Joshua Whitaker

Joshua Whitaker was killed in 1719 during one of the religious rebellions in England. After his death, his wife and children migrated to the USA and settled in PA. He sadly never made it to the new world where his Uncles already were.

Joshua3 Whitaker Sr. (Robert2, William1) was born in Gundleton, York, England abt 1675/6. Joshua died 1719 Isle of Man, at 43 years of age.

He married Jane Banister Parker in London, England, 1693. Jane was born 1680. Jane was the daughter of John Parker and Elizabeth Banister. It is not known if Jane came to America. A certificate of removal was issued 16 Aug 1722 for daughter Katherine from the Society of Friends in Ireland when she was coming to 'Pensilvania'. His children are listed with Grindleton, Yorkshire birthplaces. It is not known if these may be the same location with misspellings. Joshua and his wife were both known to be Quakers. Their first three children were born in Grindleton, England. The birthplace of the fourth and fifth child is listed only as Yorkshire, England in the Ancestral File. By one account, Joshua was killed on the streets of London during the religious uprising of 1715 . By a second account, he died September 26, 1719 in Linwood near Lexington, Rowan County, North Carolina, and is buried in the Cemetery of Jersey Baptists in Rowan County, NC. This second account is not consistent with later records but deserves further investigation. A third account states he was killed in 1719 in a religious war on the Isle of Man.

After his death, his wife Jane and her four children fled to Timahoe, County Clare, Ireland.

Joshua Whitaker Sr. and Jane Banister Parker had the following children:

5 i. William4 Whitaker Sr was born in Grindleton, Yorkshire, England 10 Feb 1701. William died 1777/78 in Rowan, NC, at 77 years of age. He married Elizabeth Carleton in Kennett Square, Chester Co, PA, 11 Feb 1722. Elizabeth was born 1701. Fled the Indian Uprising in PA and went to NC.

6 ii. Joshua Whitaker was born in Grindleton, Yorkshire, England 1701.

+ 7 iii. Peter Whitaker was born 1703.

8 iv. Robert Whitaker was born in England abt 1705. He married Mary D. Hall in Kennett Square, Chester Co, PA.

9 v. Katherine Whitaker was born in England abt 1707. She married Charles Holman in Kennett Square, Chester Co, PA, 18 Sep 1724.on of Robert Whittaker (1637-1682) and Margaret Lisle (1639-1686) Married Jane Bannister Parker 1696 in London England. Sealed Apr 30 1991 in the Arizona Mesa Temple.

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John also spelled his name as "Whitaker".

We quote from a story about the early settlers of Muncy Valley on the west Branch of the Delaware River in Eastern Pennsylvania. The author is Mary Elizabeth Whitacre, whose intimate knowledge of the West Branch country has enabled her to reconstruct a remarkably clear picture.

“On 10/12/1699” (This would be November by the calendar in use then.) “John and Jane Scott purchased from Thomas Dugan 100 acres of land in what is now

Bristol Township, Bucks Co., Pennsylvania. (Bucks Deed Book 3:50). According to Warren S. Ely, this property lies just below Tullytwon on the Delaware River,

practically at the site of “Cold Spring” where Thomas Dugan had established the first Baptist Church in 1684. John Scott lived less than two years after he steeled

here. His will was dated 8 mo, 17, 1700” (November) “and was proved in Philadelphia 26 February 1700/1. Jane Scott – ‘my said wife’- was named sole executrix.”

