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Ann Garner and John WHITE (born about 1720, possibly near Broughshane, County Antrim, Ireland) family of Chester County, South Carolina

• REUNION and genealogists of this White Family
• A LETTER.htm written by Dr. G. B. White in 1897 about the history of this White family
• NAMES.htm and where found in the White genealogy book
• WHITEcht.htm is a recent genealogical CHART with a link to its on line GEDCOM
• GEDCOM.htm is about the first two generations of this White family in America
• MAIL.htm about this White family
• Earl of Donegal ../MAIL.htm about this White family
• ../index.html is about White and other passengers aboard the "Earl of Donegal".
• An incomplete copy of a genealogy BOOK.htm about this White family
• WILKINS.htm is about White and Wilkins records

Contact genealogies@juno.com or a member of this WHITE family who knows the password to the PRIVATE WEB SITE of this family for more genealogical, etc. information about it. Read about how to communicate with others about this family at the bottom of this web page.

Scroll down for information about the first and second generations of this White family.

Note from the Web master:

Almost all information posted at this web site about this White family was more or less accurately copied from "THE WHITE FAMILY, A Genealogical Historical Sketch of the White Family from the time of John White of County Antrim, Ireland, 1720 to the time of his descendants of present day 1968", Collaborators: Dr. Garner Brown White, Matthew Elder White, Reverend Bonner Dale White, D.Ds. Compiled and Edited by Bonner Dale White, Chester, South Carolina, 1932.

This White family web site was created to help all descendants of Ann Garner and John WHITE:

1. to know their family history. Copies of the White family genealogy book are now scarce.
2. to preserve, improve, add to and disseminate the genealogical and historical information its original authors sought to pass on to future generations.

I am interested in and want to contribute to the history and genealogy of this White family, which has treated me so generously, even though I have not traced my kinship to any of its members.

One of my Stewart cousins said my Stewart ancestors were friends and neighbors of this White family before they left Ireland. I suspect that combining what is known about both families may be the best way to discover more about their history before they came to South Carolina.

I plan to post on Internet more chapters of "THE WHITE FAMILY".

Please e-mail genealogies@juno.com if you:

1. want to help with the typing, contribute information, etc. for this web site.
2. wish to help create or maintain an independant White family web site.
3. have any concerns about, or corrections to, information presented on this web page.

CHAPTER 1

Historical Sketch of the First Generation of White Family

On December 22, 1767, there arrived at Charleston, South Carolina, a ship called "Earl of Donegal" in charge of Duncan Ferguson, Master. On board that ship were two hundred and sixty five souls who had left their motherland and braved the dangers of the Atlantic Ocean in order that they might come to America to enjoy a land of liberty and freedom. Little did they know then of the experiences of adventure which were to be theirs in years to come.

Among those passengers, who that day set foot on Carolina soil, were John White and his wife, Ann Garner White, formerly of County Antrim, Ireland. Nothing is known definitely of the exact place from which they came, but tradition has it that they came from Broughshane, or some place nearby. Dr. G. B. White of Chester, South Carolina, while visiting in Ireland during the year 1903, found a number of tombstones in the cemetery at Broughshane bearing the family name of White, but he was not able to trace authentically and direct connection between those Whites and John and Ann White.

John and Ann White were the progenitors of that large connection of Whites, who, since the earliest settlement of what is now Chester County, South Carolina, have lived in the neighborhood of Old Purity Church and cemetery, about two and a half miles south-east of the town of Chester on the Chester-Great Falls highway.

From the ship's passenger list and other sources we get the following information concerning John White and his family:

John White and his family settled about three miles south-east of Chester on the Chester-Great Falls highway, one third mile west of the highway, and two hundred yards north of a large spring which is still in use on J. G. L. White's farm.

There is no accurate information available concerning the time of John White's death and place of burial. However through Daniel Stinson, a historian, who accumulated considerable knowledge concerning early events, which took place in Chester County, we learn that, according to tradition, John White was killed near what was then Youngsville, but now called Woodward in Fairfield County, S. C., in a skirmish with Cherokee Indians. Since that was before the day of vehicles, his friends were not able to bring his body home to Chester County for burial, and so his remains were buried in the old Concord cemetery, which is near what was then Youngsville, but now Woodward. The Cherokee Indians frequently came across the North Carollina border, and made raids on the Catawba Indians in the vicinity of Chester, S. C. During at least some of these encounters, the white settlers joined forces with the Indians of the Catawba tribe, and as a result of such cooperation on the part of the settlers, the Indians became fast friends of their white neighbors. It is interesting to note just here that a remnant of the Catawba Indians still exist near Rock Hill, S. C., where the South Carolina government has set apart a reservation for these Indians, and given them permission to draw a pension from the state.

Ann Garner White died January 25, 1818, in the ninety third year of her age and was buried in Old Purity cemetery, where a head stone marks her grave. During the year 1930, some of the descendants of John White had a marker erected to his memory, alongside the marker of his wife, Ann Garner White. The time of his death and place of his burial is altogether unknown.

