THE CADMAN-WHITE-HANDY HOUSEA HISTORY OF OWNERS AND FAMILIES

THE CADMAN-WHITE-HANDY HOUSEA HISTORY OF OWNERS AND FAMILIES

THE WESTPORT HISTORICAL SOCIETYWESTPORT, MASSACHUSETTS

ERIC GRADOIAARCHITECTURAL HISTORY & CONSERVATION

SCHAGHTICOKE, NEW YORK

COPYRIGHT 2014

THIS WORK WAS SUPPORTED BY A GRANT FROM

THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION,

CYNTHIA WOODS MITCHELL FUND FOR HISTORIC INTERIORS

1William Cadman

The relationship of William Cadman to the Handy House is through his son George, and granddaughter Elizabeth Cadman. William Cadman is the grandfather of Elizabeth Cadman White, the only daughter of George Cadman and Hannah Hathaway.

William Cadman arrived about 1651-52 in the New England colonies as a young man in his early twenties. William was born in England sometime around 1625.1 Upon reaching the New England colonies, William settled in the town of Portsmouth, in the relatively newly established Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

We know little of William Cadman, the man, except for what is found in community records. There are enough tracings of his actions within these records to understand William Cadman within the society and community of his time.

William and Elizabeth Cadman are believed to have had three children:

Mary (Cadman) Cole (b. June 10, 1655, d. March 29, 1732)2

George Cadman (b. c. 1656, d. After November 24, 1718)3

Richard Cadman (b. c. 1660, d. 1695)4

To understand William Cadmans unique place in

1 OToole, Dennis A. Democratic Balance Ideals of Community in Early Portsmouth. Article in Rhode Island History. Published by The Rhode Island Historical Society. Providence, Rhode Island. Vol. 32, No. 1, February 1973.2 Mary Cadman Family Tree Maker. http://familytree-maker.genealogy.com/users/k/o/s/Lille-Koski-CA/WEB-SITE-0001/UHP-0598.html November 11, 2013.3 Coughlin, Michelle Marchetti. Elizabeth Cadman White (ca. 16851768): Initial Research Progress Report for the Westport Historical Society. August 14, 2013. Unpublished manuscript. p. 13. Coughlin lists Cadmans death as Decem-ber 1718. His will was proved January 6, 1718/9.4 Ibid, p.10

Portsmouth community life, his role in Portsmouth, and more importantly his sons Georges and Rich-ards establishment of homesteads in Dartmouth, it is necessary to describe the development of Ports-mouths governing style and its community at the time of his arrival. The book, Democratic Balance - Ideals of Community in Early Portsmouth, casts William Cadman as a documentable example of the young-er, unestablished, inhabitants of Portsmouth, RI in the seventeenth century.5 William Cadmans intro-duction into the Portsmouth community occurred at the end of a struggle-filled transition in commu-nity and property hierarchies within the town.

The first English inhabitants of the Island of Aquid-neck in Narragansett Bay were dissenters in some form of the New England Way that was emerg-ing in the Massachusetts Bay Colonys style of government.6 These people were confronted with establishing a community where only wilderness stood. The early inhabitants had to develop a way to establish property and form a style of community government, largely through a trial and error pro-cess that constantly changed and evolved. By the time William Cadman arrived in Portsmouth, this process was in its final formative years, establishing a relatively stable community environment.

The first mention of William Cadman in the Ports-mouth area is a deed of twenty acres from Ralph Earl to William, recorded December 13, 1653.7 The property description is almost indecipherable, East by Newport, and bounded with the common, west with [illegible] swamp, and easterly [illegible] Mill Pond, west common, north

Ralph Earl was one of the original twenty colonists of Rhode Island to petition Charles I for a char-ter in 1638. Earls name appears on a 1639 town

5 Ibid., Pages 3- 18.6 Ibid., p. 37 Portsmouth Town Land Records, (Grantee Index) & Book 1, page 14.

2 William Cadman

record establishing a civil body politic.8 As one of the founders of Portsmouth, Ralph Earl would have enjoyed a position in the upper levels of Portsmouth society and political power. In 1647, Earl was giv-en permission to keep an Inn, sell beer and wine, and to entertain strangers. Earl served the town in multiple capacities such as treasurer, the apportion-ing of every mans lands to assess taxes, and oversee the work of the prison. Earl, who would have had significant lands as one of the original townsmen, sold land to eight inhabitants from 1640 to 1656, and quit claimed land to his son.9 The purchase of Earls land by William Cadman occurred prior to Williams acceptance as an inhabitant of the town.

The next reference to William Cadman in Ports-mouth records notes his acceptance as an inhab-itant of Portsmouth. This occurred on June 5, 1654.10 This was fortunate timing for William. The granting of lands had become very selective and strongly indicated that besides the allotments of large grants of land not fully completed for free-men in the 1639 and 1640, inhabitants that were granted land was very strictly contained to a selec-tion of those original town families. Of the twen-ty-six receiving land in the 1656 allotment process, the largest allotments (30 acres to 100 acres) went to seven men who had been residents for at least thir-teen years. Of the other nineteen men, just five of them appear in town records after 1651. Of those five newcomers, only one was not a son of one of the founders. The common inhabitants of the town so strongly disagreed with the allotment pro-cess that they dismissed the disposers in November 1656, and created a committee of five to distribute 200 (increased to 300 prior to the allotment process)

8 Author Unknown. Ralph Earl Biography Notes. http://www.caskey-family.com/genealogy/RalhpEarl.htm9 Ibid. Ralph Earl Biography Notes.10 Handwritten text of town meeting notes from 1638 to the late 1600s. Town of Portsmouth, Undated. Page 58. The script appears to be late 19th century. Several time periods are repeated throughout the book in what appears to be a dif-ferent hand. The book is a located in the vault at Portsmouth Town Hall, Portsmouth, Rhode Island.

acres to those most in need of land. This distribu-tion was based on the needs of an inhabitant and the number of mouths he had to feed in relation to the amount of land he possessed. The political idea of full representation that had caused turmoil in the community of Portsmouth for decades had finally come to realization in December 1657 when the community began to allot lands to newcomers, commoners, and non-freemen.11

In December 1657, William Cadman received an allotment of eight acres land.12 The author of Democratic Balance - Ideals of Community in Ear-ly Portsmouth, uses William Cadman as an example of the type of inhabitant that the 1657 allotment was intended to help, Circumstances of William Cadman exemplify those of younger unestablished recipients of grants in 1657. Cadman, a blacksmith had resided in Portsmouth for just four years before the allotments were made. He was newly married, father of one, and not known to have been a free-man in 1657.13 A common characteristic of al-most all the 1657 grantees was their disassociation from founding families, and the perceived inability to successfully establish their own and that of their childrens self-sufficiency. This act of allotment based on need, and not political weight, was a new act for the community of Portsmouth -- an act that supported the commoner.

