Col. Whiting also enjoyed the notable distinction of having held the infant George Washington in his arms, when he was baptized, an incident which, though my wife should take her dower in his lands as aforesaid, his choice either to take the lands devised to his brothers as aforesaid, or of the lands before devised to him; and if he should make choice of the Hackney and Rumford, and the other lands therewith devised, and then in such a case, I give the lands devised to Thomas, to the said Henry and Horatio, equally to be divided between them and their heirs: in either case my son Thomas to have my houses and lots and Glostertown, subject to my wife's dower. I give unto my son, Thomas Whiting, and his heirs, thirty slaves, and that he may have my coachman, Porter, in his part, and boy Dunmore. I give to my daughter, Sarah Whiting, fifteen slaves to her and her heirs, and that she may have Peg, Sall's daughter, and also Harriet, in her part. I give unto my daughter, Catharine Whiting, and her heirs, fifteen slaves, and that she may have Frank, and Patt, and her children, in her part. I give unto my daughter, Eliza T. Whiting, fifteen slaves, to her and her heirs, and that she may have in her part, mulatto Kate and her four children-Dinah, Molly, Will, and Dennis-and as my wife will have her dower in all my slaves, I desire that she may have in her part—that is, in her dower-three slaves, to wit: the cook Hannah, Abigail, Agatha, Bob, Barnaby, Ailee, and her child, Porter; Amarillis, Nelson, Egine, Rachel, Sue, Hannah's son Will, Isabel, Lawrane, and Augustie. I give unto my five youngest children, Henry, Horatio, Susanna, Jane, and Ann Whiting, all the rest of my slaves—that is, exclusive of those before devised-and my wife's dower, to them and their heirs, equally to be divided between them, and after my said wife's death. I also give unto my said five youngest children, herein mentioned, the slaves she may hold as her dower aforesaid, and their increase to them and their heirs, equally to be divided between them and their representatives; and it is my desire in the division and allotment of my said slaves, that regard may be had to the ages and sexes of them, so as to make them as nearly equal in value, as may be agreeable to the bequest aforesaid. I give to my son Thomas, my gun, sword, books, and Hector; also a mare and colt formerly given him. I do appoint my friends, Charles M. Thurston, guardian to my son Thomas, and daughter Eliza; and do give unto the said Charles M. Thurston full power to sell and dispose of any part of my said son's estate, real and personal, if he shall judge it for my said son's interest and advantage so to do. I give trifling perhaps in itself, serves to show the kind of relations subsisting between the two families. He was married three times and had fifteen children, eight of whom survived him. His last wife, Elizabeth Sewall, by whom he had three of them, including Anne Beverley, afterwards the mother of Colonel Fremont, survived him, and married Samuel Carey, by whom she had four children.* Mr. Carey managed the estate so unto my grandson, Thomas Hubard and his heirs, all the lands I have in Petsworth Parish, in the county aforesaid. All the rest of my estate, not heretofore devised, I give to be equally divided among all my children, to wit: Thomas, Henry, Horatio, Sarah, Catharine, Eliza T., Susanna, Jane, and Ann Whiting. Lastly, I appoint my beloved wife, Eliza Whiting, Executrix, and my friends, Charles M. Thurston, John Page of Rosewell, and Warner Lewis, jun., Executors of this my last will, hereby revoking all wills heretofore by me made. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal the 15th day of October, Anno Domini 1780. "THOMAS WHITING." Signed, sealed, published, and declared by the testator as and for his last will, in presence of us, RICHARD CARY, JOHANNA DUNLAP, ROBERT INNIS." * This intermarriage with the Carys, established another marital connexion between the Whiting and the Washington families, a daughter of Col. Carey having married a son of Lord Fairfax, whose cousin's daughter married George Washington's brother, Lawrence. This connexion lends interest to the following extract from a letter written by Washington to George Wm. Fairfax in 1778. "Lord Fairfax, as I have been told, after having been bowed down to the grave and in a manner shaken hands with death, is perfectly restored and enjoys his usual good health and as much vigor as falls to the lot of ninety. Miss Fairfax was upon the point of marriage in December last, with a relation of mine, a Mr. Whiting; but her ill health delayed it at that time and what has since happened I am not informed. Your nieces in Alexandria are both married; the elder to Mr. Herbert, the younger improvidently that the children by the first marriage were ultimately compelled to resort to the courts for an account and apportionment of the property.