George Herbert Whyte

Herbert Whyte, 1908

George Herbert Whyte is best known as the co-founder, with his wife Ethel, of the International Order of the Round Table in 1908.

Early life

George Herbert Whyte was born into a family of Theosophists in 1878, and joined the Society on May 25, 1894. He married Ethel Mary Mallet in 1908.

Theosophical activities

In 1895, Mr. Whyte worked as secretary to Charles W. Leadbeater. For a number of years he was Assistant Manager of the Theosophical Publishing House in London.

Order of the Round Table

In 1908, Mr. Whyte established the International Order of the Round Table, with his wife Ethel as co-founder. He was Senior Knight from 1907 until his death in 1917.

Military service

Mr. Whyte joined a volunteer hospital unit in France, in 1914. He became a Second Lieutenant in the London Irish Rifles in 1916. While assigned to military duty in Malta, Lt. Whyte did research on the Knights of Malta of St. John. Lieutenant Whyte was awarded the Military Cross "for storming the almost impregnable fort of Jerusalem" on December 7-8, 1917. The honor was posthumous, as he was shot while defending Jerusalem on December 21st.

Writing

Writings by George Herbert Whyte include:

• Is Theosophy Anti-Christian?, 1914.
• The Great Teachers, (Adyar, Madras, India: Theosophical Publishing House, 1913). Number 2 in the series Lotus Leaves for the Young.
• H. B. Blavatsky: An Outline of Her Life. London: Percy Lund, Humphries & Co., 1909, and later Adyar, Madras, India: Theosophical Publishing House: 1920. Preface by C. W. Leadbeater. Originally published in serial form in the Lotus Journal.
• Glimpses of the Great War: Letters of a Subaltern from Three Fronts. London: Theosophical Publishing House, 1919. Published posthumously by his wife from letters.
• Reincarnation: a Key to the Riddle of Life. London: Watkins, 1918.
• The King's Uniform & Other Addresses: a Memorial Edition, etc. London: Pelican Press, 1918.