Margaret Whetten/Wheaton was the second wife of reknowned Albany sailor Stewart Dean. She was born in August 1760. She was the daughter of Manhattan-based mariner William and Margaret Todd Whetton.

She married widower Stewart Dean at the New York Dutch church in 1787. Dean had recently returned from his historic voyage to China and Margaret's brother was his first mate. Stewart Dean brought his bride home to Albany to help raise the nine-year-old daughter from his first marriage.

These Deans lived on the Albany waterfront where their family continued to grow with the birth of twelve children. As her husband continued to sail, Margaret was identified as the head of their third ward household on the census of 1800. When Stewart finally returned for good, the Deans relocated to a large home in Arbor Hill. They also lived in New York City and elsewhere in New York State.

Stewart Dean died in 1836. In the care of her children, Margaret Whetten Dean died in Lima, New York in December 1851 at age 95.

first posted: 8/25/01