Malcolm William Whitford

Malcolm married Lillian A. Feifert 1 Jan 1940, Westerly, RI. Lillian (daughter of August Herbert Feifert and Minnie Anna Kochan) was born Abt Mar 1918, RI; died 14 Jan 2013, CT; was buried 17 Jan 2013, Maple Root Cemetery, Coventry, RI. [Group Sheet]

1. Carole Ann Whitford was born 21 Jun 1940, Coventry, RI; died 24 Jan 2014, New London, CT; was buried , Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA.

Notes:

We knew Charles as "Uncle Will."

The gravestone for Charles & Annie has been photographed. Several pictures of Charles, Annie, their children and descendants are posted at our web site: [www.thesorensens.net].

I am not sure whether Charles was born in West Greenwich or Coventry.

Charles married Annie Melissa Kettelle 27 Oct 1908. Annie (daughter of John B. F. Kettelle and Patience C. Salisbury) was born 8 Apr 1880; died 14 Jan 1955; was buried , Maple Root Cemetery, Coventry, RI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Their three children were still living as of 2004. The oldest, Margaret, died in Nov 2004 at the age of 94.

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I have a photocopy of his original birth entry at the Town of West Greenwich. Charles Carmi was named for his two grandfathers, Carmi Whitford and Charles Tibbetts. I also have a photocopy of his death entry in the Book of Deaths for 1910, p. 30, in the Town of Coventry.
We have one picture of my Great-great-grandfather Whitford. This is posted at our family website [www.thesorensens.net]. Also there is a photograph of his gravestone at Maple Root Cemetery.

All of the children and their birth dates are listed in the book "Records of the Bailey Family," p. 61.

In the 1860 Federal Census at West Greenwich, Charles is 25 and living with his parents, along with his married sister, Marcy W. Church, 29. In the 1870 Federal Census, Charles C. 34 and his wife Harty 21 are still living at West Greenwich, RI. They have a child Hattie L., age 1. The family is in the household of Jeremiah & Sally W. Whitford, ages 64 & 61, Charles's parents. The 1880 Census at West Greenwich shows him married, age 45, with his wife and five daughters, again living in the household with Jeremiah and Sally Whitford, Charles's parents. This is probably the family farm on Rt. 3 in West Greenwich, where there is now a motel and gas station, at the intersection of Interstate 95. He is age 65 in the 1900 Census at Coventry, and is listed as the head of the household which includes his children as well as two grandsons, Angeretta's sons. I have photocopies of the pages from these three censuses.

Example -- 1880 Census:
Charles C. Whitford age 45
Harty P. Whitford 30
Hattie L. 11
Angeretta W. 9
Julia E. 6
Lena M. 4
Olive 2

Charles was elected to the Exeter Town Council in 1888 (was this a different Charles Whitford?).

There is a paragraph about Charles C. Whitford and his family on p. 1343 of J. R. Cole's "History of Washington and Kent Counties," published in 1889. Although the writer has made two mistakes (names Charles's grandfather as Jeremiah instead of Carmi, and names his wife as Hattie instead of Harty), he does offer other information that is more reliable. We are told that Charles was born in 1834 in West Greenwich, and that he has been a farmer all of his life, having bought the farm where he now lives in 1884 (probably the farm on Knotty Oak Rd. in Coventry). It says he was married to [Harty] in 1866, and lists his children as: Hattie L., Angeretta W., Julia E., Lena M., Olive L., Charles W., and Nelson J. Lastly, he comments that "the family is said to be of Welsh descent."

Of the individuals in this family, the ones I have personal memories of are Angeretta, who was my great-grandmother Remington; Olive, who was my great "Aunt Ollie"; Charles W., who we called "Uncle Will"; and J. Nelson, who was my great "Uncle Jerry."

My dad, Norman Remington, says he remembers driving by the site of the old family homestead, which was on Rt. 3 between Harkney Hill Road and the present Interstate 95. About where the Best Western/Congress Inn is today, there was a spring. Further up the road, where the plat Wood Estates is now located, there must have been a family burial site, because when the plat was being planned (perhaps in the 1960s?), certain Whitford heirs had to sign, acknowledging there were interments on the property, and giving their permission for the project to proceed.

