Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts, Volume I, Part 11

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed; Adams, William Frederick, 1848-
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 924


USA > Massachusetts > Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts, Volume I > Part 11


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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period of eighteen years, during the pastor- ate of Rev. Mr. Holmes, father of Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes. He was highly respected and honored by his townsmen. He was of kindly nature, sympathetic and helpful in his relations to others, and charitable in speech and gifts to the unfortunate. He married, December 21, 1809, at Brookline, Susannah White, died December 14, 1867, daughter of Benjamin and Thankful (White) White. Children: 1. William Lambert, born March II, 18II, mentioned below. 2. Augustus A., December 4, 1812, deacon of the First Church, Cambridge, from 1853 until his death, July 29, 1891 ; had no children. 3. Benjamin W., August 9, 1815, died December 19, 1879; graduate of Harvard College in 1838 and a lawyer. 4. Susan E., February 20; 1817, married, January 31, 1856, James Brackett; had no children. 5 Abigail W., April 10, 1827, lived at Cambridge, married Moses G. Howe.


(VIII) William Lambert, son of Deacon Abel Whitney, was born at Cambridge, March II, 18II, died there May 29, 1900. He was educated in the public schools of Cambridge and at Bradford Academy, Massachusetts. He learned the trade of cabinetmaker in his father's shop. In 1833 he entered into part- nership with James Brackett, his brother-in- law, and under the firm name of Whitney & Brackett, engaged in the furniture business. Afterward his brother, Augustus A. Whitney, was admitted to the firm, the name of which then became Whitney, Brackett & Company. In 1850 Mr. Whitney sold his interests to Mr. Brackett and the name of Whitney & Brackett was resumed. This firm sold the business finally to Worcester Brothers, who are still in active business in Cambridge. In 1850 Mr. Whitney established his insurance business, opening an office in the building in which the furniture store was located. His brother Benjamin W. had a law office in the same building. In 1857 he became treasurer of the Cambridge Savings Bank, which occupied his office originally. He filled this responsible office faithfully and creditably until 1866, when he resigned and retired from active business. He was one of the prime movers in the building of the Harvard branch rail- road in 1849 and a director of the company. The road did not pay and in 1855 was aban- doned and the land sold. His residence was at 31 Hawthorne street, near Brattle square, Cambridge. He was a member of the First Church of Cambridge (Unitarian), and was


a director of the American Unitarian Associa- tion for ten years, resigning in October, 1888, on account of impaired hearing. He was originally a Whig in politics, but voted the first Republican ticket, and was a leading and influential Republican for many years. He was a member of the first common council of the city of Cambridge, and in 1846-47 he was elected to the board of aldermen for 1848-71- 72-74-75, and took a lively interest in muni- cipal affairs. He was chairman and clerk of the board of assessors in 1850-51-52. When a young man he belonged to the Cambridge City Guards, and in 1837 was a member of the Friends Fire Society. "He was an intense lover of his country and a diligent student of its early history and he cherished the recol- lection of the early struggles of its founders in their endeavors to make secure the blessings of civil and religious freedom. In his inter- course with friends and neighbors he bore him- self with a dignity of manner gentle and win- ning and he upheld a stately courtesy towards all with whom he came in contact, thus ever unconsciously vindicating his title to the grand old name of gentleman. Though in the latter portion of his life his physical activity had greatly lessened, he nevertheless maintained his interest in general affairs and his devotion to a high ideal of right was undiminished." He married (first) October 18, 1836, Lucy Ann Jones, born June 9, 1812, died August 10, 1838. He married (second) at Quincy, Mas- sachusetts, July 28, 1840, Rebecca Richardson Brackett, born March 26, 1809, died December 8, 1881, daughter of Lemuel and Sally ( Whit- ney) Brackett. Her father was president of the Quincy Granite Bank. Children, born at Cambridge : I. Lucy Ann, August 14, 1841. 2. William Lambert, February 1, 1844, men- tioned below. 3. Julia Ann, August 1, 1847, married, October 4. 1876, Rev. James Edward Wright, born July 9, 1839; children: i. Chester Wright, born May 27, 1879, graduate of Harvard College in 1901, teacher in the University of Chicago; ii. Rebecca Whitney Wright, July 11, 1880. graduate of Radcliffe College in 1903; iii. Sibyl Wright, August 12, 1883.


(IX) William Lambert (2), son of William Lambert (1) Whitney, was born at Cambridge, February 1, 1844. He attended the public schools of his native town and fitted for col- lege at the private school of E. S. Dixwell, Boston. He was clerk in the Cambridge Sav- ings Bank, of which his father was treasurer, until he enlisted in August, 1862, in the civil


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war for nine months in Company E, Forty- fourth Massachusetts Regiment, Captain Spencer W. Richardson, Colonel Francis Lee. The regiment left Camp Meigs at Readville, October 15, was reviewed by Governor An- . drew in Boston, and sailed on the transport "Merrimac" to Morehead City, North Caro- lina, near Beaufort, landing October 26, pro- ceeding thence to Newbern, North Carolina, on platform cars in a terrific rainstorm. They went into camp with part of the brigade under Colonel Thomas G. Stevenson of the Eigh- teenth Army Corps. Under General Foster they sailed on the transport down the Neuse river to Pamlico Sound and thence up the Tar river to Washington, North Carolina, whence they marched on November 2 to the north- ward twenty miles and engaged the Rebels at Rawle's Mills, near Williamston. The follow- ing day they marched by way of Hamilton towards Tarboro. On the fifth they retraced their steps towards Hamilton, marched to Plymouth and took transports back to New- bern, where they remained until December II. Four brigades including his regiment left Newbern at that time and fought in an en- gagement, December 14, at Kinston, two days later at Whitehall and one day later at Golds- boro, returning to camp at Newbern, Decem- ber 20. The regiment marched to Plymouth, February 1, 1863, and was engaged in for- aging in that section until March 10, 1863. Five days later the regiment reinforced the garrison at Washington, North Carolina, on the Tar and Pamlico rivers and on the thir- tieth were besieged by the Confederates. Numerous engagements were fought between April I and 15 and the enemy finally had to retire. The regiment did service as provost guard at Newbern from April 23 to June 6, then went by rail to Morehead City, embarking on the steamers "Guide" and "George Pea- body" for Boston, reaching port June 10, 1863, after a rough passage and was mustered out at Readville, June 19. Mr. Whitney spent the next thirteen months as clerk in the dry goods store of Houghton, Sawyer & Company, 28 Pearl street, Boston. He was then commis- sioned second lieutenant by Governor An- drew and assigned to Company G, Fifty- fourth Massachusetts Regiment, December 3. 1864, then at Devaux Neck, South Carolina, under Colonel Edward N. Hallowell. He took part in engagements about Pocotaligo and later occupied Charleston and Savannah. In April, 1865, he took part in Potter's raid and was acting adjutant at that time. He took


part in the engagement at Eppes' Bridge, April 7, at Dingle Mill, April 9, at Boykins Mills, April 18, at Big Rafting Creek, April 19, and at Statesburg, April 19. He was ordered to Fort Johnson in command of Com- pany K to dismount guns on James Island and was thus employed until August. The regiment was stationed at Mount Pleasant where it was mustered out August 20, 1865. He then ranked as first lieutenant. This regi- ment was the historic command of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, of Boston, who was killed at Fort Wagner at the head of his regiment. The memorial to Shaw and the negro regiment he raised-the Fifty-fourth- stands on Boston Common opposite the state house. Lieutenant Whitney returned to Bos- ton on board the steamer "C. F. Thomas" with the regiment and remained on Gallop's Island until September 2, 1865. He has in his pos- session carefully preserved and framed a piece of the old regimental flag. The history of this regiment entitled "A Brave Black Regi- inent" was written by one of the captains.


