Pages

▼

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Whiting Sweeting (Nothing Sweet About This Murderer)

I'm sure Mary Clara Worden Wilcox had no clue that one of her ancestors was a murderer when she applied for membership into the DAR*. Mary was my 3rd cousin 3 times removed. One of her ancestor's was Whiting Sweeting, and that name just demanded that I find out something about him. I'm not sure if it was just the name or the fact that I had a copy of Mary's DAR application (see online copy, page 16 for Mrs. Mary Clara Worden Wilcox) in my hand, obtained when I actually worked at the DAR in Washington, DC. We both shared the same Revolutionary War ancestor, but not used as our patriot.

Mary Clara's great-grandfather Whiting Sweeting, the murderer, was married to Sarah Kilborn, my 4th great aunt. Mary and I have Sarah's father, Jonathan Kilborn as our Revolutionary War ancestor.

Why would a young man of 27 years old from Stephentown, Rensselaer Co., New York  and from a good family kill Darius Quimby on January 3, 1791? From Wikipedia: "Constable Quimby was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a man named Whiting Sweeting of Stephentown, Rensselaer County, N.Y., on a trespassing warrant. The suspect was found guilty of murdering Constable Quimby in the July session of the New York State Supreme Court and was hanged on August 26, 1791." From various records, his first name, Whiting, was his mother's maiden name, his father was a prominent doctor in the Revolutionary war, and much of the family left Massachusetts to settle in New York.

"While incarcerated, Sweeting wrote his book and was visited frequently by William Carter who thereafter authored a small book entitled: A Remarkable narrative of Whiting Sweeting; who was executed at Albany … for murder," written in 1791 and printed in 1793.(See 1791 timeline on New York State Executions by Hanging).

There are 40 pages with lots of rambling and include messages to his parents, siblings, wife and to her parents (my 5th great-grandparents). Along with the messages were poems to each of them. Obtained online as an ebook from Cornell University, Courtesy of Cornell University Library, Trial Pamphlets Collection.

"This is probably the most frequently reprinted murder pamphlet in American criminal history, with at least a dozen editions. The main interest in the story seems to have been the severe penalty for an unpremeditated murder. A small posse was pursuing Sweeting to serve a warrant for trespass. Cornered in the woods at night, he lashed out at his pursuers and struck one of them with a knife, inflicting a deadly wound." From The Bottom Up.

*DAR membership appl. of Mary C. Worden Wilcox (#41,034) on Jonathan Kilborn (1742-1807), Oct. 29, 1902.
Generation No. 1
1.
Whiting SWEETING (Lewis SWEETING3, Lewis SWEETING2, Henry SWEETING1) was born ABT 5 AUG 1764 in Norton, Bristol Co., Massachusetts, and died 26 AUG 1791 in Albany, Albany Co., New York. He married Sarah KILBORN, daughter of JONATHAN KILBORN and HANNAH CHAPMAN. She was born ABT 1762.



Children of Whiting SWEETING and Sarah KILBORN were:
+
2
  i.
Abiah SWEETING was born 11 MAY 1785 in Stephentown, Rensselaer Co., New York, and died 8 OCT 1867.

3
  ii.
Unknown SWEETING.

Generation No. 2
2.
Abiah SWEETING (Whiting SWEETING4, Lewis SWEETING3, Lewis SWEETING2, Henry SWEETING1) was born 11 MAY 1785 in Stephentown, Rensselaer Co., New York, and died 8 OCT 1867. She married Jesse WORDEN 1808, son of Walater WORDEN and Lucretia HICKS. He was born 14 OCT 1781 in Petersburg, Rensselaer Co., New York, and died FEB 1853 in Fayetteville, New York.



Children of Abiah SWEETING and Jesse WORDEN were:
+
4
  i.
Sweeting Whiting WORDEN was born 11 NOV 1809 in New York, and died 5 MAY 1880.
+
5
  ii.
DeWitt Clinton WORDEN was born 1 MAY 1811 in New York, and died 29 AUG 1882 in Syracuse, Onondaga Co., New York.

6
  iii.
Thompkins D. WORDEN was born 24 MAY 1813.
+
7
  iv.
Monroe P. WORDEN was born 1 MAR 1817 in Clinton, Oneida Co., New York.

Generation No. 3
4.
Sweeting Whiting WORDEN (Abiah SWEETING5, Whiting SWEETING4, Lewis SWEETING3, Lewis SWEETING2, Henry SWEETING1) was born 11 NOV 1809 in New York, and died 5 MAY 1880. He married Sally HALLETT. He married Charlotte BREED.



Children of Sweeting Whiting WORDEN and Charlotte BREED\BLANCHARD? were:
8
  i.
Margaretta WORDEN was born ABT 1835.

9
  ii.
Julia? WORDEN.
+
10
  iii.
Whiting Sweeting WORDEN was born 8 DEC 1858 in Syracuse, Onondaga Co., New York, and died 17 OCT 1933.

