The Whaite Family History

From Coddington to Sydney NSW via Manchester

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FROM CODDINGTON TO SYDNEY NSW VIA MANCHESTER

THE FAMILY OF HARRY WHAITE 1855 - 1931

INTRODUCTION

These records of the family of the noted Australian Scenic Artist are somewhat marred by the fact that there are only, to date, three English records of Harry, who arrived in Melbourne at the end of 1884 and died in Sydney in 1931.

His first recorded presence in England begins on 3 April 1881 in Staffordshire when he was living at Walsall Foreign and shown as "Henry Waite age 22 years Artist PR born Burnly". The two other English records are as the father on birth certificates of two sons both named George, one in 1882 when he was named as John Harry and another in 1884 when his name was given as Harry. No details of his parents are given in English records.

Most of the details about Harry's ancestry in England are based upon information in Australian records and these are detailed in "Harry in Australia."

According to Harry's 1905 Marriage and 1931 Death Certificates, his father was George said to be an Engineer and mother Annie Garrow and it is George's family that has been traced back to around 1707 in Nottinghamshire. The relationships in this Whaite family have been fully documented, as is George's connection to the English landscape painter Henry Clarence Whaite, mentioned as Harry's mentor in an article in the Australian magazine "The Theatre", dated 1 December 1909. If Harry is George's son, Henry Clarence who is said to have been his uncle was actually his third cousin.

The suggestion by another Whaite researcher that Harry Whaite may actually have been Samuel John born end of 1855 in Duckinfield has some credibility and is explored in "Just Who was Harry Whaite".

This could always be contradicted by later research and just whether there was a real relationship between George and John Harry Whaite may never be known.

 

Coal Clough Lane, Burnley UK.
Photo courtesy: Christine Holmes

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:These records are based upon the patient research over many years mainly by Judith Moore of Flixton as well as Whaite family members Pamela Healy, Mavis Moore, Robert and Roger Whaite and others shown throughout the text.

The compilation of various family trees was made by Joy Whaite The website was designed and edited by the author's daughter Lorraine Gratton

REFERENCES:

Papers of Henry Clarence Whaite [shown as HCWP in the text]. They are held at National Library of Wales at Aberystwyth and were researched by Eirionedd Baskerville. The copyright to them is held by Henry Clarence's grandson David Mortimer - Jones

"The Hidden History of Women Artists. Lily Whaite and the Gwynedd Ladies Art Society" Rhiannon Michaelson -Yeates in The National Library of Wales Journal Vol XXXIII No 4 1905 pp 371-386 Plates 1-12

Dictionary of British Artists 1840 -1980 Woodbridge Antique Collectors Club 1986 per Christine Whaite

Other references are shown in the related family trees

This family account is in eight parts:

PART ONE: Surname and Origins in Nottinghamshire

PART TWO: Manchester Families

PART THREE: Harry in England

PART FOUR: Harry in Australia

PART FIVE: The First Australian Family - John Whaite in South Australia

PART SIX: Miscellaneous Whaite Records

PART SEVEN: Spouses Families in Australia

PART EIGHT: Family Trees of Australian Spouses

In the majority of these parts, the records finish at the end of Seventh Generation in order to lessen the chance of living persons being included, but details of later generations are available on request for family members.