William White (abt. 1800 - 1858)

Born about 1800 in Weymouth, Dorset, England

Husband of Mary Ann (Hall) White — married 14 Mar 1827 in East Stonehouse, Devon, England

Husband of Phoebe (Sutling) White — married 4 Jun 1849 in Upper Chelsea, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom

Descendants

Died 20 May 1858 at about age 58 in Chelsea, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom

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Research Notes

No baptism has been found in the Wyke Regis parish baptisms.^[1] Melcombe Regis has been indexed at Ancestry, but does not have any record for William White.

See also William White another soldier from the 96th who served at the same time.

A Catherine White was born in Halifax in 1830 to a member of the 96th Regiment (Vol 125, Page 72).^[2]

Biography

The master copy of this biography, which includes images, is maintained at http://dorneyfamilyhistory.net/famtree_web/History_kiernan.pdf

William was born in Weymouth, Dorset in about 1800, at least as far as he was aware – his birth details are not supported by available records. His father was also named William.

He was just seven years old when he enlisted at Ashfield, Kent in the 29th Regiment of Foot as a drummer boy on 26 November 1807. He became a Private in the Regiment on the 19 May 1818 – probably his eighteenth birthday – and stayed with the Regiment until 24 November 1824, when he left the service.

The 29th Regiment served as part of the Duke of Wellington's forces in the Spanish Peninsular War from 1808 to 1811, was stationed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1814.

Less than a year after leaving the army, on 18 November 1825 William enlisted at London in the 96th Regiment of Foot, quickly becoming a Corporal and then a Serjeant. He was briefly demoted to Private for twelve days in January 1828, then serving alternately as a Serjeant and a Colour Serjeant for the next ten years.

Colour Serjeants were the senior non commissioned officers in a company. They were often assigned to protect ensigns, the most junior officers who were responsible for carrying their battalions' colours to rally troops in battles.

William was court-martialled in mid-1838, sentenced to 14 days imprisonment and reduced to the rank of Private, spending the next seven years of service at that rank, up to his departure from the Regiment on 31 August 1845. The source of his disgrace was “intemperance”.

The 96th Regiment was stationed in Bermuda from 1825 to 1828 and then Halifax, Nova Scotia from 1828 to 1835.

William can't have always been stationed with his regiment, for on 14 March 1827 he married Mary Ann Hall in Saint George's church, East Stonehouse, part of the urban conurbation of Plymouth, in Devon. The witnesses were George Murrey and W Donald.

So far only one child has been identified to the couple – Louisa, born in about 1830.

The 96th Regiment operated in Ireland from (at least) 1836 through 1838, leaving Dublin in January 1839 for England. They commenced travelling to New South Wales in June 1839 as guards on dozens of convict ships with the very last arriving in 1843.

!! More research needed to determine William's locations through this period.

Only from March 1839 do we get a more precise idea of William's whereabouts from payroll information.

From April to September 1839 he was stationed at Wigan, located between Liverpool and Manchester in the north of England. The payroll doesn't record which ship he travelled to New South Wales on, but it is most likely he left in October for Chatham, on the Medway River in Kent. There, under the command of Ensign Sweetenham and with 29 other soldiers he boarded the Lady Raffles, which was transporting 330 convicts to the Colony. They departed on 30 November 1839 and arrived on 17 March 1840.

The payrolls simply recorded William was in “New South Wales” from April 1840 to March 1841. From April to June 1841 the records are a little more specific, stating “Sydney”. In the following quarter he spent six days in the Regimental hospital, for which he received 9d. a day, more than his usual 6d.

In December 1841 he travelled to Norfolk Island where he mostly served until March 1844, guarding the convicts on the island. The last quarter of 1843 he spent in New Zealand, including nine days in hospital.

William probably returned to Sydney in April 1844 with his whereabouts in May 1844 being described only vaguely as “on guard”. His health was clearly declining from this point, with 19 days of June being spent in hospital, and another 26 days the following quarter, which he spent in Sydney.

January 1845 found William in Hobart Town and then in February it was noted “embarked for England 31st Jan”, the same date he was released from service to the 96th Regiment being declared “unfit for further military service.” He was not however formally discharged from the army until 24 June 1845 at Chatham in England.

In the words of the surgeon “I certify that Private William White labours under general infirmity; and is worn out in the service; which affection is entirely the effect of long service, not attributed in any way to vice or misconduct”. The Principal Medical Officer went further, stating “William White is unfit for service, and is likely to be permanently disqualified for military duty, in consequence of chronic dyspnea1, and declining strength and activity.”

On discharge he was described as 5'8” (172cm) tall, with brown hair, grey eyes, a fresh complexion and no marks or scars recorded.

William left his daughter Louisa behind in Sydney and probably did not return there, and married Phoebe Hoddard nee Sutling at Saint Saviours, Upper Chelsea on 4 June 1849. He was recorded as a widower, she a widow. Both were residents of Prince's Street. His father was noted as William White, veteran. The witnesses were William White (his father I wonder?) and Mary Wayling.

William was living at 2 Albert Cottages, Chelsea with his wife Phoebe, five years his senior, in the 1851 Census. He was described as a Chelsea pensioner. 2 Albert Cottages were on Queen Street, now called Flood Street.

William died at 4 Stewarts Grove, Chelsea on 20 May 1858 of “general dropsy”. He was 57 years old.

Sources

1. ↑ http://www.opcdorset.org/WykeRegisFiles/WykeRegis.htm
2. ↑ https://search.findmypast.com.au/search-world-records/british-armed-forces-and-overseas-births-and-baptisms

• First Marriage: "England, Devon Bishop's Transcripts, 1558-1887," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2M3-SZ4N : 15 March 2018), William White and Mary Ann Hall, East Stonehouse, Devon, England; citing Marriage, The Devon Record Office, Exeter.
• Second Marriage: "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2DS4-GY4 : 13 December 2014), William White, 1849; from "England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1849, quarter 2, vol. 3, p. 56, Chelsea, London, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
• Death: WHITE, WILLIAM, Age: 57, GRO Reference: 1858 J Quarter in ST LUKE CHELSEA Volume 01A Page 109 ordered 30 June 2020

• 1851 Census: "England and Wales Census, 1851," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SGXY-759 : 9 November 2019), William White, Chelsea, Middlesex, England; citing Chelsea, Middlesex, England, p. 14, from "1851 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.

• Payrolls 1838-1845: https://trove.nla.gov.au/collection/national-library/AJCP/search?keyword=96th%20regiment
• Record of service of regiment: Record of services of 96th Regiment, June 1839 to June 1849, (Item ff. 11-[36]), (from Records of Manchester Regiment (63rd & 96th Regiments) / Historical Records (2) / Record of services of 96th Regiment (1 vol.) (2/1/6)) https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/236563098
• https://www.tameside.gov.uk/MuseumsandGalleries/96th-Regiment