The Whites
The White family occupied Holly Grove for several years in the early 20th century. The White brothers (Francis Eugene and George H.) owned land near Holly Grove and purchased various sections of Holly Grove over several years, 1893, 1899, 1918. They purchased the mansion house section in 1914 (492 acres) from the Fort heirs. They purchased in 1924 the section south of the mansion house from Rosa Stewart Sharp where I think she may have lived. Although Rosa was living in Centreville when she died in 1924. Rosa was the last of the Stewarts to live at Holly Grove, although her last years there were not in the mansion house. Francis E. White’s son, George Ripley White (and Alice E. White, his wife) sold 1485 acres to Charles B. Dudley in 1955.[1]
The first Whites to live at Holly Grove appear to be Francis Eugene White and his wife, Sarah Agnes Cavin, both of whom are buried at Holly Grove (1936 and 1927). George H. White, brother of Francis Eugene, and perhaps his wife also lived at Holly Grove. George was a widower when he died in 1925 and was buried at Holly Grove. They apparently shared the mansion house after they purchased the house property in 1914. They had purchased other sections earlier. The portion south of the mansion house (57.5 acres) which they purchased in 1924 from Rosa Stewart Sharp was her home. Later this house became the home of the son-in-law of FE White, Horace A. Shonkwiler. Shonkwiler sold this section in 1938 to Annie Laurie Whitaker and today this is the Gilmore section. After Francis died in 1936 it would appear that his son and daughter-in-law, George Ripley White and Alice Eugenia White lived at the mansion house until they sold to the Dudley’s in 1955. The Whites appeared to farm the land. They took out mortgages and they sold timber, and oil and gas leases. They reserved the right to the crops in 1955 produced by them and their tenants when they sold to the Dudleys. The US government took 2.81 acres for Camp Van Dorn in 1942 and this was returned to the Whites in 1948 when the camp was dismantled and the land returned to private ownership.
White genealogy:[2]
The White family first shows up in up-country South Carolina and in 1810 they came to the Buffalo Creek area of Wilkinson County Mississippi. Robert White and his 13 children stayed in the Wilkinson County area for several generations. The brothers that lived at Holly Grove were the sons of Romantu[3] Ripley White (b. 1834), son of Thomas White (b. 1797, SC), son of Robert White (b. 1765, England who came to Wilkinson Co. where he died in 1829).
Robert White m. (c. 1784)[4] 1. Mary Hux[5]
b. 1765 England b. 1770, Kershaw SC
d. 1829 Wilkinson Co. MS[6] d. 1818, Wilkinson Co.
Children: 13
1. Thomas White m. (1826)[7] Jane Jenny Floyd[8]
b. 1797, SC b. 1790
d. 1840 Wilkinson Co. d. 1862
Children:
1. Lorenzo Dow White m. Amanda Caroline Shropshire
1830-1915[9]
Children:
1. Mary
Jane White
2. Marcella
Eugenia White
3. Eliza
Aljuretta White
4. K.
Frances Elizabeth White
5. Alice
Gertrude White
6. John
Thomas White
2. Romanta Ripley White m. Sarah A. Hall
b. 1834
d. 1862, Okolona
Children:
1. Francis Eugene White m. Sarah Agnes Cavin
b. 24 May 1857 b. 1862
d. 5 Oct 1936, HG d. 1927 HG
Children:
1. George Ripley White m. Alice Eugenia
Children:
b. 12 June 1917 b. 1921
Children:
1. Ned
White
2. Bill
White
3. George
Ripley White, III
4. Ethyln
Mae White
2. Mary Louise White
3. Sarah Adelaide White m.[13]
Horace Avery Shonkwiler
b. 1890
d. 1926
2. John Ripley White m Annie Lillian Wall
b. 1 Mar 1862 b. 27 Feb 1866
d. 23 Aug 1916[14] d. 16 July 1927[15]
Children:
1. Fannie White m. Charles C. Germany
Children:
1. Germany m. Patton
Children:
1. Randy Patton
3. George H. White (I think this is a brother although not
mentioned as such in the website where this genealogy is found
but is listed as George Helmer White in another location in this
genealogy.)