After the 1657 allotment of lands, the town govern-ment closed the commons to any further develop-ment and free allotment of lands.14 The act by the townsmen effectively closed the community to fu-ture attraction of inhabitants via free land offerings. The success of a family would be based on the in-heritance value and size of land holding of a mans estate. Whether the next generation would be able

11 OToole, Democratic Balance Ideals of Community in Early Portsmouth, pages 13-16.12 Portsmouth Town Land Records. Book 1, Page 532.13 OToole, Democratic Balance Ideals of Community in Early Portsmouth, page 16.14 OToole, Democratic Balance Ideals of Community in Early Portsmouth, page 17.

3William Cadman

to succeed in Portsmouth would be based on their fathers worth. This closing off of the communi-ty would be a factor in William Cadmans sons (George and Richard) involvement with Dartmouth and ultimately the existence of the Handy house.

William Cadmans role in the Portsmouth com-munity is well noted in the historical records. By the age of fifty, William had become involved as a respected member of the communitys governing body, holding such positions as:

Deputy to the General Assembly, six times be-tween 1670 and 1682.

Noted as a Lieutenant in records for 1679 and 1682.

Selected in 1671 as one of four to demand a charter from Governor Nicholas Easton.

Member of the town council for six years be-tween 1673 and 1681.

Appointed in 1673 to a committee of four to prepare matters concerning drunkenness amongst the Indians, the establishment of a mi-litia, and weigh the dangers of the Dutch taking New York.

Chosen as a juryman in 1676.

Selected to oversee the poor five times between 1676 and 1682.

Selected in 1678 to establish a tax rate and to audit the accounts between Newport and Ports-mouth.

Selected in 1678 for a committee charged with the disposition of Indians and the placing of them as apprentices.

Witnessed wills and appraised property for the distribution of wills for over seventeen years.15

15 Foster, Theodore G. William Cadman of Portsmouth and His Descendants. Lansing Michigan. 1935- as extract-

Handwritten transcript of Portsmouth town meeting notes dated June, 5 1654, noting the acceptance of William Cadman as an inhabitant of the town. Portsmouth town records, Portsmouth, Rhode Island.

4 William Cadman

What little else is known about Williams life in Portsmouth, outside of town records demonstrat-ing his role in governing the community, can be discovered through small incidents of his life that appear scattered throughout town records. In the year 1666, William Cadman had run afoul of the community laws by offering shelter to a strang-er, William Maze.16 The August 27th, 1666 town meeting selected two of Williams neighbors to go to William Cadman and inform him that there is a town law (enacted in 1654) which forbids the en-tertaining of any sojourner or stranger without the consent of the inhabitants of the town. The penalty of five pounds per month that the offense is com-mitted may be instituted. William Wodell and Wil-liam Hall were chosen to take the notice to Cadman and bring his answer back to the magistrate of the town.17

In 1658-59, during the sitting of the Pettit Jury on the Joseph Turry Case, an Indian named Tate-monashkish testified that he and another Indian, Wouacomtone, took an ancker (a small cask hold-ing about 45 bottles) of liquor from the cellar of William Cadmans house. The court resolved that Quashawett, a Sachem Indian living at Poca-kett bind himself to pay, or cause to be paid eight pounds, twelve shillings, to make restitution to Wil-liam Cadman. The court also sentenced the two Indians to be whipped with fifteen stripes.18 From

ed by Lille Koski. Posting RE: Elizabeth Cadman born est 1684-1706. Genforum.genealogy.com/Cadman/messag-es/125.html16 Chronological table of town meetings. Source Information:Ancestry.com. The early records of the town of Portsmouth [database on-line]. Pro-vo, UT: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004. Original data: The early records of the town of Portsmouth. Providence, R.I.: E.L. Freeman & Sons, state printers, 1989.17 Town of Portsmouth Book. Undated. Page 58. The book is a handwritten text of town meeting notes from 1638 to the late 1600s. Located in the vault at Portsmouth Town Hall. Note: the script appears to be late 19th century, and several time periods are repeated throughout the book (in what appears to be a different hand).

18 Vol. I. Rhode Island Court Records. Source Informa-

this record we can determine that William Cadman had a house of sufficient size to contain a cellar, and possibly well known enough that the court did not deem it necessary to give a description of its loca-tion. At the same sitting of the jury, William Cad-man was fined ten shillings for not attending.19

In April of 1678 William Cadman was a member of the committee being empowered by public vote to dispose of Indians, and place them out as appren-tices.20 Cadman witnessed the apprenticeship of a mother, Meequapew for three years, her fourteen-year-old son Peter for ten years, and her daughter, Hannah, for fifteen years to William Wodell.21 In the month of August, 1679 William Cadman was

tion- Ancestry.com. Rhode Island court records : records of the Court of Trials of the Colony of Providence Planta-tions, 1647-1662. [database on-line]. Provo, UT: The Gen-erations Network, Inc., 2005. Original data: Rhode Island court records : records of the Court of Trials of the Col-ony of Providence Plantations, 1647-1662.. Providence: unknown, 1920-1922. Page 625. http://interactive.an-cestry.com/17373/dvm_PrimSrc000293-00027-1/34?back-url=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fgst%3d-6&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults&rc=1462,679,1741,732;1739,682,2021,736#?imageId=dvm_PrimSrc000293-00028-019 Ibid. Vol. I. Rhode Island Court Records. Source Infor-mation Ancestry.com. Rhode Island court records : records of the Court of Trials of the Colony of Providence Plantations, 1647-1662. [database on-line]. Provo, UT: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005. Page 626.

Original data: Rhode Island court records : records of the Court of Trials of the Colony of Providence Plantations, 1647-1662.. Providence: unknown, 1920-1922.

Viewer built on Microsoft Technology20 Chronological table of town meetings. Source Infor-mation. Ancestry.com. The early records of the town of Portsmouth [database on-line]. Provo, UT: The Genera-tions Network, Inc., 2004. Original data: The early records of the town of Portsmouth. Providence, R.I.: E.L. Freeman & Sons, state printers, 1989. http://interactive.ancestry.com/17372/dvm_PrimSrc000292-00230-0/440?back-url=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fgst%3d-6&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults&rc=1079,3188,1413,3247;1411,3190,1749,324921 Ibid Chronological Table. Pg 431-434.

5William Cadman

elected moderator of the town meeting.22

In 1682, William Cadman is listed as an Assistant to the Town Clerk, and witnessed the marriage of Jon-athan Gatchell of Marble-Head to Widow Mary Wodell of Portsmouth.23

The location of William Cadmans home is lost

22 Town of Portsmouth Book. Undated. Page 58. The book is a handwritten text of town meeting notes from 1638 to the late 1600s. Located in the vault at Portsmouth Town Hall. Note: the script appears to be late 19th century, and several time periods are repeated throughout the book (in what appears to be a different hand).

