A Goole Draper & Church Worker: Henry Silvester White
Goole History > Goole People & Families> Henry Silvester White (I)
HENRY SILVESTER WHITE
Henry Silvester White is the name which appears on one of the commemorative stones at the entrance to St Mary's church hall in Old Goole, laid on the occasion of the granting of a Charter of Incorporation to the Town of Goole in 1933. The Goole Times conducted a long interview with H S White in 1915, some years after he had retired from business.
This interview revealed that "Mr White was a native of Mansfield,
Nottinghamshire [born about 1854] and on leaving school
he was apprenticed to the drapery business with Messrs E. and
R. Charlton, who then traded in the Market Place of his native
town. Afterwards he went to work for a firm of drapers at Doncaster,
and after serving well and conscientiously there he heard from
a traveller that there was a drapery shop to let in Goole."
Mr White is quoted as saying, "This was the first time I
had heard of Goole, and my employer had not previously heard of
the town[!], and he decided to come with me and look
at the place. The shop to let had been occupied by Mr Shearburn,
and was that of 28 Ouse Street. I rented the shop [about 1881]
and worked might and main for it to be a success, and success
attended my efforts. At that time Ouse Street and Aire Street
were the chief shopping centres of the town - they were the principal
thoroughfares. The railway station was close by, and that part
of the town was very busy. As time went on, I opened another shop
in Carlisle Street and had a stall in the old Market Hall, where
I sold on Wednesdays and Saturdays. After 12 1⁄2 years of
very successful business, I retired."
The interview continues; "This is the plain story, simply
told by Mr White, of his business career. There is a touch of
romance about it in the fact that he came a stranger to the town,
rented a shop which was in the open market "to let,"
and in the comparatively short time of 12 1⁄2 years earned
sufficient money to enable him to retire. Here is evidence of
his capacity for method and carefulness, and as he says, it would
have been impossible to accomplish what he did unless he had concentrated
the whole of his energies and exercised the most minute care."
Then it was, after his retirement, as a sort of thank-offering,
that Mr White made a vow "which he has adhered to ever since."
It was this: "Goole has done very well for me, and I in turn
will endeavour to do my best for Goole in anything that comes
along."
His long association with church life in Goole was recognised
in 1933, as indicated above at the Charter ceremonies, when he
was 79 years of age, and at his death ten years later The
Goole Times of Friday 21st May 1943 had as its headline:
HIS VOW OF SERVICE TO GOOLE - MANY YEARS OF PUBLIC WORK
followed by "For many years a respected and popular figure
in Goole, Mr Henry Silvester White has died at the age of 89 at
the home of his daughter, Mrs Cottingham [formerly Eleanor
Edge White, who had married James Cottingham, headmaster of Wistow
National School, in 1915] of Leeds Road, Selby, with whom
he had lived for the past few years. At one time, few men held
more offices in connection with local organisations than Mr White
... his long retirement was frequently as busy as his business
career."
"Soon after retiring he took up the secretaryship, along
with Mr John Luddington, of the Goole Flower Show, which had then
been in existence for about two years. With hard work the show
was made to prosper and become one of the best for many miles
around. He was secretary for 14 years, retiring in 1908. In 1900,
during the Boer War, Mr White was made secretary of a committee
formed to make arrangements for the homecoming of the Goole Volunteers,
who had assisted the Regular Army in South Africa. Then, again
jointly with Mr Luddington, Mr White became secretary of the Goole
Fat Stock Show, which was very successful during their term of
office. For a considerable period Mr White rendered valuable service
as the Probation Officer. The old Goole and District Money Club,
at one time a very flourishing organisation, had the benefit of
his services as treasurer for about twenty years.
For a very lengthy period Mr White was prominently associated
with Goole Parish Church. He was a sidesman for 17 years before
being made vicar's warden, which post he held for several years
under various vicars of the parish. The church work he loved most
in his more active days was the organising of the Christmas treat
for a thousand poor children of the town. The Parish Church has
lost probably its oldest and most faithful worker for, as long
as his health was good, he was always ready to assist it.
During the last war he performed much useful relief work and it
would, indeed, be difficult to mention any worthy organisation
or cause with which Mr White was not at one time or another connected.
He also did a great deal of good privately. He naturally saw much
of the town's growth and development and was able, from a retentive
memory, to speak of conditions during his early days here."
Henry Silvester White outlived his wife Jane, who died in 1929,
and his four sons, and died at his daughter's home. The sons were
Frank Silvester White (d. 1923), Charles Edward White (d. 1927),
George William White (d. 1940), and Henry Knowles White (d. 1941).