Is Johannes Whiteknaught of New Jersey the Father of Henry Whiteneck?

There is much speculation and tradition, and a little fact, surrounding the parentage of Henry Whitenah. As for the facts, in a letter dated 11 November 1782 (see Letter of Johannes Whiteknaught to his Son, Henry), we learn the following about Henry's father:

• His name is Johannes Whiteknaught
• He lived apart from his son, but close enough that a letter took less than one month to reach him
• His wife (Henry's mother) was also alive in 1782
• He had at least three sons and two daughters
• He was fairly advanced in age
• He was a religious person
• He was a farmer
• He could read and write English

These facts offer the only first-hand information we have regarding Henry's parents. Moving to secondary sources, the Biography of Margaret A. Van Meter (Henry's grand daughter) gives us the following information which may or may not be reliable regarding Henry, and which might give us clues into his parentage:

• Henry is said to have been a pioneer of New Jersey. It is possible, therefore, that Henry's father also lived at some time in New Jersey.
• Henry lived to be 92 years old

Finally, the least reliable source of information we have is family tradition, which may or may not help in identifying Henry's parents. Family tradition says that:

• Henry's father was named Johannes Whiteknaught. However, more than one source admits there might be one or two generations between this Johannes and Henry⁽¹⁾.
• Johannes Whiteknaught was born in Bommel, Holland in 1696 and settled in New Jersey in 1736⁽²⁾.
• Johannes married a Van Meter⁽³⁾.

Based on this information, it is likely that Henry's father is one Johannes Witeknaght (Whitenack) who lived in the Sowerland Mountains of Somerset County, New Jersey between 1728 and 1793. From documents and other sources, we know the following about Johannes of New Jersey:

• He was admitted to membership in the North Branch of the Raritan Reformed Church in Somerset County in 1728
• He was on the tax records of Franklin in Somerset County in 1735 and owned 100 acres
• He was elected as an Elder in the church on 25 Sep 1751, and contributed towards building the Neshains Church in 1761
• His wife was named Neeltge, who, it is said, came from Holland
• In 1753 he owned land in the Sourland Mountain region
• Johannes lists the following as his children in 1779: Cornelius, Andric, Hendrick, Abraham, Johannes (deceased), Jannetye, Neeltye, Margaret, and Sarah⁽⁴⁾
• Johannes' son Hendrick was christened (baptized) 8 Feb 1743
• Johannes' wife was still living in 1779 when his will was written
• Johannes died after 1783 (when his will was amended). Some sources say his will was proved in 1783, others in 1793.

Again, tradition, speculation, and secondary sources give us the following possible facts regarding Johannes:

• Some link Johannes Witeknaght to a John George Weidknecht born about 1699 in Adelshofen, Germany
• Johannes' sons who stayed in New Jersey later changed the name to Whitenack. Some Whitenack family tradition states that Johannes came to America from Bommel Holland in 1736

A quick perusal of the facts and traditions surrounding both Henry and Johannes Whitenack show a fairly good match. If Johannes Whitenack is indeed Henry's father, and if some of the tradition surrounding both is correct, we can see the following similarities:

• If Neeltge Whiteknaught was originally a Van Meter, that might explain how Henry came to migrate from New Jersey to Virginia. At that time, the Van Meter family had moved to New Jersey. It's possible that when he felt alienated at home, he left to visit his cousins, the Van Meters, in Virginia. While there, he met the Burns' who had also intermarried with the Van Meters.
• Henry had children named Eleanor (also called Nellie, possibly Neeltge), Margaret (although his wife's name was Margaret), and Sarah. One son, John G., might possibly be named for John George (assuming that Johannes is the John George Weidknecht in Adelshofen).
• Johannes' son John was deceased in 1779. Most likely, this son is the John Whiteneck who died in Maryland in 1774. His son John is likely the grandson that Johannes mentions in his will. In addition, John, son of John, is likely the same John Whitenack from Maryland who sold land to Henry and Margaret in 1787.
• In 1787, Henry had money to purchase land in Berkeley County. Quite possibly, he obtained this money from the sale of his share of the inheritance from Johannes Witeknaght (although no land sale records in New Jersey have been located).

Despite these intriging possibilities, there is still one missing piece of evidence that definitively links Henry and Johannes together. In addition, there are the following items which might suggest that Johannes Witeknaght of New Jersey might not be Henry's father:

• Henry is said to have lived to the age of 92. If this is true, he would have been born about 1728, not around 1743 as was Johannes' son Hendrick. Here are some possibilities for this discrepancy:
  • Margaret (Henry's grand daughter) might have incorrectly remembered Henry's age at his death. Perhaps this recollection of an old grandfather really applied to her great grandfather, Johannes Whitenack. If Johannes was born about 1699, and his will proved in 1793, he would have been around 92 years old. Or perhaps he was born in 1696 (as Whitnah tradition states) and died around 1783.
  • Henry Whitenack might have been born earlier than 1743, but only christened in 1743 (although it's unlikely that there is a 15 year difference).
  • Henry was related to Johannes, but not as his son. Perhaps Henry is the son of another Johannes who is father to both Henry and Johannes.
• Family tradition consistently places the arrival of the Whitnah ancestors in America around 1736. Johannes Witeknaght of New Jersey was in America by 1728 (and possibly as early as 1710).
• There is a Henry Weidknecht from Pennsylvania enlisted in the Revolutionary War July 9, 1776. This branch of the Weidknecht family has not yet been identified, so it is somewhat possible that this Henry could be our Henry. This Henry was killed, missing, or wounded after the battle of Fort Washington on 16 November 1776.
• Johannes made his mark on his will, he did not sign his name. Either the recorder incorrectly indicated how he signed his will, or he could not write. Or he could but simply did not sign the will with his name. Or perhaps his wife wrote the letter to his son Henry.

See the following documents for possible additional information about Johannes' parentage:

• Whitnah Family Genealogy
• Andreas Weydknecht, emmigrant to America in 1710, from The Palatine Families of New York by Henry Z. Jones, Jr.
• Whitenack Family Notes and Letters by Mildred Hamburg
• Ancestry of Johannes Whiteknaught (compile from The Palatine Families of New York by Henry Z. Jones, Jr.)

Notes:

1. Correspondence with Scott Whitnah. Scott copied down a descendant chart from a Bible and indicated one or two generations between Johannes and Henry. I have not seen the original source for his notes.
2. See Roberta Whitnah Family Notes. Similar information has been passed between other family members.
3. Ibid.
4. See Will of Johannes Witeknaght.