The son of an art metal craftsman, he was born in Sheffield and studied at Sheffield School of Art from 1880 under Henry Archer and J T Cook (along with John Gutteridge SYKES) at South Kensington, where he won a silver medal. Initially he taught art at a girls' school in Sheffield, but then decided on making a career of painting.

He looked at several seaside places in Cornwall but decided on St Ives in 1902. In June 1906 he sold Street at St Ives at NAG. By 1909 he was advertising for pupils at 4 Tre-Pol-Pen, Street-an-Pol, offering "painting in oil and watercolour, marine, landscape, figure, etc.". He is best known for his depictions of the harbour, filled with brown sailed craft, and the old cottages in Down-a-long.

White worked from Tregenna Hill Studio in the 1930s and later in his life from Fern Glade Studio, The Stennack. An unassuming man with a gentle, kindly disposition and a great sense of humour, he was also a keen and knowledgeable musician, being organist at the Catholic Church for over 25 years, although himself a Wesleyan. He was widely read on architecture and all forms of art. He never married and from 1946, needed a housekeeper to look after him. By this juncture he was struggling financially and losing his eyesight. In his final year of life he sent work to the RA that was rejected. His stroke was probably precipitated by the emotional upset this caused him. On his death his niece and her son sold off his paintings cheaply in a local pub.