#1951 Andrew White

Andrew was born Abt 1722 in Co. Down or Derry, Ireland. He died 29 Jan 1802 in Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania.

A letter from 1905 exists among the papers of his great-great-great-grandson, Charles Copeland. It was addressed to Charles' grandfather, James White. I'm not sure who wrote it. There appear to be three initials in the return address, perhaps "J.K.W."?

It's hard to read, but the text appears to be as follows. Question marks are mine.

in 45 about
County Derry Ireland - Andy White
& Jean Herron. crossed ocean 3 times.
2 mos. on ocean - settled in Cum
Franklin Co - on Antietam Creek,
within few miles - His father was
youngest born 59. Nancy oldest
James & John one son - 4 daughters.
one married Paxton to Kentucky.
Their daughter married Robt. Todd.
” ” ” Abram Lincoln.
Nancy, Hannah - can't mind rest.
” married - 2 - last man
Ramey(?) out in Ind. 2 married
& lived in Ind. Co. One married James Simpson
same living about Homer City.
Hannah Simpson their daughter
married Gen. Grant.
Andrew-
Oldest son in Youngstown
Their son Kenneth in ?M?sh

As interesting as the note is, there are a couple of problems with it.

First, the family connection to Abraham Lincoln seems problematic. The note seems to say that one of the White girls married either a Mr. Paxton—or in the town of Paxton, the name for Harrisburg until about 1785—and moved to Kentucky. Their daughter, who the note says married Robert Todd, would then have to be Eliza Parker, Mary Todd's mother. However, Eliza's mother was Elizabeth (Porter) Parker, not a White daughter. The White daughter may have married someone in the Todd family as they were from Pennsylvania (albeit the other end of the state) before their removal to Kentucky, but it wasn't in the direct ancestry of Mary (Todd) Lincoln.

Second, Gen. Ulysses Grant married Julia Dent, the daughter of Frederick & Ellen (Wrenshall) Dent, not Hannah Simpson, and Julia was a Missouri woman. Ulysses Grant's mother was Hannah Simpson. However, she was the daughter of John & Rebecca (Weir) Simpson, not James & Hannah (White) Simpson. Since our Hannah Simpson (#1955) and Grant's mother were both born in the 1790s, I can only think that someone confused them as the same person.

What I glean from the personal relationships are:

The following is a portion of a typewritten paper entitled “Johnstown Tribune Tuesday June 29, 1897”. The paper is rather lengthy and I am not certain if the entire contents are taken from the Tribune or (more likely) a portion is a copy of a Tribune article and the remainder is "family history."

Andrew White--the paternal grandfather and Jean Herring, His wife, were natives of County Down, Ireland. They were married about 1745 and immediately sailed for America. It was a tempestuous voyage and their vessel was within sight of the New World twice when the angry waves with the primitive methods of steering or controlling her drove her back to within sight of the English coast. The third time they disembarked. They located in Cumberland County, now Franklin [County], not far from Fort Loudon [within a short distance of Antietam Creek]. About 1775 James White, the elder son, was commissioned by his Father to come out to Westmoreland County and located a farm, which he did by warranting three hundred and twenty acres at the place above mentioned. Before his death the Father divided it between his two sons--James and John. Mr. Andrew White died at that place on January 29, 1802 and Mrs. Jean White Sept. 1, 1801.

At least some of their children were born in what was then Cumberland Co. but is now part of Franklin Co. after it split from Cumberland in 1784. We find a 1767 record of an Andrew White applying for a land warrant for 100 acres in Antrim Twp. Catherine Paystrup's transcription of the original microfilm put it adjoining "Jno CRENCHLESON?, Samuel SMITH and William RANKY." Cross-referencing the tax records for Antrim for the surrounding years, we find that William Ranky is William Rankin and Jno Crenchleson is probably John Crunkleton.

There was another application on 21 Aug 1789 for 100 acres in Antrim Twp. Since we find Andrew on the 1790 Census in Westmoreland Co. quite some distance away, this introduces some uncertainty. If it were just the warrant application and the tax records we might presume Andrew had land in both places. However, three Andrew Whites make an appearance on the 1786 version of the Pennsylvania Septennial Census in the two counties with which we're concerned: one in Antrim, Franklin Co.; one in Rostraver, Westmoreland Co.; one in Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland Co.