Doubtless it will be of interest to some to know that the land of which John and Ann White settled was a grant from King George the Third of England, and this land during all these years has never been owned be anyone except members of the White Family. Part of the old grant of land is now owned by J. G. L. White, and the remainder is in the possession of M. E. White.

CHAPTER 2

Historical Sketch of the Second Generation of White Family

Section 1. Record of the Famiily of John White, 1

Par. 1. William White, 2 (s/o John, 1) was born in County Antrim, Ireland in 1753. He accompanied his parents to America in the year 1767 at the age of fourteen. About the year 1778 he was married to Jane Brown. William White was a soldier of the American Revolution and fought in the battles of Kings Mountain, Fishing Creek, Fishdam Ford, Blackstock, and perhaps others. The rifle which he carried during the war is now owned by Matthew Henry White of Chester, S. C. It was on exhibition at the Centennial at Kings Mountain in the year 1880. William and Jane Brown settled about three miles south-east of Chester and one third mile west of the Chester-Great Falls highway about two hundred yards west of the old spring. That home is still standing and is owned by J. G. L. White. William died Nov. 18, 1833 in the eighty-first year of his age. His wife, Jane Brown died May 23, 1841, Having been born in February 1758, she died in the eighty-fourth year of her age. Both he and she are buried in Old Purity Cemetery. Children:

Webmaster's note: Chapter two contains more information about the families of John White and Ann Garner White's children (second generation). Chapters three through seven contain information about generations three through seven.

A book "The Patriots at Kings Mountain" by Bobby Gilmer Moss, 1990, p 268 has information about a William WHITE who married Jane Brown.

Webmaster's comments

Before I knew about the passenger list of the Earl of Donegal (which landed in Charleston, SC on December 22, 1767), my cousin Harvey Baxter STEWART (buried in a cemetery west of Highway 21 a few miles south of Great Falls, SC) told me that our Stewart family had been "friends and neighbors" of the White family before leaving Ireland, which adds meaning to their proximity on the Earl of Donegal passenger list. Harvey did not say that the Stewarts and Whites were kin, but James and Rose Stewart were listed on the passenger list amongst members of the White family. Was Rose a daughter of Eleanor White, or a daughter of John White by a previous marriage?

Rose Stewart may have been the daughter of either Eleanor or Ann Garner White, since Rose was born in 1745 when:

1. Eleanor White was about 28 years old
2. Ann Garner White was about 18 years old
3. John White was about 25 years old.

Ann and John White were probably married about 1753 since their eldest known child was born about 1753, after which they regularly had children every couple years.

The passenger list states names, dates of birth, ages, and the number of acres of land passengers received. Heads of household received 100 acres, plus 50 acres per dependant.

My ancestors James and Rose Stewart received a "royal grant" of 150 acres on Stover Creek (100 acres as head of his family plus 50 acres because James Stewart had one dependant, his wife Rose).

John White received 450 acres (100 acres as head of his family plus 350 acres because he had seven dependants). I think David P. White now owns some of this land, now marked by a monument which is about four feet high, and which is located on the south side of Highway 97, about ten feet above and 20 feet from Highway 97, about a half mile east of Old Purity Church.

Eleanor White received a 100 acre royal land grant because she had no dependants. Did Eleanor's husband (a White?) die at the disastrous battle of Culloden in 1745, after which Anglo-Saxons began exterminating Scots? Because of their proximity on this passenger list, I suspect that Eleanor White was related to John White, and may have been John White's elder sister or his brother's widow. An Elizabeth White was granted 100 acres but is not named on this passenger list, so may have been the same person as Eleanor White.

I was told that this White and other families meet at the "Old Purity Society" reunion on the second Saturday of every July (about 1 PM? to 4PM) at the Old Purity Presbyterian Church on Highway 97 about 2 or 3 miles south east of Chester, SC, just past the Chester County Hospital. In the middle of the cemetery adjacent to Purity there are monuments to members of this White family, enclosed by a rock wall. More may be at the "Old Brick Church" in Fairfield County.

White family genealogists are:

1. Catherine Elizabeth White (born 1942) and Lee BREDBENNER, Picadilly Road, Towson, MD. Catherine may have been to Ireland and may have a computer. Catherine is the daughter of Mathew Torbett WHITE I (born 1904), the brother of the Reverend Bonner Dale White (born 1894) who compiled and edited "The White Family, 1720 - 1969". Their sister Carrie Elizabeth White-Todd (born 1891) was the mother of J. Y. Todd II (born 1915), Covenant Village, Gastonia, NC, 28054, the husband of Jane Alcie DILLING.
2. Jane Alice DILLING (born 1920) may now be in a retirement home. She is the wife of John Young TODD II.

Russell B. White, son of the gracious Hilda Jenelle LOGAN and Moffat Blair WHITE, owns Russell & Co. restaurant (803-385-2154) at 129-133 Gadsden Street, Chester, SC, 29706.

To communicate with hundreds of people who are interested in the genealogy of the White and other Fairfield and Chester County families:

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