Thomas White

(March 19, 1739 – September 13, 1820) 

Born in Kilkenny, Ireland, Thomas White is noted by several sources as the only Irishman to have participated in the Boston Tea Party. White immigrated to the colonies around 1771, initially settling in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and becoming a tailor.     

There are several published records of White participating in the “destruction of the tea” on Griffin’s Wharf on the night of December 16, 1773. However, all of these records are post-1853, and no primary source accounts tying him to the event have been found, leaving his involvement somewhat of a mystery. During the Revolutionary War, White served under General George Washington as a Lieutenant in Pennsylvania from June 1777 until 1780. This would mean White survived the infamous winter at Valley Forge. Later in the war, White was captured and became a prisoner of war at Perth Amboy, New Jersey. 

Thomas White died on September 13, 1820, and is buried in Evans Cemetery in Coaldale, Pennsylvania.