Daniel White   was born in Trowbridge, Wiltshire on  10 Feb 1812, the son of millwright Henry and Ann White.   He was apprenticed to a Papermaker in Slaughterford by the name of Daniel Beazor in 1826 to 1827 but only served a partial apprenticeship. He  married  Joice Smith Davis who came  from  Swanage. She was also born around 1813.  They were married on the 11th May 1835 in Swanage, and their first child was born in Swanage in 1837.

 

    Joice A White born 3 July 1837

              William Davis White born 13 Oct 1839

     Daniel White born 17 Sep 1841

Henry Walter White  born 3rd November 1844 

    Annie Davis White born 13 Feb 1846

              John Davis White born 20 Aug 1848

    Sarah Davis White born around January 1851

    Robert Gerrard  D White born 16 May 1853

 

The 1841 census of Swanage, shows Daniel aged 29, living with his young wife Joice and two young children, Joice and William.

          In 1851 Daniel gave his occupation as Cabinet Maker and by now he had 7 children.

           The 1851 census is as follows;            

	Daniel	WHITE	Head		38	Cabinet Maker	Wiltshire	Bradford	66
	Jane S	WHITE	Wife	M	38		DOR	Swanage	66	25
	Joice S	WHITE	Dau	U	14	Scholar	DOR	Swanage	66	25
	William D	WHITE	Son		11	Scholar	DOR	Swanage	66	25
	Daniel	WHITE	Son		9	Scholar	DOR	Swanage	66	25
	Henry W	WHITE	Son		7	Scholar	DOR	Swanage	66	25
	Ann D	WHITE	Dau		5	Scholar	DOR	Swanage	66	25
	John D	WHITE	Son		2	Scholar	DOR	Swanage	66	25
	Sarah D	WHITE	Dau		2m		DOR	Swanage

Daniel White's Desertion
  In the October of 1853 Daniel  had deserted Joice (see papers on The Church wardens and overseers of Swanage, Slaughterford versus Swanage) There are references to this fact in the Swanage Overseers Rate Book No  8 where the town of Swanage wants removal proceedings against Slaughterford in Wilts.  Was he going to Australia to seek his fortune in the gold rush?  Whatever the reason, Joice was left alone with 6 children to support. 

 Daniel had served a partial apprenticeship at Slaughterford around 1826/27 and the cost of maintaining Joice and her children was to be charged to Slaughterford.  This amounted to 8/- a week, which rose to 8/6 in 1856.  However, in 1856 Joice declared that that she had lately received some money from her husband in America and so did not require relief. She and her family returned to Swanage from Slaughterhouse Workhouse without the knowledge, concurrence or help of Swanage Parish and had never since received relief. 

In 1861 Joice gave the information that Daniel was still away in Australia.  Here is the census report;
167-Joice S-WHITE-Hd-Mar-48-Carpenter's Wife. Husband in Australia-DOR-Swanage-19-31
167-William D-WHITE-Son-Un-21-Carpenter & Joiner-DOR-Swanage-19-31
167-Daniel-WHITE-Son-Un-19-Carpenter Ap-DOR-Swanage-19-31
167-Henry W-WHITE-Son-Un-17-Carpenter Ap-DOR-Swanage-19-31
167-Ann D-WHITE-Daughter--15--DOR-Swanage-19-31
167-John D-WHITE-Son--12-Scholar-DOR-Swanage-19-31
167-Sarah D-WHITE-Dau--10-Scholar-DOR-Swanage-19-31
167-Robert G D -WHITE-Son--7-Scholar-DOR-Swanage-19-31
167-Ann-WHITE-Moth-Wid-75-Doctor's Widow-DOR-Swanage-19-31

 We also learn that Joice's  mother was called Ann, born around 1786 and was a Doctor's widow. 

