White, James, 1681-, former Jesuit Priest of the Castellanae Province
- Person
- 08 May 1681-
Born: 08 May 1681, Trim, County Meath
Entered: 06 March 1703, Salamanca, Spain - Castellanae Province (CAST)
Ordained: c 1713
Left Society of Jesus: 01 November 1716
◆ Francis Finegan SJ Biographical Dictionary 1598-1773
He was the son of Raphael Evers and Joan White, and he was born at Trim, May 8, 1681. He entered the Society in the Province of Castile, March 6, 1703. As he was accepted for the Society at Salamanca, he is probably identical with a James White at the Irish College, who was approved in September 1702 to pass into second-year Theology.
After 1705 there is no means of tracing his career in Spain, beyond the fact that he was ordained Priest.
In 1714 he left his Province unauthorised and went to St Germain, but was induced by the General to go to the Irish College of Poitiers. During his stay there, the General negotiated with the Provincial of Aquitaine to emply White teaching Philosophy, for which he had some aptitude (he was a nephew of James White SJ). His anxiety, however, was to get back to Ireland to help, as he alleged, his widowed mother and sister.
He left the Society in the winter of 1716/1717
◆ MacErlean Cat Miss HIB SJ 1670-1770
1705 CAST Cat
Royal College Salamanca
“Didacus Vitus”
Born 08/05/1681 Meath
Entered 06/03/1703 Salmanaca
Teaching Grammar 1
◆ Calendar of MacErlean Transcipts Addenda Irishmen who entered Rome and Spain 1561-1772 (Finegan)
James Evers alias White 21
Son of Raphael Evers and Joan White (Blanco), Trim dioc of Meath
06 March 1703 Entered CAST
◆ Calendar of MacErlean Transcipts Carton XII O
25/06/1714 Anthony Knowles (at New Ross) to Fr General Michael Angelus Tamburini
Fr Didacus White Evers has recently fled from Castile. Fr General has grounds for fearing he has gone to Ireland and is acting unworthily of the Society. He is to be expelled, unless as Fr General hopes, he returns to a house of the Society.
18/08/1714 Fr General Michael Angelus Tamburini to Anthony Knowles
Fr James White is committing himself and his case to Fr General. Fr Knowles need not be anxious about his arrival or of carrying out the sentence intimated on 23 June. If he has arrived in Ireland, Knowles is to order him to return to France.
He speaks of how Ours should approach a request (such as that to Fr Hennessy) and there should be consultation with Fr Knowles, and at the same time allow him to exeercise jurisdiction as requested.
He sympathises with the current unrest for Ours and clergy in ireland, and prays that some calm may come.
18/08/1714 Fr General Michael Angelus Tamburini to Walter Lavallin
Fr James White on Fr General’s orders recently arrived from Spain at Poitiers College. He asks that Fr lavallin would receive him with charity, and at the same time be diligently watchful over his character and way of life, and to inform Fr General from time to time.
18/08/1714 Fr General Michael Angelus Tamburini to James White Evers (at St Germain)
He is to go to Irish College Poitiers from where he is currently staying. He will be expected there and charitably received by Fr Lavallin, according to Fr General’s instruction. He wishes Fr White to move there promptly.
29/12/1714 Fr General Michael Angelus Tamburini to Walter Lavallin
He is pleased by Father Lavallin’s praise of Fr James White. If Fr White is of such a disposition and acharacter, he will not be troublesome to Lavallin, and while he cannot be useful, he should not be idle. So I will recommend him to Fr Knowles to use his work in teaching philosophy somewhere. In turn, I ask of you if it can be done, to please receive into the Seminaryt an Irish youth, who will be entrusted to you in my name.
Fr Knowles has rightly been advised by you concerning the defects of Fr Thomas Hennessy, who I hope will see to it, by an opportune admonition, to show himself more unassuming in future.
◆ Calendar of MacErlean Transcipts Carton XII P
23/02/1715 Fr General Michael Angelus Tamburini to Walter Lavallin
Acknowledges letter of 14 January. Le Tellier’s liberality towards Poitiers : If the Hughes money is generating an income, then I give permission for 30 gold to be received from it to complete the Chapel. If not, then you will have to wait, for I consider than nothing should be taken from the capital sum.
I hope for better things for Father White when he is applied to a determined office.
He asks him to inform Fr John Daly that jo change is to be made to what has been decreed about Masses.
04/05/1715 Fr General Michael Angelus Tamburini to Walter Lavallin
Adresses some confusion over a sum of 30 gold from the Hughes monies to be used to finish the new Chapel. Fr General wants it clear that this money is only to come from dividends, or money belonging to Poitiers which is lying idle in Paris, and at no stage should the capital sum be touched, or indeed that proportion of monies intended for other purposes.
He advises that Fr Knowles will determine whether and in what offices Fr White should be employed,
He thanks him for agreeing to accept the youth sent to hi by Fr Hennessy.
◆ Calendar of MacErlean Transcipts Carton XII Q
14/03/1716 Fr General Michael Angelus Tamburini to James White Evers
I pity you much, because as you wrote in January, your mother and sisters are so oppressed by poverty, I cannot praise highly enough your dutifulness by which you desire to help them.. However, I do not see my way at all to be able to grant what you ask to be permitted you for that purpose, while in these times everything is in confusion in those parts and the outcome of things uncertain. I shall recommend however, to Fr Superior (Knowles) to whom I am soon writing, that he himself come to their aid. He will do so, I hope, in his charity very gladly and for his means very liberally.
