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Research in Progress - subject to change
Notes compiled by: Jack White jackhwhite120@verizon.net
Last updated Sep 22, 2013

"Please do not distribute these notes to the general public, for personal use only
these notes are subject to continuous changes, not meant to be distributed, thank you"

This memo examines the major family groups with the surname White who were residing in old Granville County, NC[1] in the years preceding the American Revolution. The purpose of this exercise is to determine whether Cajabeth White,[2] the author’s fifth great grandfather, can be connected to any of these family groups.

The baseline for identifying these families is the muster roll of Col. William Eaton, taken in old Granville Co on 8 October 1754. This is generally acknowledged to be the most complete listing of the adult males in that county prior to the 1790 federal census. The tax lists for the prior and subsequent years are often incomplete or scattered, but even so, the same names can be seen through those lists down the years. An effort will be made to connect the dots so that we can identify the major White family groups.

This list tracks quite closely with the Granville tithables list from 1753, which includes the following seven tithable males[6] with a White surname:

This list, in turn, can be compared to the tithables list from 1748, which included the following four tithable males:

James White and Valentine White both appear for the first time in 1751.[7] Finally, the 1755 tax list for Old Granville Co includes:

Embedded in these lists are the names of the “founders” of the White clans in old Granville Co. Nearly all the Whites identified in later years in Granville and its successor counties can be connected to one of these men. The one notable exception is George White Jr., who moved to Granville Co from Mecklenburg Co in 1768 with his brother, John, and who is discussed below. The following notes will attempt to break out the membership of these various White clans.

The family of Jonathan White Sr. has been exhaustively researched by Jim White, whose conclusions can be read at http://jimserver.net/wordpress/jonathan-white-of-granville-county. This author has not attempted to verify all of his research, but it seems quite well documented, although this author doesn’t agree with him on all points.

Jonathan White Sr. was a prominent man in old Granville Co, serving as a justice of the peace and one of three men chosen to select the site of the new courthouse there. He was probably born around 1700 along the southern branch of the Elizabeth River in Norfolk Co, VA, the son of John and Elizabeth White (later of Isle of Wight Co, VA) and was married to Sarah Bledsoe. Jonathan’s earliest appearance in Granville Co is a deed dated 9 Nov 1748 from William Chavers to Jonathan White, Esq., for 200 acres on the north side of Tabb Creek.[8] In the 1753 tax list, both Jonathan Sr. and his son, Jonathan Jr., are listed as residing in the same household. By 1755 Jonathan Sr.’s family has grown to include Henry White and William, who were by then 16 or over and residing in the household. This son, William, could be the second of two William Whites who appear in the 1766 and 1771 tax lists for Bute Co, the other of whom is Cajabeth’s brother; but it was more likely the son of Richard White Sr., since that family was in the area of Bute Co early on.[9]

Jonathan White received at least five land grants in old Granville Co. On 23 Oct 1754, he received a grant of 292 acres on both sides of Fishing Creek, which had been surveyed on 21 Nov 1752, with John and Jonathan White as chain carriers.[10] He received a second grant on the same day of 200 acres on the west side of Cattail Branch, which had been surveyed on 10 Jun 1751 with John White as a chain carrier.[11] Then, on 6 Feb 1762, Jonathan received a grant of 660 acres in on both sides of Fishing Creek, joining Hedspath’s line. The property had been surveyed on 18 Aug 1761, with Tris Hedspath and John White as chain carriers.[12] On 1 Mar 1762, he received a grant of 700 acres on the south side of Plumtree Branch, joining Hicks corner, which had been surveyed on 18 Jan 1762, with Burgess and Jonathan White as chain carriers.[13] These four properties were most likely in present-day Granville Co, which has its own Fishing Creek (called “Great Fishing Creek” in the earliest maps), a tributary of the Tar River, just south of the town of Oxford. But Jonathan also had land in what was to become Bute Co, receiving a grant of 249 acres on 23 Oct 1754 in the Parish of St. John, [14] on both sides of “the Great Branch,” which had been surveyed on 12 Apr 1750.[15]

Jonathan Sr.’s will was recorded in Granville Co in August 1772. In it, Jonathan names sons Burgess, Philemon, William, and Jonathan Jr. Two unnamed sons, Henry and John, also received legacies from the estate, as did a daughter, Mary. Jonathan Sr. must have died soon after, as evidenced by a marriage bond dated 26 March 1773 between Sarah White (his widow) and Benjamin Rush. That this Sarah was Jonathan’s widow is strongly evidenced by the fact that on 11 Nov 1777, the Bute Co court awarded custody of Stephen and Bledsoe White, described as the two orphan sons of Henry White, Jonathan’s son, to Benjamin Rush, Sarah’s second husband.[16]

Jim White suggests that Jonathan Sr.’s son, John, is John White who married Mary Bradford and died in Chatham Co, NC in 1799. (See discussion of John White, infra.) Interestingly, a diary held by this family shows that this couple had a son, John White, who was born 11 May 1770 and died in Chatham Co. This is most likely the source for the mistaken birth date frequently cited for John White of Surry Co. The census records indicate that Surry Co. John was born several years later, probably around 1775.

Jonathan Sr.’s son, Burgess, is also of interest. A Burgess White appears in Surry Co in 1810 and in Stokes Co in 1820. Jim White states that Jonathan Sr.’s son, Burgess, had moved to Davidson Co, TN before 1784. This more closely aligns with the likely birth date of Jonathan Sr.’s son, who appears in the Granville Co tax lists as a tithable as early as 1754, and as noted above, acted as a chain carrier in 1762. But there is most likely some connection between the family of Jonathan White and Surry Co that we have yet to discover, as evidenced by the appearance there of the unusual name, Burgess.[17]

There is also evidence of a marriage between a Jonathan White and Faith LNU. Jim White believes this was Jonathan Sr.’s first wife, and shows them having a daughter, Fatey. Instead, I believe Faith, or Fatey, White, was most likely a daughter of James Hicks and Martha Fathey of Brunswick Co, VA, and that she was the wife of Jonathan White Jr. Jim objects that John Jr.’s wife was named Martha. I suspect she was Martha Faith Hicks, named after her mother. The author’s view is supported by the fact that Robert Hix of Granville Co, a son of James and Martha Hicks, names a Fatey White in his will. Robert and Fatey (or Martha Faith) would have been siblings.[18]

In short, the family of Jonathan White appears to have been concentrated in present-day Granville and Chatham Counties. There is no obvious connection between his family and that of Cajabeth White, who was living in Bute Co as early as 1766. However, most of Jonathan’s sons were born in the 1720’s and 1730’s, and so conceivably could have been Cajabeth’s father. The fact that Jonathan owned land in the Parish of St. John, along the Great Branch (most likely Fishing Creek), is also of interest, since that places Jonathan’s land closer to Cajabeth than usually acknowledged.

