William Henry White
Encyclopedia
Sir William Henry White (2 February 1845 – 27 February 1913) was a prolific British
warship
designer and Chief Constructor at the Admiralty
.
He was born in Devonport
and became an apprentice at the naval dockyard there
in 1859. In 1863 he obtained a scholarship to enter the newly formed Royal School of Naval Architecture
in South Kensington
, in London
. After his apprenticeship he worked for the Admiralty on specifications and calculations for new ships, and became secretary to the then Chief Constructor of the Admiralty, Edward Reed
, until the latter's resignation on 9 July 1870.
He was then appointed instructor on naval design at the Royal School of Naval Architecture, and in 1872 became secretary of the Council of Construction which oversaw all Royal Navy ship construction. From 1872–1873 he worked at Pembroke and Portsmouth Dockyards.
In March 1875 he was promoted to Assistant Constructor and married later in that year. He also published his A Manual of Naval Architecture. For the use of Officers of the Royal Navy, Shipbuilders. He resigned from the Admiralty in April 1883 and joined Sir William Armstrong
's company as designer and manager of their warship construction. He returned to the Admiralty as Director of Naval Construction
and Assistant Controller of the Navy on 1 August 1885. He was immediately involved in a reorganisation of the dockyards and technical departments, and later worked on the design of the revolutionary Royal Sovereign class battleships
. He was knighted in 1895.
He suffered a nervous breakdown in 1901 following criticism in Parliament
for the near-capsizing of the Royal Yacht, the Victoria and Albert, which had happened when she was floated out of the graving dock where she was being fitted out on 3 July 1900. The cause was around 700 tons of excessive weight above the centre of gravity of the ship, in particular a large amount of cement
sound-proofing around the Royal apartments. Consequently, the metacentric height
was reduced from a stable 2 feet to a very unsafe 3 inches. Although it exonerated him from direct responsibility, the Admiralty blamed him for "not sufficiently impressing upon your subordinates the novelty and importance of the task entrusted to them".
He submitted his last design for a battleship, the King Edward VII class
, in April 1901, but he was ill and constantly worried about trivial matters, unable to delegate even the most minor decision. He requested early retirement and left the Admiralty on 31 January 1902.
In the 16 years that he was head of naval construction, he bore ultimate responsibility for the design of 43 battleship
s, 26 armoured cruisers, 102 protected cruiser
s and 74 unarmoured warships, a total of 245 ships worth (in 1900) £80 million.
Following his retirement, he was a consulting architect in the design of the Cunard
liner RMS Mauretania
and president of the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and the Institution of Marine Engineers. He was also Chairman of the Council, Royal Society of Arts from 1909–1910 and governor of Imperial College
from 1907 until his death from a stroke in 1913.
White was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in June 1888 and a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
in 1900.
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
warship
Warship
A warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way from merchant ships. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuvrable than merchant ships...
designer and Chief Constructor at the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
.
He was born in Devonport
Devonport, Devon
Devonport, formerly named Plymouth Dock or just Dock, is a district of Plymouth in the English county of Devon, although it was, at one time, the more important settlement. It became a county borough in 1889...
and became an apprentice at the naval dockyard there
HMNB Devonport
Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England...
in 1859. In 1863 he obtained a scholarship to enter the newly formed Royal School of Naval Architecture
Royal School of Naval Architecture
The first School of Naval Architecture opened in 1811 in Portsmouth and closed in 1832. The Royal School of Naval Architecture or Royal School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering was an institution founded in South Kensington in 1864 to train naval architects...
in South Kensington
South Kensington
South Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London. It is a built-up area located 2.4 miles west south-west of Charing Cross....
, in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. After his apprenticeship he worked for the Admiralty on specifications and calculations for new ships, and became secretary to the then Chief Constructor of the Admiralty, Edward Reed
Edward James Reed
Sir Edward James Reed , KCB, FRS, was a British naval architect, author, politician, and railroad magnate. He was the Chief Constructor of the Royal Navy from 1863 until 1870...
, until the latter's resignation on 9 July 1870.
He was then appointed instructor on naval design at the Royal School of Naval Architecture, and in 1872 became secretary of the Council of Construction which oversaw all Royal Navy ship construction. From 1872–1873 he worked at Pembroke and Portsmouth Dockyards.
