The Webb Wagg Family in Australia

Leslie Hayden "Les" Gillett (1889 to 28 January 1943) I couldn't let Anzac Day pass without sharing this information which I've receive just hours ago. Les is a grandson of William and Sarah - his parents are James Gillett and Sarah Wagg. Les was awarded the Military Medal for his gallantry in leading a patrol on 29 August 1916 in France. A great niece of Les has kindly provided us with this extract from his memoir.  In this, Les  describes being buried in mud as a result of gunfire. He writes “I was with two others, one was buried up to the neck in mud, I was covered right up, but the other one dug us out. They both went back with shell shock, but I stayed on. I went back for my false teeth which I lost when I called out for help as the mud was coming over me. The Lieutenant said I couldn’t have any nerves". Extract from the memoir of Les Gillett We don' know if Les ever found his false teeth! Les's Enlistment Papers - Page

Many of our men fought in World War 1 and World War 11.  Mercifully, it seems that none of "our boys" were lost but I know that, like me, you undoubtedly have relatives in the other branches of your family that were taken while on service or died after their return from injuries they sustained.  Then, there is the ongoing trauma for those that were involved in these or other conflicts.   Today, I'll be remembering all of them and reflecting on the threats we currently face.   Lest we forget! I've always thought about my Webb Wagg relatives on Anzac Day...... First, when I was young it was Uncle Bob's birthday.  Well, he was my great uncle but always a big presence in my life.  Bob was born Robert Webb-Wagg on 25 April 1907 - the fourth child of Hayden Webb Wagg and Josephine Clancy.  Bob married May Lillian Jessie Rodger in 1938.  May was literally "the girl across the road".  They'd known each other since the Webb Waggs moved to 14

A good day to do some recapping with charts showing the Webb Wagg family.... We now have descendants of each of William and Sarah's children who survived to adulthood on our Facebook group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/431220147211599/ What  follows  are two generation charts for families when great grandchildren of William and Sarah are living and three generation charts for the other families. Chart 1 - William Webb Wagg, Sarah Turner and their children Chart 2 - James Gillett, Sarah Wagg, their children and grandchildren Chart 3 -  Charlie Webb-Wagg, Amy Clancy, their children and grandchildren Chart 4 - Chris Webb-Wagg, Nellie Rogers and their children Chart 5 -  Hayden Webb Wagg, Josephine Clancy and their children Chart 6 -  William John Webb-Wagg and Ethel Swanson and their children Chart 7 - Arthur Neely, Minnie Wagg and their  children Chart 1 - The family of William Webb Wagg and Sarah Turner Chart 2 - The family of James Gillett

On this day 164 years ago, a 27 year old William Wagg married a 20 year old Sarah Turner at Saint James King Street Sydney.  So this is very much the start of our Webb Wagg story! No photos of the wedding but we do have two precious momentos - the marriage registration and the photo of William and Sarah taken in about 1903. 1853 Marriage registration of William Wagg and Sarah Turner William and Sarah Webb Wagg circa 1903 I've located a drawing of St James from around 1842 along with the banner from the Sydney Morning Herald on 18 April 1853.   William and Sarah were married for 51 years until William's death on 08 January 1905. They had 11 children with 5 dying as infants or children. I've attached the details of the children again. I'll be having a toast to William and Sarah today......

This photo of Chris Webb has been provided by his great-grandson.  Chris was the seventh of Sarah and William Webb Wagg's children.  Chris was born Henry Christopher Wagg on 17 October 1866 at Blues Point, NSW.  He married Ellen Eliza Rogers in 1892 at Redfern, NSW.  He was known as Chris Webb and she was known as Nellie.  They went on to have three girls - Violet Manning "Vi" Webb in 1893, Mabel Zie Glencora "May" Webb in 1895 and Elsie Christine Webb in 1902.  Chris is on the right the Australia and his daughter, May,  is standing on the pier. Chris featured in our earlier blog- http://webbwagg.blogspot.com.au/2017/04/the-webbs-foys-and-sydney-flying.html This photo shows Chris on the right at the home of his brother Hayden, 14 Bray Street Mosman.  From right to left are Beryl Woodlands (nee Lutge), Josephine Webb Wagg (nee Clancy), Hayden Webb Wagg, Ann Webb-Wagg (nee McVean) and Stan

