Joy Whaite Bellangry 2446 NSW
Copyright 2007
Contact: history@whaite.com
THE FAMILY HISTORY OF HARRY WHAITE C 1855 TO 1931
FAMILY SURNAME
Our family surname and all its variations arose from the occupation of "Wait" a watchman employed by various cities and large towns. The name was derived from Old Norman French waite and Old French guaite,gaite a watchman while another source derives it from Old French waitier to lurk related to Old High German wahten to wake.
Whilst on watch, the waits carried a reed pipe known as a hautboy, wayte or shawm to sound at intervals that "All's Well". Gradually other instruments and players were added to those of the waits and their duties as musicians grew until they were playing at weddings and on official occasions, as required by those in charge of the borough etc where they were employed.
Some of the earliest surname records are those of Ailward Waite 1170-1187 FIND; Roger le Wayte 1221 Suffolk; Roger le Wate Sussex; Adam le Whaite 1349 FIND.
An early records of Waits is in statutes of Edward I (before 1296), which said of City of London that each gate shall "be shut by the servant dwelling there and each servant shall have a wayte, at his own expense"
In Kings Lynn Norfolk, Hall Books mention in 1362 a Johannem de Boyes, also known as Johannem Wayte who was paid 36 shillings and 8 pence and in 1370 a Petro Wayte, also known as Petro Whaite or Whaytte.
As early as 1512 in that town, mention is made of Waits Chains of Office, whilst in Feb 1584 there is an account for Red Cloth for Waits Uniforms.
In Manchester Court Leet Records in 1563 Richard Kirshow and Randall Legh were authorised as common waits, being joined in 1567 by Richard Wirrall. At this time street patrols were carried out on mornings and evenings, but by 1669, the waits only patrolled on Thursday evenings.
Over the years, there are records of Waits in around 130 towns, but around 18th century, their use declined. Kings Lynn Waits were abolished in 1746, though revived as a musical group in 1999.
There are records of Town Trust of Burgery of Sheffield which started as early as 1567, but in 1806, the Waits were paid their yearly allowance and were given notice that they were then to be discontinued.
The passing of Municipal Corporations Act in 1835 abolished the power of the haphazard organisations of boroughs etc and laid the way for a formal structure for municipalities, but in it there was no place for Waits.
A detailed account of the history of Waits is to be found on website http://www.waits.org.uk, from which this account has mainly been taken.
Prior to early 19th century, surnames were quite unstable and their spelling varied from time to time. John Whaite's great grandfather George was known in 1707 as Wayte, his grandfather William in 1710 was baptised as Waite, his father Thomas in 1741 as Wate, while John himself was baptised in 1771 as Weatt, married for the first time in 1793 as Whait and for second time in 1796 as Waite. The 1801 letter mentioning death of John's son George calls him Whaite and thereafter Whaite is the chosen spelling eg entry in 1814 Pigots Manchester Directory is for John Whaite Shoemaker. Just occasionally in records and indexes, even as late as 1881 Census, Whaite is written as Waite.
These records of
the family of the noted Australian Scenic Artist are somewhat marred by the
fact that there are only, to date, two English reports about Harry, who arrived
in Melbourne at the end of 1884 and died in Sydney in 1931.
There is no
mention of him living with his parents in the vital 1861 nor 1871 Census
records, so perhaps he was brought up by a foster mother or foster parents, but
under another name.
His first recorded presence in England begins on Census night on 4 April 1881 in Walsall Foreign Staffordshire under the name of Henry Waite, while in 1882 he is called
John Harry on his son George's Birth Certificate.
All the details
about Harry's ancestry in England are based upon information in Australian
records which are in the main correct. Further details,
especially about his mentor, the English landscape painter and his third cousin,
Henry Clarence Whaite were found in an article in the Australian magazine
"The Theatre", dated 1 December 1909, though some personal details
are quite erroneous.
While Australian
records imply that his father was George Whaite and mother Annie wrongly named
as Garrow on two Australian Certificates, there is no record of Harry's birth
at least as Whaite or any variation. Though birth registration was not legally
required around 1855-1865, its absence may be because Harry was an ex - nuptial
child of either George or Anne [said to be a widow]. No record can be found of
an earlier marriage for Anne Fisher and as she has given no less than three
different maiden names in various documents, it would be difficult to find the
correct birth record that could be Harry.
This family
account is in six parts:
PART ONE: Origins in Nottinghamshire
PART TWO: The Manchester Families
PART FIVE: The First Australian Family - John Whaite
in South Australia: In Preparation.
PART SIX: Miscellaneous Whaite Records: In
Preparation
PART SEVEN: Precis of Families of Australian Whaite Spouses: In
Preparation
PART EIGHT: Family Trees of Australian Spouses: In Preparation