WHITE, William, P. E. bishop, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 4 April, 1748; died there, 17 July, 1836. His father, Colonel Thomas White, removed to Philadelphia from Maryland in 1745, and married Esther, widow of John Neuman, and daughter of Abraham Hewlings, of Burlington, New Jersey, 7 May, 1747. There were two children of this marriage, William, and Mary, who became the wife of Robert Morris. William entered the English department of the College and academy of Philadelphia at the and at ten the Latin-school. He was graduated in 1765, and soon began his theological studies, which he completed in 1770. In October of this year he sailed for England to obtain holy orders, bringing such testimonials that, although he was several months under the required age, he obtained from the archbishop of Canterbury a faculty allowing him to be ordained. He was ordered deacon in the Chapel royal, St. James's palace, Westminster, 23 December, 1770, by Dr. Young, bishop of Norwich, acting for the bishop of London, who had episcopal oversight of all the colonies, and was ordained priest in the chapel of Fulham palace, 25 April, 1772, by the bishop of London. He sailed for this country, where he arrived on 13 September, and soon afterward became assistant minister of Christ and St. Peter's churches. On 11 February, 1773, he married Mary, daughter of Captain .Henry Harrison, mayor of Philadelphia. With-in a few years he became rector of the united parishes of Christ, St. Peter's, and St. James's. The degree of D. D. was given him by the University of Pennsylvania in 1782, it being the first honorary degree of that college. All the clergy of Philadelphia sided with the colonies during the Revolution, none more zealously than Dr. White. Upon the occupation of Philadelphia by the British forces, he removed in September, 1777, to Harford county, Maryland, but he returned after the evacuation, and resumed his duties. Then began the long and trying struggle to sustain the life of the church, in which he took an active part. Almost despairing of success in obtaining the episcopate, which was essential to the reorganization of the church, Dr. White, in August, 1782, put forth a pamphlet with the title " The Case of the Episcopal Churches Considered" (Philadelphia, 1782), in which he advocated the appointment of superintendents, with similar powers, to take the place of bishops in the government of the church. This plan, which found favor largely in the middle and southern states, was bitterly opposed by the clergy of Connecticut, and negotiations for peace having advanced to the point of probability, the pamphlet was withdrawn from circulation, and the plan was abandoned. On 27 March, 1784, the clergy of the city of Philadelphia, and lay representatives from its parishes, met in Dr. White's study to take steps for the organization of the church in Pennsylvania, which meeting resulted in the assembling of a council in Christ church, 26 May, 1784, the first council in which laymen had been represented. Proposals were sent out to the churches in other states to meet in general convention, Dr. White's letters helping largely in bringing about this result. The first meeting of that body was held in New York in October, 1784, though delegates were sent only on the authority of their several parishes. On Tuesday, 27 September, 1785, clerical and lay deputies from several states met in Christ church, Philadelphia, and organized as a general convention, of which Dr. White was chosen president. Steps were taken at once by the appointment of committees to draft a constitution for the church, and to prepare a schedule of necessary alterations in the liturgy. Dr. White made the original draft of the constitution, and also prepared an address to the archbishops and bishops of the Church of England, asking for the episcopate at their hands. He was also largely instrumental in giving shape to the liturgy and offices of the Prayer-Book which were to be submitted to the authorities of the Church of England with the address. At the convention of the diocese of Pennsylvania in 1786 he was elected its first bishop, and sailed for England in company with Dr. Samuel Provoost of New York, seeking consecration, arriving in London, 29 November, 1786. After many delays, and the passage of a special enabling act by parliament, he was, with Dr. Provoost, at last consecrated in the chapel of Lambeth palace, 4 February, 1787, by the archbishops of Canterbury and York, and the bishops of Bath and Wells, and Peterborough. He reached Philadelphia again on Easter Sunday, 7 April, 1787, and entered upon his trying" duties, not the least of which concerned the recognition of the consecration of Bishop Seabury, in all of which his mild temper and broad charity were effective in restoring peace and harmony to the councils of the church. He was appointed chaplain to congress in 1787, which office he held till 1801. Besides his episcopal duties, he was foremost in many public charities and enterprises, and held the presidency of the Philadelphia Bible society, dispensary, Prison society, Asylum for the deaf and dumb, and Institution for the blind. He died at the advanced age of eighty-eight, after living to see the church in the states thoroughly organized and rapidly growing, and consecrating eleven bishops, His re-mares were buried in the church-yard of Christ church, but in December, 1870, were removed and placed beneath the floor of the chancel. The centennial anniversary of his consecration was appropriately celebrated in Lambeth palace, London, and in Christ church, Philadelphia. Besides the " Pastoral Letters" of the house of bishops (1808-1835), five addresses to the trustees, professors, and students of the General theological seminary (1822-'9), and episcopal charges, Bishop White published " Lectures on the Catechism" (Philadelphia, 1813)" "Comparative View of the Controversy between the Calvinists and the Arminians" (2 vols., 1817); " Memoirs of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America" (1820 ; 2d ed., with continuation, New York, 1835) ; and "Commentary on Questions in the Ordination Offices" and "Commentary on Duties of Public Ministry" (1 vol., 1833). His " Opinions on Interchanging with Ministers of Non-Episcopal Communions, Extracted from his Charges, Addresses, Sermons, and Pastoral Letters," appeared in 1868. See his life by Reverend Dr. Bird Wilson (Philadelphia, 1839). Portraits of Bishop White have been painted by Gilbert Stuart, Thomas Sully, and Henry Inman. The accompanying vignette is copied from a drawing by James B. Longacre.