23 The Early Records of the Town of Portsmouth, Prov-idence , RI. E.L. Freemon & Sons, State Printers, 1989. http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=Ge-nealogy-glh20102858&h=313

to history, as are many of the details of the Cad-man family. An oblique reference to it in Robert Charles, The Great Migration, gives a clue to the location of lands (if not describing a homestead location) of William Cadman of Portsmouth.24 A July 1660 deed of William Freeborn to his daugh-ter describes a parcel of twenty acres bounded as: east of the Newport path, south with land of

24 Great Migration, Vol 2, C-F. Source Information: An-cestry.com. New England, The Great Migration and The Great Migration Begins, 1620-1635 [database on-line]. Pro-vo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.Original data: Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633, Volumes 1-3; The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volumes 1-6. Boston: New England Historical and Genealog-ical Society, 1996-2011. Page 574.

Handwritten transcript of town meeting notes dated August 27, 1666, recording an incident where William Cadman was charged with sheltering a stranger without the consent of the governing community. Portsmouth town records, Portsmouth, Rhode Island.

6 William Cadman

William Cadman, and north by the common. An-other land entry, dated 1654, describes the selling of eighty acres to William Freeborne except for twenty acres which is owned by William Cadman.25 This very well may be the original twenty acres pur-chased by William Cadman, on which he built his dwelling.

In June 1682, William deeded to his son, a certain parcel of land lying and being in the liberties and presents of the township of Dartmouth aforesaid containing half a share which I [William] bough of William Earl.26 The deed was made in consider-ation of his [Georges] natural love and affection of me. Most likely George Cadman already possessed land in Dartmouth. Fosters 1935 work, Descendants of William Cadman, notes that George served as a ju-ryman for Dartmouth in 1676 -- six years before re-ceiving the half share of Dartmouth lands from his father. In 1684, George was appointed to a com-mittee to lay out a way through Dartmouth, and in 1686, he was named an inhabitant of Dartmouth. In 1694, George was named as one of the 56 origi-nal proprietors of Dartmouth through a deed to the residents of Dartmouth by William Bradford. As an original proprietor, George was entitled to 800 acres of land.27 It is not known if George Cadman was already living on the land deeded to him by his father William, or the half share just extended Georges extensive land holdings.

The possible disposition of William Cadmans homestead is detailed in a deed dated 1688 between Richard Cadman and Robert Fish.28 Richard (Wil-liams son), Elizabeth (Williams widow) and Sara (Richards wife) quit claim to Robert Fish twen-

25 Ibid. Page 574.26 Portsmouth Town Land Records, Volume 1, Page 190.27 Foster, Theodore G. William Cadman of Portsmouth and His Descendants. Lansing Michigan. 1935- as extract-ed by Lille Koski. Posting RE: Elizabeth Cadman born est 1684-1706. http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/5964862/person/6038660747/storyx/efce7888-ca7d-46ec-8249-511f92f10a41?src=search28 Portsmouth Town Land Records, Volume 1, Page 451.

ty-eight acres bounded, easterly by highway [illegible], southerly by lands that goes to Robert Houcking and his common, westerly by land of Nicholas Brown, and northerly by land of the said Robert Fish and Gibson [Hroghbarn]. The par-cel is described as, Together with all and singular the houses, barns, cribs, orchards, fences, common liberties and way of highways provided.29 Both of William Cadmans sons, Richard and George, had obtained significant land holdings of their own by the time of their fathers death on or about 1684.

The full extent of William Cadmans land hold-ings is not known; however, numerous references to land owned by William Cadman are made mention of in Portsmouth deeds addressing properties ad-jacent to land owned by William Cadman and in Dartmouth, William Cadmans name shows up in survey[s] by Benjamin Crane for George Cadman where George Cadman claims of a share by deed from his father willm [sic] Cadman dated June ye 28: 168230.

The life William Cadman led is shrouded in histo-rys passing. We can ascertain that around 1650 he took a wife believed to be named Elizabeth Cor-nell. They are believed to have had three children that survived beyond infancy. George Cadman is generally accepted as the first male son, born around 1656. Mary Cadman, believed to be their only daughter, is thought to have been born around 1655. Their second son, Richard Cadman, is esti-mated being born in 1657.31

29 Ibid. Portsmouth. Volume 1, Page 451.30 The Field Notes of Benjamin Crane, Benjamin Ham-mond, and Samuel Smith. The New Bedford Free Public Library. New Bedford, Massachusetts. The Mercury Press; New Bedford. P.16931 Document titled Ancestors of Elizabeth Cadman White. Archives of the Westport Historical Society, West-port, Massachusetts.

7William Cadman

Detail of the Rhode Island and Dartmouth area from The New England coasting pilot from Sandy Point of New York, unto Cape Canso in Nova Scotia and part of Island Breton, 1734. Library of Congress Geography and Map Division.

8The majority of George Cadmans property was centered around the site of his homestead which was located somewhere on the large parcel that ran northwest from the river. The exact location of his dwelling is not known. Detail from map of Westport based on the transcriptions of Benjamin Cranes field notes. Delineator and date unknown. Courtesy of the New Bedford Free Public Library.

9George and Hannah Cadman

George Cadman was the son of William and Elizabeth Cadman of Portsmouth, Rhode Is-land. George Cadman settled in Dartmouth, Mas-sachusetts by 1686, at which time he is believed to have possessed an 800-acre division of land, the amount granted to the original fifty-six proprietors who settled Dartmouth (then encompassing present day Westport, Dartmouth, New Bedford, Fairhav-en, and Acushnet).32

George Cadman married Hannah Hathaway (b. 1662, d. before March 14, 1749). The exact date of their marriage has not been determined. Dates ranging from 1683 to simply before 1685, a date that corresponds with the birth of George and Eliz-abeths only child, Elizabeth have been given. The Hathaway family were also early settlers of Dart-mouth. Hannahs father, Arthur Hathaway held large amounts of land and occupied various posi-tions in the local government including selectman and magistrate.33

The earliest reference to George Cadman in Dart-mouth is 1676. This date has been stated by gene-alogists studying the Cadman family and alludes to an apparent record of Cadman being a juryman in Dartmouth that year.34 He is included in a list of names of The Townsmen of Dartmouth who have taken the oath of fidelity or freemans oath, dated May 24, 1686, firmly establishing him in Dartmouth by this date.35 Cadman held a num-ber of local positions, serving as a member of the Grand Jury in 1692, town Selectman in 1692, 1694,

32 History of Bristol County33 Coughlin, pp. 11-12.34 Two occurrences of this include Theodore G. Fosters work on the Cadman lineage, William Cadman of Ports-mouth and His Descendants. Unpublished manuscript. Lan-sing, Michigan, 1935. Family Group Sheet, George and Eliz-abeth Cadman prepared by Randall J. Sever. July 31, 2011. Archives of the Westport Historical Society, Westport, Mas-sachusetts. 35 The History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, p. 198.

and 1696, Treasurer in 1698, 1709, and 1711, and Overseer of the Poor in 1712.36

George Cadman is identified as one of the original fifty-six proprietors of Dartmouth in the confirma-tory deed of William Bradford, dated November 13, 1694.37 The proprietors received either 400 or 800-acre allotments of land. Tradition has it that George Cadman acquired an 800-acre division.

