General Notes

Ancestral File Number:<AFN> 92D0-JF

Name: John WHITE
Title: Sr.
Sex: M
Birth: ABT 1609 in England
Death: 15 APR 1691 in Muddy River/Brookline, MA 1
Burial: Eustis Street Cemetery, Roxbury, MA
Note:
. John White, Sr. (ABT 1609 - 1691) was born in England in about 1609. The first known record of him in America is in 1639. He is recorded in the first inventory of estates taken in Watertown, MA in 1639 as the owner of "Homestall and seven acres of land" in that town. From the records of Suffock deeds: Stephan Day mortgaged seven acres of land and a house on the south of the Charles River to John White in 1642. In 1642 Reinold Bush also mortgaged four acres of land to John White on the south side of the Chrales River. In 1643 John White "deeds by way of mortgage to John Sherman, to secour a debt of 25 pounds due the heirs of widow Ong, a house and seven acres of land in Watertown bought from the Deacons, and a house and seven acres of land lying in Cambridge bought from Mr. Day."
. John White, Sr. married Frances Jaxon/Jackson. They had four children. The children were all born in Watertown, except possibly the youngest, Mary, who was baptised in Roxbury, MA in 1652. It is recorded: "Mary daughter to sister White of Watertown.
. In 1650 John White made his first purchase of land in Muddy River, MA , later named Brookline, buying 150 acres of upland, 18 acres of marsh and 6 acres of fresh marsh from Mr. Thomas Oliver for 130 pounds "to be paid for in good merchantable corn and fat cattle." He built the White homestead on this land in Muddy River. The homestead was located very near the present Whyte's block and the engine house, between Washington and Walnut Streets.
. In 1654, John White Sr., Peter Oliver, Pater Aspinwall and William Davis were chosen to lay out the highway from Roxbury to Cambridge, through Muddy River. In 1655 and 1666 John White, Sr. was chosen constable. For five years he was perambulator of the town bounds and for four years he was one of the surveyors of the highways. In 1676 he, Peter Aspinwall and Edward Devotion Sr. were chosen by the Selectmen of Boston to serve as a committee "to inspect and prevent excessive drinkage and such disorder in private and unlicensed houses of entertainmant in Muddy River."
. On February 20, 1672 "Liberty is granted to John White of Muddy River, Senr., to cutt five oake and ffive maple trees of the common at Muddy River; provided he doe what he can to secure the rest from others or give notice of any that shall offend in that kinde."
. From the period of June 1658 to December of 1660 John White was involved in a dispute over a highway that ran through his land and the limits of a stone wall adjacent to it.
. Until there was a church established in Brookline in 1717 most of the people of Muddy River/Brookline went to the Roxbury Church. In the list of "such as adjoyned themselves to the church at Roxbury" is the entry: "1677, 2nd month 29th day; John White, Senior, of Muddy River, was received with good acceptance." John White, Sr. would have been about 67 years old when he joined the church. Charles F. White in his "John White of Muddy River" states: "the incident of the stone wall in the highway indicates a man of determined character, while the advanced age of his coming into the church points to one not fully in accord with early theocratic ideals of civil government."
. John White, Sr. died in 1691 and his widow, Frances, five years later. They were probably buried at Eustis Street in Roxbury, although their remains cannot be found.
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Per "Founders of Early American Famalies: Emigrants from Europe, 1607- 1657" by Colket: John White was in Muddy River, MA as early as 1639.
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Per "The Aspinwall Genealogy" by A. A. Aspinwall: "John White and his wife Frances came from England and were of Watertow, MA as early as 1839. Removed to Muddy River (now Brookline