Alice Whitford

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Matteson-165

Alice (Matteson) Whitford (1734 - aft. 1818)

Alice Whitford formerly Matteson
Born 6 Jun 1734 in East Greenwich, Kent, Rhode Islandmap
ANCESTORS ancestors
Daughter of Joseph Matteson and Martha (Greene) Matteson
Sister of Jonathan Matteson, Elizabeth Matteson, John Matteson and Lois (Matteson) Tarbox
Wife of Thomas Whitford — married 9 Jan 1752 in W Greenwich, Kent, Rhode Island,map
DESCENDANTS descendants
Mother of Huldah (Whitford) Sweet, Martha (Whitford) Sweet, Greene Whitford, Pasco Whitford and Amey (Whitford) Shippee
Died after 1818 after age 83 in East Greenwich, Kent, Rhode Island, United Statesmap
PROBLEMS/QUESTIONSProfile manager: Dee Kermode private message [send private message]
Profile last modified 25 Mar 2024 | Created 18 Jun 2013
This page has been accessed 555 times.
Contents

[hide]
1 Biography
2 Research Notes
2.1 Austin (1887)
2.2 La Mance (1904)
2.3 Steele (1912)
2.4 Weaver (1928)
2.5 Matteson (1938)
2.6 Census
3 Sources
4 Acknowledgements
Biography

Alice Matteson was the daughter of Joseph Matteson (1705-1758) and Martha Greene (1712-1807), born in June 1734 in East Greenwich, Kent County, Rhode Island.[1]

Alice married Thomas Whitford (1734 - 1818) on 9 Jan 1752 in West Greenwich, Kent County, Rhode Island.[2]

Thomas and Alice resided in East Greenwich, Kent County, Rhode Island, where they raised their family. (see "Census" section for notes)

Thomas's will was dated 25 Nov 1812, and was proved 1 Jun 1818, suggesting that he probably died in 1818[3].
Will of THOMAS WHITFORD of East Greenwich, dated Nov. 25, 1812, mentions:
Wife Alice (annotation: Alice Matteson)
Grandson John Whitford.
Three daughters, Audre Case, Barbara Hall and Amy Shippee.
Daughter Hannah Nichols children.
do Martha Sweet.
do Huldah Sweet.
Son Greene Whitford.
Son Constant Whitford and his son John Whitford.
Son Isaac Whitford and his daughter Charity Reynolds, wife of Thomas Reynolds.
Will proved June 1.1818.
Alice most likely died after 1818, but an unsourced FindAGrave memorial claims she died in 1782 and was cremated at that time.[4]

Research Notes

According to Rhode Island, U.S., Vital Extracts, 1636-1899[5] the record of their marriage reads as follows:
"1-8 [Matteson] Joseph, of Thomas, and Martha Greene, of John; m. by Thomas Spencer, Justice, May 8, 1727."
That record stating that Joseph's father was named "Thomas" conflicts with the picture painted by several other sources. I will cite five published histories and what they claim, and then explain the conclusion they seem to support.

Austin (1887)

The Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island was compiled by John Osborne Austin in 1887. Here is an abridged outline of the Matteson family documented on page 132:[6]

Henry Matteson (1646-~1690) and Hannah Parsons
I. Henry Matteson (d. 13 Apr 1752) and Judith Weaver (d. 1751) - dau. of Clement Weaver
10 named children
II. Thomas Matteson (d. 19 Jan 1740) and Martha Shippee - dau. of David and Margaret (Scranton) Shippee
6 named children, including:
4. Joseph Matteson (b. 1 Jul 1705)
III. Joseph Matteson (d. 1758) and Rachel (no further info)
1. Joseph Matteson (b. 22 Mar 1707)
Joseph and 2nd wife, Martha (died after 1757; no further info)
2. Obadiah
3. Jonathan
4. William
5. Alice
6. Elizabeth
7. Thomas
8. John
9. Ezekiel
10. Lois
11. Eunice
That same source provides a summary of Joseph's will, proved 2 Sep 1758, which names wife Martha and daughter Alice Whitford, as well as the other children, except Obadiah.

