4. Francis White & Co.
William White senior´s brother, Francis, must have been
several years younger: Francis´ death is recorded in January 1875 when he died
in his 64th year, hence he was about 13 years younger than
William (b. 1799). From newspaper records we have evidence that
Francis had at least three children.
Directory for Nottingham published
by Francis and John White, 1844.
Copyright Bristow & Garland,
Shaftesbury, Dorset in 2026.
The various court cases between
Francis White & Co. and William White and subsequently with the executors
of the White estate after 1870, reveal that Francis was working for his brother
from about 1844 until 1848. However, he was already publishing directories, and
having quarrels with his brother, long before this. Evidence of friction is
plain in the Hull Packet of Friday 30 January 1846.
Announcing the publication of a directory for Hull, the advert states
that: in reference to a malicious Advertisement which appeared in the
York and Hull Papers, Mr. Fras. White never represented his Directory as the
Compilation of his brother, Mr. Wm White; he claimed it had been compiled
by himself and partners at considerable expense, and was a great improvement
upon Mr. Wm. White’s very useful Publications. Francis explained
that his company (F. W. and Co.) had collected nearly all the information for
William’s Yorkshire (presumably the 1840 reissue) and other works over the
previous decade. He ends rather intriguingly: Mr. Francis White has had
to encounter similar opposition in Nottinghamshire, from this affectionate
brother, in 1844, when he disseminated the vilest calumnies for the purpose of
injuring (but without success) the character of his aged Father and only brother.
The first directory published by Francis was the History,
Directory and Gazetteer of the County, and of the Town of Nottingham with
a variety of commercial and statistical information to which is added, the
History and Directory of the Port of Gainsborough. The directory was styled
along the lines of those of his brother and included the historical
introductions to each town as well as the usual lists. With 768 pages, it also
included ten pages of advertising. This was co-published with John White and
printed for the authors by John Blurton and sold by F. White, Sheffield, 1844.
This is the only mention of John.
Mr. John White, of Regent Street, died aged 77 in March 1849.
Apparently, he was well known and much respected in the northern and
eastern parts of England, where, for many years, he was employed in collecting
information for the County Histories and Directories published by his son, Mr.
Wm. White.[1] In
William White´s directory listing for 1833, while there is no entry for Francis
White, White John, is listed as traveller, at 11 Cheney
row. In Rodger´s Directory of Sheffield of 1841[2],
John is listed as traveller at 21 New Church st, Francis
appears as directory agent and William is publisher of
county and local directorys at 210 Brook view in Brook lane. Four
years later (William White 1845), there is no entry for John, but now White
Francis, traveller, 54 Hermitage street is listed.
Thus, by the mid-1840s, it is clear that William was not only
at odds with his brother, but also with his father. One further directory
was published before 1850, that of Newcastle in 1847 published by Francis
alone, the year before he was dismissed from William White´s. The Preface is dated
March 19th of that year. The contents are largely as one would
expect, but he has omitted any long historical survey. The directory begins
with a list of streets. In addition, he has fourteen pages of adverts, which
would have provided much-welcome income.
Jane Norton gives some ideas of the
work of these travellers who went from door to door selling items, or in the
case of directories, checking addresses and acquiring orders. In 1830 a
traveller for A & C Black, selling copies of the Seventh Edition of
the Encyclopaedia Britannica covered some 1400 miles using
various modes of transport including on foot, in under three months. One of
William White´s travellers carried an 1857 directory of Leeds in which he used
to mark the interest of prospective customers with a 3 number code[3].
It is almost certain that both Francis and John would have been travellers such
as these, who visited every house, to verify names and addresses for the
directories as well as carrying subscription forms for taking orders.
Although Francis was dismissed circa 1848, he is known to
have begun compiling information even earlier. In the court case held in
February 1851, Mr John Garrard, of Mansfield, Notts, described himself as
commission agent and directory compiler, and claimed back payments from Francis
White for work done. He claimed that in August, 1841, arrangements were entered
into between Francis and himself for the publication of a directory of
Warwickshire and Birmingham (pub. 1850). The agreement being that Garrard was
to write the historical and statistical matter for the work, canvass for
orders, and obtain the names for the work, and be paid by a commission on each
copy sold. Garrard did not explain he had copied most of the preliminary
general history from Bagshaw´s directory of Kent.[4]
In order to produce his own directories, and to avoid
outright claims of plagiarism, Francis also had to rely on door-to-door surveys
and duly advertised for “One or Two steady, active, intelligent YOUNG MEN to
CANVASS for a new County Directory. Good Penmen and Reference as to character
required”, in the Sheffield Daily Telegraph of Monday 09
March 1863. It was not the directory as such which was copied, even though this
would appear to be the easier section to transcribe. Actual transcribing of
lists of names from one directory to another seems to have been rare. However,
the historical content was often pirated: F & J White, later
Francis White & Co. both imitated and directly copied from William White in
all their directories. Copying did not stop there. F & J White´s own
directory of 1861 was itself pirated by E S Drake, all of whose
directories seem to have been piracies.[5]
When William Thwaites took Francis White to court for unpaid
expenses in 1866, more details outlining the payment of potential canvassers
was revealed. Thwaites stated that he had been engaged by Mr White, publisher
and publican, of the Cambridge Hotel, Cambridge street, to compile the
historical matter for directories of various counties published by the
defendant, and in getting orders and delivering the books.
