William Henry White was born in Bristol, England, on 23 December 1862. He studied at Bristol School of Art and between 1881 and 1884 was articled to Walter Hartley Price in Bristol. After working briefly in the office of Edwin Seward (1853-1924) and George Thomas (1848?-1910) in Cardiff, Wales he moved to London where in 1885 he was assistant to George Campbell Sherrin (1843-1909) in London. He also attended the Royal College of Art in London and was employed in the office of Thomas Henry Watson (1839-1913) as his assistant from 1886.
In 1887 White qualified as an architect and in 1889 passed his District Surveyors' Examination. He set up his own practice in London in 1892. By 1926 he was in partnership with his son, Theodore Francis Hansford White (1890-1980) as W. Henry White & Son. They were later joined by another son when it was renamed W. Henry White & Sons.
Two drawings and a plan of 'Shepheards Hurst', Outwood, Surrey designed by W. Henry White are illustrated in 'The Studio Yearbook of Decorative Art' 1907 (p.42). White designed several private houses and commercial buildings in the Harley Street, Portland Place, St. John's Wood, and New Bond Street area of London. Other works included 'The Homestead' in Christchurch, New Zealand; bank premises in Cavendish Square and Brompton Road, London; electric light stations in Aybrook Street and Moscow Road, London; the Clifton Hotel in Welbeck Street, London; the Queen's Canadian Military Hospital in Shorncliffe; factory premises in Aybrook Steet and Bolsover Street, London; and war memorials in Great Marlow, Buckinghamshire, and at St Stephen's Church in Avenue Road, London.
White was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA) in 1887 and a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1903. He also became a Fellow of the Royal Sanitary Institute (FRSI). He exhibited at the Royal Academy in London between 1901-24. His office was located at 14a Cavendish Place, Cavendish Square, London from the 1890s-1949. White died in Chelmaford, Essex on 17 December 1949 After his death, his practice was continued by his sons.
Town Houses: in Harley Street, W.; Wimpole Street, W.; Queen Anne Street, W.; Cavendish Square, W.; Bentinck Street, W.; Welbeck Street, W.; New Cavendish Street, W.; Devonshire Street, W.; St. John's Wood, N.W.; Avenue Road, N.W. Country Houses: including " Anstie Grange", Holmwood; "Pembury Ridge", Tunbridge Wells; " Newlands", and " Elmhurst", Bourne End; " Sunnybank", Enfield; " Dormans Park", Surrey: "Roseway", Horning, Norfolk; "White Lodge." Portishead. Huntingdon; " Woodside, Alverstoke; "The Homestead", Christchurch, New Zealand; etc., etc. Alterations, additions and Decorative Schemes: at houses in Portland Place. W., and district; "Minster Acres Hall", Northumberland; "Kensington House", Bayswater, W.; " Park Grange", Sevenoaks, Kent; "Overthorpe Hall" Northants; "Heatherwold", Oxshott; etc., etc. Blocks of Flats: in Portland Place, W.; Wlmpole Street, W.; Great Portland Street, W.; Holloway, N.; St. John's Wood, N.W.; etc., etc. Business Premises: in Oxford Street, W.; New Bond Street, W.; Princes Street, Cavendish Square, W.; St. Paul's Churchyard, E.C.: High Street, Marylebone, W.; Hampstead Road, N.W.; William Street, N.W.; St. John's Wood, N.W.; Hatton Garden. W.C.; St. James's Street, S.W.; and Regent Street, W. Bank Premises: Cavendish Square and Brompton Road. W. Electric Light Stations: in Aybrook Street and Moscow Road, W. The Church Institute and Hall, St. Mary's, Limehouse, E.C.: Trinity Church House, Hall and Institute, Great Portland Street, W.; the "Bentinck " Hotel, Margaret Street, W.: the "Redbourne " Hotel, Great Portland Street, W.; the "Clifton" Hotel, Welbeck Street, W.; the Queen's Canadian Military Hospital, Shorncliffe. War Memorials: for Great Marlow, Bucks, and St. Stephen's Church, Avenue Road, N.W. Factory Premises: in Aybrook Street and Bolsover Street, W.; Piercefield Street, N.W.; Little Portland Street, W.; Phoenix Yard, W.; Great Titchfield Street, W.; the Queen's Canadian Military Hospital, Shorncliffe. War Memorials: for Great Marlow, Bucks, and St. Stephen's Church, Avenue Road, N.W. Factory Premises: in Aybrook Street and Bouvover Street, etc., etc. [Source: Who's Who in Architecture 1923, 1926]
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 2: L-Z. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001
Gray, A. Stuart. Edwardian Architecture: a Biographical Dictionary. London: Gerald Duckworth & Co., Ltd., 1985
'Obituary'. The Builder vol. 177, 23 December 1949 p. 835
'Obituary'. RIBA Journal vol. 57, February 1950 p. 160
Who's Who in Architecture 1923. edited by Drederick Chatterton. London: The Architectural Press, 1923
Who's Who in Architecture 1926. edited by Drederick Chatterton. London: The Architectural Press, 1926