Descriptive Summary
White, John W., 1817-1859
John W. White Family Papers
1850-1890
Materials are in English.
Doc 5216
19 items (19 folders)
Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library at the Alamo, San Antonio, Texas
Virginia native John W. White (1817-1859) arrived in Texas around 1836-1837. He served in the Republic of Texas army and reached the rank of Major. He and his wife Helen Chapin, a native of New York, resided in Harris County, Texas.
The collection contains letters, legal documents, and printed material related to John W. White and members of his family. The bulk of the papers consists of letters dating from 1850-1859, including three from White to his wife Helen written during his journey to the California gold fields in 1850-1851. A photograph and portrait of John W. White and a book have been separated from the collection.
Biographical Note
John W. White was born in Virginia in 1817. His second-class headright land grant indicates that he arrived in Texas between 1836 March 2 and 1837 October 1. White served in the Republic of Texas army and reached the rank of Major. He resided Harris County, Texas, where, according to the 1850 census, he operated or worked in a coffee house.
John W. White married Helen Chapin, a native of New York, in Houston on 1839 September 3. The couple had five children: John W., Kate V., Elizabeth (Lizzy), Justin C., and Helen.
White died in January 1859.
References
Carpenter, Mrs. V. K., transcriber.
The State of Texas Federal Population Schedules Seventh Census of the United States 1850, Harris County. Huntsville, Arkansas: Century Enterprise Genealogical Services, 1969.
The 1870 Census of Harris County, Texas, with Index. Houston, Texas: Houston Genealogical Forum, 1992.
Russell, Marie.
Marriage Records Harris County, Texas, Volume 1, 1837-1865. Houston, Texas: s.n., 1980.
White, Gifford.
Land Grants. Vol. 1, 1840 Citizens of Texas. Austin, Texas: [Gifford White?]; Nacogdoches, Texas: Ericson Books [distributor], 1983.
John W. Papers White Family Papers, 1850-1890, Doc 5216, Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library, San Antonio, Texas.
Scope and Content Note
The collection contains letters, legal documents, and printed material related to John W. White and members of his family. The bulk of the papers consists of letters dating from 1850-1859, including three from White to his wife Helen written during his journey to the California gold fields in 1850-1851. Other letters are from various family members, particularly Catherine Castanie, Helen White's mother. Also included are a funeral notice and an estate inventory. A photograph and a miniature portrait of White have been separated from the collection along with a copy of the second volume of
The Dramatic Works and Poems of William Shakespeare (1843).
Access Restrictions
No restrictions. The collection is open for research.
Usage Restrictions
Please be advised that the library does not hold the copyright to most of the material in its archival collections. It is the responsibility of the researcher to secure those rights when needed. Permission to reproduce does not constitute permission to publish. The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming to the laws of copyright, literary property rights, and libel.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], John W. White Family Papers, 1850-1890, Doc 5216, Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library, San Antonio, Texas.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Ruth Frear Aydlette and Elizabeth Aydlette Organ, 1950 and 1979.
Processing Information
Processed by Warren Stricker, 1996 June.
Finding aid edited and encoded by Tom D'Amore, 2011 October.
Index Terms
Personal Names
White, John W., 1817-1859.
White, Helen Chapin.
Castanie, Catherine, d. 1863.
Locations
Harris County (Tex.)--History--Sources.
California--Description and travel--1848-1869.
California--Gold discoveries.
Genres/Formats
Family papers.
Correspondence.
Estate inventories.
Printed ephemera.
Detailed Description of the Collection
John W. White Family Papers, 1850-1890
1
Letter: John W. White, Panama, to Helen White, 1850 April 24.
2
Letter: John W. White, Sacramento, California, to Helen White [incomplete], 1850 August 22.
3
Letter: John W. White, Merada City, California, to Helen White, Houston, Texas, 1851 January 26.
4
Letter: Alice Wickens, Norfolk, Virginia, to John W. White, Houston, Texas, 1852 April 11.
5
Letter: Catherine Castanie, Cincinnati, Ohio, to Helen White, Houston, Texas, 1853 September 24.
6
Letter: Helen M. White, Houston, Texas, to John W. White, Austin, Texas, 1853 October 29.
7
Letter: Alice Wickens, Norfolk, Virginia, to Helen White, 1854 April 14.
8
Letter: Catherine Castanie, Galveston, Texas, to Children, 1855 August 25.
9
Letter: Catherine Castanie, Galveston, Texas, to Son, 1855 September 18.
10
Letter: R. Lockart, Houston, Texas, to John W. White, 1855 December 10.
11
Letter: J. Castanie, Houston, Texas, to Helen White, Caney Island, Texas, 1857 June 23.
12
Letter: John W. White, Cane Island, Texas, to Helen White, 1858 September 29.
13
Letter: Catherine Castanie, Houston, Texas, to Helen White, Cane Island, Texas, [circa 1850-1859] June 24.
14
Funeral notice: John W. White, 1859 January 26.
15
Letter: Alice Wickens, Norfolk, Virginia, to Helen M. White, Houston, Texas, 1859 March 3.
16
Letter: Eliza W. Bright, Richmond, Virginia, to Helen White, 1859 March 24.
17
Inventory: estate of John W. White, Houston, Texas, 1859 April 8.
18
Letter: John W. Whitehurst, Nelson County, Virginia, to John White, Houston, Texas, 1866 August 26.
19
Letter: Joseph Franklin, Galveston, Texas, to Lizzie D. Cox, Denver, Colorado, 1890 June 13.
Separated Material, 1843, undated
See the separation sheet accompanying this finding aid in the Library's reading room for the location of these items.
The Dramatic Works and Poems of William Shakspeare [sic], volume II. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1843.
Photograph: John W. White, cabinet card, undated.
Portrait: John W. White, miniature on ivory, undated.