La Mance (1904)

According to The Greene family and its branches from 861 to 1904 by Lora La Mance[7]
"MARTHA GREENE-MATTESON. She was married 10 days before her brother, James Greene, being married to Joseph Matteson May 8, 1727. He was her mother's first cousin, and had at that time a grown son by his first marriage. Had nine children. Of Obediah, Elizabeth, Thomas and Eunice I have no records. Martha's line is a most extensive one, and cannot be given as fully as I would wish, from lack of space."
--ALICE MATTESON-WHITFORD, wife of Thomas Whitford, her cousin. Line inter-married with the Tarbox branch later.
[Siblings listed:
--Jonathan Matteson m. Elizabeth Hackstone
--Ezekiel Matteson m. Rosanna Matteson (3rd and 4th cousins)
--John Matteson m. Elizabeth King
--Lois Matteson-Tarbox m. Samuel Tarbox]
Steele (1912)

Ancestry and descendants of William Curtis of Marcellus, N.Y.[8] named Joseph as the third child of Henry and Hannah Matteson:
"iii. JOSEPH, d. 1758, m. Ist, Rachel --, 2nd., Martha Greene.
Weaver (1928)

History and genealogy of a branch of the Weaver family[9] tentatively claims that Judith Weaver is the daughter of Clement Weaver (1647-1691) and wife of Henry Matteson, above ("I. Henry Matteson (1646-~1690)"). It then includes this brief mention:
"VII. Rachel, b. Dec. 24, 1684; m. Joseph Matteson (Henry). He was a brother of her sister Judith's husband.
CHILD (Matteson):
I. Joseph, b. March 22, 1707.
Matteson (1938)

Genealogist H. Porter Matteson addressed the discrepancy between the Rhode Island vital record identifying Joseph's father as "Thomas" and the other family histories confusing him with his uncle, as shown above, in his 1938 manuscript, Mattesons in America[10].
Page 4:
"B.4 Joseph Matteson married Rachel Weaver--as they had a grand son Clement I have presumed that Rachel was a daughter of Clement Weaver but one record states that she was a daughter of John--. In Arnolds Vita[l] Statistics there is no proof to show whether the Joseph who married Martha Green was this Joseph or not--some say Martha Greene was the 2d. wife of Joseph (2) but [t]hat is improbable as their eleven children were born between the years of 1728 and 1745 and Joseph was born 1678. I believe that the records sent by Anna Mathewson Lawrence to be correct--that Joseph the father of Obadiah etc. was a son of Thomas # son of Henry 1."
Page 10:
"C.34 Joseph Matteson son of Thomas (2) Henry (2) married 5-8-1727 Martha Greene dau of John.
Note: Many Genealogists give this Joseph as son of Henry but that is wrong. Some give him as grandson of Henry I; but Anna Lawrence is right--per this record.."
Page 11:
"C.34. Joseph Matteson (continued) son of Thomas (3) married Martha Greene --5-5-1757 will proved
"Executor son William. [skipping reprint of the will summary seen in the 1887 Austin source]
"Children of Joseph and Martha:
D.261. Obediah 4-13-1728
D.262. Jonathan 1730
D.263. William 2-2-1732
D.264. Alice June 1734
D.265. Elizabeth Nov. 1735
D.266. Thomas 5-2-1737
D.267. John May 2 1737
D.268. Ezekiel
D.269. Lois
D.270. Eunice"
Page 12:
"C.41. Joseph Matteson son of Joseph (2) married Freelove Tanner ____ dau of
Children of Joseph and Freelove:
D.301. Rachel Matteson 12-24-1729
D.302. Annie 9-6-1731
D.303. Elizabeth 1-26-1733
D.304. Clement 1-7-1735
D.305. Joseph 3-3-1737
D.306. Lydia 7-17-1740"
Conclusion: The data provided in Matteson's work appear to correct a mistake made in the 1887 "Genealogical Dictionary..." which associated Martha Greene and her children with her husband's uncle. Other than this example, the 1887 Dictionary appears to reliably compile a diverse collection of older sources. The mistake did seem to influence the later researchers who referred to it in their family histories without specifically citing the Genealogical Dictionary.

