White, William Hale

People > White, William Hale

William Hale White was born in Bedford on the 22nd December 1831, the son of a printer and bookseller with a strong interest in Dissenting politics. He wrote under the pen name Mark Rutherford.

White attended Bedford Modern School and then went to train as an Independent minister. In 1854 he entered the Civil Service as a clerk.  He retired in 1891 having reached the rank of assistant director of contracts at the Admiralty.

White also had an interest in journalism and writing and in his fifties he began to publish books of fiction and philosophy. His novels include 'Miriam's schooling' (1890), 'Catherine Furze' (1893), and 'Clara Hopgood' (1896). He also wrote two largely autobiographical novels, 'The autobiography of Mark Rutherford' (1881) and 'Mark Rutherford's deliverance' (1885), and 'The revolution in Tanner's Lane' (1887), concerning loss of faith.

He died on the 14th March 1913.

William Hale White by Bedfordshire Libraries, 2004

Page last updated: 22nd January 2014