Polly
Webster was the fourth child born to William Webster Sr. and Caroline
Burdett. She was born 11 Nov. 1870 at Loftus, Yorkshire, England and
had four sisters and four brothers. They were, Elizabeth, who died
when she was 2 years old, Emily, Elizabeth (named for the baby who had
died), William, Frank Burdett, Ernest and Annie. Another brother
Thomas died at the age of two months and a pair of twins who died
before they were named. Polly grew up in this large happy family. She
went to work at an early age as did all of her brothers and sisters.
Her Mother died when she was eighteen years old an soon after that the
mines shut down and her family stared making plans to leave England.
Polly was a beautiful girl with lovely blue eyes and she fell in love
with a handsome Seaman by the name of Alfred Robson. When the time
came for her family to leave for America she didn't want to go because
she was planning to marry Alfred. Her sister Emily had married Tom
Leybourne and they had their first child. So Polly was not entirely
alone.
Polly and
Alfred married and had four children. Lilly, Thomas William, Alfred
and Charles. She had very little help from her husband as he
followed the sea. She had to work to help keep herself and family.
When her Husband failed to return from a trip to America, she took
her little girl, Lily, to her Mother's brother George Burdett and
left her, for them to raise. From then on her life was full of
hardships. Her boys worked when they could. They., too, followed the
sea. Her Father and Brothers were having lean days in America and
though they worried about her, they couldn't spare any money. Her
health failed her and she died at her home in Harttlepoole, Durham
Co. England in very poor circumstances. Her daughter Lily is alive
[1960] and sent this word.
Alfred
Robson was the husband of Mary (Polly) Webster. They were married
shortly after September 1892. We know nothing of his life save that
he was a very handsome seaman. Up to this time (1960) we in America
have no genealogy for him.
