In
1850, Thomas Smibert, in his book, Clans of the Highlands of Scotland
writes, "All men admit the Clan MacGregor to be the purest branch of the
ancient Gael of Scotland now in existence; true descendants, in short,
of native Celtic stock of the country, and unmixed by blood with
immigrants either of their own or any other race... those predatory
habits, which appear to have been but too natural to the untutored Gael
of early days, found a peculiarly free vent by their vicinity to the
Lowlands, well cultivated as these were... the same circumstances
exposed them doubly to the vengeance of the settled authorities of the
south. The temptations of their situation led them into mischief and at
the same time rendered them objects of retribution and punishment to an
extent unknown in the annals of any other Highland Tribe. During the
rein of Mary Queen of Scots, two acts of the Privy Council in 1563,
gave authority to pursue the MacGregors with "fire and sword". By
"Privy Council Act" of 1603, the very name of MacGregor was abolished,
a proceeding which has no parallel in the annals of the country. All
those who bore that name were commanded on pain of death to adopt other
surnames". Two of the names believed assumed by Clan MacGregor members
were WHITE or WHYTE Anglicized from Gaelic M'Illebhain. This ancestry
can be traced back to 850 A.D... White to MacGregor to Alpine, Alpine
being the oldest and most purely Celtic Clan of the Highlands, of royal
descent from the Dynasty of Kenneth MacAlpine who united the Picts and
Scots into one Kingdom. All this, by "word of mouth" was primarily the
result of feuding over the distilling of ...Scotch. Tradition.
The
White and McLachlins were close knit families and friends in Scotland
with ties strengthened through marriage. In 1834 John White married
Mary McLachlin and probably about the same time period, John's sister
Isabella married John McLachlin. About 1840, both families "immigrated"
to Canada. Now what is "handed down" by "word of mouth" from
"generation to generation", is that John and Mary immigrated for fear
of their lives. You see word has it they were actually run out of
Scotland virtually at gun point, because John was a first rate
bootlegger of some of the finest Scotch found in those days of
competition, feuds, and literally, wars over who had the rights to
distill and claim the best. Further it is "word of mouth" all the men,
Whites and McLachlins, smoked their pipes as they enjoyed their scotch.
John White was Perry White's grandfather. Tradition.
In 1863
John Martin White was born in London, Ontario, Canada. Same "word of
mouth" has it that John Martin was continuing to learn the "family
tradition" of bootlegging and found it prudent, around 1883 to
"immigrate" to the United States, where he settled in Evart, Osceola
County, Michigan. He married on Christmas Day 1884, and on September
30, 1885, Perry John White was born.
It was with Perry White the
tradition of bootlegging ended. Well, the bootlegging ended, not the
tradition of scotch. I, as a favorite grandchild, never knew he touched
a drop, until I was grandfather age myself. Perry White in the early
1900's became employed by the Wisconsin Central railroad, which would
be acquired by the Soo Line Railroad. He was first a Brakeman and then
a Conductor. He was a Conductor until his retirement after 50 years of
service. One of the reasons I mention his length of service is so I can
tell you, he walked the trains so long, even his steps on real earth
were controlled by the rock and roll of the rails. When he would come
for a visit, I would run to meet him at the car, and he would offer his
finger for me to hold onto as he walked, slowly, side to side like a
sailor, always careful of his precious pipe. He walked so slow and
carefully by nature, he would light his PIPE sometimes 3 times before
we made the 30 yards to the house. It was mostly Sundays I could look
forward to seeing him and the smells coming from his wonderful pipe all
through the house, mingled with the chicken my mother was frying for
Sunday dinner. I can remember, and almost smell, the tobacco, the many
times I rode with my Grandmother in the big old Packard, to the train
station to meet him. We would stand and wait for his train and she
would ask if I had learned to tell time yet by asking what time was on
the clock in the station. When he arrived, I would see him come off the
train, in full uniform hat and all, shuffle down to greet us. As he was
bending down to hug me, he was pulling his gold chained watch out of
its pocket; and his pipe was out of his mouth and in my Grandmothers
hands for care. After the hug he would always have me check his watch
then look at the station clock, then tell me, he was "on time". The
pipe went back in the mouth and I looked forward to the smells and
aroma all the way home in the car.
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