Family:Whitney, Francis Wolfe (1825-1894)
Francis Wolfe7 Whitney (Abijah6, Stephen5, John4, Benjamin3, John2, John1), son of Abijah6 and Betsey7 (Whitney) Whitney, was born 15 Jul 1825, Lunenburg, MA,[1] and died 4 or 9 Jul 1894, Leominster, MA, aged 68 years 11 months 25 days, of intestinal perforation and peritonitis.[2]
He married, 24 Nov 1853, Leominster, MA, Huldah B. Frost,[3] daughter of Rev. Leonard and Orpha W. (Way) Frost. She was born 21 May 1831, Lempster, NH, and died Feb 1914.
He was born in Lunenburg, MA, and remained with his parents until nineteen years of age, assisting his father on his farm and working in his slaughter house; but not liking the latter work left home to learn the carriage and wheelwright trade with his brother. He was paid $40 a year and worked twelve hours a day; at the end of the year he had managed to save $18 of this sum to which he add $7 which his father had paid him, and this amount he place at interest. After being away from home for two years his father was disabled so that it was necessary for him to return and carry on the farm, which was finally sold. He then left to find a place at Worcester to work at his trade. He stopped on his way at Leominster to visit his sister and while there waiting for the slave he went into a piano shop, the first he had ever seen. The proprietor wanted to hire him, as he very much needed a man on one kind of work, and after showing him what it was he agreed to go to work for him the next week. He worked for him ten years, till his employer gave up the business on account of ill-health and losses, etc. Being out of business he thought he would try his hand at making children's carriages, and after deciding the matter he proposed to his cousin, F. A. Whitney, who had worked for him one year at piano work, to go in company with him, he accepted the offer. They had but little capital, but began in a small way and were making some headway when the shop was burned and they lost all their machinery, stock, etc., as there was no insurance. After they had secured money from friends they erected a small shop on leased land and began business again, which after thirty-five years has become one of the most important in Leominster, employing from 150 to 200 hands and turning out nearly 40,000 carriages a year. For the past few years Mr. Whitney has not taken any active part in the business, owing to poor health. When able to work he spends his time in his garden, which is well stocked with all kinds of fruits and berries. He also has an extensive vegetable garden and one of the most pleasantly located homes in that beautiful New England town. Indirectly there has grown out of his going to Leominster several other large manufactories which have resulted in greatly increasing the number of the inhabitants and improving the town so that now it is one of the most desirable for business and for a home in the state. He has never held any public office in town affairs. He has had some influence in sustaining the Methodist church, to which he belongs, at least in a financial way. He has had some influence, directly and indirectly, in the prosperity of the town, and has owned some real estate on which he built a number of dwelling houses, opening a number of new streets on which there has been and is considerable building.
His wife was the daughter of Rev. Leonard Frost, and being a Methodist minister, had no permanent home. She was born in Lempster, NH, and taught school before she was married. She has been interested in the Woman's Christian Temperance Union and held various offices. Resided Leominster, MA.
Children of Francis Wolfe7 and Huldah (Frost) Whitney:
i. Ida8 Whitney, b. 8 Apr 1855, Leominster, MA;[4] d. 11 Jun 1867, or 11 Jun 1866, Leominster, MA, aged 11 years 2 months 3 days, of dropsy of the brain.[5] ii. Katie Whitney, b. 28 Oct 1858, Leominster, MA [given name omitted];[6] d. 28 Jan 1875, Leominster, MA, aged 16 years 3 months 0 days, of pulmonary consumption.[7] iii. Arthur Whitney, b. 6 Dec 1860 [given name omitted];[8] d. 1 Aug 1870, Leominster, MA, aged 9 years 7 months 25 days, of congestion of the brain.[9] iv. Nellie Sumner Whitney, b. 21 Jun 1862, Leominster, MA;[10] m. 18 May 1887, Leominster, MA, Frederick H. Wells, b. ca. 1851, Conway, MA, son of Christopher and Susan D. (-----) Wells;[11] resided Leominster. Children: a. Ada Francis Wells, b. 22 Feb 1888. b. Katherine Whitney Wells, b. 1 May 1891.
v. Frederic Abbott Whitney, b. 11 or 17 Jun 1866, Leominster, MA;[12] m.(1) Frances A. Prevost; m.(2) Frances May Trombly. vi. Annie Day Whitney, b. 24 Jul 1867, Leominster, MA;[13] d. 24 Jan 1868, Leominster, MA, aged 6 months, of whooping cough.[14] vii. Walter Frost Whitney, b. 19 Oct 1871, Leominster, MA;[15] m. Aura Winifred Johnson.
