Robert Webster was born June 10, 1859 in Newtownbarry, Wexford County, Ireland, the son of John Webster. (John was probably a brother, son or cousin of Thomas Webster of Moneycross, Gorey.)  He married Dec. 10, 1890, Margaret Wiley Emmett, daug of William Emmett. (See marriage license below)  According to the record below, when Robert married he was probably living at Rosedale House in Shankill (County Dublin) where he worked as a coachman. (See also a picture of the Coach house, where Robert may have lived while working there.)  

(Thank you, Hilda, for finding this record in Ireland!!)


Robert was also listed on his son Jack's birth certificate as a coachman.
Margaret died in Dublin, Ireland in 1904. After her death, the family story is that the children were placed in a orphanage in Dublin.  Violet was in a girls boarding school in Dublin in 1911.

He came to Canada in 1907 with his 2 sons. Daughter Violet came later.

1911 census of Canada, Ontario, Toronto Center, 50 Leonard Ave.:
Webster, Robt. (head) - 52, b Jun 1859
. . . . . John (son) - 17, b Jun 1894
. . . . . Arthur (son) - 18, b Mar 1893

At some point Robert Webster remarried to Mary McCormack and may have had another son (maybe Albert J). Robert worked for the railroad. Mary died in 1930 and Robert died Feb. 12, 1934 in Toronto. Information from his death certificate:
     Robert Webster, living at 77 Hunter St E, Hamilton, Wentworth -- had lived at residence 17 years, and in province & Canada 27 years.
     died at the hospital, Feb 12th 1934 of pneumonia. age 69 -- buried York Mills, date of burial, Feb 14, 1934
     He was a widower, b in Ireland, June 10, 1864 -- occupation: gardner
     informant: son, John W. Webster, York Mills, Ontario (unfortunately son John listed Robert’s parents as unknown)

Info from his death certificate:
Robert Webster, living at 77 Hunter St E, Hamilton, Wentworth
died at the hospital, Feb 12th 1934 of pneumonia. age 69
He was a widower, b in Ireland, June 10, 1864
occupation: gardner
had lived at residence 17 years, and in province & Canada 27 years
buried York Mills, date of burial, Feb 14, 1934
informant: son, John W. Webster, York Mills, Ontario
(son John listed Robert’s parents as unknown)

Robert and Margaret Webster's children:
1. Arthur Webster, b March 1893, Bray Wicklow, Ireland
2. John Wiley Webster, b Jan 27, 1894, South Dublin, Ireland; m Clara Louise Shaw, Sept 24, 1920 in Toronto; d May 24, 1960, Toronto
3. Violet Webster, also came to Canada but not with the rest of the family. Violet was in a girls boarding school in Dublin in 1911. Married twice. Died Toronto. No children.

John Wylie Webster and Clara Louise Shaw

John, also called "Jack," was born 27 Jan 1894 in South Dublin, Ireland, the son of Robert Webster and Margaret Wiley Emmett.  Baptism Feb 18, 1894, Parish of St. Kevin’s, Diocese of Dublin, Church of Ireland. The family was living at 29 Lennox St. in Dublin at this time (in central Dublin now).

Jack's mother died in 1904 and the family story is that his father couldn't take care of the 3 children so he put them an orphanage in Dublin.

John came to Canada in 1907 (age 13) on the ship "Tunisian", departing from Liverpool May 2, 1907 and arriving in Quebec May 11.  [I'm not sure exactly where he landed. This page says that the Tunisian arrived May 11 with 31 children with these notes: "Catholic Emig. Assoc. to Ottawa", "Waifs & Strays Assoc. of London to Niagara on the Lake",  "Children to Belleville". Not sure what this all means.]

His father Robert also came to Canada in 1907, and his brother Arthur. It's possible that Robert came first then sent for his sons. His sister Violet came later since she was not with her father and brothers in the 1911 census.

1911 census of Canada, Ontario, Toronto Center, 50 Leonard Ave.:
Webster, Robt. (head) - 52, b Jun 1859
. . . . . John (son) - 17, b Jun 1894
. . . . . Arthur (son) - 18, b Mar 1893

After John served in World War I he married Clara Louise Shaw.  She was born in 1895 in Toronto, Ontario, the daughter of Jabez Shaw and Letetia Mary Baxter.  She and John were married Sept 24, 1920 in Toronto.

Jack (along with his father-in-law) was a member of the Orangemen, a Protestant group.  I was a group found in 1795 and found mostly in Northern Ireland and Scotland, but also throughout the English Commonwealth.

John was a plumber in Toronto. He died in Toronto May 24, 1960 and Clara died the next year of cancer, Dec. 26, 1961.


Wedding picture of daughter, Ruth Mary Webster and Irvin Kenneth Bloye.

On the left is John Wylie Webster (father of the bride) and
Elizabeth Isabel Saunders (mother of the groom)

On the right is Clara Louise Shaw (mother of the bride) and
John Robert Bloye (father of the groom)

Children of Jack & Clara Webster:

1. Robert Edward "Bob," b abt 1917 in Toronto, Ontario (named for his grandpa Webster); m Norma ?; d about 2004, Hamilton, Ontario
2. John Henry "Jack," b abt 1919 in Toronto, Ontario; m Ethel Shuster; d England
3. Ruth Mary, b 19 Aug 1923 in Toronto, Ontario; m Irvin Bloye; d 1999 Toronto.
4. Florence Maude, b abt 1926 in Toronto; m Kenneth Marks; d 1947 Toronto, age 21.
5. Violet Louise, b 16 Feb 1928 in Toronto (named for her father's sister); m Robert Freeman
6. Arthur, b abt 1929 in Toronto (named for his father's brother); m Jean ?
7. Albert Raymond "Al," b abt 1930, Toronto; m Joan ?
8. Charles "Chuck,", b abt 1931, Toronto