Descendants Clement Corbin » Devillo [Dr] White (1801-1882)

Personal data Devillo [Dr] White 

• He was born on February 11, 1801 in Sherburne, Chenango, New York, USA.Source 2
• Census in the year 1860, Sherburne, Chenango, New York, USA.Source 4
• Census in the year 1870, Sherburne, Chenango, New York, USA.Source 1
• Census in the year 1880, Sherburne, Chenango, New York, USA.Source 3
• He died on May 10, 1882 in Sherburne, Chenango, New York, USA, he was 81 years old.
• He is buried in Sherburne, Chenango, New York, USA.
• A child of Asa White and Sarah Corbin

Household of Devillo [Dr] White

He is married to Caroline Pratt.

They got married in the year 1824, he was 22 years old.Source 2

Child(ren):

1. Edleu White  ± 1837-????
2. Alexander White  ± 1836-1884 
3. Anna R. White  1848-1903

Notes about Devillo [Dr] White

Source: Taken in part from Smith, James H., History of Chenango and Madison Counties, New York. D. Mason & Co. Syracuse, NY 1880.
"The original of this sketch, Devillo White, of Sherburne, Chenango County, N. Y., was born Feb 11, 1801, and was married to Caroline Pratt, oldest daughter of Joshua Pratt, Esq. (one of the respected pioneers of the town) in 1824. Devillo White's early life was passed in a hotel kept by his father, and was not of a character that generally precedes a record so full of interest and usefulness as his proved to be. At the age of 23 years, after having sowed his share of the wild oats of his day, he found himself educated and qualified to assume the arduous and responsible duties of a physician, but without means to purchase his saddle-bags to begin with; but his indomitable will and determination overcame all obstacles in his pathway and he finally settled down to his life-work, resolved to succeed professionally and financially.

After over fifty years of active practice, we find he has fully succeeded in his purpose, standing high as he does in his profession, and having amassed a fortune second to none in this section. In politics he was always a fearless and zealous advocate of the principles of the old Whig party, and afterwards was warmly attached to the Republican party, ready and eager at all times to do battle for the cause whenever opportunity presented itself. During the late war, when the country was trembling for its very existence, he gathered together all the means he could and invested the same in government securities, and even borrowed money of his more timid neighbors, who had no faith in the success of our arms, and invested as above, thus proving his loyalty to his country in her distress.

No more forbearing or lenient creditor was ever known, and there is, to-day, many a happy and prosperous family, made so by his pecuniary assistance, and now at his advanced age, being in his eightieth year, he transacts all his own business without the aid of a book-keeper, and even finds time to attend professionally to the wants of some of his old customers."

OBITUARY:
"DR. DEVILLO WHITE was a son of Sherburne who spent his whole life in the place of his nativity, and from early manhood up to his over four score years, he was one of the most potent individual forces in that community. For not only as a physician did he hold first place against all rivals in all the region about, but his strong personality asserted itself continually in the field of politics and finance. He was a unique character, a sui generis, almost unconsciously exerting a persistent, controlling power among men. Certainly no one ever wielded greater influence in the town of Sherburne for so long a period as did Dr. Devillo White.
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His grandfather, William White, who was an officer in the Revolution, was one of the "Vermont Sufferers," New York State refugees, who were awarded lands in Jericho, near present Bainbridge. His grandmother, Eunice Rogers, was a descendant of the noted Dissenter John Rogers who was burned at the stake. His father, Dr. Asa White, had married Sally CORBIN, and came on to Sherburne in 1798. Lived for a time on the Otto Reese place, then on the cross roads near the upper river bridge, then removed to present Sherburne village and erected a residence and inn on the south-east corner, site of the Soldier's Monument afterwards erected by his son, Dr. Devillo White, who was born Feb. 11, 1801, and Married Caroline Pratt, eldest daughter of Joshua Pratt, Sr., in 1824, soon after the completion of his studies.
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Dr. Asa White, while engaged in looking after lands in which he was interested in the far west, and whither he had driven with his own outfit, perished in a snow storm on one of the prairies of Illinois, Dec. 18th, 1819, in his 48th year. Dr. Devillo took up his father's practice as soon as he was able, and his skill and energy carried him successfully forward. The Doctor riding rapidly past in his old one-horse shay, all unconscious of everything around him, will long remain a picturesque picture. He died May 10, 1882."

