William White, of Haverhill

Must have belonged to a Protestant White family, most likely in the West Country (Dorset, Devonshire, Somerset). CANNOT have belonged to the highborn ultramontane Catholic White family.

[1633] CAPTAIN WILLIAM WHITE was born in about 1610 in Norfolk County, England, to William White (1587- ) and Mary Preston (1591-.) He was among the early settlers on the North Shore, landing at Ipswich in 1635. He then moved to Newbury before 1640. His first wife was *Mary Ware. His second wife, Sarah Foster, died in 1693. William White died 28 September 1690.

He was a member of the company of first settlers to occupy a portion of the territory known as Pentucket, Massachusetts, which was incorporated as the town of Haverhill, Massachusetts. They were twelve in number, and moved from Ipswich and Newbury. White was from the later place.

Soon after, a church was organized at Haverhill and William White became a member, being one of its firmest supporters. He had the honor of the town much at heart and was highly esteemed and trusted by its citizens, being frequently put in charge of its most important public business. He was a member of the first Board of Selectmen, chosen 29 Oct 1646. The first military company of Haverhill was organized in 1662, and William White was chosen as captain.

William White died 28 September 1690.

“Genealogy of William White".

Evidence remains that he cultivated in some reputable degree his mental powers, and a copious illustration of short-hand writing by him is still preserved. A tombstone stands in the old burying-ground, Haverhill, Mass. between the monuments erected to his father and mother, bearing the following inscription "John White dyed January ye 1, 1668, and ye 29 years of his age." According to a provision in his will, the care of his son devolved upon his father, William White. His will, filed in the Probate Office of Essex County, bears the same date with that of his death, and was probably executed "in extremis", as it was not signed by him. John Ward, the minister, and Nathaniel Saltonstall were subscribing witnesses. From their attestation, the will appears to have been proved at different times. John Ward, on the "23rd 1st-68," before Simon Bradstreet testifies that the "will was read to John White, and owned and declared by him to be his will;" and "Nathaniel Saltonstall attested to this will, upon his oath, in open court, held at Salisbury ye 13, 2nd mo, 1669. Thos... Bradbury, regr." This will shows that John left a large real estate, some of which he devised to his father, some to his wife during her life, and the residue to his son, John, then about five years of age. The will thus concludes:"I commit my son John to the hands of my wife during the time of her widowhood, to be educated and brought up in the fear of the Lord, and to be maintained out of the estate that by this, my will, I leave to my wife. And in case she shall marry again, then my will is that, if my father, Wiiliam White, please, he shall have full power to take my son John home to himself, and the sole and whole care of his education and power to dispose of and order him;my father White, being allowed three pounds per annum towards the maintenance of my son, John, out of that estate that I have now by this will given to my wife. I constitute and appoint my wife sole executrix of this my last will and testament; and do also desire my father, White, to be overseer of this my will." The widow was married again to Thomas Philbrick, probably of Hampton, 1669, where she resided at the time of his death; after which she returned to Haverhill, and lived there as his widow to extreme old age. Upon her marriage, the care of her John devolved upon his grandfather, who faithfully fulfilled his trust, if we may judge from the character his ward sustained through life.

William White [of Ipswich], in Anderson, Robert Charles; George F. Sanborn; and Melinde Lutz Sanborn. The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635. (NEHGS, 1999-2011).

In the comment section of this entry, Anderson distinguishes the records of the William White of Newbury from the 1634 immigrant William White who settled at Ipswich:

"[This] allows us to construct a timeline for this William White. He arrived in New England in 1639, accompanied by Mary Ware, whom he married late that year or early in 1640. In that year or in 1641, he purchased from William Eastow two parcels of land in Newbury, and was residing in that town in 1642 when he was admitted a freeman (implying that he had by that time been admitted to Newbury church) and was also included in a list of Newbury proprietors. He does not appear in any further Newbury records, having removed soon after 1642 to Haverhill.

This William White is easily traced as a resident of Haverhill for nearly half a century.... His wife Mary died at Haverhill on 22 February 1681[/2?], after which he married at Haverhill on 21 September 1682 "widow Sarah Foster of Ipswich." He died at Haverhill on 28 September 1690, "aged about 80 years." ... In his will dated 2 January 1683[/4?] and proved 30 Sept 1690, "William White of Haverhill" appointed "my grandson John White my sole executor," ordered him to honor "the covenant which I made before marriage with Sarah my present wife," and made bequests to "my daughter-in-law Hannah Filbrick John White's mother" and to "William Filbrick Hannah Filbrick's son" [EPR 304:265-67]"

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Notes

• Grandson John was brought up in his family [Crosby, 1911]
• Ancestor of President Gerald Ford.

Early history of Newbury MA shows William arrived in 1635 on the ship Mary and John (second voyage - the first was in 1630). Also, there was an earlier "Mary & John" that went to Virginia - but their passenger list has been lost. http://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplistalpha.htm

Both my very distant Grand Fathers arrived in MA in the same year. 1635. It was not until Mary Dalton (daughter of Sen Tristram Dalton) married Leonard White did the two families share a family link

References

1. http://freepages.family.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~carrollrogers/ps14/p...
2. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:LH5J-VLN