The name Valentine proved to be very popular with the White families of old Granville Co. The available records provide a glimpse into what appear to have been several different Valentine Whites in the area over two or three generations. Most of these men probably were related in some fashion to Valentine White of Brunswick Co, VA (“Valentine 1”), who was a brother of Jonathan White Sr. and so probably born in the early 1700s. Valentine 1 can be found in the partial tax list of 1748 from Brunswick Co,[19] and is mentioned in the will of John White of Isle of Wight Co,[20] from whom he inherited a substantial plantation. He had moved to Brunswick Co by 14 Feb 1740, when he purchased 195 acres from Nathaniel Barlow. On 11 Apr 1750, Valentine 1 sold most of his inheritance in Isle of Wight Co (390 acres) to Frances Exum, and on 10 Aug 1759, he received a land grant of 746 acres on Barlow’s Branch in Brunswick Co, VA. His will, which this author has not seen, was dated 6 Apr 1778 and proved in Brunswick Co court on 27 May 1782.[21]

A second Valentine White (“Valentine 2”) makes his earliest appearance in old Granville Co in the 1751 tax list. It is certainly possible that this man was the son of Valentine 1. If so, then Valentine 2 would probably have been born around 1730, and would have been part of a larger White family, including his uncle, Jonathan White Sr., that first entered old Granville Co from Virginia in the early 1750s. He was also among the men listed in the 1754 muster roll, in the company of Capt. Andrew Hampton, and on the 1755 tax list, with one tithable. On 6 Feb 1762, Valentine received a land grant of 492 acres on both sides of Fishing Creek in Granville Co, joining Hedspath’s line.[22] In 1761, Valentine White and William White were listed as chain carriers for a survey carried out for Moses Linsey near Hatcher’s Run, a tributary of the Tar River located in modern-day Granville Co.[23] And in 1761, Valentine 2 was living along Fishing Creek, where he was a neighbor of a man named Carter Hedspath (or Hedgepath, Hedgebeth or Hudspeth).[24] This is most likely the Fishing Creek located in present-day Granville Co that empties into the Tar River, and not the Fishing Creek located in Warren Co. (Hatcher’s Run is one of its tributaries.) This would seem to place the location of Valentine 2’s plantation squarely in present-day Granville Co, and not Bute or Warren Co.[25]

However, a Valentine White is referenced in at least two land grant transactions in the Parish of St. John: (i) as a chain carrier for Minus Griggs in a survey conducted in Feb 1753 along Owens Creek;[26] and (ii) as a chain carrier for Darwin Elwick in a survey conducted on 3 Sep 1753 along Poplar Creek.[27]

Marriage and tax records indicate that there were at least three additional Valentine Whites living in the old Granville Co area in subsequent years. One of these, Valentine 3, married Elizabeth Anne Petillo in Warren Co on 10 Jul 1793. She was a daughter of Augustin Pettillo and Anne Mabry[28] of old Granville Co. Valentine 3 would have been approximately the same generation as John and Robert White, Cajabeth’s sons.

Yet another Valentine White (“Valentine 4”) married Molly Cooke in Brunswick Co, VA on 26 Nov 1795. His lineage is unclear, but he was possibly a grandson of Valentine White 1 by one of his four sons.

Finally, a Valentine White (“Valentine 5”) is recorded as having married Polley Huckebey in Granville Co on 27 Oct 1802, although it is possible that this was a second marriage for Valentine 3 or 4.

The tax and census records generally support a Granville Co locale for Valentine 2. A Valentine White is listed in old Granville Co in 1767 and 1771, but there is no tax record of a Valentine in Bute or Warren Co, although the fact that he was a chain carrier in two surveys conducted in the 1750’s suggest that he may have been living in that part of the county at that early date. A Valentine White is listed in Granville Co in the 1790 federal census, and two are listed in the 1800 census: a “Valentine White” and a “Valentine White Sr.” What is odd about this is that the man listed as Valentine White Sr. is only 16-25, while the other, listed as just “Valentine White,” is listed as 45 or over.[29] One might expect that the younger one is Valentine 5, but even this is difficult to state with certainty. It is reasonable to assume that one of these two men was the son of Valentine 2, but without further research this is impossible to state with certainty.[30]

Valentine 2’s date of death is not documented, although some have listed it as 1798, in Warren Co. Unfortunately, no record of Valentine 2’s will has been found.

Richard White, Sr. and his family were among the earliest settlers in old Granville Co., having been present there from at least 1746 (by which time his three sons were already established in their own households). He is often stated to have been born around 1700, the son of Joseph White (b.a. 1660) and Magdalene Baskerville of York Co, VA. This is not adequately documented, however, and the will of Joseph White calls that parentage into question.[31] As noted above, Richard White was a Lieutenant in the North Carolina militia regiment under the command of Col. William Eaton, in the company of Osborn Jeffreys. This helps to locate Richard’s residence, since Osborn Jeffreys himself, while a very large landowner, was primarily located in the southeastern portion of old Granville Co.

Richard Sr. fought during the French and Indian War and died in the summer of 1755 at the Battle of the Monongahela, fought outside Ft. Duquesne (present-day Pittsburg). Richard Sr. left a will in old Granville Co, dated 23 Jun 1754, which was recorded in 1757. The will was witnessed by Osborn Jeffreys (Richard Sr.’s commanding officer), Jeremiah Hilliard, and John Bledsoe.[32] The will names three sons: William, Nicholas, and Richard Jr. Richard Jr. appears to have been the eldest, since he was appointed executor of the estate and inherited all but four shillings of Richard Sr.’s property; but it is not out of the question that Richard Jr. was simply given a preference for some other reason.[33] We can also infer from this will that Richard Sr.’s wife had predeceased him. She is often stated to have been Drucilla Sherrod.[34] All three sons appear to have been adults at the time this will was written, since no provision is made for a disposition to minors.

Richard Sr. most likely was living in what was to become Bute Co. In a deed dated 3 Jul 1747 and recorded Sep 1747, Richard White of Granville Co purchased 300 acres from George Thomas on the north side of Fishing Creek “alias Franioc’s Branch.”[35] Fishing Creek is due south of Six Pound Creek,[36] where Cajabeth White was living by 1770, and essentially bisects modern day Warren Co. (John Plowman White, discussed below, was a witness on this deed. This is the earliest of several interactions between John Plowman White and the family of Richard White, suggesting a family relationship.) Other early land grants, however, refer to a Francko’s Branch, which appears to have been a tributary of Cedar Creek, in present-day Franklin Co. At this point, it remains unclear whether the Richard White family was concentrated in what is today Warren Co, or further to the south. (Both locations would have been in Bute Co after its formation in 1764.)

Richard White Jr. is fairly well documented. He was probably born around 1730, and married Elizabeth LNU, who survived him. He is referenced frequently in the records of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions for Bute Co in the 1760s, often in the context of conducting survey work. By the time of his death in late 1775, Richard Jr. owned several tracts of land in Bute Co, in addition to the land he had inherited from his father on Fishing Creek. On 27 Nov 1760, he received a land grant of 158 acres in the Parish of St. John on both sides of “Frankes Branch,” adjoining White’s corner, Pope’s line, and William White (presumably his brother).[37] He also owned 420 acres in Bute Co along Cedar Creek to Francko Branch,[38] which he purchased from William White (his brother?) on 20 Jan 1775. An abstract of this deed was recorded by the court and recites that the acreage in question had been part of a land grant made on 26 Oct 1751 to John Plowman White.[39] Richard Jr.’s will also mentions land on Buffalo Creek and Burnt Coat Creek.[40]

Richard Jr. and his son, John, are found in the 1771 tax list for Bute Co. He appears to have passed away in late 1775, since his will was recorded in Nov 1775 and a record of his estate filed on 10 Feb 1776. The will names sons Nicholas, John, Harrison, Mark and Richard, and daughters Drucilla, Elizabeth, Nancy, Sarah and Mary. His wife, Elizabeth (or possibly the daughter) and son Mark were executors, along with Thomas Sherrod. I have found no information pertaining to Richard 3 or Harrison, but the record does contain references to the other three sons. Richard Jr.’s son, Nicholas, for example, inherited the land on which his father was living at the time of his death in 1775.

Nicholas White is believed by some researchers to have been born no later than 1727 and to have migrated to Elbert Co, GA, where he died 23 Apr 1805. On 20 Feb 1748, he purchased 150 acres along Fishing Creek from his father (half of the original patent to George Thomas mentioned in fn. 35, supra). Nicholas does not appear in the Granville tax lists after 1749, which may indicate either that he migrated shortly after that date, or that he had “aged out” of any tax obligation once he reached the age of 45. The author has seen no documentation supporting his presence in Elbert Co, GA; he may instead have been the Nicholas White who can be found in the early NC census records in Randolph Co, starting in 1763. Unfortunately, this author has found no information on his children. It is just within the range of possibility for him to have been Cajabeth’s father, but without any direct or indirect evidence of that relationship, this seems unlikely.

William White, the third son of Richard Sr., is difficult to discern in the available records because the name was so common among White families. He is most likely the same William White who appears as a tithable and head of his own household in the 1748 Granville Co tax list, which puts his birth date around 1728 or earlier. A William White then appears as a head of household in Granville Co almost continuously from 1748 through 1762 (with two polls in the latter year).

At least one William White was still residing in Granville Co in 1767. On 2 Jul 1767 he deeded 50 acres on both sides of Little Bluestone Creek in Mecklenburg Co, VA to William White Jr. (“where William White Junr. now lives”).[41] The son and his wife, Molley, in turn deeded 296 acres along Grassy Creek in Granville Co on 20 Jul 1767 to Thomas Rudd, with Isaac White as a witness.[42] These transactions are good examples of the sort of cross-border transactions that were probably quite commonplace, and may provide an insight into why Cajabeth White relocated briefly to Mecklenburg Co around 1795.

In 1766, two Williams appear in the Bute Co tax lists: one in the same household with his brother Cajabeth, residing in the District of Benjamin Person, and a second residing in the same household with James White in the district of Matthew Thomas. (Interestingly, the tax collector did not name William as the son of James, as he did in other instances of father and son residing in the same household.)

Similarly, in the 1771 Bute Co tax lists we again find two William Whites, but this time both are in the district of Thomas Eaton: one with a single poll and the other in a household with sons Gardner, William and Demsie (sic). The William with a single poll is possibly Cajabeth’s brother,[43] while the William with three tithable sons is very likely the son of Richard White Sr.[44] It isn’t clear whether either of these is the William White who had been residing with James White in 1766.

As noted above, the William White who was a son of Richard Sr. appears to have conveyed property along Cedar Creek (now Franklin Co) that he acquired from John Plowman White to his brother, Richard Jr., in 1775, suggesting that they may have been related. No will or record of John Plowman White’s family has been found, however. William’s presence in Bute Co, his age, and his name, all suggest that he could have been the father of Cajabeth. But since Cajabeth could have been born no later than 1750, William’s date of birth becomes a key fact that, unfortunately, we do not have.

The earliest record of John Plowman White (“JPW”) is the Chowan Co will of John Plowman, dated 1 Jul 1721, which describes John Plowman White as an “infant” son of his “cousin” Mary White. John Plowman leaves his plantation and slaves to JPW, with a contingency that in the event of a failure of heirs, the plantation home should go to John Plowman Ashley (probably John Plowman’s nephew). The description of JPW as an infant probably indicates only that JPW was a minor, and so provides a range for his birth date between 1700 and 1721. Mary White, described as John Plowman’s cousin, also received a small bequest. She was most likely the wife of John White: the two were witnesses to the 1719 will of Thomas Whaltone, made in Chowan Co, NC, in which John Plowman is named

executor. Whether the two named Mary Whites are one and the same person is unclear.[45] In fact, it is not clear that JPW ever lived in Chowan Co, even though he inherited land there. On 1 Mar 1741 JPW sold 640 acres in Chowan Co, in all likelihood the bulk of the plantation, to Thomas Ryan.[46]

In 1743 JPW, described at the time as a merchant living in Craven Co, petitioned the Governor’s Council to grant him a land patent, which appears not to have been completed until 26 Oct 1751, when JPW was deeded 588 acres on both sides of Cedar Creek in Granville Co, joining “Frankoe Branch”.[47] William White was a chain carrier.[48] JPW had been living in Granville Co before that date, however, as evidenced by seven documents:

(i) he is listed on the Ross tax list for Granville Co, generally dated 1746-1748;

(ii) on 16 Feb 1746, JPW witnessed a deed for the sale of 160 acres on the north side of Cedar Creek by George Thomas to Samuel Cotton;

(iii) on 3 Jul 1747, he witnessed a deed for the sale of 300 acres on the north side of Fishing Creek by George Thomas to Richard White;

(iv) on 20 Feb 1748, he witnessed a deed from Richard White to Nicolis (sic) White for land along Fishing Creek, which runs across the middle of present day Warren Co, just south of Six Pound Creek;

(v) JPW was a chain carrier, along with John Wade, in a survey of 220 acres the middle prong of “Franco Branch” for Osborn Jeffreys, who received this grant on 2 May 1752;

(vi) JPW is listed as a head of household in the 1746-48 tax list for Granville Co; and

There is also an earlier land grant in the area that was to become Bute Co for 640 acres, entered 19 Nov 1739, of which 452 acres were returned. The location of this property is unknown.

As noted above, 420 acres of JPW’s Cedar Creek grant subsequently came into the possession of William White, who conveyed it to Richard White Jr. in Apr 1775. This William White was most likely Richard White’s brother, but this is not certain; nor is it clear whether William White purchased the land from JPW or inherited it. It at least suggests that this William White may have been JPW’s son. Some sources, however, recite that Jane White was the executrix of his will, suggesting JPW did not have any male heirs. Unfortunately, JPW’s date of death is not established, and this author has not been able to locate his will. To date, no evidence of JPW beyond 1751 has surfaced.

The frequent association of JPW’s name with Richard, William and Nicholas White suggests that JPW may have been related to Richard White. The location of his home on Cedar Creek makes it unlikely that he was a witness on the Fishing Creek deeds simply because he was a neighbor. Some researchers show Richard Sr. and JPW as brothers. While no direct proof of this relationship has been found, it fits very nicely with the documentation that is available, including JPW’s early presence in the county with Richard White Sr. and his sons. If they were brothers, then the parents of Richard White Sr. were most likely John and Mary White of Chowan Co., and not Joseph White and Magdalene Baskerville.

Two James Whites are listed on the 1754 muster roll, in different companies. These two men are perhaps the most enigmatic of the “founders.” The name appears, but only once, in the 1751 and 1755 tax rolls for Granville Co, with one poll listed in 1755. In 1766, after the formation of Bute Co from Granville in 1764, we find Elizabeth White and her son James residing in Bute Co.[50] After the formation of Bute Co, James is no longer found in any records of Granville Co through 1800, leading one to conclude that both of the James Whites listed in the 1754 muster roll were residents of the area that was to become Bute Co.

There is little question that by the time of the 1790 census, a James White family was growing in Warren Co (formed from Bute Co in 1779). In that year we find James White (“James White 2”) with three males 16 and over, four males under 16, three females, and seven slaves. By 1800 the James White 2 household had grown substantially to include two males 45 and over, nine males 25 or under, two females and thirteen slaves. This man could very well have been the same man who was residing in the household of Elizabeth White in 1766, who would then have been born in 1750 or earlier; but this isn’t proven. Nor is the identity of the second male 45 or over clear, although one can guess that it was either the father or father-in-law of James.

Other White family researchers have identified James White 2 as a man who was born before 1750 and fought in the Revolutionary War. I have corresponded with one of these researchers, Greg White, who states that this James White died in 1811; married Elizabeth, who last name was possibly Davis;[51] and had a family that included Thomas,[52] Levi (1785-1834), William, Eleanor, Henry, James (1789-1851), Charles,[53] Edward, Peter and Matthew. He died intestate, but Richard Russell was appointed administrator of the estate in Nov 1811, and those estate records survive. The wife, Elizabeth, took her dower share of the estate and left a will dated 10 Oct 1816 that was witnessed by William and Ann Davis. Greg White has also disclosed that the plantation of his James White was located near the VA/NC line, near present-day Wise, NC. Estate records place his plantation in the Nutbush District. This is very close to and due west of Six Pound Creek, where Cajabeth was living by 1770.

