Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1889, volume 6).djvu/508

the Dominion board, and represented that body ' for five years in the National board of trade of the United States. He was in favor of such special trade relations between different parts of the Brit- ish empire as would strengthen the bond of union between the mother country and the colonies. He was one of the most popular members of the cabi- net, and was highly regarded even by his political opponents. — His brother, Richard, b. in Montreal, 14 May, 1834, established with Thomas the Peter- borough "Review" in 1853, purchased the Hamil- ton " Daily Spectator " in 1864, and in 1870 the Montreal " Gazette," the oldest newspaper in the Dominion. He is the managing director of the "Montreal Gazette" printing company. In addi- tion to the daily and weekly editions of the " Ga- zette," the company publishes the " Legal News," the " Montreal Law Reports," the " Montreal Medi- cal and Surgical Journal," and the " Educational Record." Mr. White is actively connected with various financial and industrial associations, has been a member of the city government of Montreal, and during the prevalence of small-pox in that city did much to alleviate the condition of the people and to stop the progress of the epidemic.

WHITE, William, P. E. bishop, b. in Phila- delphia, Pa., 4 April, 1748; d. there, 17 July, 1836. His father, Col. Thomas White, removed to Phila- delphia from Maryland in 1745, and married Esther, widow of John Neuman, and daughter of Abraham Hew- lings, of Bur- lington, N. J., 7 May, 1747. There were two children of this marriage, Will- iam, and Mary, who became the wife of Robert Morris. Will- iam entered the English depart- mentof the Col- lege and acad- emy of Phila- delphia at the age of seven,

and at ten the

Latin-school. He was graduated in 1765, and soon began his theological studies, which he completed in 1770. In October of this year iie sailed for Eng- land to obtain holy orders, bringing such testimo- nials that, although he was several months under the required age, he obtained from the archbishop of Canterbury a faculty allowing him to be ordained. He was ordered deacon in the Chapel royal, St. James's palace, Westminster, 23 Dec, 1770, by Dr. Young, bishop of Norwich, acting for the bishop of London, who had episcopal oversight of allthe colo- nies, and was ordained priest in the chapel of Ful- ham palace, 25 April, 1772, by the bishop of London. He sailed for this country, where he arrived on 13 Sept., and soon afterward became assistant minister of Christ and St. Peter's churches. On 11 Feb., 1773, he married Marv, daughter of Capt. Henry Harrison, mayor of Philadelphia. Within a few years he became rector of the united parishes of Christ, St. Peter's, and St. James's. The degree of D. D. was given him by the University of Pennsylvania in 1782, it being the first honorary degree of that college. All the clergy of Philadelphia sided with the colonies during the Revolution, none more zealously than Dr. White. Upon the occupation of Philadelphia by the British forces, he removed in September, 1777, to Harford county, Md., but he returned after the evacuation, and resumed his duties. Then began the long and trying struggle to sustain the life of the church, in which he took an active part. Almost despairing of success in obtaining the episcopate, which was essential to the reorganization of the church, Dr. White, in August, 1782, put forth a pamphlet with the title " The Case of the Episcopal Churches Considered" (Philadelphia, 1782), in which he advocated the appointment of superintendents, with similar powers, to take the place of bishops in the government of the church. This plan, which found favor largely in the middle and southern states, was bitterly opposed by the clergy of Connecticut, and negotiations for peace having advanced to the point of probability, the pamphlet was withdrawn from circulation, and the plan was abandoned. On 27 March, 1784, the clergy of the city of Philadelphia, and lay representatives from its parishes, met in Dr. White's study to take steps for the organization of the church in Pennsylvania, which meeting resulted in the assembling.of a council in Christ church, 26 May, 1784, the first council in which laymen had been represented. Proposals were sent out to the churches in other states to meet in general convention, Dr. White's letters helping largely in bringing about this result. The first meeting of that body was held in New York in October, 1784, though delegates were sent only on the authority of their several parishes. On Tuesday, 27 Sept., 1785, clerical and lay deputies from several states met in Christ church, Philadelphia, and organized as a general convention, of which Dr. White was chosen president. Steps were taken at once by the appointment of committees to draft a constitution for the church, and to prepare a schedule of necessary alterations in the liturgy. Dr. White made the original draft of the constitxition, and also prepared an address to the arch-bishops and bishops of the Church of England, asking for the episcopate at their hands. He was also largely instrumental in giving shape to the liturgy and offices of the Prayer-Book which were to be submitted to the authorities of the Church of England with the address. At the convention of the diocese of Pennsylvania in 1786 he was elected its first bishop, and sailed for England in company with Dr. Samuel Provoost. of New York, seeking consecration, arriving in London, 29 Nov., 1786. After many delays, and the passage of a special enabling act by parliament, he was, with Dr. Provoost, at last consecrated in the chapel of Lambeth palace, 4 Feb., 1787, by the archbishops of Canterbury and York, and the bishops of Bath and Wells, and Peterborough. He reached Philadelphia again on Easter Sunday, 7 April, 1787, and entered upon his trying duties, not the least of which concerned the recognition of the consecration of Bishop Seabury, in all of which his mild temper and broad charity were effective in restoring peace and harmony to the councils of the church. He was appointed chaplain to congress in 1787, which office he held till 1801. Besides his episcopal duties, he was foremost in many public charities and enterprises, and held the presidency of the Philadelphia Bible society, dispensary, Prison society, Asylum for the deaf and dumb, and Institution for the blind. He died at the advanced age of eighty-eight, after living to see the church in the states thoroughly organized and rapidly growing, and consecrating eleven bishops. His remains were buried in the church-yard of Christ