John Richard Webster was the first child of George Webster & Mary Emma Webster christened January 23rd, 1881 at Hitcham, Bucks.
In the 1881 census John was just 3 months old & he & his parents were living with George’s parents Richard & Mary Ann Webster at Hill Farm, Hitcham, Bucks.
At the time of the 1901 census John, an undergraduate student at Cambridge University was at home with his parents & sisters at Hill Farm.
In 1911 John was living at home at Hill Farm & he was now a solicitor.
John joined the 1st/4th Battalion of the London Regiment of the Royal Fusiliers. A notice in the London Gazette of October 7th, 1914 shows the appointment on September 23rd, 1914 of John Richard Webster to the rank of Second Lieutenant. John served in Malta, Egypt & the Dardanelles. He was killed while serving in France on September 9th, 1916, aged 35, when his rank was Captain, & is remembered with honour at the Thiepval Memorial, which commemorates those who died in the Battle of the Somme. Before enlisting John had joined a prominent law firm in Lincoln’s Inn. He was captain of the Taplow cricket club, was fond of shooting & was an active member of the Maidenhead golf club. (Reading Mercury, September 23rd, 1916)
On December 28th, 1916 probate was given to John’s widowed mother Mary & his effects amounted to £743.4s.3d.