned expeditionaries. About 1658 on Long Island, New York, he married Sarah Salmon, died 1673 in Norwalk, Fairfield, Connecticut, daughter of Christopher Salmon, and sister of the above William Salmon. Henry and Sarah had no children. She was the widow of Edward Ketcham with whom she had several children.
No record of him has been found prior to 8 Oct. 1649, when he was associated with Edward Tredwell and Thomas Benedict in buying three fourths of William Salmon's land at Rashamommock, in Southhold, Long Island. These four men made the following agreement, which is recorded in the town records of Southold, Vol. I, p. 89:
"Wee whos names are vder written inhabiting vppon the neck of
land commonly called Hashamommock considering that our Cumfort and
quiett setlement would consist et stand in the inioyoment of good
neigbourhood did make this agreement at our first sitting doune that
what man soever should desire to remoue and to endeauor to make sale
of his accomodacons should put in such a neighbour as the other
Inhabitanc liveinge with him should approve of.
William Salmon
Entered the 17th of May 1660 Henry Whitney
p me Willm Wells.
Edward Tredwell
Thomas Benedick."
Henry removed from Southold as early as 17 August 1658, and became an inhabitant of Huntington, Long Island. Afterwards he resided in Jamaica, Long Island, before finally settling in Norwalk, Fairfield Co., Connecticut, where he probably died in the autumn of 1673.
1 Henry Whitney, the earliest of this family whom we can trace in America, was born in England, probably about the year 1620. No record of him has been found prior to 8 Oct. 1649, when he was associated with Edward Tredwell and Thomas Benedict in buying three fourths of William Salmon's land and Hashamommock, in Southold, Long Island. These four men made the following agreement, which is recorded in the town records of Southold, Vol. I, p. 89.
"Wee whos names are are vnder written inhabiting vppon the neck
of land commonly called Hashamommock1 considering that our Cumfort
and quiett setlement would consist et stand in the inioyment of good
neigbourhood did make this agreement at our first sitting doune that
what man soever should desire to remoue and to endeauor to make sale
of his accomodacons should put in such a neighbour as the other
Inhabitanc liveinge with him should approve of.
WILLIAM SALMON.[Mark]
Entred the 17th of May 1660. HENRY WHITNEY. [Mark]
p me WILLM WELLS. [Mark] EDWARD TREDWELL. [Mark]
THOMAS BENIDICK.
New Haven Colonial Records, Vol. II, p. 349-50, show that
Anthony Waters, attorney for John Concklin, Tho Osman & Tho Rider,
inhabitants on the land called Hashamommock, plainteifs, entred an
action of the case agains John Budd, Senior, for breach of
[p2]
an ancient order made for ye preservation of good neighbourhood, wch
order or agreemt is as followeth. John Budd junior appeared to answere
the sute, May 28, 1660.
Thomas Rider had bought the right of Thomas Benedict; and Lieut. John Budd that of Edward Tredwell, both assignments being made on the record book without date, while Concklin and Osman must have obtained their rights from Henry Whitney, though the formal evidence of the transfer was not made till 1670, as follows:
I Henry Whitney Doe assine over vnto John Bud Juner, all my righte titel and interest in the within specified Deed only excepting what I sould vnto Thoomas Osman, as Wittness my hand the 24 May 1670. The mark of [Mark] HENRY WHITNY. John Budd Junr, doth hereby assign as abovesaid all his right title and interest unto John Conckelyne Senior the day and year abovesaid. Witnessed by ISAAC ARNOLD JOHN BUDD. BENJAMIN YOUNGS Entered upon Record the 24th of May anno 1670, by me Richard Terry Recordr. --- (See Town Records of Southold, L. I., Vol. I, fol. 86.)
Charles B. Moore, Esq., of New York, who has carefully studied the history of Hashamommock, thinks that Henry Whitney, while residing there, lived in the same house with Thomas Benedict.
As before stated, the date of his transfer of those lands gives no clue to the time of his removal, but the Town Records of Huntington, L. I., show that he was an inhabitant of that place, 17 Aug. 1658, when he bought of Wyandance, sachem of Pammanake, "three whole necks of meshepeake Land," --
"ffor the vse of the whole Towne of Huntington."
The following is a copy of the deed, endorsed "a deed for 3 Westward necks of Meadow," and "an Indian Deed for 3 necks westward of the six necks."