The 1871 census still shows Daniel as absent with Joice as the head of the family. This is the entry; 
Joyce S-WHITE-Hd-M-58--DOR-Swanage--23-37-1
John D-WHITE-Son-U-23-Carpenter-DOR-Swanage--23-37-1
Robert G D-WHITE-Son-U-17-Teacher etc-DOR-Swanage--23-37-1
Ed H-WHITE-Gr/son--2--DOR-Swanage--23-37-1

In 1881 Daniel had returned from Australia, still a carpenter, and was at the time of the census living at Gladstone Road, Christchurch, Hampshire. He was reunited with Joice his wife, and a grandson called Edward W. White aged 12 from Swanage.  By this time, Joice was blind.  His sons went to meet the ship that he returned on wearing Red Carnations, but missed him. They finally found him at Wareham station.  

In 1891, Daniel had retired, aged about 78 and was living with his wife Joice and  son,  Henry Walter White in Swanage. 

In November 1895, Joice White died and was buried in London Road, Salisbury.   A few years later in 1900 Daniel died, aged 87 and was buried on January 1900 in Swanage Northbrook Cemetery.

For a picture of Joice White go to the excellent family history site run by Sue Mills.   On this page you will also find pictures of  Joice's son  William Davis White and many more interesting photos of the White family, donated by David  White.

What became of Daniel and Joice's  children?

 We know that Annie Davis White at the age of 34 married Frederick Snook in Boscombe Chapel, Christchurch, in September 1880 and that they emigrated to California. Her husband was a 43 year gardener.

 William Davis White married a local girl, Esther Miriam Lander and settled in Langton Matravers and had ten children.  

John Davis "Fashion" White, 1848 - 1927, married Sarah Woodford  from Welford, Northampton, had four children and became a well known figure on Swanage beach.   He was a beach hut proprietor for over 50 years who also gave swimming lessons.   If you have a copy of "Swanage & Purbeck In Old Photographs" see page 13. He is standing beside a large wheel of a beach hut, wearing a large floppy brimmed hat covering his eyes. His white beard is as big as the hat.

  Sarah Davis White married Walter Crockett and by 1874  had moved away to Salisbury, then Boscombe in Hampshire.  They had four children.  

Henry Walter White , known as Walter, was born 3rd November 1844 in Swanage and became a carpenter and joiner.  He married a girl from Dorchester, Harriet Vile Gerrard, and they got married at Christmas, December 26th 1866 at the Holy Trinity Church, Dorchester.  Harriet's father, Thomas Gerrard, also a carpenter,  was a witness and the other witness was his sister Annie Davis White, later Snook.  For more on the Gerrard family click here. 

They settled in Swanage, and raised nine children. By 1881, Walter was a master carpenter and was employing 5 men and 4 boys.  All their children were born in Swanage.

In 1891 the census informs us that the family had increased to eleven as Walter's parents, Daniel and Joice White were staying there.  Alice had become a dressmaker, Emma was a shop assistant, Harry at 14 was a carpenters apprentice. 

 The following photos were taken around 1895 or so I thought.  New information from Swanage Museum has now put the date at before 1894 as that was the year that Ann died.

           Ann Joice White, born 31 Oct 1869, died September 1894

              Alice Mary White, born  26 Dec 1870, died 23 Jan 1917

            Julia Harriet White, born early 1873, died 16 Apr 1938

              Emma Elizabeth White, born 1874

         Lydia Amard White, born 1876, died 28 Feb 1898

               Harry Walter White, born 1877, died after 1943

             Thomas Gerrard White, born 1879, died 1903

            Lucy Katherine White  ,  aka Kitty, born November 1880, died 04 Jul 1943

 

              William Gerrard  White, born 1881, died 23 Sep 1898

        With Boxer the dog.

 

The 1901 census tells us that Walter was still working at 57 as a builder, carpenter and joiner, with his wife, Harriet.  They all lived in Mount Pleasant Lane, Swanage.  In the Swanage Times, 17th March 1945 there was a letter from a Mrs. C. H. Hardy.  She says that the late Mr. Walter White re-named "Bull House Lane" having purchased the land and built a house which he named "Mount Pleasant" at the top of this lane. 