Though no deeds or documents identifying the ex-act quantity or boundaries of George Cadmans initial land holdings are known, it is nearly certain that he received an 800 acre allotment when set-tling in Dartmouth. The closest documents ap-proximating these are boundary descriptions in the field books of Benjamin Crane, the surveyor com-missioned by the proprietors of Dartmouth to sur-vey and record property boundaries throughout the settlement. Crane surveyed these lands between 1710 and 1721. In 1910, Cranes field books were photographed, transcribed, and published by the New Bedford Free Public Library. Following the publication of this document, an unknown individ-ual or individuals transposed these written bound-ary descriptions onto a map of the original Dart-mouth area creating the closest document we have identifying property boundaries and owners during the first two decades of the Eighteenth century.38

George Cadmans largest contiguous parcel con-tained his homestead. Crane surveyed this parcel on June 2, 1712. Written at the top of the page of

36 Family Group Sheet, George and Elizabeth Cadman prepared by Randall J. Sever. July 31, 2011. Archives of the Westport Historical Society, Westport, Massachusetts. 37 Ricketson, Daniel. The History of New Bedford, Bris-tol County, Massachusetts: Including A History of the Old Township of Dartmouth and the Present Townships of West-port, Dartmouth, and Fairhaven, from their Settlement to the Present Time. New Bedford, 1858. pp. 33-34.38 The author will hereafter refer to this document as the Crane map, though it is understood that Benjamin Crane is not responsible for generating it.

10 George and Hannah Cadman

Cranes notes for this survey is, George Cadman Claimes [sic] of a share by deed from his father willm [sic] Cadman dated June ye 28: 1682: his notes then go on to describe the boundaries of the parcel:

June ye 2nd 1712: then surveyed ye homestead of George Cadman beginning at a gray oak tree standing in ye Line between sd Cadman & we wid-ow Divoll from thence thence S 15 dgs E 7 rods to ye brook then from sd tree again w 38 dgs n 56 rods to a great black oak in ye stone wall thence w 33 dgs: n 188 rods to a great whit oak tree

marked thence w 35 dgs n 330 rods to a whit oak tree marked there we Left off:) then we began

again at ye tree we began at in ye morning thence n 39 dgs E 40 rods thence E 39 dgs S: 36 rods to ye erg of ye salt marsh then from ye 40 Rods afor sd on sd point for ye breadth of ye Lot 66 rods to ye

n Line ye bounds between sd Cadman and James tripp Lot thence E 30 dgs S 18 rods to whit oak tree at ye erg of ye salt marsh (sd James tripps Land goes 8 rods farther on sd point to ye River) then from ye place where we Came to ye n side of sd Lot w 39 dgs 195 rods to a heap of stones James tripp Corner ye heap of stones & on sd point 75 rods farther to a gray oak tree marked thence w 35 dgs n: 331: rods to a heap of stones on ye Corner of a rock then we left off. then we aded 32 rods

from ye whit oak ye S west Corner where we Left of at noon.

June ye 3: 1712 then we began at ye Rock where we Left off Last night ye n w Corner to Compleat

sd Cadmans homestead thence w 35 dgs 89 rods to a stake & heap of stones for ye n w Corner bounds then we went & set up: 89 Rods on the fore sd point to a stake & heap of stones for ye SW Corner bounds thence n 39 dgs E by rang trees to two heap of stones on each side of ye Cart way Containing by meshur 512 acres qualified 32839

39 The Field Notes of Benjamin Crane, Benjamin Ham-mond, and Samuel Smith. p. 169. It should be mentioned that a cursory review of all of the surveys for land owned by George Cadman in Cranes field notes results in a total of 927

Based on the Crane surveys and descriptions of his land from his will, George Cadmans acreage re-flects typical land holdings of individuals engaged in substance farming in seventeenth and eighteenth century New England. Cadmans main parcel of land runs in a long, narrow, principally east-west direction from the west side of the Noquochoke River (present day East Branch of the Westport River) inland.40 While the majority of George Cadmans land illustrated on the Crane map is con-nected, parcels, such as the Handy house lot and other pieces of land Cadman owned but not illus-trated on the map were discontinuous. This was common in agricultural settlements throughout the region during this time and was likely typical of the 400 and 800 acre divisions throughout Dartmouth. Such arrangements allowed for greater diversity of land among owners and a fair division of resources among the landholders within the settlement.

George Cadman is believed to have died between November 24 and December 3, 1718.41 His will, dated November 24, 1718, was proved January 6, 1718/19. Its bequests stated:

To Hannah my .... wife all my homested farm that is laid out in the Eight hundred acre Devtion with all my Houseling orchads & fences in or upon Sd Land with all [the salt] meadow Joyning to the above Sd land [allso two acres of Salt meadow Joyning to Joseph Tripps meadow all the above-said] premises to be & remain to my Sd wife untill my Granson George White [Come] to the age of twenty one years & when my sd Granson George White shall Arive at the age of twentyone years my

acres; however, a more critical analysis of these notes is nec-essary to understand if portions of these parcels are divided and/or identified more than once.

40 Narrow, linear plots were common to New England towns settled along rivers and bays. Examples of this can be seen in early town plans for the original settlements of Prov-idence, Rhode Island, Wethersfield, Connecticut, and Deer-field, Massachusetts.

41 Bowman, George Ernest, The Wills of George Cad-man and His Widow Hannah, The Mayflower Descendant January 1920): Vol. XXII, No. 1, pp. 2-7.

11George and Hannah Cadman

Will is that he shall have & Immeadiately posses the one half of all the above Sd Land & meadow & to take his half on the north side of both upland & meadow by measure: & the South Side of the above Sd Land & meadow with all the Housing or-chards fences & apurtenances thereon or ther unto belonging ... my Sd Loveing wife Hannah Shall have & quietly posses dureing the time of her nat-ural Life & Immeadiately after my wives Deceas all the above Sd Land & meadow I Give to my Sd Granson George White.

To my loveing daughter Elizabeth White & to her Husband William White all the upland & meadow that is laid out where they now live with two acres & fifty Rods of Sedg flat Lying in acoxset river at

the Shiprock flat & one hundred & five acres of

land in the four hundred acre devition as it is laid out & quallified & one quarter of an acre of Seder

Swomp all the ab[ovesd] land meadow & Ceder Swomp is ... within the Township of [Dart]mouth afre Sd [Farther I Give ... to] my Sd daughter Elisa-beth & her Husband William White the one half of my last dev[i]tion of land the above Sd land mead-ow & Ceder Swomp given to my Sd daughter Elisa-beth White & her Husband William White to be & remain to them dureing ... their naturall Lives and after their deceas the Homested farm where the Sd William White low liveth I Give to my Granson William White.

