HISTORY.htm
Please notify [email protected] of any errors in the text below, which was copied from "THE WHITE FAMILY, A Genealogical Historical Sketch of the White Family :from the time of John White of County Antrim, Ireland, 1720 to the time of his descendants of present day1968", Collaborators: Garner Brown White, Matthew Elder White, Bonner Dale White. Compiled and Edited by Bonner Dale White, Chester, South Carolina, 1932
Copied from Page 83 of the HISTORY OF THE WHITE FAMILY:
This history was found in the attic of Dr. G. B. White's home in May, 1959, 25 years after his death.
September 27, 1897
Mrs. Annie White
Dear Cousin,
My Cousin John G. White received a letter from you about two
weeks ago. He gave me the letter and requested me to answer it as
he is not so well acquainted with the history of our family as I
am. My Father, my Brother Matthew and myself have always taken an
interest in the history of our family and have kept trace of most
all of our relatives. My Father and I visited you and your
Husband, John White, in August, 1887. You had just been married a
short time before we were there. We came to your house one night
and spent about 2 hours with you. We had spent 2 or 3 hours at
your husband's store that afternoon. We are sorry to hear of
Cousin John's death. It was my Father that met Mr. Jackson and
enquired for Cousin John. We are glad to know that you feel an
interest in his people and that you want your daughter to know of
them. I don't think she will ever have any reason to be ashamed
of her Father's relatives. (We have a large family connection
scattered through several states and with very few exceptions
they are an upright, honorable people.) The first one of the
Whites I know anything about was John White, who came from County
Antrim, Ireland, and settled three miles southeast of here in
1767. He married Ann Garner and they had six daughters and one
son, William, before they left Ireland. John White died about the
beginning of the Revolutionary War. His wife lived to be 93 years
old and died in 1817. The daughters all married and have
descendants too numerous to mention. The only son, William,
married Jane Brown. They had eight sons and one daughter (Jane).
The names of the sons are as follows: John, James, Samuel,
Abraham, Hugh, William, Frank and Garner. John White, the oldest
son, married Margret Kennedy. They had four sons and three
daughters. The sons were Wm., Frank, John, and Robert. They lived
several years near here. He died and Aunt Margret and family
moved in 1940 to Marissa, Illinois. She died many years ago. The
oldest son, William, now dead, left one son, James, who still
lives at Marissa, Ill., andhas a family of several children.
Frank the 2nd son still living at Marissa, has four daughters,
all married and have children. Two of Cousin Frank's grandsons,
MeQuilkins, live in St. Louis, Missouri. Both have good positions.
One is a superintendent of a large manufacturing establishment.
Another one of Cousin Frank's grandsons is studying to be a
preacher. The next son, John White, died several years ago. He (Page
84) left one son, John K. (?), who is married and has one son,
Joseph, living near Marissa, Illinois, He also left two daughters,
Mrs. S. S. Boyle, and Mrs. John Nixon, both living at Marissa.
Robert, son of John and Margret (Kennedy) White, died young and
is buried at Bloomington, Ind. The oldest daughter of John and
Margret White married a Nelson and has a family at Marissa. The
second daughter of John and Margret White married James Wilson
and are both still living at Centralia, Ill. Celebrated their
golden wedding seven years ago. They have no children. The
youngest daughter of John and Margret White is living at
Bloomington, Indiana. She married Win. Johnston. He is dead. She
has four daughters, all married and three have children.
