Arthur Jefferies Lewis White was born on November 23, 1872, the son of Richard Lewis and Elizabeth Corbett White. He entered employment in the GWR on January 3, 1887, a month after his 15th birthday. A year later at a GWR Board Meeting to consider the promotion of the Lad Clerks Arthur was described as shorthand writer with previous office experience. He was already on a career path that would see him become Chief Clerk and Chief Accountant to Charles B. Collett, Chief Mechanical Engineer.
Arthur married Emily Sendell at Christ Church on October 2, 1917. He was 44 years old and she was 42.
A keen musician and mandolin player, Arthur White was chairman of the Great Western Railway Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society and President of the Swindon Great Western Railway Social and Education Silver Band. He was a director of the New Swindon Permanent Building Society and a Freemason and member of the Sussex Lodge of Emulation, No. 355. He was also a writer and wrote several books about the Swindon Railway Works. But it is probably fair to say his greatest love (after his wife, of course) was football.
Arthur White was elected Chairman of the directors of Swindon Town Football Club in the 1910-11 season and served for nearly 20 years. The obituary published in the North Wilts Herald on Friday November 1, 1929 declared his pride of the club knew no bounds.
Swindon Town Football Club 1910-11 squad – the year in which Arthur J.L. White was elected Chairman
Arthur Jefferies Lewis White died at his home at 13 Okus road, Swindon after suffering a year of poor health.
The funeral service at St. Saviours Church was attended by a great many mourners and the North Wilts Herald reports that:
Practically every shop in the GWR Works was represented, and directors, players and officials of the Swindon Town Football Club also attended.
A guard of honour was formed by the local Freemasons, who led the procession and behind the coffin walked the family mourners, representatives of the Great Western Railway, the different societies with which Mr White was connected and the Town footballers.
Arthur Jefferies Lewis White was buried in grave plot E8134. His wife Emily survived him by nearly 40 years. She died aged 92 years of age at the Cheriton Nursing Home and was buried in the neighbouring plot E8134A.
Radnor Street Cemetery 