Born at Erdington, near Birmingham, 15th of June 1824, and baptised on the 22nd of August 1824 at the church of St. Peter and St. Paul, near Birmingham.
The 1824 birth date raises the question of James Webster's true age at enlistment in 1847, which should have been 22 or 23 and not 19 (i.e. born c.1828) as he stated.
[PB: His implied year of birth continued to vary. His age in the 1841 Census, 16, is consistent with 1824, but his stated age at first marriage in 1868, 40, implies c.1828. (Given he was marrying a 32-year-old, this is perhaps not surprising.) Likewise, his age given at second marriage, 47, implies 1828. His age in the 1871 and 1881 Censuses implies c.1829, but his age in the 1891 Census and at his death shortly after, 65, implies a birth year of c.1826.]
Information from descendant family members suggests that James Webster was one of a family of seven children born to Richard Webster (variously described as a Gardener, Labourer, and Farmer) and his wife, Sarah (also referred to as Sally [?]). [PB: However, so far as I know this has yet to be verified.]
[PB: Is this the marriage of JW's parents?]
Marriage
St Martin, Birmingham, Warwickshire.
6th December 1813, Richard Webster married Sally Green. [GW]
[PB: Is this our JW's family in Erdington in 1841?]
1841 Census: a James Webster, 16, is a "Plater" [?] living in Erdington with his parents Richard, an Agricultural Labourer, and Sally Webster.
An older brother, William, is described as a "Metal [Polisher?]". Other children are Maria [?], 20, George, 15, Hannah, 12, Elizabeth, 11, and Thomas, 6.
This would appear to be our JW. Are these the Richard and Sally who married in 1813? Note that a "Hannah Webster" is mentioned below as the ancestor of EJB's informant Mr Strong.]
[PB, 21.8.16: Is it definite that the Richard and Sally Webster living in Erdington in 1841 with a son James, 16, are indeed our JW's parents? There are other contemporary couples with similar names in the area, e.g. Richard and Sarah Webster in Beak Street, Birmingham (but unlikely to be them since RW is a Chandelier Maker).
But very intriguingly, in 1841 there is a James Webster, also 16, living nearby in Duddeston, who was working in a forge - and our JW is described as a "Forge-man" on enlistment.]
1841 Census
Canal Side, Hamlets of Duddeston and Nechells, Aston, Birmingham.
James Webster, 16, Forge [implying a junior worker in a Forge?], born Warwickshire, was living in the home of John Noke [?], 24, Forgeman [presumably a more senior position], his wife Emma, 24, and their son William [?], 8 months.
[PB: 1841 Census: Our JW gave his trade as "Forge-man" when he enlisted 6 years later, so is this perhaps our JW, and not the JW living with Richard (an Agricultural Labourer) and Sally Webster in Erdington in 1841? Both were 16. Or were they perhaps the same person registered twice?
Incidentally, this JW was also living very close to a cavalry barracks at Duddeston (Ashted Barracks) built 1791 after the Priestley riots. (There is still a "Barrack Street".) Erdington is a little over three miles from Duddeston.]
From George Yate, An Historical and Descriptive Sketch of Birmingham, 1830, p.204 (available online through Google). This seems to be an excellent source for the growth of Birmingham in the early nineteenth century.
Enlisted at Coventry on the 20th of January 1847.
Age: 19.
Height: 5' 7".
Trade: Forge-man.
Features: Fresh complexion. Grey eyes. Lt. brown hair.
[PB: Charged at Balaclava, 25th October 1854.]
Tried by a District Court-martial on the 7th of December 1854 for "being drunk on guard, and wounding a troop-horse." Given 50 lashes.
At Scutari from the 1st of January 1855 until being invalided to England on the 3rd of February.
Embarked for India from Cork aboard the S.S. Great Britain on the 8th of October 1857.
The musters for July-September of 1858 show him as being "On Field Service" during the whole of this period.
Served in the field at Rajghur and Mungrowlee with Captain William Gordon.
Sent to Sandhurst as a servant on the 24th of July 1866.
[PB: Was JW ever a riding instructor at Sandhurst?]
Marriage [first]
6th of December 1868, at the Parish Church, Frimley, Surrey.
James Webster, 40, Bachelor, Soldier, [father] Richard Webster, Farmer.
Margaret Smith, 32, Widow, [mother] John Bollant, Architect.
Both were resident in Frimley.
[GW notes that "Bollant" could have been Bolland/Boland.]
Baptism
Parish of Yorktown [a suburb of Camberley], Surrey
December 19th 1869, Elizabeth Annie, daughter of James and Margaret Webster, living in Yorktown, Corporal 17th Lancers.
