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Joseph Henry Whitehouse Sr. - Information

Joseph Henry Whitehouse was born in Widcombe, near Bath, England on the 11th of August 1866. He was one of eight children, and immigrated to the NSW Colony with his brother, Robert. Joseph then married Catherine Donaldson Munro and settled in the Sydney suburbs. Here, they had two sons, Joseph Alexander in 1886 and Joseph Henry Jr. in 1889. Joseph then moved his family to Eagleview Rd in Minto, where he grew grapes and developed an orchard. The Whitehouse family grew when Joseph and Catherine added daughters Agnes Isabella in 1895 and Catherine Janet in 1902. Sadly, he then lost his lovely wife. Catherine passed away on the 29th of November 1905 in Minto. Joseph became a prominent member of the community as a Town Clerk in Ingleburn, and later served as Mayor of Ingleburn from 1912-1913. When the war began, he was living with a Miss Neeve Collins in Liverpool. He then decided to do his bit and enlisted at Casula on the 11th of November 1915, when he was 45 years old. During training, he was made a Private to various companies within the 20th Battalion at Liverpool. However, at the beginning of July 1916, he was discharged for being overage and returned to his civilian life. He then watched his two sons join the colours, luckily they came home safe.