World Wide Webbs
My wife's Webb ancestors are from historic Greenwich, the home of the Prime Meridian.
Branches of the family now live on the other side of the globe.
The pages on this site are best read on a Tablet, Laptop or Desktop. They don't work well on a mobile. I'm afraid I don't have the skills or the nouse to adapt or structure the content to work on a mobile, so for that, I apologise.
Hello, I'm Jack Bayes.
My wife, born Sylvia Webb, has ancestors that hail from Greenwich, the historic town on the South Bank of the River Thames, downstream from the City of London.
Sylvia's late brother was the last of a line of at least seven generations of male ancestors, all called William Webb.
The earliest William Webb we know about of this line, was born c.1787 at Greenwich, the Father of a William baptised at St. Alphage's Church (left) in 1813. My wife's Uncle has the precious Baptism Certificate.
Recently, It's been most agreeable to have been contacted by descendants of various parts of this family who have been very generous in sharing some useful information. This website is an attempt at putting a lot of the data together so that all this knowledge can be shared.
Some of the families had many siblings, so I apologise in advance if some of the trees look a bit busy!
If you have any further information, suggestions for this page, or you have spotted any errors, please feel free to contact me. My E Mail address is at the foot of the page.
First, let us look at a rather busy tree of my wife's Webb ancestors.
So, back to the earliest William Webb we know about, who was born in Greenwich in about 1787. He was a Waterman and married Hannah Molyneux Mee in 1810 at St Paul's Church, Deptford.
They had at least 15 children. Sylvia's ancestor was William Henry Joseph Webb, b.1813 in Greenwich.
One of W.H.J. Webb's brothers was Henry Webb, (pictured right), b.1826 and a Waterman.
Some of his descendants went afar. (More about them, below).
Another brother, Richard Daniel Webb, an indentured Waterman b.1820. He was found dead in the River Thames on 5 Apr 1876.
His tree and further information on one his descendants of particular interest, can be found further on.
My wife's ancestor, William H. J. Webb, married Margaret Carr in 1835. She had German ancestors called Rehm.
Margaret Carr's grandfather was Joseph Rehm who was born 15 May 1764 in the Black Forest of Germany, or possibly in nearby Pfullingen, near Stuttgart, where he was christened. He was the son of Joseph Rehm (1722-1782) and Elizabeth Reutter (b.1733).
But, by the time he was 24, Joseph was in Ratcliffe, a community of wharfs, etc., East of London on the North bank of the River Thames, (just West of where Limehouse Basin is now).
Ratcliffe grew as an early landfall for ships sailing up the River Thames, towards the capital. Its bustling streets were lined with warehouses, sailors’ houses, shipwrights’ offices and taverns. This must have been where he arrived from Germany.
Use the link for more information on Ratcliffe.
He married Rebecca Robjent in the local parish church of St. Dunstan's in Stepney on 23 Sep 1788.
By 1791 they had crossed the Thames to Deptford on the South bank of the Thames. He was a baker. I imagine the bread, biscuit, etc., was sold to local ships.
They lived on a street called Stowage, close to the West side of Deptford Creek, (where the River Ravensbourne meets the Thames). The town of Greenwich is on the Eastern side.
The map below, shows the area on Greenwood's Map of 1827. Stowage was a road that led to a Ferry which had been established in the mid 18thC. This was before the Deptford Creek Bridge was built in 1815 and the "New Road" made, (which is now called Creek Road).
Joseph Rehm died in Deptford in July 1817.
Joseph and Rebecca's daughter Elizabeth Rehm (1791-1867) married Matthew Carr (1795-1864), who, (according to their daughter Margaret's Baptism record), was a Cooper and Hawker living at Say's Court, Deptford, just West of this area. This daughter, Margaret Carr (1818-1856) married William H.J. Webb in 1835 in Lewisham.
W.H.J.Webb was a Bootmaker, living on 46 Trafalgar Road, Greenwich, on the South side, then No. 7, on the North side. (Both houses have gone now).
One of his sons was William Matthew Webb, b.1826 Greenwich, who married Mary Ann Hoyton in Lewisham in c.1859. William was a bootmaker for most of his life, but had become a Gas Fitter by the time he died.
They had a son William Matthew Carr Webb, born 1859 in Greenwich.
W.M.C.Webb (pictured left), married his Father's first cousin Rosina Webb, (pictured right). She was Henry Webb's daughter, b.1860 in Greenwich. You can imagine some complex family relationships here!
One of their sons was my wife's Grandfather, William Matthew Webb, b. 1889, Greenwich.
W.M.Webb (left) was a Carpenter/Builder and married Ethel May Keir in 1919. Ethel (right) was a gifted musician and taught the violin. They lived in Hanover Road, Plumstead. (Around the first World War, I suppose, the Germanic name was changed to Elmdene Road). Sadly, Ethel was only to live until she was 33, dying from Meningitis in 1931.
We break at this point to look at the history of the Keir line.
The earliest document I have found regarding the Keirs is the Wedding Certificate of William Keir to Catherine Milton. William's Father, another William, was a Gunner in the Royal Artillery, (RA). Catherine's Father, John Milton, was a Sergeant in the RA.
The wedding took place on 19 Oct 1841 at St. Nicolas, Plumstead in Kent. William was a Bandsman in the RA and Catherine a spinster.
Somehow, William does not appear on subsequent census returns, but Catherine does and we find she was born c.1822 in the West Indies, (British Subject).
One of their five children was James Charles Keir, b.1850 in Woolwich when his parents were living in Woolwich Barracks, (according to James' christening record).
