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Welcome Aboard the Australian

A Webb Wagg family day at Berrys Bay, 1903 Have you ever stared at an old photograph and almost heard the chatter beyond the frame? That’s exactly how this image feels to me. The boat you see is  the Australian , and the cheerful crowd aboard and ashore are Webb Waggs — perhaps gathering for a day out on Sydney Harbour. At the heart of it all stands our patriarch, William Webb Wagg — surrounded by his sons, grandchildren, and extended family, marking not just a moment on the water, but a legacy taking shape on the shoreline. Meet the man on the left Standing tall at the rail is William Webb Wagg — known variously as Bill Webb, Old Billy, or Grandpa Webb, depending on who was speaking. He’s 76 here, clearly proud to be flanked by so many of his descendants. As the family patriarch, he anchors the scene — a steady presence at the centre of a growing clan. Who’s sharing the deck? Grandpa’s four grown sons crowd the cockpit: Charlie  (Charles) Hayden  (Albert Hayden) Bill ...
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Centenary of Francis Charles Webb - 8 February 2025

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Today  marks the centenary of the birth of Australian poet Francis Webb - another of our Webb Wagg cousins.  I'm writing about the family connections with Frank, as he was known in the family. I've included an extract from the Australian Dictionary of Biography about Frank and links to a number of articles on his life and work. There's also a link to Frank's service record from the Second World War.  Here's  an image showing Frank's parents,  grandparents  and great-grandparents from my  Ancestry  tree. Frank was the third child and only son of Claude and Leonie Webb-Wagg (shown left from Ancestry.com).  Their first two children, Mavis and Claudia, were born in Sydney before the family moved to Adelaide where the youngest two children, Frank and Leonie (known as Dolly) were born. Claude made his living selling and tuning pianos until his wife died when Frank was only two. It's reported that Leonie was suffering with tuberculosis at the t...
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Minnie Daisy Webb-Wagg (1875 to 1911) - The eleventh and last child of William (Bill) and Sarah Wagg

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Minnie Daisy Neely (nee Webb Wagg) buried on 8 July 1911 - 110 years ago today! She died the previous day at her home at 46 Laurel Street Willoughby. Sadly, I don't have a photo but, if you do, I'd love to hear from you.   So it's time to put together the information I've been able to gather about Minnie and her family:- Only 36 when she died!   The eleventh and last child of William and Sarah.  As we know, 3 died as infants and 2 died as children.   Born on 28 February 1875 -  22 years after William and Sarah's marriage .   Born at Blues Point - probably at the family home at 54 Blues Point Road on the North Shore of Sydney Harbour. The first of the six surviving children of William and Sarah to die.  Her Dad had died 6 years earlier and her Mum lived for another 7 years.   I understand that Sarah was a small but formidable, no nonsense women. She was clearly the matriarch who was very much involved in the lives of her large family. Sarah ...
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23 November 1831: George Turner and Mary Hand married on this day 190 years ago!

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George Turner and Mary Hand are our many times great-grandparents. They are the parents of Sarah, who married William Webb Wagg, and Jane, who married John Trickett.  George and Mary married on 23 November 1831 here in Sydney. The registration shows the marriage was a Catholic ceremony that took place in Parramatta. As they married before civil registrations, it was registered at St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney.  Mary arrived in the Colony as a convict and had not been granted a ticket of leave at the time she and George were intending to marry. So they had to seek permission to marriage. Here's the record showing that George and Mary were granted that permission on 12 October 1831. Six weeks later, they married. You can read an earlier post about George and Mary  HERE.
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"Ma Webb" - Josephine Webb Wagg (nee Clancy)

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"The last dance" Ma Webb with son, Bob - May 1970 "Ma Webb" is my mother's mother's mother. My other great-grandparents died before my birth - between 1919 and 1950. Ma was the matriarch at the centre of Mum's family.  She died thirteen days after my twenty first birthday on Anzac Day 1974, aged ninety six. That was the first family celebration she missed! Her parents were born in New South Wales to Irish Catholic immigrants. Born on St Joseph's Day in 1878, it's no surprise she was named Josephine. Ma lived with her parents and six siblings at The Rocks.  A week after her seventeenth birthday, she married Hayden Webb Wagg, at St Thomas' Church of England, North Sydney. Her six children were baptised in the Church of England. Ma and Pa built their home at 14 Bray Street Mosman about 1902. Ma lived there for 72 years. Most of the family lived close by. We were 300 metres up the road.  Ma and Pa's approac...
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Chris Webb in 1940

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You never know when you'll find a priceless treasure as you scour various sites.  Look what I uncovered tonight at the NSW State Library!  Yes, it Chris Webb photographed on 3 January 1940 at his home, 4 Euryalus Street, Beauty Point.  He was 74 and living with his daughter, May, son-in-law, George Ravell and their three children - Jean (20), Joan (18) and Keith (14). You can read more about Chris  HERE. Chris Webb - 1929 Bradleys Head Champion and his ever-present pipe Likely Chris with his 14 year old grandson, Keith Dalias - the family flower - at 4 Euryalus Street, Beauty Point  View of Middle Harbour from garden (  Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy ACP Magazines Ltd https://collection.sl.nsw.gov.au/digital/oj6kZDveNbKqD )
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Albert Hayden "Hayden" Webb Wagg (1870 to 1950) - The ninth child of William (Bill) and Sarah Wagg

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Albert Hayden Webb Wagg was the ninth child of William (Bill) and Sarah Wagg.  He was know as Hayden and is my maternal great-grandfather. It's taken me a long while to get to Bill and Sarah's ninth child.  It's over two years since I wrote about Chris Webb , their seventh child.  Alice was Bill and Sarah's eight child.  She was born on 30 March 1869 and died 3 months later on 30 June 1869.  A year later, on 1 July 1870, along came Hayden.  He was born at the family's home in Blues Point.  Sarah's sister Jane Trickett (nee Turner) was present at the birth. Only three of Bill and Sarah's children were still living when Hayden was born - Sarah Jane (11 days short of the 14th birthday), Charlie (8 years and 7 days) and Chris (3 years and 9 months).  William George died in 1855 aged 18 months.  Mary Ann died in 1861 one day short of her third birthday.  Adelaide died in 1861 at 8 months.  William John in 1868 at 3 years and 9 months...
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