The one hundr[ed] & five acres of upland above

given to my Daughter Elisabeth White & her Hus-band William White after their Dec[ea]s I give to my Granson Roger White.

The remaing part of my four hundred acre devi-tion being ninty five acres ... I Give to my Granson

Christopher White.

All my meadow or Sedg flat lying on the Ship

flat & allso all my Last devition of land I Give to

my two gransons viz: Roger White & Christopher White & to be Equally devided between my Sd two Granson.

To my four Gransons William George Roger & Christopher one half Share of Ceder Swomp ... that is to say one quarter of a Share att my De-ceas & the other quar of a share after their father & Mothers Deceas.

To my Grandaughter Sarah White 20 pounds [to be paid by Grandson George White one yeare after the sd Lands given to him Come into his hands]

To Alice Anthony Daughter of John Anthony of Rhoad Island 5 pounds in money & one good Bed & Beding therunto belonging.

To my negro man James his freedom after ... three years & three quarters from the Date of these pres-ents.

To my Daughter Elisabeth White 30 pounds.

All the rest & residue of my personall estate I give ... to my ... wife Hannah whom I Constitute ... Soule Executrix of this my Last Will.

George Cadman inventory was valued at 2,282, 5s., d., which included, his housing and lands, valued at 1,700.42

Hannah Cadman is believed to have died between February 13 and March 14, 1748/49. She also died testate, with her will proved May 2, 1749. In it she bequeathed:

To my Daughter Elizabeth White Wife to Wil-liam of sd Dartmouth all my Wearing apparril also my Silver tankard and Smalest Silver Spoon.

Top my Grandson William White my Great Bible my Bigest Silver Cup and my silver Spoon marked with the Letters W C and fifty pounds in mony or

Bills of Credit old teanor.

To my son [Grandson] George White one silver Spoon and my Gun which was his Grandfather Cadmans together with my Cubbord that stands in the Chamber I also give unto him my sd Grandson

42 Ibid., pp. 3-5.

12 George and Hannah Cadman

George White all my farming tools as Cart yoaks Chains axes hoes and other tools.

To my Grand daughter Sarah Brown Wife of John Brown of Tivertown my small silver Cup and one Silver Spoon and 20 pounds in mony or Bills of Credit old teanor.

To my Grand daughter Hannah Taber Wife of William Taber of Dartmouth 25 pounds in mony or Bills of Credit old teanor.

To my two Great Granddaughters Hannah Slo-cum and Mary Slocum Daughters to my Grand Daughter Elizabeth Slocum deceased 30 pounds in Mony or Bills of Credit old teanor ... that is to say to Each of them fiften pounds as they Shall

Come to the age of Eighteen years but If Either of them Shall die Before they Receive their portion ... the next surviveing Sister Shall have it.

To five of my other Grand Children Beside who

are above named (viz) Roger White Christopher White Oliver White Thomas and Susanna White to Each of them one Silver Spoon to be delivered to Each of them by my Executor ... when they sev-eraly shall be Capable to Receive them Either by age or Gurdains.

All the Remainder of my Estate ... Shall Be Equaly Divided (Except what I shall hear after Give to Grand daughter Susanna White) Which I Equaly so Give to My Daughter Elizabeth White and my Six Grand Children namely William White Rog-er White Christopher White Oliver White Abner White Thomas White and Susanna White But ... my Grand daughter Susanna White Shall have my Best feather Bed and Bolster in part of her Equal Shear of the Whole so Give to my Daughter and Grand Children.

Hannahs inventory was taken on March 14, 1749. Her estate was valued at 1,717, 19s. old tenor.43

43 Ibid., p. 3, 5-7.

13George and Hannah Cadman

Last Will and Testament of George Cadman.

14 George and Hannah Cadman

Last Will and Testament of George Cadman.

15George and Hannah Cadman

Last Will and Testament of George Cadman.

16 George and Hannah Cadman

Probate inventory of Hannah Cadman.

17George and Hannah Cadman

Detail of the Rhode Island and Dartmouth area from A map of the most inhabited part of New England : containing the provinces of Massachusets Bay and New Hampshire, with the colonies of Conecticut and Rhode Island, divided into counties and townships, 1755. Delineated by Thomas Jefferys. Library of Congress Geography and Map Division.

18

George Cadmans parcel (red) and Thomas Colemans parcel to the south identified as William White (blue). Detail from map of Westport based on the transcriptions of Benjamin Cranes field notes. Delineator and date unknown. Courtesy of the New Bedford Free Public Library.

19

William and Elizabeth White

William White (born, c.1683, died, c.1768/80) appears to have been somewhat of an enig-ma to those researching the lineage of the Cadman-White-Handy House until nearly the middle of the twentieth century. This may partly be attributed to the number of William Whites found in eighteenth century Massachusetts archives and genealogies, and to his relatively unexplained appearance in Dartmouth in the early years of the 1700s.

Perhaps the most informative document on William White is noted genealogist George Andrews Mori-arty, Jr.s piece titled The Parentage of William White of Dartmouth, Massachusetts.44 In it, Mori-arty makes the connection between Thomas Cole-man of Situate, Massachusetts and William Whites presence in Dartmouth. It is Moriartys hypothesis that William White of Scituate, Massachusetts or the immediate area surrounding it, was left father-less at a very young age (approximately 5 years old), and was raised by either his mothers second hus-band or another family. As a young man, William was sent to look after the land of Thomas Cole-man in Dartmouth. Further substantiating this is a number of entries in Benjamin Cranes field book with references to William and Thomas Colemans property:

June ye 19 1713 Land Laid out for Thom Cole-man by ye desire of willm white beginning at a whit oak tree marked one side45

One piece of Colemans land, a sizable parcel, was located immediately south of land owned by George Cadman. Not only does this detail establish the connection between William White and Elizabeth Cadman, but, furthermore, George Cadmans land north of Thomas Colemans is the plot on which

44 Moriarty, Jr., George Andrews. The Parentage of Wil-liam White of Dartmouth, Massachusetts. The American Genealogist. Vol. 17, No. 4. April 1941. pp. 193-206.45 The Field Notes of Benjamin Crane, Benjamin Ham-mond, and Samuel Smith. p. 291.

the Cadman-White-Handy house was constructed.

