Pages

Thursday, February 15, 2007

MORE ON THE WHITE FAMILY

As I mentioned in a previous entry, the very kind Gayle
Nee found this information for me several years ago.



The information on great grandfather Edward J.White
and his family is all I know of them. One of the things
I noticed right off was the change in the birthplace of
his father from Ireland on the 1900 and 1910 census
to Massachusetts on the 1920. I'm not sure why but I
can think of two possibilities. One might be with a name
like White it would be easy to hide an Irish background
in an era when being Irish was a drawback in some circles.



The other might be because of World War One where the
Irish seemed sympathetic to Germany over the British
and hence to America.



I'm also fascinated by his progression of jobs from a
teamster for Wholesale Flour (and is that a company or
a job description?) to "head teamster" for the City of
Boston. When time, money and car repairs allow I
plan a trip to Boston City Hall to see if I can obtain
any records of his employ.



As I've mentioned before Edward F. White Sr. left
the family and was seldom if ever spoken about by my
mother or my uncle Edward F. White Jr. But when
Gayle sent me this information it explained something
from my childhood. Whenever we were driving across
the Mystic River Bridge and stopped at the toll booth,
Mom would look at the tolltakers and occasionally would
yell "Hey Fitzy!" and wave to one of them before we drove
off. When we'd ask who Fitzy was, all she'd say was that he
was a cousin on her father's side.



So, I suspect it might have been Albert Fitzgerald since as
I recall he was a middle aged man with glasses.

It's another one of those family mysteries waiting to be
explained.


1930 census - ‘Boston, Suffolk Co., Mass. ED # 333,
page IA
#939 Parker Street
Agnes D., White, 31, b. Mass., married at age 21,
father b. Northern Ireland, mother b. Scotland,
no occupation.
Edward F. White, son, 4, b. Mass., both parents b. Mass.
Anna M. White, daughter, 2, b. Mass.

#133 Washington Street, Roslindale
Edward J. White 56yrs. married/head teamster/City of
Boston

Pauline M. White 56 yrs. married/wife

Esther l6yrs. daughter
Ruth B. (White)Fitzgerald age 21 daughter of Edward
Alfred S. Fitzgerald age 25 (son in law)
Ruth J. Fitzgerald age 9 mos.

1920 Federal Census for Boston, Suffolk County, Ma.
January 2, 1920
41 Philbrick Street
White, Edward J age 47 b.MA Father b. MA Mother b. Canada
Occ: Stage builder Government

wife, Pauline M. age 47 b. MA Parents b. Germany

son, Charles age 22 b. MA Clerk RR
son, Edward F. age 21 b.MA Steam fitter RR
son, Frederick C. age IS b.MA Laborer Government
dtr., Pauline M. age 16 b. MA Salesgirl Dry goods store
dtr., Ruth age 12 b. MA
dtr,. Esther age 5 b.MA

1910 Federal Census for ‘Boston Suffolk County, Ward 23
Precinct 5 Enumeration District 1615 Sheet lA
April 15, 1910

White, Edward J. age 35 married 14 years b. MA
Father b Ireland Mother b.Canada teamster Wholesale Flour

wife, Pauline M. age 35 married 14 years 8 children 8 living
b. Ma Parents b . Germany

dtr., Marcella M. age 13 b. MA
son, Charles W age 12 b. MA
son Edward F. age 10 b. MA
son Frederick E age 8 b. MA
dtr, Pauline M. Jr age 6 b. MA
dtr., Elizabeth H age 5 b. MA
dtr., Ruth V. Age 2 b. MA
son, James A age 9 months

1900 Federal Census for South Boston Suffolk County MA
Liberty Street Enumeration District 1387 Sheet 9 Ward 16
June 6, 1900

White, Edward J. b. May 1873 in MA age 27 married 5 years
Father b. Ireland Mother b. Canada 0cc: Teamster

wife, Pauline b. Dec 1873 in MA age 26 married 5 years
3 children 3 living Parents b. Germany

dtr., Marsella b. June 1896 in MA age 3
son, Charles W. b.March 1895 in MA age 2
son, Edward F. b. July 1899 in MA age 10 months

No comments: