M. (1) 9 Mar 1727 in Billerica, Massachusetts
Wife: Sarah Hunt
M. (2) 22 Feb 1747 in Tewksbury, Massachusetts
Wife: Anne Frie
D. 8 Aug 1775 in Tewksbury, Massachusetts
John Whiting was the father of three sons who were involved in the American Revolution, but they didn't all support the same side.
John was born on October 14, 1699 in Billerica, Massachusetts, the son of Oliver Whiting, Billerica’s town clerk, and Anna Danforth, and he was the middle child of nine siblings. John's family played a strong part in the founding of New England; he had a grandfather and a great-grandfather who were Puritan ministers, and another grandfather who was a surveyor that helped lay out several towns.
At the age of 27, John married Sarah Hunt, a 17-year-old girl also from Billerica. The wedding took place on March 9, 1727. Between 1728 and 1741, they had seven children, but three of them died young. Sarah passed away on November 18, 1745, and John married a widow named Anne Clarke (maiden name Frie) on February 22, 1747. They had only one child together, a son born in 1755.
In 1734, the part of Billerica where John lived was split off to become the town of Tewksbury, but his name doesn’t feature prominently in the records of either town. His only mention was as a member of the militia having the archaic rank of cornet, which was just below a lieutenant. Assuming his service was when he was in his 20s, he avoided being in any major wars.
Such was not the case for John's three surviving sons. The oldest one, Leonard, served in the French and Indian War, and after he led a company at Quebec in 1759, he was taken prisoner and was forced to “run the gauntlet.” Leonard was said to have escaped “with only his life and a shirtsleeve.”
During the early days of the American Revolution, all three of John's sons were involved. After the first shots were fired in April 1775, youngest son Jonas enlisted in a company that marched to Boston, and participated in the Battle of Bunker Hill in June. Jonas went on to serve in the war for over three years.
Leonard and John's other son, Benjamin, saw things very differently, though. Each was said to have strong Loyalist views. Both men were living in Hollis, New Hampshire, where Benjamin had been elected sheriff in 1774. When he showed support for the British army, he was run out of town and his property was confiscated.
Leonard was more than supporting the British. He was working for them by carrying messages from leaders in Canada to the army stationed in Boston. Early in the war, he was caught with incriminating papers in his boots by an unlikely group of patriots. When most of the men of Groton, Massachusetts marched off to war, some of the women put on their husband’s clothes and patrolled the area. Leonard was stopped by one of them while on his way to Boston, and after she searched him, she arrested him on the spot. He spent the next few years “in and out of jail” for his Loyalist activities, but he stubbornly remained in Hollis rather than fleeing to Canada like others did.
Back in Tewksbury, John was still living at the start of the Revolution, so he was likely aware of some of the activity of his sons. He died of dysentery on August 8, 1775 at the age of 75. His wife Anne survived him; it isn't known when she died.
Children by Sarah Hunt:
1. John Whiting — B. 7 Jan 1728, (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts
2. Sarah Whiting — B. 5 Aug 1730, (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 6 Aug 1730, (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts
3. Sarah Whiting — B. 21 Dec 1731, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. Ebenezer Coburn (1710-?), 23 Nov 1751, Dracut, Massachusetts
4. Leonard Whiting — B. 27 Mar 1734, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 19 Jul 1811, Cavendish, Vermont; M. (1) Ann Hall (1736-1801), 23 Apr 1761; (2) Lydia Spaulding (1741-~1825), 25 Oct 1805, Cavendish, Vermont
5. Oliver Whiting — B. 11 Jul 1736, Tewksbury, Massachusetts
6. Dorcas Whiting — B. 15 Jul 1739, Tewksbury, Massachusetts; D. 29 Sep 1788, Tewksbury, Massachusetts; M. William Worcester (1728-1780)
7. Benjamin Whiting — B. 13 Feb 1741, Tewksbury, Massachusetts; D. before 1782; M. Grace Hall
Children by Anne Frye:
1. Jonas Whiting — B. 15 May 1755, Tewksbury, Massachusetts; D. 15 Jan 1830, Penfield, New York; M. Lydia Fielding (~1762-1839), about 1788
Sources:
History of Billerica, Massachusetts With a Genealogical Register, Henry Allen Hazen, 1883
History of the Town of Hollis, New Hampshire, Samuel Thomas Worcester, 1879
Cornet (rank) (Wikipedia article)
WikiTree
Find-A-Grave
3. Sarah Whiting — B. 21 Dec 1731, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. Ebenezer Coburn (1710-?), 23 Nov 1751, Dracut, Massachusetts
4. Leonard Whiting — B. 27 Mar 1734, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 19 Jul 1811, Cavendish, Vermont; M. (1) Ann Hall (1736-1801), 23 Apr 1761; (2) Lydia Spaulding (1741-~1825), 25 Oct 1805, Cavendish, Vermont
5. Oliver Whiting — B. 11 Jul 1736, Tewksbury, Massachusetts
6. Dorcas Whiting — B. 15 Jul 1739, Tewksbury, Massachusetts; D. 29 Sep 1788, Tewksbury, Massachusetts; M. William Worcester (1728-1780)
7. Benjamin Whiting — B. 13 Feb 1741, Tewksbury, Massachusetts; D. before 1782; M. Grace Hall
Children by Anne Frye:
1. Jonas Whiting — B. 15 May 1755, Tewksbury, Massachusetts; D. 15 Jan 1830, Penfield, New York; M. Lydia Fielding (~1762-1839), about 1788
Sources:
History of Billerica, Massachusetts With a Genealogical Register, Henry Allen Hazen, 1883
History of the Town of Hollis, New Hampshire, Samuel Thomas Worcester, 1879
Cornet (rank) (Wikipedia article)
WikiTree
Find-A-Grave
