• Name: White, James
• Gender: Male
• Birth Date: 17  April  1775
• Death Date: 13  March  1820
• Occupation: author
• Occupation: advertising agent

Godwin enters the death of James White on 12 March 1830. This is James White, (bap. 1775, d. 1820) see DNB. White was a close associate of Lamb, having been at school with him, and standing as one of Lamb's Bondsmen. J/Jas White first appears in 1799, there are a few entries between 1799-1803 and then many between 1808 and 1816. Most are calls/meets - the only one connected to Lamb is:
29 May 1800: 'tea J White's , w. Lamb and Gutch:'
Gutch is likely to be John Mathew Gutch (1776-1861), who went to school with Lamb and White and Lamb was lodging with Gutch during this year. It seems as if we have enough to identify the early J/Jas Whites as Lamb's friend. However, it is strange that most of the entries are meets/calls, which suggests a business relationship. As the entries only take off from 1808, perhap Godwin is dealing with White in his professional capacity as an advertising agent, getting his help for advertising Juvenile Library books. There are a few letters sent and received but these have not been located.

The difficulty is to disentangle these White's from those who continue in the diary after his death. What is most striking about those that follow is that there is effectively an 8-year gap between frequent contact in 1816 and then again in 1824. However, the pattern of contacts is similar - call on or is called on by. There is not much evidence of a connection with Lamb, indeed, although there are White entries connected with Lamb they are not Jas White. Which suggests that Jas White might be someone distinct from James White (this entry, Lamb's friend and DNB entry) and that Godwin may be entering instances of this White in a different way.

In a letter to Patrickson on 4 February 1812 Godwin refers to talking to James White, who is married to Mr Faulder's daughter (and the DNB recognises this in its entry on this James White: White married Margaret Faulder (1792–1864), daughter of Robert Faulder, a bookseller, in 1811, and they had six children.') Faulder helped to support Patrickson at Cambridge.

• MS. Abinger c. 11, fols. 79-80: 4 Feb. 1812
• The Times, 30 November 1835
• DNB
• William Carew Hazlitt, The Lambs; their lives, their friends and their correspondence; new particulars and new material (London, 1897)

This table lists the people this person is most frequently noted with in the diary.

• Name: White, James
• Gender: Male
• Birth Date:
• Death Date: 23  January  1835

This entry is for James White of Isleworth who dies on 23 January 1835, and who seems closely related to George White.

We have distinguished Charles Lamb's friend James White who dies in 1820 from other James White entries linked to Lamb. Things are complicated by Lamb's association with other Whites - especially James White of Isleworth who calls on Godwin seemingly with Lamb on 7 July 1822; and the White who calls from Lamb on 16 May 1822.

There is a report in The Times of 30 November 1835 of the death of James White, late of Isleworth on 23 November 1835 at the age of 63. 'On the 23d inst., 41 Thanet-cottage, Park-village, James White, Esq., late of Isleworth, in the 63d year of his age.' There are a number of direct reverences to White of Isleworth but it remains unclear whether Godwin is distinguishing them systematically from Jas White or J White.

The question from the 1820s is whether 'Jas White' and 'White, Isleworth' are the same, as the Times suggests - the alternative reading is that Godwin might be distinguishing them, describing James White of Isleworth as 'White, Isleworth' to distinguish him from the other James White. For example, Godwin writes to 'White, Isleworth' on 7 January 1824 and 2 days later notes 'Jas White at tea'

A Geo White often appears with the Isleworth White, eg. 4 September 1825: 'Dine at White’s, Isleworth , w. G Whites, Millers, Hills, M W S and W:' And this Geo White often appears with Jas White: 28 December 1832: 'Dine at Geo. White’s , w. Anthony and Jas Whites and femmes' Both Isleworth and Jas Whites appear most frequently in 1824 and 1825 and that they both often appear alongside Geo White, suggesting that they may be the same person whom Godwin notes inconsistently.

The strongest basis for thinking that Jas White after 1820 and White (Isleworth) are different people is the consistency with which Godwin continues to record their distinctive names. We have, accordingly, created this separate file for James White of Isleworth.

• The Times, 30 November 1835.

This table lists the people this person is most frequently noted with in the diary.

• Name: White, James
• Gender: Male
• Birth Date:
• Death Date:

These entries have been coded for James White entries post-1820 (distinguishing him from James White who was Lamb's friend and died in 1820; and from James White of Isleworth). This James White may be identical with James White of Isleworth (see entry). However, the relative consistency with which Godwin continues to enter both James White and White of Isleworth as different contacts suggests that he was distinguishing them. That said, the final entry to James White is the death of James White of Isleworth! This suggests that they are identical, or that Godwin switches at some point in the 1830s from Isleworth to Jas White, or that the final entry gives his full name and shows why Godwin has needed to distinguish them.

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This table lists the people this person is most frequently noted with in the diary.