Another researcher states that a grandson of James White 2, James T. White, who migrated to GA, in turn had a son named Albert T. White. This is intriguing because Cajabeth White also had a grandson named Albert, born around 1800. Albert was not a common name among the White families prior to 1800 (and in fact was not considered a proper “English” name until Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha married Victoria). Its occurrence in these two separate but roughly contemporaneous families suggests a common lineage.

Clearly, James White 2 was a man of considerable wealth, which makes the relative paucity of references to him in the Bute County records all the more puzzling. James White was not among the land grantees of old Granville Co listed in Hoffmann, but four pre-Revolution land records indicate that a James White was living in Bute Co in the 1760s:

(i) a Granville Co deed dated 14 Feb 1760 from Benjamin Holcumb (sic) to James White for 100 acres on Beaver Dam branch (located on Sandy Creek) at James White’s line, “the lower part of the tract where he now lives”;[54]

(ii) a Granville Co deed dated 18 Mar 1760 from Robert Harris to James White for 220 acres (property description missing from abstract);

(iii) a Bute Co deed dated 18 Sep 1765 for the sale of land on the south side of Sandy Creek (Beaver Dam branch) by Benjamin Holcom (sic) to William Walker Jr.,[55] in which James Whyte is described as having sold the land to Holcom and as now owning and living on the adjacent parcel;

(iv) the Bute Co tax list for 1766 taken by Matthew Thomas, which shows James White “and William” (possibly his son, although not listed as such, but at least 16 years old) residing in the same household in that district; and

(v) a deed dated 2 Apr 1770 for the sale by James White to Peter Smart of 220 acres on the south side of Sandy Creek “where said White now lives,” and “adjacent to the land of Carlile,” Peter Walker and William Walker.[56] The witnesses on the deed were John Whight and Moses Whight.[57]

Note that the amount of acreage James purchased from Robert Harris is the same that he later sold to Peter Smart, strongly suggesting that the location of the Robert Harris land was also on Sandy Creek.[58] It should also be noted that while a James White appears in the 1766 tax list residing in the same household with William White, there are no James Whites in the 1771 tax list: no James residing with William, no James the son of Elizabeth, and no James as head of his own household. There are any number of possible explanations for this, none more likely than the other at this juncture.

Taken as a whole, though, these references provide a picture of James White buying and living on land located along Sandy Creek, which is due south of and roughly parallel to Fishing Creek, and moving away from that land in 1770. [59] Today, all but a short stretch of Sandy Creek is found in Franklin Co, but no James White is found in the 1790 census for Franklin Co. Given the 1760 dates for the Harris and Holcumb deeds, this James could not have been James 2. The 1770 sale, on the other hand, could have been James 2, but if so, it would seem he had inherited the property from the earlier James who originally purchased it.

The record is silent regarding James from 1770 until 1778. On 28 Nov 1778, Edward Davis of Mecklenburg Co, VA and Joshua Mabry of Bute Co posted a bond with the Bute Co court to ensure the construction of a bridge over James White’s mill pond.[60] In the NC state census, taken from 1784-1787, James White is found in Capt. Moses’ District, with a family of seven males and four females. In August of 1787, James White is a purchaser at the estate sale of James Hix and named in the estate records of the same man.[61] He is named in the estate records of George Norsworthy in Nov 1792. He was a witness in the estate records of David Towns in Aug 1794.[62] James is also named in the estate records of Luke Patrick in Nov 1794. Finally, he was a witness to the will of John Pettway on 31 Dec 1795. All of these post-1778 references are probably to James 2. Unfortunately, none of these records shed any light on the members of James White’s family.[63]

Who was the earlier James White (“James White 1”), and how does he relate, if at all, to James White 2? It’s possible, of course, that James White 1 and James White 2 were actually the same man; but since most researchers estimate James 2’s date of birth at around 1750, it seems much more likely that the James White living on Sandy Creek was of a prior generation (and most likely one of the two James Whites listed in the 1754 muster roll). It is also possible that the James White who sold the land in 1770 might not have been the same James White who bought it in 1760, but instead a son or other successor in interest (e.g., a nephew). In any event, no James White is found in the 1790 census for Franklin Co, supporting the view that the man who sold this property in 1770 had moved away from that area by 1790.

Assuming these records indicate the existence of two different men named James White, how might they have been related? It seems very likely that James White 2 was the son of the widow Elizabeth White who is found in the 1766 tax list, in which case James White 2 was living near Six Pound Creek by 1770.[64] It is possible that James White 1 was her husband, making him the father of James White 2. But any hypothesis of a larger family here must take into account the somewhat mysterious John and Moses Whight, who were witnesses on the 1770 deed of sale. Since there is no record of an adjacent property owner of either name,[65] one has to suspect that these two men were relatives of James White 1. And, in fact, Y-DNA test results support the view that a Moses White of New Castle, DE was related to James White 2. It seems plausible, therefore, to suggest that Moses or John Whight was the brother of James White 1, who in turn was the husband of Elizabeth and the father of James White 2. The other man, then, could well have been the father of James 1, or possibly another brother.

The records of old Granville and its successor counties reveal the existence of at least four residents named John White during the relevant period. One of these was John White, son of Richard White Jr., who is discussed below. Another John was most active in the 1750s in present-day Granville Co, while the other two were active in the years before and after the Revolutionary War, in present-day Warren Co.

John White in Old Granville Co (before Bute Co.’s formation). Although not included in the muster roll of 1754, John White is found in the Granville County tax lists of 1751 and 1753, and a John White, “Constable,” is listed in 1755. On 30 Oct 1752, John White received a land grant of 227 acres in old Granville Co on both sides of the Trading Path, adjoining John Dunnagan, Capt. Synnot, and James Bowie.[66] A John White is also recorded in several additional land grant transactions in old Granville Co, including:

(i) as a chain carrier for Jonathan White on 10 Jun 1751 in a survey of 200 acres on the west side of Cattail Branch (Hoffman, at 2812);

(ii) as a chain carrier for Joseph Davenport on 17 May 1751 in a survey of 487 acres on the west side of Island Creek in the Parish of St. John (later Bute Co.) (id., at 1496);

(iii) as a chain carrier for Patrick Boggan on 20 Jun 1751 in a survey of 238 acres at the mouth of Buffalo Creek (id., at 1389);

(iv) as a chain carrier for Jonathan White on 21 Nov 1752 in a survey of 292 acres on both sides of Fishing Creek (id., at 2800);

(v) as owning property adjacent to Minus Griggs, who received a grant of 623 acres on 9 Nov 1757 in the Parish of St. John on both sides of Owens Creek,[67] which was surveyed on 10 Feb 1753 with John White and Valentine White as chain carriers (id., at 1584);

(vi) as a chain carrier for Jonathan White on 10 Mar 1760 in a survey of 660 acres on both sides of Tabbs Creek (id., at 2781);

(vii) as a chain carrier for Cornelius Cooper on 18 Aug 1761 in a survey of 180 acres on both sides of Fishing Creek (id., at 1444);

(viii) as a chain carrier, together with Tris Hedspath, for Valentine White on 18 Aug 1761 in a survey of 492 acres on both sides of Fishing Creek[68] (id., at 2780); and

(ix) as witness on a grant to Howel Lewis dated 1 Feb 1762 of 374 acres on Grassy Creek and Island Creek, joining Hawkins line (id., at 1893).

