William White Chronology

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Contents 1 WikiTree Pages of Interest 2 Bibliographic Notes 3 Chronology 4 Sources

WikiTree Pages of Interest

• William White (1603-1673)

Bibliographic Notes

(To be determined)

Chronology

The unsourced text below was removed here from the profile of William White (1603-1673)

• 1643 – Mentions of White in Samuel Hartlib’s Ephemerides.

“Mr Whyte Plats special acquaintance <one> that lived for many years with Dr Evered who spent many hundred lb. vpon Chymistry is a most exquisite fellow and the best in England for making all manner of furnaces and of divers other industries.”“Mr White hase amongst <many> other things invented a new kind of Furnaces which will save charges and coales. For hee vndertakes to save one third part of the charges of fire in all Brew‐houses dyers‐Houses and all other Houses and employments where boyling of liquid substances cause the charge.” William White’s Catalogue of Inventions reveals him to have been involved in an exceptionally wide range of activities and to have been actively thinking about involvement in colonization (“plantation”). (Appendix 1).

• 1645 – emigrated to Massachusetts in the company of Dr Robert Child who had recruited him to work in the New England Iron Works for five shillings a day. Child was subsequently involved in political action against the Massachusetts government and was arrested in mid 1646 – White appears to have had no involvement in this.
• 7 January 1646 – birth of Cornelius in Boston.
• 1646‐1648 William White employed at the Saugus Ironworks under Richard Leader. The ironworks were not financially successful and workers were paid in goods (“country pay”) rather than money. He was responsible for discovering the fluxing properties of the rock on the Nahant Peninsula. He argued with Leader who had unfairly (in his opinion) accused him of not living up to his promises. During this period (1647?) White was fined four pounds for selling beer without a license. (Appendix 2). During this time the eldest daughter Elizabeth married the ironworker Benjamin Hearnden who was convicted in court for beating her. She is turn was convicted of stealing a dress from Mary Pray, wife of the ironworker Richard Pray.
• Early 1648 – lived in Boston where he was employed by the young alchemist Robert Starkey to teach him the secrets of furnace making. White may also have been involved in soap‐making during this period as well as assisting Major John Endicott in setting up a distillery. He was almost certainly associated with John Winthrop Jr and the Bermudian merchant William Berkeley who were both in Boston at this time. There is some reason to believe that White was renting a house in South Boston from Owen Rowe (a member of Cromwell’s government in England and later a “regicide”) and that Edward Rainsford was a near neighbor.
• 25 June 1648 – William Berkeley wrote to John Winthrop Jr outlining plans to travel to Bermuda to salvage treasure from a sunken Spanish ship.
• 3 July 1648 – Massachusetts Governor John Winthrop wrote to John Winthrop Jr that “Mr Bartly is going to Sumer Islands [Bermuda] and hath gotten old white to goe with him. he hathe made him so large promises as wee cannot dissuade him from it.” This is a clear reference to White’s leaving for Bermuda with Berkeley.
• 24 July 1648 – William White wrote to Governor Winthrop outlining his reasons for leaving. (Appendix 3). The letter was written from the ship Return in Boston Harbor shortly before his departure.
• 8 May 1649 – William White wrote to Robert Child from Bermuda. This letter reveals a good deal about his activities in Massachusetts as well as about his new life in Bermuda. He seems to be in two minds about his decision, accusing Berkeley of letting him down. He is supporting himself and his family by repairing the stills the Bermudians used for making liquor as well as by fishing and gardening. He mentions the mathematician Richard Norwood who was acquainted with Berkeley. The letter also contains some detail about the geology and economic potential of Bermuda suggesting that White had carried out a careful survey.
• 1651‐ Beginning of the witchcraft trials in Bermuda. Both men and women were tried and hanged. Although there is no direct evidence that the trials affected White or Berkeley, Norwood’s daughter Anne Bowen was one of the first to be tried – she was acquitted. This was a difficult time in Bermuda due to population pressure, lack of natural resources and political and religious divisions.
• 6 July 1654 – testimony of Margaret White to Governor Wentworth of Bermuda that William Berkeley had raped her. She had been employed as his servant and he had forced himself on her and then asked her not to tell her parents. He had also given Ursula a shilling and attempted to get her onto his bed. Berkeley in his turn accused Elizabeth White of placing a curse on his cattle and William White of saying “the devil take them” which would have had strong overtones of witchcraft in the prevailing climate if any of the cattle had died. (Trials continued throughout this period).
• 14 February 1655 – William White wrote to John Winthrop Jr from Warwick in Rhode Island. (Appendix 4). He had travelled there in haste from Bermuda leaving some of his possessions with Berkeley who had also asked him to send some alchemical equipment. He had intended to travel directly to be with Winthrop in Pequot (but had underestimated the distance from Rhode Island to Pequot) a clear indication that he intended to work for Winthrop Jr who was planning a major alchemical/industrial enterprise on Fishers Island near New London.
• 15 February 1655 – Roger Williams of Rhode Island wrote to John Winthrop Jr. He said of William White “It is said that he hath skill in most worcks. Many of ours have thoughts of trying his skill about a new bridge at Providence, and he hath promised to come over to us to consult, but the weather hath hindred.”
• 26 July 1656 – William White writes to John Winthrop Jr from Fishers Island. The letter reveals that he was making bricks which could have been a precursor to setting up Winthrop Jr’s new settlement. He complains about the lack of help and the slowness of progress. (Appendix 5).
• 27 October 1656 – at a court session in Providence, Rhode Island it is “ordered yt William White be accomodated with a house Lot adjoining to Benjamin Herndell his house lot and further according to convenience.” (Early Records of Providence, vol 2, 98). The White family had left Fishers Island and moved to Providence where he is granted land next to his son‐in‐law Benjamin Hearnden and daughter Elizabeth, who had moved there in the early 1650s. The land was at Foxes Hill, Pawtuxet. While the family were in Rhode Island Margaret was married to Robert Colwell.
• 27 April 1658 – at a town meeting 27 April(?) William White is granted a meadow “at the head of Mr Dexters Ground y the little swampe neere Thomas Wallings.” (Early Records of Providence, vol 2, 111). Margaret Colwell was later convicted of adultery with Thomas Walling whom she married after Colwell divorced her. It appears that the town bridge at Weybosset may have been in existence by 1660 which would tie in with Roger Williams’ earlier mention of White’s possible involvement.