1871 Census
Cavalry Married Quarters no.1, Royal Military College, Sandhurst.
James Wabster [sic], Head, 42, Cavalry Soldier, born Warwick, Birmingham.
Margaret [Webster], Wife, 37, ditto Wife, Armagh, Ireland.
Margaret C. [Webster], Daughter, 9, Scholar, Not known.
Lillia A. [Webster], 1, Not known.
[PB: "Margaret C." is clearly not James's daughter. Presumably born "Smith", but she is now surnamed "Webster". "Lillia A." will later generally be called "Elizabeth Annie".]
Discharged at Longford, Ireland, on the 14th of July 1872: "Free, to pension, after 24 years service."
He was still employed at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, at this time, and his intended place of residence was "At the College."
Served 24 years 134 days.
In Turkey and the Crimea: 2 years [sic]. India, 7 years 2 months.
Aged 45 years on discharge.
Conduct and character: "good". In possession of five Good Conduct badges.
Fourteen times entered in the Regimental Defaulter's book. Once tried by Court-martial.
Awarded a pension of 1/1d. per day.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, and Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.
Mutiny medal without clasp.
Although seemingly awarded the Long Service & Good Conduct medal, no record of it can be found at the PRO.
[PB: According to www.britishmedals.us/collections/TB/brit/webster.html, JW received the Long Service and Good Conduct medal, without gratuity, on the 7th of July, 1864, at the Cavalry Depot at Maidstone, but I have not verified this.]
Member of the Balaclava Commemoration Society in 1879.
Signed the Loyal Address to the Queen in 1887.
Burial
Parish of Yorktown [Camberley], Surrey
Margaret Webster [wife], Yorktown, June 25 1874, aged 40.
[PB: James Webster's wife Margaret Boland/Smith/Webster died in 1874, and he married Betsy Fudge [nee Selway] the following year.]
Marriage registered
James Webster to Betsy Fudge, September Quarter 1875, Farnham.
Marriage [second]
James Webster, 47, Widower, Groom, [son of] Richard Webster, Farmer, to Betsy Fudge, 40, Widow, [daughter of], Thomas Selway, Labourer, in the Parish Church, Frimley, 17th of July 1875.
[PB: Notes to follow up: There is considerably more on Betsy Fudge, who had been married to a soldier in a Foot Regiment stationed at Farnborough, also born Wootton, Somerset, e.g. here, and here.]
1881 Census
4, Westcote's [sic?] Cottages, Obelisk Street, Frimley.
At the time of the Census Returns taken on the 3rd of April 1881, James Webster was shown as 52 years of age, a "Groom and Valet" [sp?], living with his wife Elizabeth, 46, Laundress, born at Butleigh Wooten [sp? now Wootton], Somerset, and Lilley, 10, a "Scholar" born at Camberley, Surrey.
There were six cottages in this row, three of the Heads of Households being shown as "College Servants".
His wife's initial is shown as "B" on his death certificate, which probably meant that she was known as "Betty" or "Betsy", popular diminutives for Elizabeth in past days [PB: the latter - see their headstone].
[PB: On the obelisk from which their street took its name, see e.g. here.]
1891 Census
Westcotts Cottages, Frimley, Camberley, 4 rooms occupied.
James Webster, 65, Army Pensioner, born Worcester [sic?], Erdington.
Betsy, 53, Laundress [a note adds "Wash"], born Somerset, Bulleigh Wootton.
[Note the comment in column 16: "Paralysed". At this time, he was only days away from death.
Also than an Elizabeth Webster, 21, a General Servant, born Surrey, Camberley, lived three houses away at Rose Cottage. Their daughter?]
James Webster died 14th of April 1891 at Camberley, Surrey.
Death registered
James Webster, aged 65 years, June Quarter 1891, Farnham.
He died at Westcots Cottage, Camberley, Frimley, Surrey, on 14th of April 1891, aged 65 years, from "Valve disease of the heart". He was described as a "Groom Domestic and Army Pensioner." His widow, B. Webster, was present at, and the informant of, his death.
James Webster: Death Certificate, April 1891.
(Click on image to enlarge)
James Webster: Burial registration, St Michael, Camberley, 18 April 1891.
(Click on image to enlarge)
[PB: Thanks to Gayle Wray, in 2016 the EJBA archive was sent a scan of a Memorial Card for JW (in the possession of Linda Hockley, another relation.]
(Click on image to enlarge)
IN LOVING MEMORY
In Loving Memory of JAMES WEBSTER (Late 17th Lancers and served in the Charge of the Light Brigade.)
