Henry Whitney1,2,3,4,5

M, b. circa 1620, d. before 8 November 1673
     Henry was born circa 1620 in England. Henry is first found buying a neck land in Southold, Long Island called Hashamommock with Thomas Benedict, William Salmon & Edward Tredwell entered into record May of 1660. He sells to John Budd Jr. and Thomas - this land in recorded 24 May 1670. He was an inhabitant of Huntington, Long Island as early as 17 August 1658 when he purchased three necks of land. The name of his 1st wife is unknown. Henry married 2nd Sarah Salmon in 1656 in Huntington.6 He was last mentioned in the records of Huntington 25 January 1661 when he witnessed the will of Henry Scudder. He then removed to Jamaica where he bought a homelot of Richard Harker which he later sells to William Smith & son Joseph. He is found on many records there between 1662 & 1664. He appears later in Norwalk, Connecticut about 1665. Henry made his will on 5 June 1672 at Norwalk, Fairfield County, Connecticut.

The last Will and Testament of Mr. Hen. Whitne of Norwocke, made the 5th of June Anno 1672, Revoking all former wills.
I Henry Whitnee being weake and crazy in body, but throwe mercy perfect in memory and understanding: doe bequeath my body to the dust, and to be decently Interred; my Immortal Soul into the hands of my mercifull redeemer with an assured hope of a Joyfull Resurrection unto a blessed eternal life; being purchased by the precious Blood and merits of my dear Saveour.
And for that worldly estate that the Lord of his bounty hath bestowed upon me, I doe will and bequeath as followth,
Item That all my Just debts be faithfully paid and discharged.
Item I will and bequeath unto my Sonn John Whitnee, the Mill and all the Lands belonging to the same; and that according to the terms and Conditions that I received and obtained the same of the towne of Norwocke.
Item I will and bequeath unto my said son John all my waring apparel; and alsoe all my working tooles.
Item I will and bequeath unto my beloved wife, my homelot, with the dwelling house standing unon the same During the time of her widowhood, or the sum of tem pounds to be payd unto her by my sonn John; shee being at her liberty eithr to take and accept of the said home lot and house during her widowhood, or the sayd Ten pounds, yf shee shall accept of the sayd Ten pounds, then the said homelot and house remayne unto my sayd sonn John; provided my sayd wive’s acceptance is to be declared and made knowne unto my overseers or the major part of them, and alsoe to my sonn John, within one year after my decease.
I will and bequeath unto my beloved wife and my sonn John, whatever cattle, swine, moveables shall remayne: my just debts being payd out as above said ordered; and what moveables are not bequeathed, the aforesaid cattle, swine, movealbles to be equally devided by my overseers unto my said wife and sonn, provided I doe give liberty unto my sayd wife to have and receive in part of her half, the featherbed,fether boulster, pillow ruggs, two blanketslying and being upon the trundle bed, with the said ttrundle bedsteadle; all the said bedding & bedstedle to be apprized and set out by my overseers or the major part of tem , and that in all equall way and rate.
Item I will and bequeath unto my sayd wife, Ten bushels of wheat & alsoe Ten bushels of Indian corn; the same to be payd by my sonn yearly during the term of seven years, provided my said wife shall live so long and continue a widowek and alsoe that my said sonn shall keep, continmue and enjoy the mill.
Item I do desire, order, ordayne and constetute Thomas Benedict, Senr., Walther Hoit, and Thomas Fitch, Sen. My beloved brethren and friends, overseers of this my last will & ltestament, and doe by these presents sitne and cnfirm the same, the day and year above written as witness my hand.
In the presence of
Richard Olmsted
Thomas Fitch.7

Henry departed this life in Norwalk. His inventory was taken by Marke Sention, John Plat & John Bowton. John Whitne the son of Henr Whitne deceased hath attested upon oath to this inventory, before the Courte November the eighth 1673. William Hill, Clarke. The net value of the estate was £244 6 shillings.8

Important Notes: The Ancestry of Henry is UNKNOWN. He was NOT the son of Thomas Whitney and Mary Roache. The information indicating this has been proven to be FRAUDULENT: Henry is represented to have been a son of Thomas WHITNEY of Berkhampstead, Herts; and a tabular pedigree by Mrs. de Salis, of London, appears in this book, giving his line back twenty generations to one 'Sir Baldwinus de Whitney.' Several generations further bring us to 'Exrog Earl of Eygas and Ergagn.