Mr. Whitney entered partnership, after the war. with Charles E. Tucker and Thomas L. Appleton, under the firm name of Tucker, Appleton & Whitney, in the retail hardware business at the corner of Union and Friend streets, Boston, but two years later he sold his interests to his partners and removed to Coun- cil Bluffs, Iowa, to engage in the china, glass- ware and house furnishing trade. He entered partnership in February, 1868, with Elijah C. Lawrence under the firm name of Lawrence & Whitney in a store at 409 Broadway, Coun- cil Bluffs, Iowa. Mr. Lawrence retired from the firm in August, 1871, and Mr. Whitney continued until 1881, when owing to the ill health of his mother he disposed of his busi- ness and returned to Cambridge. In Septem- ber, 1881, he purchased the Jewett homestead at 74 Waban Park, Newton, where he has since resided. After five years of retirement, Mr. Whitney entered the employ of the Bos- ton Safe Deposit & Trust Company, Milk street, in a clerical capacity. He was con- nected with this institution for twenty-one years, filling various positions of trust and responsibility. He had charge of the trust department for a number of years, and in 1900 became assistant treasurer. He resigned in 1907 and since then has been living a quiet and retired life at his home in Waban Park. He is a Republican in politics and a Unitarian in religion. He joined the Massachusetts Commandery, Military Order of the Loyal


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Legion, May 1, 1889, and was a member of John A. Andrew Post, No. 15, Grand Army of the Republic. He married, at Montpelier, Vermont, November 12, 1872, Alpa Matilda Nutt, born at Montpelier, July 27, 1848, daughter of Henry and Asenath ( Wheeler) Nutt. (See Nutt). Children: Lambert Nutt, born November 15, 1873, graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ; electrical engineer formerly with the American Telephone & Telegraph Company, now divi- sion superintendent of the Central Union Tele- graph Company at Indianapolis, Indiana. 2. George Brackett, May 12, 1875, mechanical engineer in the employ of the General Electric Company at Lynn, Massachusetts ; married, March 21, 1902, Ethelyn M. Morris, of Ra- cine, Wisconsin. 3. William Richardson, May I, 1877, died February 16, 1878. 4. Philip Richardson, December 31, 1878, married, April 17, 1906, Helen Reed Jones, of Brookline; children: Reed, born April 11, 1907; Alpa, January 10, 1909.


(The Nutt Line)


William Nutt, immigrant ancestor, was born in or near Londonderry, Ireland. He came to this country when a young man with the first body of Scotch-Irish who settled at Nutfield, later Londonderry, New Hampshire. His family seems to have been in Ireland among the Scotch Presbyterians but a short time. The name is English, of Danish origin, dating back to the days of King Canute or Knut (meaning knot in English), as the name was spelled originally. The name of this branch of the family has been spelled Nutt since about 1500 and the principal home of the family was Kent, England. William Nutt was mayor of Canterbury in 1533 and it is likely that the family in Ireland belongs to the Kent family, for in the present generation a branch of the family lived across the Irish Sea in Barn- staple, Devonshire, and the writer has knowl- edge of the English origin of one other Pro- testant family of this name in Ireland.


William Nutt was a fuller by trade, and was in the employ of Captain David Cargill, who established the first fulling mill in London- derry. Nutt's homestead lot was drawn Sep- tember 26, 1720, sixty acres, east of Exeliel Pond. He married, at Bradford, Massa- chusetts, where his former pastor, Rev. Thomas Symmes, was located, Jean Colbath (Colbreath or Galbraith), May 29, 1723, the marriage being recorded at Londonderry. She was sister of the progenitor of Vice-President


Henry Wilson, whose name was originally John Jeremiah Colbath. William Nutt worked for Cargill until the latter's death, when he bought the mill, August 15, 1733. In 1739 he sold out his mill and farm in Londonderry and became one of the first settlers of the ad- joining town of Chester. About 1740 he and his son, John Nutt, built their saw mill at Chester. William Nutt died intestate Octo- ber 26, 1751. His widow Jean was adminis- tratrix. She died at St. Georges, Eastward (near Thomaston, Maine), in 1771. She probably lived there with her son, Colonel David Nutt. Her son William, of Derryfield, New Hampshire, was administrator. Children : I. John, born 1724, died 1757; soldier in the French war. 2. Samuel, mentioned below. 3. Colonel David, 1728; in French war and revolution. 4. William, 1730. 5. Robert. 6. Nathaniel. 7. Benjamin. 8. Jean. 9. Mary, died young. 10. James, died young.


