Person:William White (94)

William moved frequently working as a bricklayer. He worked at the Lynn, MA Iron Works at one point and in February 1655 he was at Warwick, Rhode Island. In 1656, he supervised bridklaying on Fisher’s island (Winthrop’s stronghold) and was also found in Providence. On 17 October 1656, he was granted a house lot adjoining his son-in-law "Benjamine Herndell" [Benjamin Hearndon/Harrington]. On 27 February 1657, William was granted a "meddow" near another son-in-law, Thomas Walling. He was settled in Boston again by 16 October 1662. He bought a house from Nathaniel Woodward, for which he had to pay rent to the town of Boston. (Suffolk Deeds, 7:110) This land was later granted to William on 14 March 1669/70. ^[1]

There is some evidence of rocky family relationships. On 17 February 1659, Benjamin Hearnden [Benjamin Harrington] was cited for "breach of peace and fright, Comitted [sic] on the family of william white, of this Towne." In a separate incident, William's daughter Margaret, at the time married to Robert Colwell, ran away with her married neighbor, Thomas Walling; both deserted their families. Colwell divorced her 2 July 1667; Margaret had returned to Boston and was ordered to be publicly whipped and was fined in October 1666. Colwell later left for Long Island and Walling obtained a divorce and married Margaret in 1669. ^[2]

Legacy

Wife receives "all my vissable estate so long as she was a widowe and to have her thirds if she remarried; two Sonnes Isaacke & Cornelius White; two sonnes & 1 daughter Susanna Waggett, wife of Thomas Waggett after the decease of wife; to son William White 5 shillings... to other 3 daughters, Elyzabeth Harnden, wife of Benjamyne... Margaret Wallen, wife of Thomas Wallen, and Usrulla Bennett, the wife of John Bennett each 4 shillings."

1. ↑ Boston Record Commissioners, 7th Report, p. 53, 1881
2. ↑ [1] (dead link)