Pasted in the copy of the three-volume Whitney Genealogy which is located in the Allen County Library is a copy of the following letter:
London , Eng. Jan 16, 1880 +++++ I do not know whether Mr. Whitmore has mentioned to you the contents of my last letter to him respecting the 'Whitney Pedigree' in Mr. Phoenix's splendid volume. If not, I may now say to you that Mr. Phoenix's suspicions being aroused as to the accuracy of the English pedigree furnished by Mrs. DeLalis, he begged me to investigate it. It required but a single glance at the pedigree, and her statements in the text, to enable me to determine that they were fictitious, as I saw at once that they stated what I knew to be impossibilities. A little investigation revealed all that she had done, and enabled me to determine exactly how she had done it. As this is now the third of her American cases which I have examined with similar results, I felt not only justified but bound to interpose between her and my countrymen. I taxed her with what I had discovered, and now have her confessions that the two wills of Thomas Whitney and Ann Roberts, the alleged father and aunt of the emigrant Henry Whitney, on which alone the pedigre is based, (as you will seen by reference to the books) were pure fabrications, although she persists in declaring that they were not fabricated by herself, but by some mysterious 'assistant' to whom she trusted. This, however, I have good reason for not believing. I have also her written pledge that she will never again seek or accept a commission from the United States. I do not know yet what course Mr. Phoenix will pursue, either here or at home, so perhaps you will regard what I now write, at least semi-confidential. After this experience, it is fair to presume that all her other American clients have been treated in a similar manner.
Sincerely yours,
Jos. L. Chester.


Family 1

Child

Family 2

Sarah Salmon d. a 1673/74

Citations

  1. [S52] S. Whitney Phoenix, The Whitney Family of Connecticut and Its Affiliations, pages 1-10.
  2. [S264] Whitaker, History of Southold, 1640-1740, page 45,47 - List of the Early Settlers of Southold - Thomas Benedict, Arthur Smyth, Nathaniel Smyth, Robert Symth, Henry Whitney.
  3. [S1483] William A. Robbins, Descendants of Edward Tredwell, page 183 - 8 October 1649 - Thomas Benedict, Henry Whitney & Edward Treadwell purchased a large tract of land from William Salmon in Hashamamuck [part of Southold Town].
  4. [S1484] Conelin Mann, Thomas and Richard Brush of Huntingdon, L. I., page 204 - In a deed dated 17 August 1658, Wyandance, Grand Sachem of Long Island, dwelling at Montauk, sold to Henry Whitney, for the town of Huntington, the track known as Three Necks Southside on the Great South Bay. The deed states that Wyandance has sent Cheasconoe as his agent to lay out and deliver the lands upon condition that the pay be delivered to Cheaconoe, whereupon “I shall declare this deed…”.
  5. [S1516] Paul C. Reed, Whitney Origins Revisited, . . . The only place the name Henry has been found in the earlier Whitney family is in this branch. Brooke Whitney married Magdalen/Mawdlen Stacey at St. Botolph, Bishopsgate, London, on 11 July 1585. He had a son Henry born about 1588. A Henry Whitney Jr. married there by licence in 1590. page 14 - And the St. Mary Magdalen Old Fish Street Whitneys where the name Henry also appears are also connected to this Brooke Whitney. The most likely origin for the Connecticut immigrant seems to be in this family.

    [Note - This article shows definitive proof that the Ancestry of Henry Whitney of Long Island appearing in Huntington, Long Island in 1658 has not been discovered. Reed shows that there are no less than 9 documents used in one published genealogy that were fraudulent. As shown above - there is no clear answer to Henry's ancestry. - KLM]
  6. [S52] S. Whitney Phoenix, The Whitney Family of Connecticut and Its Affiliations, pages 1-10 - The first mention of his wife is found in the Huntington Court records from which it appears he married Sarah, the widow of Edward Ketchum. She was not his first wife since his son was of full age in 1666.
  7. [S52] S. Whitney Phoenix, The Whitney Family of Connecticut and Its Affiliations, pages 8-9. The will of Henry Whitney dated 5 June 1672.
  8. [S52] S. Whitney Phoenix, The Whitney Family of Connecticut and Its Affiliations, pages 9-10.