Daniel White   was born in Trowbridge, Wiltshire in 1813.  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 around 1837.

    Joice A White born 3 July 1837

              William D White born around 1840

     Daniel White born 17 Sep 1841

Henry Walter White  born November 1844 

    Annie Davis White born 13 Feb 1846

              John Davis White born 20 Aug 1848

    Sarah Davis White born around January 1851

    Robert G 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.

In 1861 Joice gave the information that Daniel was away in Australia as a carpenter!  Here is the census report;

The 1861 census is as follows;
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

 Perhaps Daniel  was a carpenter on a ship? What  tales would he have told his children on his return?   We also learn that Daniel'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.

In 1891, Daniel had retired, aged about 78 and was living with his wife and  son,  Henry Walter White in Swanage.  A few years later in 1900 Daniel died, aged 87.

What became of Daniel's children?  We know that Annie Davis White married Frederick Snook in Christchurch,  in September 1880 and that they emigrated to California. 

 William married a local girl, Esther and settled in Langton Matravers and had nine 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 go to http://tibblestone.users.btopenworld.com/gerrard.htm )

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.

           Ann J White, born 1870

              Alice Mary White, born 1871

            Julia Harriet White, born 1873

              Emma Elizabeth White, born 1874

         Lydia Amard White, born 1876

               Harry Walter White, born 1877

             Thomas Gerrard White, born 1879

            Lucy Katherine White    born November 1880

 

              William Gerrard  White, born 1881.  

        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. 

 Their second eldest daughter Alice, was unmarried at 30 and living at home. 

Julia, aged 28 was also single and working as a shop assistant in a confectionery shop.

Harry, aged 24 had followed his father into carpentry, whilst Lucy aged 20 had become a daily governess. Six years later she married Robert Edgar Cann, and they became my grandparents.  

What happened to the White siblings after 1901?  Julia Harriet White married Joseph Hibbs in 1902, but she died in 1938.  Her husband Joseph was killed in a bombing raid in Swanage a few years later in 1943. Their twin daughters were Mary and Grace Hibbs.

Emma Elizabeth White had married George Henry Beer in 1897 and had two children, Sydney and Elisabeth Beer.

Harry White became an Estate Manager and died after 1943. 

Thomas Gerrard White died at the young age of 24 in 1903, leaving a young widow, Emma.

 

                          Follow this link to Brian Davis's Website which contains much more on the White and Davis  family. 

                  There is also an explanation for  Daniel White's disappearance to Australia.

Link to an excellent site for online census returns and much more to do with Swanage. 

       http://members.iinet.net.au/~suegar/swanage.htm  

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Last updated on 02 July 2006