In 1955 a bequest was received by Glasgow Museums on behalf of Mrs. A. Carvick Webster of a print On the Clyde by Walter Severn.
Catherine Agnes Balfour Fairfax was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 19 July 1867. She was the only daughter of Edward Ross Fairfax and Catherine Mackenzie.1
Edward Ross Fairfax was a partner in the media empire of John Fairfax and Sons, which was founded by his father in 1841. They were publishers of the Sydney Morning Herald and the Sydney Mail and had extensive interests in Australia and New Zealand. Edward married Catherine Mackenzie about 1866. After retirement, they moved to England probably taking their daughter with them.2,3
Harry Carvick Webster was born in Sydney about 1862 4 the only son of Alex. Speed Webster. He moved to England to take up a position in his cousin’s firm, Alexander, Fergusson and Co., lead and paint manufacturers.5
Harry and Catherine may have known each other in Sydney or perhaps they met upin England. In any event, they were married on 31 July 1888 at St. Stephen’s Church, South Kensington, London.6 Harry was twenty-six and Catherine twenty-one. Afterwards, the couple moved to Glasgow where Harry was to be the manager of the Glasgow branch of the firm. They took up residence at 10 Huntly Gardens, Hillhead, Glasgow where, on 18 April 1890, their first child, Una Zara Marie, was born.7 At the census of the following year, Catherine (Agnes B. Webster) was visiting her parents Kate R. Fairfax, 41, and Edward R. Fairfax, 48, and her brother John Fairfax, 20, at Hanover Square in London. Her parents were ‘living on means’8 Meanwhile, Harry Webster was at home in Huntly Gardens with eleven-month-old Una Zara. He employed a cook, nurse and two maids and was described as a ‘manufacturer of lead paints’. 9
Between 1893 and 1900, Catherine and Harry had four more children, all born at 10 Huntly Gardens. They were Catherine Agnes Rua born 23 May 1893, Joan Marguerite (Ferguson?) 1896, John Alexander Croom 3 June 1897, Harry Ross Fairfax 1900.10 By 1901, the family had moved to 48 Montgomerie Drive, (later named Cleveden Drive) Kelvinside, Glasgow. 11 A sixth child, Iris Speid Elasaid Balfour was born there on 11 December 1901.12
A notice in the Glasgow Herald of 3 August 1903, recorded that, ‘A fancy dress ball, which was largely and fashionably attended, was held in the Royal Hotel, Largs on Friday night, in aid of the funds of the Samaritan Hospital Bazaar. The ball was organized by Mrs. Carvick Webster, of Glasgow and of Crescent Lodge, Largs’. (The Samaritan Hospital for Women was located in Govanhill, Glasgow).
Fig, 1 Crescent Lodge, Largs
© Raibeart MacAoidh (cc-by-sa/2.0) geograph.org.uk/p/7722016
and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
The stay in Largs may only have been temporary as they were not in occupation before 1895 or after 1905.13 The Glasgow Post Office Directory for 1903-4 has the entry,
H. Carvick Webster of Alexander, Fergusson & Co., Ltd., House 48 Montgomerie Drive.
During 1905/06 Catherine and Harry took their two oldest daughters, Zara and Rua, out to Australia and then on to New Zealand, on a part business, part family reunion trip. The 13-year-old Rua kept an account of part of the trip in her diary.14 By 1911, Harry and Agnes (Catherine) had moved to 58 Montgomerie Drive. At the time of the census, Zara, 20, Iris, 9 and five servants were in the house. 15
On 20 March 1912, ‘Mrs. and Miss Carvick Webster’ attended a society Mi-careme (mid-lent) Festival in the ballroom of St. Andrew’s Halls, Glasgow. This had been preceded by a dinner in the Central Hotel hosted by Major and Mrs. MacRae Gilstrap to which ‘parties came from most of the country houses in the district’.16
On 18 September 1912 at St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Glasgow, Zara Webster married Robert Scott Cree, younger son of Thomas Scott Cree, LLD. A reception was held at 58 Montgomerie Drive hosted by Mrs. Carvick Webster.17
The years 1915 to 1917 were tragic for Catherine. Her father, Edward Ross Fairfax died on 31 July 1915 aged seventy-two, at 6 Harcourt House, London. He also had addresses at 145 Macquarie Street, Sydney and at 5 Harcourt House, London. His effects amounted to £29,122. 11s 1d. 18,19 The following year on 15 October, Catherine’s mother Catherine Mackenzie (Kate Ross Fairfax), died in London. 20
Catherine’s elder son, John Alexander Croom Webster was killed in action on 21 April 1917. He had been educated at Kelvinside Academy, Glasgow and at Cheltenham School before entering Sandhurst in November 1915. He then received a commission in the Seaforth Highlanders.21 He was killed shortly after the capture of Bagdad and is buried in the Bagdad War Cemetery, Iraq.22 Later that year on 14 November, her son-in-law, Captain Robert Scott Cree was killed in Palestine, He was buried in the Deir el Belah War Cemetery and is commemorated on the family gravestone in the Glasgow Necropolis.