3. Francis Huston White m. (1866) Amanda Smith
b. 8 Sept 1836, Wilkinson Co.
d. 23 Aug 1919, Wilkinson Co.[16]
Children:
1. Howard White m. (1904) Nannie McDowell
Children: 6
2. Lillie White m. William W. Welch
Children: 2
3. Thomas White
4. Bennie White
5. Eveline White
6. Robert White
7. Susan J. White (1873-1943) m. Robert Nettles
Children: 8
8. Edward Lee White (1875-1944)m. (1900) Ellen Olivia Anderson
Children: 12
9. Hattie White
4. Benjamin George White m. (1864) Susan C. White[17]
1838-1910
b. 1847
Children:
1. Jed
White
2. Lula
White
3. John
Lorenzo White
4. David
White
5. Willie
White
2. John White m. (1817, Wilkinson) Ann Clark
b. SC
d. 1831
Children:
1. Robert Archie White m. 1. Sarah Fitzgerald
Children:
1. Angus White m. Minnie Powell
Children: none
2. William White m. Annie Richardson
Children:
1. William White Jr. m. Irene Hill
Children:
1. Elsie
White
2. Joseph White m. Helen Cage
b. Laurel MS
3. Annie Mae White m. William Bishop
Children
1. Leon
Bishop
3. David White
Robert White m. 2. Emily SA Swayze
Children:
1. Mary Addie White m.[18] Thomas James Jefferson Anderson[19]
Children:
1. Rosa
E. Anderson m. George H.
White
2. Nannie
Anderson
3. Mary
Anderson
b. 1847 b. 1838
d. 1910
Children:
1. Jed
White
2. Lula
White
3. John
Lorenzo White
4. David
J. White
5. Willie
White
3. William White m. (1819 Wilkinson) Susan
Cassels
Children:
1. Benjamin
White
2. George
White
4. Sarah White m. (1813 Wilkinson) Ulrick Dancer
Children:
1. Sarah
Dancer
2. John
Dancer
5. Elizabeth Louisa White m. (1833 Wilkinson) V. Flowers
Hamilton
6. Margaret White m. (1828 Wilkinson) William
B. Parton
Children:
none
7. Martha Patsy White m. (1823 Wilkinson) Thomas Braman
b. 1800 SC b. 1795 SC
d. 1844/50 Wilkinson d. 1884 Wilkinson
Children:
11
8. Nancy Anne White m. (1825 Wilkinson) Thomas H.
McGraw
1804 SC-1855 b. 1789 TN
Children:
7
9. Benjamin White m. 1.
1810 SC-1853 Wilkinson
Children:
1. Benjamin
White
2. George
White
m. 2. (1829 Wilkinson) Fredonia
Smith
Children: 11
1. Elizabeth White m. (1847) James Payton
Children: 5
2. Ellen White m. Sanders
Children: 2
3. Mary
White
4. Mansel
A. White b. 1830 m. (1855 Wilkinson) Ann E. Gaulden
Children:
6
5. Amanda
White (1835-1919) m.[23]
Charles Bingley Coon (1830-1872)
Children:
6
1836-1913
b. 1840
Children:
1. William
White
2. George
White
m.[25]
Elizabeth A. Helmer
Children:
1. Mary
White
2. Van
Eton White
Children: 2
4. Hance
White
Children:
6
1876-1943[30]
Children:
none
1889-1960
Children:
none
9. Hansford Lanehart White m. Azalee Blalock
Children:
6
b. 10 Apr 1859
b. 1872
Children:
none
10. Elizabeth White m. 1. John Lewis William Coon
1810-1837
Children: 1
m. 2. John Phillip Humphreys
Children: 8
11. Elsie White m. (1820) George Elmore Helmer
d. 1850 b. 1798
Children:
1. Thomas
Helmer
2. Elizabeth
Helmer
3. Janie
Helmer
4. Robert
W. Helmer
5. Thomas
B. Helmer
6. Rebecca
Elsie Helmer
7. Abraham
Helmer
8. George
W. Helmer
Robert White (b 1795) m. 2. Lydia Boland Cassel
Children:
1. Mary Polly White m. (1836) Hiram S. McGraw
1819-1878
b. 1813
2. Archibald White
The Holly Grove Whites:
Ripley R. (Romantu Ripley) White m. Sarah A. Hall[39]
b. 1834
d. 1862
An RR White is a private in Co. D. 38th MS Reg. Wilkinson Guards. (along with EL White, LD White [? Lorenzo Dow White, the brother of Ripley White])
Children: (The first Whites to live at Holly Grove)
1. Francis Eugene White m. Sarah Agnes Cavin
b. 24 Mar1857 b. 1862
d. 5 Oct 1936[40] d. 1927[41]
Children
1. George Ripley White m. Alice Eugenia White
both are alive in 1955 when they sell HG
Children
b. 12 June 1917 b. 27 April 1921
Children:
1.
