Jedmar,

The Rosa indica alba was stated to be a seedling of R. lucida (bracteata).

Rollinson's Odorata seedling was reported to be similar, but double-flowered.

Perhaps these were reciprocal crosses of Odorata and Bracteata -- forerunners of 'Alba Odorata'.

Karl

Hortus Addlestonensis (1829)
Plants cultivated and sold by John Cree (county of Surrey)

p. 32
ROSA
14 bracteata C.E.P. Macartney May, Oct. 15 white
15 b. plene C.E.P double ditto 15 ditto

p. 33
80 Bengalensis alba 16 blush

p. 34
99 odorata P. sw scented China March, Oct. 10 blush B.R. 804
100 b. flavescens P. yellow ditto ditto 6 pale yellow

A double-flowered Macartney had turned up (Rollinson's?); Bengalensis alba is available; no white-flowered Odorata listed.

Hortus Duroverni (1831)
William Masters

p. 62
251 indica - blush China
252 semperflorens - everblowing

p. 63
Garden Varieties from the two latter Species.
253 White China
254 Yellow China
255 Animating
256 Bichonii
257 Indica minor
258 Purpurea
259 Brooke's Climbing
260 Odoratissima
261 Longifolia
262 Bengalensis rubra
263 Bengalensis alba
264 Semperflorens major
265 Barclayana
266 Sadi
267 Subalba
268 Thisbe
260 Armata
270 Florida
271 Roxburghii
272 Bengal formidable
273 Lawrenciana
274 Odorata
275 Duchess de Berri
276 Indica major
277 Purpurea rubra
278 Soulangiana
279 Crimson odorata

307 bracteata - Lord Macartney's - China
308 plena - double - gardens

Here we see 253 White China separate from 267 Subalba, and that the double Macartney was a garden variety rather than a direct importation.

And some more references:

Sweet's Hortus Britannicus (1839)
p. 216
subalba - whitish China (under indica)
flavescens - yellow China (under odorata)
(No other white varieties mentioned)

American Flower-garden Directory (1832)
Hibbert & Buist (Philadelphia, Pa.)
p. 184
No. 11. Rosa odorata alba, or White-tea, is not so odorous as No. 8 [Rosa odorata, or Tea-rose], but blooms more profusely, and grows more freely. The beautiful and neat appearance of the buds, when half expanded, is not surpassed; and when full blown, they are a fine delicate white. The bush in that state is showy, much admired, and scarce; we are not positive of its being hardy.
No. 12. Rosa Bengal, or Yellow-tea, is a very free flowerer, the shape of the flower is more like No. 8. than any of the others; the petals are large and gracefully set, having a peculiar scent or flavour, and is of a sulphur colour. We cannot say as to its being hardy, but suppose it as much so as No. 8.
p. 186
No. 20. Rosa Indica alba pleno, or white China, is a rose of free growth, abundant in flower, and pure white, which renders it very desirable; is larger than No. 1 [Rosa indica, common China or daily], is greatly admired, and rare; requires rich light soil.

Catalogue of kitchen garden, flower, tree and grass seeds, etc (1843)
By George C. THORBURN (New York)
p. 49
White China, or daily rose - French white, very constant bloomer
'Bourbon' is the only "white" Tea Scented listed.


Flora Odorata (1843)
Frederick Thompson Mott (Great Britain)
p. 93
"The White China Rose, R. indica, is much esteemed for its elegant and delicate flowers, and also for its delightful fragrance. It is rather tender, requiring protection during the Winter, when planted in the open air; but it is generally grown as a pot plant, for which it is well adapted. It may be propagated by cuttings taken off during the Summer, and planted under a hand-glass in light rich soil, or they will root more quickly if planted in pots on a little heat."

[This is a little ambiguous because of the fragrance. However, it was not a seedling of Old Blush, as Andrews assumed.]

Proceedings of the Annual Meeting, NY State Agric. Soc. vol. 6 - 1846 (1847)
p. 86-87
"By Elwanger and Barry, of the Mount Hope Nurseries, Rochester, twenty-nine varieties of Roses ... Vanilla scented, White China and Madonna."

The Illustrated London News, Volume 2 (July 1, 1843)
Grand Floral Fete at Glazenwood
p. 12
"... a perfectly unique specimen of the double yellow China or magnolia rose; ... and a beautiful mixture of the dark red and white China roses;"

The Rose Manual (1844)
Robert Buist
p. 112-113
"Flavescens, or Yellow Tea, pale straw colour, extremely large bold petals; it is very splendid when half expanded, but when full blown is loose and not fully double; it bears an abundance of seed, but we have never produced a good rose from it. This plant was introduced into England from China, by Mr. Parks, about the year 1824. In fresh sandy rich loamy soil it grows very strong, and flowers profusely, but does not thrive in heavy soils. My late partner, Mr. Hibbert, introduced this rose and the White China into this country in 1828, and the first plants that were sold of them was in 1830; they are now found in thousands over every part of the United States."

[The White China mentioned by Buist was called "Sarmeteuse" [sic] elsewhere in the book. It was most likely a Noisette-type.]

The Cottage Gardener 4: 392-394 (Sept. 26, 1850)
Donald Beaton
"This White China rose had the good fortune to come into the world before they found out the way to give roses such hard names, and, like old gardeners, very few people care anything about it; in short, I do not know if the nurserymen grow it at all, it is so old; but this I do know, that they grow no China rose half so useful. It is in full flower every day from May to December, and late in the season it is the only white rose one can pick to make a variety in the glasses. In November the buds of it are as hard as acorns, and as pointed as a bayonet, and if it is wet weather, the out side row of petals look much faded, and nine persons out of ten would pass it as gone; but strip off the faded covering and you have the nicest white rose bud you ever saw, and it will keep ten days fresh in a dry warm room. All the autumn roses for house decoration ought to be cut before the buds are more than half blown; they will keep all the longer, and look as well if not better than if they were quite open; they escape the damp, and will open in the glasses."

Page's Prodromus (1818)
Cultivated in the Southampton Botanic Gardens
William Bridgewater Page
p. 156
Greenhouse Plants -
Rosa.
berberifolia - Barberry-leaved
Laurenceana - Miss Laurence's
Sinica - Three-lvd: China
suaveolens - Tea-scented
Rosa subalba - Nearly White

Rosacearum Monographia vol. 1 (1823)
Leopold Trattinnick
p. 40
XI. Rosa Indica. 1. turbinata. 2. fragrans. 3. subalba

Catalogue of Plants, which are Sold by Conrad Loddiges and Sons, Nurserymen (1820)
p. 25
Rosa indica bichonia, centifolia, major, minor, purpurea, subalba

I jumped the gun on "subalba". Redoute painted this one, said to have been raised from seed by Cels in 1804.