Henry Richard Webb Snr

Henry Richard Webb

(1846-1900)

Rita's grandfather Henry Richard Webb was born on Saturday 31st January 1846 at Hungerford Market, his Father, George Webb (1805-1872) was the Market Beadle who married Henry's Mother Mary Ann May (1806-1872) on 11th December 1824 in Odiham, Hampshire. Henry Richard was their ninth and final child to be born, his siblings were: Sarah Ann Webb( 1825–?) Emma Webb (1826–1887)
George William Webb (1828–1871) Georgina Webb (1832–1834) Ann Webb (1833–?) Mary Ann Webb (1835–) Susannah Webb 1837-1843) Elizabeth Webb (1838–1841) it's unclear when and why the family moved from Odiham (where Henry's Father George was the wharfinger,) but by 1832 the family were in London, living at Hungerford market, in St Martin's-in-The-Field, Charing Cross. Henry became a dentist's assistant and was listed as such on the Will of His father George when he passed away 0n Monday 28th October 1872 (although on the 1871 census he is listed as Dentist)

Five months after his Fathers death while still living at 392 Caledonian Road, Henry married Rita's grandmother Rosa Jane Cane on Sunday 23rd March 1873 at St Mary,Islington,The couple had five children together Mary Ann Margaret Elizabeth Webb (1874–1947) George Robert Webb (1878–) Henry Augustus Webb (1880–1926 )Richard Lewis Webb (1882–1954) and Ethel Mina Webb (1885–1954)by 1880 when Rita's Father Henry Augustus was born they were living at the affluently titled Tracey Villa in Iverson Road,Hampstead, but the very next year when their son Richard Lewis was born they had moved to Elm Tree House, Willesden, By 1889 the family had moved to 31 Kenilworth Road,Kilburn Henry and Rosa's sons went to Netherwood Street School in Camden (all were admitted on 8th December 1891 and were previously schooled at st Mary's) their daughter Ethel Mina attended from 24th April 1893 to 24th February 1896 (she previously went to Waterloo College) the family it seems were a happy enough unit and a picture of all of them (including their eldest daughter's husband) has survived and can be seen below (The above earlier photograph of Richard was found at the back of a painting of him which was done by his friend the famous caricaturist Max Beerbohm which Henry's family still own) Henry Richard Webb only lived three months into the new century, little did he know that his 54th birthday would be his last! Due to the recent inclimant weather at the time he had caught a chill which brought on acute bronchitis and chronic asthma. he died in the early hours of Friday 30th March 1900 his brother-in-law George William Cane was present at 31 Kenilworth Road. The Kilburn Times wrote an obituary to a long standing member of the community. He was buried at Willesden New Cemetery on Tuesday 3rd April 1900

Rita would grow up not knowing her grandfather Henry as he had died four years before Rita was born, she did however mention him briefly in an interview in 1979 saying her grandfather was a "Surgeon dentist and a friend of the famous writer Max Beerbohm" she also said her Father Gus had to call him "Sir" As you can see by the above photograph Rita resembled her "Webb Side" a great deal (especially her grandmother Rosa!