CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /> <meta http-equiv="imagetoolbar" content="no" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"/> <script type="application/ld+json"> {"@context":"https://schema.org/","@type":"Article","about":{"@type":"Person","givenName":"Edmund","familyName":"Webb","name":"Edmund Webb","birthDate":"1830-09-06","birthPlace":{"@type":"Place","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","addressLocality":"Liskeard","addressRegion":"Cornwall","addressCountry":"England"}},"deathDate":"1899-06-24","deathPlace":{"@type":"Place","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","addressLocality":"Parkes","addressRegion":"New South Wales","addressCountry":"Australia"}}},"author":{"@type":"Person","givenName":"J.","additionalName":["E.","L."],"familyName":"Rutherford","name":"J. E. L. Rutherford"},"datePublished":"1976-01-01","description":"Edmund Webb (1830-1899), storekeeper and politician, was born on 6 September 1830 at Liskeard, Cornwall, England, younger son of Thomas Webb, farmer, and his wife Mary, née Geake.","headline":"Webb, Edmund (1830–1899)","keywords":"Edmund Webb, biography","isPartOf":{"@type":"Book","bookEdition":6,"bookFormat":"https://schema.org/Hardcover","datePublished":1976,"description":"The Australian Dictionary of Biography contains concise, informative and fascinating descriptions of the lives of significant and representative persons in Australian history.","image":"https://adb.anu.edu.au/images/covers/volume6.png","isbn":522841082,"name":"Australian Dictionary of Biography","url":"https://adb.anu.edu.au","copyrightHolder":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Australian National University","url":"https://www.anu.edu.au"},"copyrightYear":1976,"editor":{"@type":"Person","givenName":"Bede","familyName":"Nairn","name":"Bede Nairn"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Melbourne University Press","url":"https://www.mup.com.au"}}} </script> <title>Biography - Edmund Webb - Australian Dictionary of Biography</title> <script async src="https://ssl.google-analytics.com/ga.js"></script> <script> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-21252809-2']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); </script> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-RC1X4D063Z"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-RC1X4D063Z'); </script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/css/multi.php;reset.css,fixes.css,site/adb/generic.css,structure-common.css,site/adb/structure-site.css,infinite.css,shadowbox.css;208393d011387c3a59dadfeafd900bc7"/> <script type="text/javascript"> var settings = {"site_code":"adb","sites":{"adb":"adb.anu.edu.au","ia":"ia.anu.edu.au","la":"labouraustralia.anu.edu.au","oa":"oa.anu.edu.au","pa":"peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au","pib":"pib.anu.edu.au","wa":"womenaustralia.anu.edu.au"}}; </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/multi.php;jquery.min.js,jqueryui/jquery-ui.custom.min.js,clearFocus.js,searchBox.js,facets.js,common-utils.js,advanced-search.js,shadowbox/shadowbox.js;ab3d74aadfe94baccb25019eb300b75e"></script> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/site/adb/print.css" type="text/css" media="print"/> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/site/adb/favicon.ico"/> <style> .navi:hover { border-bottom: 0px; } </style> </head> <body class="site_adb"><script type="text/javascript">document.body.className += " js";</script> <header> <div id="masthead"> <div class="clearFix" id="topNav"> <ul> <li><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au">Obituaries Australia</a></li> <li><a href="https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au">People Australia</a></li> <li><a href="https://ia.anu.edu.au">Indigenous Australia</a></li> <li><a href="https://womenaustralia.anu.edu.au">Women Australia</a></li> <li><a href="https://labouraustralia.anu.edu.au">Labour Australia</a></li> </ul> </div> <div id="tileAndSearchContainer"> <div class="clearFix" id="titleAndSearchPage"> <h1 class="hideFromScreen">Australian Dictionary of Biography</h1> <ul id="searchSubmitPage"> <li> <form action="/biographies/search/" method="get" id="mastheadSearchForm"> <select