William White and Elizabeth Cadman are believed to have married about 1707.46 This would have made William approximately 24 years old and Eliz-abeth 22 years old. William was a blacksmith by trade and his will lists a number of blacksmithing tools valued at a significant sum of money (see dis-cussion of his will below). William and Elizabeth are known to have eleven children that survived past infancy, seven boys, and four girls.47 They were:

William (b. About 1708, d. Before October 3, 1780)

George (b. About 1710, d. Before March 29, 1764)

Sarah (b. About 1711, d. October 1795)

Hannah (b. About 1712, d. June 9, 1792)

Roger (b. About 1713, d. Before June 17, 1802)

Christopher (b. About 1715, d. Before October 9, 1795)

Susannah (b. About 1717, d. After October 3, 1780)

Elizabeth (b. About 1719, d. Before February 13, 1749)

Oliver (b. About 1723, d. April 19, 1791)

Abner (b. April 24, 1725, d. Before November 14, 1774)

Thomas (b. About 1730, d. Unknown)48

46 Coughlin, p. 2. Also, Family Group Sheet, William White-Elizabeth Cadman, prepared by Randall J. Sever. July 31, 2011. Archives of the Westport Historical Society.47 Coughlin, pp. 14-19.48 These dates are based on information from Family Group Sheet, William White and Elizabeth Cadman, pre-pared by Randall J. Sever. July 31, 2011. Archives of the Westport Historical Society.

20 William and Elizabeth White

No documents have been located that state a date for the building of the Handy house or exactly who built it (either the owner or the joiner responsible for its construction). Dendrochronology performed on timbers corresponding to the frame of the Peri-od I house indicate a period of construction no later than 1712.49

The earliest references located identifying people living on this parcel are found in Dartmouth town records for the laying out of town roads. These en-tries describe the routes, which the ways were laid out, detailing the markers, distances, and individ-uals properties they passed through. In one such entry dated December 14, 1717, the record notes:

... from William Potters House thence on the same course 64 Rods to a small walnut tree marked E thence to a Red Oak Tree the south westerly corner bound of George Cadmans Lot whereon William White now dwells [italics added by author] and is a bound of the way that goes to the ferry of Acoakset River

The subsequent entry details the road as it leads to-wards the river:

No 12 The way that turns out East down to the Bridge. December 14, 1717 Laid out an open way of 4 Rods wide from the way that comes up from Paquachuck to the ferry over Acoakset River begun at a Red Oak tree the southwesterly corner bound of George Cadmans Lot whereon William White dwells [italics added by author] being also a Bound of the way that comes from Paquachuck and measured due East in the line of said Lot of Cadmans 220 Rods to a heap of stones thence East 6 souther-ly 28 Rods to a heap of stones thence Southerly 28 Rods to a heap of stones thence South 43 Easterly 15 Rods to a heap of stones thence 6 Easter-ly 7 Rods to a heap of stones thence East 25 southerly 5 Rods to a heap of stones for a bound of

49 Flynt, William, A Dendrochronology Study of Select Timbers from the Cadman-White-Handy House, Westport, Massachusetts. December 2013. Westport Historical Society archives, Westport, Massachusetts. pp. 4-5.

the Landing Place and on the same course 25 Rods to a heap of stones by the River. These Bounds and Ranges are all on the northerly side of the way there laid out a Landing Place begun at the above said heap of stones made for a Bound of the Land-ing Place and measured due north 6 rods to a heap of stones and from thence northeast to the water and from thence Round by the water till it comes to the bound of the way by the River above said laid out by our order.50

The exact date of Williams death is not known. He is believed to have died sometime between January 6, 1768 (the date of his will) and October 3, 1780 (the date his will was probated). In the writing of his will, he describes himself as, very aged. By the time of his death, Williams family had grown to include his wife, eleven children and eighteen grandchildren. In his will, William made the fol-lowing bequests:

Imprimis I Give and bequeath unto my Well be-loved Son William White my Gun Which he hath now In his possession & Improvement

To my teen Well beloved Granchildren namely Israel Peleg William Silvenus Obed Ruth Sarah Hannah Mary & Unice all Children to my Son George White Deceased the Sum of one Spanish Silver milld Doller to be paid unto them by my Ex-ecutors hereinafter Named and to be Equally Di-vided to & amongst them my sd ten Granchildren.

To my Well beloved Daughter Sarah Brown my Bead that Standeth in the South east Corner of my Great Chamber together with all the furnature be-longing to it

To my Well beloved Daughter Hannah Taber .... twelve Spanish Silver milld Dollers to be paid unto her .... Within one year after my Deceas

To my son Roger White all my Wareing apparel .... and my Gun which I now have in my house &

50 TOWN ROADS 1756-1896. Microsoft Word file. Cre-ated October 31, 2005. Westport Historical Society archives. Westport, Massachusetts. pp. 6-7.

21William and Elizabeth White

also my Case of Reazers & my hone

To son Christopher White .... five Spanish silver

milld Dollers

To my son Thomas White my silver Tankard

To my three Well beloved Sons namely Roger White Christopher White & Thomas White that note of hand which is now Due unto me from Hen-ry Soule of Newport dated 9 September 1765, with all the principal & Intrest Due unto me upon sd note of hand In the old tenner . & to be Devid-ed to & amongst them .... as followeth Roger is to have 200 pounds old tenner out of sd note and Christopher is to have 200 pounds old tenner .... And Thomas to have all the Rest .... of the sd old tenner money Which is Due unto me upon the sd note of hand both principal & Intrest It is to be un-derstood If they my three sd sons Can Recover the Sd note or at Least the old tenner money Due upon the sd note then it shall be Divided to & amongst them as above set forth but if other Wise by any ways or means Means that note of hand Should fail and they .... Could not Recover or get the sd money thereon due that then the Gifts to them in this parragraf shall be null & void & not be paid or Discharged with any other part of my Estate

I give ... four Spanish Silver Milld Dollers to be Equally Divided amongst all my servi Granchil-dren that are Children to my Daughter Elizabeth Slowcum Deceased

To son Oliver White ... the bed & bedding And the Smithing tools he hath already In his posses-sion

To Son Abner White my Gun Which he now hath in his Possession

To Grandaughter Phebe Smith .... Nine Spanish silver milld Dollers

To Daughter Susannah White all the Rest & Res-idue of my Estate ... She my Said Daughter pro-viding procuring & Decently maintaining ... my ... wife In her aged week & Low Condition ... During

the term of the Natural Life of my Said wife Eliz-abeth White her mother and with ye use & Im-provement of the farm & houseing together with the profits thereof Whereon I now Live to maintain

her sd mother with all sorts of nessasaries of Life Decently During the term of my sd Wifes Natural Life If my sd Daughter Lives So Long but if she my sd Daughter should not Live so Long as her mother then so much of that Estate which I have herein given her my said Daughter to Enable her to maintain her mother shall Return and pay all the Charges that shall a rise for Looking after my sd wife after the Death of my sd Daughter Susannah

I do hereby order my sd Daughter Susannah White to pay all my Just Debts funeral Charges And I do Likewise nominate my sd Daughter Su-sannah White & my well beloved Granson Peleg White Son to my son George White Deceased ... to be Joynt Executors.

Elizabeth died in 1768. It is believed she was about eighty-three years old.51 No records documenting her death are known.

51 Coughlin, p. 3.

22 William and Elizabeth White

Last Will and Testament of William White.

23William and Elizabeth White

Last Will and Testament of William White.