In 1871, the census shows that the family, (less William), were living in Sandy Road, Plumstead, Catherine was a dressmaker and James a labourer. It was much the same in 1881, except that James is now a Foreman of Boys in a Powder Works, (Woolwich Arsenal?).
In 1886, James married Charlotte Louisa Brown, (b.1861 Knightsbridge, London, the daughter of a Soldier, the late Thomas Brown). James was then an Iron Turner.
A daughter Alphonsine Violet was born in 1887, but died aged 6 in 1893. Another daughter, Ethel May was born in 1896.
By 1901, James is Landlord of a Public House in Orchard Hill, Greenwich called The Olive Branch, (pictured right).
James Keir died of Bright's Disease in 1912.
The Olive Branch was demolished in 1965.
A couple of years after Ethel died, W.M.Webb married Muriel Ladd, c.1933, but this marriage didn't last.
In 1940, he married again, to Alice Annie Chalcraft (nee Titchener). This adds more complications. As she was the widowed Mother-in-law of his eldest son William, (my wife's Grandmother).
See my Chalcraft & Titchener page.
But to return to William and Ethel, one of their sons was the aformentioned William Matthew James Carr Webb, born in Greenwich in 1920, (my wife's Father, known as 'Ginger' and pictured, left). He married Alice Sophie Chalcraft in 1940.
Their first-born was William Clifford Webb, (pictured right). He tragically died of Diptheria when he was just 3 years old.
Sadly, his passing ended this long continuous male line called William Webb.
Later, William and Alice Sophie had a daughter, Sylvia, who married me.
'Ginger' died in 2004 and Alice Sophie, a lovely lady, died in 2016, at the great age of 101.
As mentioned above, Richard Daniel Webb was one of the sons of William Webb and Hannah Molynieux Mee. This is his descendant tree:
Ernest Scott (1916-1940) is particularly commemorated in the blue block, below.
Ernest Scott, (a great-grandson of Richard Daniel Webb), was a Spitfire pilot serving with 222 Squadron in the RAF during the Battle of Britain in 1940.
He accumulated enough kills during September 1940 to become classed as a Fighter Ace.
Sadly, he was shot down by a German fighter ace, on 27 September 1940, aged only 23.
See his amazing story here.
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The above trees, one a little busy, shows more information on the descendants of Henry Webb (1826-1913) pictured left and Elizabeth Sarah Brown (1828-1914), pictured right. Henry was a Waterman and Lighterman, (his Waterman's apprenticeship was served between 1842 and 1849 at Greenwich).
They had at least 12 children: Two of his children moved to Staffordshire and another emigrated to New Zealand.
William Francis Henry Webb, (1849-1917), Waterman and Lighterman.
Elizabeth Mary Henrietta Webb, (1851-1854).
Henry George Webb, (1853-1899), Waterman and Lighterman.
Emily Sarah Webb, (1857-1928) married Henry John Lediard in 1877. (* See below)
Alfred Daniel Webb, (1858-1942), Electrical Worker, married Cordelia Susan Goodair in 1888.
Between 1901 and 1911, they moved to Staffordshire.
Rosina Webb, (1860-1943), my wife's ancestor, see the first tree on this Webb page.
David Richard Webb, (1862-1938), also moved to Staffordshire.
Ada Hannah Webb, born 1864.
Amelia Caroline Webb, born 1868.
Walter John Webb, (1872-1942), married Matilda Maud Baulf.
Emigrated to New Zealand in 1920. Many living descendants there.
Frederick John Webb - noted in a family bible, but no information found elsewhere.
* A small footnote to talk about Henry John Lediard, (1856-1926) who was a fascinating character.
He served in the Royal Navy from 1870 until 1876. He joined as a Boy, volunteering on 27 Aug 1870, becoming an Ordinary Seaman on 1 Aug 1873 and an Able Seaman on 1 Jan 1875. Part of his service was on HMS Challenger, a corvette, on a scientific survey round the world. He left the Navy, buying himself out on 12 Jun 1876.
He then applied for and was accepted by the Metropolitian Police. After 3 weeks drill at Wellington Barracks, London, he was sworn in on 4th September 1876, Warrant No. 60747. He was stationed at Woolwich Arsenal, but on 8 January 1877 was transferred to the Waterloo Police Station, Waterloo Bridge, Thames Division, the only floating Police Station in the world.
Whilst serving at the station he met and married Emily Sarah Webb, (pictured right, who was born 3 Jan 1857 at 33 Wood Wharf, Greenwich).
He eventually rose to the rank of Divisional Inspector, being stationed at Wapping Station, Thames Division. Retired on pension on 9th Sep 1901. His photo is shown, (left).
From 1910 to 1913 he rose on early winter mornings and attended the Central Hall, Deptford, assisting to deal with giving breakfasts to the poor children of the district. This he did quite voluntarily and without payment.
He was highly respected by all who knew him for his Christian character. He died on 27 July 1926 at 71 Alloa Road, Deptford.
"If you don't know where you are going, know where you come from."
Krio proverb.
I hope you find this Webb site of interest. I am always open to suggestions as to how to improve these pages. You may have information to add, or to clarify that given on the site. Also, I have to admit, there may well be errors! Whatever the case, please let me know.
Please note my new E Mail address, which is:
s y l v j a c k 1 @ g m a i l . c o m
(I've added spaces in between each letter of the E Mail address as a form of "address munging", (if you'll pardon the expression).
Jack Bayes