Whitaker, William, Sr.

WILLIAM WHITAKER SR.
submitted by C. Bruce Whitaker
William Whitaker was born November 22, 1772 near Linwood in Rowan County, in the part now known as Davidson County, N.C. He was the son of Joshua Sr. and Mary Reed Whitaker. He married Mary Canady, known as Polly, on January 31, 1793 in Rowan County. She had been born in Halifax County, on October 27, 1772.

William and Mary Whitaker moved to Fairview around 1798 and lived on what is now Old Fort Road. David Crockett once had dinner and spent the night with William Whitaker and his family in the early 1800’s while he was living in Swannanoa. William prospered as a farmer and mill owner, and died in Fairview on February 21, 1860. Both William and his wife are buried in Cane Creek Cemetery there, leaving a family of eight children:

Margaret, born December 25, 1793, married her second cousin James McCrary, son of Boyd and Nancy Anna Merrill McCrary. They moved to Gallatin, Davies County, Missouri.

Joshua Whitaker, born Sept. 15, 1797, married Margaret Asheworth, daughter of John Jr. and Celia Nettles Asheworth, and had a family of seven children.

Mary Whitaker, born July 24, 1799, married Hiram Jackson and they moved to Indiana where they raised a family of five children.

Sarah Whitaker, known as Sallie, was born June 13, 1801, married Thomas Henry Jenkins, from whom descended a future mayor of Asheville, His Honor Roy Trantham.

William Whitaker Jr., born July 6, 1803, married Rutha Williams, daughter of John and Mary Ashworth Williams. They left a large family.

James Whitaker, born May 14, 1805, married 1st, Melinda Fishel, daughter of Adam and Judie Fishel. Melinda died after the family moved to Gallatin, Davies County, Missouri, and he married Nancy Woodland, daughter of John and Celia Steepleford Woodland. Nancy was a Mormon and the family moved several times to places in Illinois, Iowa and finally to Willard in Box Elder County, Utah, where they are both buried. James had six children by his first wife and twelve by his second wife.

Martha Whitaker, born April 14, 1807, married Josiah Jenkins and they had a family of seven children.

Henry Whitaker was born March 26, 1811, and his family is described in a separate sketch.

–Heritage I, article #667, p. 364

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