Sex
Male
Status
Deceased
MR. HENRY PERCY WHITE, the chairman of the Hongkong Club for 1907-8, was born at Highgate in 1863, and was educated at the Merchant Taylors' School. He joined a London firm engaged in the tea trade in 1878, and, eight years later, went out to Formosa. He remained there until 1900, when he entered the firm of Messrs. Douglas Lapraik & Co., for whom he has been the manager in Hongkong since Mr. Lewis left the Colony. He has been a member of the Hongkong Club since 1898. He is also a member of the Peak, the Germania, and various local sporting; clubs. His chief recreation is racing. He resides at No. 32, Robinson Road.
From Wikisource
Comments
Re: H. P. White
H. P. White was a racing enthusiast, owner and connected to the Gymkhana Club. His racing pseudonym was “Mr. Dryasdust”. I think he passed away in 1929 and in one of articles about his life mention was made of the names of his ponies. By connecting the names of the horses to the actual races, his racing pseudonym was unearthed.
Mr Dryasdust
Moddsey has just trashed my deduction that H.P. White was Mr Blank - that is, unless he had two pseudonyms? It would be interesting to see if any of the ponies' names match up.
Re: Dryasdust
Will find the reference to H. P. White and post it later. I also thought that “Mr. Blank” at one stage was related to H. P. White.
Henry Percy White 1862 to 28 February 1929
Birth Index UK
Henry Percy White registered July 1862 Islington.
Baptism St Jude's Church Islington London
Baptism 16 July 1862 Henry Percy White son of Thomas Richard White merchant and Sophia Holt White.
Probate Calendar UK
Henry Percy White of Victoria Hong Kong died 28 February 1929 at Princes Buildings Victoria Hong Kong on 28 February 1929. Probate to Athelstan Holt White gentleman.
Find a Grave Happy Valley Hong Kong
Henry Percy White aged 66 years
"Mr Dryasdust"
Thanks moddsey. Austin Coates p.145 China Races confirms that "Mr Dryasdust" was H.P. White. Nothing about Mr Blank. It would be great if you could unearth a connection!
Thank you too, annpake, for the extra bio details about H.P. White. Everybody is very quick on the draw today!
H. P. White - Obituary
Mr. H. P. White's obituary can be read here in the Hong Kong Telegraph dated 28 February 1929. The article also mentions that "Mr. White at one time owned a fairly big stable, and he had two ponies (San Francisco and Szatmar) racing at the present meeting (at the time of his death). Mr. White's "Gypsy Love" in 1925 set the still unbeaten record for the half mile, the time being 58 seconds."
Through "Gypsy Love" on Derby Day, 17 February 1925, the connection was made that Mr. White's racing pseudonym was "Mr. Dryasdust".
Was "Mr Dryasdust" also "Mr Blank"?
Thank you for solving "Mr Dryasdust", moddsey, and for the link to H.P. White's obituary. It's good to see a photo of him. I think he was probably too portly to be racing himself in the 1920s. His ponies seem to be more successful than Mr Blank's. I note that Shiney's brother, Athelstan Holt White was living with him at the time of his death, but I haven't found A.H. White in the couple of earlier Jurors Lists that I have just checked. It's not beyond the bounds of possibility that A.H. White also went in for racing. The Racing Museum ought to be able to help as to the identity of "Mr Blank". His lengthy racing career seems to have been fairly parallel to that of H.P. White's. I have a wad of race result printouts, but only for 1920-23. I also need to check if Mr Dryasdust figures in the few Race Programmes that I have to learn if his colours were different to those of Mr Blank, but that may not help.