Mark White

Notes:

[maryabwhiteanc.ged]

Mark and his family moved to Concord, MA on 25 Aug 1719, and they stayed with Elizabeth's aunt Mercy MOUSALL Buttrick. A Buttrick house is now the Headquarters for the Lexington-Concord National Battlefield Historical Site near the North Bridge where the first battles of the Revolutionary War was fought. Other Buttrick houses are and were in the same general area. They were "warned out" of Concord while at her house, which means that the town was worried about them later becoming a burden so they must have been very poor. "Warning out" was common practice in the 1700's when a town did not want to become resposible for anyone later on. Mark and Elizabeth had the rest of their children in Concord, so they obviously stayed. In 1726 Elizabeth and Mark signed over her rights to her Father's Estate in Charlestown to her brother, John, for L40, and that may have helped them gain financial security. He was at Concord until the Spring of 1732, when he went to Westford. There is no indication that he owned any land in his own right until 14 Feb 1733 when Mark White of Westford, husbandman, bought 30 1/2 acres in the nothern part of Concord. That part became Acton in 1735. He is also mentioned in the Acton Town Meeting Minutes as owning land and as having held the office of Constable, in 1736. He was also on some town committees and held the office of highway surveyor, tytheman, and perhaps others at various times. Usually only landowners held office. It appears from some records that he and some other landholders formed a land bank in 1740 and Mark invested 100 Pounds. Shortly after, he claimed the title of Gentleman. He apparently became an Ensign about 1745. In those days an Ensign was just under a Lt. in the Militia. Deeds show that he bought a total of 88 acres in Acton and sold 41 acres while living in Acton.
Mark was originally said to have been the son of Perigrine, Jr. & Susanna White and have been born in Middleborough, MA. No records have been found proving this and he was probably an immigrant from England to Charlestown, MA in the early 1700s, rather than being the grandson of Perigrine White who was the first child born on the Mayflower after it reached Plymouth, MA. No records of Mark White's parents have been located so far in MA or England. The records for Middleborough, MA for 1689 burned, but there are no later records like wills or land records that link Mark to Peregrine White, Jr. More research needs to be done in English records to find Mark's parents.
No deeds show a settlement of his or his widow's estate. It appears that he helped his son Mark, Jr., buy land as early as 1737, deeded his home place to son Thomas in 1747, and bought other land from Mark, Jr. on which to settle. Mark, Jr. was also a cooper and an innkeeper in Acton before moving to Westford. On 24 Feb 1758, Mark White of Acton, gentleman, with dower release from wife Elizabeth (the 1/3 of the estate that she owned as her dower rights), sold to son, Samuel, of Acton, cooper, 33 acres in Acton with dwelling house, barn, and cooper's shop, plus 22 acres near the Acton meeting house, "and the whole of my personal estate." Although not stated, the intent of this last deed was to assure that son Samuel would care for his parents as long as they lived, after which the place would be his. Samuel lived up to this bargain, remaining unmarried until the month after his mother's death, by which time he was almost 40 years old. These property arrangements were quite common at the time, and account for the lack of probate records for Mark and his widow Elizabeth. (From an article about Mark White in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly written in 1973).[maryabbywhite.FTW]

