Thomas White of Somerset

This is not the same person as any of the Sir Thomas White/Whytes of Nottingham, Hampshire, Surrey, Essex, London, or anywhere else. He is not a knight - just a successful yeoman farmer.

Notes from http://awt.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=tamer&id=I18516

Thomas White is first seen in 1524 in Meryett where he was assessed. In 1537/8 he is seen in Whitcombe, parish of Martock where he purchased lands for himself and his sons George, John, Richard and Thomas Jr. He was holding land in Merriott.... determinable on his life and the life of his stepson Richard Pawle...also by the Fine of Trinity 29 Henry VIII, Thomas White and Agnes Richards, with Thomas White Jr. and John Richards, purchased land in Widecomb, Martock.

Author: Spear, Burton W.; Search for the Passengers of the Mary & John 1630 Note: Publication: Mary & John Clearing House, Toledo, OH 1992

First mentioned in 1524, in Merriot, where he was assessed, also in Whitcombe, parish of Martock, where he bought land in 1537-38; for himself and his son George, John, Richard and Thomas, Jr. We do not find dates of birth, marriage or death, but his wife of the Fines was Agnes, widow of (?) Paul, sister of John Richards, of Aller. His name appears till 1543-44, but was dead in 1549, when Agnes made her will as a widow.

From Feet of Fines: Somerset: T. 29 Henry 8 - Final Concord made in the King's Court at Westminster from the day of Holy Trinity in fifteen days, 29 Henry VIII., (1538). Between Thomas White and Agnes his wife, and John, Richard and Thomas White, Junior, Plaintiffs, and William Whitdecombe and Elizabeth his wife, Deforciants, of one messuage, one garden, 70 acres of land, 20 acres of meadow, 40 acres of pasture and common of pasture for 30 bullocks in a certain meadow called Shaldownemede, also common of pasture for 8 cows in a certain pasture called Cowles in Whitdecombe within the parish of Martock. The said Thomas and Agnes, John and Thomas (sic) acknowledge the said premises to be the right of the said William and for this acknowledgement the said William and Elizabeth grant the said premises unto the said Thomas and Agnes, John and Thomas (sic) to have and to hold unto them for the term of their lives and for the life of the longer liver of the, paying therefor yearly 7 pounds stg.

Birth: 1490 in Merriott, Somerset, England, United Kingdom Death: BEF 1549 in Martock, Somersetshire, England, United Kingdom

Children: John White b: Abt 1514 in Of Merriott, Somerset, England Richard White b: 1519 in Of Merriott, Somerset, England George White b: Abt 1516 in Farrance Hill, Somerset, England Alice White b: Abt 1522 in Farrance Hill, Somerset, England Thomas White b: 1525 in Hill Farrence, Somerset, England

The White family of Somerset is not, or not traceably, related to White of Swanborne/Farnham/Hutton. There are also religious differences: the Somerset family seem to have become Protestant fairly easily, while the Hampshire/Essex family remained Catholic and became increasingly fanatical about it.

Thomas White of Somerset (duplicate profile).

It isn't quite certain whether his father was a Robert White of Somerset, or the William White who was accused of trespassing and property damage. But he DID NOT belong to the Home Counties White family group - Emma Siggins White was spreading bull manure to make her husband's ancestors more important than they really were.

Family links:

Children:

 Richard White (____ - 1578)*

 Martha White Snow (1499 - 1550)*

Burial: St. Mary Parish Churchyard North Petherton Sedgemoor District Somerset, England Created by: Todd Whitesides Record added: Nov 13, 2014 Find A Grave Memorial# 138696187 -tcd

No such person. Thomas White of Somerset was a prosperous yeoman farmer, not a knight. Sir Thomas White lived in Hampshire, not Somerset. Coat of arms is based on White of Leixlip (Ireland), yet another unrelated White family.

The original misidentification probably derives from Emma Siggins White's "Genesis of the White Family" - she misappropriated the Whites of Hampshire for her husband's family tree, when he was actually descended from the Somerset farmers.