Elizabeth Winder [wi.4.7.2]

Elizabeth Winder was the second child of William Winder & Mary Austin christened May 19th, 1827 at Burnham, Bucks.

Elizabeth (14) was living in Burnham in 1841, at the farm of Giles & Mary Tombs. Also living there was Emma Lovett (15) an apprentice dressmaker.

Elizabeth married William Webster on March 4th, 1850 in the parish church of Saint Sepulchre, London. They were both described as ‘of age’. William was born January 11th,1817 at Burnham, Bucks, the son of John Webster, a corn factor & Elizabeth Compton Hearne. William was also a corn factor at the time of his marriage. Witnesses at the wedding were James Austin, Elizabeth’s uncle & Emily Shekel.

In 1851 William & Elizabeth were living at High St, Burnham with their 5 month old daughter Elizabeth Compton Webster. William was described as a corn dealer & seedsman, & farmer holding 130 acres employing 9 men. The Post Office directory of 1854 lists William as a seedsman & corn dealer. William had been particularly well provided for (money, land & property) in his father’s will, his father having died in 1850.

It was reported in the Windsor & Eton Express of December 31st, 1859 that an interesting discovery was made at Dorney Wood. Whilst digging at a great depth for brick earth, some fossil bones were discovered which were from the Auroch Ox. (The Auroch ox is the now extinct ancestor of domestic cattle.) Fortunately William, whose farm surrounded the wood, secured the bones for the antiquarian society.

By 1861 they had moved to Dorney Wood Farm, Bucks where William was now a seedsman & farmer of 340 acres employing 16 men & 7 boys. Their family now had grown to include Mary E (7), Kate (5), Harriett (3), Alice Marion (1) & visiting was Elizabeth’s sister Harriett Ann Winder (31).

Elizabeth Webster (nee Winder)

Photo courtesy of Michael H H Bayley

They were still living at Dorney Wood Farm in 1871 & William was now described as a farmer of 360 acres employing 11 men & 3 boys. At home were Kate, Alice, Rose (8), Florence (5), Ellinor (3) & Madeline (1) – they had now 9 daughters in all! Daughter Harriett was a pupil at Wycombe End School in Beaconsfield, Bucks at this time & daughter Mary was visiting wine merchant Henry Gold & family at Wooburn Common, Wooburn, Bucks.

At age 64 William was still farming as above at the time of the 1881 census. Still living at home were Harriett (23), Florence (15) & Madeline (11). Indeed he was still classified as a farmer & seedsman in 1891 & still living at Dorney Wood with wife Elizabeth & daughters Ellinor & Madeline.

William retired c1894 and took up residence in the High Street Burnham.

Elizabeth, who had been blind for several years, died on February 4th, 1900 at Burnham and was buried on February 7th,1900 at Burnham. The South Bucks Standard of 16th February 1900 stated that Elizabeth had been a “meet helpmate, loving mother and true friend" .

In 1901 William was still living at the High St, Burnham. With him at the time of the census was daughter Alice (41), now married to John Bradford, & granddaughter Maud Elizabeth Bayley (25), daughter of Elizabeth Webster who had married Maurice Bayley.

William died on March 15th, 1904 aged 87 at Burnham. The Slough, Eton & Windsor Observer of March 26th, 1904 recorded the funeral of the late William Webster. It states that his remains were interred in the family vault in Burnham. The chief mourners in the first carriage were Mrs Maurice Bayley [we.12.1], Mrs George Webster [we.12.2], Mrs Barnett [we.12.3], Mrs Deane [we.12.4], Mrs Bradford [we.12.5], Mrs Alf Bayley [we.12.7], Miss Webster [we.12.9], Miss Maud Bayley [we.12.1.2]. Immediately behind the carriage on foot were Maurice Bayley, George Webster [we.9.3], John Webster [we.9.2], Richard Webster [we.9.1], J R Webster [we.9.3.1], Louis Deane, W M Bayley (husband of Ellinor Webster [we.12.8]), Alf Bayley, William Bayley & Mr Winder [wi.4.7.1]. The newspaper mentioned that ‘the service was impressively conducted by the vicar & there were many floral tributes’.

Probate was granted on April 18th, 1904 to his nephew John Webster, retired farmer & his effects were £1758.10s.

The children of Elizabeth Winder & William Webster were:

we.12.1 Elizabeth Compton Webster christened December 15th, 1850 at Burnham; died December 28th, 1937 at 26 Southend Rd, Eltham, London
we.12.2 Mary Emma Webster christened February 5th, 1854 at Burnham; died January 1st, 1940 at Rose Lawn, College Ave, Maidenhead
we.12.3 Kate Webster born October 13th, 1855 at Dorney, christened November 11th, 1855 at Burnham; died March 11th, 1941 at the War Memorial Hospital, Henley-on-Thames
we.12.4 Harriett Webster born September 21st, 1857 at Dorney, christened November 8th, 1857 at Burnham; died November 1931
we.12.5 Alice Marion Webster born August 22nd, 1859 at Dorney, christened September 18th, 1859 at Burnham; died March 20th, 1941 at Maidenhead, Berks
we.12.6 Rose Webster born April-June 1862 at Dorney; died April-June 1879 at Burnham
we.12.7 Florence Webster born September 2nd, 1865 at Dorney, christened October 29th, 1865 at Burnham; died November 18th, 1944 at Orchard Bungalow, Lent Rise, Burnham.
we.12.8 Ellinor Webster christened December 8th, 1867 at Burnham; died October 15th, 1952 at Withyfield, Green Lane, Farnham Common, Bucks
we.12.9 Madeline Webster born January 16th, 1870 at Dorney; died June 24th, 1923 at Slough, Bucks