Mark and his family moved to Concord, MA on 25 Aug 1719, and they stayed with Elizabeth's aunt Mercy MOUSALL Buttrick. A Buttrick house is now the Headquarters for the Lexington-Concord National Battlefield Historical Site near the North Bridge where the first battles of the Revolutionary War was fought. Other Buttrick houses are and were in the same general area. They were "warned out" of Concord while at her house, which means that the town was worried about them later becoming a burden so they must have been very poor. "Warning out" was common practice in the 1700's when a town did not want to become resposible for anyone later on. Mark and Elizabeth had the rest of their children in Concord, so they obviously stayed. In 1726 Elizabeth and Mark signed over her rights to her Father's Estate in Charlestown to her brother, John, for L40, and that may have helped them gain financial security. He was at Concord until the Spring of 1732, when he went to Westford. There is no indication that he owned any land in his own right until 14 Feb 1733 when Mark White of Westford, husbandman, bought 30 1/2 acres in the nothern part of Concord. That part became Acton in 1735. He is also mentioned in the Acton Town Meeting Minutes as owning land and as having held the office of Constable, in 1736. He was also on some town committees and held the office of highway surveyor, tytheman, and perhaps others at various times. Usually only landowners held office. It appears from some records that he and some other landholders formed a land bank in 1740 and Mark invested 100 Pounds. Shortly after, he claimed the title of Gentleman. He apparently became an Ensign about 1745. In those days an Ensign was just under a Lt. in the Militia. Deeds show that he bought a total of 88 acres in Acton and sold 41 acres while living in Acton.
Mark was originally said to have been the son of Perigrine, Jr. & Susanna White and have been born in Middleborough, MA. No records have been found proving this and he was probably an immigrant from England to Charlestown, MA in the early 1700s, rather than being the grandson of Perigrine White who was the first child born on the Mayflower after it reached Plymouth, MA. No records of Mark White's parents have been located so far in MA or England. The records for Middleborough, MA for 1689 burned, but there are no later records like wills or land records that link Mark to Peregrine White, Jr. More research needs to be done in English records to find Mark's parents.
No deeds show a settlement of his or his widow's estate. It appears that he helped his son Mark, Jr., buy land as early as 1737, deeded his home place to son Thomas in 1747, and bought other land from Mark, Jr. on which to settle. Mark, Jr. was also a cooper and an innkeeper in Acton before moving to Westford. On 24 Feb 1758, Mark White of Acton, gentleman, with dower release from wife Elizabeth (the 1/3 of the estate that she owned as her dower rights), sold to son, Samuel, of Acton, cooper, 33 acres in Acton with dwelling house, barn, and cooper's shop, plus 22 acres near the Acton meeting house, "and the whole of my personal estate." Although not stated, the intent of this last deed was to assure that son Samuel would care for his parents as long as they lived, after which the place would be his. Samuel lived up to this bargain, remaining unmarried until the month after his mother's death, by which time he was almost 40 years old. These property arrangements were quite common at the time, and account for the lack of probate records for Mark and his widow Elizabeth. (From an article about Mark White in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly written in 1973).

Mark married Elizabeth Mousall on 13 Nov 1712 in Charlestown, Middlesex, Massachusetts. Elizabeth (daughter of John Mousall, Jr. and Dorothy Hett) was born on 26 Mar 1693 in Charlestown, Middlesex, Massachusetts; died on 23 May 1765 in Acton, Middlesex, Massachusetts; was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, Acton, Middlesex, Massachusetts U.S.A.. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

It is unclear how Elizabeth met Mark White. There are no records showing that he belonged to any of the White families living in Charlestown during the early 1700s. Perhaps he worked for the Mousall family after he immigrated from Great Britain. The Mousalls had quite a bit of land by this time. Charlestown was the point of entry for many immigrants coming to New England during the great migration of 1635 and after. There were many young men who came to New England to work and establish themselves, when they couldn't get land in England. This was a common practice in the 1600s and 1700s.He may have been a younger son and/or indentured himself to someone in Charleston to earn his passage. No records have been found on any indentureship or on his passage from Great Britain so far. Since the Mousalls were quite well established in Charlestown and Mark White was a poor yeoman, he may have been working for them on their land. The very first mention of Mark White is on their marriage record which is in the Charletown Vital Records.

1. John White was born on 06 Jun 1714 in Charlestown, Middlesex, Massachusetts.
2. Mark White, Jr. was born on 12 Apr 1716 in Charlestown, Middlesex, Massachusetts; died on 24 Jul 1798 in Westford, Middlesex, Massachusetts U.S.A.; was buried in Westford, Middlesex, Massachusetts U.S.A..
3. Elizabeth White was born on 01 Dec 1717 in Charlestown, Middlesex, Massachusetts.
4. Mary White was born on 10 Feb 1718/19 in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts.
5. Thomas White was born on 21 Apr 1722 in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts; died after 26 May 1780 in Groton, Middlesex, Massachusetts.
6. Anne White was born on 24 Apr 1724 in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts; died on 06 Jan 1804.
7. Samuel White was born on 15 Jul 1726 in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts; died on 24 Dec 1796 in Acton, Middlesex, Massachusetts.
8. Dorothy White was born on 16 Jan 1729/30 in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts; died on 10 Feb 1813 in Acton, Middlesex, Massachusetts U.S.A..