On 10 January 1950, the Wilson Daily Times‘ Centennial Anniversary Edition included an article entitled “County Has Many Plantation Homes More Than A Hundred Years Old.” One of the featured houses was built by the White family on a 2000-acre land grant that stretched from Raleigh Road out to Wilson Country Club. The house burned about 1942.
On 8 January 1858, Benjamin White made out his last will and testament in Wilson County, leaving all his lands, slaves, etc., including this house, to his sister Martha White. He died in April 1860.
In the 1860 slave schedule, Patsey White is listed with women and girls aged 19, 18, and 1, and men and boys aged 47, 21, 20, 14, and 1.
On 24 February 1860, Martha [Patsey] White made out her last will and testament in Wilson County. Among her bequests were:
- to Larry D. Farmer, three negroes Stephen, Cherry, and Luke and other gifts to hold in trust for White’s niece Temperance Perry “free from the control or influence of her husband Thomas Perry”
- to Amanda Taylor, wife of William T. Taylor, negro boy Thomas
- to Martha Perry, negro girl Harriet and White’s share of the land divided between White, [her brother] Benjamin White, and [niece] Temperance Perry.
- to Ann Perry, negro girl Fanny
- to “sell the balance of my negroes & all my estate undisposed of” and divide the proceeds among Temperance Perry’s children
On 5 April 1861, Martha White hired “negro man Tom” from Larry D. Farmer, Benjamin White’s executor. (Apparently, there were two Toms — one belonging to Benjamin White, and younger one belonging
On 7 June 1862, Farmer reported the hire of Tom to W.T. Taylor; Jim to Richard Bullock; Steven, Cherry and two children, and Harriet to R.S. Kingsmore; and Rose and one child to A.J. Barefoot for the remainder of the year.
In July 1862, a “Negro Woman at Jack Barefoots” received $3.00 of medical care from B. Bunn Williams.
On 2 January 1863, Farmer sold Rose and her children Joe and Jim to Richard S. Kingsmore and Jim to George W. Barefoot, bringing $3575 into the estate’s coffers.
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White is an uncommon surname in Wilson County, and I have had little success tracing forward the men, women, and children named in Martha White’s will.
Perhaps, in the 1870 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: Harriet White, 18, farm laborer, in the household of Lemuel Due, 22; wife Sebriah, 21; and children Margaret, 5, Moses, 4, Edith, 2, and Alice, 1 month.
Perhaps, in the 1870 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: Thomas White, 56; wife Charlotte, 56; and Lucy, 14, Reuben, 15, George, 10, and Lucy, 3.
Estate File of Benjamin White (1861), Wilson County, North Carolina Estate Files 1663-1979, http://www.familysearch.org; Estate File of Martha White (1863), North Carolina Wills and Probate Records, 1665-1998, ancestry.com.