id="scopeSelect" name="scope" onChange="searchBox.setTip();"> <option value="person">person</option> <option value="all" selected="selected">text</option> </select> <input name="query" type="text" class="searchTextInput clearMeFocus" title="Quick search" value="" /> <input name="" type="image" class="searchBttns" src="/images/site/adb/bttn_search.png" alt="Search" /> <input name="rs" type="hidden" value=''/> </form> </li> <li id="personTip" class="searchTip"> <span><strong>Tip:</strong> searches only the name field</span> </li> <li id="allTip" class="searchTip"> <span><strong>Tip:</strong> Use double quotes to search for a phrase</span></li> </ul>  </div> <nav class="main-navigation"> <ul class="navigation-menu"> <li class="menu-item menu-item--admin"> <a class="menu-link" href="/">Home</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--admin"> <a class="menu-link" href="/about-us/">About</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--admin"> <a class="menu-link" href="/contact-us/">Contact</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--content"> <a class="menu-link" href="/projects/">Projects</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--content"> <a class="menu-link" href="/essays/browse/">Group Bios</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--search"> <a class="menu-link" href="/advanced-search/">Advanced Search</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--search"> <a class="menu-link" href="/facets/">Faceted Browse</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--search" id="browseTab"> <a class="menu-link" href="#browsePanel">Browse</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--donate"> <a class="menu-link" href="/adb-endowment-fund/">Donate</a> </li> </ul> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="panel js-hide" id="browsePanel"> <div class="panelInner clearFix"> <div class="column0203 noh3float"> <div class="browseLabelWrapper"> <h3 class="browseLabel">Browse by:</h3> </div> <div class="browseOptionWrapper"> <ul class="panelInnerNav clearFix"> <li><a href="/biographies/name/">Name</a></li> <li><a href="/biographies/birth/">Date of Birth</a></li> <li><a href="/biographies/death/">Date of Death</a></li> <li><a href="/biographies/browse-author/">Author</a></li> <li><a href="/entities/browse/?otype=map">Maps</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="culturalWarning" data-nosnippet="true"> <h2 class="culturalWarning__heading"><span class="culturalWarning__heading--decoration">Cultural Advice</span></h2> <div class="culturalWarning__message"> <p>Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website contains names, images, and voices of deceased persons.</p> <p>In addition, some articles contain terms or views that were acceptable within mainstream Australian culture in the period in which they were written, but may no longer be considered appropriate.</p> <p>These articles do not necessarily reflect the views of The Australian National University.</p> <p>Older articles are being reviewed with a view to bringing them into line with contemporary values but the original text will remain available for historical context.</p> </div> <div class="culturalWarning__control"> <button id="culturalWarningHide" class="culturalWarning__button">Hide message</button> </div> </div> </header> <div id="pageContentContainer"> <div class="clearFix" id="pageContent"> <div id="pageColumnMain"> <h2>Edmund Webb (1830–1899)</h2> <p class="authorName">by <a href="/biographies/author/?author=3253">J. E. L. Rutherford</a></p> <div class="publish-notice publish-notice--major-project" style="background-color:#dee9f2;color:#153449;"> <p>This article was published:</p> <ul> <li> in the <a href="https://adb.anu.edu.au/biographies/project/?name=australian-dictionary-biography-volume-6" style="color:#905d27;"> <span class="publish-notice__project-name">Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 6</span> </a> , 1976 </li> <li>online in 2006</li> </ul> <p class="publish-notice__amended"> <a href="/biography/webb-edmund-4821/text8040" class="publish-notice__amended-link">View Previous Version</a> </p> </div> <div class="biographyContent textContent" id="8041">  <p>Edmund Webb (1830-1899), storekeeper and politician, was born on 6 September 1830 at Liskeard, Cornwall, England, younger son of Thomas Webb, farmer, and his wife Mary, née Geake. Educated at Saltash, after his father's death he was advised to seek a better climate and with his mother and sisters reached Sydney in the <i>Penyard Park</i> on 13 September 1847. Refusing to be tied to an apprenticeship which would last beyond his majority, he found work with a draper at Bathurst; three years later, having saved £200 and being refused a partnership, he accepted a loan from a friend and opened his own business in November 1851. On 18 January 1854 at Springfield near Bathurst he married Selina Jane Jones (d.1929), daughter of <a href="tom-william-2737" title="Tom, William (1791 - 1883)">William Tom</a>.</p> <p>After initial difficulties Webb prospered; he moved to larger premises in 1856 and to his own building in 1862, which he enlarged ten years later. In January 1866 he took William Ross as a partner under the style of Edmund Webb & Co. He retired from active business in 1880, leaving in charge his son Edmund Tom, and his nephew, son of his brother Thomas. Webb & Co. manufactured their own clothing, millinery and footwear, and supplied a large part of the west; in 1881 they started their own free, monthly newspaper, the <i>Bathurst Post</i>. Over the years Webb acquired much property in and around Bathurst.</p> <p>A Freemason and a dedicated Wesleyan Methodist, he was a trustee of the local church, chaired Bathurst circuit meetings and was a member of the Australasian Wesleyan Methodist annual conferences in the 1860s. Webb was a generous benefactor, founder and councillor in 1879-97 of Newington College, and a councillor of the Methodist Ladies' College, Burwood, in 1890-97. Involved in town affairs, he was a founding member and later trustee of the Bathurst Mechanics' School of Arts in the mid-1850s; a member of the first Borough Council in 1863 and mayor in 1866, part of 1868 and in 1875-77; and a member of the buildings committee of the District Hospital 1876, and treasurer in 1882-93. He was also a magistrate, a vice-president of the Bathurst Agricultural, Horticultural and Pastoral Association, a commissioner for the Sydney International Exhibition (1879), and deputy-licensing magistrate in 1891. He was a great supporter of cricket and football.</p> <p>An upholder of free selection before survey, Webb was very interested in politics and represented West Macquarie in the Legislative Assembly in 1869-74. Described by the <i>Freeman's Journal</i> on 8 November 1873 as a 'rabid Orangeman', he approved the appointment of <a href="martin-james-4161" title="Martin, Sir James (1820 - 1886)">Sir James Martin</a> as chief justice in 1873, but told <a href="parkes-henry-4366" title="Parkes, Sir Henry (1815 - 1896)">(Sir) Henry Parkes</a>, 'I do not think you acted towards <a href="butler-edward-3127" title="Butler, Edward (1823 - 1879)">Mr Butler</a> in a way in which you would like to be treated yourself'. Webb won a by-election for East Macquarie in February 1878 but resigned on 29 December 1881 when he was appointed to the Legislative Council. He opposed the <a href="jennings-sir-patrick-alfred-532" title="Jennings, Sir Patrick Alfred (1831 - 1897)">Jennings</a> government's fiscal policy in 1886 and Federation. He was a vice-president of the Free Trade Association of New South Wales when it was formed in 1885, and a committee-member after it was reconstituted as the Free Trade and Liberal Association of New South Wales in 1889, and a vice-president of the Local Option League when it was reformed in 1890.</p> <p>In the 1860s Webb had built a fine home, Hathrop, on Vale Creek. Long a sufferer from bronchitis and asthma, he died suddenly of heart failure at Parkes on 24 June 1899, survived by his wife, two of his three sons and two daughters. He was buried in the Wesleyan section of Bathurst cemetery after a public funeral. His estate was valued for probate at £95,305.