Ned White
2.
Bill White
3.
George Ripley White III
4.
Ethyl Mae White
2. Sarah Adelaide White m. (1921) Horace Avery Shonkwiler
b. 1890
Children:
none
3. Mary Louise White
(Her grave is in Stewart II with no dates.)
2. George H. White m. (27 Feb 1897) Rosa E. Anderson
b. Sept 10, 1859
d. Jun 4, 1925[47]
Children: none
One web genealogy gives George White with the above birth and death dates as dying at Holly Grove but being buried in the White/McGill Cemetery. He is in fact buried at Holly Grove. The source gives the marriage to Rosa Anderson, daughter of Thomas James Jefferson Anderson (1848-1922) who m. (27 Feb 1870) Mary Addie White (daughter of Robert Archie White and Emily SA Swayze who married 23 Feb 1846.[48]) This source also gives George Helner White as the son of Thomas White and Elizabeth A. Helner (dau of Elsie White, 1796, and George Helner, 1776). It does note that George and Rosa had no children. George H. White (d. 1925 and buried Holly Grove) was noted to be living at Holly Grove with his brother FE White in 1923. In his will George left all his property to his brother FE White as his only legatee. I believe the George H. White who is buried at Holly Grove to be the brother of John Ripley White and son of Francis Eugene White. The George Helmer White listed above as the son of Thomas White and Elizabeth Helmer has dates that don’t fit, although the name Helmer would be that of his mother. George H. White and George Helmer White may not be the same person.
3. John Ripley White[49] m. 1. Annie Lillian Wall
b. 1 Mar 1862 b. 27 Feb 1866
d. 23 Aug 1916 d. 16 July 1897[50]
Children:
1. Fannie White m. Charles Germany
1895-1938
Children:
1. Helen
Germany m. Patton
Children:
1. Randy Patton
2. Charles
C. Germany, Jr.
3. Roy
B. Germany
2. John R. White m. wife (1881-1944)
Children:
1. John
Ripley White (1910-2001)[51]
m. 2. Frances ‘Fannie’ Rebecca Robert[52].
(? 1881-1944)[53]
Children:
Children:
0
2. Sarah
Octavia White
3. Wilhelmina
White m. Waldo Cockerham
I have established no kinship of these Whites with the Stewarts. We do know that Duncan Stewart had a half sister, Margaret Williamson who married in NC, William S. White and they went to Tennessee. We know of a daughter: Mary Eliza White who was the second wife of Henry Small, sheriff of Stewart County TN. We know of two children of the Smalls. Was there a son of William White or did Margaret and William White come also to Mississippi?
In the Wilkinson Co Census, 1850, listed next to the JA Stewart family is John White, 64, b. TN and James, 16, b. LA. If he was 64, he was born in TN in 1786 which is a bit early for a relationship with Margaret Williamson White, the half sister of Duncan Stewart. John White does not appear to connect with the above White genealogy of Wilkinson Co.
There are two White graves in Stewart II Cemetery on the Ventress plantation: 1. Drumm… Benjamin White, COD, 21 Miss Infantry, CSA. 2. Mary Louise, daughter of FE and SA White. It would seem that this is the daughter of Frank E. and Sarah Agnes White who are buried at Holly Grove. Did the Whites own the Ventress Place? When? An 1866 land conveyance notes that James Alexander Ventress no longer lived at the Ventress Place. He died 1867. Benjamin White of the Miss Infantry could be the oldest son of Benjamin White (b. 1810) listed as the 9th son of Robert White.
