Page:Dictionary of National Biography, Third Supplement.djvu/602

 available for their description. In 1902 White retired on account of ill-health. During his seventeen years' service as director of naval construction larger additions were made to the navy than in any preceding period of the same length.

In the early days (1870–1873) of his career White was appointed lecturer on naval design at the royal school, South Kensington, and he continued (until 1881) to act in this capacity on the transfer of the school to the Royal Naval College at Greenwich. While there he formulated a scheme of instruction in naval architecture for the executive officers of the royal navy which has been continued to the present time. In association with Sir Nathaniel Barnaby, Admiral Sir Houston Stewart [q.v.], and Sir Thomas Brassey (afterwards Earl Brassey) [q.v.] he devised the organization of the royal corps of naval constructors, dating from 1883. During his year of office as master of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights, he, with the assistance of the first Lord Norton [q.v.], founded the educational trust fund, which during the past forty years has helped hundreds of young naval architects to obtain a technical education. He was for some years on the governing body of the National Physical Laboratory, during which time he took much interest in the installation of the William Froude tank. He had considerable literary ability: his Manual of Naval Architecture (first edition, 1877) is a model of clear, popular exposition of a difficult subject; it is enriched by many data that reached the Admiralty during his period of service, especially results of original scientific investigations obtained by William Froude [q.v.]. He contributed twenty papers, all of great merit, to the Transactions of the Institution of Naval Architects. He also wrote many important articles for leading magazines, and several pamphlets on special subjects connected with naval architecture.

Many honours were awarded White, among them his appointment in 1885 as assistant controller of the navy; he received the K.C.B. in 1895. He was of genial personality, much liked by his fellows, a ready debater, lucid in his statements and convincing to his opponents. He was a welcome guest at the dinners of many City companies, at which he frequently exercised his influence to obtain donations for assistance in educational matters.

White, who left three sons and one daughter, was twice married: first, in 1875 to Alice (died 1886), daughter of F. Martin, of Pembroke, chief constructor, R.N.; and secondly, in 1890 to Annie (who survived him), daughter of F. C. Marshall, J.P., of Tynemouth. He died suddenly in London 27 February 1913, leaving behind him a brilliant record of work and an example to the corps which he did much to inaugurate. During his lifetime the ‘wooden walls of old England’, wooden ships carrying what are now regarded as feeble armaments, were replaced by iron and steel armoured vessels carrying guns of very great power. In this revolution Sir William White played an important part.

 WHYTE, ALEXANDER (1836–1921), divine, was born at Kirriemuir, Forfarshire, 13 January 1836, of parents who never married. Brought up by his mother, Janet Thomson, who earned her living as a weaver and harvester, the boy owed much to her influence as well as to that of two local ministers and several keenly intelligent artisans. Abandoning the shoemaking trade to which he had served his apprenticeship, Whyte taught for four years in village schools. At the age of twenty-two (1858) he matriculated in King's College, Aberdeen, and, supporting himself mainly by teaching evening classes, succeeded in graduating as M.A. with second-class honours in mental philosophy in 1862. (Sir) William Duguid Geddes and Alexander Bain were the professors who made the deepest impression on him. During this period he became acquainted with the writings of Thomas Goodwin, the elder [q.v.], and Goodwin's influence persisted to the end of his life.

Whyte decided to enter the ministry of the Free Church of Scotland, and four years (1862–1866) devoted to the study of theology at New College, Edinburgh, enabled him to become a licentiate. After serving as colleague at St. John's Free church, Glasgow (1866–1870), he became colleague to Robert Smith Candlish [q.v.] at St. George's Free church, Edinburgh, and, on Candlish's death in 1873, sole minister of the congregation. Alone for the next twenty-two years, and subsequently with the assistance of a colleague, Whyte held this charge till 1916, when he resigned. In 1898 he was elected moderator of the General Assembly, and in 1909 principal of New College, Edinburgh, a position which he held till 1918. The freedom of the city of Edinburgh was presented to him in 1910. The union of 1900,  576