son of Uriah White
and Anna ----;
husband of Elizabeth Moss

"WILLIAM A WHITE PASSED AWAY ON TUESDAY MORNING - One of the Early Oil Operators in the Shamburg District and Resident of City Quarter Century - FUNERAL THURS[DAY] AFTERNOON - William A White, a resident of Titusville and the immediate vicinity for nearly fifty years, died at about 6 o'clock yesterday morning at his home, 103 West Main street, following an illness of nearly five months. His death was due to the infirmities of years and paralysis, he having suffered two or three slight strokes during the past year. He had not been able to leave his home for nineteen weeks. William A White was born in Manchester, Eng, on Feb 12, 1841, so had passed his seventy-seventh birthday. He was the twelfth of fourteen children born to Uriah and Anna White. When a youth he was apprenticed to learn the locomotive and marine engineering trade and served seven years apprenticeship, following which he was employed at the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire railroad works until he was 25 years of age. Left England 50 Years Ago - Fifty years ago, or in 1868, Mr White left England and for a short time after his arrival in America was employed in machine shops in the east, among them the Burnside Locomotive works at Providence, RI. The thrilling stories of fortunes being made in the Pennsylvania oil fields allured him to this section and he located in Shamburg in the early seventies. Shamburg was a lively place at that time with machine shops and other industries and for the first year he worked as a journeyman in a machine shop. Later he was employed as master mechanic by Emery Brothers in the oil fields of Shamburg, Pleasantville, Church Run and elsewhere in this vicinity. When the 'thirty-day shut down' came in 1873, Mr White decided to engage in business for himself and soon thereafter he purchased good producing oil territory in the Shamburg fields. It was he who originated the idea of connecting up wells and pumping them by balance or wheel power instead of having an engine and boiler at each well. For many years he continued as a[n] oil operator with a considerable degree of success. Invested in Real Estate - Twenty-seven years ago, Mr White moved his family to Titusville where he continued to make his home for many years. In addition to his oil business he added real estate and insurance and he was successful in all of his business enterprises. Mr White was non-partisan in his political views and liberal to a remarkable degree. He was always interested in all matters pertaining to the welfare of the community, especially the schools, and he served on the school board from 1893-97, as a representative of the Second Ward. Mr White was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Moss, the only child of James and Selina Moss, in Manchester, Eng, on Mar 12, 1863. Prior to her marriage she had visited America with her parents. The widow survives with the following children: J W White of Tulsa, Okla, who visited his parents only a few weeks ago and will be unable to return for the funeral; Mrs J J Landers of Tionesta, Mrs Mark M White of Hydetown, Mrs Robert Mitchell of this city and Jesse H White of the northwest. There are also nine grandchildren. Mr White was a member of Oil Creek Lodge, F&AM, and Rose Croix Commandery, Knights Templar. The funeral will be conducted privately from the late residence, West Main street, Thursday at 10:30 am and friends are requested not to send flowers."
(Titusville Herald, Oct 23, 1918, pp.2, 3)

son of Uriah White
and Anna ----;
husband of Elizabeth Moss

"WILLIAM A WHITE PASSED AWAY ON TUESDAY MORNING - One of the Early Oil Operators in the Shamburg District and Resident of City Quarter Century - FUNERAL THURS[DAY] AFTERNOON - William A White, a resident of Titusville and the immediate vicinity for nearly fifty years, died at about 6 o'clock yesterday morning at his home, 103 West Main street, following an illness of nearly five months. His death was due to the infirmities of years and paralysis, he having suffered two or three slight strokes during the past year. He had not been able to leave his home for nineteen weeks. William A White was born in Manchester, Eng, on Feb 12, 1841, so had passed his seventy-seventh birthday. He was the twelfth of fourteen children born to Uriah and Anna White. When a youth he was apprenticed to learn the locomotive and marine engineering trade and served seven years apprenticeship, following which he was employed at the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire railroad works until he was 25 years of age. Left England 50 Years Ago - Fifty years ago, or in 1868, Mr White left England and for a short time after his arrival in America was employed in machine shops in the east, among them the Burnside Locomotive works at Providence, RI. The thrilling stories of fortunes being made in the Pennsylvania oil fields allured him to this section and he located in Shamburg in the early seventies. Shamburg was a lively place at that time with machine shops and other industries and for the first year he worked as a journeyman in a machine shop. Later he was employed as master mechanic by Emery Brothers in the oil fields of Shamburg, Pleasantville, Church Run and elsewhere in this vicinity. When the 'thirty-day shut down' came in 1873, Mr White decided to engage in business for himself and soon thereafter he purchased good producing oil territory in the Shamburg fields. It was he who originated the idea of connecting up wells and pumping them by balance or wheel power instead of having an engine and boiler at each well. For many years he continued as a[n] oil operator with a considerable degree of success. Invested in Real Estate - Twenty-seven years ago, Mr White moved his family to Titusville where he continued to make his home for many years. In addition to his oil business he added real estate and insurance and he was successful in all of his business enterprises. Mr White was non-partisan in his political views and liberal to a remarkable degree. He was always interested in all matters pertaining to the welfare of the community, especially the schools, and he served on the school board from 1893-97, as a representative of the Second Ward. Mr White was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Moss, the only child of James and Selina Moss, in Manchester, Eng, on Mar 12, 1863. Prior to her marriage she had visited America with her parents. The widow survives with the following children: J W White of Tulsa, Okla, who visited his parents only a few weeks ago and will be unable to return for the funeral; Mrs J J Landers of Tionesta, Mrs Mark M White of Hydetown, Mrs Robert Mitchell of this city and Jesse H White of the northwest. There are also nine grandchildren. Mr White was a member of Oil Creek Lodge, F&AM, and Rose Croix Commandery, Knights Templar. The funeral will be conducted privately from the late residence, West Main street, Thursday at 10:30 am and friends are requested not to send flowers."
(Titusville Herald, Oct 23, 1918, pp.2, 3)