Died aged 25. 13 Nov 1890 – 20 July 1916
Lance Corporal with the 7th Battalion Somerset Light Infantry .
Robert Webber was a cousin of Jack Thomas – Robert’s mother Ellen and Jack’s father Robert were brother and sister. Ellen married William Webber on 16.10.1883 in Dunster.
Robert James Webber was born on the 13th of November 1890 in Dunster. He was baptised 24 Dec 1890 in Dunster. Siblings: William George (bap.23.10.1883), Elizabeth (bap.13.7.1885), Emily (bap.18.7.1887), Rosina (bap.16.5.1889), Alice (bap.15.5.1893), Harry (bap.21.12.1895), Sidney (bap.9.4.1898), Ernest (bap.14.10.1899), Ellen (b.2.9.1901) and Mabel.
The 1891 census finds Robert (4 months) living in Vine Cottage, St George’s Street, Dunster with parents William (29, a groom) and Ellen (36) and his siblings George (7), Elizabeth (5), Emily (3), and Rosena (2).
The Webbers had moved to West Street, Dunster, by the time the 1901 census was taken. 10-year-old Robert was living with his parents William (an agricultural labourer) and Elizabeth, and his siblings George (17, an agricultural labourer), Elizabeth (15), Alice (7), Harry (4), Sydney (3) and Ernest (1).
At the time of the 1911 census Robert (14) was living with Walter Giles (a coal merchant) and his family in West Street, Dunster. Also living there and working as a servant was his cousin Sam Thomas – Jack’s brother.
Robert enlisted in Taunton, joining the Somerset Light Infantry 6th Service Battalion (K1) SLI (43rd Infantry Brigade 14th (Light) Division). He was a Lance Corporal, service number 14959.
On 26th December 1915, in the Parish Church of St John’s, Penzance, Robert (24) married Holly Louise Wilkins (20). Robert was a Lance Corporal with the 7th Battalion Somerset Light Infantry. His residence at the time of his marriage was “on active service”. Holly lived in Belgravia Road Penzance, and was the daughter of Frederick Alfred Wilkins.
Robert was killed in action aged 24 on 20 July 1916. From Dunster Museum: “At the time he died he was in the 6th (Service) Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry, which was in the 43rd Brigade in the 14th (Light) Division in VI Corps in the Third Army. Robert Webber was involved in the capture of Trones Wood between 8-14 July. This was part of the preliminary operations in which the British aimed to reach ground to from which to begin their second attack on the Battle of the Somme. It is likely that he was injured during this action and died of his wounds a few days later.”
Robert’s widow Holly Louise remarried in 1919 to Howard Colliver and moved to Balcony House, St. Columb, Cornwall.
Robert is commemorated on Bay 4 of the Arras Memorial to the Missing, and on the plaques in St George’s Church and Memorial Hall in Dunster, Somerset.
