My Genealogy Hound

REV. WILLIS WHITE was born February 26, 1805, in Halifax County, N. C., and is a son of Dempsey and Priscilla (Morris) White, both natives of North Carolina. The father moved to Tennessee in 1805, resided there for some time, and then moved to Christian County, Ky., settling about eight miles from Princeton. He came to this county in 1824, and died here in 1842, at the age of seventy. He served the county as magistrate for many years, and finally became sheriff by reason of seniority. Willis White remained in this county until 1833, working on a farm. He then moved to Ballard County, and settled four miles north of Blandville, where he commenced farming. In the fall of 1833 he joined the Missionary Baptist Church, and in 1835 began preaching. In 1834 he was appointed one of the magistrates of the county, and served in that capacity until 1847, when he was elected to the office of sheriff, which position he held for two years. He remained in Ballard County until the fall of 1850, when he came to Clinton, where he has since resided. At this place he acted as pastor of the Baptist Church for twenty-three years. He has also served as pastor of the following churches: Lovelace, thirteen years; Metropolisville, four years; Columbus, four years and Hickman, five years. He has been instrumental in establishing many churches in the country. In 1872 he was elected to the office of school examiner, and subsequently, under the new law, to the office of county superintendent, and is still serving in that capacity. He has been mainly instrumental in founding, building and subsequent development of the Clinton Baptist College, and was about the first to agitate the starting of this institution. Since its organization in 1872, he has served as president of the board of directors. Mr. White has been twice married, first in 1826, in this county, to Miss Mary Wright, daughter of Enoch Wright, of east Tennessee. This lady died in 1849 leaving eight children, of whom one son and three daughters are now living. James D., the son, is now a lawyer at Blandville, and was formerly judge of the common pleas court of Hickman County. January 6, 1850, Mr. White was married to Mrs. Harriet T. Richmond, (nee Woods), a daughter of William Woods, a native of Kentucky, and one of the first residents of Clinton. Mrs. White died October 24, 1874, leaving three children, two of whom, a son and a daughter, are still living. Mr. White is a member of the Masonic fraternity.