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Sunday, February 24, 2013

Thomas William Whitaker 1816-1886 headstone

Even on his headstone he had an incorrect birth year because he was hiding from or rather for his posterity that his parents were married after he was born.  His dad (Thomas J Whitaker) worked for her dad (Grandpa William Betts) who owned ships.  He went on a trip for several years (at the requests of Grandpa Betts) to come home to the surprise of having fathered a child (Thomas) before he left.  As a result Thomas took this secret to the grave claiming to be 6 years younger than he really was.

Thomas William Whitaker 1816-1886

These are my notes taken from reading his journal.  I need to find more sources mainly because there is a bit of conflicting information.  He kept his marriages previous to Elizabeth Oakden Mills very private.  She did not know about his previous marriages until after they were married for a while.  He mentioned in his journal that he always told people he was younger than he was because his parents were not married when he was born and did not want his family to bear the shame.  - Kristina Williams Park

Tauna Tautipi (Tahiti) was his first wife, Anna an adopted daughter (she came from a friend who died shortly before Tauna died in the same plague -small pox).    Anna had a sister who was also taken in by the Whitaker family, however the sister (who was younger) also died of the same plague.   

Mary Ann - lived in New Zealand. She was from San Francisco where she had a boarding house and a saloon. She was very well off financially. He met her as he traveled around after his wife had died and they burned his home and belongs because a relative had black diphtheria. She was a widow with no children and a bit older than he. He had no desire to marry him, but she got him drunk and he woke up married with his signature on the marriage certificate. They had a hard marriage she was Irish and Catholic they eventually got a divorce when they went to San Francisco in 1849.       

Elizabeth Oakden Mills was his third marriage (although she did not know about his first two marriages until after she married).

Hannah Waddoups was his fourth marriage and made for a plural wife (him having been married to Elizabeth Oakden Mills as well).

In a different place there is a conflicting letter in his journal that Leo Lyman shared with Thomas' grandson who was scribing this journal.  It says that Thomas' Native wife was with him in California.  When he discussed going to Utah, she said that she'd rather go back to the Islands to see family and friends.  She told him that if she went to Utah she would hate it and if he got sent on a mission, she would not be able to handle the cold and the way of life there.  Brother Rich counseled Thomas to give her a choice and she chose to go home.  Thomas comments that she is a good woman and I want to see her saved in the Kingdom of God.

Things that Endure:  The life and times of John M Whitaker. (found at "familysearch.org" under books)