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This is the history of the Webb family of Redditch during the past 200 years. There is plenty of history and nostalgia, with lots of photographs, advertisements, documents etc. which should fascinate anyone with an interest in local and family history. It begins with William Webb, who travelled from Oxfordshire around 1770 to work at Beoley papermill, near Redditch. The story continues into the early 19th century, telling how one of his sons was a servant to Lord Nelson during the French Wars, and one of his grandsons became a Methodist missionary in Roatan, Honduras. The next generation lived in Victorian Britain, both in Birmingham and in Redditch, and it was one of William's great-grandsons who founded the Redditch firm of Webb & Sons in Church Green East. This family business survived for a hundred years until the late 1980s, starting as bakers and confectioners and later also becoming successful seed merchants. It has taken several years of research to amass this information, which I am happy to share with you. Please contact me if you have anything to add, or any modifications to suggest.
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Read the Full Story Dedication & Acknowledgements Family Trees |
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Chapter 1 ~ William the Papermaker; 1737-1810 Chapter 2 ~ William's Sons; Redditch to 1840 Chapter 3 ~ A Sailor's Life in Nelson's Navy Chapter 4 ~ Birmingham Connections; 1820-1861 |
Chapter 7 ~ A Nation of Shopkeepers Chapter 8 ~ Founding the Firm; from 1830 |
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