Hi,
apologies in advance for the long post. I need help to establish whether a family I have identified belongs to my gr-gr grandfather, John Webster, who immigrated to South Africa in 1849 or if not, where I should be looking. Basically, I would like to find his birth/baptism record. I have searched on Scotland’s People, Family Search, Find my Past and Ancestry but cannot find a birth/baptism record anywhere in Scotland or England.
What I can substantiate -
On his death notice (died 20 Sept 1894, South Africa) it says that John Webster was born "near the city of Glasgow” in Apr 1817. Family records say it was 12 Apr 1817.
John’s father was James, an “engineer” who had died by 1839 (John’s marriage certificates/death notice). John had at least 2 brothers, James and George (letters from George to John). James jnr was born in about 1822-1823. He was also an engineer but later worked in a sawmill. He died in London on 20 March 1895 (death certificate/census). George was born in Edinburgh in about 1822 and was in the 2nd European Light Infantry (army records).
John married Ann Elizabeth Whall on 7 Oct 1839 in Stepney, Middlesex, at the Queen Street Meeting Place for Protestant Dissenters (marriage certificate).
In 1841 census John was living in Wapping Wall, Shadwell, Middlesex with his wife, 1 child, brother James and Isabella Webster (his mother??). John, James and Isabella were born in Scotland.
John and his wife, Ann were witnesses at brother James’ 1st marriage in Poplar, Middlesex, 1844.
In the 1851 census (John had emigrated by then) brother James and his 2nd wife are living in Stepney with their children and his blind mother, Isabel, born in Leith, Scotland. James is recorded as being born in Edinburgh. Isabella died in Middlesex in 1852 (death certificate).
I have identified a family from records on Scotland’s People, that I think is John’s but I have no direct proof/link -
Parents - James Webster, a carpenter/wright/joiner (not “engineer”??), and Isobel McLean, both of Fountain Bridge, Midlothian, were married in St Cuthberts, Midlothian, on 11 Sept 1815. Her father was Daniel McLean. (His father was John Webster.) I found 2 children for this couple. James was born on 12 Sept 1821 and baptised in St Cuthberts, Midlothian. George was born on 1 Jan 1825 and baptised in St Georges, Edinburgh.
This sort of ties in with what I know of the family (ages approximate??) but there is no sign of a son, John! There is a gap between when the parents married, 1815 and the James’ birth in 1821. John was supposedly born in 1817 so that could fit and there was possibly another son, Daniel named after her father, born in that gap too although I have no record of him. I have actually looked through a copy of the register for St Cuthberts for 1817 but found no record that looked familiar.
John Webster ran a bakery/coffee shop in London. He was a baker. I found the details on the birth certificates of his children and also the PO directories. I hired a researcher in London to try and found if John’s date and place of birth was recorded anywhere, possibly related to the shop or his emigration. We had no luck at all so any help or advice on where to go from here will be much appreciated!
Karen.