Family Ties
The closest to a claim to fame – my famous relative.
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Susie Hemingway: How beautiful she was! This is a fabulous photo. …
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John Kerr: My grandmother was related to Captin Webb. Last name pengell…
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Manu Rutherford: Great mix, can you help me download it onto my computer? …
Feb 23, 2007 @ 11:51:57
Iv look up my family tree and found that Matthew Webb is my great great great uncle. He is my grandads mums, dads, dads brother. I am 16 at this present time and live in london. Id love to know more if you have any info
Sep 05, 2009 @ 11:08:14
Matthew Webb was my grandmothers brother. Thanks to your information I now know more about him than I did before. I plan to research my family tree when I have retired in about another year. We are obviously distant relatives of some kind and am excited at the prospect of learning of relatives I didn,t know about. If you wish to contact me email me as I now live in Australia.
Regards, Anita Hadley.
Sep 08, 2009 @ 16:13:36
I am also related to Captain Matthew Webb through my dad’s family Rogers/Fairfield lines. If you help me my family tree our links also probably related to Harry Webb (Cliff Richard’s family as well).
Oct 24, 2009 @ 12:58:32
I am led to believe that Mathew Webb is a distant relative of mine on my mother’s side.
I live in Madeley, Telford where he lived from the age of 14 months.
He was born in Dawley, Telford, but, unfortunately his ‘place of birth’ (address) is not known.
Yesterday, there was a celebration in Dawley town center to commemorate the 100th year of the erection of his statue in the square.
A cake was made and cut in his honour.
Jan 12, 2010 @ 02:34:32
It is interesting to read these posts. My great grandfather came to Canada around 1900 from a place called Bromsgrove. His name was Harry. He had brothers but I dont recall all names except Ernest who was killed during bombings in England in WW2. He had brought with him the Webb family bible which stretches back to almost the 1700′s. It was passed on to the eldest son of each generation. In it was a reference to Matthew Webb who I believe was Harry’s Uncle. Anyway I would have to ask my dad as he still has the bible which will eventually come to me than my son unless he does not have a son. It might or might not answer a few questions regarding Matthew.
Apr 02, 2010 @ 15:25:29
I know Captain Webb was a relative but have not yet looked into the family tree. My grandparents were from Shropshire and their grandparents were name of White/Nash. John White was born in Telford
Jun 04, 2010 @ 22:53:12
Hi,
I am also lead to believe he is a great great grand father of mine, i’m not 100% sure how many greats, it’s a grey area, i have just started to look into my family tree and my mother told me this snippet of info. I just hope that this snippet is true because it would be lovely to have a story such as this connected with my family.
Thanks for sharing
Kt
Jun 21, 2010 @ 23:00:26
Captain Matthew Webb was my great great great grandfather on my mothers side. Ive known of our connection since i was a small child. My sister has visited his grave. My mum is researching her family tree it would be nice to know of any relatives we havnt yet learned of.
many thanks
marie airey
Sep 11, 2010 @ 23:17:13
yeah my great great grandfather as well
Oct 28, 2010 @ 16:34:23
We’re not related but one of our family stories is that my grandfather Albert Gadsby of Iron Bridge would swim with Capt Webb in The Severn. They once left their clothes on the bridge and someone took them so the two men ran through the town naked.
good luck in your reseach
Helen
Dec 18, 2010 @ 16:38:04
My grandfather (Edwin J Caldwell) lived at Frodsham (1881 & 1891 census) and listed in the household is Harry Webb aged 4, grandson.
Family story was that Matthew Webb was related by marriage and Harry and his mother were part of the Captain Webb family.
There is an association with nearby Runcorn and the Captain Webb bridge.
I realise this is a bit of a long shot but would appreciate any further information.
Jan 03, 2011 @ 15:08:45
Captain Webb was my Great Great Great Grandfather’s Cousin on my mother’s side. A bit distant, but hey, we’re all related….
Mar 20, 2011 @ 12:50:56
I have been told that Captain Webb was a relative of my grandmother on her side. She was Florence Murray but I haven’t found the connection quite yet.
Mar 27, 2011 @ 11:35:02
Dear all, i have reason to believe that he was a Family member of mine as well.
As my Great, great grandfather was William Henry Webb. My grandfather left England to immagrate to South Africa. Please contact me, Thanking you Clifford Webb.
Apr 08, 2011 @ 15:59:07
yeah captain matthew webb was my dads great great great grandfather on my fathers side,he actually was a great risk taker and died whilst going over the niagara falls in a barrel a stunt that resulted in his death
May 22, 2011 @ 11:28:05
My daughter is currently in America, and is going to Niagara Falls at some point in the next couple of weeks, to see, amongst other things the monument left to Capt Mathew Webb. He is a relative of the Jackson family that came to New Zealand – I will try and find out how he is related. As those of you may have read of his feats, these were passed down through our family through parent to children. He was the first to swim the English Channel as recorded, but used breast-stroke, which had been determined to be less strenuous. I believe he was also the first to go over the Niagara Falls in a barrel, and did not die in that event as suggested above, but returned to try and swim the Niagara rapids, a feat believed by many to be impossible.
It is reported that he did manage to get through the rapids but was not able to survive the second stage of the rapids, and met his fate there. I wonder if there is any way for this to be verified, and will ask my daughter to check?