Bee it knowne vnto all men by this writing that I, Wyandance, sachem of Pammanake or by the English called Long Iland, doe by these acknowledg to haue sould to Henery Whitne of Hvntington ffor the vse of the whole towne of Hvntington, I say I haue sould to him for them three whole necks of meshepeake Land, I say I for myselfe and my heirs for ever have sould as aboue meconed, and haue sent my agent Cheaconoe to deliver upon Condicions as followeth; ffirst they shall pay or cause to be paid to me or my assigns these ffollowing good punctually, that is first twelfe Coats, ech coate being too [p. 3] yards of Trucking Cloth, twenty pounds of powder, twenty dutch hatchets, twenty dutch howes, twenty dutch knives, Ten shirts, too hundred of mixes, fiue paire of handson stockings, one good dutch hatt, and a great faire Looking glas; and for Checanoe for his wages and going to marke out the Lands shall have for himselfe one coat fower pownd of povdar, six pound of led, one dutch hatchet as alsoe seventeen shillings in Wampum, they must send by Checanoe which being punctually paid then shall I delivar this deed which shall be for the ffree and qviet possession of them and their heaires for ever and In the mene time it shall remaine in the hands of Lyon Gardon in witness where of we have hereunto seet our hands the day above written. Witnes RICHARD BRUSH AMBRES SUTEN Huntington. Receaued this 23 of May 1659 from the Inhabitants of Huntington fful satisfaction and payment for the medow I sould Last to them which my man Chachenow marked out for them which Joynes to that neecke that Belongs to Mr. Stickland and Jonas wood and soe goes Westward soe ffar as Chakenew hath marked being purchesed In Agust Last which was 1658. Witnes WYANDANCE CHEKENEW [Mark] his marke his mark [Mark] SASAKETAWUH [Mark} his marke The mantuk The marke of Sacham AMBRAS [Mark] SUTTEN TEUPPOWSHA his The mark of [Mark] RICHARD [Mark] BRUSH mark.
While at Huntington, he build a grist mill, or "corne mmill," for Rev. William Leverich, of that place, which led to some disagreement; Leverich asserting that the mill was not finished in season, nor in the way that the contract required, and Whitney that his pay had been unjustly withheld form him. He seems also to have been a leader in the movement which resulted in the dismissal of Mr. Leverich, as minister of Huntington; and these causes led to several suits between the parties. Not much of the testimony is recorded; but before leaving the town, Mr. Leverich obtained permission of the court to put on record three long depositions signed by himself, his wife, and his son, giving their version of the causes which led to his dismissal. Some persons who have read these depositions, have inferred that Henry Whitney had preached for the people of Huntington, before Mr. Leverich was employed, and some of the testimony seems to harmonize with this supposition. The evidence shows that he was a frank outspoken man -- once fined for speaking his mind too freely before the Court -- but when a charge was true, he would acknowledge it, without waiting for proof from his opponent. His differences with Mr. Leverich
[p. 4]
were finally settled, as appears by the following receipt, a copy of which was furnished by Mr. James Riker, of Waverly, N. Y., from the original, yet preserved by one of the descendants of Mr. Leverich:
[p. 5]November: 1: 1660: These presents witnes that "I henery whitne of huntington doe acknowledg that I haue receued of mr william leuerich forty pounds for the building of his mill and doe by these presents fully acquit and discharge the aboue named mr leuerich his eyers exceketors and assignes from all debts dues and demands that euer haue bin betwixt him and me, from the begining of the world to his prsent daye Witnes my hand HENERY WHITNEY [Mark] his marke Witnes John STIKLIN [Mark] his marke THOMAS BENNYDICK The first allusion to his wife is found in the following extract from the Huntington Court Records, p. 23, from which it seems that he married a widow Ketcham; possibly Sarah,2 the widow of Edward Ketcham, of Stratford, Conn., who died about 1655.Jeune the 11. [1660] The complaint of Henary Whitne to the court agaynst Josef Whitmor3 for steling of his daftars afections contray to her mothars mind and using unlafull menes to obtayne he aftars Loue. The deposition of Eadward Frenshom; good cechom coming to us when I was at Milford he hauing some discors about the bisnes he gaue Joseph Whitmor his consent to haue his dafter prouided he ware in a seteled way of Leueng to mayntayne a wife. The testimony of Samuell blackman; thes dep. sayth being in company Joseph Whitmor and som othars he herd good Cechum say ioseph wase a good Lad and shuld have his daftar. The court agreed that the atar apering so dark that thay can not se cas to prosed to giue in thare aprehenciones without Sara Cechum do apear to give the cort to undarstand what she can say in the case to giue them furthar Light.4
He was defendent in two suits at Huntington, 25 Oct. 1660, both brought by William Ludlum, who had succeeded Mr. Leverich in the ownership of the mill, one of which was "an acsion of trespas for breking the mill and grinding seueral times with out his leue to his greate damage."
