Ruth HUNTINGTON
Biography

RUTH, born in Norwich, Nov. 28, 1682, where she married, Jan. 8, 1707-8, Ralph Wheelock, of Windham, Conn., a son of Capt. Eleazer Wheelock,
of Mendon, Mass, who was born in 1683. She deserves especial notice in this memoir, both for her own great personal worth, and for the excellence and eminence of her descendants. Every tradition respecting her makes her a woman of unusual intelligence, and of rare piety. Her home, the main theater of her life, was blessed equally by her timely instructions, her holy example, and the administration of a gentle yet
firm discipline. She died in Windham, Sept. 1, 1725. Her husband married for his second wife Mercy Standish, by whom he had but one child, Mary, born Nov. 28, 1728.

The children of Ruth were:

Elizabeth, born July 18, 1709.

Eleazer, born April 22, 1711, graduated at Yale College 1733, with much distinction, and ordained to to the work of the ministry, in Lebanon, in 1735, where he labored in the ministry, and in the work of teaching, until 1770. While here he received the degree of Doctor of Divinity from the University of Edinburg. During these years he had been especially successful in teaching Indian youth; and the growth of the white population in that vicinity, led him to seek a more retired post, and Hanover, N. H., was chosen as the best place for establishing an Academy for the thorough training of such English
and Indian youth as might be committed to his care. Hither he repaired, and here he had the satisfaction of laying the foundations of what has since become Dartmouth College, of which he was the first President. He married for his first wife Mrs. Sarah Maltby, a daughter of Rev. John Davenport, of Stamford, Conn., and for his second, Miss Mary Brismade, of Milford, Conn. Ruth, a daughter of his first wife, was the wife of Rev. Wm. Patten, D. D., of Halifax, Mass., and mother of the Rev. Dr. Wm. Patten, of Hartford, Conn. She was a woman of marked accomplishments. Another daughter, Mary, married Prof. Woodward, of Dartmouth College; Abigail married Prof. Ripley, of the same college. John graduated in the first class of Dartmouth, in 1771, and succeeded his father in the Presidency of the college, which office he filled nearly forty years. His only child, a daughter, became the wife of the Rev. Dr. Allen, now of Northampton, and late President of Bowdoin College. Two other of his sons, Col. Eleazer, and James, graduated, also at Dartmouth College.

Ruth, born May 25, 1713.

Abigail, born March 3, 1717, married the Rev. Dr. Pomeroy of Hebron,
Conn., and was the mother of seven children, who lived to honor their parentage.

John, born Jan. 20, 1720, and died on the 29th of same month.

Sarah, born July 7, 1725, married Dec. 21, 1742, Joseph Bingham, and had seven children, the first of whom was Jerusha, born Oct. 15, 1743, married, Sept.. 19, 1769, Rev. Samuel Kirkland, the missionary to the Indians in Oneida, New York, and father of Dr. John Kirkland, the distinguished President of Harvard University, from 1810 to 1828.

Ralph Wheelock, the husband of Ruth, was chosen deacon of Windham
church in 1729. He died in Windham, Oct. 15, 1748.

A genealogical memoir of the Huntington family in this country: embracing all the known descendants of Simon and Margaret Huntington, who have retained the family name (1863)
Author: Huntington, E. B. (Elijah Baldwin), 1816-1877
Subject: Huntington, Simon, 1583-1633; Huntington family
Publisher: Stamford, Conn., The author



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