Nicholas White

Nicholas White, probably the son of Nicholas White and Susanna Humphrey, lived at Taunton, probably on Dean Street. With his father and his brother-in-law Samuel Hall he was a partner in the Taunton North Purchase of 1668 and the South Purchase of 1672. On 9 Dec 1673 he married Ursula Macomber, and their children were recorded at Taunton (Taunton VR): Nicklos, Feb 3, 1675; Mathew, Oct 25, 1676; Ephraim, 1678; Dorcas, Dec 24, 1680; John, Jan 10, 1685.

King Philip's War. His brother Joseph, by family account, "was a soldier in King Philip's war and was wounded in the 'Swamp Fight'" (Lothrop, p. 31); a Joseph White of Taunton was among the Narragansett grantees of 1733, his right claimed by "Joseph, son" (Soldiers in King Philip's War, p. 427). In the summer of 1677 "Nicholas White, of Taunton, for selling liquor to the Indians seuerall times contrary to the law of this gou[ern]ment, was fined the sume of thirty pounds" (Records of the Colony of New Plymouth 5:239); it may have been his father.

He was a selectman of Taunton for four years. On 14 Oct 1699 he appeared at Bristol before John Saffin, judge of probate, as administrator of his father's estate (Lothrop, printing the record). His will is dated 15 Sept 1724. He died at Norton on 18 Jan 1727/8, "the Eldest," probably at the home of his eldest son, and the will was proved on 28 May 1728. The inventory came to £1553 19s 3d, among it "a sword at Thomas White's and a gun at widow Mary Hall's," and the executor's account charged for "Two days in going to Marshfield to pay debt due to Thomas Macomber" (Lothrop, from the probate); the division was entered in court on 15 Dec 1730 (Lothrop p. 16).

Open questions

• When was he born?
• Was he or his father the Nicholas White fined £30 in 1677?
• The will and probate papers themselves (Bristol County, 1728).