James White (grandfather of your husband), son of Win. and Jane (Brown) White, was born some time during the Revolutionary War. He and his Bro. Samuel left here ninety years ago and went to Alabama. They were both with General Andrew Jackson during the War of 1812 in his campaigns and fights with the Indians in Alabama. Five of the Brothers who remained here were also in the War of 1812. Jas. White came back here about 1820 on a visit and died very suddenly at his Bro. John's. He is buried 2 1/2 miles southeast of here. He had three sons, Hiram, John (father of your husband) and William. Hiram, I have heard died somewhere in Texas. John (father of your husband) was a soldier in the Black Hawk War in Illinois. Received a wound in the wrist which destroyed the use of his hand. He died, I think, and is buried near Sparta, Ill. He had three sons and several daughters. The sons were Hiram, John (your husband) and James. Hiram was killed at Chickamauga during the war. James took sick in the army and came home and died. Your husband told me of his severe wounds when we visited you. Told me two of his sisters were living then at Waco, Ala. Both had families. Had two or three sisters dead. William White, third son of James White, died about three years ago at Coulterville, 111. He had three sons and one daughter. One of his sons, John, is still living at Coulterville, 111. and has a family. One of William's sons was living several years ago at Greely, Colorado. Win. has one son dead, but left one son somewhere in Tennessee. Samuel White, son of Win. and Jan (Brown) White, left here as I stated above with his brother James and went to Alabama in 1807. He was married twice. Had one son and one daughter by first wife. I don't know what became of the daughter. Charles was the son. Charles was also married twice. Had three children by his first wife, William, Alattie and Florence. William was wounded five times during the war. He married and lived several years after the war in Louisiana. Died from his wounds. Left two children. Mattie married a Mr. Seed of Tuscaloosa, Ala. She died this year. Left two sons and two daughters. All are (Page 85) married. The daughters both inarried lawyers. Walter Seed, one of the sons, graduated with distinction at the University of Ala. He is now Treasurer of Tuscaloosa County. I heard that Florence White was living in 1887 at Florence, Ala. Charles White had two sons by his 2nd wife, They are both living at Hope, Arkansas. Charles died at Hope, Ark., 5 or 6 years ago. Lived to be quite old. Samuel White had three sons by his second wife. He died somewhere in Ark. The last I heard of the sons they were living somewhere in the northern part of Arkansas. Abraham, son of W. and Jane (Brown) White, lived abolit 5 miles S.E. of here and died about 50 years of age in 1846. He was married twice. By his first wife he had one son, William, and one daughter. The daughter married a Mr. Robert Boyd. He was killed during the war. She died a few years ago. Left several sons and 2 daughters. Sons all married and have families. They nearly all live in this county. Both daughters are dead. W. White, son of Abraham White, was a preacher in the Presbyterian Church. He died about 4 years ago. Left three sons and three daughters. The oldest daughter is married and lives about 25 miles south of here. The oldest son, William, went as a missionary to China. After spending two years in China, he took consumption and came to California and died there this year. The 2nd son is also a preacher. All the family except the oldest daughter went to California and lived with the Bro. that died. They are still at Colton, California. Abraham White by 2nd wife had two sons and three daughters. The oldest son, Andrew, is living at Clifton, Green Co., Ohio. He has one daughter, Florence. The 2nd son, Hugh, lives in this Co. Had two daughters. One is a widow. Has one son and lives with her father. The other, Mary Corder, lives at Murphy, N. C. Has two children.
Hugh White, son of Win. and Jane (Brown) White, had several daughters and two sons. Joseph, one of the sons, is living at Pine Bluff, Ark., has two sons and two daughters. One of the daughters married a Mr. John Hood. She had a large family. Two of her sons were killed in the war. She and her husband died several years ago. Most all their descendants lived in this county.
William White, son of Win. and Jane (Brown) White, married Margret McClintock. They lived in York Co., S. C. He died many years ago at the age of 72. Left three sons and one daughter, Jane. Jane married George Agnew. They moved to Alabama many years ago. He is dead. She is still living. Have a large family of sons and daughters. They live near the Georgia line about 50 miles south of Chattanooga. Win. White, son of Win. and Margret McClintock White, moved to Pine Bluff, Ark., many years ago. He died a few years ago and left two sons. John White, 2nd soil of Win. and Margret (McClintock) White, died in the army. Left two sons. Both dead, Matthew White, 3rd son of Win. and {Page 86} Margret (McGlintock) White, also died in the army. He left four sons, Wm., the oldest, is a farmer living 3 miles S.E. of here. Has four children. John G. (the one you wrote to) is a successful merchant here. Thos. H. is cashier of the Exchange Bank here. John G. and Thos. H. are both married and have two children each. Matthew, the youngest, is living in Yorkville, S. C., not married. Frank White, son of Wm. and Jane (Brown) White, lived two miles south of here. He died about 1850. He married Wherry Ross. They had two sons and one daughter. The. two sons died when about grown. The daughter, Jane, married Alex. Finchback. They moved to Arkansas before the war. He died several years ago. She is still living at Pine Bluff. She has one son and two daughters, I think, and some grandchildren. Aunt Wherry moved to Ark. after Uncle Frank died and was murdered for her money soon after the war.
