John White

From the Miles Files: John was born circa 1645 at Coldicott, Newport Pagenell, Buckinghamshire, England. On Aug 25 1665, John White apparently did not come to the Eastern Shore of Maryland settlement until about 1664 or 1665, associating himself from the first with the Pocomoke River section. He is first mentioned as a member of the Commission of the Peace for the "Eastern Shore" on 25 Aug 1665; appearing again in the commission of Feb 23 1665/6. He is also named a member of the first court for Somerset County, commissioned on Aug 22 1666. Though thus commissioned White does not appear to have qualified by taking the usual oath of office and there is no record of his having sat as a member of the courts held between September 1666 and October 1668. John White's name appears in successive commissions to the court, Feb 9 1669/70, Feb 22 1672/3, Mar 2 1675/6, and Jun 6 1676. On Feb 9 1669/70 John White was commissioned captain of a company of horse of for the whole of Somerset County, and was a representative from Somerset in the Lower House of the Maryland Assembly, Oct-Nov 1678. In 1681, John White appears to have been Sheriff of Somerset County.

He married Sarah Keyser, daughter of George Keyser, on Jun 27 1672 at Somerset Co, MD. John White and Sarah Keyser were married by Mr. Robert Maddox, Clerk. Sarah appears to have arrived in the province of Maryland in 1671. She was evidently a sister(sic) (sister-in-law) of Madam Elizabeth Stevens, wife of Col. Williams Stevens of Rehoboth.

John White had three large land tracts surveyed for him in old Somerset Co., MD (modern Worcester):
"Buckingham": surveyed Jul 21 1679 and patent granted Mar 10 1681/2 for 1500 acres
"Newport Pagenell": surveyed Jul 22 1679 and patent granted Mar 10 1681/2 for 700 acres
"Unity": surveyed Oct 6 1683 and patented Aug 10 1684 for 650 acres.

These tracts are located in the modern day (2018) in Worcester Co., MD just south of the town of Berlin along and east of US Route 113.

He made a will on Jun 1 1685 and probated Oct 3 1685, at Pocomoke Hundred, Somerset Co., MD:
In the name of God Amen, I Jno White of Pockcomocke in Somerset County Gentle. Considering ye frailty of this life & ye Conveinensie to a family to have affaires always settled & now being weake in body though of sound & good memory blessed be God, doe make this my last Will & testament as followeth. My Soule I render to God yt gave it, expecting its Salvation through ye mercy of my Creator. & merretts of my redeemer Jesus Christ my body I comitt to ye Earth to be descently buried as my Executrix hereafter named shall thinke fitt. And for what wordly & outward Estate it hath pleased Almighty God to bless me wthall I give & bequeath as followeth my just debts being first paid. Item. I give & bequeath to my Eldest sonne William White Eight hundred acres of land being part of a tract of land called Buckingham to him ye.sd. William White his heirs or assignes forever. Item. I alsoe give & bequeath to my sd son William White five hundred acres being part of a tract of land called Partners Choice to him ye.sd. William White his heires or assignes forever. Item. I give & bequeath to my second Son Stephens White ye Plantation I now live on called Coldicott after the decease of my loveing Wife Sarah White to him ye. Said Stevens White his heirs or assignes forever Item. I give my due share of ye Swamp for ye use & benefit of all my children Item I give & bequeath to Jno White my third son & to Elizabeth White my Eldest daughter & to Sarah White my youngest daughter seaven hundred acres of land part of ye aforementioned tract called Buckingham & six hundred & fifty acres of Land adjoyning thereto called Unity to Equally devided between my said three children Jno Elizabeth & Sarah & to their heirs & assignes forever And if it shall please God soe to order it as to remove any of my aforesaid children (yt is to say Jno Elizabeth or Sarah White) by death then my will & desire is yt ye Survior. or Surviors shall enjoy ye full portion or quantity of land yt I have given and bequeathed to all ye three Children. Item. I give & bequeath to my two daughters Tabitha & Priscilla White wch. Are twines Seaven hundred acres of land called Newport Pannell adjoyning to Buckingham aforesaid to them ye sd. Tabitha & Priscilla White their heyrs & assignes forever. Item I give & bequeath two thirds of ye remaining parte of my Estate yt is to say of my cattle horses mares & house hold stuffe equally to be devided amongst my twines Tabitha & Priscilla & Sarah & Jno White Item I give & bequeath to my Reverend friend Mr William Trail one young mare & all her future increase after delivery Item. I give & bequeath to my Cossn William Stevens Howard one cow & calfe to be delivered next springe after my decease. Item. I give & bequeath to my deare & loveing wife Sarah White ye remaining part of ye afore mentioned tract of land called Partners Choice to be disposed of as shee shall thinke fitt & convenient as also ye other third part of my Reall & prsonall Estate aforementioned as cattle horses mares & et & I doe also ordaine nominate constitute and apointe my sd wife to be my whole & sole Executrix of this my last will & testament hereby revoking & cancelling all other former Will or Wills by me made or done in Witness whereof I have hereunto set & fixd my hand & seale ye first day of June Anno Dom 1685. Signed Sealed & published & declared to be ye last Will & Testament of Mr. Jno. White in the prsence of us Elizabeth Stevens, Robert Paine, Henry Ayres, Jno. Vigerous Edmund Harwood (Howard). The said Will was Endorsed thus (viz) October ye third 1683. These are humbly to Certifie yt by vertue of a Comission from the Honable ye Comisarys for probat of will Years graunting of Adm:tion to me directed yt there ye forewritten will was proved by ye oaths of Elizabeth Stevens Robt Paine & Edmund Howard then alsoe ye oath of an Executrix to Sarah White mentioned in ye sd Will was administered as Witnes my hand & Seale ye day & yeare above written Will: Colborne (Sealed) Jno. Vigerous did also make oath yt he saw ye fore written will signed and sealed by ye afore mentioned Mr Jno. White deced. & did ye same time sett to his hand as a witnes thereof Wm Colborne, Henry Ayres makes oath yt he saw Mr. Jno. White now decd one day before his death signe & seale to ye writings on ye other halfe sheet of paper as his last Will & testament unto wch amonst severall other he set to his hand as a witnes in Testimoney of wch I set to my hand, sworne before me 8 ½ Sides Will. Stevens, Henry Ayres. (SoW-EB5:125)

After White's death and estate had settled, Francis Jenkins sued to recover items he had loaned John White during his life. The Somerset court records illustrate how the subsequent artbitration for this went (by then, John White's widow had married Lawrence Crawford):
"Mr. Francis: Jenkins. Plt. The plt and deft in Open Court withdraws Contra. the action. The plt delivers to ye Clerk this Lawrence Crawford et Uxor Dfts Award and accompt to be Recorded. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Somerset County in Maryland Ss.: To all Christian People to whome this present writing of Award Indented shall come, we Stephen Luffe & Thomas Newbold Send greeting know ye that whereas there hath been and now is a Certain Suite of Law depending in Somerset County Court agt Lawrence Crawford and Sarah his wife Execcutrix of John:White deceased at the suit of ffrancis: Jenckins Gent. for Sundry goods and Merchandizes by the sd ffrancis Jenckins lent and
dilivered to the sd White in his life time, and for the appeasing whereof the said parties have Elected and chosen us the said Stephen Luffe and Thomas:Newbold Arbitrators Indifferently between them and to that end have bound them Selves either to other in the Sum of twenty thousand pounds of tobacco, to stand to and abide the Award Arbitrament and judgment of us touching the premises . Now know ye that we the sd Stephen Luffe and Thomas: Newbold taking upon us the charge of the sd Award, and minding that a final end & Agreement shall be had and contracted between the parties aforesd, touching the premises, do declare this our Award in manner & forme following (viz) that the said Lawrence. Crawford. Satisfie and pay to the sd ffrancis Jenckins the Severall perticulers in a Certain account hereunto anexed (except three books) within the space of three years from the date hereof in the same Spetia as received or as he can agree with the said Jenckins, and that the Said ffrancis: Jenckins allow him the said Lawrence Crawford the Sum of four hundred and thirteen pounds of tobacco out of the sd account as by the sd account appears and that each partie pay their own Charges in the said Suite the said goods to be paid at three severall payments, And this we do declare to be the Award & finall
determinationa of us the above sd Arbitraters, as wittness our hands and Seals this 24th day of ffebry Anno.Domii 1690/1

