The Descendants of WiIliam Webb

William Webb of Warrington (1795-1865) worked as a glass blower and never attained a significant position in the glass industry. His sons John and Thomas continued the family trade and it was Thomas who made the leap to become a glass manufacturer.

Thomas Webb joined in partnership with Andrew Ker, and together formed Ker, Webb & Co. circa 1868. This business split into two separate concerns in 1875, one continued by Andrew Ker and the other by Thomas Webb.

3 Apr 1875

Dissolution - I beg to give notice, that the partnership heretofore subsisting between myself and Mr. ANDREW KER, trading as "Ker, Webb & Co." flint glass manufacturers, has been dissolved. The business will in future be carried on at the New Works, in Varley Street, Oldham Road, in the name of Thomas Webb and Sons, and will be conducted under my management as before.

THOMAS WEBB

Oldham Road Flint Glass Works, Varley Street, April 2 1875.

From 1875, Thomas formed a new venture with his son, Thomas George Webb (the same name as the man running Molineaux & Webb at this time). The works at Varley Street, off Oldham Road, were of a decent size but little of note was produced. Although this business is recorded as lasting until 1893, it ran into financial trouble at an early stage.

17 June 1880

A petition for liquidation has been filed in the Manchester County Court on behalf of Thomas Webb and Thomas George Webb, of the Oldham Road flint glass works, Manchester, flint glass manufacturers, trading as "Thomas Webb and Sons." The liabilities are stated at £15,000.

View Google Map of Varley Street, off Oldham Road, where the works were based

Although the firm was now bankrupt, it continued to trade whilst under a legal cloud. The family were running the same business from the same address according to the 1881 census.

An article in a local newspaper from 1886 reveals the complex situation afflicting the company.

24 December 1886

CHARGE AGAINST A BANKRUPT

At the Manchester County Police Court, on Saturday, before Mr. J. H. P. Leresche, Thomas George Webb, of the firm Webb and Son, glass manufacturers, of Varley Street, Miles Platting, was charged with stealing a number of papers relating to the transactions of the firm, which, since 1880, has been in liquidation. Mr. S. Taylor, Q.C. prosecuted on behalf of Mr. Trevor, the trustee of the estate; and Mr. Ditton, solicitor, of London, appeared for the defendant.

Mr. Taylor, in opening the case, said that the bankruptcy proceedings were begun in 1880. In 1881, it was arranged to sell the estate in the interests of the creditors, it being believed that by this means 5s in the pound would be forthcoming. This dividend fell through, but the creditors, not withstanding, showed great leniency to the defendant, and not until 1882 did the trustee make application in bankruptcy. The defendant, however, succeeded in getting adjournments from time to time until the trustee was obliged to apply to the court again, the result being the present action.

The defendant and his father had since the liquidation acted as managers to the estate, receiving a weekly stipend. On the 16th of this month Mr. Webb, accompanied by three of the employees, went to the office of the glassworks and took away a large number of papers that were lying in the office. This was alleged to have been done in spite of the warnings of the clerk of the trustee. The trustee, Mr. Trevor, now had his suspicions aroused, and wrote without delay to Mr. Webb demanding from him a sum of £105 odd which he alleged that the defendant had received at different times. If the amount was not forthcoming further steps would be taken against him. On Friday the 17th Mr. Trevor again saw the defendant, and asked him if he had received any cheques or moneys belonging to the firm. The defendant made no satisfactory reply, but it was since found that moneys had been received by him. The charge was therefore made on the supposition that the defendant had removed the papers for the purpose of preventing the trustee from taking further action against him.

Mr. A. E. Corcoran, a clerk employed by Mr. Trevor, said on Thursday he was sent, under Mr. Trevor's orders, to make out from a ledger a list of the debtors of the firm. While he was doing so Mr. Webb came in and demanded to know on whose authority he was acting. Witness told him it was on Mr. Trevor's, whereupon Webb ordered him to stop, saying he would not have it done, and then took the papers away and locked them in a safe. Witness produced a letter from Mr. Trevor showing his authority for the steps he had taken, but the defendant refused to give up the papers or books on such authority. Other witnesses were called, but before the case for the prosecution was completed the hearing was adjourned, the defendant being admitted to a bail of £100 in his own recognisances.

The hearing was resumed on Tuesday. Mr. Taylor stated that the witness for whose attendance the case had been adjourned from Saturday could not be present, and under the circumstances he proposed to withdraw the summons, and hereafter to take such proceedings as he might think advisable. The documents in question were now in court, and as they had been shown to be the property of Mr. Trevor be asked that they might be handed over to that gentleman.

Mr. Ditton said he thought it would have been infinitely better if Mr. Trevor had applied to the County Court judge for an order for the deliverance up of the documents. An injunction against Mr. Trevor had that morning been applied for in a superior Court, and in all probability the real position of matters between his client and Mr. Trevor would be fought out in London.

The Stipendiary asked Mr. Ditton if he had any objection to the documents in question being handed over to Mr. Trevor, upon his entering into an undertaking to produce them when so directed. Mr. Ditton said he had an objection, because this case ought never to have come into a police court. The Stipendiary said that under these circumstances he would allow Mr. Taylor to withdraw the summons, and he would place the documents in Mr. Trevor's possession, subject to Mr. Trevor dealing with them as he (the stipendiary) should direct. The summons was then withdrawn.

