AMERICA THE GREAT MELTING POT

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Direct descendant is highlighted in red

FATHER

Peter White

MOTHER

Abigail 

WIFE

 Rebecka Drake

CHILDREN

1. Abigail White

2. Unnamed child

Daniel White
by Susan Brooke
July 2022

Daniel was baptized at Grace Church, Jamaica, Long Island on 09 March 1711. (1) The records of Rev. John Poyer do not begin until 1710 so there are no records of Daniel's older siblings. His parents moved to Piscataway East New Jersey in 1716 when he was about 5.  His father became constable in 1721. 

His father had many land title disputes while Daniel was growing up.  (see page for Peter White)  His older brothers seem to have gone off to work with the Leonards at first in the iron ore business and later in a sawmill venture in Spotswood.  John White and Peter White, Jun lived on some land near South River around 1731.  But Daniel, being the youngest, stayed home and seems to have been farming with his father.  He married Rebecca Drake on 28 Apr 1740 in New Brunswick, Middlesex, NJ. (2)  In 1742 his name was on an ejectment notice.    (see page for Peter White)

Daniel and his father were involved in one law suit after another.  The proprietors who claimed title to the land under the Monmouth Purchase were demanding quit rent payments in arrears even though the small farmers had probably already been paying quit rents to the Duke of York.  Thus they were paying for their land twice, or sometimes three times.  Peter and Daniel must have been irate.  They rioted and broke John Bainbridge out of jail.  Daniel was brought to trial for high treason.  (3)

Finally the proprietor that was giving the most trouble, John Nevill, was brought to trial and found guilty and Daniel immediately put in a claim for damages against the writ of judgment.  However, he probably never saw a pence of the money since the governor two days later overturned the verdict against John Nevill.  An influential friend, Dollens Hegeman, brought a petition to the notice of the King and Daniel White gave testimony in Jan 1750. (See page for Peter White) This petition did lead to amnesty for all those who had been rioting if they would give a pledge of loyalty to the King.  However, no land was reclaimed for the small farmers.  And thus another notice of ejection was issued on their farm on Oct 10, 1750.  Daniel wrote his will 9 days later and died in April of 1751.  He was losing the land he and his father had farmed for 35 years.  He must have been heartbroken.

When Daniel died in 1751 he left a will naming his daughter, Abigail "White" and saying he had "two" children, the other child not named. (4) It has been assumed he was the father of the Abigail White who married Edmund Bainbridge, but as noted, the will refers to daughter, Abigail, "White," whereas Abigail White Bainbridge had been married at that point for 33 years.  It is most likely that the Abigail who married Edmund Bainbridge was his sister, not his daughter.  Daniel named his good friend Edmund Bainbridge as executor along with George Wetherill. And there is a bond in the estate papers from 1733 from Daniel White to John White, with no mention of any relationship.  When the estate of Daniel White was sold off there were many purchasers. (5)

SOURCES

(1) Register Book for the Parish of Jamaica.  Kept by the Rev. Thomas Poyer, Rector from 1710-1732

    Ruth, dau of Peter & Abigail White  July 23, 1710 at Jamaica 
   Daniel, son of Peter & Abigail White, 9 Mar 1711, at Jamaica
   Catherine, daughter of Peter & Abigail White, 30 "7ber" 1716 at Jamaica

   Also of note are the marriages in the same church of:

          Samll READ & Elizabeth WHITE of New Town, 21 May 1722, at Jamaica

           Jno WEEKS & Ann WHITE, 30 "8ber" 1727, at Jamaica, licens'd

(2)  New Jersey Marriage Records

(3) New Jersey Supreme Court Case # 21198 The King vs Roberts  Middlesex "Three hundred persons at least" - "with Staves, Axes Clubs and other warlike and unlawful weapons" rioted in Newark on Jan 16, 1745 between the hours of 3 and 5.  They broke out of "common goal" one Robert Young and one Thomas Sergeant.  Also one William Grant. Then on the 17th day of July 1747 in Middlesex county a grand jury presented that Amos Roberts, Theophilus Burrell, Robert Young, Nathaniel Williams, John Jeffers, yeomen of Essex County   -  Simon Wycoly, Thomas Clawson, yeomen of Somerset County  -  Edmond Bainbridge, Samuel Price, Abraham Anders, yeomen of Hunterdon county - Hendrick Hoagland, Daniel White yeomen of Middlesex County - John Hoppa, yeoman of Bergen county evil doers of one hundred and upwards with Staves & clubs riotously, noutously & unlawfully beat grievously John Deare, Esq. and High Sheriff of the City of Perth Amboy and broke one John Bainbridge in the goal & under the custody of the aforesaid John Deare.

