Person:Gowin White (1)

Gowan WHITE (1607-) [Pedigree]
Son of Thomas WHITE (-1630) and Joan COOKSLEY (-1636)

Gowan White arrived in Scituate on October 15, 1638. He was one of the Conihasset partners of 1646. In 1650 he bought the farm of William Richards for £75. His wife, Elizabeth Ward came to New England in the ship Increase of London in 1635.

Gawan White was baptized 23 May 1607, West Quantoxhead, Somerset. (He was possibly named for Gawen Evans, the parson's son, who was baptized at West Quantoxhead 28 Oct 1581, entered Oxford University in 1604 aged 22, and became rector of his native parish in 1617.)

He married Elizabeth Ward on 15 Sep 1638, in Plymouth Colony.|Scituate, Plymouth, MassachusettsHe had left England before May 1637. Elizabeth had been servant of Mr. Timothy Hatherly, as very probably White had also. They were married by "Maister Ginnings." His name is on the list of Scituate men able to bear arms in 1643, he was propounded as freeman on 5 June 1644, and on the same day took the oath as constable of Scituate.

He died before 3 March 1664/5 when Timothy and Joseph White presented an inventory, taken by James Cudworth and Isaac Buck, of his estate, which they were appointed to administer. The estate was small, only 59 pounds, and there was no land listed. Gawen White, in 1648 a planter, was one of the group of Scituate men known as the Conihasset partners to whom Mr. Hatherly deeded his great Conihasset property of many square miles. Mr. Hatherly had been one of a number of London merchants to whom Conihasset had originally been granted, and he had bought out the interest of the others. The farm which Gawen White acquired in the division between the partners he presumably gave to his son, Timothy. The family homestead, however, was the house and land, 45 acres of upland and 30 acres of marsh, which White had bought of William Richards and which he mortgaged to Joseph Tilden on 8 June 1654, to secure the payment of 54 bushels, 3 pecks of wheat and 32 bushels of barley by 21 Oct 1654. The mortgage was discharged in full court. It was probably for part of the purchase money of this land that Mr. Richards sued White in 1644 and obtained a verdict of £4:10:0. White and his wife Elizabeth sold this farm to William Randall on 22 Dec 1658, Elizabeth releasing her dower on 12 Dec 1660. On 1 June 1664, White sold to John Otis and Thomas Woodward what seems to have been the last of his land, 60 acres which he had bought from William Gilson.

White's name appears frequently in the court records. A difference between him and Richard Lambert was referred to arbitration in 1641, and he was fined for an assault on William Holmes in that year. On 4 June 1645, he was granted the custody of a "man child 5 years of age" until he should reach the age of 24 unless the father should return and pay for his keep. The boy was a son of one Thomas Riddings who had come to Scituate a year previously and had left the child at White's house when he departed, with fair promises. In the same court White sued William Hatch Sr. for assault ( - apparently the Elder had forgotten himself - ) and won a verdict of £20. In 1650/1 White was presented for travelling from Weymouth to Scituate on the Lord's day, but was "cleared". Elizabeth Randall was fined for telling a lie to White's detriment in 1653/4 while in 1657/8 he paid for telling a lie about Mr. Joseph Tilden. He was a member of a jury of inquest on the death of Richard Man, who was drowned in 1655. Ensign John Williams sued him for debt in 1661 and Mr. Joseph Tilden in 1663/4. Williams won a verdict of £11 and Tilden one of £6.
Davis, W.G. The Ancestry of Joseph Neal.
White, J.B. Ancestors of John Barber White.
b. BEF 23 May 1607
bp. 23 May 1607, West Quantoxhead, Somerset, Eng.

Married Elizabeth WARD (1597-1658)

Children:
Sarah WHITE (-1699) m. John BAILEY (-1718)
Timothy WHITE m. Abigail ROGERS
Joseph WHITE (-1711) m(1) Mary ROGERS (-1677)
Elizabeth WHITE m. Thomas PINSON
References: [White1],[GENSERV],[Bailey3],[Bailey2]