If we assume he wasn't double-counted, we have multiple individuals of the name. Arguing against this is the fact that at least two of these Andrews seem to disappear from the 1790 Federal Census four years later. We know of the connection to Antrim. The Rostraver individual is the farthest stretch as this township is quite a distance from Unity where Andrew will be in 1790. The Mount Pleasant individual, however, is interesting as later maps put at least one White farm on the southern side of Unity Twp. and Mount Pleasant is the township immediately south of Unity and included much of Unity until around 1789.

My best guess is that the Mount Pleasant individual is our Andrew; the Antrim individual may be our Andrew double-counted as we don't know of any other Andrew Whites in Antrim; the Rostraver individual is probably someone else.

We find an Andrew White living in Unity Twp., Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania on the 1790 Federal Census. The household is shown to consist of two males over 15, one male under 15 and two females. One of the women is presumably Jean. The second adult male and the second female might be John and his wife, Margaret, as a Jas. White and family is listed separately on the next line of the census. Since it is likely that all of Andrew's sons were older than 15 by 1790, perhaps the boy is a foster child or hired help. It's possible it was a grandchild although John wasn't known to have children until several years later.

Andrew and Jean appear to be living with their son, John, on the 1800 Federal Census.

Andrew married #1952 Jean Herring.

Marriage notes

They married Abt 1745.

 

Other names for Jean: Jean Herron.

Jean was born in Co. Down or Derry, Ireland. She died 1 Sep 1801 in Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania.

Her name is variously given as Jean Herring and Jean Herron. I wonder if the latter is due the existence of a Jean Herron/Heron who is married to an Andrew White. They are found in the International Genealogical Index and are from Carnmoney, County Antrim, Ireland which is, perhaps, confused with our Andrew & Jean's association with Antrim Twp., Pennsylvania.

Children of this relationship:

#1964FiNancy White(–Deceased)
#1953FiiHannah White(Abt 1752–21 Dec 1815)
#1956MiiiJames White(Bef 1759–Abt 1824)
#1967Fiv«Unknown» White(–Deceased)
#1968Fv«Unknown» White(–Deceased)
#1969MviJohn White(1759–9 Aug 1832)

"Andrew White", submission id: MMS2-JN2, Pedigree Resource File, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:2:SPNF-1D8 & https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:2:37HX-QRM : accessed 2015-03-18). Andrew has multiple records in Pedigree Resource File

"Jean Herring", submission id: MMS2-JN2, Pedigree Resource File, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:2:SPNF-16Q & https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:2:37HX-Q51 : accessed 2015-03-18). Jean has multiple records in Pedigree Resource File

1786 Pennsylvania Census, Antrim, Franklin Co., Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, Septennial Census, 1779-1863 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. .

1786 Pennsylvania Census, Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, Septennial Census, 1779-1863 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. .

1786 Pennsylvania Census, Rostraver, Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, Septennial Census, 1779-1863 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. .

1790 U.S. Census, Unity Twp., Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania, Ancestry.com. 1790 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Series: M637; Roll: 9; Page: 84; Image: 55; Family History Library Film: 0568149

1800 U.S. Census, Unity Twp., Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania, Ancestry.com. 1800 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Roll: 41; Page: 1172; Image: 292; Family History Library Film: 363344

Catherine Paystrup (transcriber), Selected Applications for Land Warrants 1746-1767: Various Cos, PA, referencing Film #0984927, http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/1pa/land/1746-67landapps.txt (extracted 17 Mar 2015).

Pennsylvania, Tax and Exoneration, 1768-1801, Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, Tax and Exoneration, 1768-1801 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission; Records of the Office of the Comptroller General, RG-4; Tax & Exoneration Lists, 1762-1794 Microfilm Roll: 327

Pennsylvania, Tax and Exoneration, 1768-1801, Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, Tax and Exoneration, 1768-1801 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission; Records of the Office of the Comptroller General, RG-4; Tax & Exoneration Lists, 1762-1794 Microfilm Roll: 341

Ruth Curfman, et al. (transcribers), Franklin County Land Warrants, referencing Pennsylvania Archives Third Series, Volume 25, pp. 28-51, http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/franklin/land/fland2.txt (extracted 17 Mar 2015).

Unknown, Letter describing the early members of the White family. See Andrew White #1951 for transcription


Line Generation: 1

Relationship: Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandfather