John Martin WHITE

                   See notes for historical information

The following was submitted by White researcher Bob White from Ancestry World TreeThe First Georgian:Had it not been for John White, our ancestors may have never made it to Georgia. so you ask, how did John come to settle in Wilkes County, Georgia? John enlisted to serve in the Continental Army sometime in the very early years and was assigned to the Georgia Continental forces. These facts were taken from "Georgia citizens and soldiers of the American Revolution." The most important full time troops that Georgia had were her Continentals, whose officers were usually Georgians, but whose enlisted men were recruited from the Carolinas and Virginia. some even came from Connecticut, New York, and Pennsylvania. Among these continentals, there were also a few French officers and some British and Hessian deserters. At its height, the Georgia Continental Line numbered more than 1,500 men organized into four battalions of various types of infantry, a regiment of horses, three artillery companies, and a small navy. Both the continental congress, and Georgia failed to keep their promises to provide these men with pay, and even the most basic necessities of food, clothing, blankets, and shelter. Disease, desertions, and low morale were always major problems. Brigadier General Lachlan McIntosh wrote in 1779, as he watched the last of these men returning to their home states, "It hurts me to see them go away almost naked and in arear (sic) for several months pay, and the state unable to make good their engagements of land to them." Despite their shabby treatment, the Georgia Continentals did Georgia a great service, and left a record of heroism in battles on land and sea at Frederica, Midway, Sunbury, Savannah, Charleston, Stono, and Brier Creek.John was a Private in the 3rd Company of 2nd Battalion, Georgia Continentals, This information is found in "Georgia Citizens and Soldiers of the American Revolution," pages 129-134, and was granted land in Wilkes County, Georgia on February 2, 1784. In 1784 there were only 11 counties in Georgia, with Wilkes being the most Northern. 9 of the 11 counties bordered on South Carolina or the Atlantic ocean.Wilkes county was comprised of all or part of what today are the counties of Elbert, Lincoln, Madison, Oglethorpe, Wilkes, Greene, Taliaffero, Warren, and Hart. By the time of John 's death (1823), the part of Wilkes county that contained his land was now named Elbert County. John 's will names 2 parcels of land, one in Elbert County, and one in Henry County. After John's death, Bashaba White, (John's 2nd wife) drew land in Jasper County, Georgia, in the 1827 lottery as a widow of a Revolutionary Soldier Reference, "McCall's Roster of Revolutionary Soldiers in Georgia," page 294 Nat. #172006. We also know that John was married to Joanna Bradley, in either Cumberland County, Va., or Buckingham County, Va., but no marriage bonds have been found up till now. After the war John, and Joanna settled in Cumberland County, Va., and in 1785 John purchased land from Joanna's brother, Hezekia Bradley. In 1790 John sells the land back to Hezekiah Bradely. Apparently this is about the time Joanna dies, and is probably the reason John leaves to go to Georgia, where he also has land granted from his service in the Revolutionary War. He most likely lived in Elbert County, Ga., from around 1790 until he moves to Jasper County, Ga. We can assume that John did not move to Jasper County, (which was originally called Randolph) until after 1820. Jasper County was formed in 1810 as Randolph County and renamed Jasper in 1812, and was on the Western frontier of Georgia at the time. The 1820 census of Jasper County does not show a John White, however the Elbert County census lists four John Whites, but by the 1830 census there is only one John White left in Elbert County, so I assume that two of the four John Whites were this John and his son John, Jr. Why John chose to move is hard to say, unless his son moved first and John went to live with him in his later years, as Henry did with Jacob. John's move west was the star
t of a family tradition that would see the Whites continue this westerly migration as new lands were opened.John seemed to lead a normal and quiet life in both Elbert and Jasper Counties. There is no record in any court proceedings from these counties that list John or John Jr. By reading the will I am assuming that John Jr. is the eldest of the nine children, and that Henry B. White is the eldest of the four children that John and Barshaba had. We know from the marriage records (Elbert County Marriage Records, Book LF, page 42) that Bashaba was John's 2nd wife, and that they were married in 1805 when John was already 55.As John was our first ancestor to settle in Elbert County, Ga., so were many others shown in this history. The question begs to be asked, why did so many families leave Virginia to settle in Elbert County, Ga. Were they all revolutionary soldiers. I think not. Did the land lotteries bring them there, and if so, why would you leave a home to make what was a several week trip.I have done extensive research on the Whites and feel that what I have is true and very reliable. I have spent weeks in Virginia and Georgia collecting and verifying what I have. As to Henry's parents I will give you a quote from "Our Kin" The genealogies of some of the early families who made history in the founding and development of Bedford County Virginia, By Mary Denham Ackerly and Lula Eastman Jeter Parker. This book is now out of print, but I was able to get a copy during a reprint last year. Page 21 starts out: "when Virginia was still in her infancy, a minister, William White, came from Wiltshire, England, and settled in York County. All we know of him is that he died in Lancaster County in 1678, leaving a will which mentions his sons, John, William and Edward' daughter, Deborah, and daughter-in-law Mary Alford or Afford." It then goes on to trace the history of these Whites down to our Henry, but it points out that there are missing records and we can not be sure of Henry's parents. Page 22 States: "Daniel White's will (recorded in Culpeper County, Va. Will book "c" page 40) made November 23, 1788, and probated December 20, 1790, mentions sons, Henry White, John White; granddaughter, Polly White, daughter of John White; daughter Tabitha Rogers grandchildren------------------To his son Henry he leaves five Negroes, Phyllis, Mill, Jack, Dick and Charles, but no land-------------In 1787 we find Henry White in Buckingham County; but whether he was the son of Daniel, mentioned above, it has been impossible to prove (though we have not a doubt but that he was), first, because his father left him no land, by which he might have been traced, and second, because the records of Buckingham County were destroyed by fire many years ago." I have spent considerable time and resources trying to prove this link without a doubt, but have not been able to get past conjecture. Bob White