Mary Emma Webster was the second child of William Webster & Elizabeth Winder christened February 5th, 1854 at Burnham, Bucks.
In 1861 she was living with her parents & sisters at Dorney Wood Farm.
At the time of the 1871 census Mary (17) was visiting wine merchant Henry Gold & family at Wooburn Common, Wooburn, Bucks.
Mary married George Webster [we.9.3] on April 30th, 1878, at Hitcham, Bucks. George, born September 21st, 1845 at Hitcham, was Mary’s cousin, the son of Richard Webster, a farmer & Mary Ann Cross.
In 1881 Mary & George were living with George’s parents at Hill Farm, Hitcham, with their 3 month old son John Richard. George was a coal merchant & farmer. Also living there was George’s older brother John (36).
They were still living at Hill Farm in 1891 with George’s father, now a widower & retired farmer. Brother John was now the farmer & George was a coal merchant. Mary & George had a daughter Kathleen Mary aged 2 but the whereabouts of son John is unknown.
By 1901 George’s father had died & John was still farming at Hill Farm. George was the head of the household however & his occupation was a brewer. Mary & George now had 3 children at home – John was an undergraduate student at Cambridge University, Kathleen, & Dorothy Eveline (9).
George & Mary had moved from Hill Farm by 1911 & were living at the Knowle, Taplow, Bucks with children John Richard, a solicitor, Kathleen Mary & Dorothy Eveline. George was described as a brewer & corn merchant. They employed a cook, house maid & kitchen maid.
It is known that George had a love of field sports & in 1914 was the tenant of a grouse moor in Alston, Cumberland.
The Knowle, Taplow, Bucks was their address at the time of death of son John on September 9th, 1916 who was killed in France at the Battle of the Somme. He was serving as a 2nd Lieutenant with the 4th Battalion London Regiment. Probate was granted to his mother Mary on December 28th. John had chosen law as a profession & had joined a firm in Lincoln’s Inn. He was captain of the Taplow cricket club & loved shooting & played golf regularly at the Maidenhead golf club. (Reading Mercury September 23rd, 1916)
Daughter Dorothy married Archibald James Coles on February 23rd, 1918 at the Register Office, St Martin, London. They were to have a daughter, Sheila Mary, later that year.
George died on May 29th, 1926 at the Knowle, Taplow, Bucks. Probate was granted on September 22nd, 1926 to William Bayley, retired farmer, widow Mary Emma & John Percy Webster, merchant. George’s effects were £21,220.5s.6d.
Widowed Mary was living at 32 College Avenue, Maidenhead at the time of the 1939 register. With her was daughter Dorothy & her husband, Archibald & their daughter Sheila Coles.
Mary died on January 1st, 1940 at Rose Lawn, College Ave, Maidenhead. Administration of her will was granted on April 24th, 1940 to daughter Dorothy Eveline Coles (wife of Archibald James Coles). Her effects were £1,006.10s.2d. & resworn as £1,070.5s.2d.
The children of Mary Emma Webster & George Webster were:
we.9.3.1 John Richard Webster
christened January 23rd, 1881 at Hitcham, Bucks, died September 9th, 1916 in France
we.9.3.2 Kathleen Mary Webster
born Oct-December 1888 at Hitcham, Bucks, died Jan-March 1949 at Leeds
we.9.3.3 Dorothy Eveline Webster born January 7th, 1892 at Hitcham, Bucks; died July-September 1965 at Windsor, Berks