William John Webb-Wagg This is a photo of William John "Bill" Webb-Wagg son of William and Sarah. On Australia , Bill is in the centre of the boat with his son Bill next to him.   This was the third son that William and Sarah Webb Wagg called William.   Their  first child was named William George - William being a strong family name in the Wagg family and George being the name of Sarah's father. William George was born on 17 May 1854 and died on 31 Dec 1855.  He is buried at Camperdown Cemetery.  The first William John was William and Sarah's sixth child. He was born on 23 Jul 1864 and died in 1868.  The tenth of William and Sarah's eleven children, another William John, was born on 19 Jan 1873 in Blues Point and died on 03 May 1933 at 51 Belgrade Street Neutral Bay. Bill worked for Sydney Ferries for 45 years and was an accomplished sailor. William married Ethel Adeline Swanson in 1895.  Ethel was born in 1874 and died in May 1924.  The date wa

Hayden and Josephine's first child, Hayden Albert Webb-Wagg "Uncle Hayden", was born on 22 March 1896 - just 3 days after Ma's eighteenth birthday on 19 March and four days before Ma and Pa's first wedding anniversary.  Hayden died on 31 Mar 1973...just turned 77.  Hayden is in the centre of this photo with Ethel and Harry.  On the pier looking at his grandfather, father and uncles on Australia, Hayden is the little boy on the left.  Do you think that he is wearing the same outfit? Ethel, Hayden and Harry Webb Wagg Ethel, the second child, was born on 23 March 1901 and Harry followed on 11 December 1902. Front row left to right - Beryl, Ethel and Jack Back row - Ma and Pa Webb Beryl Woodlands (nee Lutge) was born on 27 March 1928. Here she is with Ma and Pa (her grandparents), Ethel (her mum) and Jack (her brother). The photo was taken at Hayden and Josephine's home at 14 Bray Street Mosman.   Here's a recent photo of

Josephine Clancy, or "Ma Webb" to her very large family, was born on 19 March 1878 in Cumberland Street, Sydney.  The daughter of John Clancy and Catherine Flaven.  Ma died on 25 Apr 1974 at 96 years of age.  Here she is at the wedding of her great granddaughter, Suzanne. Josephine Webb Wagg 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. Ma and Pa Webb and "Little Jackie" Lutge This photo was probably taken in the mid 1920s as their grandson, "Little Jackie" Lutge, has sneaked in.  It looks like the island at Balmoral. Any thoughts? Finally, some details from the marriage registration- Albert Hayden Webb Wagg, bachelor of Blues Point Road North Sydney, records his occupation as a fireman and his father's occupation as a lighterman.  Parents are William Webb-Wagg and Sarah Turner. Josephine Clancy, spinster of 104 Princes Street

So much of the Webb Wagg story is set around the waters of Sydney Harbour and Middle Harbour.  The Sydney Flying Squadron at Kirribilli is a central part of that story.  Here's a few extracts from their website to set the scene- "The 1890’s sailing environment was the pinnacle of conservatism. Then along came this upstart called Mark Foy. He had made his fortune in retailing and had one of the biggest department stores in Sydney. He wanted to upend tradition and do things like have colours on sails so spectators could easily identify boats. Mary Foy The first race that Sydney Flying Squadron took part in was on 24 October 1891. Mark Foy’s 20 footer “Kannanook” and champion sailor, Chris Webb’s “Mantura” took part in the race. Mark Foy was a successful businessman known for the department store “Mark Foys” Mark Foy's Kannanook in the foreground Chris Webb's Manuta "The Squadron men had little money, few free days, enthusiasm and skill. They were

William Webb Wagg (Bill Webb) arrived in Australia about 1845 from Norfolk, England at about 19 years of age.  Sarah Turner was born in Sydney about 1832.  William and Sarah married in 1853 at St James Church of England in Sydney. They had 11 children - 3 Williams (2 died as infants), Sarah Jane, Mary Ann (died as an infant), Adelaide (died as an infant), Charles, Christopher, Alice (died as an infant), Albert and Minnie. William died on 8 Jan 1905 and was living at 34 Blues Point Road, North Sydney at the time. Sarah died on 21 Sep 1918 and was living at 247 West Street, North Sydney at the time.  Are you a descendant of William and Sarah?  Then why not follow the blog to share information and find out more about William and Sarah and their family. This photo was amongst the treasured possessions of Claudia Snell, a great granddaughter of William and Sarah.