Ann Margaret King was my third great-grandmother. She was born in Maryland about 1814. I have no information about her parents or siblings. Commonly know as Margaret, she married John Washington Whisman on November 7, 1843. They had seven children over the course of eleven years: Mary E (born 1840), Juliana (born 1841), Nancy Alameda Whisman (born 1844), John Sutter (born 1846), Joseph Palmer (born 1849), and Frances Margaret (born 1851). *note: It is entirely possible that Ann had been married before, and that her maiden name was not King. It is possible that her first married name ended in "King".
In 1846, Margaret, John, and their four children Mary, Julianna, Nancy and Ann joined the Russell-Boggs wagon train headed for California. The wagon train departed in early May heading west along the Oregon/California trail, Margaret was four months pregnant. Somewhere along the trail, Ann, John and Margaret's youngest child, died. She was buried along the trail and the family moved on with the rest of the wagon train. The Russell-Boggs wagon train arrived at Sutters Fort on October 10, 1846. They following day, John and Margaret's fifth child was born, their first son named John Sutter Whisman.
The Mexican-American War (1846-1847) was underway by the time the Whisman's arrived at Sutters Fort.. The family spent some time recovering from their journey across the plains, then proceeded to the Spanish mission in Santa Clara, where the family stayed until the end of the Mexican War. Nancy's father joined the conflict by enlisting with John Fremont's regiment on November 1st. The war lasted only a few more months and John was discharged from service on February 15, 1847. After the war, John and Margaret acquired a Mexican Land Grant with John's cousin (Old John) in the Fremont Township, in Santa Clara County. Their last two children where born in Santa Clara County, John Palmer (born 1849) and Frances Margaret (born 1851).
Ann Margaret Whisman died on October 10, 1854, in Santa Clara County. She and John had been married almost eleven years. I have no information as to where Margaret is buried.
