Euphemia Webster was the fourth child of John Hearne Webster & Euphemia Kay Stewart born on 21st December 1853 & christened April 20th 1854 at Belfast, Victoria, Australia.
Euphemia lived in Australia until 1854.
By 1861 she was living with the family at The Lodge, Alphington, Devon.
In 1871 she was still with her parents & family at Prospect St, Reading.
Euphemia married Charles Philbrick on August 6th, 1877 at the Minster, Reading. Charles who was christened February 26th, 1840 at St Giles, Reading, the son of Eliza & John Philbrick, was of Gordon Lodge, Brunswick Hill, Reading.
At the time of the 1881 census Charles & Euphemia were living at Gordon Lodge, Tilehurst Rd, Reading. Charles was a tanner & currier employing 22 men & 1 boy. They had 2 daughters – Effie Stewart (2) & Ethel Charlotte (9 months). They employed a cook, a nurse & a housemaid. For further information on the Philbrick Tannery see the following article by Evelyn Williams: https://whitleypump.wordpress.com/2015/12/24/smells-of-katesgrove-philbricks-tannery/
In 1891 they were living at Summerfield, Reading & Charles was still a tanner. The first 2 daughters were at home & they now also had Helen Margaret (9), Arthur Charles (5), John Webster (3) & Basil Stewart (3 months). They had 2 nurses, a cook & a housemaid.
They were still living at Summerfield, Southcote Rd in 1901 & Charles was still a tanner. Still at home were Helen & Basil & there was another son Alan Nelson (8). There was a visitor, Stewart E Brock a 26 year old banker from Bengal (probably the son of Euphemia’s sister Mary Anne who had married William Brock) & a cook, 2 housemaids & a nurse.
Daughter Ethel Charlotte married Charles Edgell Brown, a brewer, of Stanton Manor, Burton-on-Trent, on May 30th, 1907 at St Mary’s, Reading. Charles was born in 1870 in Devizes, Wiltshire, the third son of Ellen Philbrick & William Brown of Church House, Potterne. Ethel’s sisters were among the bridesmaids & a reception for 150 people was held at Summersfield. Among the gifts to the couple was a large silver rose bowl, a gift from the employees of the Reading tan yard & a silver plated tea tray, silver salver, candlesticks & inkstand to Mr Brown from the employees at Trumans Brewery, Burton-on-Trent. The couple honeymooned in London & Lucerne. (Berkshire Chronicle, June 1st, 1907)
In 1911 the home of Euphemia & Charles at 22 Southcote Rd was a large house with 14 rooms – presumably the house called Summerfield mentioned in the last 2 censuses. Charles had now retired from tanning & only daughter Helen was still at home. They had a cook & 2 servants to look after them.
Son Arthur Charles enlisted in the Royal Fusiliers in December 1915. However he appears not to have been fit enough to take an active part in WW1. His medical record shows that he suffered from synovitis of his knee which recurred after severe physical activity. He also suffered some kidney problems. Arthur was discharged in January 1916 but sadly died on October 31st, 1918 at Queen Mary’s Auxiliary Hospital, Roehampton.
On July 11th, 1918 son Alan married Gertrude Marcia Ludlow, daughter of Henry W Ludlow, St John’s House, Warwick. The marriage took place at St Nicholas’, Warwick & Alan was a Captain in the London Regiment which he had joined in 1915. In May 1919 Alan sailed for Ceylon from London where he was to be a tea planter. There is a record of wife Marcia returning to England from Ceylon in 1923 with children Peter (3) & Hugh (8 months). Alan returned from Ceylon to Summerfield, Reading arriving May 10th, 1929 & with him was 6 year old son Hugh Ludlow Philbrick. Tragically his wife Marcia had died on the voyage back to England. Her death states that she was of Mousakande, Ceylon. Alan subsequently married Muriel Joicey Rickman in July-September 1930 in Salisbury, who died in 1944. His third wife was Margaret Duckworth who he married in Hampshire in July 1945.
Charles died on April 30th, 1921 at Summerfield, Reading. Probate was granted on April 30th to widow Euphemia & Charles Gyningham Field, solicitor. His effects were £39,673.14s.4d.
The 1939 register shows widowed Euphemia still living at Summersfield, Reading with a cook & a parlourmaid. With her at that time was widowed son-in-law Frank Beaumont who was described as an incapacitated sheep farmer. Daughter Effie Stewart had emigrated to Canada in 1912 & married Frank Beaumont, a sheep farmer, in Toronto, Ontario in 1918. Also living at Summersfield was widowed daughter Helen Margaret Rowland. Helen had married Edward Walton Spenser Rowland in 1933 in Reading, but he had died in 1938. Edward, a surgeon, was widowed at the time of his marriage to Helen.
Euphemia died January 1st, 1942, aged 89, at Summerfield, Southcote Rd, Reading, Berks. Probate was granted to son Alan, lieutenant colonel in HM army, & daughter Helen Margaret Rowland. Her effects were £4,701.18s.11d.
Son John Webster Philbrick emigrated to Canada & married a Canadian, Jennie May Ferguson & they had 6 children. Son Basil married Martha J Nance in 1928 in Reading & at the time of the 1939 register they were living in Smallburgh, Norfolk where he was a guest house proprietor.
The children of Euphemia Webster & Charles Philbrick were:
we.7.4.1 Effie Stewart Philbrick christened November 3rd, 1878 at St Mary’s,Reading; died November 12th, 1937 at 25 King St, Reading
we.7.4.2 Ethel Charlotte Philbrick born June 25th, & christened July 29th, 1880 at St Mary’s, Reading; died Jan-March 1974 at Exmoor, Somerset
we.7.4.3 Helen Margaret Philbrick born November 30th, 1881 & christened January 1st, 1882 St Mary’s, Reading; died September 1973 at Exmoor, Somerset
we.7.4.4 Arthur Charles Philbrick born November 8th, 1885 & christened December 13th 1885 at St Mary’s, Reading; died October 31st, 1918 at Queen Mary's Hospital, Roehampton
we.7.4.5 John Webster Philbrick born June 26th 1887 & christened July 31st, 1887 at St Mary’s, Reading; died June 3rd, 1936 in Vineland, Ontario, Canada
we.7.4.6 Basil Stewart Philbrick born January 4th 1891 at Reading; died 1973 in Gipping, Suffolk
we.7.4.7 Alan Nelson Philbrick born September 16th, 1892 at Reading; died October 2nd, 1983 in Deben, Suffolk