* to Mr. Harvey Whiting, son of Frank in Berkeley. Mrs. Carey, her son Col. Carey, Mr. Nicholas, Mrs. Ambler and their respective families were all well about two months ago. Miss Carey is married to Thomas Nelson, second son to the Secretary. -Sparks's Washington, vol. v. p. 268. Among the records of the Superior Court of Chancery held in Richmond, June 13th, 1810, there is a petition and decree on file (one of the fruits we presume of the litigation referred to in the text), directing that the slave of which the said father Thomas Whiting died possessed or to which he was entitled, and the increase of the females, be divided and allotted to the several parties according to their respective rights," by commissioners named in the decree. The award of the commissioners, in itself a sufficiently curious document, runs as follows: "In pursuance of the above annexed decree. We the subscribers being commissioners named therein, have this day divided the slaves belonging to the estate of Thomas Whiting deceased, which were produced to us by Robert Cowne, his executor, in the following manner, viz. : "To John Lowry and Susanna his wife the negroes contained in lot No. 1. viz: Bob $400, Coxen $400, Aggy and child Lucy $380, Augusta and children Billey, Harriet, Agnes and Edmond, $820. Old Bettyand the estimated value of negroes sold by said Lowry about six years ago $455. "To John C. Pryor, ad'm. of Henry Whiting deceased, the negroes contained in lot No. 2, viz.: Peter $400, Barnaba $333, Henry $300, Jane and children, Mary and an infant 10 months old, $465. Lucy and children Betty, Cate, Mariah, and a male infant, $730, Sarah $150, Joe $60, and old Frank $5. "To John Pryor and Ann his wife the negroes contained in lot No. 3, viz.: Phil $400, Black Peter $100, Peggy $300, Hannah* and children Stirling and Salley $580, Billey $250. Eugene $230, and the estimated value of a negro sold by said Pryor about about two years ago $224, and to Morgan Tomkies, who it appears is entitled to the interest of Charles Grymes and Jane his wife, the negroes contained in lot No. 4, *The slave Hannah mentioned in the above list was afterwards Colonel Fremont's nurse, viz. Frank $400, Black Phil $400, Nelly $300. Venus and children, Kitty, Daniel, Charles and Phil $830, Daniel $250. Alice $150, and Gardner Frank $160-and for reasons appearing to us lot No 4 is to pay lot No. 8 $21 50, to lot No. 2, $12 50, and to lot No. 1, 50 cents. It also appears to us after the above allotment was made, that Joe, in lot No. 2, was appraised to $160 instead of $60, wherefore it is directed, that lot No. 2, shall pay to the other lots the sum of $15 cash. "Given from under our hands this 16th day of July, 1810. ROBERT WEST. JOHN HUGHES. WM. K. PERRIN." The following entries are taken from a fragment of the Abington church records, which are deposited at the Gloucester Court-house. They appear to give most of the important marriages and deaths in the family, for more than half a century, and they also furnish interesting evidence of the solicitude of Col. Whiting, to have all his slaves baptized. 1732, Major Peter Whiting, was buried February 28. 1735, Mary, the daughter of Francis Whiting, and his wife was born 20th April, and baptized 6th of May. 1738, Ann, the daughter of Mr. Beverley Whiting, and his wife was born December 22, and baptized January 12. 1742, Sally, Merit, Tony, Patt, to Whiting, baptized June 27. 1742, Catey to Mr. Whiting, born January. 1743, November, Betty to Mr. Brodr. Whiting. 1743, November, Betty, to Mr. Whiting born. 1744, Rob. to Mr. Beverley Whiting, born February. 1744, Sept. Chevr, Dfty. to Whiting, were baptized. 1744, Eliz. daugh. of Thomas and Eliz. Whiting, born Nov. 29. 1746, Anne, daugh. of Thos. and Eliz. Whiting, born August 22. 1747, Aggy, to Mr. Thomas Whiting, born February 26. 1747, Francis Whiting was married to Mrs. Frances Perrin, Jan. 24. 1749, Mrs. Elizabeth Whiting, departed this life April 20. 1749, Richard, male slave, to Mr. Thomas Whiting, baptized Oct. 15. 1749, Diana, slave to Mr. Thos. Whiting, baptized January 28. 1750, Esther, slave to Mr. Thomas Whiting, about 8 years old, bap. tized April 8. 1751, Phill. slave to Thos. Whiting, baptized January 26. 1753, Grace, slave to Mr. Thomas Whiting, baptized September 9. 1754, Henry, slave to Capt. Thomas Whiting, 2 months old, oaptized September 15. 1754, Nelley, slave to Mr. Beverley Whiting, baptized Oct. 13. 1755, Mr. Beverley Whiting, departed this life. (leaf torn,) Thos. Whiting baptized Sept 7-(uncertain). 1756, Joe, slave to Capt. Thomas Whiting, born May 26, and bap. tized August 1, 1756, Frank, slave to Mrs. Whiting, in town, baptized August 15. 1756, Beverley, son of John and Mary Whiting, baptized Oct. 18. 1757, Frank, slave to Capt. Thos. Whiting, born April 1, baptized May 8. 1757, Jerry, slave to Capt. Thos. Whiting, baptized Sept. 25. 1758, Johnny, slave to Mrs. Whiting, Gloucestertown, baptized May 28. 1758, Else, slave to Capt. Thos. Whiting, baptized August 27. 1758, Hannah, Frankey, slaves to Capt. Thos. Whiting, baptized April 1. 1759, Beverley, son of Capt. Thos. Whiting, died Oct. 28. 1759, William, son of Capt. Thomas Whiting, died October and was buried 24. 1759, A negro child belonging to Mrs. Whiting, in Gloucester, died December 3. 1776, Mingo, slave to Mr. John Whiting, died December 8. 1777, Cattie, slave to Col. Thomas Whiting, baptized January 25. 1760, Amos, slave to Capt. Thomas Whiting, 8 months old, baptized June 1. 1760, Phill, slave to Mrs. Eliza Whiting, in town, 10 months old, baptized June 1. 1760, Robert, slave to Capt. Thomas Whiting, baptized Sept. 7. 1760, Frederic, at Mrs. Whiting's in Glen Town, died the last of Oct. and was buried 2d of Nov. 1761, Ben and Ned, slaves to Mrs. Whiting, in Gloucestertown, baptized March 22. 1761, William, slave to Thos. Whiting, baptized April 19. 1761, John, slave to Capt. Thos. Whiting, baptized May 24. 1761, Frank, slave to Capt. Thos. Whiting, baptized Nov. 1. |