Wentworth Webster [we.2.3]

Wentworth Webster was the third child of Charles Webster & Elizabeth Wentworth, born June 16th, 1828 at Uxbridge, Middlesex.

Wentworth attended a private school at Brighton & went up to Lincoln College, Oxford at the age of 21.

At the time of the 1851 census Wentworth was at home with his parents, brother & sister at High St, Uxbridge, Middlesex. His occupation was scholar at Lincoln College, Oxford. Wentworth obtained an MA degree from Oxford in 1852. In 1854 he became a deacon at Cloford, Somerset. His ordination into the Anglican priesthood was delayed until 1861 due to ill health. Wentworth travelled widely around the world before settling in south western France in the early 1860s. He began as a teacher in Bagneres-de-Bigorre, where he met his future wife.

Wentworth married Thekla Laura Knipping in Oct-December 1866, at Camberwell. Thekla was born c1838.

Wentworth settled in Basque country, France around 1870. He was chaplain at Biarritz and later St. Jean de Luz from 1869-1882. During these years Wentworth & Thekla had 4 daughters & a son, Erwin Wentworth, who all spoke fluent Basque. Wentworth himself was an expert on life and legends of the Basque people. He wrote "Les Loisirs d'un Elvanger au Pays Basque", 1901 and "Basque Legends", 1877. He later lived at Sare, after his retirement in 1882.

Wentworth Webster

Wentworth died on April 2nd, 1907 in France. From the Times Obituary we learn ".. he lived in the little Basque Village of Sare in the Lower Pyrenees, His house overlooking the beautiful valley of Larrhun was well known to all those interested in the Basques and in Spain. It was here that Mr. Gladstone visited him." Apparently Prime Minister William Gladstone also paid Wentworth a pension. In recent years the Basque government has printed the Bidegileak Collection which includes a volume on 4 foreign figures who were united by their love for & work in favour Basque language & culture. One of these was Wentworth Webster.

Thekla died in Jan-March 1914, aged 76, at Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

The children of Wentworth Webster & Thekla Laura Knipping were:

we.2.3.1 Thekla Webster born c1868 at Biarritz, France

They had 3 more daughters - birth details unknown

we.2.3.5 Erwin Wentworth Webster born c1880 in France, died April 9th, 1917 at Arras, France