The Indian Trading Path, along which John White’s grant was located, ran essentially on a diagonal from Hawtree Creek in Warren Co to just north and west of Oxford, in Granville Co. Since most of the referenced locations are in present-day Granville, Vance or Franklin Co, it would be reasonable to locate this John White more or less around Oxford, near Jonathan and Valentine White. The references to Capt. Synnott and James Bowie, who are known to have lived along the Eno River, would indicate a location in the far southwestern corner of Granville Co. Perhaps this early John White was the son of Jonathan White Sr. who received a legacy from his father’s estate in Aug 1772 (see p. 8, supra), and who later moved into Chatham Co.

John White in Bute/Warren Co. At least three, and possibly four, additional John Whites are known to have been present in Bute Co in later years. The activities of these John Whites can be found in numerous Bute Co records, including:

(i) acting as a witness (as John Whight, together with Moses Whight) on 2 Apr 1770 on a deed for the sale of 220 acres on the south side of Sandy Creek by James White to Peter Smart (discussed above);

(ii) in a deed dated 1 Dec 1772 for the purchase of land on Rocky Branch (a tributary of Hawtree Creek), in Bute Co, adjoining King’s line and Allan Burton, from William Smith and wife Ann,[69] proved by the oath of Philemon Hawkins, and recorded in Aug 1774;

(iii) in a deed for the sale of land by John White and Pattey his wife to Joshua Mabry,[70] recorded in May 1775;

(iv) in a petition dated May 1776 for the opening of a road beginning on the lands of John White and Thomas Carrill near the Roanoke River to the VA state line;

(v) in an appointment dated Feb 1777 as overseer of the road “in the room of William House”;

(vi) in a deed for the sale of land to Simon Jeffreys in Aug 1777, proved by the oath of Osborn Jeffreys;

(viii) in the posting of a bond in Nov 1777 for the collection of taxes in the district on the north side of the Roanoke River;

(ix) in his acknowledgement of a deed for the sale of property (not clear if real or personal) to Mary Plummer in Feb 1778;

(x) in a deed dated 26 May 1778, found in Franklin Co, for a purchase of 200 acres of land in Bute Co along the waters of the Roanoke, by Harbart Haynes, joining Thomas Carrell, Burrell Robinson and John White “and the land he purchased of Lewis H. Haynes”;[71]

(xi) in an order dated May 1778 for the opening of a road from [Eaton’s] ferry to the VA state line, with John White as overseer;

(xii) in a deed for the purchase of property (not clear if it was real or personal) from Thomas Newman in Nov 1778; and

(xiii) refusing to take the Oath of Allegiance in 1778, listed next to Cajabeth White.

John White of Brunswick Co. One of these men was unquestionably the John White of Brunswick Co, VA, who on 7 Aug 1772 was recorded as having purchased 250 acres from Benjamin Britt from the NC/VA state line down along Pigeon Roost Creek.[72] This placed him on the north side of the Roanoke River in the very upper northeast corner of what became Warren Co. It is possible that this John was the son of George White Sr. of Mecklenburg Co, VA whose sons, George White Jr. and John White, are frequently said by researchers to have migrated into Bute Co around 1768. In the 1784 NC census, he is found in Capt. Clanton’s District. Most of the activities listed above probably relate to this man. However, this man’s entry into the county was too late in time for his to have been Cajabeth’s father, and too early for him to have been Cajabeth’s son, John.

Capt. John White. A second John White is generally said to have been the son of George White Jr. and Susannah Read, born around 1750, who married Agnes Mayfield. His brother, Capt. William White, gained some fame as an early settler in TN. Both sons are named in their father George’s will of 1792,[73] and the family is described in the surviving Bible of Coleman Read White, another brother. Capt. John White was assigned a district as a census taker in the 1784 NC state census, and appears on the roster of Revolutionary War veterans. Some of the activities listed above may relate to him. But given that his father did not enter Granville Co. until 1768, he is too young to have been Cajabeth’s father or to explain the appearances of John White in the 1750s.

John White, son of Richard Jr. The third John White was a grandson of Richard White Sr. by his son, Richard Jr. He appears in the 1771 tax list for Bute Co, residing in the home of his father in the Eaton District. His birth date, therefore, could have been no later than 1755, which is consistent with Richard Jr.’s approximate birth date of 1730. Other researchers, in fact, have stated that this John White was born around 1746, making him roughly a contemporary of Cajabeth White, and clearly too young to have been Cajabeth’s father. These researchers believe that John, son of Richard Jr., married (i) Mary Hendrick, and (ii) Mary Shelton, and eventually migrated to Whitley Co, KY, where he reared a large family including sons Hendrick, Harrison, John, Dempsey and Nicholas.[74]

John White of Owens Creek. A few of the entries above, however, appear to relate to a fourth John White. This man was already living along Owens Creek, a tributary of Fishing Creek, as early as 1753 and possibly earlier. He was most likely the same John White who purchased 292 acres on both sides of Fishing Creek from Robert Harris on 20 Mar 1760, just two days after James White had purchased 220 acres from the same man along Sandy Creek. This suggests that he may have been the John Whight, who together with Moses Whight, witnessed the sale of James White’s land to Peter Smart in 1770. A John White who was already a landowner in 1753 could not have been any of the first three John Whites, since the first two had not entered the county at that point and the third would have been too young. The 1771 Bute Co tax rolls also list a John White residing in the John Hawkins district in the same household with Thomas Newman.[75]

Also of great interest is a deed under which John White purchased 100 acres from William Smith on the south side of Rocky Branch (a tributary of Hawtree Creek), adjoining King’s line and Allan Burton’s line. This deed was signed on 1 Dec 1772, proved at court by the oath of Philemon Hawkins in August of 1774, and registered on 6 May 1775. Rocky Branch runs from its head just north of Wise, NC in an easterly direction to Hawtree Creek, roughly parallel with the present-day Wise-Five Forks Road in Warren Co. This is very close, if not identical, to the land later occupied by James White 2, and close to all of the families mentioned in later court orders, including Elizabeth White, her son James, and Cajabeth White. Given his physical proximity to both James and Cajabeth White, and earlier references to John Whight on the James White deed of sale to Peter Smart, there is a significant likelihood that this man was related to both James and Cajabeth. No other man with the surname White can be shown to have lived anywhere in the vicinity of James and Cajabeth and his brother William.

Perhaps this John White is the man who is described in the deed for a sale of land in May 1775 with his wife, Pattey (Martha?) – a name not known to be associated with any of the first three John Whites. There is no fourth John White in the 1784-87 NC state census, however, suggesting that this John White had either died or moved on by 1784. It bears mentioning, however, that this John White’s earliest appearance, in 1753, is very close in time to the last record of John Plowman White, in 1751. It is possible that they are the same man.

The records examined above provide several clues about the family of Cajabeth White, and the possibility that he was related to James White 2. First, James White 2 was most likely the son of Elizabeth, who appears to have been living closer to Cajabeth than any other White family in old Granville Co. The known location of his plantation north of Wise, NC – between Hawtree and Sixpound Creeks – supports this view. Second, James White or James White 2 most likely had a familial relationship with John and Moses Whight, who witnessed the same of land by James White to Peter Smart. Third, this John Whight may very well have been the same man as the John White who was already living along Owens Creek in 1753, and who bought land from Robert Harris along Fishing Creek just a couple of days after James White bought his land on Sandy Creek. Finally, this John White may be the same man who purchased 100 acres along Rocky Branch in 1772, placing him very close by Elizabeth and her son James, as well as Cajabeth and his brother William. Taken as a whole, these records suggest that James White 2 and John were related, with one possible relationship between John and James 2 being that of uncle and nephew (e.g., if James 2 was the son of James, a brother to John). Cajabeth, then, might have been the son of this John. In that case, Y-DNA test results for descendants of James White 2 suggest that Cajabeth’s lineage would trace back to New Castle, DE and the line of Moses White. In that family the name Robert is prominent, which could explain the name of Cajabeth’s heir.

