Archive:TAG Volume 46

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Sherman, Robert M., "Sarah Pollard, Wife of Aaron Whitney of Harvard, Mass.," TAG, vol. 46 (1970), pp. 12-13.

© The American Genealogist, 1970. Posted with permission from David L. Greene, editor and publisher. The American Genealogist is published quarterly by David L. Greene, P.O. Box 398, Demorest, GA 30535-0398. Subscriptions are US$25.00 per year, US$48.00 for two years, and US$70.00 for three years.

"In the course of researching lines of descent through five generations from William White, the Mayflower passenger, I have come upon evidence which disproves a line claimed through Sarah Pollard (Mayflower Index No. 66094), wife of Aaron Whitney and reputed daughter of William Pollard and his wife Experience⁵ Wheeler (Josiah⁴ Wheeler, Elizabeth³ White, Resolved², William¹). To be sure, William and Experience (Wheeler) Pollard had a daughter Sarah--they had twins, Sarah and Mary, born 24 Aug. 1751 (Bolton, Mass. V.R.). But since no further mention of either Sarah or Mary occurs in the Bolton or Lancaster records, nor in the estates of either parent, it is my contention that the Sarah Pollard who married Aaron Whitney was not the daughter of William and Experience; and it is my surmise that their daughter Sarah died previous to 18 July 1763, when her father's estate was divided, despite failure to find a death record.

William and Experience (Wheeler) Pollard had twelve children (first five, Lancaster; rest, Bolton V.R.): Oliver, b. 8 Sept. 1727; John, b. 20 April 1729; William, b. 19 June 1731; Jonas, b. 3 Dec. 1733; Lois, b. 4 April 1736; Patience and Prudence, twins, b. 22 May 1739; Experience, b. 24 April 1741; Thomas, b. 1 Aug. 1744; Abijah, b. 26 July 1747, Mary and Sarah, twins, b. 24 Aug. 1751. No further record was found of the twins Mary and Sarah, and the only further record of the twins Patience and Prudence found was their baptism in Lancaster on 10 June 1739. It seems a reasonable conclusion that both sets of twins died young.

William Pollard died 28 May 1762 (Bolton V.R.). The allowance for division of his estate dated 18 July 1736 (Worcester County Probate No. A47255) names his wife Experience, and either other legal heirs: Oliver (had already received his share), John, William, Jonas, Thomas, Abijah, Louis [Lois] Pollard, and Experience Howe. The report of division dated 5 April 1764 lists Phineas Howe and his wife Experience, John, Jonas, William, Thomas, Abijah, Lois a daughter and Experience Pollard, widow.

Experience Pollard, widow of William, died 18 May 1785 (Bolton V.R.). The disposition of her estate by Abijah Pollard, administrator, dated 15 Nov. 1785 (Worcester County Probate No. A47217) was made to John, William, Thomas, and Abijah Pollard, Experience Howe, wife of Phineas, and Eunice Rice, daughter of Lois deceased who was wife of Silas Rice and daughter to Experience Pollard deceased. All the above were in a separate list of heirs which included also Oliver the oldest son.

The lack of mention in either of the above estates of Sarah, or for that matter of Mary, Patience and Prudence, especially when care was taken to mention Oliver, despite his failure to receive anything, strongly suggests that the twins did not long survive.

On the other hand, among the eleven children born to Walter and Dorothy Pollard of Bedford, Mass., were Sary, b. 18 June 1747, and Lucy, b. 2 March 1748/9 (Bedford V.R.). Walter is said to have moved to Harvard, Mass., with part of his family (Maurice J. Pollard, History of the Pollard Family of America [1964], 2:205), and this is clearly borne out by the following Harvard, Mass., Vital records:

married:	Sally Pollard & Aaron Whitney 21 April 1774
	Lucy Pollard & Hezekiah Whitney 5 May 1774
died:	Capt. Walter Pollard 5 Feb. 1790 ae 80
	Dorothy, wife of Capt. Walter Pollard, 22 June 1791 ae 76
	Aaron Whitney 13 April 1817 ae 77, Revolutionary soldier (gravestone)
	Sarah Whitney, wife of Aaron, 10 April 1820 ae 73 (gravestone)

The age at death of Sarah Whitney agrees with the birth date of Sary, daughter of Walter Pollard, not with the birth date of Sarah, daughter of William Pollard.

Finally, the will of Walter Pollard of Harvard, dated 9 May 1785, citation 2 March 1790 (Worcester County Probate No. A47254) names wife Dorothy and daughters Sarah Whitney and Lucy Whitney.

It is thus apparent that Sarah Pollard, the wife of Aaron Whitney of Harvard, Mass., was the daughter of Walter and Dorothy Pollard, not a daughter of William and Experience (Wheeler) Pollard, and that claims of descent from William White through Sarah Pollard the wife of Aaron Whitney are invalid.

128 Massasoit Drive, Warwick, R.I. 20888."

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Everett, Alice Allen, "The Stafford Place Family of East Greenwich, R.I.," TAG, vol. 46 (1970), pp. 139-150.

[p. 148]

"Thomas Place [of Ashford, Conn.] made his will 13 Dec. 1828, .... Witnesses were Jonathan Skinner, James Sears, and Calvin Whitney; their affirmatives were taken 3 Feb. 1829 ...."

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Barlow, Claude W., "Some Descendants of Hezekiah Wheeler of Acton, Mass.," TAG, vol. 46 (1970), pp. 225-228.

[p. 225]

"1. Hezekiah⁴ Wheeler was born in Concord, Mass., 13 June 1700, son of William ³ Wheeler (William², George¹) and Sarah Fletcher, and married there, 12 April 1732, Sarah Buss who survived her husband. .... [In Acton,] Hezekiah Wheeler died, 5 May 1759, .... [His will] mentions wife Sarah, ..., daughter Rachel Whitney, ... daughter Elizabeth ...."

[p. 226]

"ii. Elizabeth, b. 23 July 1734 [Concord], probably the Elizabeth of Acton who m. Lemuel Whitney, int. Stow, 15 March 1761.

....

iv. Rachel, b. 3 July 1737 [Acton], living in Stow 20 Nov. 1757 when int. of marriage with Elias Whitney were entered there."

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Broderick, Frances D., "Lansingburgh, Rensselaer County, New York, Jury Book," TAG, vol. 46 (1970), pp. 233-234.

[p. 233]

"... 1807 ... Luther Whitney, Chair Maker ...."

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