24

Detail of the Western portion of Dartmouth encompassing the future town of Westport. From A Chart of the Harbour of Rhode Island and Narraganset Bay, 1776. Published by Joseph F.W. Des Barres. Library of Congress Geography and Map Division.

25

William, Jr. and Abigail White

William White, Jr. was the oldest child of Wil-liam and Elizabeth White. He is believed to have been born about 1708, in Dartmouth. Wil-liam White, Jr. married Abigail Thurston (daugh-ter of Jonathan and Sarah Thurston) on October 2, 1729.52 They married in Abigails town of Little Compton, Rhode Island. William would have been approximately twenty-one years old and Abigail twenty-nine years old.53 William and Abigail had five children that survived past infancy, one boy, and four girls:

Sarah (b. About 1730)

Hannah ( b. About 1731, d. 1819)

Jonathan (b. About 1732, d. November 21, 1804)

Elizabeth ( b. About 1734)

Abigail (b. About 1736)54

William, Jr., like his father, was a blacksmith by trade and farmed as well. He inherited the Handy house along with all its land and associated buildings from his grandfather, George Cadman. George Cad-mans will stated,

my loving daughter Elizabeth White & to her Husband William White all the upland & meadow that is laid out where they now live with two acres & fifty Rods of Sedg flat Lying in acoxset river at

the Shiprock flat & one hundred & five acres of

land in the four hundred acre devition as it is laid

52 Moriarty, p. 194.53 Abigails age is based on a May 7, 1700 date of birth identified by Randall J. Seaver in the document, Family Group Sheet, William White, RIJr., Abigail Thurston, pre-pared by Randall J. Sever. July 31, 2011. Archives of the Westport Historical Society. He cites the source of this date as Benjamin Franklin Wilbur, Little Compton Families (Little Compton, RI: Little Compton Historical Society, 1967).54 Seaver, Family Group Sheet, William White, Jr. - Abi-gail Thurston. Westport Historical Society archives. Westport, Massachusetts.

out & quallified & one quarter of an acre of Seder

Swomp all the ab[ovesd] land meadow & Ceder Swomp is ... within the Township of [Dart]mouth afre Sd [Farther I Give ... to] my Sd daughter Elisa-beth & her Husband William White the one half of my last dev[i]tion of land the above Sd land mead-ow & Ceder Swomp given to my Sd daughter Elis-abeth White & her Husband William White to be & remain to them during ... their naturall Lives and after their deceas the Homested farm where the Sd William White now liveth I Give to my Granson William White. 55 [Italics added by author]

Although William was bequeathed the Handy house and associated land, he may not have actually lived there as an adult. In 1744, William purchased a farm from James Tripps family. This property was located on the river, north of the Handy house.56 This farm remained in the White family until it was sold by William White, Jr.s grandson, Jonathan White, in 1816. So it is entirely possible that while William held the deed to the Handy house, he did not actually dwell there. Considering the size of the family William came from, and that he was the old-est (there was an age difference of approximately twenty two years between himself and Thomas, his youngest sibling,) it may be that at the time William started his family, the Handy house was still occu-pied by his parents and siblings.

The Massachusetts Tax Valuation List of 1771 lists entries for William White, Jr. and an Elizabeth White. Each are living independently of each other on farms. As Williams mother Elizabeth (Cadman) White died in 1768, this is likely his sister Elizabeth, who would have been approximately thirty seven

55 Will of George Cadman, Dated November 24, 1718, proved January 6, 1719, Bristol County, Massachusetts, Will Book 3, Page 500.56 This property is presently known as the James Tripp house, located at 670 Drift Road. It has been inventoried as part of the Massachusetts Historical Commissions documen-tation process. Its inventory number is WSP.173.

26 William, Jr. and Abigail White

years old at this time. While the entry for William lists two polls ratable (males sixteen years or old-er), Elizabeth lists none. Both farms are relatively close in value with Williams listed at 9 10s. and Elizabeths at 7 10s. and sharing similar amounts of acreage of pasture, tillage, and mowing land. While further research is necessary, this may suggest that while William and his family were living on the farm purchased in 1744, Elizabeth, and possibly her sisters, remained living in the house they were born and raised in, the Handy house.

Understanding William White, Jr. was not living at the Handy house at the time he wrote his will, Feb-ruary 17, 1777, is critical in order to correctly inter-pret this document. He addresses this subject in the second item of his will. In it he states:

To my Son Jonathan White all my wareing ap-pariel

To my Son Jonathan White ... all my homestead farm with my now Dwelling House with all the buildings there on Standing & other Priviledges there unto belonging; also ... all that my farm which my Honoured Grand father George Cadman gave me after the Decease of my honoured father & mother; with all the Housing & building thereon Stand-ing [Italics added by author] also all the Rest ... of my Real Estate which I have not here in before given him also all my Live Stock Except what I Shall herein after Give to my Three Daughters also I Give him my sd son all my Farming Utencels als all my Blacksmith Tools also all my Carpenders Tools

To my Eldest Daughter Hannah Kirby 115 pounds in Silver or Gould; also 25 pounds in Paper Currency also one Cow & one more neat kind Two year old ... to be her full Part & Portion in my Estate with what she hath all ready had and the one Third Part of my houshold goods which I do hereby give her

To my Second Daughter Elisabeth Peckham 115 pounds in Silver or Gould; also 25 pounds in Paper Currency also ... one Cow & one more neet

kind Two years old also the one third Part of all my house hold goods & these gifts with what she hath all ready had to be her full Part & Portion in my Estate

To my youngest Daughter Abigail White 115 pounds in Silver or Gould; also 25 pounds in Paper Currency also ... one Cow & one more neet kind Two years old also ... the one third Part of all my household goods & these Gifts with what she hath allready had to be her full Part & Portion in my Estate

debts funeral Charges & Just Expences of all Sorts together with the Settleing of my Estate are to be paid by my Executor herein after named out of that Part of my Parsonal Estate ... given himall the Rest & Reasudue of my Estate ... I give the same to my son Jonathan the better to Enable him Pay Lagacies & to discharge debts & Charges

my son Jonathan White was appointed sole ex-ecutor.57

William White, Jr. died sometime before October 3, 1780, when his will was proved. The cause of his death is not known. The date of Abigails death is not known. No records documenting her death have been located to date.

It should be addressed to correct the record that William White, Jr. has been incorrectly identified as having served during the American Revolution. This grows out of an inaccurate genealogy identi-fied on an application to The California Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, completed by Charles J. Creller, dated 1931.58

Creller claims to be a descendant of William White [Jr.] and identifies his ancestry as far back as Wil-

57 Will of William White, Jr., Dated February 17, 1777, probated October 3, 1780, Bristol County, Massachusetts, Will Book 26, Page 282. 58 Membership application of Charles J. Creller on Wil-liam White [Jr.] (c. 1708 - 1780, Massachusetts), The Califor-nia Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Exam-ined and approved, October 2, 1931.

