urn:taro:utexas.cah.02458 A Guide to the Francis Menefee White Papers, 1820, 1829-1830, 1859-1918 Original EAD encoding by Bethany Anderson according to TARO 2 EAD 2002 Editing Instructions. March 2011 Finding aid written in English. Descriptive Summary White, Francis Menefee, 1811-1897 White, Francis Menefee, Papers 1820, 1829-1830, 1859-1918 Materials are written in English and Spanish. 2 in. Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin Composed of Photostats of correspondence, legal documents, newspaper clippings, and a family Bible, the Francis Menefee White Papers, 1820, 1829-1830, 1859-1918, chronicle White’s career as a soldier, politician, and commissioner of the General Land Office. Biographical Note

Born in Pulaski, Tennessee, Francis Menefee White (1811-1897) was the son of Jesse White and Mary Menefee. After moving with his family to Tuscumbia, Alabama, White relocated to Jackson County, Texas, in 1830. During the Texas Revolution, he was appointed a lieutenant in the Texas army in 1835, fighting in several engagements, including the Grass Fight and the siege of Bexar. That same year, White married Rosanna K. McNutt, with whom he had four children. After her death in 1845, he married Margarette Sealy, fathering eight more children. Following the revolution, White was became commissioner of Jackson County in 1837 and served as justice of peace from 1838 through 1840. Additionally, he was a member of the Board of Land Commissioners, chaired of the House Committee on Public Lands, and was appointed commissioner of the General Land Office in 1857.

Source:

Hardin, Stephen L. White, Francis Menefee. Handbook of Texas Online. Accessed March 14, 2011. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fwh19.

Scope and Contents

Composed of Photostats of correspondence, legal documents, newspaper clippings, and a family Bible, the Francis Menefee White Papers, 1820, 1829-1830, 1859-1918, chronicle White’s career as a soldier, politician, and commissioner of the General Land Office. Correspondence concerns familial affairs, the slave trade, and the secession of Texas, while legal documents relate to White’s land holdings. Newspaper clippings consist of obituary notices of J. D. Owen and Frank B. Owen, and political commentary, especially pertaining to White. Additionally, the collection includes a family Bible belonging to White’s mother.

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research use.

Index Terms Subjects (Persons) White, Francis Menefee, 1811-1897 -- Archives. White, Mary Menefee. White family. Subjects Secession -- Texas. Slave trade -- United States -- History -- 19th century. Places Jackson County (Tex.) -- History -- 19th century. Texas. General Land Office -- History -- 19th century. Texas -- Politics and government -- 19th century. Preferred Citation

Francis Menefee White Papers, 1820, 1829-1830, 1859-1918, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

Detailed Description of the Papers Inventory 4L348 Papers, 1820, 1830, 1850-1918 2H362 Miscellaneous, undated 4L854 Family Bible