Jeremiah Whichcote White

  General Notes:

At the time of his marriage to Penny Wood, he was forty years older than she. She was being courted by "Old Man Jerry" as well as George Ipock. Jerry sent an old mulatto woman to make the marriage arrangements for him. She would go to Penny and her father on behalf of Jerry with presents and offers of love, trying to work out an agreement. Penny didn't like the idea of marrying an old man and greatly preferred the much younger George Ipock, whom she had been courting for some time. The old woman told her, "It was better to be an Old Man's bride than a young man's sweetheart." George told Penny to go ahead and marry the old man, because he was wealthy and old and would not live very long. After his death, Penny and George could marry and live off the old man's money. Shorlty afterwards, she married Jerry at his home on Core Creek.

Jerry and his family lived on the family farm on the south side of Core Creek near present day Cove City. There is some question as to whether or not Jeremiah served in the Civil War. No official record of his service has been found but several unoffical sources led me (James E. White, III) to conclude that he most likely did serve in the Home Guard. Some scattered notes gathered during the 1950's stated that he served in the 67th NC Regiment and registered at Trenton. No actual proof of this has been located.

Jerry died at his home after a lingering illness in early July 1870, and is buried in the family cemetery near his home. Older family members state that on his death bed, Penny pulled the pillow out from under his head in order for him to die more quickly and to be as uncomforable as possible. At the funeral, she was escorted by George Ipock. Leaving the cemetery, she was heard saying, "I got enough money off the old goat to buy me a new one." She married George 3 months later, October 27, 1870, in Jerry's house.

Sources: The Heritage of Craven Co.--James E. White, III

  Research Notes:

In 1870 federal census from Ancestry.com Library edition"
Jeremiah White, 46, farmer, and Wealthy, 31, with childred Susan, 11, Louisa, 9, James, 6, Leniss (Lemis), 1 and Ann Mills, 10 months in Craven County.


From Ancestry.com Library edition:
Family Data Collection - Individual Records Record
about Jeremiah White
Name: Jeremiah White
Spouse: White Teresa
Parents: A Stuart James , Mary **This is not true. These are his grandfather and his mother.
Birth Place: Craven Co, Core Creek, NC
Birth Date: 1804
Marriage Date: 11 April 1851
Death Date: July 1870

Jeremiah married Wealty Loftin on 2 Apr 1839. (Wealty Loftin died between summer of 1850 and April 1851.)

Jeremiah next married Teresa Barnes on 11/20 Apr 1851. (Teresa Barnes died by 1866.)

Jeremiah next married Penelope Wood on 1 Feb 1866.