Introduction
William George White was born into a family of builders in Hardington. After completing his apprenticeship, he began working as a journeyman carpenter, and prospects appeared promising. Tragically, his life was cut short by scarlet fever at the age of twenty-one.
Early life
William was born on 10 November 1901 at Hardington Mandeville, the eldest of six children born to George Walter White and his wife, Ellen Florence Leach (née Partridge).[1] His grandfather, George White, was a builder, while his father was a carpenter.
Initially, the family lived in Rectory Lane before moving to Barry Lane around 1909.[2] William began attending Hardington School on June 25, 1906, at the age of four and remained there until he left on July 21, 1916, at the age of fourteen. [3] During his school years, the family moved again, settling at Hardington Moor around 1912.[4]
Apprenticeship and working life
The move to Hardington Moor probably brought the family into a house owned and partly occupied by William’s widowed grandfather, George White, who continued to run the family’s building business. By the time of the 1921 census, three generations were involved in the enterprise. George remained at its head, while his son George Walter worked as a carpenter, and William and his younger brother Sidney Walter were both employed as apprentice carpenters.
As an apprentice, William would have learned every aspect of the trade, from preparing timber and constructing roof frames to fitting doors, windows and interior woodwork. After completing his apprenticeship, he became a journeyman carpenter, indicating that he had progressed beyond training and was now earning a living as a qualified craftsman.
Illness and death
During the early 1920s, scarlet fever was a serious infectious disease, despite improvements in public health. Before the introduction of antibiotics, even healthy young adults could succumb to complications from what is now usually regarded as a childhood illness.
William contracted scarlet fever and died at Hardington Moor on 4 December 1922, at the age of twenty-one.[5] His death came only a short time after he completed his apprenticeship and began his career as a qualified carpenter.
Conclusion
William’s surviving records reveal only glimpses of his short life, yet they depict a young man following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather in the family business. His early death deprived both his family and the village of a skilled craftsman who had just begun his working life.
References
[1] Hardington School admissions register; family reconstitution.
[2] Hardington voters’ lists; guardian valuations.
[3] Hardington School admissions register.
[4] Hardington voters’ lists.
[5] Death certificate of William George White; Western Chronicle, 29 Dec 1922, p 3.
