John Baker White (clerk of court)

John Baker White
Portrait of John Baker White
Clerk of Court for Hampshire County
In office 1815–1861
Preceded by	Samuel McGuire
Succeeded by	Thomas A. Keller
Personal details
Born	(1794-08-04)August 4, 1794 near Winchester, Frederick County, Virginia, United States
Died	October 9, 1862 (1862-10-10) (aged 68) Richmond, Virginia, Confederate States of America
Resting place	Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia, United States
Political party	Constitutional Union Party (1860–1861)
Spouses	Alcinda Louisa Tapscott Frances Ann Streit
Relations	Robert White (father) Arabella Baker (mother) Robert White (great-great-grandfather) Alexander White (great-great-uncle) Francis White (uncle) Samuel Lightfoot Flournoy (son-in-law) John Baker White (grandson) Robert White (grandson)
Children	Susan C. White Armstrong Juliet Opie White Tabb Arabella White Thompson Robert White Louisa Tapscott White Armstrong John Baker White II Christian Streit White Alexander White Henry White Frances "Fannie" Ann Armstrong White Flournoy Emma C. White Lucy White Katherine White
Residence(s)	Liberty Hall, Romney, Virginia (now West Virginia)
Occupation	Military officer lawyer court clerk civil servant
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1812–1814
Rank	Ensign
Battles/wars	War of 1812

John Baker White (August 4, 1794 – October 9, 1862) was a 19th-century American military officer, lawyer, court clerk, and civil servant in the U.S. state of Virginia.

During the War of 1812, White enlisted in the United States Army as a soldier and was promoted to the military rank of ensign. In 1815, White was qualified as Clerk of Court for both the county and circuit courts of Hampshire County, Virginia (now West Virginia) and he continued to hold these offices through successive appointments and elections for 46 years between 1815 and 1861. To date, White remains the longest-serving Clerk of Court for Hampshire County since the office's creation in 1757. As a prominent lawyer and court clerk, White taught jurisprudence. Many of White's law students later became eminent lawyers and public officials in their own right, including Henry Bedinger, United States House Representative and United States Ambassador to Denmark.

During the American Civil War, White was concerned for the safety of the county's records and proceeded to load land registration records ledger books onto wagons and had them transported for safekeeping. Because of White's efforts, Hampshire County land records survived the war, while those records that remained in the courthouse were destroyed. White was threatened by occupying Union Army forces to either vacate his residence in Romney or face arrest because of his Confederate sympathies. White relocated to Richmond and served in the Confederate States Department of the Treasury.

White was a member of the White political family of Virginia and West Virginia and was the son of prominent Virginia judge Robert White (1759–1831) and the father of West Virginia Attorney General Robert White (1833–1915) and Hampshire County Clerk of Court Christian Streit White (1839–1917).