White families of SC
Early White Families of South Carolina

For years it has been "accepted" that John White and possibly Anthony White who moved from Christ Church Parish, Berkeley Co, to Prince Frederick's Parish, Craven Co were sons of William White and Susannah Murrell of Christ Church Parish. This was because of the misinterpretation of several records. There is a birth record for a son of William White and Susannah named William in Christ Church Parish. There are also two 1733 memorials for John White and William White in Berkeley Co which states their land (200 acres each) had been granted to William White 2 Jan 1698 and had been left to them by the will of their father William White dated 15 Nov 1716.

Because it could be proven that William White and John White were sons of William White and Susannah Murrell, it was assumed that the John White who moved from Berkeley Co to Craven Co was the same John White who had left the 1733 memorial. Anthony White was obviously closely connected with John White, so it was assumed he was another son of William White and Susannah Murrell.

This assumption was incorrect. In fact, John White and William White who left the 1733 memorials never left Berkeley Co. They were the sons of William White and Susannah Murrell. Their father William White was the son of an even earlier William White I who actually was the recipient of the grant in 1698 for 500 acres. He died by 1704 and his land was inherited by his son William White II who married Susannah Murrell.  They sold 100 acres of the land. The other 400 acres was divided between their sons John White and William White III, 200 acres each. This is the land that appears in the memorials. These sons remained in Berkeley Co, and both left their wills there in the 1770's. Their records and their children's records reflect members of the Murrell and Huggins families, their kin through Susannah Murrell.

This does not mean that the ancestry of John White and Anthony White who moved from Berkeley Co to Craven Co cannot be traced. Although no record has been found that specifically names their father, there is very strong circumstantial evidence that their parents were John White, mariner, and wife Hannah of Christ Church Parish, Berkeley Co, but originally from Bermuda. This John White was the proven son of Anthony White and Elizabeth Jennings of Bermuda. The will of Anthony White of Bermuda indicates his son John had moved to SC. The names Anthony, Leonard, Honor/Honora, Elizabeth were strong names in the Bermuda family - and those names were carried down into the family that moved to SC.

To make the Whites even more complicated, there are records for a George White whose father was William White in Berkeley Co. We have included those records, but at this time we can't prove how or if this William White was related to the other White families.

Records proving the descendants of William White d by 1704 Berkeley Co

Records concerning the probable ancestry of John White, Anthony White, and Hannah White (Brown)(Swinton), Honour White, and Eliza White of Berkeley and Craven Counties.

Records for William White and son George White of Berkeley Co.

The compilation of these records is the collective work of Elizabeth Girardeau, John Morrel, and Frances Cullom Harper. All three are Murrell/Morrell descendants - as well as Elizabeth's husband. Elizabeth also descends from John White and wife Sarah Severance who moved from Berkeley Co to Craven Co. It is strongly suggested that the original records be obtained whenever possible since abstracts do sometimes contain errors.