Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 20.djvu/575

* WHITEHALL. 485 WHITE LADY. rebuilt. The Champlain Canal was built from here to Fort Edward in 1819 and completed to Troy in 1824. WHITE HART, The. An historic^ inn in Southwark, London. It is said to have been a freiiiient resort of Dick Turpin and is mentioned in Act IV., Scene 8 of Sliakespeare's Henry VI., part ii. WHITE'HAVEN. A seaport in Cumber- land, I'Jnghind, near the point where the estuary of the Solway Firth joins the Irish Sea, 3G miles southwest of Carlisle (Map: England, C 2). It has spacious streets, handsome shops and public buildings, and possesses a commodious harbor and docks. In the neighlmrhood are extensive col- lieries, iron and brass foundries, iron smelting works, and manufactories for cordage, sail-cloth, earthenware, etc. The town was founded in 1G33. Population, in 1901, 19,325. WHITE'HEAD, John (1740-1804). An English Wesleyan clergyman and physician. He was born in London, studied medicine, and be- came physician to the liethlelieni Hospital, Moor- fields, He traveled as a Metliodist preacher, 1764-69. For some years he was a Quaker, but returned to the Wetliodists. He was chief physician to botli .John and Charles Wesley in their last illnesses, and preached the funeral sermon of John Wesley. With Hisbop Coke and Henry More he was appointed by Wesley as liter- ary executor, but had a long dispute with the other executors as to the possession of the Wes- ley papers. This led to his expulsion from the membership of the Cliurcli. He retained the papers, however, and published the Lives of John and Charles Weslei/ (1703; new eds,, Boston, 1844, Auburn, 18.54). In 1797 lie returned the papers and was reinstated in his position in the Church. He died in London. WHITEHEAD, Paul (1710-74). An Eng- lish satirist, born in London, and educated in law at the Temple, At an early age he was shut up in Fleet Prison on account of a bill which he had indorsed for a friend, and there. he lived for several vears, beginning his literary work while a prisoner. In 1749 he appears as a paid literary supporter of Frederick, Prince of Wales, and within the next decade he was a member of the gang of political debauchees beaded by Sir Francis Dashwood. As such he was branded by Churchill in The Conference; nevertheless he continued to live in prosperity on the fruits of an ample sinecure during another decade. White- head may be styled a feeble imitator of Pope with a touch of Churchill's dullness. His more important satires were i^tnte Dances (1733), directed against Walpole and others: Manners (1739), which led to his summons before the House of Lords ; and Epistle to Dr. Thompson (1755). His Poems and Miscellaneous Composi- tions, with a I'ifc, were issued in 1777. WHITEHEAD, William (1715-85). An Englisli poet laureate, born at Cambridge, where bis father was a baker. He was educated at Winchester School and at Clare Hall, Cambridge, graduating B.A. in 1739. In 1742 he was elected a fellow of his college. For many years he lived in the households of the Earl of .Tersey and the Earl of Hareourt, with whose sons he made the Continental tour (1754-56). He was appointed secretary and registrar of the order of the Bath, and in 1758 he succeeded Colley Gibber in the IioctUiurcateship. He died in London. Wbite- iicad's birtliday odes and other ollicial poems were .justly ridiculed by the poet Churchill (q.v.). His best work is to be found in his verse tales after the manner of La Fontaine. He also composed two respectable tragedies, The Roman Fallu-r (1750), and Crerisa, Queen of Athens (1754) ; a comedy. The Hchool for Lovers ( 1762) ; and a farce, The'Trip to Seolland { 1770), all of whieli met with some success. Consult hia Worlcs ed. with memoir liy Wm. Mason (3 vols., York, 1788). William Wliiteliead is some- times confcninded with Paul Wliiteliead (q.v.), the satirist, and memlier of the dissipated circle of politicians known as the 'monks of Med- menham Abbey.' This latter Whiteliea<l was also furiously attacked by Churcliill. Consult the Poems and Miseellaneous Coniposilions of P. Whitehead, ed. by Capt. E, Thompson (London, 1777). WHITE HOUSE, The official residence of llic I'lcsiilcnl of the United States, in Washing- ton. The building is a two-story white freestone edifice, painted white, 170 by 86 feet, of dignified appearance, with an Ionic ^lortico. It contains the private apartments of the President on the second floor and reception rooms on the first floor. Among the latter are the. famous East Room, SO by 40 feet, used for iiublic receptions; the Blue Room, used for diplomatic and social functions: and the Red and Green rooms. The original executive mansion was begun in 1792 and first occupied by President Adams in 1800. It was burned by the British in 1814, and rebuilt in 1818, The White House has long been too small for the various purposes for which it is used, and plans for enlargement have frequently been proposed. In 1903 the pressure of space was relieved by the erection of executive offices in the grounds, connected with the main build- ing. The White House is surrounded by an attractive park, in which during the summer music is provided by the Marine Band. WHITE HOUSE OF THE CONFEDER- ACY. A house in Richmond. Va,, so called be- cause it was the residence of Jefferson Davis as President of the Confederacy. The mansion now contains a collection of Confederate relics. WHITEING, bivlt'ing, RiciiABn (1840—). An English journalist and novelist, born in London. He was educated privately, having as his first tutor Benjamin W.yon, the engraver, who made the great seal of William IV. He began his career as journalist in 1866 with a series of satirical sketches contvibuted to the London Evening fftar, afterwards published as Mr. Spronts — His Opinions (1807), He subsequently served as editorial writer and correspondent on several of the English dailies,- including the Manchester Guardian and the London World. He was for a while a leader writer on the Lon- don Daihi A'etcs, In 1876 appeared his first novel. The Democracy, which was followed twelve years later b.v The Island. But he is best known for Ifo. 5 John fttreet (1899), a vivid description of life in the London slums. In 1900 he pub- lished The Life of Paris, and in 1903 The Yellow 'an. WHITE LADY. A spirit who, according to popular legend, appears in many of the castles of