(II) Samuel, son of William Nutt, was born in Londonderry, New Hampshire. He was a carpenter by trade, and worked with his father in the saw mill at Chester. He bought the interests of the other heirs after his father's death. He bought a farm in Weare, New Hampshire, July 6, 1763, lived there a few years, and was a town officer in 1765. He moved a few miles to what is now Francestown, adjoining New Boston, in 1767, and was the seventh settler of Francestown, one of its incorporators, and its first town clerk. He was constable, tythingman, and on various town committees. He served in 1774 on the committee of safety, and was for a short time in the revolution. In 1780 he was called ensign on the records. He was on the committee for Francestown to consider the state constitution in 1788. His house on the old road from Francestown to New Boston now constitutes the ell part of a brick farm house. His farm is known as the Pettee place and is marked by magnificent elms which he is said to have planted. Samuel Nutt sold his farm in 1797 and removed to Topsham, Ver- mont, where his sons and sons-in-law also located. He married (first) - - Gordon, who died without issue. He married (second) in 1759, Elizabeth Dickey, daughter of Adam and Elizabeth (MacPherson) Dickey, all of Londonderry, and all Scotch pioneers there. His wife died September 13, 1801, aged sixty- one years, and is buried at Newport, New Hampshire. He died July 5, 1808, aged sev- enty-nine, probably at Topsham. Children : I. William, born March 14, 1760, married


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Mary Brewster. 2. Elizabeth, September 3, 1761, married Alexander Thompson; died May 27, 1818. 3. Eleanor, July 3, 1763, died September 23, 1843. 4. James, March 29, 1764, died 1765. 5. Samuel, June 4, 1766, died 1782. 6. John, February 29, 1768, men- tioned below. 7. Joseph, November 13, 1769, died 1813. 8. Benjamin, July 10, 1771, died 1792. 9. Adam, December 13, 1772. 10. Jenny, September 23, 1774, died 1792. II. Ann Wilson, February 14, 1776, died 1862; married John Brewster. 12. Jean, September 3, 1777, died 1793. 13. David, July 6, 1779, died August 10, 1845. 14. Margaret, April 24, 1781, died August 9, 1864; married Joseph Towner. 15. Infant, June 16, 1783, died same day. 16. Samuel, December 16, 1784, black- smith by trade; became minister of Christian church and a famous evangelist ; died 1872. 17. James Dickey, September 14, 1788, died 1833, settled in New York.


(III) John, son of Samuel Nutt, was born February 29, 1768. He settled in West Top- sham, Vermont, in 1801, where some of his descendants are still living. He was one of the first settlers of that place. He married (first) Sarah Bagley, and (second) Elizabeth Rogers, who died August 10, 1847. Children : I. Samuel, born December 23, 1791. 2. Anna Willson, February 15, 1793, died 1793. 3. John. July 23, 1794, died at St. Helena, 1816. 4. Sally, September 16, 1795, died same day. 5. David Burnett, March 24, 1797. 6. Ira, May 29, 1798. 7. Mehitable, September 2, 1799. 8. Elizabeth, January 19, 1801. 9. Hiram, May 19, 1802. 10. Levi, January 12, 1804. II. Thomas Rogers, June 20, 1805. 12. Henry, May 26, 1807, mentioned below. 13. Ora, October 29, 1808. 14. Esther, Oc- tober 18, 1810, died January 13, 1833. 15. Sarah, June 20, 1812, married, January 14, 1836, Stephen Ives. 16. Daniel, September 13, 1814. 17. Nancy. June 13, 1816, married Elliott. 18. Mary, October 11, 1818, died October 20, 1828.


(IV) Henry, son of John Nutt, was born May 26, 1807, died at Montpelier, Vermont, November 30, 1800. He was a most respected citizen and a pillar of the Methodist church. He married, May 28, 1828, Asenath Wheeler, born at Montpelier, July 4, 1807, died there May 18, 1882. Children: 1. Edwin Delorme, born April 4, 1829, died July 1, 1834. 2. Sophia Wheeler, June 24, 1831, died July 5, 1832. 3. Henry Clay, June 28, 1833, died August 15, 1892. 4. Wheeler, August II, 1834, died November 18, 1834. 5. Fannie


Wheeler, March 2, 1836, died November 8, 1864. 6. Hulda French, May 29, 1837, died August 18, 1868. 7. Asenath Maria, June 30, 1839, died August 31, 1864. 8. John, Decem- ber 28, 1840, died October 28, 1841. 9. Jo- seph (twin), December 28, 1840, died January I, 1841. 10. Mary Lucinda, November II, 1842. II. David Wing, August 30, 1845, died September 6, 1845. 12. Alpa Matilda, July 27, 1848, married W. L. Whitney. (See Whitney ). 13. Edwin Alonzo, March 17, 1851.


