Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Ambrose Webster, a master baker, born in the January quarter of 1853 in Loughborough, Leicestershire (son of William Webster, 1816-1884 and Sarah Hacket, 1820) and his wife Mary Webster (nee North, married on the 26th December 1874 in All Saint’s Church, Loughborough), born in the July quarter of 1853 in Loughborough and baptised on the 6th September 1853 in All Saint’s Church, Loughborough (daughter of Henry North, 1815-1888 and Ann Towers, 1816-1891). William was born in the October quarter of 1880 in Loughborough and baptised on the 3rd July 1881 in All Saint’s Church, Loughborough, his siblings were, Ambrose, a schoolboy, born in the October quarter of 1875 and baptised on the 20th February 1876 in All Saint’s Church, Loughborough and John Henry, a schoolboy, born in the July quarter of 1878 and baptised on the 15th September 1878 in All Saint’s Church, Loughborough, both his siblings were born in Loughborough, also residing with the family was a nephew, Arthur North, born 1871 in Loughborough, in April 1881 the family home was at 19, Regent Street, Loughborough. In April 1891 William was a schoolboy and was residing in the family home at 11, Storer Road, Loughborough, together with his father, a baker, his mother and siblings, Ambrose, a schoolboy, John, a schoolboy and Ernest Alfred, a schoolboy, born in the January quarter of 1883 in Loughborough and baptised on the 4th March 1883 in All Saint’s Church, Loughborough, also residing with the family was a nephew, Arthur North, a baker. In March 1901 William was employed as a baker and was residing in the family home at 11, Storer Road, Loughborough, together with his father, a master baker, his mother and siblings, John, a master draper, Ernest, a joiner and Florence Mary, a schoolgirl, born in the October quarter of 1891 in Loughborough and baptised on the 4th November 1891 in All Saint’s Church, Loughborough. In April 1911 William was employed as a baker and was residing in the family home at 11, Storer Road, Loughborough, together with his siblings, John, a hosiery warehouse man, Ernest, a baker and Florence.
William’s army service enlistment documents do not survive, therefore the currently available information pertaining to his military service has been obtained from the following sources: - 1921 HMSO Publication, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914 - 1919, WW1 Service Medal and Award Rolls, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, WW1 Medal Rolls Index Cards, WW1 Pension Ledgers and Index Cards and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Registers.
Enlisted/Attested in Loughborough into the Regular Army, date not known
Joined. At place and date not known.
Posted. To Leicestershire Yeomanry. Pte., date not known.
Allotted the Regimental Service number 2116.
Posted. To 1/1st Leicestershire Yeomanry. Pte., date not known.
First entered the theatre of war in France. 2/11/14.
Died. 4/11/15.
Buried in Fauquembergues Communal cemetery, Pas de Calais, France.
Awarded the 1914 Star with Clasp & Rose, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In the event of his death, William nominated his sister Florence as his sole legatee.
On Saturday, November 20th, 1915, The Leicester Daily Post published the following article under the heading. “LEICESTERSHIRE AND THE WAR.” – LOCAL CASUALTIES. – The death of Private W. WEBSTER, of the Leicestershire Yeomanry, is reported from the Base under date November 10.