Charles married Harty Potter JOHNSON 25 Nov 1866, Richmond, RI. Harty (daughter of Philip JOHNSON, Jr. and Tryphena Hoxsie GREENE) was born 12 Apr 1850, Coventry, Kent Co., RI; died 27 Nov 1917, Coventry, Kent Co., RI; was buried , Maple Root Cemetery, Coventry, RI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

We have a picture of Great-great-grandma Harty Whitford, taken in 1912 in a five-generation group which includes her father. More recently I was given a picture of her as a young mother. These and other family pictures are posted at our family web site [www.thesorensens.net].

I have a photocopy of her original death entry in the Book of Deaths in 1917, p. 51, for the Town of Coventry. Also, her gravestone has been photographed.

I think she must have been named after Harty (Potter) Johnson, wife of her uncle Caleb Johnson.

Notes:

The original marriage entry is at the Richmond Town Hall in the "Book of Marriages and Deaths, 1850-1910, p. 14. It says, "In Richmond, Nov. 25th (1866), Charles C. Whitford born in West Greenwich, age 31 -- a farmer, and Hatty P. Johnson born in Coventry, age 17; parents of each: Jeremiah and Sally W. Whitford, Phillip and Tryphena H. Johnson; married by Gilbert Tillinghast, Minister of the Gospel." It was the first marriage for both of them.

Notes:

Could his middle initials stand for Benjamin Franklin?

In the 1880 Federal Census, the "Kettle" family at Foster includes John B. F. 36, Patience C. 42, Nellie G. 13, Julia Etta 11, John B. 3, and "not named" daughter 2 mos.

The death record at Foster Town House identifies John's parents as Samuel S. & Hannah Kettell. It is not known where John & Patience's graves are.

Alden Beaman's RI Vital Record, New Series, Vol. 9, p. 34, gives his date of birth as 1843/44.

John married Patience C. Salisbury Abt 1875. Patience (daughter of Richard Salisbury and Dorcas Unknown) was born Abt 1837, Foster, RI; died 7 Jan 1881, Foster, RI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

This was Patience's second marriage. Her first husband, Jeremiah Hopkins, probably died sometime before 1875.

Notes:

I have a photocopy of his birth entry at West Greenwich. Also, a photograph of his gravestone has been posted on the family tree at our web site [www.thesorensens.net].

In the 1850 Federal Census, Jeremiah is 44 and Sally W. is 41. Their children, Marcy W. & Charles C., are 19 & 15. The family is living in West Greenwich, RI.

In the 1860 Federal Census, Jeremiah, 54, & Sally W., 53, are still at West Greenwich. Son Charles C., 25, is with them, as well as married daughter Marcy W. Church, 29.

In the 1870 Federal Census, Jeremiah & Sally W., ages 64 & 61, are living at West Greenwich, RI. With them is married son Charles C., 34, his wife Harty 21, and their child Hattie L. 1.

In 1880 Jeremiah & Sally W. Whitford, ages 74 & 71, are still at West Greenwich. In the household with them are Charles C. & Harty P., ages 45 & 30, and their five daughters. Jeremiah is a retired farmer; his son Charles is a farmer.

I believe the Whitford farm was up on the hill near the intersection of Rt. 3 and Interstate 95, where a motel is now. This is where my great-grandmother lived as a child. At one time there was a spring there, about where a gas station is now.

Jeremiah married Sally Williams TIBBETTS 24 Dec 1826, Warwick, Kent Co., RI. Sally (daughter of Charles TIBBETTS and Maplet REMINGTON) was born 30 Dec 1808, East Greenwich, Kent Co., RI; died 15 Dec 1899, Coventry, Kent Co., RI; was buried , Maple Root Cemetery, Coventry, RI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

I have copies of census pages from 1860 and 1880 showing Sally at ages 52 and 71, also a certified copy of her death certificate from the town of Coventry, as well as a photocopy of the original death record in the Coventry Book of Deaths for 1899. A photograph of her gravestone has been posted on the family tree at our web site [www.thesorensens.net].

Notes:

The marriage of Jeremiah and Sally was recorded in two newspapers: The Providence Journal of 11 Jan 1827, and the Providence Phenix of 24 Dec 1826. (See newspaper announcements transcribed in Arnold's Vital Record of RI)

I have a photocopy of the original marriage entry recorded at West Greenwich Town Hall (p. 46), which reads: "Warwick December 24th AD 1826 -- I hereby Certify that Mr. Jeremiah Whitford and Miss Sally W. Tibbits were Lawfully Joined Together in Marriage by me the Subscriber Jonathan Wilson"

The family Bible says they were married at West Greenwich. It is unclear exactly where they were married, although the record at West Greenwich has a reference to Warwick.

