Richard Bromby Whiter (1885)

Born 1885 in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, England, United Kingdom

Biography

Richard was born in 1885 on the Isle of Wight, England, the son of Arthur Parsons Whiter and his wife Anne Maria, nee Bromby. He was baptised at East Cowes, Hampshire on 25 Feb 1885.^[1]

In 1901 he was living in Lambeth in London and was a Doctor's Boy.^[2]

He enlisted in the Royal Navy on 08 Jan 1902 (No. 360014). He had raised his age by about 1 year and gave his occupation as page. At time of enlistment he was 5 ft 1 in tall, with brown hair, blue eyes and a fresh complexion. He was discharged on 01 Oct 1908. By 1907 he was 5 ft 7 in tall.^[3]

He married Mabel Annie Simmons in Leeds, England in the Dec quarter of 1908. He and Mabel departed from London on the "Waratah" on 06 Nov 1908^[4] and disembarked at Sydney, NSW on 18 Dec 1908.^[5]

Richard was a carpenter and builder by trade. It seems he learned the trade at the Royal Navy at Gorrnwick (?) as a boy before working in England for about 7 years. He then served in the Royal Navy for about 9 years, before moving to Australia where he worked as a house and general carpenter. From about 1915 he worked in rural Victoria and NSW, at Swan Hill, Nyah, Moalarim, NSW and Cooabiac. For a time he worked for the Swan Hill Cooperative Co. and also for the State Rivers and Water Commission on punts,

On 25 Feb 1918 he applied to become an Australian Munitions Worker under a joint Australian government/ British government scheme to supply skilled workers for the War effort in the UK. At the time he was married with 5 dependants and was living at Kerang, VIC. He stated he was a "life long abstainer" and had been rejected for active service.

He was accepted and was issued with Australian Munitions Worker Badge No. 3873. He embarked on the SS "Balmoral Castle" in Sydney on 13 Apr 1918, but went ashore at Wellington, New Zealand to have some teeth removed and missed the sailing. He arrived at Liverpool, England on the next ship, the SS "Euripides" on 02 Jul 1918. It took a while for him to be reunited with his tools, which had arrived on the "Balmoral Castle".

He commenced work at the Ford Aerodrome in Salisbury as a carpenter on 15 Jul 1918. Within days, strike action was taken by the Union & he was caught up in it. He's been pressured to join the Union & felt powerless to affect events. He sought a transfer to another site but this was declined.

On 02 Oct 1918 he was permitted to transfer to Messrs. Mowlem & Co. of Middlesborough as a carpenter. He transferred to Messrs. Holloway Bros. of Rosyth as a carpenter on 28 Jan 1919. He'd not been paid for about 2 weeks by Mowlem & Co. & was having no satisfaction getting his money. He was advised that all Munitions Worker contracts had been terminated on 14 Jan 1919 and officials couldn't help. He was off work for a week with a septic hand in Feb 1919 and found it impossible to get work afterwards.

He returned to Australia on the SS "Kursk", departing Liverpool, England on 21 Mar 1919. He disembarked at Port Melbourne, Australia on 07 May 1919 and his contract was terminated the same day as complete.

His wife Mabel died in Bairnsdale, VIC in 1934.^[6]

In 1935 he seems to have purchased Boydtown on the NSW southern coast with a view to developing it as a tourist attraction.^[7][8]

He remarried in Victoria in 1938 to Myrtle Mary Bower.

He was still in Eden in 1948 and had taken a prominent role in the community.^[9]

In 1963 he was still living in Eden NSW. (C/- Whiter Bros.)^[10] His wife Myrtle died in Eden in 1963, but his death has not been identified.

