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The White Family Colonial Journey
(Updated Dec. 19, 2020)
(A Few things to remember when researching Robert White Sr. )
Why did our ancestors come to America, and why
did they migrate once they
were settled here? Click
here to read a very short review.
Currently, we have no information prior on Robert's
parents. Have a
Scot-Irish-English surname (White), (Y-DNA indicates mostly
English)
. Some speculate that we
are related to
the once outlawed name, in Scotland
'The MacGregor
Clan'?, a possibility. Descendants of this theory were involved
in the tobacco trade between
England and the Colonies, possibly at Fredericksburg
or Jamestown VA. These
being the 'White's' direct from Scotland, not the Scot-Irish,
which were
distinctly different. "White" was used as an alias for the MacGregor name.
In all probability Robert Sr.'s Parents migrated down with the Fall
Line Trail, (Prior to 1743),
or the newer path called the 'Philadelphia
Wagon Road', that stretched from
Philadelphia through VA, NC, SC to Augusta GA, ,sftaer 1750, a well traveled gateway,
that
went through Roanoke,
VA, as well as the Fall Line Trail. Though coastal immigrants were
given incentives to move inland, the vast majority of the immigrants were Scot-Irish
from the
North of Ireland (Ulster), the real Frontier's men. They came in
several large
migrations between 1717 and 1770's. When the migration hit
Roanoke, VA,
most of the Scot-Irish turned East toward the coast, for a bit and
again
southward into the wide open Piedmont of North Carolina, then
SC, GA.
The western mountains were yet to be explored, and Indians still
predominated
them, to continue south at Roanoke would take them into poor
terrain, turning
East was the best alternative, then south again between the
Roanoke
and Dan Rivers, into
NC.
I want to add a Y-DNA note here, though currently, we have
not found a direct
Y-DNA line, we do have Y-DNA connections in Old New Kent Co
VA, Louisa Co
VA and Hanover Co VA, the last two were formed from the once
massive New Kent
Co., VA. As more White's get tested for Genetic DNA, we may
someday make
a direct connection. So, far only Mike White is the
only male tested on Robert
White Sr. lineage. The Fall Line Trail, runs through
Hanover Co VA south to
and through, Mecklenburg and old Brunswick Co VA, from which
the Roanoke
River runs the length of Mecklenburg before descending south
at the Brunswick
border and into NC, where we believe Robert Sr was born,
1743.
Benjamin Franklin White,
wrote in his book "Sacred
Harp", that his family
descended, "..from that sturdy
group of pilgrims that landed at Plymouth Mass,
seeking religious freedom...".
This offers the possibility that we
descend from
the Peregrine White's, or William White of the Mayflower, the
Master on this
ship was a Robert White. I have talked to
several researchers from William
White line, all have said there White's migrated into the Ohio
Valley.
Therefore, the burden of proof lies with our family researchers.
Our Y-DNA
does not match their Y-DNA.
Robert White Sr. - b. 1743
d. 1843, birth place "NEAR" Roanoke
River VA,
also lived along the Tar River, before migrating to Union County,
SC. This
river is south of the Roanoke river. (Isaac Murphy letter, 1868).
These two rivers
almost form a wish bone appearance, on the north
North Carolina border side,
thence west to east, fanning out towards the east
coast of NC. Very easy for Robert
to have lived along the Tar River for a time, which was
south of the Roanoke River.
We now know his father-in-law, Wm Whitehead lived on the Tar
River 1778,
Robert lived just north, 1778, I believe his Wife Milly and 3
chiildren staid with
her father during the War. By 1780 Milly father most just
west across the border
into Caswell Co NC, where Robert joined his family in 1781,
on Hogan's Cree
in Cawell Co NC, 2 households from Wm Whitehead.
There
was a Robert White living in Caswell Co NC (on the border with VA)
with a Wm Whitehead from 1781 to 1787, after this,
Robert is no longer found
in this County. The Wm Whitehead that lived in
Caswell, moved to Laurens Co
SC in 1788, next door to Union Co, he had a daughter
named Milla, It is my
logic that this is our Mildred White, who married
Robert White Sr. Wm died
in 1805 living a Will and Estate naming all of his
daughters by their husbands
surnames, and on the "original Will", not
the transcripts, he names Milla as
'MILLA WHITE'. Robert White Sr., sold
land on Cane Creek in Laurens in
1815, Wm. Whitehead had land on Cane Creek also, it
is my opinion that this
was Milla Whitehead White's inherited land or Robt.
arrived in Laurens in
1787, after living Caswell Co NC, moving over to
Union Co in 1788.
