9. The Older Children

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Harry William White, the oldest child, went by the name of Bill. He became very fond of the girl who lived next door named Ellen who was called Nell. The Mayfield family lived in the last cottage in Gilver Lane nearest the brook. In time, Bill fell in love with Nell, they married and became the parents of seven children, the youngest of which was Harry White who eventually became Glenys White’s father. It was Bill who persuaded his parents and the younger children to move to Wales.

Harry William White

The next child was George. When George was grown up he was engaged to be married, but on the day of the wedding he found out that the police were after him for poaching. He and one of his brothers and maybe a friend “were great fellows for wanting to poach,” according to Fanny. “They poached rabbits, or anything like that. They were just fond of a gun, just like my dad. And my dad was just as fond of a gun as them, but my dad didn’t do those things he shouldn’t, I guess.”1 So instead of going to the church, he left his bride at the altar, went to another part of the country to live, and changed his name to Charlie Maicy Goughlin. Some said the charge against him was for poaching, but some thought that it was for stealing a horse. In later stories you will hear about him doing things to help other family members.

George White

Elizabeth was the first girl born in the family and the younger children called her Auntie Lizzy. She was not quite two years old when her sister, Alice was born. Lizzy was only 13 when she married Charlie Woodward in 1881. Later in her life she and her family came to America and lived in Salt Lake City.

Elizabeth White

You will learn more about Alice in the Christmas Wedding story. She married Tom Cooke and became the mother of two boys and a girl. The girl was Gwen who married Walter Flello and with their son, Bob, visited us in America twice.

Alice White

James, called Jim, was a fireman on the railway. The fireman was the one who shoveled the coal into the boiler to make the steam that powered the engine. After being a fireman for a good many years, Jim was promoted to engineer.

James White

Jim was also very mindful of his siblings, and did thoughtful things for them. While he was an engineer, when his schedule allowed it and he was near the town where his sister Annie Sophia lived, he would go to her home and spend time to give support and help after her husband, James Peart, left the family.

Annie Sophia

Jim was a more-religious type than Bill and George, so was Sam, but Jim particularly. All the children in the family were christened in the Church of England. Some of them weren’t interested in church after they left home, and others were somewhat interested. In about 1894, Jim went to live in a boarding house at Upton on Severn. In the home where he boarded the people owned a store of some kind. They liked him very much, were very “sweet on him,” as they would say in those days. They had two daughters about his age. He was very interested in them so it kept him on the clean side.

There was an unfortunate misunderstanding, however. It had to do with a clock that had great value to Jim’s father. One time when his father was away the clock was broken and his father was very angry about it. Someone accused Jim of causing the damage, but he vowed to his father that he didn’t do it. His father still thought Jim was the responsible one and continued to be angry. Jim felt so bad that his father didn’t believe him that he became bitter against his father for misjudging him and never did forgive him.

Jim married Harriet Lane and they had six children, some of whom became artists who painted flowers and birds on fine china at the factory in Worcester.