Reuben and his father, Henry White, Sr., were among the first families to settle in this area around 1820. They moved to Tennessee from Anson County, NC.
Reuben's great-great-grandfather was Moses White. Moses White and his six children arrived by ship in Philadelphia in 1722 from Ireland. The date his will was signed was March 12, 1735. The White family settled near Wadesboro, NC. Moses' son, Joseph White Sr. had nine children. He fought in the Revolutionary War as a private and was the first sheriff of Anson County. His oldest son, Joseph White Jr., was born around 1740 and was a planter of cotton and possibly tobacco. Joseph Jr. and Joseph Sr. both have wills recorded in North Carolina. Henry White Sr. (b. around 1768) was the son of Joseph Jr. He had nine or more children. Henry received at least four land grants in Perry County that totaled 518 acres.
Reuben, Henry's son, was born around 1788 in North Carolina. It is not certain how many of Reuben's brothers and sisters moved to Tennessee with him and his father. Henry and Reuben both signed a petition from Perry County dated June 18, 1820, that requests they be given a place to vote on the west side of the Tennessee River. This indicates that they settled in the part that later became Decatur County.
Reuben's wife was Isabell. They had a large family. Rebecca, Margaret, Eliza, Nicholas Daniel, Polly, Wylie, Jane, Penelope, Reuben Adison and David are the names of their children that are known. It is possible that there were more. Isabell died on Dec. 21, 1854. She is buried at the Minie Cemetery located on the Weldon Welch Farm in the Concord Community. There is no marker there for Reuben, but he is believed to be buried in on e of the unmarked graves. He died between 1870 and 1880. On Aug. 7, 1869, Reuben deeded land to the trustees appointed to build a church at Concord.
Nicholas Daniel White (b. Dec. 12, 1820) was the son of Reuben. Supposedly, Nicholas had three wives. The first was Rebecca Henderson. Where she is buried is not known. He then married Louisa, who is believed to have been a Wilkins. They had five children: Matthew, CSA soldier who died of measles; Henry Calhoun married Jenora Dudley Kelley; George married Anne Rainey; Robert Alexander married Fannie Dickerson; and Margaret Sharafnee married Jim Martin.
On Nov. 13, 1881, Nicholas married Martha A. Garrett. They had one child, Lillie. She married Bill Smith. Nicholas Daniel White died on July 20, 1886, and is buried at Concord Cemetery along with Louisa (Sept. 10, 1823-Sept. 23, 1877) and Martha (d. April 17, 1900), age 57 years and seven months.
excerpted from Decatur County, Tennessee History and Families, 1846-1996