In March 1875 he was promoted to Assistant Constructor and married later in that year. He also published his A Manual of Naval Architecture. For the use of Officers of the Royal Navy, Shipbuilders. He resigned from the Admiralty in April 1883 and joined Sir William Armstrong
William George Armstrong, 1st Baron Armstrong
William George Armstrong, 1st Baron Armstrong CB, FRS was an effective Tyneside industrialist who founded the Armstrong Whitworth manufacturing empire.-Early life:...
's company as designer and manager of their warship construction. He returned to the Admiralty as Director of Naval Construction
Director of Naval Construction
The Director of Naval Construction was a senior British civil servant post in the Admiralty, that part of the British Civil Service that oversaw the Royal Navy. The post existed from 1860 to 1966....
and Assistant Controller of the Navy on 1 August 1885. He was immediately involved in a reorganisation of the dockyards and technical departments, and later worked on the design of the revolutionary Royal Sovereign class battleships
Royal Sovereign class battleship
The Royal Sovereign class was a class of pre-dreadnought battleships of the British Royal Navy. The class comprised seven ships built to the same design: HMS Royal Sovereign, , HMS Ramilles, HMS Repulse, HMS Resolution, HMS Revenge, and HMS Royal Oak, and a half-sister built to a modified design: ....
. He was knighted in 1895.
He suffered a nervous breakdown in 1901 following criticism in Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
for the near-capsizing of the Royal Yacht, the Victoria and Albert, which had happened when she was floated out of the graving dock where she was being fitted out on 3 July 1900. The cause was around 700 tons of excessive weight above the centre of gravity of the ship, in particular a large amount of cement
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
sound-proofing around the Royal apartments. Consequently, the metacentric height
Metacentric height
The metacentric height is a measurement of the static stability of a floating body. It is calculated as the distance between the centre of gravity of a ship and its metacentre . A larger metacentric height implies greater stability against overturning...
was reduced from a stable 2 feet to a very unsafe 3 inches. Although it exonerated him from direct responsibility, the Admiralty blamed him for "not sufficiently impressing upon your subordinates the novelty and importance of the task entrusted to them".
He submitted his last design for a battleship, the King Edward VII class
King Edward VII class battleship
The King Edward VII class was a class of pre-dreadnought battleships launched by the Royal Navy between 1903 and 1905.-Armament:By 1901, the 29 British battleships of the Majestic, Canopus, Formidable, London, Queen, and Duncan classes then in service or under construction, all following the same...
, in April 1901, but he was ill and constantly worried about trivial matters, unable to delegate even the most minor decision. He requested early retirement and left the Admiralty on 31 January 1902.
In the 16 years that he was head of naval construction, he bore ultimate responsibility for the design of 43 battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s, 26 armoured cruisers, 102 protected cruiser
Protected cruiser
The protected cruiser is a type of naval cruiser of the late 19th century, so known because its armoured deck offered protection for vital machine spaces from shrapnel caused by exploding shells above...
s and 74 unarmoured warships, a total of 245 ships worth (in 1900) £80 million.
Following his retirement, he was a consulting architect in the design of the Cunard
Cunard Line
Cunard Line is a British-American owned shipping company based at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operated by Carnival UK. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century...
liner RMS Mauretania
RMS Mauretania (1906)
RMS Mauretania was an ocean liner designed by Leonard Peskett and built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson at Wallsend, Tyne and Wear for the British Cunard Line, and launched on 20 September 1906. At the time, she was the largest and fastest ship in the world. Mauretania became a favourite among...
and president of the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and the Institution of Marine Engineers. He was also Chairman of the Council, Royal Society of Arts from 1909–1910 and governor of Imperial College
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
from 1907 until his death from a stroke in 1913.
White was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in June 1888 and a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences or Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden. The Academy is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization which acts to promote the sciences, primarily the natural sciences and mathematics.The Academy was founded on 2...
in 1900.
Further reading
- A potted biography of Sir William White
- A Century of Naval Construction, D.K. Brown, Conway Maritime Press 1983, ISBN 0-85177-282-X