Death of Colonel HENRY WHITE 1844 on voyage Australia to England

[GeoffTurner]

Hi all,
I have hit a brick wall trying to check the death of Colonel Henry White (1777-1844?), who came to Australia with his son Edward Riggs White (1819-1853) on the ship "City of Edinburgh", arriving in Port Jackson in 1837 (we have the passenger list). From Sydney, Henry and Edward went to Victoria (where they were founding members of the Melbourne Club), and Edward also ventured into South Australia, where he met a Boandik (Buandig) tribal woman named Mingboaram who was working at a station where he was a house guest.  Edward was taken on to help survey the border between Victoria and South Australia, for which he is best known. He fathered a child, Maria White, with Mingboaram. Luckily a missionary's wife, Mrs James (Christina) Smith, detailed the story of Mingboaram and Maria in a book she wrote. Maria then had a daughter, Bertha, with my great granduncle James Turner. My cousins and I (including descendants of Mingboaram) are trying to work back along the White line. Henry White was in the British Army before coming to Australia and we have obtained his service record, so that has been a big help. We also have Edward's probate file, which names his brother Benjamin in Melbourne and sister Mary Anne in Ireland. We couldn't find the death of Benjamin in Victoria, but we now know he was born in Calcutta, so he might have died away from Australia as well. Never mind. We couldn't find Henry's death either, but an article in a historical society journal we located says he "sailed for England in 1844 and died at sea". Henry's death certificate or probate file are not listed in Victoria, which supports this historian's version of events (he has been pretty right about most -- not all -- things in the article, as far as we know). But we are stumped as to how we can check the veracity of the claim he sailed for England in 1844 and died at sea. The historian must have got that information from somewhere. We thought if we could find out which ship he was on that might help, but the Victorian outward passenger lists don't seem to start until 1852, which is too late for us. The usually helpful Trove database of newspapers and other publications hasn't helped. So I'm stumped, which made me think I should turn to my knowledgeable friends on Rootschat. Any ideas? All help gratefully appreciated. Geoff Turner. 

[giblet]

Hi, this i found [on the below link] doesn't mention a son Benjamin but does mention sons, not sure if this helps any or just confusing things more.

Col Henry White was a founding member of the Melbourne Club and also had the license of the Belle Vue Station with his son Lieutenant Henry John White (1810-1869) and in 1840 he took the license of Mt Piper Station with his second son Edward Riggs White (ca 1817-1853). Edward was a surveyor of the South Australian/Victorian boundary in 1849-51. He died in Kilmore. (9) 

https://findingmerriman.com.au/merriman/lt-col-henry-white/

[middlesbrough]

Found this article on Trove but can't be sure if it's Henry.

Shipping Intelligence, 27th March, 1844.

March 25 - Aden, ship for London, passenger Colonel White and 1 servant.

[GeoffTurner]

Grim reading. TSS Sturt was the owner of Compton station near Mount Gambier when Edward was his house guest and got the employee Mingboaram pregnant. On her death bed Mingboaram told Maria her father was "Mr W" -- or perhaps Mrs Smith abbreviated the name for the book (Maria was Maria White after all). We found a reference to son Henry John White on the Kilmore history site, but we are not sure about that, because the service records definitely just have his children as Benjamin, Edward and Mary Anne. In Edward's probate file his next of kin are Benjamin and Mary Anne, and the administrators are Peter Snodgrass and TSS Sturt. Benjamin (b 1816) was the first son, Edward (b 1819) was the second. If there was a Henry (b 1810) he would outrank the others. We were easily confused to start with but I think we are getting a much better handle on it now. I'd really just like to be able to substantiate the statement that Henry sailed for England in 1844 and died at sea.   Geoff

[GeoffTurner]

Middlesbrough, that looks promising, do you remember what paper it was in? He was always called Colonel White.

[giblet]

Hi Geoff, yes grim reading for sure.

I would be more inclined to believe his military records, re the kids. I did have a bit of a look and couldn't find anything to indicate that Henry was his.

I will keeping looking.

[GeoffTurner]

Found him on the Aden thanks Middlesbrough. Yes the military wanted to keep a close eye on kids, in case he died and they had to pay pensions!

[middlesbrough]

It was the Shipping Intelligence dated 27th March 1844. I had a look at records for Deaths at Sea but couldn't find anything. Was Henry Irish?

[GeoffTurner]

Born 2 Jan 1777 at Bride Park, Ovens, Cork, Ireland. Several comments I've seen saying he spoke with a broad Cork accent and swore like a (whatever). Married in London but his wife died and is buried at Kinsale, Cork. When Edward died his sister was living at Killinardish, Cork. Kids were born in India, London and Wales. But the one born in London must have been conceived in the East Indies. So it seems they were basically an Irish family who went wherever he was posted (which included spells in Nova Scotia and Bermuda as well).