By deed dated 6/7/1701, “Jane Scott Executrix of John Scott,” transferred the 100 acres on the Delaware to Tobias Dymock, (Bucks Co., Dd. Book 3:50) and in

the following year she married John Whitacre at Falls Monthly Meeting (Min. Mo. Mtg. 12/3/1702.) Immediately thereafter, with her husband and children, she moved to Upper Makefield Township, where Whitacre had purchased 600 acres of land from Thomas Stevenson. (Bucks Co. Dd. Bk. 11:736)

There is a definite record of but two children of John and Jane Scott, (1) Thomas, and (2) John. Of Thomas comparatively little is known. He resided for a time in

Upper Makefield on land adjoining that of his step-father, John Whitacre, and his name appears on the Poor Tax lists of 1742 and 1744 as well as on a petition for a new road in Upper Makefield dated 1755. (All in the files of the bucks Co. library at Doylestown). He was a member of Falls Meeting of Friends and was disciplined in 1748 for permitting his daughter of be married at home, by a

justice, to a man who was not a Friend.

“John Whitacre, and Naomi his wife took a certificate to Kingwood at about the same time, but according to Warren Ely, within a short time all had moved about

twelve miles north to Greenwich and no further record of Thomas has been located.” Continues Mary Elizabeth Whitacre.

“It would appear that John Whitacre dealt generously with his stepsons, as with his sons. It has been noted that Thomas Scott had land in the immediate vicinity

of that of his stepfather, and on March 4th and 5th, 1734, John Whiacre conveyed to John Scott by lease and release, 150 acres in Upper Makefield, a part of the

600 acres which he had purchased from Thomas Stevenson. (Buck Co. Deed Book).”

Through the rigid discipline of the Quaker Church John “Whitticar’ was “liberated to marry Jane Scott, 1702/12/3.” (Hinshaw: Quaker Genealogy) pg. 1037. To

them two sons were born, John Jr. 14 May 1704, and Robert, no birthdate is given, it was probably about 1706. John Jr. md. 24 June 1734, Naomi Hulme.

More on the Whitacre family: http://www.ajlambert.com/whitacre.htm

John WHITAKER probably sailed to America with the SCOTTs and other Lancashire and Yorkshire Friends on the Britannia in 1699. ... John SMITH's will, signed on the Britannia 29 July 1699, appointed James DILLWORTH of Philadelphia and John SCOTT, "late of ye Hill in Yorkshire", as executors. SMITH's will was proved at Philadelphia on 9 September 1699, just 16 days after the Britannia had arrived at its destination. John SCOTT signed the executor's bond, as did John WHITAKER as the "attorney" or co-bondsman. ... Then, about seventeen months later, John WHITAKER served in the same capacity for Jane (Bond) SCOTT, the executrix of the estate of her husband, John SCOTT.

Thus the close association of WHITAKER and SCOTT immediately after SCOTT's arrival in Pennsylvania makes it seem highly likely that WHITAKER was a Britannia passenger. But we do not know whether the men became friendly during the voyage, or already were acquainted prior to leaving England.

If John was acquainted with the SCOTTs before leaving England, his origins would be in the area near the Yorkshire-Lancashire border that had been the SCOTT family's home. Colne Parish and nearby Burnley Parish, Lancashire, ... have been inhabited by WHITAKERs from the earliest days that parish records were kept there. ... Burnley is only 10 miles southeast of Sawley, where the SCOTTs resided until the late 1690s.

Our John WHITAKER was a Quaker, and Quakers living in that region belonged to Marsden Monthly Meeting. ... Three WHITAKERs (John, James, and Henery) were members of Marsden MM in the 1670s and 1680s. These men apparently were related, perhaps brothers, and judging by

Printed Book Page # 326

the marriage dates for the first two, probably were born about 1650.

KERNS: (The source for the following appears to be KERNS. Nothing further is known about this source at this time.) The immigrant ancestor, John WHITACRE Sr. allegedly came to America about 1699 from Yorkshire, England. Being inspired by the Quakers, he settled in William Penn's Colony of Pennsylvania. Proof of the Bond-Scott-Parker relationships is best-presented by Harry Hollingsworth, "The American Genealogist", Volume 54, 1978, pg. 19-24. Kerns is also indebted to the late Dr. George E. McCracken for his ground-breaking research reported in his book, "The Welcome Claimants Proved, Disproved, and Doubtful", (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Company), 1970, pg. 226-227.