Census
2 3 Horace Richardson 55 M - Jobber $3000 Leominster, Mass. ... Francis W. Whitney 25 M - Pion Forte Maker Lunenburg, Mass. ...
589 661 Abijah Whitney 79 M - Butcher Mass. Betsey Whitney 67 F - " Martha C. Whitney 24 F - " 662 Francis W. Whitney 30 M - Piano Fort " Hulda B. Whitney 25 F - " Ida Whitney 4m F - " Nancy Whitney 26 F - " 663 Walter Whitney 22 M - Piano Fort " Mary E. Whitney 19 F - N.Y. Justin Whitney 24 M - Piano Fort Mass. Augustus M. Taylor 25 M - " N.H.
Nancy Whitney is unidentified.
1832 1832 H. Lothrop 34 M - Mechanic $1200 $300 Mass. S. Lothrop 33 F - Wife Do F. Lothrop 9 M - Do Attended school E. Lothrop 3 F - Do F. Lothrop 1 M - Do W. Whitney 19 M - Do N. Bowers 40 F - house servant Do J. Whitney 55 M - Mechanic $700 Do 1833 F. Whitney 35 M - Do Do H. B. Whitney 30 F - Wife Do J. Whitney 5 F - N.H. Attended school K. Whitney 2 F - Mass. A. M. West 36 F - Do M. Wilder 48 M - Clergyman $100 Scotland
138 180 F. W. Whitney 39 M - Mass. M Carriage Maker - - 1 1 - H. B. Whitney 35 F - New Hampshire " - - - - - Ida Whitney 10 F - Mass. S - - - - - Kate Whitney 7 F - " " - - - - - Arthur Whitney 4 M - " " - - - - - Nellie Whitney 3 F - " " - - - - - O. W. Frost 60 F - New Hampshire W - - - - -
288 377 Whitney, Frances W. 44 M W Baby carriage Manufacturer $7500 $2000 Mass. Male citizen over 21 -----, Huldah B. 40 F W Keeping House New Hampshire -----, Katie 11 F W Attends School Mass. Attended school -----, Authur S. 9 M W Attends School " Attended school -----, Nellie S. 8 F W Attends School " Attended school -----, Fred A. 4 M W " 378 Whitney, Waldo 53 M W Waterwheel manufacturer $6000 $5350 " Male citizen over 21 -----, Hannah M. 51 F W Keeping House " -----, Minnie 24 F W Dress Maker Vermont
Fred W. WHITNEY 54 Self M M W MA Baby Carrage Mfg MA MA Huldah D. WHITNEY 50 Wife F M W NH House Keeping MA NH Nellie J. WHITNEY 17 Dau F S W MA At Home MA NH Fred A. WHITNEY 13 Son M S W MA Attending School MA NH Walter F. WHITNEY 8 Son M S W MA At Home MA NH
281 451 Whitney, Huldah D. Head W F May 1830 70 wid 7ch 3liv Massachusetts Massachusetts New Hampshire Owns free house -----, Fred A. Head W M Jun 1867 33 wid Massachusetts Massachusetts Massachusetts Mfr. paper boxes, Rents house -----, Hobart A. Son W M Oct 1896 3 sgl Massachusetts Massachusetts Vermont Cheney, Rebecca Srvt W F Sep 1837 62 wid 2ch 1liv Maine Maine Maine Housekeeper
References
- Census records.
- 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. 284-285.
1.^ "F. W. [Whitney], [born] ___ __, 1825. G.S.," according to Franklin P. Rice, ed., Vital Records of Leominster, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849 (n.d.). Also, "Francis Woolf, s. Abijah and Betsey, July 15, 1825," according to Walter A. Davis, comp., Early Records of the Town of Lunenburg, Massachusetts, Including That Part Which is Now Fitchburg, 1719-1764 (Fitchburg, MA: Fitchburg City Council, 1896), volume 3, page 273.
2.^ "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 447, page 646.
3.^ L.D.S. International Genealogical Index. No record found in MA 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 92, page 182.
5.^ "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 194, page 206.
6.^ "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 116, page 184.
7.^ "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 276, page 390.
8.^ "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 134, page 200.
9.^ "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 231, page 279.
10.^ "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 152, page 184.
11.^ "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 381, page 360.
12.^ "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 188, page 195.
13.^ "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 198, page 205.
14.^ "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 213, page 275.
15.^ "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910," from original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004; volume 234, page 262.
Copyright © 2006, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2019, Robert L. Ward and the Whitney Research Group.