</p> </div> <div class="infoList"> <h3>Select Bibliography</h3> <ul> <li><i>E. Webb & Co., 1851-1937</i> and <i>1851-1951</i> (np, nd)</li><li>D. S. Macmillan, <i>Newington College 1863-1963</i> (Syd, 1963)</li><li>Australasian Wesleyan Methodist Church, <i>Minutes of NSW and Qld conference</i> (1875-1899)</li><li><i>Illustrated Sydney News</i>, 30 May 1874</li><li><i>Sydney Mail</i>, 1 July 1899</li><li><i>Bathurst Times</i> and <i>National Advocate</i> (Bathurst) and <i>Free Press</i> and <i>Mining Journal</i>, 24, 26-28 June 1899</li><li><i>Western Times</i> (Bathurst), 12, 16 Apr 1951</li><li>Henry Parkes letters (State Library of New South Wales)</li><li>private information.</li> </ul> </div> <div class="infoList"> <div class="treelink"><h3 class="treelink">Related Entries in NCB Sites</h3><p class="treelink"><a class="treelink" href="/treeview/4821">view family tree</a></p></div> <ul> <li><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/webb-selina-jane-32030">Webb, Selina Jane</a> (wife)<span class="linkicon"><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/webb-selina-jane-32030"><img src="/images/site/oa/siteIcon.jpg" alt="go to Obituaries Australia entry" title="go to Obituaries Australia entry"/></a></span></li> <li><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/smith-mary-32031">Smith, Mary</a> (sister-in-law)<span class="linkicon"><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/smith-mary-32031"><img src="/images/site/oa/siteIcon.jpg" alt="go to Obituaries Australia entry" title="go to Obituaries Australia entry"/></a></span></li> <li><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/tom-marion-32036">Tom, Marion</a> (sister-in-law)<span class="linkicon"><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/tom-marion-32036"><img src="/images/site/oa/siteIcon.jpg" alt="go to Obituaries Australia entry" title="go to Obituaries Australia entry"/></a></span></li> <li><a href="https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/tom-susannah-sarah-32033">Tom, Susannah Sarah</a> (sister-in-law)<span class="linkicon"><a href="https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/tom-susannah-sarah-32033"><img src="/images/site/pa/siteIcon.jpg" alt="go to People Australia entry" title="go to People Australia entry"/></a></span></li> <li><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/tom-james-32035">Tom, James</a> (brother-in-law)<span class="linkicon"><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/tom-james-32035"><img src="/images/site/oa/siteIcon.jpg" alt="go to Obituaries Australia entry" title="go to Obituaries Australia entry"/></a></span></li> <li><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/tom-william-32034">Tom, William</a> (brother-in-law)<span class="linkicon"><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/tom-william-32034"><img src="/images/site/oa/siteIcon.jpg" alt="go to Obituaries Australia entry" title="go to Obituaries Australia entry"/></a></span></li> <li><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/smith-fergus-jago-16088">Smith, Fergus Jago</a> (nephew by marriage)<span class="linkicon"><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/smith-fergus-jago-16088"><img src="/images/site/oa/siteIcon.jpg" alt="go to Obituaries Australia entry" title="go to Obituaries Australia entry"/></a></span></li> <li><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/smith-lancelot-noel-lance-16091">Smith, Lancelot Noel</a> (nephew by marriage)<span class="linkicon"><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/smith-lancelot-noel-lance-16091"><img src="/images/site/oa/siteIcon.jpg" alt="go to Obituaries Australia entry" title="go to Obituaries Australia entry"/></a></span></li> </ul> </div> <div class="citation"> <h3>Citation details</h3> <p>J. E. L. Rutherford, 'Webb, Edmund (1830–1899)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/webb-edmund-4821/text8041, published first in hardcopy 1976, accessed online 25 November 2024.