Minnie Daisy Webb-Wagg (1875 to 1911) - The eleventh and last child of William (Bill) and Sarah Wagg

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 was survived by her other five adult children - Sarah, Charlie, Chris, Hayden and Bill.  


Minnie was baptised at St Thomas' North Sydney on 23 June 1875 (third from the bottom). Her godparents where John Trickett, her mother's brother-in-law, and Sarah Jane, her 18 year old sister.  

On 14 October 1892, Minnie found herself in an "unmarried mother's home" in Lodge Street, Glebe. Her son, Albert Wagg, was born there. Minnie was 17 and took Albert home to the family in Blues Point. We don't know Albert's father. The second last entry shows Albert's baptism at St Thomas' North Sydney on 21 November 1892.  


The next big event in Minnie's life was her marriage to Arthur John Burns "Top" Neely. They married on 28 July 1897. "Top" was Catholic and it seems likely they married in a Catholic Church on the lower North Shore.  

Minnie and Top settled at 46 Laurel Street, Willoughby around the corner from Top's parents home on Willoughby Road. Young Albert joined his mother and step-father at Laurel Street. On 16 March 1898, Minnie and Top's first child, William John, was born. He was named after his grandfathers. Three more children followed-
  • Vera Theresa on 16 August 1901,
  • Arthur John on 2 October 1905 and 
  • Cecil John on 4 September 1908 - celebrated on 12 September.
"Top" was a carpenter, family man and volunteer fireman. He was involved in establishing the Volunteer Fire Brigade at East Willoughby in 1905. It was just down the road from the family home in Laurel Street on the site of the current Willoughby Fire Station. Top was the captain of the six man brigade until a permanent fireman was appointed to take control of the station in 1914. You can read more HERE.

Minnie and Top's life must have been busy until her premature death in 1911. Albert, her oldest son, was 18 but she left behind four young children aged between 2 and 8 who Top cared for with the support of his extended family.  

Minnie's funeral notices are from-
  • her husband, Arthur Neely, 
  • mother, Mrs William Webb,
  • brothers and sisters-in-law - Charles and Amy Webb, William and Ethel Webb, Chris and Nellie Webb and Hayden and Josephine Webb.
  • sister and brother-in-law, James and Sarah Gillett and
  • sisters-in-law and their husbands - Annie and Thomas Gorman and Theresa and John Martin.

"Top" continued to live at their Laurel Street home.  He died on 13 August 1940 and is buried with Minnie at Gore Hill - Catholic New Section C5 and C6. There's no visible tombstone although there was one which bore the inscription "Wife of Arthur John Neely".

Dale Margaret Byron (11 November 1952 to 24 March 2020)


I had the pleasure of meeting Minnie and Arthur's great-granddaughter, Dale, on 12 October 2017 after a number of very long phone conversations about our Webb Wagg's and her Neely's. Dale travelled the world as a young woman and became a "grey nomad" when she retired. She made her way over from Esk to Hervey Bay to catch up with me and cousin, Lorraine, but left her trusty camper van at home!


Dale's our third cousin. She shared many of her family stories and photos including this one of "Top". We tired to find Minnie's oldest son after the family lost contact with him in the 1960s - still on my "to do" list! There was never a pause in the conversation when you were with Dale.  


Dale passed away suddenly on 24 March 2020 at her home in Esk, Queensland. She'd be so pleased that I'm sharing Minnie's story today. I'm sad that Dale's not here to fill in the personal details and continue our Webb Wagg family journey.  

Postscript

After relating this story, Minnie and Arthur's grandson, Don, contacted me with another photo he treasures of his grandfather during his time as captain of the Willoughby Volunteer Fire Brigade.  


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