The Websters of  West Flamborough
by Donald George Webster

INTRODUCTION

I'm writing this to present the results of my research over the past twelve years. As my findings do run contrary to what we have previously believed, I am going to make three suggestions:

1. Joseph Webster II of West Flamborough was the grandson -- not the son -- of Joseph Webster I
2. Margaret Allen, the mother of Joseph Webster II, was the wife or partner of James Webster, not the wife of Joseph Webster I
3. The original West Flamborough land purchase was by James Webster not by Joseph Webster I

Webster's Falls in Winter

My interest in the story of my family began in 1950 when my Grandfather, George Walter Webster, took me to the Centennial celebrations of West Flamborough Township.

On Sunday July 9, I was shown the Falls, the old family home and the graveyard (very overgrown) and then listened to the late Gordon Jackson publicly castigate the Websters for their lack of interest in their heritage.

What he said that day was probably true even if my grandfather did think otherwise, and did threaten the speaker with serious injury!

Several months later at a function in St. Catharines, Ontario I was introduced to Gordon Ashton Webster, and heard portions of his family story as told by his Aunt "Mina" (Maria Belle Webster).

It was to be another thirty-five years before I discovered that Gordon and I had been talking about the same family.

Like many others, I had waited until most of the people able to offer information had passed away and it was not until 1985 that I began my study in earnest. In 1986 on a trip back to Canada I visited every source I could think of and even employed professional researchers to help. Subsequent work in England and Ireland also involved many people with varying results.

BACKGROUND

Some explanation is needed at this point for the benefit of those who have not been exposed to a Canadian education.

Canada was first settled by the French, having been claimed by Jacques Cartier following his extensive exploration in 1534. By 1760 there were about 60,000 French settlers in the Province.

After a series of wars between 1687 and 1764 the British, who were anxious to secure the very rich North American fur trade, finally conquered New France and in 1763 signed The Treaty of Paris. This treaty gave Canada to the British and Islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon to France.

Britain now found herself in an awkward position as most of its Canadian population were French and when it was decided to govern the new colony under the same laws as those in Britain, the position became incendiary. Under British laws no Roman Catholic could vote, be elected, or hold any public office.

The population by this time was about 65,000 of which only a few hundred were Protestant British civilians. Legislation finally enacted in 1774 made French civil law valid in British courts and the French-Canadian population, although appeased, was still very wary of the British.

Following the American Revolution and separation of The United States from Britain the situation became extremely awkward as, with the repatriation of the Army, the few British remaining were hopelessly outnumbered by the French-Canadians and would have had very little hope of withstanding aggression either from the new country to the south or the French in whose former country they now resided and whose sympathies were very much with the Americans.

The British solution to the problem was typically opportunistic. Substantial grants of land were offered to those former subjects who would leave the United States and settle in Canada and also to former members of the Army for whom there was no immediate use anyway.

Up to 60,000 "Loyalists" crossed into Canada and along with thousands of otherwise unemployed former soldiers made up the numbers needed to redress the population imbalance.

Our ancestors were from both groups.

JOSEPH WEBSTER I

The written accounts of Joseph tell us only that "In 1819 Joseph Webster, an officer in the British Army, born in Gloucestershire England, bought a house and 78 acres of land, lot 11, concession 1, from the executors of the Richard Hatt estate and that "he attempted to return to England in the early 1830's but was lost at sea when his ship floundered and sank".

On a visit to Canada in 1986 I was fortunate enough to locate several documents at the Archives of Ontario in Toronto and a picture of this man began to emerge:

Downing Street 7th April 1817 Sir I am directed by Earl Bathurst to acquaint you that his Lordship has granted permission to Quartermaster Webster to proceed as a settler to Canada and to approve him for a grant of land proportional to his rank in His Majesty's service I have the honour to be sir Your most obedient Humble Servant Lieut. General Sir John C. Sherbrooke GCE Henry Goulburn

In the same file was a petition from Joseph identifying himself as a Quartermaster on "the half pay of the late Royal Manx Fencibles" and saying that having inspected his allotted land at Perth he found it unsuitable:

