Thomas Whitmee [1757 - 1841]

[1757 - 1841] MFMFMFFF

Born: 1757, Olney BKM

Father: Thomas Whitmee

Mother: Elizabeth Beale

5-generation pedigree

Siblings: (For dates, etc, see the extended family)

  1.   Thomas Whitmee
  2. Hepzipah Whitmee
  3. Sarah Whitmee
  4. Ann Whitmee
  5. Rebecca Whitmee
  6. Susannah Whitmee
  7. Unknown Whitmee
  8. John Whitmee
    Perhaps the John Whitmee in the 1821 census below
  9. Hannah Whitmee
  10. Esther Whitmee
  11. Mary Whitmee

The 1821 census of Olney lists 5 household heads named Whitmee. Thomas had left in 1815, but these 5 are presumably relatives.

Address Head of
Household 		Occupation Religion Number of Males aged Number of Females aged
0-5 5-10 10-15 15-20 20-30 30-40 40-50 50-60 0-5 5-10 10-15 15-20 20-30 30-40 40-50 50-60 60-70
Towns End Betty Lace Independent   1                       1     1
High Street James Carpenter Baptist 1       1       1       1        
Towns End John Farmer Baptist   1 1       1                 1  
Towns End Samuel Farmer Independent         1               1        
High Street West Mason Independent   1 1 2       1       1 1     1  

Extended family

Married: Hannah James 6 August 1782 Olney BKM
IGI M01469-3 lists the marriage date, the groom's name, & the bride's name

Children:

  1. Elizabeth Whitmee
  2. Samuel Whitmee
  3. Thomas Whitmee
  4. Peter Whitmee
  5. Sarah Whitmee
  6. Hannah Whitmee
  7. William Whitmee
  8. Sarah Whitmee
  9. Samuel Whitmee
  10. William Whitmee
  11. Jethro Whitmee

Died: 23 April 1841, Odell

Death Certificate:

Registration DistrictBedford
in the Sub-District ofHarrold
in the County ofBedford
When and where died23 April 1841 at Odell
Name and SurnameThomas Whitmee
SexMale
Age86
Occupation Farmer
Cause of Deathold age
InformantCatherine Warner (x) Widow, Odell, present at death
When Registered24 April 1841

Land Tax Assessment:

Date Place Proprietor Occupier Sum
1784-6 Olney Thomas Whitmee for farm £6 2s 8d
1787-94 Olney Lord Dartmouth Thomas Whitmee £6 2s 8d
1795 Olney Lord Dartmouth Thomas Whitmee £6 1s 1d
1796-7 Olney Lord Dartmouth Thomas Whitmee £6 1s 5d
1798 Olney Lord Dartmouth Thomas Whitmee £6 16s 5½d
1799 Olney Earl Dartmouth Thomas Whitmee £6 16s 17½d (sic)
1800-9 Olney Earl Dartmouth Thomas Whitmee £6 16s 3½d
1810-4 Olney Earl Dartmouth Thomas Whitmee £6 16s 3d
1815 Olney Earl Dartmouth Thomas Whitmee £6 16s 0d
1819 Odell Thomas Alston Esq Whitmee £30 7s 0d
1820-2 Odell Thomas Alston Esq Thomas Whitmee £30 7s 0d
1823-32 Odell Justinian Alston Esq Thomas Whitmee £30 7s 0d

Thomas seems to have left Olney BKM in 1815 and reached Odell in 1818. There were Thomas Whitmees farming Clifton and Emberton in 1816-7. That farming Emberton was presumably his son (whose son Peter was baptised there in 1815), but Thomas may also have farmed Clifton.

Rates:

Thomas Whitmee is listed as having paid one shilling in rates at Olney in 1810

Rate Book - Odell

Date Rate Paid by Amount
28 October 1818 1s Mr. Whiteney £14 5s 0d
2 December 1818 1s Mr. Whitmee £14 5s 0d
25 January 1819 1s Mr. (signs Thos)Whitmee £14 5s 0d
18 September 1819 2s Thos Whitmee £28 10s 0d
3 January 1820 2s Thos Whitmee £28 10s 0d
7 April 1822 6d Thos Whitmee £7 2s 6d

The signature on the 25 January 1819 Rate Book is the same as that on his 1841 will.

Poor Law Rate - Odell

Date Rate Paid by Amount
21 March 1839 2d Thos Whitmee £3 14s 8d

Farmed land on the Olney Estate of The Earl of Dartmouth
map

Ref Description a/m/p Quantity Per acre Value
7 House and Homestead 1r 2p40 10s 6d
34 Near Town Close 10a 1r 24p40 £20 16s 0d
35 Near Town Meadow 5a 2r 12p 50 £13 18s 9d
92 Short Massey 20a 1r16
93 West Pits 20a 1r 16
1r 22p16
94 S a 12 a 2r 32p16 £42 17s 0d
88 Long Massey a 18a 2r 26p15 £13 19s 11d
47 Weston's Meadow m 10a 2r 32p 42 £22 9s 4d
TOTAL 99a 0r 32p £114 12s 4d

Remarks
Nos 88, 92, 93 and 94 are arable clay Land in some Parts very strong and in others stoney and near the rock.
No 34 is excellent gravelly Land laid down to grass part of which has lately been ploughed up and must be laid down again.
No 35 is capital good Meadow Land which being flooded in the Winter Season by the River Ouse produces good crops of fine hay.
No 47 is pretty good Meadow Land, it and No 88 were added to this farm in 1797.
No 47 is Lady Day Entry, the residue of the farm is Michaelmas Entry.

Listed in the Posse Comitatus of Olney 1798 as having 5 horses, 1 waggon and 2 carts.

Biography:

Morris ["Makers of New York", 1895] contains a biography of his grandson, Deacon Samuel Whitmee, which says in part:-
"(Thomas Whitmee) died (in Bedfordshire) at the venerable age of ninety-two years; and his wife, who survived him, lived to be ninety-three years old. He was a tiller of the soil and one of the wealthy farmers of the town, having the care of five hundred acres of land. He was a man of marked individuality, and at the time of his death requested that his farm-wagon be used instead of a hearse to convey his body to its last resting-place, and that his employees on the farm be his bearers, his last wishes being strictly conformed with."

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