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BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION:
James Whittemore
was born in Danvers (formerly called Salem Village) in 1769.
Danvers lies adjacent to Salem on the northwest.
James married Patty Clemons
in 1791 in Salem. On the 1800 census they have only one child,
who is a boy under the age of 10. Whether they had anymore children
than this is unknown. Also of note on the 1800 Census in Salem,
the next door neighbor of James and Patty is a widow by the name
of Sarah Presson [Preston]. In 1803, four months after
the death of Patty, James and Sarah married.
Although on the record of Patty's
death James is listed as a Soap Boiler, on every other records
James is listed as a Ropemaker. This seems to be a family trade
as James step son, Richard Preston became a ropemaker, as well
as his brother, Stephen and his sons.
Bentley mentions in his diary that
James and Sarah had one child. This is confirmed by th 1820 Census
which lists a male between age 16 and 18. If they had a
child shortly after their marriage, he would be in this age category
in 1820.
The exact date of death for either
James or Sarah from current sources is unknown. There is a death
listed in the Salem death index for a James Whittemore who died
in 1826. This may or may not be the correct one. There also is
in the Essex County Probate Index a reference to guardianship
for in April if 1823 for James Whittemore, a minor, of Salem.
If the son of James and Sarah was born perhaps in 1804 he would
be 19 years old in 1823, which is two years before majority.
From Salem Births
There are no entries for any children of James Whittemore
listed in this book.
From Salem Marriages
Whittemore, James and Patty
[ Margaret C.R. 4] Clemmonds, May 8, 1803 (intention to marry
also recorded)
Whittemore, James and Sally Preston [Hannah Presson, int.]
August 27, 1803 (intention to marry also recorded)
Whittemore, Asa and Mary Poland of Danvers, November 10, 1768.
Whittemore, Anne and George Atkinson, July 20, 1800.
Whittemore, Stephen and Betsey Noyes, May 27, 1808
From Salem Deaths
Whittemore, James, [died] 1826 CR10
Whittemore, Martha (Clemens), w[ife of] James, soap boiler, [died
of] consumption [tuberculosis], April 22, 1803, a[ge]
34 y[ears]. CR4
Whittemore, Mary, [died of] consumption, August 18, 1790, a.
19 y. CR4
Whittemore, Mary (Potter of Beverly), wid[ow of ] Asa, from Danvers,
mariner, [died of] consumption, December 8,
1801. CR4
From The Diaries of William Bently , Pastor of the
East Church, Salem, Massachusetts.
Sunday. July 18, 1790
Three persons lie dangerously ill of Consumption. A Polly
Whittemore , a Mrs. Williams, and a Mrs. Nesbitt.
July 20, 1790
Attended the baptism of a Mary Whittemore. Her father has
absented from his family, & has become wretched in his vices.
The Mother lived in the New Fort, & then removed into the
Upper part of the Town. She has since returned among us into
Uncle Diman's House, for the benfit of a Son in the Ropewalk.
The young woman is in a declining state.
Sunday. August 15, 1790 Mary Whittemore in apprehension
of death.
November, 1790
State of the Inoculation for the Small Pox in regard to persons
belonging to the East Religious Society, Salem, in the Autumn
of 1792.[76] Persons inoculated in the Barracks at New Fort,
on the Neck, 24 Oct. 1792, Little, sole Physician.
Name: James Whittemore age:
24 Success: favorable,
detained Returned:
ret. November 15.
List for 1792 [Members of East Church]
Whittemore, James, Ropemaker.
Whittemore, Mary, Widow. (James mother)
Sunday, _____ 5, 1794
James Whittemore & wife, death of their brother. (Clemmons?)
Sunday, July 23, 1797
James Whittemore & wife, death of her Brother, pr. for
Brethren at Sea.
Sunday, December 13, 1801
James Whittemore & wife & Brother & Sister, death
of their Brother [Mother], pr. for Brethren at Sea.
December 5, 1816 John Forbes, a seaman. [died of]
Fever, 32 years...The mother a Dawson and thrice married. First
a Forbes, and by him had three children; second, a Preston, by
whom one child; third, a Whittemore, and by him one child.
February 8, 1817
Mr. Whittemore, sometimes sexton, sometimes Deacon to the
Branch, brought me the invitation & accompanied me. He is
a white man & father in law to Charles Forbes, a most promising
young man. I saw the best of the blacks in Salem, perhaps in
New England. [Speaking of the gathering he attended with James
Whittemore to honor the black members of the community.]
August 17, 1817
Charles Forbes, returned from Sea, having been among the
Islands of the Great Ocean. He was patronized by Mrs. Rogers
& myself & was the son of John Forbes who was drowned
in Virginia in 1791, leaving a wife and 4 children..The wife
has since married James Whittemore.
Footnotes
1 Sarah Whitford married John Forbes 10 September 1782
in Salem. He died in 1791.
James does not appear on the earlier listing of members from
the 1790 Federal Census in Mr. Bentley's diary. His mother, Mary
Whittemore does, but neither she nor her husband is listed on
the 1785 census which Mr. Bently also includes in his diary.
They are most likely still in Danvers in 1785.
This entry is recorded the Sunday after the death of Mary Whittemore.
She died 8 Dec 1801, therefore I assume this to be an error in
the transcription of the diary. James brother, Jacob
died at Martinico (Matinique) in late 1800 or early 1801. The
news of his death was received in Salem 4 February 1801 (See
Salem Deaths p. 330) At the time of Mary's death only James,
his sister, Anne, and his brother, Stephen survived their mother.
The only other sibling, Mary, had died at the age of 19 on 18
August 1790.
"Deacon is one of the classes or ranks of Christian clergy.
The term also refers to members of the laity assigned to help
ministers and priests in such tasks as preaching and helping
the sick and needy....In may Protestant churches, deacons are
lay members who help meet various needs of their congregation."
[World Book Encyclopedia]
Congregational Church: Unlike many Christian denominations, Congegationalists
reject outside control by bishops and counsels. They believe
that each congregation should control its own affairs, including
the selection of ministers. This principle strongly influenced
the development of democratic government in the United States.
Congregationalism began in England during the early 1600s
. It was a branch of Puritanism which attempted to "purify"
the church of England. This branch was called Separatists, having
broken away from the Church of England which they felt could
not be reformed. These Separatists later became known as
Congegationalist because of their insistance on the rights of
local congregations.
Congregational doctrines dominated
religious and cultural life in New England through the early
1800's. They later became known for their liberal social goals,
their willingness to cooperate with other religious groups, and
their emphasis on education. Both Harvard and Yale Universities
were begun by Congregationalists. [World Book Encyclopedia]
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REFERENCES:
Vital Records of Salem, Mass
Vol. 3,4- Salem Marriages
Essex Institute [Salem, Ma] 1916
US/Can 974.45/S1 V2e v.4
The Diary of William Bentley
Essex Institute [Salem, Ma] 1906
JSMB US/Can 921.73 B446b v.2
 Reverend
William
Bentley
1759 - 1819 |