Directory of Newcastle,
1847, published by Francis White
Courtesy Library of Congress[6]
A sum of £1. 2s. ½ d. was claimed, partly a partnership
transaction, and £8. 10s. 4d. for services rendered and expenses. Thwaites
alleged full commission of 1s. 6d. per directory was promised and the maps were
sold by agreement at a commission of 6s. 3d. At this hearing Mr Drake (who
himself had been sued by William White in 1862 for plagiarism) in support of
Thwaites´ claims, recounted that he had also been employed by Francis and had
been paid 2s. commission on a 17s. 6d. volume.[7]
Francis saw that both advertising and map sales were
important sources of extra income. He advertised his NEW CIRCULAR MAP, compromising
an area of twenty miles round the Borough of Sheffield, carefully laid down on
a scale of two miles to an inch, from
the Ordnance Survey, with the lines of Railroads, Canals, and other
improvements, in 1849.[8]
In 1861 his directory for Sheffield
included some 90 pages of adverts from over 200 customers, including three
newspapers.
Francis
White´s circular map of Sheffield and its surroundings.
Advertised
in 1851 at 5s in Sheet, Coloured; or 8s 6d neatly mounted on Rollers, it was
substantially more expensive than his brother´s maps. The map also accompanied
F White´s General and commercial directory and topography of the borough of
Sheffield: with all the towns, parishes, villages, and hamlets within a circuit
of twenty miles of 1861. The attractive map has a
circumference of 54 cm. There is an attractive pastoral scene of Roche Abbey,
but no engraver´s signature.
Another venture at this time, mentioned in the above court
case, is Francis White´s hotel. In March 1865 Francis was announcing that he
had just taken over the Cambridge Hotel, at No. 1, Cambridge Street, and
begging his numerous Friends and the Public of Sheffield and its
vicinity, that he had thoroughly renovated, cleansed, and re-furnished it.[9] However,
this was short-lived. Only two years later James Taylor and Co. were instructed
by Mr. Francis White, to Sell by Auction, on the Premises the whole of the
fixtures, household furniture, stock and effects, of the Hotel. According to
the announcement, Francis White was retiring on account of ill health.[10]
During this period, we note that Francis may have been
strapped for cash. In August 1865 there was an auction at his hotel. On
Thursday, 17th August, James Taylor held an auction, in the rooms of the hotel,
to sell off the whole of their STOCK, consisting of MAPS of different
Counties, new Map of Sheffield, Map of Twenty Miles Round Sheffield,
also, the Plates of the above on Copper and Steel, the work of the first Map
Engraver in England ; several County Histories and Directories, including
"Hunter's Hallamshire." Also for sale were a few lots of
household furniture, sets of drawers, a bookcase, and other items.
Throughout the time Francis White & Co. were publishing
their directories, they were repeatedly going to court to retrieve unpaid
subscriptions for individual volumes. One such action to recover the value
of Gazetteer and Directory in 1860 reveals the extent of the
problem, and also that perhaps sometimes Francis was hard done by. At the
Birkenhead county court, Francis White and Co., of Sheffield, summoned no fewer
than 54 persons for a guinea each, being the price of the gazetteer and
directory of the county of Chester, published that year. Twelve of the cases
were defended on the grounds that the directory was inferior in quality and
full of gross inaccuracies. Besides some errors which could be put down to
printing or binding errors, a major objection was that the map which was given
with the work was quite inferior to that promised in the Prospectus. A verdict
was then given in favour of the defendants, with costs as the plaintiff
had contracted to furnish a map taken from the ordnance survey; but instead of
doing that he had furnished a loose map, which certainly was not equal to the
ordnance map, which was seen by the court as a breach of contract.
A public reply was immediately forthcoming. After apologising
for the printer and binding mistakes, Francis White explained that the map was
certainly up to date and that it was the best map of the county extant. The map
was executed by the well-known firm of Francis Becker of London. Francis White
showed a copy of a telegram from the map-maker but this was rejected by the
court. In the telegram Francis had directly asked Mr. Becker, “Was the map
engraved from the ordnance survey?” He received the reply: “The map of Cheshire
I engraved and drew for your directory was drawn under superintendence from the
ordnance survey (the latest), and the same could be produced. Many additions
from your directory and alterations of spelling were introduced, every possible
improvement was made. I could substantiate its copywright and new features from
any other maps on oath, and could, if necessary, attend any court to prove
such.”[11]
Even if the directory had been found to include a number of
errors, the court´s decision was based on the quality of the map. Francis Paul
Becker was engraver and copperplate printer of London. He had patented
the Omnigraph process of letter punching and was active in the
1850s[12].
He produced a large range of maps for works such as directories and guides in
the 1860s and a number of guide book maps printed at his premises included maps
of Devon found in Henry Besley´s Route Book of Devon and The
West of England and Trewman´s Pocket Journal (between 1854 and 1882).[13] Perhaps
the biggest irony of all is that the latest rival on the directory scene,
Frederic Kelly, was also using maps Drawn and Engraved by F P Becker &
Co. Kelly would acquire the White business towards the end of the century.