Because of his land grants William White continued to be mentioned in Rhode Island records long after he had left the colony.

• 17 February 1659 (i.e. 1660) ‐ Benjamin Hearnden was brought into court by a bond to answer to "the breach of peace and fright comitted on the family of William White, of this Towne." (Early Records of Providence, vol 15, 75‐76). William White was also bonded to appear at the next town court in Providence to prosecute Hearnden. He did not appear and there is every reason to believe that he had fled Rhode Island with his wife and unmarried daughters in early 1660.
• 16 October 1662 William White sold his New England land to Benjamin Hearnden for twenty pounds. (Early Records of Providence, vol 4, 9‐11). He is described in this document as a bricklayer of Boston.
• 21 March 1664 (i.e. 1665) William White bought a house standing on town land for which he was to pay rent to the Town, from Nathaniel Woodward. (Suffolk Deeds, 7:110).
• 14 March 1669 (i.e. 1670) William White was “granted the land on which his house now stands; N. highway, E. John Ross, W. Capt. Savage, S. upon Sea.” (Boston Town Records 7:53). The house was located on Essex Street, now Beach Street, in Boston and at that time was next to the sea.
• 13 October 1673 – William White signed his will. It contains some detail about his alchemical and technological activities.

30 December 1673 – inventory taken. White had died at some time in late 1673. Little is known about his activities in Boston. His son Cornelius was a mason who assumed control of his mother’s affairs in 1676 suggesting that he played a supportive role in his parents’ lives. December 1690 – Death of Elizabeth White.

Sources