In the 1860 census there is a Benjamin White, age 21. On the same page and presumably in the same family is George H., age 10/12 consistent with the George H. above. There is also a Sarah A., age 24 which could be George H’s mother, and RR, age 26 for a father, Ripley R. There is a Frances, age 3 which would correspond with the above Francis Eugene, brother of George H. There is another child, Drusilla P., age 2. There are 2 more adults: Amanda E, age 21, Thomas, age 23. There is a Thomas White (age 24) and Amanda, his wife (age 20) in the above genealogy. RR White has a brother Benjamin (age 22) who did not marry until 1864. This Benjamin lived until 1910. Thomas (wife Amanda) had an older brother Benjamin (age ?). The Thomas White is a distant cousin of RR White.
Another website gives Thomas White as marrying 1. Amanda Boland and 2. Lizzy Helmer. Is this the Amanda above? This website gives Thomas White as the son of Benjamin White (1789) and (m. 1828) Fredonia Smith. This Benjamin White is the son of Robin White (1750) and Mary Hux (1770-1818).
Another web site gives Thomas White (1792/1813 in SC) m. 1826 in Wilkinson Co. Jane Floyd. He died Wilkinson Co. June 1840. They had children: Lorenzo Dow White (1830-1915), Frank White, Ripley White, Benjamin White. Could this Ripley White, possibly born in the 1830’s be the husband of Sarah A. White and the brother Benjamin also possibly born in the 1830’s the CSA drummer in Stewart II? In Co. D 21st Mississippi Regiment, Jeff Davis Guards, infantry (133 men) with WL Brandon, Colonel we find Ben, John and FH White as members. Lorenzo D. White may be the LD White in Co. D. 38th MS Reg. Wilkinson Guards, JH Jones, Capt. Frank White is listed as a Conf. Vet in 1916.[56]
Another web source list George H. White as George Helmer White (1859-1925), the dates on the tombstone at Holly Grove as the son of Thomas White. He married 27 Feb 1897 at the age of 38 to Rosa E. Anderson (1872-1963). She was the daughter of Thomas James Jefferson Anderson (1848-1922) and Mary Addie White (the daughter of Robert Archie White and Emily SA Swayze). As noted above in the discussion of the George Whites. George Helmer White makes sense as the son of Elizabeth Helmer and Thomas White but not with the dates 1859-1925.
Thomas Helmer m. Eviline Jackson 14 Jan 1848.[57]
There is a Joseph White who marries Helen Cage. In the above genealogy this Helen Cage is said to be from Laurel MS, suggesting she is not of the Cages who married the Stewarts.
Another White, George W. White of Hopkins Plantation writes a letter to Albert A. Batchelor, husband of Cornelia Stewart of Holly Grove, at his Hog Point Plantation in 1865 regarding payment of freight on supplies.
We do not know of activities by
the Whites at Holly Grove except selling of oil and gas leases and timber
(1941),[58]
though we do know of crops and tenants when the property was sold in 1955.
The US government in September 1942 purchased 2.81 acres for $60 from Alice E. White as they begin construction of Camp Van Dorn. The government declared it surplus and returned the 2.81 acres in 1948.[59] Camp Van Dorn opened as a US Army training facility in 1942 and became a Prisoner of War Camp before it closed in 1945.
The idea of the camp is first noted in the Centreville Jeffersonian, a weekly, 13 December 1940. In early 1941 there was activity of workers coming and plans for purchase of land. Actual construction did not begin until after Pearl Harbor. Spring of 1942 saw activity. By the end of 1942 there were soldiers there. Van Doren was declared surplus 1 October 1945. Former owners could repurchase their lands starting 15 June 1947.[60]
There are Whites buried in Norwood. Mrs. John R. White (1881-1944) could be the wife of J. Ripley White, however Wilkinson County has a wife of J. R. White which I think more probable. John Ripley White (16 Nov 1910-22 Apr 2001) could be a son. Martha Worthy White (8 June, 1911-15 Aug 2004) is buried nearby.
Other Whites: EH White (1855-1940) and buried nearby Hettie C. White (1871-1960) and Belle White Caulfeild (1852-1932).
Helen Julia White (b. 12 Oct 1882, d. 27 Nov 1936) married George McGehee Stewart, MD (b. 12 Dec 1862, d. 27 Dec 1938) and they are buried at Bowling Green. George Stewart was the son of Duncan Stewart, the grandson of Duncan Stewart of Holly Grove.