To His Honour Samuel Smith Esquire Administrator of the Government Of the Province of Upper Canada YEA YEA YEA The petition of Joseph Webster, Quartermaster on the half pay of the late Royal Manx Fencibles Humbly submit That your petitioner is a native of England and was in His Majesty's service for upwards of 23 years. That he was originally placed on the half pay of the 113th regiment but having exchanged by permission now receives his half pay, having previously served a short time in the 39th regiment, as of the late Manx Fencibles. That from a desire to settle in this province, he applied to His Majesty's Secretary for State in April last for permission to proceed to Canada as a settler and obtained the accompanying recommendations to his excellency Sir John Sherbrooke for a grant of land proportioned to his rank in His Majesty's service under which he received the annexed order for 500 acres of the Perth settlement on the Rideau, but having reason to believe from information received on his arrival in this province that it would be advisable that he should settle in the upper part of the province the order for the lands at that settlement being desirous for the reason stated above to settle in some other part of the province. Therefore your petitioner humbly prays that your Honour would be pleased to permit him to receive 500 acres of the waste lands of the Crown in such other part of the province as your Honour may appear best. And your petitioner shall ever pray. Joseph Webster Quartermaster on half pay late Manx Fencibles York 17 September 1817

From these documents we can see that Joseph was never of any higher rank than Quartermaster even though he was apparently known of as "Captain" Webster in Canada. It also seems that his service was, except for a short time with the 39th, as an officer with the 113th Regiment of Foot.

This was a particularly infamous unit formed at a time of rapid military expansion by the British who were becoming increasingly involved in skirmishes all over the world. The raising of these regiments was undertaken mostly by private commission and many units were quickly formed. One of these was the 113th and as it's inglorious history is fully covered in the Army history book it is only necessary to say here that it was raised, mutinied, court-marshalled and disbanded, all within a period of seventeen months.

One of the officers, Quartermaster Webster, is reported to have tried to resign his commission on at least two occasions but both attempts were rejected. To his credit, he was also reported to have been one of the only two competent officers they had.

Following the disbandment of the 113th in 1795, Joseph was placed for a time on full pay, possibly with the 39th, during which time it is believed he may have served on the Isle of Man assisting with the winding up of the regiment stationed there. He then seems to have transferred his pay entitlement to (be received through) The Royal Manx Fencibles. After about 1800 he retired on half pay.

Nothing is known for certain of his marital status but in 1812, in Kirk German, Isle of Man, a Joseph Webster and a Mary Round christened a daughter, Mary Ann. Their marriage had taken place in Westham, Surrey in 1809. This could possibly have been our Joseph as no further trace was found of either of them in The Isle of Man or elsewhere in Britain.

In 1817 he applied for grant of land in Canada saying that he had had 23 years service in the Army. At the time of his application, it was 23 years since he had joined the 113th.

It may be unfair to suggest that 17 months in the army plus 22 years retirement doesn't exactly add up to 23 years "service" but it doesn't seem that he was in the army prior to 1794.

Joseph Webster went on collecting his half pay until 1835 -- for nearly 40 years! He appears to have arrived in Canada a little prior to 23 July 1817, and had visited the officials in Montreal before travelling to York (Toronto) stopping at Perth (on the Rideau) on his way to inspect, (and reject) the land he had been allocated. He was subsequently given alternate land at Westminister (London) Ontario and settled there describing himself as a "Merchant and Gentleman".

The records of the Dundas Historical Museum have him arriving in Canada with children including a Maria born in 1812 but this probably refers to Maria Green, the eventual wife of Joseph II who was born in that year. The 1861 census records a Mary Webster, Spinster, living in Ancaster who could possibly have been the child born in Kirk German in 1812.

Joseph's address was still Westminister in 1825 when he again petitioned for land on behalf of his son despite the fact that he (or some other member of his family) had apparently already acquired land at West Flamborough in 1819:

Westminister 22 December 1825 Petition of Joseph Webster That your petitioner is a retired Quartermaster and gratefully acknowledges the grant of 500 acres of land as such in Westminister for which he has received the deed. That your petitioner is a widower with one son and having ample means to improve an additional grant, humbly prays your excellency will be pleased to grant him such further quantity of land paying fees as may be deemed meet and in duty bound your petitioner will ever pray. Joseph Webster Qmaster late Royal Manx Fencibles

His request was approved "in council" on 11 March 1826 and as a result he was granted land at West Flamborough (in addition to that already owned there by someone in his family). Whether or not he ever actually lived in West Flamborough is not known but one story has it that Joseph II was in the area learning the milling trade with the Green family, having been abandoned there by his father James.

In 1827 a newspaper in the area carried an advertisement to the effect that Joseph Webster I wished to sell his land in West Flamborough and retire back to his homeland. He said at this time that he was 68 years old which places the date of his birth at 1759-60. The land was still for sale in 1830 when at least some of it passed into the hands of Joseph Webster II, who was by then ready to set up on his own as a miller.