Isaac Acry (Acree). 7 May 1756. 640 acres in the Parish of St. John on the S side of Six Pound Creek, joining Hartons Corner, Walkers Corner, Eatons Line, and Shearins line. Wits: Jno Haywood, Lod Alford. Surveyed 4 Apr 1753. SCC: Jennings Thompson, William Acrey, Danl Weldon, Surv. (p.309, Hoffman, at 1318)

Richard Coleman. 9 Dec 1757. 450 acres in Parish of St. John on W side of Six Pound Creek, joining Huckaby’s corner, a Branch, Jones Line, and the sd creek to the mouth. Wits: Charles Johnson, Sherd Haywood. Surveyed 6 May 1751. SCC: John Harris, Richard Huckaby. Dan Weldon, Surv. (p. 340, Hoffman, at 1473).

Philemon Hawkins. 28 Nov 1760. 700 acres in Parish of St. John on both sides of Six Pound Creek, joining Roberts corner, the country line, Sessoms corner, Hawkins line, and a Branch. Examined by Tho Jones and Will Hurst. SCC: John Hawkins, Edward Cary. Dan Weldon, Surv. (p. 380, Hoffman, at 1655).

Peter Jackson. 27 Nov 1760. 495 acres in Parish of St. John on both sides of Six Pound Creek, joining John Roberson, Gilreaths line, Downeys line, Hawkins line, and Natts line. Wits: Will Hurst, Edmd Fanning. Surv. 25 June 1757. SCC: William Gilreath, Jeremiah Bush. Sher Haywood, Surv. (p. 420, Hoffman, at 1836).

William Kendrick. 25 Mar 1749. 500 acres on S side of Six Pound Creek, joining Hendricks line and the said creek. Wits: Dan Weldon, Jas Paine. Surveyed 8 Sept 1748. SCC: Jas Paine, Jno Herrin (?). Dan Weldon, Surv. (p. 431, Hoffman, at 1878).

Thomas Person. 1 Apr 1763. 289 acres on the branches of Hawtree and Six Pound Creeks, joining Russells corner, Jacksons line, Hawkins line, Wrights line, and Dansbeys line. Wits: Jno Linton. Surveyed 20 Nov 1762. SCC: Peter Jackson, Jery Bush. Thomas Person, surv. (p. 40, Hoffmann, at 2609).

James Walker. 14 Mar 1760. 425 acres in the Parish of St. John on the E side of Six Pound Creek, joining William Sherrin, Harris’s line, Thomsons line, Isaac Acrey, Walkers corner, and the sd creek. Wits: Will Hurst, Lwr Lancaster. Surveyed 28 Sep 1758. SCC: Hardige Walker, Wm Pattishall. Sher Haywood, Surv. (p. 94, Hoffmann, at 2799).

John Hicks. Deed Book 2, p. 99. 14 Aug 1770. John Hicks to John Hicks, 140 acres on east side of Hawtree Creek, adj. Samuel Harwill, Joshua Ellis and Hardege Walker. Wit: James Hardwick, John Ellis, Aaron Hardwick. A John Hicks homesite can be found on the 19^th map of Warren Co, just a short distance southwest of Hebron Church.

Property Description for land purchased by Cajabeth White from Jeremiah and Sarah Bush on 4 Dec 1774:

Part of a parcel consisting of 160 acres which Jeremiah inherited from his father, John Bush, excepting one acre which is the site of John Bush’s mill. Indenture Dated 4 Dec 1774:

159 acres lying on the east side of Six Pound Creek, beginning at Hawkins line, to Natt’s line, then along Natt’s line to the creek, and then down the creek to the first station.

John White was residing with Thomas Newman in 1771, per the tax list, and as noted above, purchased land from him in 1778.. Thomas Newman’s 1788 will names his granddaughter, Betsey White, and John White is an executor. Most likely John White was a son-in-law of Thomas Newman.

William Smith and James Walker were chain carriers in the 1755 survey of William Gilreath's land grant along a branch of Hawtree Creek. Gilreath, of course, is one of those names that just keeps popping up in this search, e.g. he's named in the 1770 road survey order that mentions Elizabeth White's hands and Cade White. That indicates William Smith may have been an adjacent property owner. So this purchase may have put John White on land very, very close to Sixpound Creek. (I think it's probably the same John White who was already living just a bit south on Owens Creek from around 1753 onward.) I'm thinking now that when Cajabeth purchased land from Jeremiah Bush on the east side of Sixpound Creek, he was essentially branching out to the other side of the creek from where he was already living.

A deed for the purchase of land from William Smith and wife Ann, proved by the oath of Philemon Hawkins, and recorded in Aug 1774

William Smith sold land in 1772 to John White along the Rocky Branch of Smith Creek. He thinks this may have been Capt. John White. But it seems a bit odd that it would take two years to record the deed. But in any event, there may be at least two different Smith to White transactions.

A land grant to Thomas Davis for 700 acres on both sides of Hawtree Creek, dated 1762. This is due west and north of Wise, NC. Thomas Davis was a planter, with several large grants. Could Elizabeth Davis, the postulated wife of James White, have been the daughter of Thomas Davis? I believe James White's oldest son was named Thomas. It might explain the rather substantial wealth that James White had acquired by 1790.

9 Mar 1761 grant to Isaac Arnold of 540 acres on both sides of Fishing Creek in Granville Co, joining Whites line and Harris's line, SCC Michael Wilson and Robert ____. 1315

11 Mar 1760 grant to John Bobbet of 126 acres in St. John Parish on both sides of Great Branch, which is a branch of Fishing Creek. 1348

7 May 1757 to Joh William Burrow of 425 ac on N side of Fishing Creek in Parish of St. John joining Capt Young. 1373

Augustine Bate 1 Mar 1762. 1379 in Granville on branches of Fishing Creek and Hatchers Run joining Pryors line, Whites line, Reave's line an Lewis' line. [This sound like other FIshing Creek]

6 Feb 1762 to Cornelius Cooper, 180 acres on both sides of Fishing Creek, SCC Jno White and Jos Hill. 1444

[1] Old Granville County encompasses present day Granville, Vance, Warren and Franklin Counties, and from 1764-1779, Bute Co (from which Warren and Franklin were formed).

[2] The earliest record of Cajabeth (aka Kedgebeth, Cadbreth, Cade and Cader) is the 1766 tax list for Bute (later Warren) Co, NC, where he was residing in the same household with his brother, William. This establishes a birth date of no later than 1750. A wife, Frances, is named in his will, which was made in 1798 in Rockingham Co, NC, where he had moved in 1795 after a short stay in Mecklenburg Co, VA. He had two sons, Robert and John, and daughters Elizabeth, Nancy, Patsy (Martha?) and Polly (Margaret?). Frances is believed to have been either a Seagrove (based on the fact that John Seagrove’s will named John White as his nephew) or a Bush (based on the fact that Ann Bush, widow of John, made a gift of two slaves to Cajabeth and Frances).

[3] It is worth noting that there are no men with the surname Bush – frequently associated with Cajabeth White – in this list, indicating that the family of John Bush probably entered the Granville/Warren Co area subsequent to 1754 and before 1770, the date of the first court record connecting John Bush to Cajabeth.