</p> <p id="origPubDetails"><strong>This article was published in hardcopy in <em><strong>Australian Dictionary of Biography</strong></em>, Volume 6, (Melbourne University Press), 1976</strong></p> <p style="margin-top: 20px;">View the <a href="/frontpages/fp6.pdf" target="_blank">front pages</a> for Volume 6</p> </div> <div id="printFooter"> <p class="floatLeft">© Copyright Australian Dictionary of Biography, 2006-2024</p> </div> </div> <script type="text/javascript"> $(function() { Shadowbox.init({ counterType: 'skip', continuous: true, overlayOpacity: 0.80 }); }); </script> <div id="pageSidebar"> <div class="lifeSummary"> <h3>Life Summary <span><a href ="/lifesummary/webb-edmund-4821" target="_blank">[details]</a></span></h3> <h5>Birth</h5> <p> <a href="/biographies/birth/?bdate=06091830">6 September</a>, <a href="/biographies/birth/?bdate=1830">1830</a> <br /> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=birthLocation%3A%22Liskeard%2C%20Cornwall%2C%20England%22">Liskeard</a>, <a href="/biographies/search/?query=birthLocation%3A%22Cornwall%2C%20England%22">Cornwall</a>, <a href="/biographies/search/?query=birthLocation%3A%22England%22">England</a> </p> <h5>Death</h5> <p> <a href="/biographies/death/?ddate=24061899">24 June</a>, <a href="/biographies/death/?ddate=1899">1899</a> (aged 68) <br /> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=deathLocation%3A%22Parkes%2C%20New%20South%20Wales%2C%20Australia%22">Parkes</a>, <a href="/biographies/search/?query=deathLocation%3A%22New%20South%20Wales%2C%20Australia%22">New South Wales</a>, <a href="/biographies/search/?query=deathLocation%3A%22Australia%22">Australia</a> </p> <div class="life-summary__heading-container"> <h5 class="life-summary__heading--note">Cultural Heritage</h5> <button class="life-summary__note-button" title="View explanatory note" data-note-text-id="life-summary-cultural"> <img src="/images/down_arrow.png" class="life-summary__button-image"> </button> </div> <p class="life-summary__note-text" id="life-summary-cultural"> Includes subject's nationality; their parents' nationality; the countries in which they spent a significant part of their childhood, and their self-identity. </p><ul> <li> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=ethnicity%3A%22English%22">English</a> </li> </ul> <div class="life-summary__heading-container"> <h5 class="life-summary__heading--note">Religious Influence</h5> <button class="life-summary__note-button" title="View explanatory note" data-note-text-id="life-summary-religious"> <img src="/images/down_arrow.png" class="life-summary__button-image"> </button> </div> <p class="life-summary__note-text" id="life-summary-religious"> Includes the religion in which subjects were raised, have chosen themselves, attendance at religious schools and/or religious funeral rites; Atheism and Agnosticism have been included. </p><ul> <li> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=religion%3A%22Methodist%22">Methodist</a> </li> </ul> <h5> Occupation or Descriptor </h5> <ul> <li> <a href="/biographies/occupation/?occupation=draper&rpp=200">draper</a> </li> <li> <a href="/biographies/occupation/?occupation=free%20trade%20politician&rpp=200">free trade politician</a> </li> <li> <a href="/biographies/occupation/?occupation=landowner&rpp=200">landowner</a> </li> <li> <a href="/biographies/occupation/?occupation=local%20government%20councillor&rpp=200">local government councillor</a> </li> <li> <a href="/biographies/occupation/?occupation=local%20government%20head&rpp=200">local government head</a> </li> <li> <a href="/biographies/occupation/?occupation=Member%20of%20Lower%20House&rpp=200">Member of Lower House</a> </li> <li> <a href="/biographies/occupation/?occupation=Member%20of%20Upper%20House&rpp=200">Member of Upper House</a> </li> <li> <a href="/biographies/occupation/?occupation=Methodist%20lay%20leader&rpp=200">Methodist lay leader</a> </li> <li> <a href="/biographies/occupation/?occupation=Orangeman&rpp=200">Orangeman</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <footer> <div class="clearFix" id="footer"> <h3>Australian Dictionary of Biography</h3> <p>An initiative of the <a href="https://history.cass.anu.edu.au/centres/ncb">National Centre of Biography</a> at the <a href="https://www.anu.edu.au/">Australian National University</a></p> <div class="clearFix"> <p class="floatLeft">© Copyright Australian Dictionary of Biography, 2006-2024</p> <p class="floatLeft cdp"><a href="/copyright/">Copyright</a> · <a href="/disclaimer/">Disclaimer</a> · <a href="/privacy/">Privacy Policy</a> · <a href="/contact-us/">Contact Us</a></p> </div> </div> </footer> </body> </html>