Webb, Lucy (nee Mew/s) (1855 - 1938)

Collections by 'Mrs Webb' from WA in 1895 are probably this person.

Born in WA, c.1855; died in Perth in 1938.

Born to a sailor, Robert Mew, and Jane Muller/Ayres/Gordon. Lucy is described as 'part-Aboriginal'. In 1875, Lucy married ex-convict, and professional natural history collector, William Heaton Webb (c.1834-1897), who had already been married to Sarah nee Heywood. The Webbs were based in Albany where they had eight children, the youngest of whom was called May Mueller Webb (b.1892).

Lucy probably collected MEL specimens (as 'Mrs Webb') north of King George Sound, 1895.

Lucy's husband also collected MEL specimens.

Lucy's son, Thomas Webb (1877-1903), collected a MEL specimen with LUCY EADES.

After William Webb's death, Lucy lived in Perth where she was convicted of obscene language, loitering and vagrancy, and served time in gaol.

Lucy may have remarried, and died in Perth in 1938, aged 83.

Source: extracted from: Maroske, Sara and Vaughan, Alison (2014) 'Ferdinand Mueller's female plant collectors: a biographical register', Muelleria Vol.32 [consult for source references]