 

The last Will and Testament of Henry Walter White 1906

Walter's will left his beloved wife Harriet to the care of his two daughters, Alice and Kitty.  Harriet also was to benefit from the Masonic Benevolent Fund for Widows of Freemasons.  Kitty got the piano and a small rowing boat,  and his son Harry was left the sailing boat and fishing gear as well as fully paid up shares in the 641st Starr Bowkett Building Society.  The executors were Harry Walter White and his son-in-law George H Beer.  

Walter died in 1908 and is buried in Northbrook Cemetery, Swanage.  Harriet lived on till the summer of 1921 and was  buried in Northbrook Cemetery on the 12th July 1921.

 

What happened to the children of Walter and Harriet White?

 

Ann Joice White, found on the 1891 census, was living-in as a housemaid, aged 21, unmarried, at Julia Colson's house. Three years later she had died, aged 25.  She was buried on the 8th September 1894. 

 Their second eldest daughter Alice, was unmarried at 30 and living at home in 1901.   The 1911 census reveals much more. She was, at the age of 40 still single, and was head of the household at The Maze, Swanage. Living with her was her mother, Harriet White aged 72, and Harriet's daughter Lucy Katherine (kitty) who had married Robert Cann only three years previously. The Canns also had two children, Kathleen and Robert (my father).  The grave of Alice Mary White, aged 46 who died on 23rd January 1917 is in Northbrook Cemetery, Swanage. 

 Julia Harriet White,  aged 28 was  working as a shop assistant in a confectionery shop, but a year later she had  married Joseph Hibbs in 1902.   In 1906 she gave birth to a son but sadly he died the same year. In 1910 she had twin daughters, Mary and Grace Hibbs. Julia and Joseph ran a cafe next to the White House which is now the Fisherman's Catch. Her death certificate in 1938 says she died at The Homestead, Kings Road, Swanage, was 65 years old and died of Bright's Disease which was certified by a doctor. Her husband Joseph died from injuries after a bombing raid in  Swanage  on 23rd August 1942.  The house he occupied, Newton Cottage, was destroyed.

Emma Elizabeth White had married George Henry Beer in 1897 and had two children, Sydney and Elisabeth Beer. Uncle Sydney was a great character and told some lovely stories to me as a child. Here is one such and you must imagine him speaking in a broad Dorset accent;  (Heaves is an ailment of horses).  Listen to him telling the story here.

There were two old farmers meeting up in a pub in Dorchester on market day.  One of them said, "  Yer, George, whas is it thee gives thy old bald mare when she d'ave heaves then?"  "Oh "said George, "I gi' her a quart ov turpentine". Next market day, they met up again , propping up the bar, and the first farmer asked George, "Did thee say thee gives thy bald mare a quart of turpentine when she d'have heaves? Well, look as it.  I wint home and gi my old mare turpentine and er died!"  "Ahh" said George.  "Zo did mine!"

Uncle Sydney Beer's first  wife was Gwendoline Brewer, an apt choice of surnames.

Lydia Gerrard White died on 28th February 1898, aged 22.  She had not married. For three years she had suffered Phthisis, otherwise known as TB or consumption but finally succumbed to this dreadful disease.  Her father was present at her death.   In the same year, William Gerrard White died on the 23rd September  and was buried on the 26th September 1898.  He was only aged 16 and also died of Phthisis.  Again, his father was present at his death.   What a tragic year for the White family.  Could this disease also account for Ann aged 21 and Thomas aged 24?  

Harry, aged 24 had followed his father into carpentry, whilst Lucy (Kitty) aged 20 had become a daily governess. Six years later in 1907,  she married Robert Edgar Cann, and they became my grandparents.  Harry Walter White started as a carpenter, then an Estate Manager and died after 1943. 

Thomas Gerrard White  married  Emma Jane Pittaway  and in 1901 was living in Orchard Street, Dorchester. He was a carpenter and Joiner. Two years later he had died, aged 24.