[4] Also reporting in Capt. Jeffrey’s company were James Wade, William Cade, Thomas Cook and Samuel Carlisle. The names Wade, Cade, Cook and Carlisle appear in the records pertaining to Cajabeth White and his descendants. Whether there is any connection to the “old army buddies” of this company is purely speculative.

[5] Also in Sugan Jones’ company was Atkins McLemore, who later married Jones’ daughter. Atkins’ brother, Young, was also a planter in Granville (later Bute) Co, and his overseer was John Seagrove, believed to be the same John Seagrove – or perhaps a son or nephew – who later moved to Surry Co, NC and named John White as his nephew in his will.

[6] During this period, males 16 and over were considered tithable under state law. Men over a certain age, usually 45, could be exempted under specific county rules.

[7] The lists for 1751 and 1753 also include a John White, who may or may not be the same John White listed as a Constable in 1755. Whether this is John Plowman White, the son of Jonathan White, Sr., or possibly someone altogether different isn’t clear. See discussion of John White, infra.

[8] Tabb Creek is located in the middle of the eastern edge of present-day Granville Co.

[9] It should be noted, however, that Henry, William’s brother, did move into Bute Co, since the disposition of his two orphan sons, Bledsoe and Stephen, was handled by the Bute Co court in 1777.

[10] Hoffmann, Margaret M. The Granville District of North Carolina 1748-1763, Vol. II (The Roanoke News Co., 1987), at 2800.

[11] Id., at 2812.

[12] Id., at 2781.

[13] Id., at 2778.

[14] The Parish of St. John was comprised of the eastern half of old Granville Co, and was to form the boundaries of Bute Co when it was created in 1764. The other parish was called Granville Parish. The land grants for old Granville Co generally describe the land as being in either Granville Co or in the Parish of St. John.

[15] Id., at 2802. The Great Branch is believed to be a reference to Fishing Creek; but since the nomenclature is no longer in use, this is unclear.

[16] Henry’s wife must have died in 1777, giving rise to the custody order. It is a bit odd that Sarah White Rush left nothing in her will to her children with Jonathan White; but perhaps they had already taken their full share of his estate.

[17] On the other hand, Burgess was the surname of a well-known Baptist minister – one of the earliest in this region of North Carolina. So these names may have been in his honor, rather than family names.

[18] Coincidentally, James and Martha Hicks are the author’s 7^th great grandparents through their son, Robert, and his granddaughter, Tabitha Peeples.

[19] Also found in this partial list are William White, James Hicks, and Thomas Jackson.

[20] John White’s will is dated 23 Jan 1726, and mentions wife Elizabeth, and sons Jonathan, William and Valentine, and daughters Millicent, Jane and Mary.

[21] Brunswick Co Order Book 2, f 260 (?), according to Jim White.

[22] The grant was surveyed on 18 Aug 1761. John White and Tris Hedspath were chain carriers. Hoffmann, at 2780.

[23] Hatcher’s Run appears on one old map roughly in the center of modern-day Granville Co. It is a tributary of the Fishing Creek in Granville Co that runs into the Tar River. This document appears on the MARS index in the NC State Archives.

[24] It is possible the Hudspeth name, or some variation of it, was the inspiration for the name Cajabeth.

[25] One map researcher has sited a Valentine White at the head of Cedar Creek, just inside present-day Granville Co, near the Franklin Co line. See http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/ncmaps/id/3419

[26] Hoffmann, at 1584. As noted below, this grant also mentions a John White as owning an adjacent parcel.

[27] Id., at 1549.

[28] The Mabrys are also connected to John White, as discussed below. John White and Joshua Mabry were co-executors of the estate of Thomas Newman.

[29] It is possible that this is a census taker error, or perhaps that the scribble transcribed as “Sr.” is in fact “Jr.”

[30] It is possible that the older of the two might even be Valentine 2 himself. I think this is unlikely. While the older of the two Valentines listed in 1800 is shown as 45 or over, the eldest female in the household is 26-44, and there is a young male and young female, both under 10. This suggests that this Valentine is perhaps a middle-aged man, and not the Valentine White that first appears in the area in 1751, and who of necessity would have been at least 66 by 1800, and likely a good deal older.

[31] This author has seen only an abstract of this will, but it mentions only a minor son, George, and daughters Frances and Mary. As discussed below, the numerous transactions between members of the Richard White Sr. family and John Plowman White may indicate that the two men were related – perhaps brothers. If so, then Richard White Sr. would have been a son of John and Mary White of Chowan Co, the most likely parents of John Plowman White.

[32] John Bledsoe was the brother of Sarah Bledsoe, who married (i) Jonathan White Sr. and (ii) Benjamin Rush. See discussion, supra.

[33] The 1748 Granville tithables list includes a Richard, a William and a Nicholas, as well as John Plowman White. The fact that only one Richard is listed – presumably the father – supports the view that Richard Jr. was not the eldest. It is possible, but unlikely, that the listed William and Nicholas are different people: as late as 1753 only one William is found in the county. Nicholas disappears from the tax rolls after 1749.

[34] One of Richard Jr.’s daughters was named Drucilla, and an executor under Richard Sr.’s will was Thomas Sherrod, probably a relative of Drucilla.

[35] See http://www.ncgenweb.us/ncgranville/deeds/Granv-deeds1746_pt1.htm. The Granville Co deed abstract recites that this land was the subject of a land grant to George Thomas dated 20 Apr 1745. Since the original grant pre-dates the formation of Granville Co in 1746, it is not found in Hoffmann’s work. It is unclear whether “Franioc’s Branch” is stated to be an alternative name for Fishing Creek in the original deed, or if this is an editorial comment by the author of the abstract. For example, one land grant warrant describes “Francko’s Branch” as a prong of Cedar Creek. See Hoffmann, Vol. IV, at 3533.

[36] Original land grantees along Six Pound Creek included Isaac Acree, Richard Coleman, Philemon Hawkins, Peter Jackson, William Kendrick, Thomas Person, and James Walker. Adjacent property owners mentioned in those grants were Harton, Eaton, Shearin, Huckaby, Jones, Roberts, Sessoms, Roberson, Gilreath, Downey, Natt, Hendricks, Russell, Wright, Dansbey, Sherrin, Harris, and Thomson. See Appendix A, attached.

[37] Hoffmann, at 2801.

[38] Cedar Creek is south of the Tar River, in present day Franklin County. From 1764 to 1779 it would have been in Bute Co. Frankes Branch, Franioc’s Branch, and Francko Branch, all appear to describe the same stream, but as discussed above, the sources are conflicting as to whether this was a branch of Fishing Creek in Bute Co, or a branch of Cedar Creek in present day Franklin Co.

[39] The original grant is abstracted in Hoffmann, at 2820. William White was a chain carrier during the survey of this property, which was conducted on 14 Mar 1748. This suggests a relationship between John Plowman White and William White. Indeed, there are numerous transactions by members of Richard White Sr.’s sons in which John Plowman White appears, further reinforcing the notion that the two families were related.

[40] One of these two parcels was probably the subject of a third grant for Richard White (316 acres) recorded in Granville Co Deed Book D, at 211, and referenced in Hoffmann as having been granted on 1 Dec 1760. (Hoffmann, Vol. IV, at 3836.)

[41] Mecklenburg Co Deed Book 1, p. 459. Abstracted in Elliott, Katherine B., Early Settlers Mecklenburg County Virginia, Vol. II (Southern Historical Press, 1983), p. 126.

[42] Granville Co Deed Book H, 1765-1768.

[43] The William White who was Jonathan White’s son was most likely residing in Granville Co, near his father’s home. Cajabeth is not listed in the 1771 tax list, although he was clearly living in the county in 1770, when he was the subject of a road survey order. If this William was Cajabeth’s brother, it would seem the two were no longer in the same household, since William reported only one poll.