Sources

1. ↑ Richard Bromby Whiter in the England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 - FHL Film Number: 1470877; Source Information: Ancestry.com. England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.; Original data: England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013.
2. ↑ Richard B Whiter in the 1901 England Census - Source Citation: Class: RG13; Piece: 428; Folio: 60; Page: 36; Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1901 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.; Original data: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives, 1901. Data imaged from the National Archives, London, England. The National Archives gives no warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or fitness for the purpose of the information provided. Images may be used only for purposes of research, private study or education. Applications for any other use should be made to the National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU.
3. ↑ The National Archives - ADM - Records of the Admiralty, Naval Forces, Royal Marines, Coastguard, and related bodies; Division within ADM - Records of Service; ADM 188 - Admiralty: Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's Services; Subseries within ADM 188 - General series to 1907; ADM 188/547 - 360001-360500; Reference: ADM 188/547/360014; Description: Name Whiter, Richard Bromby; Official Number: 360014; Place of Birth: Cowes, Isle of Wight; Date of Birth: 29 December 1883; Date: [1902]; Held by: The National Archives, Kew; Former reference in its original department: Vol No. 360-1; Legal status: Public Record(s)
4. ↑ Richard Whiter in the UK and Ireland, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960 - Official Number: 125741; Source Information: Ancestry.com. UK and Ireland, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.; Original data: Board of Trade: Commercial and Statistical Department and successors: Outwards Passenger Lists. BT27. Records of the Commercial, Companies, Labour, Railways and Statistics Departments. Records of the Board of Trade and of successor and related bodies. The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, England.
5. ↑ Richard Whiter in the Victoria, Australia, Assisted and Unassisted Passenger Lists, 1839-1923 - Source Citation: Public Record Office Victoria; North Melbourne, Victoria; Inward Overseas Passenger Lists (British Ports) [Microfiche Copy of VPRS 947]; Series: VPRS 7666; Source Information: Ancestry.com. Victoria, Australia, Assisted and Unassisted Passenger Lists, 1839-1923 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2009.; Original data: Inward Overseas Passenger Lists (British Ports). Microfiche VPRS 7666, copy of VRPS 947. Public Record Office Victoria, North Melbourne, Victoria.; Inward Overseas Passenger Lists (Foreign Ports). Microfiche VPRS 7667, copy of VRPS 947. Public Record Office Victoria, North Melbourne, Victoria.; Inward Overseas Passenger Lists (New Zealand Ports). Microfiche VPRS 13439, copy of VRPS 947. Public Record Office Victoria, North Melbourne, Victoria.; Register of Assisted Immigrants from the United Kingdom. Microfiche VPRS 14. Public Record Office Victoria, North Melbourne, Victoria.
6. ↑ Death of wife - Victoria BDM Death index - Event: deaths; Registration number: 17505 / 1934; Family name: WHITER; Given name(s): Mabel Annie; Place of event: BAIRNSDALE, Australia; Personal detail Mother's name: Elizth; Mother's family name at birth: DAY; Father's Name: SIMMONS Unknown
7. ↑ EDEN. (1935, August 23). The Southern Record and Advertiser (Candelo, NSW : 1910 - 1938), p. 2. Retrieved June 12, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article133470238
8. ↑ EDEN. (1936, October 23). The Southern Record and Advertiser (Candelo, NSW : 1910 - 1938), p. 8. Retrieved June 12, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article133471358
9. ↑ Eden Residents Thank Minister (1948, September 9). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 2. Retrieved June 12, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205685694
10. ↑ Richard Bromby Whiter in the Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 (1963) - Source Information: Ancestry.com. Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.; Original data: Australian Electoral Commission. [Electoral roll].

• Birth - UK GRO BDM Birth index - WHITER, RICHARD BROMBY; BROMBY; GRO Reference: 1885 M Quarter in ISLE OF WIGHT Volume 02B Page 612

• Marriage #1 - FreeBMD.org.uk - SIMMONS Mabel Annie; WHITER Richard Bromby; Leeds; 9b; 874

• WW1 Australian Munitions Worker Service File - National Archives of Australia - WHITER Richard Bromby [Bromley] - Munitions Worker Number 3873 -

• Marriage - Victoria BDM Marriage index - Event: marriages; Registration number: 12980 / 1938; Family name: WHITER; Given name(s): Richard Bromby; Personal detail Spouse's family name: BOWER; Spouse's given name(s): Myrtle Mary