Charles Henry WEBB (1868–1917)
Charles Henry Webb was born in St Clement’s, Oxford in 1868, the son of Arthur Webb (born in Stonesfield in 1841, registered second quarter) and Jemima Trinder (born in Headington and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 27 April 1845).
His parents were married in the fourth quarter of 1865 in the Headington district and had the following children:
- Arthur Edward. Webb (born in New Headington in1866, registered third quarter, and baptised at St Andrew’s Church there on 12 August 1866)
- Charles Henry Webb (born in Brewery Street, St Clement’s, Oxford in early April 1868 and baptised at St Clement’s Church on 5 April 1868)
- Ellen Ann Webb (born in Brewery Street, St Clement’s, Oxford and baptised at St Clement’s Church on 25 December 1869, died aged 10 months, buried in its churchyard on 6 October 1870 )
- Bessie Webb (born in Brewery Street, St Clement’s, Oxford and baptised at St Clement’s Church on 6 August 1871)
- Ellen Ann Webb (born in Cherwell Street, St Clement’s, Oxford and baptised at St Clement’s Church on 30 November 1873)
- Albert Victor Webb, born in Cherwell Street, St Clement’s, Oxford and baptised at St Clement’s Church on 25 December 1876; died aged one, buried in the churchyard on 12 April 1878)
- Herbert William Webb (born at 5 Cherwell Street, St Clement’s, Oxford and baptised at St Clement’s Church on 26 January 1879)
- Ada Jane Webb (born in William Street, New Marston in 1880/1 and baptised at St Clement’s Church on 27 March 1881).
The 1861 census shows Charles’s father, Arthur Webb (19), an agricultural labourer, as a visitor at the home New Headington of his future wife’s parents, Joshua and Sarah Trinder (a farm labourer and a laundress). Jemima was then 15 years old, and four years later she and Arthur were married (in the Headington registration district, but not in Headington). They began their married life in New Headington, probably with Jemima’s parents.
By the time of the 1871 census Charles’s father Arthur (29) was working as a brewer and living in Little Brewery Street, St Clement’s with Jemima (25) and their first two children: Arthur (4) and Charles himself (3). They moved from Little Brewery Street to 5 Cherwell Street in about 1872, and were still there in 1879.
By March 1881 Charles’s father, still described as a brewer’s labourer, had moved with his wife and children to “Lucky Cottages” on the Marston Road (these may in fact have been in William Street, where the family had been described as living a month earlier at the time of their youngest child’s baptism). The 1881 census shows them living at William Street: Charles was then still at school at the age of 13.
The following year Charles’s father died at the age of 40 (with his address given as the Marston Road). He was buried in St Clement’s churchyard on 24 October 1882.
The family does not appear to be listed in the 1891 census.
♥ On 30 October 1893 in St Nicholas’s Church, Old Marston Charles Webb (25) married Amelia Ann Ward (born in Old Marston in 1864, registered second quarter): she was the daughter of the parish clerk of Old Marston, Richard Ward, and at the time of the 1891 census was living with her parents and working as a machinist. They had six children:
- Charles Henry Webb junior (born in Old Marston and baptised at St Nicholas’s Church on 13 April 1894)
- Eugene Arthur Webb (known as Arthur; born in Old Marston in 1895/6; registered first quarter of 1896: St Nicholas’s register has a gap)
- George Albert Webb (born in Old Marston in 1898; registered third quarter; St Nicholas’s register has a gap)
- William Colenso Webb (born in Old Marston in 1900 (registered third quarter) and baptised at St Nicholas’s Church on 25 November 1900)
(The Battle of Colenso in the Boer War occurred on 15 December 1899, around the time of his conception) - Bessie Verna Webb (born in Old Marston on 2 March 1903 and baptised at St Nicholas’s Church on 28 June 1903)
- Ellie May Webb (born in Old Marston and baptised at St Nicholas’s Church on 26 January 1908).
At the time of the 1901 census Charles Webb was a general labourer at a nursery and was living with his wife and their first four children at Old Marston.
By the time of the 1911 Charles Webb was working as a jobbing gardener and still living in Old Marston. He and his wife now had six children ranging in age from four to seventeen, and the eldest two, Charles Henry (17) and Eugene Arthur (15), were working as errand boys.
In the First World War Charles Henry Webb served as a Bombardier in the 128th Heavy Battery of the Royal Garrison Artillery (Service No. 104). He died of wounds in Belgium at the age of 50 on 6 February 1917.
He is buried in the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery (XI.A.7A), and is remembered on the Roll of Honour of St Nicholas’s Church, Old Marston.
Fifteen years later the following words were added to Charles Webb’s widow’s grave in Marston Cemetery (above):
ALSO OF HER HUSBAND
BDR C. H. WEBB, R.G.A.
DIED OF WOUNDS FEB. 6. 1917,
AGED 50 YEARS.
INTERRED AT POPERINGHE,
BELGIUM.
WORTHY OF EVERLASTING REMEMBRANCE.
Postscript
Charles’s widow
- Mrs Amelia Ann Webb died at the age of 67 on 20 March 1932 and is buried in Marston (Elsfield Road) Cemetery (grave shown above).
Charles’s children
- Charles Henry Webb (born 1894) married Agnes M. Morris in the Headington registration district in the fourth quarter of.1919. He died at the age of 53 on 7 June 1947 and is buried in St Nicholas’s churchyard.
- Eugene Arthur Webb (born 1895/6 and known as Arthur) married Caroline Edwards in the Neath registration district in the third quarter of 1918. He was a jig and tool draughtsman, and they lived at 121 Marlborough Road in south Oxford. They had five of their children, ranging in age from 2 to 22) all baptised together at St Nicholas’s Church, Old Marston on 24 May 1942: Raymond Charles Webb (born 1 March 1920); Allan George Webb (born 9 July 1926); Gerald Gwyn Webb (born 8 September 1932); Haydn John Webb (born 29 March 1935); and Clive Webb (born 6 April 1940). Eugene Arthur Webb and his wife Caroline are buried together in St Nicholas’s churchyard: she died at the age of 73 on 18 December 1969, and he died at the age of 77 on 19 October 1973. Their son Raymond Charles died on 27 February 2001 and his wife Margaret Joan on 10 November 1980, and they are also buried at St Nicholas’s churchyard.
- William Colenso Webb (born 1900) is probably the William C. Webb who married Winifred I. Durham in the Headington registration district in the third quarter of 1926.
- Bessie Verna Webb (born 1903) married John Edward Akers (the brother of Albert Akers of New Marston, who also died in the First World War) in 1927, probably at St Nicholas’s Church. He was a motor fitter, and they lived in Ferry Road. Their first child Keith Akers (born 9 February 1930) was baptised at St Nicholas’s Church on 16 March 1930. Bessie was widowed, and in the fourth quarter of 1960, when she was 57, married Herbert Lewis Howson (a bachelor of 62 born in St Saviour in 1898). He died in 1967 at the age of 69 in the Oxford area, and Bessie died in 2000 at the age of 97 in the Abingdon district. Her son Keith married Gillian J. Smith in the Ploughley registration district in the fourth quarter of 1951, and died in the Abingdon district in 2000.