Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

(VI) William Lewis Whitney, son of
Samuel Piatt and Lois (Buttles) Whitney,
was horn in East Granville, Mass
chusettS, June 17, [809, died at South-
wick, Massachusetts, in November, [835,
and was buried in Granby, Connecticut.
lie married, in Granby, in [832, Lmnie-
line Holcombe, horn in 1814, in South-
wiek, Massachusetts, daughter of Elijah
and Betsy (Ives) Holcomhe, of Southwick.
They were the parents of William
Hiram Whitney, of further mention.
Lmnuline Holcombe was half-sister of
Amasa Holcombe, scientist, and inventor
of the telescope, who was born at North
Granby, Connecticut. June 18, 1787, the
son of Elijah Holcombe, 2d., and Lucy,
daughter of Silas Holcombe, of Simsbury,
Connecticut. He was a descendant in the
sixth generation from Thomas Holcombe,
who settled in Boston, Massachusetts, in
1630, and in the fifth generation from
Mary Bliss Holcombe and Nathaniel Holcombe.
of Springfield, Massachusetts. He
supplemented his common school educa-
tion by a course in reading scientific sub-
jects, and took private pupils to instruct
in mathematics, civil engineering, survey-
ing and astronomy. He finally made a
telescope to assist him in teaching the
subject of astronomy, and was told by
Professor Benjamin Stilliman, of Yale, to
continue their manufacture. This he did
for several years, selling numbers of them
in Lurope and America. He had no competition
for twenty years in the manu-
facture of reflecting telescopes, and in
recognition of his skill as a scientist was
awarded the Scott Medal by Philadelphia
ENCYCLOPKIM \ < >!• UK HiKAI'HY
were living; fifty-seven grandchildren, of in 1825; a Bilver medal from the Franklin
whom forty-one were living; and fifty-six Institute in [838, and a gold medal by
great-grandchildren. Children: Sanuu-l the New York American Institute in [839;
Mart, Lois, Jonathan, Rasselsas, Agnes, in [840 a diploma from the same society.
Marcus, Israel, William Lewis, Seth, Nel- He made the first daguerrotype photoson,
John Viets, Lucy Susanne, Harriet graph in this country from his instru-
Atwood, Lurena.
ments. Williams College gave him the
Conn-7— 16 241
degree of Master of Arts in [837. I le was
a Methodist preacher f< >r thirty years ;
was
a justice of the peace thirty-two years;
three years in the State Legislature. He
• lied at Southwick. Massachusetts, Feb-
ruary -7, [873.
(VII) William Hiram Whitney, son of
William Lewis and Emmeline (Holcombe)
Whitney, was born in Southwick,
Massachusetts, April 2, 1834, and
died July 1, 1916. He was an exception-
ally well educated man, and represented
the publishing house of Cowperthwait &
Company in New York State for many
years. Mr. Whitney was keenly interested
in educational subjects and became
an authority. In fact, the Whitney home
in Enfield, and also in Brooklyn, New
York, became the rendezvous of many
brilliant men who constantly sought the
opinion of their host on educational questions.
He married Rosina Bostock, born
in Nottingham, England, December 21,
1S40. Four daughters and two sons were
born: Anna, September 2, 1862; Edmund
Carelton, February 23, 1868, died
April 29, 1871 ; William Hiram, Jr., of
further mention; Mabel, October 1, 1873;
Amy. October 28, 1878; Edith, October
4. 1885.
(VIII) William Hiram (2) Whitney,
son of William Hiram (1) and Rosina
(Bostock) Whitney, personifies to a remarkable
degree the most striking characteristics
of the Whitneys. Born in Enfield,
Connecticut, October 4, 1869, he
early showed great delight in working on
the land. The many things connected
with his boyhood work, which the aver-