The will of Jesse Edwards in 1839 notes his son-in-law, Franklin White of Hinds Co. as executor.[61]
In abstracts of deeds belonging to Henry Darden:
1. Is a power of attorney in 1928: John Ripley White, of Norwood, LA appoints his mother Mrs. Fannie White of Norwood.
2. Mrs. Fannie R. White, Sarah O. White, Wilhelmina White, Mrs. Fannie W. Germany and JR White to Wilhelmena White, 1930.
3. Wilhelmina White Cockerham and husband Waldo Cockerham, 1940
William N. and Theodore White are pvts. In Co. K, 16th MS Reg. Wilkinson Rifles, Gen. Carnot Posey. A. White is 1st Sgt. Graves Cavalry Co. org. 1864.
HB White is an attorney in Woodville, 1848.[62]
George White and Silas Garrare entered into a partnership to prepare suppers for weddings and parties in 1848.[63] He could possibly be an uncle to George White of Holly Grove (b. 1859).
[1]
Abstracts, vol III, p. 1098.
[2]
http://www.foswms.com/families/white.html
[3] On his
son’s tombstone at Holly Grove his name is given as Ripley R. White.
[4] Catawba
Swamp, York Co. SC
[5] daughter
of John Hux
[6] buried
Robin White Cemetery
[7]
Wilkinson Co.
[8] daughter
of Thomas Floyd and Elizabeth Herring
[9] buried
Lo White Cem.
[10]
Abstracts, Vol III p. 917
[11] 1940
[12] buried
Evergreen, Woodville
[13] 1921
[14] buried
White Cem. Norwood
[15] buried
Wall #2 or Ancil Cox Cem.
[16] buried
Smith Family Cem.
[17]
daughter of Robert Archibald White and Emily SA Swayze
[18] 1870
Wilkinson
[19] son of
David Anderson and Essey Graham
[20] 1864
Wilkinson
[21] son of
Thomas White and Jane Floyd
[22] WR 6
Sept 1879, Benj. White was a grand juror at the Oct term.
[23] 1850
Amite
[24] 1856
Wilkinson
[25] 1870
Wilkinson
[26] 1900
Wilkinson
[27] 1898
Wilkinson
[28] buried
Macedonia Church
[29] 1897
Wilkinson
[30] buried
Oaklawn Centreville
[31] 1911
[32] 1919
[33]
daughter of Joe Smith and Alice Gertrude White
[34] buried
Oaklawn, Centreville
[35] 27 Feb
1897
[36]
daughter of Thomas James Jefferson ‘Jim’ Anderson and Mary Addie White
[37] buried
Holly Grove
[38] buried
White McGill Cem.
[39] No
record of this couple in the cemetery records of Wilkinson County
[40] Buried
Holly Grove
[41] Buried
Holly Grove
[42]
Abstracts Vol III, p. 1083
[43] buried
Evergreen Woodville
[44] buried
Evergreen
[45]
Abstracts, Vol III, p. 917. daughter of
Edward H. Steger who came to Centreville as a railroad engineer and his wife
Ethlyn Perkins.
[46] Buried
Holly Grove
[47] buried
Holly Grove
[48]
Woodville Republican, 28 Feb 1846.
[49] This 3rd
brother I found on the web. He is listed as J. Ripley White in Abstracts, Vol
II, p. 510.
[50] Wall II
or Ancil Cox Cem. Wilkinson Co. Cem Records, p. 267. Wife of JR White
[51] These 2
John R. and John Ripley are buried in Norwood and the data taken from
tombstones there but I would suggest they belong in the genealogy here. They are not in the web genealogy that
appears earlier.
[52] listed
as wife in HG deed abstracts, Vol II, p. 746.
[53] Norwood
Cemetery, Mrs. John R. White
[54] Norwood
Cemetery.
[55] one
source gives Fannie as the daughter of Annie Wall.
[56]
Woodville Republican, 10 June 1916.
[57]
Woodville Republican, 22 Jan 1848.
[58]
Abstracts, Vol III, p.
[59]
Abstracts Vol. III, p 927,934.
[60] Camp
Van Dorn by LM Cauldfield, 13 March 1986.
[61] Joe
Brian deeds, p. 22.
[62]
Woodville Republican 8 Jan 1848.
[63]
Woodville Republican 8 Jan 1848.
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