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 alive in 1647, when Colgan published his ‘Trias Thaumaturga,’ but nothing is known of him after that date.

Of White's numerous works the following are printed in the ‘Bibliotheca Historico-philologico-theologica,’ Bremen, 1719–25: 1. ‘Dissertatio de genuinâ humanæ libertatis naturâ atque indole.’ 2. ‘Dissertatio quâ divina rationis auctoritas contra pseudermēneian loci 2 Cor. x. 5 modestè vindicatur.’ 3. ‘Vita Johannis Jezleri.’ 4. ‘Schediasma, in quo Augustini, Lutheri, supralapsariorumque sententia a Manichæismi calumniâ pro pace inter protestantes facilius conciliandâ vindicatur.’ 5. ‘Schediasma, in quo argumenta quibus vir celeb. Joh. Christianus Loers … corpora etiam angelis vindicatum ivit, ad rationis trutinam modestè exiguntur.’ White's ‘Apologia pro Hiberniâ adversus Cambri calumnias’ was edited by M. Kelly, Dublin, 1849. A ‘Letter to Colgan,’ dated 31 Jan. 1640 N.S., in which White gives an account of his studies, is printed from the St. Isidore's manuscript in Reeves's ‘Memoir,’ Dublin, 1861.

[Memoir of White by Bishop William Reeves (1861), notes to Works of Adamnan, Index to Ussher's Works, Memoir of Colgan in vol. i. of the Ulster Journal of Archæology—all by Reeves; Kelly's notes to White's Apologia and to Lynch's Cambrensis Eversus; Hogan's Hibernia Ignatiana and Life of Fitzsimon; Ware's Writers of Ireland, ed. Harris; Brit. Mus. Cat. s.v. ‘Vitus.’]  WHITE, THOMAS (1492–1567), founder of St. John's College, Oxford, born at Reading (for the site, see  Reading, p. 405 n.) in 1492, was the son of William White of Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, clothier, and his wife Mary, daughter of John Kebblewhite of South Fawley, Buckinghamshire (, Antiquities of Herts, p. 481 a, gives Rickmansworth as his birthplace, erroneously). He was probably taught first at the Reading grammar school, founded by Henry VII, to which he gave two scholarships; but he was brought up ‘almost from infancy’ in London. He was apprenticed at the age of twelve to Hugh Acton, a prominent member of the Merchant Taylors' Company, who left him 100l. on his death in 1520. With this and his small patrimony he began business for himself in 1523. In 1530 he was first renter warden of the Merchant Taylors' Company. From this he passed on to the senior wardenship about 1533, and was master probably in 1535 (, History of the Merchant Taylors' Company, ii. 100).

He appears in 1533 as one of those to whom the nun of Kent made revelations (Letters and Papers of Henry VIII, vi. 587). In 1535 he was assessed for the subsidy at 1,000l., which shows him to have been by this time a prosperous clothier (for note on the exact nature of his trade, see History of the Merchant Taylors' Company, vol. ii. App. p. 4). In 1542 and 1545 he made large loans to the cities of Coventry and Bristol. He resided in the parish of St. Michael, Cornhill, and in 1544 was elected by the court ninth alderman for Cornhill. On his refusing ‘to take upon himself the weight thereof,’ he was committed to Newgate, and the windows of his shop were ordered to be ‘closed so long as he should continue in his obstinacy’ (17 June, 36 Hen. VIII, Repertory 11, f. 78 b). He was not long recalcitrant. In the same year, being then alderman, he contributed 300l. to the city's loan to the king. In 1547 he was sheriff. In 1549–50 he aided his guild with money to purchase the obit rent charges. In 1551 the trust-deed between his company and the city of Coventry was drawn up, by which large sums became available after his death for the charity loans, &c. In 1553 he was one of the promoters of the Muscovy Company (, Annals of Commerce, ii. 114). On 2 Oct. 1553 he was knighted in the presence of the Queen Mary by the Earl of Arundel, lord steward (MS. Coll. Arms, I. 7, f. 74; see, pp. 46, 335). He was elected lord mayor on 29 Oct. 1553. Machyn records the splendour of his pageant.

He sat on 13 Nov. on the commission for the trial of Lady Jane Grey and her adherents. On 3 Jan. 1553–4 he received the Spanish envoys, and ten days later restored the custom of going in procession to St. Paul's for the high mass. On the breaking out of Wyatt's rebellion he arrested the Marquis of Northampton on 25 Jan. 1553–4. He received Mary on 1 Feb. when she made her appeal to the loyalty of the citizens, and on the 3rd repulsed the rebels from the bridge-gate, Southwark. His prudence and sagacity preserved London for the queen. On 10 Feb. he presided over the commission to try the rebels. In the further suppression of tumult, he seems to have come into conflict with Gardiner in the Star-chamber (cf., ii. 128, 138). On 7 March 1554, in pursuance of the queen's proclamation, he issued orders to the aldermen to admonish all residents of their wards to follow the catholic religion, which he repeated with special application in April. The unpopularity caused by this possibly led to an attempt to assassinate him as he was hearing a sermon at St. Paul's on 10 June. On