Colonel James Grove-White

Colonel James Grove-White, J.P, C.M.G, F.R.S.A.I (1852-1938) of Kilbyrne, Doneraile; son of Major Hans Thomas Fell White, 40th Regiment, Kilbyrne, was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1852. He was educated at Elizabeth College, Guernsey, C.I, and the Lycee Imperial de Caen, in Normandy, France.

In 1873, he joined the 57th Regiment, known as the "Old Die Hards", which became the Duke of Cambridge's own Middlesex Regiment in the British Army and retired with the Rank of Colonel on the Staff, Justice of the Peace (J.P) for Cork and Waterford Counties and served as High Sheriff in 1910 for Co. Waterford. After a distinguished military service of 32 years, he retired to his family estates in Waterford and Cork in 1903, where he became actively involved in the improvement of agriculture, the development of local resources and the well-being of the inhabitants of his immediate districts, by whom he was held in the highest esteem. He served on Cork County Council and was involved in the Munster Agricultural Society. He was also involved in history societies in Cork from 1893 onwards, possessing a keen interest in history and archaeology. He served as president of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society from 1915 until his death in 1938. As an active farmer, he was much respected. He was a founder member of the Doneraile Golf Club and took part in many local activities. There is no doubt that he contributed much to the Cork Historical & Archaeological Society, both as a founder member and taking an active part in its events. Besides his monumental four-volume work entitled ‘Grove White’   Historical and topographical notes, etc., on Buttevant, Doneraile, Mallow, and places in their vicinity (1911-24), Colonel White contributed many other items to the Journal. ‘Grove White’ is an compendium of information that includes photographs (many of which were taken by the author) and nuggets gathered from many sources including the PRO and Trinity College Dublin; happily most of his research was carried out before the burning of the Public Record Office, Dublin. From 1930 he lived with his wife Louie on Cyprus, but he kept up strong connections with home by regular visits. During this time he formed what is now known as the Grove White collection, which was donated to the Cyprus Museum by Mrs Grove White in 1942. Information about Grove White’s time in Cyprus can be found in Robert Merrilees ‘A model curator and a terracotta model dagger and sheath from Early Bronze Age Cyprus in the British Museum’ in Thomas Kiely (ed.), Ancient Cyprus in the British Museum: essays in honour of Veronica Tatton-Brown, page 51.

In 1880, he married Constance, daughter of A. Fitzgibbon, C.E, brother of Maurice Fitzgibbon, of Crohana, Co. Kilkenny, who was The White Knight and Mac an Tsen Riddery, and had four sons and one daughter.

He died on 2 November 1938.