Census

Thomas Whitford is listed as the head of his household in the Rhode Island Census of 1774, living in the village of West Greenwich. His household is enumerated as[11]:

Males Above 16 (born before 1758): 2
Males Under 16: 3
Females Above 16: 1
Females Under 16: 1
Total in Household: 7
Thomas is listed as the head of his household in the 1790 U.S. Federal Census, living in West Greenwich, Kent County, Rhode Island. His household is enumerated as[12]:

Males 16 and over (born before 1774): 2
Males Under 16: 1
Females: 2
Total in Household: 5
Thomas is listed as the head of his household in the 1800 U.S. Federal Census, living in West Greenwich, Kent County, Rhode Island. His household is enumerated as[13]:

Males 45 and over (born before 1755): 1
Females 45 and over: 1
Males 16 thru 25 (born between 1775-1784): 1
Females Under 10 (born after 1790): 1
Total in Household: 4
Thomas is listed as the head of his household in the 1810 U.S. Federal Census, living in East Greenwich, Kent County, Rhode Island. His household is enumerated as[14]:

Males - 45 and over: 1
Females - 45 and over: 1
Sources

↑ Matteson, H. Porter, "Mattesons in America", Columbus, Ohio, 1938; pages 10 and 11 - accessed 12/31/2023; Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.
↑ Arnold, James Newell, Vital record of Rhode Island, 1636-1850: a family register for the people, Vol. 1, page 57 (462 of 637).
↑ Ancestry.com; Rhode Island, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1582-1932, extract from East Greenwich, R.I. Wills, Book 5, page 502; membership may be required to view; Lehi, UT, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.
↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #228685220
↑ Arnold, James Newell. Rhode Island, U.S., Vital Extracts, 1636-1899, image accessed 12/31/2023; Lehi, UT, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.
↑ Austin, John Osborne, 1849-1918, The genealogical dictionary of Rhode Island: comprising three generations of settlers who came before 1690: with many families carried to the fourth generation, J. Munsell's sons, Albany, 1887, page 132.
↑ La Mance, Lora Sarah Nichols (1857-), Stowe, Attie A. Nichols (1843-); The Greene family and its branches from 861 to 1904; Mayflower publishing company, Floral Park, N.Y., 1904; Collection: The Library of Congress, pp. 120-121.
↑ Steele, Lorissa E., Ancestry and descendants of William Curtis of Marcellus, N.Y., Pasadena, Calif.: L.E. Steele, 1912; Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005; page 74 - accessed 12/31/2023.
↑ Weaver, Lucius E.; History and genealogy of a branch of the Weaver family, Rochester, N.Y.: DuBois Press, 1928; Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005; page 69 - accessed 12/31/2023.
↑ Matteson, H. Porter, "Mattesons in America", Columbus, Ohio, 1938; pages 10 and 11 - accessed 12/31/2023; Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.
↑ Rhode Island Census, 1774; Page number 148; Provo, UT, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1997.
↑ 1790 United States Federal Census; Place: West Greenwich, Kent, Rhode Island; Series: M637; Roll: 10; Page: 62; Family History Library Film: 0568150; Provo, UT, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
↑ 1800 United States Federal Census; Place: West Greenwich, Kent, Rhode Island; Series: M32; Roll: 45; Page: 61; Image: 122; Family History Library Film: 218680; Provo, UT, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010.
↑ 1810 United States Federal Census; Place: East Greenwich, Kent, Rhode Island; Roll: 59; Page: 10; Image: 4433394_00027; FHL Roll: 0281233; Lehi, UT, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
Acknowledgements

Thank you to Bryan Mulholland for creating WikiTree profile Matteson-165 through the import of The Mulholland _ King Family.ged on May 29, 2013.