Garner White (my grandfather) was the youngest son of Wm. and Jane (Brown) White. He had three sons and one daughter. Uncle William is living three miles south of here. He married Lizzie Westbrook. She is dead. They have four sons and three daughters. John W., the oldest, is a lawyer. Living at Louisville, Ga. He is also editor and owner of the Louisville News and Farmer. He is the one that wrote the letter you mentioned to your husband. William G., the 2nd son of Uncle William, is a successful physician at Yorkville, S. C. Married and has two sons, Jas. G., 3rd son of Uncle William, is a farmer and lives 3 miles south east of here. Married and has four children. Robert, the 4th son, is living 3 miles south of here. Married and has two children. The oldest daughter, Katie, is married to W. D. Stone and living in Augusta, Ga. Salle, the 2nd daughter, is at home with her father. Jennie, the, youngest, is a teacher in the public school at Louisville, Ga. Matthew White, my father, was the 2nd son of Garner and Jennie (Elder) White. I have two brothers and one sister living. My oldest Bro., Rev. J. A. White, lives 12 miles south of here. Has been pastor of an Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church for about 10 yrs. He married Sue G. Lewis of Charlotte, N. C. They have two sons. Bro. John's wife has an aunt living at Tuscaloosa, Ala. She is the wife of Cap. John McCalla. Cap. McCalla is a distinguished railroad engineer. Surveyed the Ala. Great Southern R. R. from Chattanooga, Tenn., to Meridian, Miss. He was civil engineer for the East Tennessee, Va., and Ga. R. R. for many years. Dr. Brown Gaston of Montgomery, Ala., and Dr. McFadden Gaston of Atlanta, Ga., are cousins of hers I am the second son of Matthew White. I married Miss Carrie Henry. We have one son, Mattliew Henry, 16 years old. My wife has a Bro., Rev. H. M. Henry, living at Oak Hill, Ala. Been pastor of a church there about 20 years. My youngest Bro., Matthew Elder, is living two miles south of here. Married a (Page 87) daughter of Dr. W. B. Dale of Rowell, Wilcox Co., Alabama. Has three children. My sister, Lizzie J., is living with my father here in Chester. My father's youngest Bro., Uncle Robert, was killed at 2nd Battle of Manassas. He was 22 years old and not married. My aunt married Mr. J. A. Ratchford of Yorkville, S. C. She died last year and he died this year. They had no children.
Wm. White, who married Jane Brown, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. I have the gun he carried during that war. There was a book published about 50 years ago called "The Women of the Revolution" (by Elizabeth F. Ellet). The book contains a sketch of the life of Wm. White and his wife, Jane. (Pp. 287 and 290-300.) The book is out of print now and cannot be had at any price. I am trying now to have the book republished, and if I succeed, I will send you a copy of it for your daughter. John White, your husband's father, is mentioned in the book as being a soldier in Black Hawk War and mentions his being wounded in the wrist. The land on which John White first settledwhen he came to this country in 1767 is still owned by our family. It was Ist granted to John White by King George the 3rd ofEngland. It has been inherited every time since. My cousin Jas. G. White's children are the 6th generation that have lived on that land, covering a period of 130 years. I have visited our relativesin Ala., Ill., Indiana, and Ohio. I visited Wm. White, your husband's uncle, at Coulterville, Ill., in 1884. He told me all about his branch of the family at that time, but I don't remember all he told me. It was he that told me, I think, that your husband's father was buried at a place called Eden near Sparta, Ill. Do you remember hearing your husband say where his father was buried? Are your husband's sisters still living at Waco, Ala.? I would like to hear from them and get all the information I can about their branch of the family. I don't know whether you will be able to understand what I have written, but I have done the best I could to give you a general idea of our family. I hope you will be able to educate the heart and mind of your daughter, so that she will become a useful member of society and the church. I would be glad to hear from you again and would be glad to have you write me what you remember hearing your husband say about his father, bros., and sisters. I am always glad to hear from my relatives. I remember you told me you were a native of S. 0. Have you any relatives in this state now? Hope to hear from you soon.
Your cousin,
G. B. White