The defendant deny the breking of the mill but confesed he opened the dore, and went and groune his corne, his family being all scik, none abell to beate, he went to inquier for the kei but coulde not her of it for he was gone to the south, and his family with himselue veing like to famish he was constrayned to doe it: yet notwithstanding he gaue the miller his just towle. The vardit of the courte in this acsion is that they find the defendant was necessitated to yt he did and the plaintiff sufered no damage.
His last appearance in the records of Huntington was 25 Jan. 1661 (? 1661-2), as witness, with Edward ffrencham, to the will of Henry Scudder, of Huntington.
Soon after this he removed to Jamaica, Long Island, where, as we learn incidentally, he bought a home lot of Richard Harker;
which he afterward sold to William Smith and his son Joseph Smith. His name appears several times on the records of Jamaica; 9 Aug. 1662, as committee to buy boards and lime for the minister's house, and to hire a mason, if need require; 12 Dec. 1662, as committee to lay out the south meadows;
20 Dec. 1662, as grantee of an acre of land at the rear of his home lot;
2 March 1663 (stylo novo) as one of twenty-four who signed the deed of gift for a house and home lot, to Rev. Mr. Walker;
and again, 5 Feb. (1663-4), as committee to lay out meadows.
Another record, without date, of a vote of the town to lay out to others, "yt lott of medow which was formerly Henry Whtineys," closes the history of his residence in Jamaica. He next appears at Norwalk, Conn., in the following record.
At a towne meeitinge heild the 24th of July, [16]65. * * * * Also at the sayed meeiting -- whereas Henry Whitney 5 hath agreed and incaged with the towne to make, build, and erect a goode and sufficient grounde corne mill, and that at the mouth of norwake River
1 "Examine Chase's Map of Suffolk County, N.Y., and you may see a small baody of water marked just north-west point of Shelter Island and almost connecting Peconic Bay and Long Island Sound. The only separation is a level flat of sand and shingle, a few rods wide, and perhaps twenty long, partially covered with sedgy vegetation. Across this flat, the famous Gilford expedition drew their whale boats, when they made their successful descent upon the British post and stores at Sag Harbor.
This flat is Hashamommuck Beach. The small body of water is now generally called Mill Creek, a tide-mill to grind grain having been built upon it many years ago, and one is still in use near the old site. . . . The creek is a few rods more than two miles east of the First Church of Southold. It is just two miles east of the Southold station of the Long Island Rail Road. Hashamommuck is about a square mile directly east of this creek." -- (Letter quoted in Benedict Genealogy, p. 5.)
2 That she was not his first wife appears from the fact that his son was of full age in 1666.
3 This was, doubtless, Joseph Whitman.
4 The first volume of Fairfield Probate records has, at some time, had a considerable number of its leaves saturated with ink, the acid of which has destroyed the paper. The will of "Edward Katchm, of Stratford, lately deceased," was the third one recorded, and the following is all of it which remains legible.
"I, Edw . . . . perfect . . . God h . . . Sarah . . and . . . . buriall . . . to pay . . cause to . . . After my decease five shillings . to . . . John . . . . I give and bequeath to my three dau . . . . Mary, Hann . . . . Hester five shillings a peece to be p . . . within six . . after my decease, the rest after my decease . . dispose . . seeth cause for the good of hers . and A . ne Witness the day and year above written THOMAS PELL. Mr. Pell takes oath in open . . this eighth June 1655 that . . . . the last will and testament of Edward Catchem the court approves thereof. WILLIAM HILL, Secy." The inventory was written 9 June 1655; and approved by the court 19 June 1655.
5 Name first written Whitman, then corrected.
Child of Henry WHITNEY and Sarah KETCHAM:
+ 1. JOHN b: Abt 1642; probably Long Island, New York.
md: 17 Mar 1674; Norwalk, Fairfield, Connecticut.
Elizabeth SMITH
d: Bf Nov 1720; Norwalk, Fairfield, Connecticut.
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