Robert - His will was dated May 27, 1617, and indicates he lived for considerable time in the parish and was quite wealthy. He gave to support the poor of Messing, and to Rev. Richard Rogers, a non-conformist, and Rev. Bartholomew Scrivener an established church minister. He seems to have lived in Shalford most of the time after his marriage. He was very wealthy and gave money to the church and the poor. The baptisms of nearly all of his children and the marriages of his daughters are recorded there. All the children came to America.
There is no evidence for the parents of Robert White, despite a widespread internet fantasy that gives him a royal lineage through the Hungerford family. According to this fantasy, Robert was the son of Robert White of South Petherton, Somerset, who (according to the dates squeezed into the fantasy) was married at the age of 19. There are actually two fantasies: the old one (with mother Alice Wright) and the new one (with mother Alice Rich) There isn't any evidence for either one, and neither one explains how Robert allegedly jumped clear across the country, from Somerset to Essex.