Webber, James

Submitted by edpope on

James Webber of Milk St, Cheapside original member of Society for Constitutional Information 12.5.1780

Born about 1740 probably at Brompton Regis, Somerset, married at Holborn 7.4.1768, as bach of St Lawrence Jewry, Dorothy Lawson otp sp by lic wits Christopher Lawson, Sarah Trimby, Ann Goldar. Christopher Lawson was a founder and ironmonger of Fetter Lane, Dorothy Lawson was bapt 2.1.1742 at St Bride Fleet St dau of Christopher & Dorothy of New St. In "An account of the Society for promoting religious knowledge among the poor" 1769 edition Mr James Webber of 22 Milk Street was listed as having been admitted in 1766, and in the 1795 edition James Webber Esq of 8 Burrows Buildings, Surry Rd was listed as admitted in 1766. Directories, Land Tax records and other sources gave his address as 22 Milk St, haberdasher up to 1821, in 1784-6 as Webber, Addington & Bicknell, in 1790 as James Webber & Thomas Bicknell, and in 1811 as Webber & Ede (chancery suit 1813 Nat Arch C 13/153/11 Francis Ede v James Webber not seen by me). He was also listed as haberdasher of 8 Burrows Buildings, Blackfriars in 1789 and 1790 directories and in Boyle's City Guide 1800. His subscriptions giving one of those addresses included 1787 Sunday School Society, and Society for Abolition of Slave Trade, 1792 to relief of poor Church of England clergy, 1795 to Thomas Williams' "Historic Defence of Experimental Religion", 1796 Philanthropic Society, 1797 Bermondsey Asylum for Deaf and Dumb Children. Also in the name James Webber (but without address so not certainly him) were 1779 to Erasmus Middleton's Biographica Evangelica, 1787 John Eades View of Gospel Ministry, 1788 Bell's Shakespeare, 1794 to new academy at Hoxton. A letter from James Webber as trustee of the Surrey Chapel to Sir Richard Hill dated 1.3.1794 was printed in R Hill's "Detection of Gross Falsehood" and James Webber was chairman of the commitee for forming an armed association for the protection of the parish of Christ Church Surrey whose resolution was printed in Thomas Acland's "Religion and Loyalty Recommended". James Webber of Balham's will proved PCC 5.6.1829 was clearly his, and was sworn to at length by his heir and great-nephew James Webber, and also by Rowland Hill (DNB 1744-1833) and his wife Mary, from their statements it is clear that his wife Dorothy died on 12.4.1825 (she was buried at St Leonard Streatham 20.4.1825 age 80) and that he died four years later to the day (he was buried also at Streatham on 20.4.1829 age 89). They left no children, (I could find no sign they ever baptised any), his next of kin were his nephew John (father of James) who died before him on 23.3.1829 and his niece Mary who had married George Trimby at Brompton Regis on 2.10.1793. His great nephew James had lived with him at his insistence since the death of his wife and he also insisted that James should maintain his establishment at Balham, leaving him considerable wealth compared to his previous position as a farmer in Somerset, and suggesting he marry for love and not for fortune. Thomas Bicknell was also mentioned in the will