He had two brother who were seven and eight years older than he was, and a sister who was two years older. Whitehead was always treated by his parents as the baby of the family and, rather surprisingly, they considered him a sickly and frail child when it appears that this was not the case. Whitehead was not sent to primary school because his parents thought that he was too delicate, so he was taught at home by his father until he was 14.
Tenía dos hermanos que tenían siete y ocho años mayor que él, y una hermana que era dos años mayor. Whitehead siempre fue tratada por sus padres como el bebé de la familia y, sorprendentemente, lo consideraban un niño enfermizo y frágil cuando parece que este no era el caso. Whitehead no fue enviado a la escuela primaria porque sus padres pensaron que era demasiado delicada, por lo que se enseña en casa por su padre hasta los 14 años.