27William, Jr. and Abigail White

liam White, Sr. Creller cites an entry in The Massa-chusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War where an entry for a William White of Dart-mouth was paid wages during the war. The entry reads:

White, William, Dartmouth. Capt. Manasseh Kemptons co. Col Thomas Carpenters regt.; pay abstract for mileage from camp at Rhode Island home to Dartmouth Sept. 1, 1777; mileage for 40 miles allowed said White; also Matross; pay roll for wages of men enlisted at Dartmouth in Capt. Pe-rez Cushings co., made up to Sept. 22, 1778, ex-cluding the month of August, and endorsed Collo Crafts Regiment; enlisted July 6 1778; service, I

mo. 16 days.59

This would have made William nearly seventy years old, and at a period in his life when he is believed to have died: an unlikely time for someone to serve in a war. The William White identified in these doc-uments is undoubtedly someone else and may very well have been a close relative. William had two nephews named William, one by his brother George and the other by his brother Christopher. Both of these Williams were both born about 1742; how-ever, Christophers son William is believed to have died in Newport in 1770, so it may be Georges son William who served during the Revolution.

59 Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War. A Compilation From the Archives, Prepared and Pub-lished by the Secretary of the Commonwealth. Volume 17. In Accordance with Chapter 100, Resolves of 1891. Boston: Wright & Potter Printing Co., State Printers. 1908.

28

Detail of the Western portion of Dartmouth encompassing the future town of Westport. Note the contours of the terrain along the North Branch of the Acoaxet River. From Plan de la baie de Narraganset dans la Nouvelle Angleterre, 1780. Charles Blaskowitz. Dpt des cartes et plans de la marine. Boston Public Library, Norman B. Leventhal Map Center.

29

Jonathan and Abigail White

Jonathan White married Abigail Wing sometime shortly after January 1, 1756.60 Abigail was the daughter of Benjamin Wing and Content Tucker of Dartmouth. At the time of their marriage, Jonathan would have been approximately twenty-four years old and Abigail, twenty-two years old. Jonathan and Abigail had six children that survived beyond infan-cy, three boys, and three girls:

Humphry (b. About 1758, d. January 15, 1814)

Ruth (b. About 1759, d. 1835)

Rhoda (b. Before 1761, d. Before March 5, 1822)

Hannah (b. July 20, 1765, d. January 10, 1842)

Holder (b. Before 1768, d. January 12, 1853)

Jonathan, Jr. (b. Before 1778, d. 1846)61

Jonathan identified himself as a Yeoman in his will. Like his father and grandfather, Jonathan too passed on blacksmithing tools in his will:

[to] my Son Jonathan White ... I Give him my sd son all my Farming Utensils also all my Blacksmith Tools also all my Carpenters Tools62

While Jonathan owned blacksmithing and carpentry tools, it is not entirely clear if he was a craftsman by profession. Though these tools suggest that he may have been, it is also possible that they were tools of necessity at this time, and were simply part of his possessions.

60 Their intent to marry is dated January 1, 1756. Vi-tal records of Dartmouth, Massachusetts, to the year 1850 ( Boston, Mass. : New England Historic Genealogical Soci-ety,1929-1930). 61 Family Group Sheet, Jonathan White and Abigail Wing, prepared by Randall J. Sever. July 31, 2011. Archives of the Westport Historical Society. Also, Some Descendants of Jona-than White of Darthmouth MA and of Humphrey White of Gloucester, RI. The American Genealogist, Vol. 56, pp. 113 - 118.62 Will of William White, Jr.

As discussed in the previous chapter, Jonathan, Wil-liam and Abigail Whites only son, inherited all of his fathers real estate. As Williams will stipulated, he bequeathed:

my Son Jonathan White ... all my homestead farm with my now Dwelling House with all the buildings there on Standing & other Privileges there unto belonging; also ... all that my farm which my Hon-oured Grand father George Cadman gave me after the Decease of my honored father & mother63

Williams homestead farm with my now dwelling is the farm he purchased in 1744, located a few miles north of the Handy house parcel, near the Head of the Westport. The farm which my Hon-oured Grand father George Cadman gave me, is the Handy house. So, following his fathers death (by October 3, 1780,) Jonathan would have held title to two separate farms with all the buildings and land associated with them.

Jonathan gave his oldest son, Humphry, the Handy house farm prior to his death.64 The deed for this transfer is dated February 2, 1794, and states,

Know all Men by these presents, that I Jonathan White of Dartmouth in ye County of Bristol + Com-monwealth of Massachusetts yeoman, In consider-ation of Love + Good will which I have + do bear to my Son Humphry White of ye Town + County aforesaid a yeoman, the recept whereof I do here-by acknowledge + do by these presents Give, grant Covey + Confirm unto the said Humphry White +

to his heirs + assigns forever, a certain Tract or Par-cel of Land + Salt meadow in Dartmouth, within ye Boundaries of ye Town of Westport, and on ye west side of Acoaxet River near Hixes Bridge, containing about one hundred + three Acres + twenty seven rods be ye same more or less bounded as follows

63 Ibid. 64 Jonathan White, Jr. is believed to have sold the Tripp farm, bought by his grandfather, in 1816.

30 Jonathan And Abigail White

Intention of marriage between Jonathan White and Abigail Wing.

31Jonathan And Abigail White

Note that while the deed clearly describes the parcel of land the Handy house is located on, it makes no direct reference to the house, a dwelling, or any im-provements made to the land.65 The use of prem-ises throughout the deed does infer the inclusion of the house.66 Owing to no mention of a dwelling, it has been speculated that the house may have sat vacant and/or was in a dilapidated state by the time Jonathan conveyed it to Humphry, and, because of its condition, did not warrant mention in the deed. This is unlikely for a number of reasons. At this period of time, a dwelling, together with the land it was on, would have been one of the most valu-able possessions a person might have had. Further-more, considering the number of children Jonathan White, and the generations before him each had, the idea that a dwelling would go unoccupied, and for such a duration that it fell into a state of disre-pair, seems unlikely. The absence of a direct refer-

65 On March 26, 1794, Humphry sold this parcel of land to Eli Handy for two thousand eight hundred and ten Spanish milled dollars. The metes and bounds of this deed mirror the language found in the deed between Humphry and father. No mention of a house or dwelling is included in this deed either.66 Premises as defined by A General Dictionary of the En-glish Language (Thomas Sheridan. London 1780) is in law language, houses or lands.

ence to a dwelling or house may simply be the result of the wording chosen by the individual that wrote the deed.

Jonathan Whites will is dated March 16, 1797. By this time, Humphry White had already sold the Handy house to Ely Handy (see following sec-tion.) Therefore, any references to rooms and spac-es found in Jonathan Whites will have no bearing on the Handy house and should not be interpreted as such. These references most likely relate to the Tripp farm house, where Jonathan, Abigail, and his family were living at the time.

Jonathan White died on November 21, 1804. He was approximately 72 years old. Almost two years later, on August 6, 1806, his wife Abigail died. She too was approximately 72 years old.