Roma White - pen name of Blanche Winder nee Oram (1866 – 1950) - British poet and writer
Blanche Oram was born in Bury, Lancashire in 1866. Blanche’s father, Henry was a woollen manufacturer
and her mother was Esther Oram, nee Allanson.
The family seems to have been wealthy for in 1881 they lived in Lark
Hill, Bury and had six servants. In
1891, Blanche Oram was lodging in Derbyshire, aged 25 single and her employment
was listed as ‘Journalist/author’.
Blanche married Charles James Winder in 1897 – they had no
children. In 1901 Blanche was visiting
her married sister Florence Barron in Lancaster and described as ‘Living on own
means’.
The 1911 Census shows Blanche and Charles Winder living in
Garstang in Lancashire. There is a death record of a Blanche Winder born about
1866 who died June 1950 in Bournemouth, Hampshire, which is very near to Poole,
Dorset where she was inspired to write her poem about the Battle of Jutland.
After the Battle, Blanche apparently went fishing in Poole
Harbour, Dorset on 3rd June 1916 with a local fisherman. What he said inspired her to write a poem
called "News of Jutland" which was first published in London in
November 1917.
Using the pen-name ‘Roma White’, Blanche published numerous
books during the period 1890 -1910. Many
were reviewed in newspapers of the time.
During the 1930s, Blanche published numerous children’s books under the
name Blanche Winder (King Arthur, Aesop’s illustrated fables and so on). Blanche’s poem about Jutland was published
under the name ‘B. Winder’ in “The Muse in Arms: a collection of war poems, for
the most part written in the field of action, by seamen, soldiers, and flying
men who are serving, or who have served in the Great War” which was edited by Edward
Bolland and published in 1917 by Murray, London.
With thanks to Phil Dawes, Ian Inglis and Poole Library for
their help in finding information about Roma White/Blanche Oram (Winder).
“News of Jutland” written by Roma White on June 3rd, 1916
(On June 3, 1916, when the news of our sad losses in our
first great naval battle off the Jutland Bank had just come to hand, I went
fishing with a sailor on the Naval Reserve. The following lines are, almost
word for word, a transcript of his talk.)
The news had flashed throughout the land,
The night had dropped
in dread -
What would the
morrow's sunrise tell
Of England's mighty
dead?
What homes were
wrecked? What hearts were doomed
To bleed in sorrow's
school!
At early morn I sought my friend,
The fisherman of
Poole.
He waited there beside the steps:
The boat rocked just
below:
"You're ready,
m'm? The morning's fine!
I thought as how
you'd go!
I dug the bait an
hour agone -
We calls 'em
'lug-worms' here.
The news is grave?
Aye, so I've heard!
Step in! Your skirt
is clear.
"My brothers? Any news, you ask?
No, m'm! Nor like to
be
A fortnight yet!
Maybe they're both
Asleep beneath the
sea!
I saw' em start two
years agone
Next August - and I
says
We'll see 'em back by
Christmas time -
But we don't know
God's ways!
"I'll pull her round the fishing-boats!
The Polly's lying
there!
D'you see her, m'm?
The prettiest smack
For weather foul or
fair!
It's just the ways
they've builded her
As seems to make her
feel
Alive! She's fifty
sovereigns' worth
O' lead along her
keel.
"Fine men my brothers war - I'll tie
Her up against this
boom!
Don't fear to move
free! This here boat
Is built with lots o'
room!
You're safe with
Jacob Matthews, m'm!
He's ne'er been
called a fool
By any of the
fisher-folk
As lives in little
Poole!
"How many left? Well, maybe half;
They've gone off one
by one.
It's likely I'll be
gone myself
Afore the war is
done.
Attested just a month
agone,
And passed for fit
and sound -
It's shallow here for
flat-fish, m'm,
The boat's well-nigh
aground.
"I'll throw your line out - that'll do!
Aye, fights on sea
are grave!
There ain't no Red
Cross people there
To lift you off the
wave!
There ain't no
'cover' you can take,
No places to lie
down!
You got to go - wi'
red-hot shells
Just helping you to
drown!
"It minds me of a night we men
Had got the life-boat
out.
They'd 'phoned us up!
And off we pulled
With many a cheer and
shout!
We rowed her hard up
to the wind,
And clear the
moonlight shone -
But when we reached -
you see, just there -
Both ship and crew
were gone!
"We cruised around for half an hour!
Ah, m'm, our hearts
was sore!
We'd looked to throw
the line to them,
And bring' em safe to
shore!
Aye! these blue waves
ha' swallowed up
More finer men than
me!
But we've been always
fisher-folk,
And we can't fear the
sea!
"Why, there's a catch! Aye, pull it in!
'Tis on your second
hook!
Well, that's as odd a
little fish
As e'er a line ha'
took!
I've ne'er seen
nothing like it, m'm -
Don't touch it wi'
your hand -
These strange 'uns
prick like poison, m'm,
Sometimes - you
understand?
"I'll take it off! It won't hurt me!
You wonder what it's
called?
I couldn't say! The
rummest thing
That ever yet was
hauled!
A farthing's worth o'
queerness, m'm,
I'd name it if 'twas
priced!
A young John Dory? No
- they bears
The marks o' Jesus
Christ.
"You'll see His fingers and His thumb!
Where are they? Well,
a bit
Beyond the gills -
look! Here's the place,
Just where I'm
holding it!
So this ain't no John
Dory, m'm!
I'll put it safe
away!
You'll tell your
friends you pulled it from
The bottom o' Poole
Bay!
"'Twas better than a submarine?
There ain't such
devils here!
We've got the North
Sea trawlers down,
They keeps the
harbour clear!
You saw a heap o'
tangled wire
A-lyin' on the quay?
And thought as they'd
just hauled it up?
Aye, m'm! That's how
'twould be.
"We're what they calls a' Naval Base,
Since this here war
abroke!
You seen it up? Aye,
yonder there!
'Tis hard for
fisher-folk!
We gets our catches
in the night!
But we mayn't leave
the Bay
Save when the sun is
on the sea -
You don't catch much
by day!
"But we've our bit to bear, as much
As richer men nor we.
We got to get a
'permit' now
To take our nets to
sea.
We starts at dawn -
if tides is right -
And, when the sun be
gone,
Unless we lie inside
the booms
We'd like be fired
upon!
"You want to see the mack'rel shoals?
They come in black as
- see -
Yon house that's
tarred from roof to floor
Just there, beside
the quay!
My smack's up now by
Christchurch steps,
I've got my 'permit'
signed!
I'll take you out o'
Thursday next
If so be you've a
mind?
I shan't be gone? Not yet! I waits
Until I gets the
call! -
If you'll come out,
m'm, with the nets,
I'll promise you a
haul!
You're safe with
Jacob Matthews, m'm!
He's ne'er been
called a fool
By any of the
fisher-folk
The war has left in
Poole!"
