The Somerset reporter., 1891-07-16
SELECTED.
For the Reporter
Early Settlers in Canaan-ho.li

Early Settlers in Canaan-holi
John White, my grandfather, came in
l773 though he did not bring his family
till the next year. His birth and resi-
dence was in Lunenburg, where he mar
ried Elizabeth Whitney, Feb. %, 1853
and his three oldest children were born in
that town, the two youngest in Lancaster
where he lived ten years or more before
removing to Maine. He was descend
ant of Peregriue White, he was born on
board the Mayflower, the first birth in
the Plymouth Colony before any houses
were completed for shelter on shore.
Peregrines father, William White, died
the Feb. f. flowing, and in May his moth
er SusaEnah, married Gov Edward Wins
low, whose wife had been dead only two
months. This was the first marriage in
the Colony. Those were times of dis
tress. when the ordinary prophecies of
society must give way to the necessities
of the situation; he had two young chill
dren who needed mother, and she four
who needed u father. or Peregrine it il
said that he was eXtravagsnt ia early life
but reformed in later years. and at forty
he was a Captain, also a Representative.
He died July 90, 1904, aged nearly eighty.
His homestead in Mansfield was held BY
his descendants to the sixth generation
He had four sous and they soon began to
scatter. Peregrine, Jr. removed to Bos-
ton, some of the family settled in Lunen-
burg and Lancaster. Col. Jonathan White
(also a deacOn) was one OF company OF
four or five who purchased a tract of
land four miles square from the Indians
1t was afterwards incorporated with a
part of Lancaster into TIE town of Leo
minister. lie had son Jonathan who grad;
usted at Harvard in 1868. At that time
they counted nine college graduates in the
White family. There are several others
of the name and one Mrs. Wilder men
toned in the History of Leominster as
descendants of Peregrine White. John
White of Canaan had the kneebuckes
that belonged to William White, Pere-
grimes father; he transmitted them to his
grandson John White Of PALMYRA, and he
to his grandson John White, Greek Pro.
fessor in Harvard College.
My grandfather settled on the lot ad
joining the Weston tract, where his
great grandson, Henry White now lives.
suppose he chose this place that be
might be near his old neighbors. OF
course he lived in log cabin at first j;
when he built house it was situated
across the road from the present resi-.
dence, about fifteen feet south of the old
red house that his son built many years
after. 1t was one story house of the
usual form, and stood partly cornerwise
to the road, so that the front might be on
Il north and south line. After his wife
died and his children were all married,
he lived with his son Salmon who built
another house, but he still continued to
occupy room In the old one as long as
he lived and soon after his death it was
torn down. The kitchen he used as a
shop where he bottomed chairs with elm
Dark, and made excellent brooms out of
small ash trees, which is now | presume
a lost art.
He never in his life would ride on
horseback, and as wheel carriages were
out little in use, he was a great walker
In religion he WAS strong supporter Of
DR.. Whitaker and his Presbyterisnsm !;
nut after the Church was re-organized
on different basis, he became member,
out not at first. After Deacon Solomon
Clark died, he was chosen to that of
ice.
Not long after coming to Maine he
prophesied that there would be village
near Skowhegan Falls at some time, for
the reason that there would be mill on
the Currier brook lit did not seem to enter
his thought that the river could ever be
used for mill purposes.
r.. IL.
If sixty five. She was the first teacher
Of a school in Canaan, and probably the
hrst in the county. He was born April
81. lips, and died Jan. 20, lsl5, aged 81,
lacking three months.
Their children-Lyda, born March s.,
700, died April |. 1897, aged 50 married
Edward Hartwell. BetseY, born April -,
1851, died July 26 1874, aged over 81
married Ephraim ktmball She was pro-
badly married before the family came to
Canaan. They lived in Fitchburg and
had a large family of sons and daughters.
The oldest, Dea. John Kimball came to
Maine when young man, died In 1862.
aged 81 years and ! months. He had a
sister Betsey who married Lemuel Smith
lived on the farm adjoining the Isaac
Weston place. She died 1851, aged ~.
son, Salmon. born in 1859, died Ia
infancy. Salmon born April 3, l76l
mother) born Sept. II, l1G3. died Jan
26, lS4l. John, born May Is, 1866, dice
April 20, 1858, aged nearly 81
Salmon White, the Oldest living son OF
John. became owner of the farm as {
compensation for the support of his par
ents, and transmitted it to his son
Salmon on the same conditions. He wa.
one of the best farmers in the town
raised good crops, and kept large stool
of cattle, and always kept them in fin,
condition lie made farming q nrnhtahlI