Robert's obituary
says he served in the Revolutionary War for Six years,
this means he was in service at the time he lived in
North Carolina. If the
Caswell Co NC Robert is ours, it may have be Grant
lands for his military
service, or the land now in Laurens Co SC, he sold in
1815 might be Grant
lands, this area was in a Military land block area
whereby, Rev. War vets,
could get land for their service. The
Robert in Caswell Co NC shows up on
the Tax Records there in 1781, if our Robert served
six years as his obituary
states, he would have served from about 1776 to
1781'ish... This of course
being my current state of research, and my personal
opinion. What I do know
for sure is that Wm Whitehead had a daughter named
Milla, and she was the
oldest child of Wm., that they moved from Granville
NC to Caswell Co NC
then onto Laurens Co SC in 1788.
Border boundaries between VA, NC &
SC changed, between the period of
colonialism and times prior to Statehood.
There were many Indian Nations, around
VA, NC, SC during colonial times.
Wars and conflicts with Indians, were common, as the Native
Americans
were being uprooted and forced westward.
French Indian War: 1754 to 1763
- This stopped migration for ten years, and
forced many frightened settlers east toward the coastal
settlements, for a time,
others stood their grounds, until the wars
ended.
Revolutionary War: 1775 to 1783 -
Robert served 6 years.
This war also stopped
migration for a period, then quickly resumed, after the war was finished.
We've found no record of Robert's revolutionary
war record (yet), it was only mentioned in his
obituary, published in a Georgian
Newspaper. (use browser back arrow to
return here)
We need to research the revolutionary war pension
records, more closely.
There was a
Robert White born ca 1740, who fought at the battle of Fish Dam Ford on
the
Broad River on the eastern
border of what is today, Union Co SC. This area of South Carolina
was once part of North Carolina,
Craven County SC, the borders were redrawn about 1772.
Did this Robert come down from
North Carolina to fight in this Battle? Was he our Robert?
Have often speculated, he saw these
fertile lands while in SC to fight the British and returned
after the War was over... just
dreaming again... Age wise he fits like a glove...
Which
side was Robert on, in the Revolutionary War?
There were many supporters of the
British in Union County SC, both Scottish and Scot-Irish, but
the majority of the Scot-Irish
fought with the Patriots as well as some Scot's. Many folks who
lived in the Union County area prior
to the Revolutionary War, moved up into North Carolina
until the war was over, then
returned, others continued west. If Robert fought with the English
then it could be we are Scot's from
Scotland, the few who were in the Colonies, most fought
with the English.
However, after looking at the folks our Robert
lived around daily, I'm inclined
to believe our Robert fought with the Patriots, as some
were Rev War officers and hero's, I
don't think you'd live next door to someone you tried to
kill in a war... Even though, all
eventually, learned to live together again, and resumed
their normal lives, and some regained
their lost lands, despite the
side they fought on. Most British supports fled the state after the
war, as many patriots and
loyalist continued seeking revenge against neighbors who fought on
opposite sides.
Robert
White Sr's Obituary states, "...his family suffered greatly from
the depredations of the
Tories...". The Tories were the
Loyalist, the British, we can deduce from this that he was a
Patriot, a fighter for
independence.
The Scot-Irish suffered greatly at
the hands of the British in the North of Ireland, and were
more inclined to fight as Patriots.
The English had settled some Scot-Irish via Charles Town
(Charleston SC) and sent them upland,
but most were mistreated and not allowed to settle in
the coastal colony, and thus many of
these Scot-Irish turned against the British, in the Rev War.
Robert
Sr. arrived in Union County SC in 1788, the same year SC became a
State.
War of
1812: 1812 to 1815 (Elias White, was 15
yrs old)
Mexican
& American War: Elias
White, Robert's son leaves SC 1846 arrives
and appears in Bowie county Texas 1847, closing of
Mexican/American War.
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