Westbury at War The Webb family – part 1 – John Webb’s family

Elias and Jane Webb married in 1854 and by 1871 they were living in Alfred Street, Westbury. Elias was recorded as a cloth worker. They had nine children. Edward, John, James, Elias, Daniel, Mark, Albert, Frederick and Annie. By 1911 their family had spread around the country, but four of the children were still living in Westbury.

John was born in 1861 and the 1911 census shows him living in Cheap Street [now known as West End], Westbury with his wife Mercy. John is described as a cloth weaver, but there is no employment status for Mercy. They had five children who were all shown as still living at home on the1911 census.  Herbert, the eldest, has no employment status given, Dorothy is a ‘machine glover’, Harold is a ‘chain wrapper’, and Ethel is a ‘glover tying off’. Ernest is still at school.

Herbert was born in 1886. As yet we do not know if Herbert served in the war. Are you able to add to this record?

Harold James Silk Webb was born in July 1887. We know he was in WW1 and believe he served in the Wiltshire Regiment as his name appears on a British War Medal roll and Index card. Harold died in 1975.We have received this photograph of him.

Ernest Edward Webb  was born in December 1898, He enlisted with the Berkshire Regiment and served in Belgium and was hospitalised with shrapnel in his leg. Shortly after his return to duty in 1818 he was taken prisoner by the Germans. A Belgian civilian got a message through to his mother, in Westbury, that he was a P.O.W. He returned to Dover on the 1st December 1918. Ernest lived in Station Road after his marriage in 1929 and died in 1991.

We have received this photograph of him.

Jean Davis, from Warminster, contacted the Westbury Family History WW1 Project with information on the Webb family and we must thank her for the photographs used in this article.

In the next article we will tell you about the family of Daniel Webb.

Do you know anything about Herbert, Harold or Earnest or do you know anyone from this area who served in WW1? If so, the Westbury Family History Group would like to hear from you. They can be contacted on westbury @wiltshirefhs.co.uk