Guide to the William Wurts White family papers, 1857-1933

(bulk 1900-1920)

John Hay Library , Special Collections
Box A
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
Tel: 401-863-2146
email: hay@brown.edu

Published in 2013

Collection Overview

Title:	William Wurts White family papers
Date range:	1857-1933, (bulk 1900-1920)
Creator:	White family
Extent:	1.25 Linear feet
Abstract:	The William Wurts White family papers are comprised of correspondence and legal and financial documents related to settling the estates of William Wurts White (1841-1911), his sister, Ella C. White (-1904), and his son, Merwin White (1877-1920).
Language of materials:	English
Repository:	John Hay Library , Special Collections
Collection number:	Ms.2007.038

Scope & content

The William Wurts White family papers were maintained by Frank W. Matteson, a financial advisor to the White family as well as several other prominent Providence families. Frank W. Matteson's primary employment was with the John Nicholas Brown family at their 50 South Main Street offices; the Brown family donated their business records and other papers filed at 50 South Main Street to the John Nicholas Brown Center in 1992. While the White family papers do not contain much in the way of personal information, the papers do detail the arduous process of settling the estates of a wealthy family.

The papers of Ella C. White are mostly legal documents related to her property on Mount Desert Island, Maine, stock holdings, and jewelry.

The majority of William Wurts White's (1841-1911) papers are correspondence and legal and financial documents related to his estate. The few papers that precede 1911 involve William Wurts White's (1841-1911) real estate and stock holdings and financial transactions handled by Frank W. Matteson. Following William Wurts White's (1841-1911) death, the main correspondents were Frank W. Matteson, Merwin White, and William Wurts White (1882-1918). Additional correspondents were S. Davis and Howard Page, attorneys in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Edward B. Mears, a Bar Harbor, Maine, attorney. Kate (Merwin) White and John Richards White both died intestate which delayed the settlement of William Wurts White's (1841-1911) estate. The trustees of William Wurts White's (1841-1911) estate were Frank W. Matteson, Merwin White, and James A. Kinghorn.

A small portion of Merwin White's papers involve tax returns prior to his death in 1920. The majority of his papers are correspondence and financial papers related to his estate. The trustees of Merwin White's estate were Frank W. Matteson, Robert H. Gardiner, John Henshaw, and Paul Nicholson.

Access Points

Subject Names

• Aldrich, Janet Innis White
• John R. White & Son
• Kinghorn, James A.
• Matteson, Frank W.
• Mears, Edward B.
• Nicholson, Paul
• Page, Howard W.
• Page, S. Davis
• White, Elizabeth Nicholson, 1877-1961
• White, Ella Caroline, d. 1904
• White, John Richards, 1880- 1911
• White, Kate Merwin, d. 1915
• White, Merwin, 1877-1920
• White, William Wurts White, 1882-1918
• White, William Wurts, 1841-1911

Geographical Names

• Mount Desert Island, Me.

Subject Topics

• Business--Rhode Island--History

Occupations

• Businessmen
• Trustees

Document Types

• Checks (bank checks)
• financial statements
• Legal documents
• Letters (Correspondence)

Subject Topics

• Business

Arrangement

The papers were arranged by family member and chronologically:

• Series 1. Estate of Ella C. White
• Series 2. William Wurts White (1841-1911)
• Series 3. Merwin White

Biographical note

Little is known about William Wurts White and his family beyond the few facts that can be discerned from these papers. The William Wurts White family papers are comprised of correspondence and legal and financial documents related to settling the estates of William Wurts White (1841-1911), his sister, Ella C. White, and his son, Merwin White. The White family papers were maintained by Frank W. Matteson, a financial advisor to the White family as well as several other prominent Providence families. Matteson's primary employment was with the John Nicholas Brown family at their 50 South Main Street offices. The White family papers were donated to the John Nicholas Brown Center with the Brown family's donation of their business records and other papers filed at 50 South Main Street. While the White family papers do not contain much in the way of personal information, the papers do detail the arduous process of settling the estates of a wealthy family.

William Wurts White and Ella C. White were the children of a union between two collaborative industries - transportation and coal. Their father, John Richards White (1815-1874), a leading member of the coal trade in Philadelphia, was president of Mount Carbon Railroad Company and the Delaware Coal Company. Their mother, Caroline (Wurts) White (1815-1850) was the daughter of William Wurts who co-founded the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company with his two brothers. The canal company's barges transported coal from northeastern Pennsylvania to New York City.

Ella C. White (died 1904) was a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In her will she provided a yearly income to Julia Canning, bequeathed tracts of land on Mount Desert Island, Maine, to her three nephews, and left the remainder of her estate to her brother, William Wurts White (1841-1911).

William Wurts White (1841-1911) was a prominent member of Rhode Island society as president of John R. White & Son, one of the largest distributors of coal in Rhode Island. The company was formed in 1901 by William Wurts White (1841-1911), James Kinghorn and White's son, Merwin. Prior to his arrival in Providence, William Wurts White (1841-1911) graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, his father's alma mater.

William Wurts White (1841-1911) was married to Kate (Merwin) White (died 1915), daughter of Elias Merwin, a lawyer, and his wife Annie (Childs) Merwin. William Wurts White (1841-1911) and his wife had three sons: Merwin (1877-1920), John Richards (1880-1911), and William Wurts (1882-1918).

Merwin White was president of John R. White & Son at the time of his death. He was married to Elizabeth (Nicholson) White and they had five children: Thomas N. (1910-1980), Samuel M., John R., Elizabeth G. (White) (Herbert) Hughes (1913-1987), and Kate M. (White) White (1913-1979). Merwin White died in his home at 17 Benevolent Street, Providence, after a long illness.

Elizabeth (Nicholson) White (1877-1961) was the daughter of William T. Nicholson (1834-1893) and Elizabeth (Gardiner) Nicholson (1833-1899). Her father was the founder of the Nicholson File Company, a large manufacturer of file knives and rasps. In 1921 Elizabeth (Nicholson) White married Stephen E. Hopkins, a Providence investment broker; they divorced in 1929.

John Richards White, a graduate of Yale University, worked for John R. White & sons for a few years before turning to a career in teaching at St. Mark's School, Southboro, Massachusetts.

William Wurts White (1882-1918), also a Yale University graduate, dealt in bonds and stocks under the name W.W. White & Co., in the Turks Head Building. William Wurts White (1882-1918) and his wife, Janet (Innis) White had three children: William Wurts (1909-), Dora Innis (1911-) and Janet (1913-). After her husband's death, Janet (Innis) White married Richard S. Aldrich.

Access & Use

Access to the collection:	There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.
Use of the materials:	Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. Researchers should note that compliance with copyright law is their responsibility. Researchers must determine the owners of the literary rights and obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Preferred citation:	William Wurts White family papers, Ms. 2007.038, Brown University Library.
Contact information:	John Hay Library , Special Collections Box A Brown University Providence, RI 02912 Tel: 401-863-2146 email: hay@brown.edu

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION
Acquisition:	The William Wurts White family papers were donated to the John Nicholas Brown Center in 1992 by the heirs of John Nicholas Brown. The White family papers were transferred from the John Nicholas Brown Center to the Brown University Library in 2006.
Processing information:	The William Wurts White family papers were processed by Jennifer Betts, 2007 Nov.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID
Author:	Finding aid prepared by Jennifer Betts.
Encoding:	This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2013-11-19

Additional Information

Related material:	RESOURCES BEYOND BROWN UNIVERSITYElizabeth (Nicholson) White Family Papers, Rhode Island Historical Society
Other information:	Brown University Library catalog record for this collection: William Wurts White family papers

Inventory

---