Here follows ye accompt wch was anexed
Stephen: Luffe Sealed.
-amie 1688Tho: Newbold: Sealed.
An.Accot of Sundry Goods Lent to mr. Jno.White late deceased to be returned in kind for which yd Extor is Dr. to ffr:Jenckins for (viz)
Imprimus to 3lb. of xd nails lent.1lb.of 8d. 1lb. of 6.d and 500 xxd.nails LentPer Contra: - - - - Cr.
to 2:yrds of duffills alias Match Coat Lent - - - - - - - -By paid mr. Haslewood ye bale of my
to 5:yrds of fine broad Cloth lent - - - - - - - - - - - -accot. to him in tobacco fifteen pounds 0015
to 2 yrds & 3: of very fine ditto Lent. - - - - - - - - - -By five bushels of Salt from yr houses
to 1: pr. of womans Shoos lent. - - - - - - - - - - - - -at 30lb. of tobacco pr bushell is - - - 0150
to 4 Ells of wide sheeting Canvas Lent. - - - - - - - - - -By 2 & 2 Pine planke Cont. 48 foot. 0048
to 2 alb if ver fine whited brown thred Lent.- - By so much in a hhd of tob.left at Jno. Wins. 0200
to pr 2 ps of white tape at twice. Lent. - - - - - - - - - -413
to 3lb. of 8d. 3lb. of xd 1lb.of 6d. & 500: of xxd nayles Lent. - - -
to 22 yrds of blew lining at twice. Lent. - - - - - - - - - -
to a Gowne Cost me 19S Sterl. - - - - - - - - - - - - -
to 400: of 8d. 250: xd. 50: 20d. nayles Lent. - - - - - - - - -
to 3 yrds of Bone Lace lent. - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Turn Over to the remaining part of
to 7:Ells of very fine wide Dowlasthis accompt to fo.~ 130 - - - - - -
to 9 yrds of yellow Cotton Lent.
to 22 yrds of Collo. Dimete Lent.
June 12th. 1691
- - - - - - - -
to a pre of Wo. shoos lent. - - - - - - - - - -
to a pr of plain shoos by Morris Lent. - - - - - -
to a Case of knives viz Six - - - - - - - - - -
to 1:doz. of thred laces Lent. - - - - - - - - -
to 9lb: of Shott at 3 times Lent. - - - - - - - -
to 6 Ells of Canvas to John: ffreeman. - - - - - -
to 3.Gallons & 3 of Rum at Sundry times Lent -
dd. to Morris and Sarah. - - - - - - - - - - -
to 22 Grey Searge. Lent . - - - - - - - - - -
to 2 a Ream of Super fine writing paper. Lent. -
to 2. large double bed Cords Lent. - - - - - - - -
to 6 yrds of Canvas Lent . - - - - - - - - - - -
to 6 yrds of Course wt. linnig lent. - - - - - - - -
to 1:Large Ivory Comb. and 2 horn Combs One Large
One fine Lent. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
to 1000 of pins Lent.
to 1:doz. of thred Laces
to 1: doz of ditto thred laces
to 1lb. of pins lent.
to Onelb. of Brown & Colloured thred Lent. - - - - - -
to 3 fflitches & 2 of well dryed Bacon Conr . 92lb.
delivered at Severall times Lent. - - - - - - -
to Candles &n by yr. maid about. 3lb.
to 3. Books of divinity. 2 lent. the other left by mr Roads recd 2 Books Since November the 6th 1688 The above mentioned accot. of goods Lent as is above Specified is a true and just accot. Errors Excepted pr me fra: Jenckins Courts adjounred till tomorrow at 8 a Clock.
June the 13 Anno Domini: 1691; mr ffrancis: Jenckins. majr. Robert: King. mr Thomas: Newbold mr Samll: Hopkins Comissionersmr James: Round. Capt. John: King."
(SoJ-1690/91:128-130)

John married Sarah Keyser, daughter of George Keyser and Unknown, on 27 Jun 1672 in Somerset Co., MD. (Sarah Keyser was born about 1650.)