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T Webb died 1900, Boer war. War number 2276. 1st Battalion Suffolk Regiment. Mentioned on war memorials in Cambridge, Bury St Edmonds, Ipswich, Hereford Cathedral, Colesberg South Africa. Married Eliza Harris from Cheltenam, had two sons William 9/4/1898 and Thomas. I cannot find any records of him anywhere. Can anyone work magic and help me find him as he is my great grandfather. Thank you Elaine

Is this his widow on the 1901 census? She's the only Eliza Webb I can find with sons called William and Thomas:-

Name: Eliza Webb
Age: 28
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1873
Relation: Head
Gender: Female
Where born: Jennings Pleck, Herefordshire, England

Civil Parish: Welsh Newton
Ecclesiastical parish: St Mary
County/Island: Herefordshire
Country: England

Street address: Hill Cottage

Occupation: Charwoman

Condition as to marriage: Widow

Education:

Employment status: View Image

Registration district: Monmouth
Sub-registration district: Monmouth
ED, institution, or vessel: 14
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 26
Household Members: Name Age

Eliza Webb 28
Thomas G Webb 1
William C Webb 3

Source Citation: Class: RG13; Piece: 4924; Folio: 41; Page: 4.

Kath. x

Hello again,
we were always told that Thomas was the oldest but if that is wrong and William is the oldest then it might fit.
If that is the case and Thomas was born in 1900, and his father died in January 1900, Eliza must have been pregnant when he went to South Africa and Thomas never got to see his young son, how sad, Eliza remarried, a man from Welsh Newton called Mr Rogers, and they had more children.
When I was at mothers yesterday I was looking at a photo of Eliza and the babies, I had never thought about it before as the photo is in black and white but it looks as if she is wearing a black dress, it might be her mourning dress.
Now you have found us something to go on we can try and check her out from there, so once again thank you, Elaine

there is this marriage index?
Name: Thomas Webb /Eliza Harris
Year of Registration: 1897
Quarter of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep
District: Cardiff (1837-1974)
County: Glamorgan, Monmouthshire
Volume: 11a
Page: 429

http://www.boer-war.com/Military/British/SuffolkRegiment.html
The entry says night attack 5/6th Jan
the co and 36 others were killed

Janice, thank you for joining in the hunt. As i have said I have been searching for quite a while and some times a pair of fresh eyes is what is needed. If Kaths info is correct, it may be the lead that we need. The story gets more interesting. I have read a very moving account of the battle, our poor chaps were out numbered 15 -1, they didn't stand a chance. I do so want to find him so that he will be remembered as he should be and not just as a blockage on the tree. Thanks again for your help.

National archives Kew may have Boer records

This looks like it might be Eliza's second marriage:-

Eliza Webb to George William Rogers
June qtr. 1905, Monmouth, 11a, 90

Kath. x

I have no idea if this is your man, but because he was in the army I thought he might be worth mentioning. In the 1891 census:-

Name: Thomas Webb
Age: 24
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1867
Relation: Gunner
Gender: Male
Where born: Bristol, Gloucestershire, England

Civil Parish: St Woollos
Ecclesiastical parish: St Mark
Town: Newport
County/Island: Monmouthshire
Country: Wales

Street address: View Image
Condition as to marriage: single
Education: View Image
Employment status: View Image
Occupation: Gunner

Registration district: Newport
Sub-registration district: Newport
ED, institution, or vessel: Newport Barracks
Neighbors: View others on page

I haven't listed everyone on the image as there are loads of soldiers but there is next to him on the page a George A. Webb age 20 who could conceivably be his brother.

Source Citation: Class: RG12; Piece: 4377; Folio 60; Page 6; GSU roll: 6099487

Kath. x

Hi Kath and Janice,
I have been sitting here playing around with the numbers from the above info. If they are all the same people ( fingers crossed ) This is how it works out.
Thomas born 1867
Eliza born 1873
Married 1897 Thomas 30, Eliza 24
William born 9/4/1898
Thomas born 1900
Thomas snr died 1900, aged 33
Eliza remarried 1905, aged 32
It does all tie up dont you think or am I stretching it to make it fit.
Thank you ladies so much for your help if it is the right ones you have no idea how happy you have made me.
While I was at mothers the other day and I was looking at Eliza and the babies photos I had a quiet chat to her, I explained how I had been trying to find out about them but was having no luck. I asked for her help and asked her to pop up for me to find, when I got home I looked at the comp and Kaths first message was there for me to see, I don't know about you both but I think that it is either very spooky or a sign, which do you think. Elaine

Hi
I've been thinking again, you see Thomas is never far from my mind.
I called my oldest son Thomas even before I knew about this one.
Latest thought, Thomas was older than I thought he was when he died.
The info from the Newport Barracks would have ment that he was a proffesional soldier, not just sent to war
On William, his sons, marriage cert. it gives his father as Thomas Webb, deceased, occupation soldier, which again would tie in as a proffesional soldier.
Apart from the photo of Eliza and the babies we also have a posed picture of Thomas in his uniform with Eliza by his side.
I must get myself a copy of them as I would love to be able to show you my great grandfather and his family.
Many thanks again, off to think some more about Thomas

Sorry I cannot spell professional, it must be the excitement.

Do yoyu think it would be worth getting the marriage cert. from the index i posted
The 1891 census is for Royal Artillery so if it is the same one he must have gone to the Suffolk Regt.

Hello again,
yes I am certainly going to get the wedding cert, just got the electricty bill in so I will have to wait till pay day.
I'm still so excited, my boys think I must be on something as they have never seen me like this before

Hi Elaine,

I certainly think that the 1901 census of Eliza with the two boys is your family, and the second marriage for Eliza seems to be in the right place.

I did think the 1891 census for Thomas Webb who was in the army was only a possibility because of the fact that the regiment was different, but I do know that men moved around to different regiments. My own father-in-law who was in both the first and second world wars moved between two different regiments.

I think you need to get the marriage certificate from 1897 that Janice found and see what it says on there about Thomas's occupation and also if it names his father. Then need to try to track them down on an earlier census.

I know how excited you feel. I was the same when I finally found out what had happened to my grandfather who had left his wife and children (including my father) in the 1920's. After years of searching, a librarian in Hastings found me all sorts of information all in one day nearly two years ago. I was in tears for ages that day.

Let us know anything else you find that can help with the search.

Kath. x

Just had a thought. Do you actually have Thomas's death certificate? If so, what age does it give for him? I'm presuming he died in South Africa. If this is the case, the reference for his death certificate should be on Findmypast website if you haven't already got it.

Kath. x

Elaine,don't want to confuse things but do you know for sure that Thomas Webb Suffolk Reigment is yours.
I see there is this entry for another T Webb as well
Private 4223
1st Gloucestershire Regiment
30th October 1899
Farquhar's Farm
Killed

Hi
I do not have Thomas death cert, but I will be looking for one now that I know more.
I do have his war no 2276 and I am sure that it is the 1st Suffolk reg as that is what it says on all four war memorials.
Pay day cannot come soon enough this month.

Thats ok , i just wondered as census details for wife seem to be more in the Glos. area. Was his number on the sons marriage cert then.

Hi, His number is on a beautiful big brass plaque in Hereford cathederal.
He is also mentioned on memorials in Cambridge, Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich and of course in Colesberg in South Africa.
I have found mention of his name and number on Boer war web pages, as I said I can find him on there but it is back in real life that I was having trouble finding him, until you ladies worked magic.