Albert Hayden "Hayden" Webb Wagg (1870 to 1950) - The ninth child of William (Bill) and Sarah Wagg
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. The fifth of their children who died as an infant or child was Alice.
Hayden was a man of the water like his father and brothers. On 26 March 1895, he married Josephine Clancy at St Thomas' Church of England, North Sydney. He was 24 and Josephine was 17 years and one week - although she shows her age as 18 on the church register. Hayden shows his occupation as "fireman" and his father is a "lighterman". The witnesses to the marriage were Charles and Amy Webb-Wagg - Hayden's brother and Josephine's sister who had married in 1892. This is the earliest photo that I have of my great-grandparents with their grandson, Jack Lutge. It's taken about 1927 when they were on "the Island" at Balmoral watching the Saturday sailing.
Josephine and Hayden are know to the family as Ma and Pa Webb. I knew all of their six children and their only daughter, Ethel Lillian, was my grandmother.
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. The fifth of their children who died as an infant or child was Alice.
Hayden was a man of the water like his father and brothers. On 26 March 1895, he married Josephine Clancy at St Thomas' Church of England, North Sydney. He was 24 and Josephine was 17 years and one week - although she shows her age as 18 on the church register. Hayden shows his occupation as "fireman" and his father is a "lighterman". The witnesses to the marriage were Charles and Amy Webb-Wagg - Hayden's brother and Josephine's sister who had married in 1892. This is the earliest photo that I have of my great-grandparents with their grandson, Jack Lutge. It's taken about 1927 when they were on "the Island" at Balmoral watching the Saturday sailing.
Josephine and Hayden are know to the family as Ma and Pa Webb. I knew all of their six children and their only daughter, Ethel Lillian, was my grandmother.
Ma and Pa rented a home at 24 Grosvenor Street, Neutral Bay before they built and settled at 14 Bray Street Mosman in the early 1910s. The exterior of the home remains much the same today as it was over 100 years ago. The house was called "Halwah" - a name that was a complete mystery to us until we delved into family history. It was built by Ma Webb's brother in law who we knew as Harry Anderson. The 1913 Australian Electoral Roll shows his name as Halwah Harry Anderson of 104 Banks Street North Sydney.
All the large family gatherings were at 14 Bray Street. Here's a photo taken in the late 1950s with Ma, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren with a couple of "in-laws" thrown in for good measure! The other photo is taken in 1928 and show Ma Webb with her grandchildren, Jack and Beryl (my Mum) Lutge.
Here's Pa Webb at the marriage of Jack Lutge to Frances Goldene in 1944. Pa Webb didn't make the marriage of my parents, Beryl, to Frank Woodlands in 1952. The second photo is his children at the wedding. My grandmother, Ethel, is picture with Bob, Harry, Hayden, Jack and Stan (from left to right).
Pa Webb died on 28 July 1950 at the family home in Bray Street. He's buried with his brother, Charlie, in the Anglican Section of Macquarie Park Cemetery - which clearly requires a personal visit shortly!
Why were Charlie and Hayden buried in a singe grave rather than a double grave in the Anglican Section? Was it religion? Ma and Pa Webb raised their six children in the Church of England but Ma was a devout Catholic. Charlie and Amy (also know as Ma and Pa Webb) raised their son, Claude, as a Catholic. Josephine and Amy are buried in the Catholic section of Macquarie Park. Amy is buried with her son, Claude, who died in 1943. They are buried in a double grave which means there would have been three spaces available when Charlie died.
Charlie's death notices may answer the question. He was "the dearly beloved husband of Amy" but also a member of the "Lily of St Leonards Lodge" making his burial with his much loved son, Claude, unlikely. I'm sure it was all worked out between the two sisters but, for some reason, our Ma Webb was not buried with her sister Amy.