About this time James Webster visited Joseph II at West Flamborough and persuaded him to return to England to help with his claim to an inheritance. It seems that James and Joseph II and possibly also Joseph I all left Canada about this time but not necessarily together as Joseph I was said to have perished when his ship foundered. Obviously this belief was incorrect as the following letter will show:

Cork 7th April 1835 My dearest Son I went on board about eight days ago and sailed from Liverpool with the intention of seeing you once more. But the vessel from contrary winds, put in here and I then found myself so weak and debilitated that I was obliged to give up the thoughts of going out. I'm sure I do not know where I may move to but I expect and hope to be called to the grave for life to me now is no pleasure from my weak state of health. I sent you out a letter of credit for 50 which I hope you will ere this have received. I trust my dear son you will use it in a proper manner as I can ill spare it and hope you will use it prudently. I will I fear not have it in my power to send you any more and should I never see you I hope we shall meet in a better world to part no more. The young man who writes this is coming near to your place and if you chance to meet he will call and explain my present situation. I will be glad if you write me when convenient to the care of Mr. Hayes No 8 Gembrook Street Cork who will forward it to me when I leave as I do not know where I may reside. I beg you will be careful in using the axe and other things as it requires great care. My best respects to you all Joseph Webster (Own signature)

It is not clear as to whom this letter was actually sent. It was discovered at the time of the death of George Walter Webster.

Joseph Webster I died on the third of October 1835 and was interred on the fourth in St. Nicholas churchyard by the Rector, I. N. Lombard. His address at the time was 106 Sullivan's Quay, Cork. St. Nicholas was a parish church of St. Finbar's Cathedral. His burial record is still available at the church but there is no trace of his grave as the church was enlarged some years ago and some graves moved. He died of "a worn out and debilitated constitution".

THE DUNDAS HISTORICAL MUSEUM

I have referred earlier to the records of The Dundas Historical Museum, whose staff I must say were most helpful, not only on the day of my visit but also in answer to subsequent correspondence.

Their card index states that Joseph Webster I came to Canada with his children, James, Isaac, Joseph, Maria and George but makes no mention of his wife, thus supporting Joseph's statement that he was a widower, but refuting his claim that Joseph II was an only child (unless he was the only child of someone else). He would also appear to have been stretching the truth somewhat regarding being a widower as the woman subsequently presented as the mother of Joseph II was still very much alive for a further 46 years.

David D Webster at Webster's Falls 1992

My enquires into the sources of their information produced the explanation that the records had been supplied by the late Roy Woodhouse, an amateur historian of high local repute but that the origin of his information was unknown. I have been unable to find any further mention in the Dundas-West Flamborough area regarding Peter, Isaac, and George Webster, but did locate men with these names in the London (Westminister) region belonging to a different Webster family.

For a number of reasons, and with the greatest respect to those who have compiled this information I would like to suggest some changes to the story.

JAMES WEBSTER II

A son named James has already been mentioned as having accompanied Joseph I to Canada and I have since found a number of other references to him.

JAMES WEBSTER is said to have visited "his son" at Webster's falls about 1830 and convinced him to accompany him back to England to help him "substantiate his claim to the throne" (but let's forget that one !!)

JAMES WEBSTER was one of the citizens who attended a town meeting on January 2 1830 at Jones's Inn on the York Road.

JAMES WEBSTER and his son are said to have quarrelled in England when the son learned of the father's desertion of his mother. Joseph Webster II is said to have then sought out his mother and returned to Canada with her. She appears on the census living in King St. Dundas where she seems to have been until her death on 29th April 1863.

JAMES WEBSTER is said to have lived for a time with a servant in a house in Ancaster owned by Joseph Webster I. The existence of this house is confirmed by another story regarding the difficulty encountered by the family when they had to prove that Joseph I was dead in order to be permitted to sell it. This may be when the "lost at sea" story originated. A further point is that a spinster named Mary Webster lived in a house at Ancaster until her death about 1875. Possibly the Mary Webster born to a Joseph Webster at Kirk German, Isle of Man in 1812 still living in his house

JAMES WEBSTER bought Hatt's Falls and the water rights in 1819 and re-named them "Webster's Falls". His children inherited the property in Dundas and elsewhere according to "The History of Dundas" (c1948).

Family letters mention a rather disreputable JAMES, son of Joseph Webster I who abandoned his wife and young son and left them in very poor circumstances. The story goes on to report that "Joseph I found his grandson and took him away from his mother". The mother subsequently became Mrs. Allen and had been deserted again when found by her son and taken to Canada.

