White was a Londoner, with his birth being registered in West Ham. Nothing has been discovered about his early years or details of his higher education. He was, however, well qualified securing a BSc (Econ) degree and a doctorate and was also a ‘barrister-at-law’. According to information on the dust jacket of the second edition…

William was born and bred in Sheffield. Aged 18, ‘he joined the late Mr Edward Baines of Leeds in the preparation of county histories and directories’. After about four years Baines retired and White took over the business. He moved it to Sheffield, with White’s Directories being formally established in 1822. The next step was…