On 15 March 1919, Catherine’s daughter Rua married Captain (later Sir) Dudley Williams of Sydney at All Souls’, Langham Place, London. Rua was the ‘second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Carvick Webster of 5, Harcourt House, Cavendish Square and of Glasgow’. 23,24
Sometime after 1915, Harry, Catherine and family moved to Orangefield, Monkton, Ayrshire. This mansion had five reception rooms and sixteen bedrooms and was surrounded by fifteen acres of ground with rose and rock gardens. In 1920 another daughter, Joan Marguerite, married Hugh Neilson at Orangefield. 25
(Robert Burns was acquainted with John Dalrymple who owned Orangefield at that time. They were both Masons. Burns wrote that “I have met in Mr. Dalrymple of Orangefield what Solomon emphatically calls ‘a friend that sticketh closer than a brother’.”) 26
Una Zara Marie Cree arrived in Sydney from Glasgow with her son Thomas aged five on 9 January 1920. 27 She married Clive Evans at Darling Point, Sydney on 6 August 1921.28 Back in Scotland at the 1921 Census on 19 June, Harry, Agnes and Iris were all at Orangefield so it was unlikely that they would have been at Zara’s wedding. However, sometime later Catherine and Harry travelled to Australia visiting both their daughters, Zara now Mrs. Clive Evans and Rua, Mrs. Dudley Williams. On their return journey they met up with their son Harry in Bombay. He was a lieutenant in the Sappers and Miners, stationed with the army in India.29 In 1923 tragedy again struck the family when Harry was killed in an ambush by natives when working on roadmaking near the northwest frontier. He was twenty-two years old.30 Some years later Catherine and Harry had a community hall built and donated to the village of Monkton as a memorial to their two sons. The ‘Carvick-Webster’ hall was completed in 1929 to a ‘semi arts and crafts design.31
Catherine and Harry remained at Orangefield and in 1925 their daughter Iris married Cecil Gibb there. On 23 February 1929 they left Avonmouth bound for Jamaica. Harry was now retired and they were accompanied by their daughter Joan Fergusson Neilson.32 They left Jamaica on 31 March to return to Avonmouth, but Joan was not with them. 33 On 18 October 1930, Catherine sailed from Liverpool aboard S. S. Scythia bound for New York. She was described as a housewife aged sixty-three of “Scotch” descent living in Monkton. Also on the passenger list were her cousins John H., and Ruth B., Fairfax. Harry was not present. 34
On 3 June 1932, Harry Carvick Webster died aged seventy from bowel cancer at Orangefield. His death was reported by his son-in-law (Lt. Col.) Cecil Gibb whose address was Gatwick House, Shackleford, Surrey.35 An obituary noted that Harry was born in Sydney but educated at Merchiston College, Edinburgh. After a spell in London in the office of his cousin Alexander Fergusson, he took over the management of the Glasgow branch of the firm. During the war he was controller of lead, tin and zinc supplies at the Ministry of Munitions. He was managing director of British Amalgamated Lead Manufactures with interests in Australia.36
Orangefield House and estate was sold the year after Harry’s death.37 and Catherine moved to a flat in Portman Square, London. She seems to have spent her time visiting family in Scotland and Australia. Her daughter Rua and her granddaughter, also Rua, stayed with her in Portman Square in 1934. 38
On 14 July 1948, Catherine made a gift of a pewter plate dated to 1660 approximately to Glasgow Museums. Her address at the time was ‘Fieldfares’, Thursley, Surrey. This reflects a continuing interest in pewter, As early as 1919 she had hosted the second meeting of the Society of Pewter Collectors in her home at 5 Harcourt House, Cavendish Square, London. She had suggested that members bring along specimens from their collections for an informal exhibition.39 She also made significant donations of British Pewter to the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney between 1938 and 1949 – the ‘Carvick-Webster Collection’. Other donations she made to the Gallery included a collection of ninety-seven medals and two drawings – Crowning of a Pope signed ‘Tadeo Zuccaro’ believed to be from about 1563 and a Study of a Dog by the School of Paolo Veronese both donated in 1926.
‘Catherine collected various things e.g. stamps, china and pewter……..She also had a fine collection of Australian paintings by local artists’. 40
Catherine Agnes Balfour Carvick Webster died aged eighty-seven on 23 May 1955 at 2, St. Michael’s Drive, Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire. She may have moved to Helensburgh to be with family as her death was reported by her son-in-law, Hugh Nielson whose address was 3, Easterhill Road, Helensburgh. 41 A service was held at St. Michael’s and All Angels Church, Helensburgh followed by a private funeral. 42
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Glasgow Museums Art Donors Group 