[44] The other, but less likely, possibility is that this William was the son of Jonathan White. As noted below, the unusual name, Dempsey, also appears among the grandsons of Richard White Jr., supporting the view that this William is a son of Richard White Sr.

[45] It seems odd that the plantation home would go to the son of a cousin rather than the son of a sister, which suggests that Mary White, mother of JPW, may also have been a sister of John Plowman.

[46] This sale could indicate that JPW had produced an heir by that date, since this land otherwise would have reverted to John Plowman Ashley.

[47] Hoffmann, at 2820. The fact that this grant was on both sides of Cedar Creek joining Frankoe Branch would seem to identify that Branch as a stream in present-day Franklin Co, rather than a branch of Fishing Creek, found in present-day Warren Co.

[48] The identity of this William White is not clear; but a William White subsequently sold this land to Richard White Jr., suggesting that he was the son Richard White Sr.

[49] As noted above, after 1749 a John White may be found in the tax lists, but no one clearly identified as JPW. It isn’t clear whether these subsequent references are the same man or not.

[50] This is most likely the same Elizabeth White who is referenced in a road survey order on 10 May 1770, along with Cajabeth White, John Bush, and Hardige Walker. Hardige Walker is believed to have been married into the Hicks family of Brunswick Co, VA, which is also related by marriage to Jonathan White. See discussion, supra.

[51] Edward Carlisle, an early member of Rev. William Walker’s Fishing Creek Church, was married to Sarah Davis. Whether Edward is related to Simon Carlisle, named in Cajabeth’s will, and whether Sarah Davis is related to James White’s wife, Elizabeth, is unknown at present.

[52] Note that a Thomas Davis received a large land grant of 700 acres on 22 Aug 1762, on both sides of Hawtree Creek joining the VA state line, which was surveyed on 22 Jun 1761. Hoffmann, at 1491. Given the name of James’ son, Thomas, this man was very possibly James White’s father-in-law.

[53] Charles White is found in Capt. William White’s District in the 1785-1787 NC State Census, with a family of three males and three females. By the time James White’s estate was probated, however, Charles was stated to be mentally infirm.

[54] See also, a grant dated 2 Dec 1760 to John Scarbrough for 286 acres in the Parish of St. John (Bute Co) on the branches of Mill Stone Creek, joining Butts Corner, Halcomes line, Whites line and Carliles line, in which Philemon Hawkins was a witness. (Hoffmann, at 2727.)

[55] This was probably the son of Rev. William Walker, who was pastor at the Fishing Creek Baptist Church. It is possible that William Walker Jr. was related in some way to Hardige Walker, a neighbor of Cajabeth White and widow Elizabeth White, but more research needs to be done to establish the connection, if any.

[56] A deed dated 22 Sep 1760 suggests that this Carlile was Robert Carlile, who deeded 130 acres to David Walker on the north side of Sandy Creek on that date. The land is stated to have been part of a grant to John Rainwater. Hoffmann lists a grant to Rainwater of 480 acres on both sides of Sandy Creek, dated 9 May 1755. (Hoffmann, at 2656.) Cajabeth White’s will mentions his good friend, Simon Carlisle. It is not known whether Simon was related to Robert Carlile.

[57] These are the only references I have found to Moses and John Whight. Some researchers have claimed James White was the son of Moses White of New Castle, DE, but no documentary proof of this has been produced. Greg White, a James White family researcher, has told me that Y-DNA test results support that line of descent, but like all such test results, this matching is entirely dependent on someone else’s identification of Moses White as their oldest known ancestor: a conclusion that could very well be wrong.

[58] As noted below, John White also purchased land from Robert Harris in the same month, except along Fishing Creek.

[59] The reference to Beaver Dam Creek could refer to a creek located in the southern part of present-day Granville Co; but these references to White and Holcomb as a whole indicate a location in Bute Co, on Sandy Creek. See, in particular, the 18 Apr 1765 deed from Holcom to Walker.

[60] Greg White was walked around the property of James White 2 by another descendant, who pointed out James White’s mill pond. This area was north of Wise, NC, near the VA state line.

[61] Recall that James Hix or Hicks is believed to be of the same family into which Jonathan White Sr. or Jr. was married.

[62] The same estate papers of David Towns mention Cajabeth White, to whom Town incurred a debt dated 25 Jun 1796 (by which time Cajabeth was living in Rockingham Co). Towns was married to Hannah Fox. The administrator of Towns’ estate, Richard Fox, was probably her father, and the same Richard Fox who was living in Mecklenburg Co, VA. This is a slender connection, but the only connection explicitly linking Cajabeth to another White family.

[63] There is a marriage bond for James White and Martha Mann dated 17 Feb 1812 in Granville Co. The bondsman in that case was a Mark White. This may have been the same Mark White who names a minor son, James, in a will dated 24 Oct 1793. This does not appear to be Mark White the son of Richard White Jr., whose will was probated in Warren Co in 1775, because the will of Mark White mentions his still living parents. There is no clear connection between this family and the James White of Warren Co.

[64] Note that the 1766 tax list does not place Elizabeth and James White, or brothers Cajabeth and William White, along Six Pound Creek. The earliest reference explicitly placing Cajabeth on Six Pound Creek is a deed from Jeremiah and Sarah White dated 4 Dec 1774. But it can be inferred that both Elizabeth and Cajabeth were living along Six Pound Creek as early as 10 May 1770, when they were subject to the road survey order, along with John Bush. The 1774 deed makes clear that the land on Six Pound Creek sold to Cajabeth was previously owned by John Bush.

[65] However, as discussed below, there was a John White living in the area of Fishing Creek as early as 1753.

[66] Hoffman, at 2839.

[67] Owens Creek is a tributary of Fishing Creek in Bute Co., southwest of Hawtree Creek.

[68] As noted in the discussion of Valentine White, supra, this is probably the Fishing Creek located in present-day Granville Co.

[69] William Smith was probably a neighbor of William Gilreath, as evidenced by the fact that on 22 Mar 1755 he acted as a chain carrier, with James Walker, for William Gilreath in a survey of 680 acres on a branch of Hawtree Creek, joining Robert Downey, William Young and John Roberson, on 22 Mar 1755. (Hoffmann, at 1612.) The sale referenced above, therefore, appears to place a John White in the area of Hawtree Creek. There is, in fact, a tributary of Hawtree Creek called Rocky Branch even today. It runs east to west from Hawtree Creek, with its head a bit north of Wise, NC, north and roughly parallel to Wise-Five Forks Road.

[70] Mabry is also referenced in a Bute Co court order, dated 8 Feb 1779, in which James White is ordered to build and maintain a bridge over a mill pond on his property. Joshua Mabry and Edward Davis provided the bond. Bute Co Record Book 2, p. 288. This may be another link between John and James White.

[71] It is worth noting that in Jul 1833, William White, son of John White, purchased land in Surry Co from his father-in-law, William Haines.

[72] Bute Co Deed Book 3, p. 490.

[73] Other children named in the will of George White Jr. are Mary Maginess, William White, Ruth Read Carter, John White, Coleman Read White, Phillip White, Garrett White, Ann Read White, Joshua White, and Joseph White.

[74] As noted above, the name “Demsie” also appears in the family of William White.

[75] Thomas Newman and John White appear together in several contexts. For example, John White purchased land from Thomas Newman in Nov 1778, as noted above, and Thomas Newman’s will of 1788 mentions a granddaughter, Betsy White, and the executor John White. Whether Betsy was a daughter or wife of John is unclear, but it helps to explain why John White was in the same household with Newman.

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