New Jersey Supreme Court Case #21198  involving Daniel White and Edmund Bainbridge as they break John Bainbridge out of "goal".

(4) Will of Daniel White

In the name of God Amen this nineteenth day of March One thousand Seven hundred and fifty I Daniel White of the Corporation of New Brunswick in the County of Middlesex in the Province of New Jersey Farmer being Sick in Body but of Sound and perfect memory and mind praise be to God do make and Ordain this my present last Will & Testament in manner and form following that is to Say First and principally I Commend my Soul into the hands of Almighty God hoping through the Merits Death and Passion of my Saviour Jesus Christ to have full and free pardon and forgiveness of all my Sins and to Inherit Everlasting Life and my Body I Comitt to the Earth to be decently Buried at the discretion of my Executors hereafter named and as touching the disposition of all such Temporal Estate as it hath pleased Almighty God to bestow upon me I give and dispose thereof as followeth.  First I will that all my Estate shall be Sold by my executors hereafter named and is as followed viz. Two Mares one black and the other Iron Gray branded with the figure 3 One brown Horse and one Roan Horse branded with the figure 3.  Two Cows marked with a Crop in the near Ear and a half penny in the Right Ear.  One red Hafer of three year marked as aforesaid  One brown Hafer of two year marked as aforesd  Two yearlings marked as aforesaid as also all the sheep of my mark.  Item one half iron Waggon and one small gun.  Secondly I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Abigail White the Bed which my Father and Mother give to me in lew of a Black Bale Mare which be sold to Simon VanDyck.  Further I Will and Order that the money which is made by selling of my Said Estate that my Executors hereafter named shall pay my debts & funeral Charges and the remainder of that money shall be equally Divided unto my beloved Wife Rebecca White and my two Children Share and Share alike.  Lastly I do by those Presents appoint my good and trusty Friends Edmund Bainbridge Sr and George Wetheral to be my Executors of this my last Will and testament and I do hereby revoke Disannul and make void all former Wills and Testaments by me heretofore made.  In Witness whereof I the Said Daniel White to this my last Will and Testament Set my hand and Seal this day and year first above written. Signed Sealed published and Declared by the Testator to be the his last Will and Testament in the Presence of John Sperling, John (his mark) Hoogland, John Michael Sperling.

Will pg 1  NJ State Archives 2559L-2566L B. E. p. 512

Will of Daniel White, pg 2

Bond given from John White to Daniel White Dated this Thirtieth Day of January anno Domini 1773/4 Same Contains Thirty Three Pounds Georg Wetherill bond found in estate of Daniel White

(5) Inventory from Estate of Daniel White NJ State Archives Middlesex County Roll Wills 878C #2438L-H3219L (1750-1759)

top page of inventory

bottom half of inventory

2nd page of inventory signed by George Wetherill

When the estate of Daniel White was sold off  the following people were purchasers. 

Daniel Sparling  2 items  (John Sparling and John Michael Sparling were witnesses of the will)
Georg Wetherill  4 items  (George Wetherill  was executor of the will)
John Burkelue  10 items 
Edmund Bainbridge 3 items
Rebecca White  2 items  (widow of Daniel White)
Jonathan Combs
Samuel Okeson
John Hogland  (wit. To the will of Daniel White, son of Hendrick Hoagland (Hogelandt), the only other man from Middlesex County in the 1747 Riots)
Benjamin Dean  3 items
John Bennet  2 items
Peter Sparling  (John Sparling and John Michael Sparling were witnesses of the will)
John Drake  (Rebecca Drake had married Daniel White in 1740; Rev. John Drake started the Baptist Church in Piscataway.)
Cornelius Dehart (also indicted for high treason)
William Halfpenny
Peter Sodom
Garrat Vorhise
Peter Miserold
Daniel Fleet