Under that entry the births of their two children are recorded: Mercy Waterman Whitford and Charles Carmi Whitford. Also, according to "Alden G. Beaman's Vital Record of RI, New Series," an infant son was born in 1830 and died 1 April 1830, buried in West Greenwich.

Notes:

We have a nice five-generation picture which includes Philip in 1913, when he was ninety. There is another one taken around the same time in which he has Margaret Estelle Whitford on his lap. The story is that he was blind in his old age.

Philip's gravestone has been photographed. According to the RI Cemetery Database, the Maple Root Cemetery "is a very old cemetery containing many inscribed field stones for the earliest settlers in this area. Records at Town Hall indicate that the first lot in the newer section was sold to Philip Johnson on 7 Nov 1893." I would guess that this was my 3xGreat-grandfather Johnson, or else his son Philip R. Johnson.

In the 1860 Federal Census, Philip & Triphina H. Johnson are living in Coventry, RI. In the home are Hearty P. 10, Philip R. 9, and Triphina 5, as well as Persilla Johnson, 74, Philip's mother.

By 1870 Philip has remarried, and he and Phebe are at Coventry with three children in the household: Ednah P. 9, Patience J. 6, and Zilpha W. 1.

In 1880 they are still at Coventry, and two daughters are with them: Orvilla P. 24 and Zilpha W. 11. Orvilla is Phebe's daughter from her previous marriage to Isaac Paine.

Philip married Tryphena Hoxsie GREENE 25 Nov 1849, West Greenwich, RI. Tryphena (daughter of Hiram GREENE and Abigail JOHNSON) was born 19 Aug 1827; died 9 Jul 1866, Coventry, Kent Co., RI; was buried , Maple Root Cemetery, Coventry, RI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Her gravestone has been photographed. Her surname has been spelled as Green and Greene, as has the name of the clergyman who married them, Caleb Green(e).

"Tryphena Greene-Johnson, daughter of Hiram, m. her second cousin, Philip Johnson [Philip, Philip, Ezekiel, EIizabeth Greene-Johnson, Usal Greene, John, John]. Their children have five strains of Greene blood. Harty Johnson-Whitford, m. Carmi Whitford. Philip R. Johnson. Has a son and a daughter." (source: "The Greene Family and its Branches" by Lora S. LaMance, Mayflower Pub Co.)

The following is a partial quote from "Acts and Resolves of the General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations" pub. by Henry Ward, Sec'y, 1846, p 7: "Upon the petition of Abigail Greene of Coventry, A. Greene, in this State, guardian of the persons and estates of Tryphenia H. Greene and Benjamin Greene, minors, children of Hiram Greene, late of said Coventry, deceased, praying for the reasons therein stated, that . . . "

Notes:

I have a photocopy of the original record from the official book of the Town of West Greenwich for 1851, p. 77. They were married on 25 Nov 1849 by Caleb Green, Minister of the Gospel, and the marriage was recorded by John James, Town Clerk, about a year and a half later. The minister, Elder Caleb Green(e) (elsewhere it is spelled with a final "e"), was married to Lucetta Nichols, daughter of Susanna Whitford and Ambrose Nichols.

Notes:

I have estimated his year of birth. He may be the Samuel S. Kettelle/Kettle who was born in 1817 at Exeter, son of Simeon & Susan, and who died a widower 1 July 1900 SK (see RIVR, NS, Vol. 9. p. 34).

His father is identified as Simon Kettle in the marriage record at South Kingstown.

In the 1850 Federal Census, Samuel S. Kettle is 33 and Hannah is 40. They are living at Warwick, Kent Co., RI. With them are their two children, John B. F. 7, and Margaret G. 5.

Samuel married Hannah Wells 11 Jun 1843, South Kingstown, RI. Hannah (daughter of John Wells) was born Abt 1810. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

I have estimated Hannah's year of birth based on the marriage date.

Notes:

The marriage record gives the names of the two fathers, Simon Kettle & John Wells.

Notes:

The death record at Foster Town House, Deaths p. 4, identifies Richard as the son of Stephen & Betsey, and gives the year of death as 1861. However, the gravestone says 1862.

Richard married Dorcas Unknown Abt 1826. Dorcas was born Abt 1807; died 26 Apr 1884; was buried , Hopkins Mills Cemetery, Foster, RI. [Group Sheet]