George Webster [we.9.3]

George Webster was the third child of Richard Webster & Mary Ann Cross christened September 21st, 1845 at Hitcham, Bucks.

In 1851, 1861 & 1871 George was living with his parents & family at Hill Farm, Hitcham.

George married Mary Emma Webster on April 30th, 1878, at Hitcham, Bucks. Witnesses at the wedding were William Webster, Harriet Webster & John Webster. Mary was the second child of William Webster & Elizabeth Winder born January 6th, 1854 & christened February 5th, 1854 at Burnham, Bucks & was therefore George’s cousin.

In 1881 George & Mary were living at Hill Farm with his parents & brother John. George was a coal merchant & farmer & he & Mary had a 3 month old son John Richard.

In 1889 George caught 4 men with dogs trespassing in a wood looking for game. Two of the men left when requested but the other 2 were abusive. All 4 were fined & committed for 14 days. In addition one of the men was charged with assault on George. He rushed at him with a stake & threatened ‘to knock his brains out’! The stake broke across George’s arm & the accused was sentenced to 1 month’s imprisonment with hard labour. (Bucks Herald, January 26th, 1889)

They were still living at Hill Farm in 1891 with George’s widowed father, now retired & George’s brother John. George was a coal merchant & he & Mary now had a daughter Kathleen Mary (2), but the whereabouts of son John is unknown.

In the early 1890s George, together with brother John, took over the Brown & Terry Brewery in the High St of Burnham. Brown & Terry had bought ‘The Rose’ & its brew house at the rear from Eton College. By the late 1800s the brewery had grown in size employing 9 men & 2 boys & supplied most of the inns in Burnham. In 1899 the brewery was trading as Terry A & Co although the actual brewer was John Webster. Terry & Co were bought out in 1905 by a larger brewery but eventually The Rose was bought back in 1913 by George Webster, although he was restricted by covenant not to use the premises as a brewery

George c1900

By 1901 George’s father had died & brother 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).

Both George & Mary appeared to have taken a great interest in birds, both winning prizes in local shows. George specialized in pigeons & Mary won honours in foreign caged birds. In 1910 George became a director of the Maidenhead Gas Company.

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 & had served in Malta & Egypt. 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 & nephew 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 George Webster & Mary Emma 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 christened August 19th, 1888 at Hitcham, Bucks, died March 18th,1949 at 9 Hyde Terrace, Leeds
we.9.3.3 Dorothy Eveline Webster born January 7th, 1892 at Hitcham, Bucks; died July-September 1965 at Windsor, Berks