The auction advert of 1865 above noted that not only maps,
but also the plates to these were up for auction. The reference to the first
Map Engraver in England may indeed be to F P Becker. This suggests strongly
that Francis White & Co., had indeed commissioned their own maps. Francis
White published a total of five county directories Notts (1844, 1853[14] and 1864),
Derbyshire (1857[15] and
1865), Cheshire (1860), Warwickshire (1850 and a Third Edition 1874[16])
and Norfolk (1854). Francis also published a large number of city directories: e.g.
Newcastle on Tyne etc 1847; Birmingham 1849[17],
1855 and 1875; Hull etc 1846, 1851 and 1858; Sheffield 1855, 1862 and 1872; and
Coventry 1874. In an advert placed in his Sheffield directory of 1862 he is
offering “A New Circular Map” of Sheffield, which may be a reissue of the
earlier map. However, he is also offering maps of Warwickshire, Norfolk,
Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Cheshire “and several other counties”. The
evidence is that, as was true for his brother, for each county directory volume
there was a corresponding map.
Dix and
Darton map adapted and Corrected for F White´s Nottinghamshire.
Francis White directory with logo.
Unfortunately, Francis White directories with maps are harder
to find than those of Edward Baines and William White[18].
Besides the circular map of Sheffield already noted, only two more maps have
been discovered. One map has been found which was an adaptation of the second
Dix & Darton series, a series already used by his brother William. This is
a folding map of Nottinghamshire.[19]
It has the unique engraving “A South View of Nottingham Castle, and the Druids’
Caves in the Park”. One more map is that of Warwickshire by R Spennell of
Warwick published in the directory of 1850[20].
Throughout the first two years of the 1870s, Francis was in
and out of court. He was either taking reluctant subscribers to court for
non-payment, or he was being taken to court by the new proprietors of his
brother´s business. The last recorded court case was in 1872. Three years
later, however, on May 4th 1875, aged 63, Francis White
passed away[21].
Map of Warwick from
Francis White & Co., Directory of Warwickshire 1850.
Image courtesy of Veronica Allsop
at Duncan M & V Allsop antiquarian and modern books.
William White´s Directories:
Click the entry below to access relevant page.
1. Early Years - William White and Edward Baines
2. William White & Co.
3. Rivalry and Family Feud
4. Francis White & Co.
5. The County Maps of William White
6. William White Co. - Later Years
Appendix 1 - The County Directories of Edward Baines
1.1. Yorkshire
1.2. Lancashire
Appendix 2 - The County Directories of William White
2.1. Durham and Northumberland
2.2 - Cumberland & Westmorland
2.3 - Nottinghamshire
2.4 - Staffordshire
2.5 - Norfolk
2.6 - Yorkshire (later edition)
2.7 - Lincoln
2.8 - Suffolk
2.9 - Leicestershire with Rutland
2.10 - Essex
2.11 - Devonshire
2.12 - Hampshire with Isle of Wight
[2] The Sheffield and Rotherham Directory by Henry A & Thomas Rodgers.
[6] Digitized and online at Internet Archive and Hathi Trust.
[7] Sheffield Independent - Thursday 08 February 1866.
[8] Derbyshire Courier - Saturday 22 September 1849. Map is illustrated is courtesy of Leeds University.
[10] Sheffield Daily Telegraph - Saturday 12 October 1867.
[11] Sheffield Daily Telegraph - Friday 03 August 1860.
[12] Worms and Baynton-Williams; 2011; p.62.
[13] See Batten & Bennett; 2000; The Victorian Maps of Devon; Devon Books. The Second Edition is online. Entries 121, 122 and 128.
[14] On the title page of this directory F White states: author of similar works for Warwickshire, Yorkshire, Durham and Northumberland. He may have assisted in the second and third, but he was certainly not the “author”.
[15] This included Burton-upon-Trent in Staffordshire and Sheffield, Yorkshire.
[16] Also as White & Co.'s Commercial & Trades Directory of Birmingham, in 2 volumes, 1875. This was the Third Edition and included the County of Warwick.
[17] The Birmingham section was reprinted (from the 1849 issue) and included eight pages of additions.
[18] Of 15 recorded copies of Warwickshire (JISC Nov. 2025) only one (1874) edition mentions a map.
[19] The University of Nottingham has a map, Printed County map of Nottinghamshire showing Hundreds, Parliamentary Divisions, roads and canals (London: Darton & Co.); undated. This was printed for F. White’s history and directory of Nottinghamshire as shown by a line below the scale bar. This is held at Manuscripts and Special Collections. (1844, 1853, 1864). Map is illustrated courtesy of University of Nottingham Manuscripts and Special Collections, Ne 6 X 18.
[20] Included a map of The County of Warwick with imprint of R(obert) Spennell of Church St., Warwick. My thanks to Veronica Allsop at Duncan M & V Allsop antiquarian and modern books for providing an image of the map.
[21] Leeds Times - Saturday 08 May 1875.
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