Said to have been born at, Suffolk (there are two villages of this name, some half a mile apart, Inferior and Superior) near Ids, Norfolk, the son of Charles White and his wife, Harried. (The 1851 Census Returns for Inferior show his father as a "Relieving Officer and Pensioner", born at Wetheringsett, Suffolk, aged 48 years, his wife, Harriet, born in Bengal, India (a British subject) aged 40 years, Charles, age 17 (no occupation shown) Frederick, a scholar, aged 14 and three daughters aged between 12 and 7, but who were not at home on the night of the Census. Both boys were then said to have been born at Mendlesham and the girls at Rickingall Inferior. The family lived at Bridge House. That for 1871 refers only to his father as being a "Pensioner, (3rd Officer) H.I.E.C. Service." and his mother, Harriet, but in 1881 his father was referred to as a "Registrar of Births and Deaths and Retired Relieving Officer." His mother was presumably dead, but there were three grand-daughters with the surname of Williams living with his father (the eldest, aged 20, being his house-keeper and an Alfred White, aged 10 years and a grandson. By 1891, all had gone, even the house they had lived in being renamed.
(He is now known to have been baptised in St. Mary's Church at Mendlesham on the 10th of January 1833, the son of Charles and Harriet White. (His father was baptised in All Saint's church at Wetheringsett, Suffolk, on the 24th of April 1801, the son of Jerimiah and Ann White (nee Bird) and his mother in the Fort William Garrison Church at Calcutta on the 25th of June 1797 (born 6th of June 1797) the daughter of John Hawtrey, a "Private in the Infantry" and his wife. Alley. His parents were married by licence in the Cathedral Church at Calcutta on the 11th of November 1831. Both were described as "being of age," and Charles White was a Mate (3rd Class) and serving aboard the Pilot Vessel "Mermaid" of the East India Company's Marine Service. He could not have served very long in this however, as his "Arrival" date is given as the 6th of April 1828.)
Enlisted at Ipswich on the 20th of May 1852.
Age: 18 years 6 months.
Height: 5' 6".
Trade: Clerk.
Dark complexion. Hazel eyes. Brown hair.
At Scutari from the 4th of April — 11th of May 1855.
From Private to Corporal: 4th of October 1857.
Corporal to Sergeant: 4th of October 1859.
Appointed to Hospital Sergeant on the 16th of October 1859.
Re-engaged for 12 years further service at Dublin on the 20th of May 1864.
Attained the rank of Quarter-Master Sergeant on the 16th of October 1866. (This was normal practice after holding a Staff position for seven years.)
Embarked at Portsmouth for service in India aboard the "Serapia" on the 15th of October 1867.
Returned to England from India on the 23rd of March 1874, having left Rawalpindi for Bombay on the 11th of February 1874.
Discharged from Canterbury on the 14th of September 1874.
"Own request, free with pension, after 21 years' service.
Served 22 years 118 days.
In Turkey and the Crimea: 1 year 10 months
In India: 6 years 6 months.
Conduct: "good".
In possession of one G..C badge when promoted and would now have had five.
Never entered in the Regimental Defaulters' book. Never tried by Court-martial.
Aged 40 years 6 months on discharge.
Awarded a pension of 2/- per day.
Documents confirm the award of the Crimean medal with clasps for A.I. and S., the Turkish Medal and the Long Service medal with a gratuity of £5. He later claimed a gratuity of £10, but there is no indication if this was successful.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Inkerman and Sebastopol.
He was awarded the Long Service & Good Conduct medal on the 20th of September 1870.
Shown on the Regimental "Married roll" from the 2nd of May 1859, when his next-of-kin was shown as his wife, Mary Gustavia. Six children are shown as being born into the family by the 31st of March 1874, but a daughter, Alice, aged 1 year 8 months, was buried in the Cantonment Cemetery at Meerut in India on the 1st of July 1871.
The known children were:
Eva, born on the 4th of July 1859.
Claude, born on the 22nd of February 1861.
Laura, born on the 11th of December 1864,
William, born on the 16th of December 1867 — and the son educated at the Royal Military Asylum, Chelsea.
Arthur, born on the 6th of September 1871.
Emily Flora, born on the 23rd of March 1873..
A William H. White entered the Royal Military Asylum at Chelsea on the 5th of April 1878, at the age of 10 years and 3 months. He was shown as being the son of Hospital Sergeant Charles H.H. White of the 4th Hussars and his wife, Maria J. [sic] His father was shown as "Dead," and he was "handed over to his mother," on the 19th of July 1882.
(A man of this name is shown in St. Catherine's House records as dying in the Stow, Suffolk, District during the July-September quarter of 1877, aged 46 years.)
Extract from the "East Anglian Daily Times" for the 2nd of October 1877.
White. — On the 22nd ult. (September) at his father's, Mr. Charles White of Rickinghall, aged 46 years, Mr. Charles Henry Hawtrey White, late Sergeant Major of the 4th Hussars, leaving a widow and seven children to mourn their loss....