OBITUARY NOTICE OF DR. DEVILLO WHITE.
By George Douglas, M. D., of Oxford, New York.

"Dr. Devillo White was born in Sherburne, Chenango county, N. Y., February 11th, 1801. At that time there was very little to be seen in this region of country but forests and a few log houses.

It was only a few years previous (1792) that the first settlers came to the valley of the Chenango, and "two log huts" were all the habitations that had then been erected upon the site of what is now the city of Utica. Besides the advantage of an education received at the common school, which must have been exceedingly 'common' in those days, he spent one year, more or less, at Hartwick Seminary, Otsego county, near Cooperstown, N. Y.

Soon after, he began a course of reading on medicine with his uncle, Dr. Squire White, of Fredonia, N. Y., an old pupil of his own father in Sherburne. This was about 1820, and he completed the study of his profession with Dr. Henry Mitchell, of Norwich, N. Y., and at the age of twenty-three, was "esteemed sufficiently educated and qualified to assume the arduous and responsible duties of a physician, but without means to purchase his saddle-bags to begin with." He connected himself with the County Medical Society (a society for mutual improvement, organized in 1806), and settled in his native town, "resolved to succeed professionally and financially."

He was married to his wife, who still survives him, in 1824, and opened an office in connection with his practice in the village of Sherburne, N. Y., where he continued in the active practice of his profession up to within a few years of his decease, which occurred May 10th, 1882, at the advanced age of eighty-one years. He became a permanent member of the State Medical Society, in 1867, and was generally present at all its after sessions.

It is recorded in the history of that town, that his father, Dr. Asa White, one of the pioneer physicians, who deceased at a much earlier age, that he "was eminently a practical man, possessing energy and skill to such a degree that no other physician could successfully compete with him; and it would seem that the mantle of the father fell upon the son. He was a man of indomitable energy and perseverance, and maintained through his long life a decided supremacy among his neighboring physicians. He was a physician of good discrimination, of acute and clear discernment, and known among his associates, not only as a man of great penetration, but also of "great many ways and means."

Exceedingly hopeful himself, he had the power of inspiring the same hopefulness in his patients. His early practice was very extensive, and for nearly forty-five years he was practically 'the' physician for all that section of country. Outside of his professional calling, he was in politics active and decided, strongly advocating his own views in the affairs of government, and ready to sustain them with practical work. But one of his most prominent characteristics was his extraordinary aptitude for the accumulation of wealth. By an indomitable will, perseverance and determination, he overcame all obstacles, and finally succeeded in amassing what might well be called in that region a fortune. His motto was, "Take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves;" and while he was rigid and exact in the collection of what was due him, he was nevertheless kind and lenient to unfortunate but well-meaning debtors. In all his financial transactions he exhibited not only shrewdness and foresight, but most excellent and sound judgment, and this faculty was strikingly exhibited in all his affairs, both in his business and professional life.

As a citizen, he was both loyal and patriotic. During the late war, when the country was trembling for its very existence, he gathered together all of his means that he could and invested the same in government bonds and securities, and even borrowed money to invest in the same way from his more timid neighbors, who had no faith in the success of our arms; and in the centre of his native village there now stands a beautiful structure, dedicated to the memory of the soldiers who went from that town and fell in defense of their country's free institutions during the late war-which was the sole gift of Dr. White, and remains as a testimony of his patriotism. He was also distinguished for his home virtues, and his devotion and tenderness to those whom he had gathered about him under his own roof.

Never having been blessed with children of his own, he assumed during his lifetime the care and responsibility of the adoption of some half-dozen or more children of others, who found in him a foster-father, as kind and as true to' their interests as their own parents could possibly have been; and it is to him they owe very much, if not all, their present prosperity, happiness, and usefulness. The immediate cause of his death was the result of an injury to the hip, received some seventy years before, and which had from that time, been to him a more or less constant source of pain and trouble.

This brief outline of the life of Dr. White, although not marked by any great incidents, nevertheless brings out some facts worthy of consideration. Starting out in life with nothing, he gained, through his own efforts, education, a worthy place in an honorable profession, an ample competence, and the high esteem of his associates and fellow-citizens; and the memory of his virtues, and the worthiness of his example, will long be held in sweet remembrance."

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Timeline Devillo [Dr] White

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