CONCLUSION

My conclusion is that James Webster, a son of Joseph Webster I and born between 1780 and 1785, was the father of Joseph Webster II and that Margaret (subsequently Margaret Allen) was the boy's mother. James and his son went to Canada either with James's father (Joseph I) or separately and bought the first parcel of land at West Flamborough in 1819. Joseph I, as has been related, went first to Perth on the Rideau, then to Westminister (London, Ontario) and finally joined the others at Webster's Falls about 1825 when he purchased land adjoining that already held by them. His land was possibly that which is today the Dundas Golf and Country Club.

James returned to England and married Euphenia Bell, a widow with several children.

I think that there is enough evidence to prove that there was a James Webster at the time of the family's arrival in Canada, that he was the father of Joseph II, and that he was the original purchaser of the Webster's Falls land. There is no evidence that Joseph I lived at West Flamborough prior to 1825.

JAMES WEBSTER I

Another family letter makes mention of a portrait, at one time on display in the home of Joseph II, of a Colonel James Webster. This portrait was said to be of an army officer in full ceremonial uniform and complete with sword etc.

With the view to identifying this gentleman I searched the records of the British Army and found only one possibility.

A James Webster, the son of Alexander Webster of Edinburgh Scotland was born in about 1740. He was in command of the 33rd Regiment of Foot when it sailed for America in 1776.

Colonel Webster and his regiment served under General Cornwallis during the American War of Independence . He was wounded during the battle of Guilford Courthouse on 15 March 1781 and died two weeks later.

Although admittedly there is no evidence it does however seem highly possible that this man was the father of Joseph Webster I, as it seems unlikely that Joseph would have had his portrait otherwise. I have been unable to ascertain the fate of this picture but assume that it passed with other relics to Maria Isabel Hore, a granddaughter of Joseph II who was the beneficiary in his will. I have not been able to trace her but believe she went to Detroit Michigan in about 1900.

Until my assumptions can be proven incorrect I submit the attached family tree as the most likely.

THE WEBSTER HOMES

When purchased in 1819 the mountain property had upon it a stone house in the cellar of which was a distillery which "manufactured a poor quality of whisky which was much favoured by the local Indians"

A picture of the Ashbourne Mill annotated by Maria Wilhelmina Webster Paulus (1881-1980), the daughter of Joseph II's son Francis Edward Webster, shows quite clearly:

oo our "house bought with land", and
xx the house "built when mills were built".

Ashbourne Roller Mill

The first mentioned building seems to be about where the present gardener's shed and public toilet building now stands, and the second, the present Wells home built by Joseph Webster II and into which he moved in 1861 from his farm, "Springdale" at the foot of the escarpment. I apologise for the poor quality of this which seems to have been cut from an old business letterhead.

It seems that the previously mentioned utility building may have been built on the ruins of the first house which seems to have existed until the formation of the park. Joseph moved into the present house in 1861 as stated but there is reason to believe that construction was begun in the 1850's following the construction of the mills and of the highway up the escarpment. The George Webster home still stands on the highway at the corner of Webster's Falls Road and that of Francis, also a miller, was in the original building next door to Joseph II. Son Joseph III lived to the north of the mill in Falls View Rd. William and James conducted the family business in Hamilton and Dundas and lived nearby.

David D Webster at Springdale 1992

Springdale Farm, the home of Joseph II until 1861 was described on the census of 1861 as "comprising a total of 234 acres of which 205 were under cultivation and the balance, 29 acres either waste or woods." The property was valued at $45,000 making it "by far the most valuable in an area where the average was $10,000".

The owner grew "56 acres of wheat in two crops which yielded 1360 bushels". He also grew barley, peas, oats, corn, potatoes, turnips, mangel wurzell, carrots, beans, and hay. The livestock of the farm included 7 bulls, 12 steers, 6 cows, 5 horses and 8 pigs. In store he held 500 lbs of butter, 9 barrels of beef, and 17 of pork. There were also 25 bushels of miscellaneous produce from his gardens and orchards.

The farm was sold in 1861 - the same year that the family moved to the top of the mountain.

THE PORTRAIT OF JOSEPH WEBSTER II

Joseph Webster II Portrait

A photograph of the only known portrait of Joseph Webster II is shown (left). It is believed to have been painted by Robert Whale 1805-1887.

Joseph Webster II

The work is unsigned as Joseph refused to sit for the artist. A photograph (right) was taken and copied, under which circumstance I have been told an artist does not normally sign his work.

Several full sized copies have been made and distributed to members of the family. The original, currently in my possession, will eventually be passed to Joseph Sean Webster, the great-great-great grandson of the subject, in accordance with tradition.