It's late but I couldn't let St Joseph's Day pass!

For many of the Webb Wagg "cousins", every 19 March brings special thoughts back to us of our cherished "Ma Webb" for she was born on St Joseph's Day in 1878 - 140 years ago today.  Ma was named Josephine, of course, because she came from a family with a strong Irish background.  I'm sure she would have been called Patricia of she was born two days earlier!

 To recap an earlier blog....

 We were so fortunate to have Ma with us until her death on Anzac Day 1974, aged 96.  Ma was very proud of her Irish Catholic heritage but both of her parents were born in Australia.  

  • John Clancy, her father, was born on 24 January 1845 at Camden - the fifth of the ten children of John Clancy (1811 to 1858) and Mary Casey (1814 to 1905).  John and Mary married on 29 December 1836 in County Cork, Ireland and arrived in Australia on 16 October 1838.
John Clancy

  • Catherine Mary Teresa (Kate) Flaven, her mother, was born on 28 September 1846 at Princes Street, The Rocks - the second of the five children of William Flaven (1810 to 1880) and Catherine (Kate) Lonergan (1817 to 1890).  William and Kate married in about 1840 in County Tipperary, Ireland and arrived in Australia in 20 October 1841.
Kate Flaven

Ma was born in Longs Buildings, Cumberland Street in The Rocks, Sydney.  Her birth registration records that John was a draper.


Josephine and Amy Webb Wagg (nee Clancy)
On 26 March 1895, a 24 year old Hayden Webb Wagg (Pa Webb) married a 17 year old Josephine Clancy (Ma Webb) at St Thomas' Church of England, North Sydney.  This was just over two years after Ma's older sister, Amy, had married Pa's older brother, Charles.  Amy and Charles were known as Ma and Pa to their family which can often become confusing!
Ma and Pa mid 1920s with their grandson, Jack Lutge, getting in the picture!
One of my treasured possessions is a short tape of Ma being interviewed by her grandson, Ray Webb, on her 86th birthday.  I'm so pleased that the tape has survived thanks to cousins, Janice and Malcolm.  My aim is to transcribe it and make the recording available to cousins that are interested.

Ma was my great-grandmother.  She was central to our family's life.  I was blessed to share my first 21 years with her and hold her close to my heart.

Please share your memories of Ma......

Ma at the marriage of her great-granddaughter, Suzanne



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