William White Died at the Residence of His Father

 William White, a wagon maker from Mt. Sidney, Virginia died a young man leaving a widow and three young children who would become Defendants in Augusta County, Virginia chancery cause 1858-071 Nicholas K. Trout vs. Heirs of William White. You can read about the suit here.

It is odd but William White’s date of death was not included in the court papers. I knew that he had died by October 25,1855 because this is when the chancery cause was initiated.

Recently I located a death notice published in the June 30, 1852 edition of the Staunton Spectator stating William passed June 14, 1852:

                                        RECORD OF DEATHS.

                             DIED, at the residence of his father, in Mt. Sidney,

                          on the 14^th inst., Mr. WILLIAM WHITE, aged 34 years.

I have always suspected his father was Clement White, a wagon maker, living next door to William and his family per the 1850 federal census enumeration.

The 1841 personal property tax lists proved helpful in cementing the father/son relationship. 

Commissioner James Nelson’s List of Taxable Property for the 2^nd District of Augusta Co., VA included William White and Clemens White (at the bottom of page 41). When a commissioner encountered two men in his district with the same name, he usually tried to distinguish the men in some manner. This is why you see “(of C.” after William’s entry. It means Wm. White was a son of Clemens White.