YORKSHIRE COUNTY MAGAZINE 1891-1892

Biography of Thomas Whytehead
Born 1815 Thormanby, North Riding, Yorkshire.
Died 1843, Waimate, New Zealand.

THOMAS WHYTEHEAD, the youngest son of the Rev. H. R. Whytehead, was born at Thormanby, in the North Riding, on November 30th, 1815. His father died when he was very young, and the early years of his boyhood were spent at York, under his mother's care. He was a scholar at Beverley Grammar School, and studied also under his brother, the Rev. R. Whytehead, who had been a fellow of St. John's, Cambridge. In October, 1833, Thomas began his residence at St. John's College, where he became first Bell's scholar in 1834, and obtained the Chancellor's Medal for English verse in 1835 and 1836, the Hulsean Prize in 1835, and Sir W. Browne's Medal for Greek and Latin epigrams in 1836, and in 1837 he has second in Classical Tripos and first Chancellor's Medallist. He became fellow of his college, and Classical Lecturer at Clare Hall. At Christmas, 1839, he became Curate of Freshwater, Wight, and in 1841 the Bishop of New Zealand invited him to become his chaplain, and head of his projected college. On reaching Sydney ruptured a blood-vessel, after which consumption set in, and he died on March 19th, 1843, and is buried at Waimate, Bay of Islands. He translated four verses of Ken's evening hymn into Maori rhyming verse. Besides his prize compositions, his only works are a small volume of "Poems," published after his departure to New Zealand, and a fragment on "College Life," edited after his death.

Yorkshire County Magazine 1891-1892: Index