Description:
Henry Kirke White was born on March 21st 1785 in Nottingham in his fathers butcher's shop in the Shambles, next to where the Exchange Walk Arcade now stands on Cheapside.
(This street was named 'Shambles' after the 'Fleshamols' on which butchers laid out their meat for sale in this area, in the 1400s. Streets called 'Shambles' can be found in many other parts of the country, the most notable being in York, and are always associated with butchers shops - some of the shops in York have retained their 'Fleshamol' boards.)
A small slate plaque was erected in the late 1800s to commemorate his birthplace and is located just inside the entrance to the Arcade. His birthplace became the Coach and Horses Tavern, later called The Kirke White Tavern. The property was demolished in 1926.
He was the son of a butcher who became a lawyers Clerk in Bridlesmiths Gate when 14 years old. He put all his energy into his work and his studies before taking his first steps into poetry. 'In fact he was expending so much energy in work, studies and poetry that he was becoming ill.' He became so fragile he believed he was about to die and made it known he wanted to be buried in one of his favourite locations, Wilford. In preparation for University in 1804, Henry Kirke White was advised to spend a month on the coast to gather his strength. He instead chose his favourite Nottingham location of Wilford. After his stay at Wilford, Kirke White left for Cambridge to begin his studies. By 1806 his health had failed him and to such an extent that 'his mind was worn out, and it was the opinion of his medical attendants, that if he recovered, his intellect would have been affected.'
White did not recover and died in Cambridge on October 19th 1806. He was buried at the All Saints Church in Cambridge at the age of 21. His early death sparked a tide of sympathy for such a hard working youngster who had shown himself to be full of potential. It is for these qualities he is really best remembered. His poems were reappraised and looked on more charitably and he became a poet of mild note for his time, the most notable being his poem 'Clifton Grove'.
A memorial stands to him in St Wilfrid's Church, Wilford.