(For first generation see John Whitney I).


(II) Thomas, son of John


WHITNEY and Elinor Whitney, was born in England, 1629, came to New England with his father in 1635, was made freeman in Watertown in 1690, died September 20, 1719 He lived in Watertown and Stow. He married, January II, 1654-55, Mary, daughter of Thomas Kettell, who had six pieces of common land granted to him in I642. Children : I. Thomas, born August 24, 1656; married Elizabeth Lawrence. 2. John, born May 9, 1659, died May 16, 1659. 3. John, born August 22, 1660, died August 26, 1660. 4. Eleazer, born September 2, 1662. 5. Elnathan, twin with Eleazer, died March 8, 1727. 6. Mary, born December 22, 1663, died young. 7. Bezaleel, born September 16, 1665. 8. Sarah, born March 23, 1667, mar- ried Charles Chadwick. 9. Mary, born August 6, 1668, died September 6, 1669. 10. Isaiah, born September 16, 1671, married Sarah (Woodward) Eddy. II. Martha, born January 30, 1673.


(III) Eleazer, son of Thomas and Mary (Kettell) Whitney, was born in Watertown, September 2, 1662. He was a wheelwright by trade, and probably spent the greater part of his life in Sudbury, where he was living in 1693. He married, April 11, 1687, Dorothy, daughter of James Ross, of Sudbury. She died June 22, 1731. Children, all baptized in Second Church in Watertown: I. Sarah, born in Sudbury, May 29, 1688, married


Ball. 2. Eleazer, born March 5, 1690, died young. 3. James, born February 12, 1697, died November 20, 1697. 4. Mary, born November 20, 1697, baptized January 28, 1699 ; married Abraham Chamberlain, of Roxbury. 5. Thomas, baptized January 28, 1699. 6. James, baptized January 28, 1699, died young. 7. Dorothy, born April 24, 1700. 8. Eleazer, born April 15, 1702. 9. Elnathan, born May 5, 1705. 10. James, baptized June 1, 1708. II. Jonas, born 1709.


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(IV) Jonas, youngest son and child of Eleazer and Dorothy (Ross) Whitney, was born in 1709, baptized July 14, 1723, and lived in Roxbury. Little else is known of him except that he married, in Roxbury, May 8, 1735, Sarah Perry. Children, all born in Rox- bury : I. Isaac, April 11, 1736, died January 4, 1777. 2. Jacob, July 24, 1737, see forward. 3. Jonas, November 28, 1739. 4. Sarah, Feb- ruary 26, 1741, died September 28, 1824; mar- ried, 1775, Nehemiah Ward. 5. Abner, No- vember 17, 1744. 6. Desire, October 31, 1749, died June 23, 1778; married, 1769, Edward Ward.


(V) Sergeant Jacob, son of Jonas and Sarah (Perry) Whitney, was born in Roxbury, July 24, 1737, and died in West Roxbury, January 14, 1803. He was with the British troops at the capture of Louisburg, Canada. He was a soldier of the revolution, serving as orderly sergeant in Captain Corey's company of Rox- bury men. He married, November 15, 1759, Rachel Whiting. Children, all born in Spring street, West Roxbury: I. Prudence, July 25, 1760; married Lewis Jones. 2. Reuben, No- vember 6, 1762; served three years during the revolutionary war in First Massachusetts artil- lery company, with General Knox. 3. Lemuel, April 29, 1765. 4. Jabez, November 30, 1767. 5. Hannah, April 8, 1772, died July 14, 1789. 6. Moses, January 20, 1775.