Died April 14th, 1891, at Camberley.
Aged 65 Years."I shall be satisfied when I wake in Thy Likeness."
"When can their glory fade?
O, the wild charge they made;
All the world wondered.Honour the charge they made,
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble Six Hundred."By hand, at the bottom: "My Grandad on Mothers side." An Ancestry respondent adds "possibly by Nell".
From the United Service Gazette, 18th of April 1891:
"Richard [sic] Webster, who served in the 17th Lancers for 21 years and was one of the survivors of the famous Balaclava Charge, died at Camberley, Surrey, on Tuesday (the 14th.) On retiring with a pension, Webster was employed at the Staff College as an officer's servant. For nearly eight years he has been an invalid and supported by his wife and the occasional assistance of a few friends."
From the Hants and Surrey Times for the 25th of April and the 2nd of May 1891:
"Mr. J. Webster, one of the famous survivors of the famous Light Brigade Charge died at Camberley on Tuesday last, at the age of 66 years. He served with the 17th Lancers and after the fighting in the Crimea he was attached to the Riding Troop at the Royal Military College until about 15 years ago, when he was pensioned off. The funeral takes place on Saturday."
Crimean Veteran's Funeral
The funeral of the late Mr. James Webster, late of the 17th Lancers, who took part in the Balaclava action on the 25th of October 1854 took place in the churchyard of St. Michael's, Camberley, on Saturday, (the 18th.) Three of the mourners, J. Whitehead (late 4th Hussars), D. Granton [sic] and E. Blissett (late 11th Hussars), were also members of the small band of 131 men who returned alive out of the valley. Mr. R. Thomas (also late of the 11th Hussars) held the framed medals of the deceased and W. Smith (4th Dragoon Guards) and J. Harding (late 74th Highlanders) and also Crimean veterans, attended...
[PB: "J.Whitehead" is likely to be 1289 John Whitehead, 4th Light Dragoons, since he also worked at the Staff College, Sandhurst. The other two members of the Light Brigade, who also worked in the area, are 1486 David Grantham, 11th Hussars, and 1430 Edward Blissett, 11th Hussars.]
In 1986, after a long search (and in spite of the fact that the relevant church records and grave-site plans for the period of his death, through to the 1890s, had been destroyed in a fire and robbery at the church) James Webster's stone was found and recorded by a Mr. Christodoulou, a member of the Crimean War Research Society. There is a photograph of his gravestone in the 17th Lancer file [Source: EJB?] [PB: Check if this was reported in the War Correspondent.]
(Click on image to enlarge)
"In loving memory of James Webster, 17th Lancers, who rode in the Charge of the Light Brigade and died at Camberley, April 14th 1891, aged 65 years."
"I shall be satisfied when I awake in thy likeness."
[Beneath is a verse from "The Charge of the Light Brigade," by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. The image is poor, but appears to be the last verse, which also appears on the memorial card:
When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
Honour the charge they made,
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred.]"Also Betsy, the dearly beloved wife of the above, who fell asleep Oct. 20th 1914, aged 79 years."
In the "Memoirs" file, there is a copy of a photograph of JW in 17th Lancer uniform [see above] and also a copy of a letter he wrote to his parents from India in 1858. (Both these items were supplied by Mr. Strong, of Wolverhampton, who is his great-great-nephew.) [PB, August 2016: I have located the photograph, but not this letter.]
[PB: In August 2016, the EJBA was contacted by James and Margaret Webster's great-great-granddaughter Gayle Wray, who lives in Winnipeg, Canada, seeking information about JW's burial location, which she had mistakenly been told was not St Michael, Camberley. She wrote that James and Margaret Webster were her Great-great-grandparents.
Information she subsequently sent has been very useful in the development of this page, and we are very grateful to her for getting in touch.
[PB: To follow up: A number of Ancestry.com Family Trees claim JW as an ancestor, but include rather different family members, in some cases quite erroneously. Worth checking.]
[PB, August 2016: Gayle Wray forwarded two photographs of James and Betsy Webster's headstone sent to her by a correspondent from St Michael, Camberley. They are probably recent (i.e. 2016), so it would appear the stone is now further coated in algae.]
We are very grateful to Gayle Wray for adding a considerable amount of background information about James Webster's descendants through his daughter Elizabeth Annie, and for supplying a number of very interesting images. She has also generously provided the EJBA with a synopsis of her ongoing researches into her ancestor James Webster's family tree.
Census information for 1891 kindly provided by Chris Poole.
[PB, August 2016: Tim Bender has written an account of James Webster's life [where published?], and posted a page on JW, with illustrations, on his British Medals website. ]