In 1880 Mr. Trevor, accountant, Manchester, was appointed trustee in the liquidation of Messrs. Webb and Son, glass manufacturers, Varley Street, Manchester. In October last the trustee entered into negotiations with the Assets Realisation Company for the sale of the whole estate of Webb and Son for £7,000. On Tuesday Mr. Cooper Willis moved before Mr. Justice Kay to restrain the sale; but his Lordship declined to interfere, on the ground that he had no jurisdiction to interfere with an officer of the Court of Bankruptcy.

The glass works building and surrounding land was purchased by the Catholic Church in 1889. The site was redeveloped as a Norbertine priory and opened as the Corpus Christi Basilica in 1907.

Thomas Webb retired from the glass industry but his five sons continued in the business. Thomas George Webb registered at least one patent in the 1880s and another in the 1890s. TG Webb became a chemical inventor, and it was the other sons of Thomas Webb, George Frederick Webb, Alfred Webb and Albert Cruickshank Webb, who kept the Webb name going in the Manchester glass industry for several more decades.

The Webb brothers ran a business called Webb & Co. in the Pendleton area of Salford, which even outlasted Molineaux & Webb. The National Probate entry for Albert dated 1938, lists "Thomas Albert Webb glass manufacturer" as an executor. Exactly when the Webb glass business fizzled out is uncertain. It was the last survivor of the businesses triggered by the movement of glass workers from Warrington to Ancoats in the 1820s.

National Probate Calendar Entries

1931

WEBB Mary Louisa of 62 Bolton Road Pendleton Salford spinster died 28 July 1931 at 88 Seedley Road Pendleton.

Administration Manchester 26 September to Albert Cruickshank Webb glass merchant

Effects £975 1s 2d

1932

WEBB Elizabeth Hyde of West Point Hunts Road Irlams o' th' Height Lancashire (wife of Albert Cruickshank Webb) died 19 June 1932.

Probate Manchester 7 July to the said Albert Cruickshank Webb glass merchant

Effects £1575 6s 9d

1938

WEBB Albert Cruickshank

Of 1 Hunts Road Irlams o' th' Height Lancashire died 9 November 1937.

Probate Manchester 20 April to Thomas Albert Webb glass manufacturer and Elsie Hyde Cowsill married woman

Effects £1538 11s 1d

Selected entries in Manchester Commercial Directories

1876

Thomas Webb & Sons, glass manufacturers, Oldham Rd Flint Glass Works, Varley Street

1882

Alfred Webb, glass manufacturer (Thomas Webb & Sons), 57 Hulme Hall Lane, Newton Heath

Thomas Webb, glass manufacturer, Thomas Webb & Sons, 177 Oldham Rd

1894

Albert C Webb, glass manufacturer, 21 Kersal View, Pendleton

Alfred Webb, glass merchant, 9 Kersal View, Pendleton

1900

Albert C Webb, glass manufacturer (Webb & Co), 3 Charles Street, Pendleton

Alfred Webb, glass merchant, 15 Charles Street, Pendleton

1904

Albert C Webb, glass manufacturer (Webb & Co), residence West Point, 1 Hunts Road, Irlam-o'-th'-Height

Alfred Webb, glass manufacturer, 15 Charles St, Pendleton

1912

Albert C Webb, glass manufacturer (Webb & Co), residence West Point, 1 Hunts Road, Irlam-o'-th'-Height

Alfred Webb, glass merchant, 6 Glenfyne Road, Irlam-o'-th'-Height

1928

Albert C Webb, glass manufacturer (Webb & Co), residence West Point, 1 Hunts Road, Irlam-o'-th'-Height

Alfred Webb, glass merchant, 183 Claremont Road, Irlam-o'-th'-Height

1932

Albert C Webb, glass manufacturer (Webb & Co), residence West Point, 1 Hunts Road, Irlam-o'-th'-Height, Tel 2116 Pendleton

Relevant census entries

1851 CENSUS

John Webb 34, Glass blower

1861 CENSUS

John Webb 44, 163 Mill Street, glass maker

Thomas Webb 42, 105 Mill Street, glass maker

Andrew Ker 52, off Gt Ancoats St, contractor would not say how many he employs

1871 CENSUS

Thomas Webb 52, 177 Oldham Road, glass manufacturer employing 120 people

Andrew Ker 63, 786 Rochdale Road, glass manufacturer

1881 CENSUS

Thomas Webb 62, 177 Oldham Road with sons TG Webb 35, William I Webb 36, George Webb 25, all listed as glass manufacturers, + Albert C Webb 17

Alfred Webb 27, 57 Hulme Hall Lane, Prestwich, Mixer (flint glass)

1891 CENSUS

Thomas Webb 72 43 Woodlands, Cheetham, retired flint glass, with sons TG Webb 45, George Webb 35, listed as flint glass manufacturers

Alfred Webb 37, 79 Lower Sealey(?) Road, Salford, glass manufacturer

Albert Webb 27, visiting in Blackpool, Glass dealer

1901 CENSUS

Alfred Webb 47, 15 Charles St, Salford, manager glass trade

George Webb 45, 62 Bolton St, Salford, glass merchant

Albert C Webb 37, 3 Charles St, Salford, glass merchant