Collection Summary
William Henry Whiting Family Papers
1731-1952
1842-1900
1731-1952
1842-1900
MSS52977
Whiting, William Henry, 1843-1925
500 items
1 microfilm reel
English,
German
Collection material in English, with German
Manuscript Division, Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
Naval officer. Genealogical data,
eighteenth-century documents including letters, bills of sale, and a petition, and other
material primarily concerning the Whiting family in Great Britain and the United States
and the family’s relationship to George Washington.
Selected Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically.
People
Washington, George, 1732-1799--Family.
Whiting family.
Whiting, William Henry, 1843-1925.
Organizations
Saratoga (Sloop of war)
Places
Great Britain--Genealogy.
United States--Genealogy.
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
Occupations
Naval officers.
Acquisition Informatino
The papers of the family of William Henry Whiting, naval officer, were deposited in the
Library of Congress in 1960 and 1964 by the Naval Historical Foundation. The collection
was withdrawn in 1975 and now consists of a microfilm edition produced by the Library
prior to its removal.
Processing History
The collection was processed in 1970 and prepared for filming in 1975 by Ruth S. Nicholson. The finding aid
was revised in 2009.
Copyright Status
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of the William Henry Whiting family
is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
Access and Restrictions
The microfilm of the family papers of William Henry Whiting is open to research.
Researchers are advised to contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many
collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for
research use.
Microfilm
A microfilm edition of these papers is available on one reel. Consult a reference
librarian in the Manuscript Division concerning availability for purchase or
interlibrary loan.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information:
Reel number, William Henry Whiting Family Papers, Naval Historical Foundation
Collection, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Biographical Note
Date
Event
1843, July 8
Born, New York, N.Y.
1863
Graduated, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md.
Duty in Hartford (sloop-of-war), West Gulf
Blockading Squadron
1865
1869
Duty in Kearsarge (sloop-of-war), Frolic (steamer), Ticonderoga (sloop-of-war), European Squadron
1870
Duty in Swatara (screw sloop)
1872
Duty in Benicia (screw sloop)
1875
Duty at Brooklyn Navy Yard, N.Y.
1876
Duty at Torpedo School, Newport, R.I.
1879
Duty in Constitution (“Old Ironsides”)
(frigate)
1884
1886
Commander, training ship, Saratoga
(sloop-of-war)
1894
Commandant, Pensacola Navy Yard, Fla.
1896
Commandant, Puget Sound Naval Station, Wash.
1897
Commander, Monadnock (monitor)
1900
Captain of yard, Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Calif.
1902
Commandant, naval station, Honolulu, Hawaii
1903
Promoted to rear admiral
Commandant, naval training station, San Francisco, Calif.
1905
Retired from United States Navy
1925, July 26
Died, Berkeley, Calif.
Scope and Content Note
The microfilm of the papers of the family of William Henry Whiting (1843-1925) spans the
years 1731-1952 with the bulk from 1842 to 1900. The collection consists of genealogical
information on the Whiting family in Great Britain and the United States including the
family’s relationship to George Washington. Also included are eighteenth-century
letters, bills of sale, and a petition, and later items such as steel engravings,
photographs, and tintypes.
There is little material concerning Whiting’s life and naval career except for school
certificates, a photograph album illustrating some aspects of his command of the
training ship Saratoga (sloop-of-war), and his
obituary.
Arrangement of the Papers
This collection is arranged as filmed, with single items arranged chronologically
followed by genealogical material and miscellany organized by type of material.
Container List
Container numbers refer to the housing of the material prior to the withdrawal of the
papers after filming.
Available on microfilm. Shelf no. 16,526
Container
Reel
Contents
1
1
Single documents
1
1
Jacob Sharp, New York, receipt, 1725, Nov.
23
1725, Nov.
23
1
1
Jacob Sharp and John Pieter Phillips, petition
to William Burnet, circa 1727
circa
1727
1
1
Jacob Sharp, Albany County, N.Y., bond,
1731, Oct. 7
1731, Oct.
7
1
1
J. H. Broescken to Countess Wied, will (in
German), 1736, May
1736,
May
1
1
Lewis Scharp, New York, to Jerry Scharp, Albany,
N.Y. (in German with translation), 1751, Apr. 13
1751, Apr.
13
1
1
Jacob Ten Eyck, Philip Schuyler, Joseph Yates,
Jr., and Robert Livingstone, Jr., to Jury Scherp, Downie Fonda, and Johannes
Hoogeboom, 1751, June 4
1751, June
4
1
1
Gertgen Scharp, Camp D., to Kunrath Scharp,
Albany, N.Y., 1761, May 13
1761, May
13
1
1
Conrat Scharp, Albany, N.Y., bill of sale for
the sloop Albany, sold by Henry Staats,
1766, Nov. 20
1766, Nov.
20
1
1
Coenraed Sharp, New York, bill of sale for Negro
man, Pompey, sold by Myer Myers, 1767, Aug. 4
1767, Aug.
4
1
1
Junie Sharpe, Albany, N.Y., bill of sale for the
sloop Albany, sold by Coenraed Scharpe,
1769, Apr. 3
1769, Apr.
3
1
1
Coenraed Sharpe, and George Sharpe, Albany,
N.Y., bond, 1769, June 5
1769, June
5
1
1
John P. Quachenboss, Albany, N.Y., bill of sale
for the sloop Brittanja, sold by George and
Coenraed Scharp, 1772, Mar. 5
1772, Mar.
5
1
1
William H. Whiting, Albany, N.Y., inventory,
1813, Nov.
1813,
Nov.
1
1
William H. Whiting, Hudson, school certificates,
1852, Feb.-1855, July
1852, Feb.-1855,
July
1
1
William H. Whiting, Hudson, N.Y., deed of
burying ground lot, 1858, Sept. 9
1858, Sept.
9
1
1
J. Jacob Sömper to Georg (in German),
Undated
Undated
1
1
Genealogy
1
1
“Records of the Whiting Family in America,”
undated
undated
1
1
“The Virginia Whitings,” undated
undated
1
1
Whiting family
(2 notebooks and miscellany)
1
1
“The Washington Line,” 1952
1952
2
1
Whiting family in Great Britain, handwritten
vol., undated
undated
3
1
Miscellany
3
1
Scrapbook of newspaper clippings concerning the
Whiting family, 1845-1885
1845-1885
3
1
Photograph album, Saratoga (sloop-of-war), 1885
1885
4
1
Scrapbook of steel engravings,
1825-1936
1825-1936
4
1
Steel engravings, 1805-1831
1805-1831
4
1
Tinted engravings of dress and hat styles,
1809-1829
1809-1829
(8 folders)
4
1
Sketch of “Oakhurst,” Whiting family residence,
Bloomfield, Wis., 1843
1843
5
1
Obituaries, newspaper clippings,
1925
1925
5
1
Photographs, unidentified, undated
undated
(2 folders)
5
1
Family Bible and other printed matter,
1868-1912
1868-1912
5
1
Framed tintypes
5
1
United States bank notes, undated
undated
5
1
General miscellany