14/03/1716 Fr General Michael Angelus Tamburini to Walter Lavallin
That missing letter of January has now arrived. Father Provincial has not yet written anything about the keeping of the entire interest of 1,000 livres for this house, but rather from his information, I consider that such is the state of this house, that it could without inconveninces do without that share which is failing on account of the diminution of the Hughes returns. I am writing again to him, however, that he let me know his judgement which you intimate you have heard is favourable.
Permission to expose the Blessed Sacrament on hte Feats of Our Saints cannot on any account be granted. There are other exercises in addition for which the Chapel was usefully permitted and built. At the utmonst that could be permitted and carried out on the Feast of St patrick, patron of the Irish Mission.
I have no reply to make concerning Fr Lavery after I let you know, on many other occasions, my determination.
Fr James White can on no account be allowed to go to Ireland because of the circumstances of the very unsuitable time. I shall recommend however, the poverty of his mother and sisters to Fr Knowles. Besides, I trust, that by your dexterity, he may grow strong in character and learning, apply himself to something to be directed by you.
Whether the management of your affairs in Paris should be taken away from him who has up to now conducted them and a separate Procurator established, or should be entrusted to some extern, or for those reasons whioch you wrote to me on the contrary, on 15 July last year, we must ponder much and long, and before anything is decided, we must enquire whether any extern can be found whose trustworthiness and prudence you affairs can safely be committed. Furthermore, restitution of the loss from the withdrawal of the fifth “as” should not even be attempted at this time without obtaining the assistance of Fr de Guenin.
21/03/1716 Fr General Michael Angelus Tamburini to Anthony Knowles
Received Fr Knowles’ letter of 23 December, and though it brought me some consolation beacuse of the praise bestowed on Ours, far greater, however, is the anxiety for you which boththat letter and observation of the state of the present times aroused in me. We are disposed to hope that God will keep you under his protection.
I grant Fr James Byrne permission to receive the annual subsidy which was bequeathed to him by his late father. I desire however, that in keeping or spending the same, as far as is possible, our statutes be observed.
It is well that Simon Read will arrive. I have not yet been informed as to the reasons why Fr Ignatius Roche has been detained.
Fr Thomas Hennessy can be admitted on August 15th to the grade befitting his doctrine, for that is the earliest time in whcih he will fulfill the requisite conditions for that grade. As regards the privileges wanted by him, you can inform him that I make him a participant of all which are in my power, with that exception which I hold in order to set up Sodalities. Amongst those however, were not those set forth 3-7 -- we will try to have these obtained if possible. Besides, he will have to be advised that in order to their right use and any right to them, he ought to consult the Compendium itself of our privileges, but it will be necessary that he will remember that fact that the work of Fr Archdekin is at least under censure, and accordingly, it is not enough to trust his assertions, unless for other reasons that those which he asserts have really been granted.
On this occasion I let you know, that not only because of your venerable age, but also the circumstances of these very difficult times, it is expedient for me to have knowledge of those wuch as who can be your successor in Office. And so I ask of you, that with your Consultors, you propose candidates to me in the customary way, and see to it that Fr Lavallin does likewise with his Consultors.
Father James Le Blanc alias White junior has earnestly begged of me to be allowed to go to Ireland to relieve the very great poverty of his mother and sister. It seemed that on no account should that be allowed. I have promised, however, that I would recommend them to your charity and generosity.
13/06/1716 Fr General Michael Angelus Tamburini to James White Evers
I do not know if the change of your present status will be so advantageous to you and yours, as perhaps you promise and imagine. Explain, however, please, the reasons for your judgement t Fr Provincial. On receiving his opinion, I will decide about what is shall have seemed right in the Lord to arrange. Meantime, I pray that you be enlightened and directed by the grace of the Holy Spirit.
13/06/1716 Fr General Michael Angelus Tamburini to Xavier de la Grandville (Provinical of Aquitaine)
Fr James White junior in his most recent letter to me has begged for his dismissal from the Society, having stated as his reasons : besides the poverty of his mother and sister who are looking for help from him, the great distress inflicted on him by Fr Lavery, and the latter’s unbridled bad temper. It will certainly be known, at least in part to you, what you must hold concerning the reasons adduced, and what the Society must expect from that man. So, I ask you to let me know what you think of him, and whether or not you judge his dismissal should be for the greater good of the Society. He will consult with you on this matter if he obeys my will.
22/08/1716 Fr General Michael Angelus Tamburini to Xavier de la Grandville (Provinical of Aquitaine)
Fr de la Grandville empowered to release James White from the Society.
02/10/1716 Fr General Michael Angelus Tamburini to Walter Lavallin
You write in your letter of 26 August that more Fathers who are engaged in Ireland are not known to you, and of those whom you know, you consider none suitable for the office of Rector, I have in the meantime to know who, from reports, in the common estimation seems fit to you for that office.
The decision about Fr James White you will have already learned, or will learn from the Provincial of Aquitaine.
03/10/1716 Fr General Michael Angelus Tamburini to Charles Lavery
Fr General acknowledges Fr Knowles’ letter of 06 July, and it is a consolation to know our affairs are still succeeding, and that circumstances have not caused additional difficulty for Ours.
I am happy that what I wrote to you about privileges has been communicated to Fr Hennessy.
Your exhortations seem to have little effect on Fr James Evers (White), and we have seen fit to decide concerning him what you will have already learned, or will know soon.
◆ Calendar of MacErlean Transcipts Carton XII R
06/02/1717 Fr General Michael Angelus Tamburini to Walter Lavallin
Writes that Fr Lavallin merits thanks for his administration, and gives a pardon for any faults. He exhorts him to continue his work of forming youth until his successor arrives.
It is well that James White was dismissed with charity.