(VI) General Moses, youngest son and child of Sergeant Jacob and Rachel ( Whiting) Whitney, was born in West Roxbury, January 20, 1775, and died in Milton, Massachusetts, December 24, 1859. In 1787 he went to Blue Hill, Milton, and there served an apprentice- ship with Joseph Billings to the trade of tanner, currier and leather dresser. For a time after- ward he worked at the bench, but in 1796 established himself in business in Milton, re- moving thence to Dorchester in 1797, but re- turning to Milton in 1805. In the following year he purchased what was called the "Rising Sun" estate, and in 1809 acquired the Nancy Paine estate, thus becoming owner of a large property in lands extending from the old Plymouth road to Neponset river. He extended the wharf, and in 1810 built a large tan house. General Whitney was one of the foremost men of Milton in his time and carried on extensive operations, having engaged in the leather busi- ness for a period of sixty-three years, exclu- sive of the time served as an apprentice. In 1819 he built the Whitney mansion on Milton Hill, and about the same time bought Swift's wharf, which he enlarged, and for the follow-


ing twenty years dealt extensively in lumber and wool in addition to his leather business. He was appointed postmaster of Milton, De- cember 19, 1805, succeeding Dr. Samuel R. Glover, and served until 1816. He was com- missioned captain of militia in 1816, colonel in 1821, and afterward was made brigadier- general of the first brigade, first division, Massachusetts militia. General Whitney mar- ried (first) April 14, 1797, Rebecca Dunbar, of Cohasset, Massachusetts, who died Febru- ary 4, 1824; (second) at Andover, Massachu- setts, Mary P., widow of Dr. Thomas Kittredge, of Gloucester. She survived him and died in Milton in 1865. Children, all born of his first marriage : I. Hannah, November 19, 1797, died 1832; married Holbrook, of Bill- ingham, Massachusetts. 2. Moses, October 7, 1802, married Elizabeth G. Sanderson. 3. Mary, April 17, 1805; married George Bat- son Jones, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ; died in 1890. 4. Seth Dunbar, September 13, 1807. 5. Warren Jacob, 1811, died 1891.


(VII) Seth Dunbar, son of General Moses and Rebecca (Dunbar) Whitney, was born in Milton, Massachusetts, September 13, 1807, and died there October 4, 1890. He received his early education in the public schools of his native town and the academy at Bridge- water, and after leaving school at once began his business career in association with his father, as wool dealer and manufacturer of morocco leather. In 1839, with a partner, he purchased the long lease of a wharf adjoining the Whitney property, and for several years carried on the lumber business which had previously been established by his father. In 1843 he again became interested in the wool business with his father, continued it about ten years, and then became senior partner of the Boston firm of Whitney, Kendall & Company, wholesale dealers in hides and leather. However, upon the death of his father in 1859, Mr. Whitney retired from active busi- ness connections of all kinds. His comfort- able residence on Milton Hill was erected soon after his marriage, on lands formerly of the Russell estate and on the corner opposite to that on which in 1819 his father built the Whit- ney house, and there he continued to live until 1861, when he purchased the old Vose mansion house at Elm Corner, Milton Centre, moved it to a new site on lands across the street which he inherited from his father, and there made his home so long as he lived, although he left it in intervals of travel and temporary resi- dence elsewhere. Besides Whitney homestead


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on the old estate, Mrs. Whitney built a resi- dence for her own occupancy, but nearly all of her literary work was done at the "Elm Corner."


Mr. Whitney was a very capable and active business man, of strong character, conserva- tive habits, quiet in his social life, and de- votedly loyal in his domestic attachments. Dur- ing the earlier part of his business career he took an earnest part in public affairs, and was strongly allied to the principles of the old Whig party, although he did not at any time become ambitious of public office. About the time of the disintegration of the Whig party and the organization of the Republican party which grew out of it, he had become partially deaf, and this affliction was the chief cause of his withdrawal from all outside affairs. In speak- ing of this period and the later years of his own life and that of his wife, Mrs. Whitney said: "We were both for a long time occu- pied with our family-our children's marriages and our frequent adaptation of our plans to theirs, in the temporary absence I have men- tioned, and the last years were spent in a very unbroken quiet at the home in Milton."




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