5.
DeWitt Clinton WORDEN (Abiah SWEETING5, Whiting SWEETING4, Lewis SWEETING3, Lewis SWEETING2, Henry SWEETING1) was born 1 MAY 1811 in New York, and died 29 AUG 1882 in Syracuse, Onondaga Co., New York. He was buried in Syracuse, Onondaga Co., New York. He married Mary White WILD, daughter of Jonathan WILD and Nancy LINFIELD. She was born 15 MAR 1820 in Massachusetts, and died 19 FEB 1910 in Syracuse, Onondaga Co., New York. She was buried in Syracuse, Onondaga Co., New York.



Children of DeWitt Clinton WORDEN and Mary White WILD were:
11
  i.
Monroe C. WORDEN was born 15 JUN 1840 in New York, and died 25 APR 1862 in Washington, District of Columbia.
+
12
  ii.
Salter D.W. WORDEN was born MAR 1850 in New York, and died 26 JUN 1927 in San Francisco, San Francisco Co., California.
+
13
  iii.
Mary Clara WORDEN was born MAR 1855 in Fayetteville, Onondoga Co., New York.
+
10
  iv.
Whiting Sweeting WORDEN was born 8 DEC 1858 in Syracuse, Onondaga Co., New York, and died 17 OCT 1933.

7.
Monroe P. WORDEN (Abiah SWEETING5, Whiting SWEETING4, Lewis SWEETING3, Lewis SWEETING2, Henry SWEETING1) was born 1 MAR 1817 in Clinton, Oneida Co., New York. He married Susan NORTHRUP 1 FEB 1837 in Clinton, Clinton Co., New York, daughter of Daniel Peck NORTHRUP. She was born 1 MAY 1817 in Clinton, Clinton Co., New York.



Child of Monroe P. WORDEN and Susan NORTHRUP was:
+
14
  i.
Lester A WORDEN.

Generation No. 4
10.
Whiting Sweeting WORDEN (Sweeting Whiting WORDEN6, Abiah SWEETING5, Whiting SWEETING4, Lewis SWEETING3, Lewis SWEETING2, Henry SWEETING1) was born 8 DEC 1858 in Syracuse, Onondaga Co., New York, and died 17 OCT 1933. He was buried in Syracuse, Onondaga Co., New York. He married Hattie WAY, daughter of Peter B. WAY and Amanda E. BIGELOW. She was born 16 MAR 1864, and died 21 NOV 1923 in Japan. She was buried in Syracuse, Onondaga Co., New York.



Children of Whiting Sweeting WORDEN and Hattie WAY were:
15
  i.
Albert Clarence WORDEN was born 19 DEC 1901 in Toyko, Japan.

16
  ii.
Theodore Griffin WORDEN was born 29 MAY 1904 in Yokohama, Japan.
+
17
  iii.
Mary WORDEN.

12.
Salter D.W. WORDEN (DeWitt Clinton WORDEN6, Abiah SWEETING5, Whiting SWEETING4, Lewis SWEETING3, Lewis SWEETING2, Henry SWEETING1) was born MAR 1850 in New York, and died 26 JUN 1927 in San Francisco, San Francisco Co., California. He married Frankie ABT 1868. She was born ABT 1854 in New York.



Children of Salter D.W. WORDEN and Frankie were:
18
  i.
Clara WORDEN was born ABT 1870 in New York.

19
  ii.
Dewitt WORDEN was born ABT 1877 in California.

13.
Mary Clara WORDEN* (DeWitt Clinton WORDEN6, Abiah SWEETING5, Whiting SWEETING4, Lewis SWEETING3, Lewis SWEETING2, Henry SWEETING1) was born MAR 1855 in Fayetteville, Onondoga Co., New York. She married Frank Z. WILCOX. He was born DEC 1850 in New York.



Child of Mary Clara WORDEN and Frank Z. WILCOX was:
20
  i.
Milton W. WILCOX was born DEC 1877.

10.
Whiting Sweeting WORDEN (Sweeting Whiting WORDEN6, Abiah SWEETING5, Whiting SWEETING4, Lewis SWEETING3, Lewis SWEETING2, Henry SWEETING1) was born 8 DEC 1858 in Syracuse, Onondaga Co., New York, and died 17 OCT 1933. He was buried in Syracuse, Onondaga Co., New York. He married Hattie WAY, daughter of Peter B. WAY and Amanda E. BIGELOW. She was born 16 MAR 1864, and died 21 NOV 1923 in Japan. She was buried in Syracuse, Onondaga Co., New York.



Children of Whiting Sweeting WORDEN and Hattie WAY were:
15
  i.
Albert Clarence WORDEN was born 19 DEC 1901 in Toyko, Japan.

16
  ii.
Theodore Griffin WORDEN was born 29 MAY 1904 in Yokohama, Japan.
+
17
  iii.
Mary WORDEN.

14.
Lester A WORDEN (Monroe P. WORDEN6, Abiah SWEETING5, Whiting SWEETING4, Lewis SWEETING3, Lewis SWEETING2, Henry SWEETING1). He married Julie E. WELTON.



Child of Lester A WORDEN and Julie E. WELTON was:
21
  i.
Frank WORDEN.