Of Lake, Land & River: A Genealogical History of the White Family, 1784-2005.

Of Lake, Land & River: A Genealogical History of the White Family, 1784-2005 Author: Jacqueline E. M. Crerar UE Cameron ON. Published by the Author. [c] 2005. Spiral Bound. 232 pages.

Amongst the many books I have reviewed over the years, this one stands out as one of the more unusual. It is by no means a definitive research piece on the White family, but more of a signpost of where the author was in her research until recently. In short, it is a collection of documents and other pieces of useful information fleshed out to create a framework for the various White families in Eastern Ontario. Author Jackie will be the first to state that theory plays a part, and often she is on the right track but, occasionally, not.

To understand the early White genealogy the author had to take a look at all of them. Her ancestor is Josiah White of Sidney Township, Hastings County, who moved to the Cobourg area later. Current thinking is that he may be the son of an early William White who died in Sidney Township about 1811. Other possible sons included Cornelius White, the eldest, and Reuben White in the middle. The origins of William White have been the focus of a hunt by several researchers this year and, amazingly enough, Jackie had tracked down much of the same information without knowing this other group until the summer of 2005.

Some White family members were Loyalists. William of Sidney is uncertain, but there was a William in Jessup's Loyal Rangers, and the William White name seems to appear where Bonisteels (also in the Loyal Rangers), turn up, which ends in Sidney Township. There are other Loyalists connections too. The aforesaid Reuben White married Esther Marsh. She was the daughter of Matthias Marsh UE, and the granddaughter of William Marsh UE who married Sarah French, (sister of Jeremiah French UE).

Among several other White family lines explored there is the hapless Liberty White who settled eventually in the United States, only to be killed by Native Americans during a raid. Another interesting line is that of John White of Alnwick Township, Northumberland County, ON. An 1812 veteran, some of his descendants have passed down, independently of each other, the story of his disappearance during a trip to Cobourg to collect a pension. His wife was Sarah Cook DUE.

A real treat is a reproduction of the painting of Jane (O'Connor) White, circa 1848, which is a decidedly sophisticated portrait for mid-century 'Ontario.'

The author also spends quite a bit of time on the related Chrysler/ Chrysdale family, as John Chrysdale's daughter married into the Whites. Here is where Jacqueline Crerar has the most difficulty. Even John's surname is problematic. In The Executive Council List it was corrected from Chrysler to Chrysdale, so either John did change his name, or some officials had assumed initially that it was Chrysler, given that there were several other Loyalists of that name. John Chrysdale served for several years but ended the War in Jessup's Loyal Rangers rather than in the King's Royal Regiment of NY as the author suggests. He was living in Thurlow Township in the 1790s, but certainly didn't enlist from there. Whether or not he is related to the other Chrysler Loyalist families is an open question.

Other surnames you will encounter more than once include Burnham, Greeley, Ostrum, and Spencer. It is a worthwhile book if you have Eastern Ontario roots, and more so if those roots focus on the Bay of Quinte to Cobourg region and north to Rice Lake.

The book sells for Cdn.$32, plus $5 for postage, and is available from Jacqueline Crerar at 4421 Hwy 35, RR 2, Cameron, ON. K0M 1G0. She can also be reached at jemcrerar"at"aol.com.

Reviewed by Peter W. Johnson UE