There is a something of a mystery surrounding the logbooks of Midshipman William Henry Webster, now held in the Special Collections of the Auckland City Libraries. The logbooks were compiled between 1866 and 1871 during HMS Pearl's tour of duty in the seas around South East Asia, China and Japan. And whilst they mainly record navigational information and routine duties, they also include skilfully drawn charts, and impressive sketches and watercolours reflecting the experiences of the young seaman. But who was Midshipman Webster, and how did his logbooks come to be in Special Collections? There are a few clues. According to the library donation book the "Two Log books of HMS Pearl" were donated by "Mrs Seymour" on 3 May 1943; and the first logbook has a pencil inscription "Upton Hall, Cheshire". A sketch in the second has a signature "Rev Webster". Rather unexpectedly, a positive identification of William Henry Webster was provided by The Cyclopedia of New Zealand (1902). The brief biographical entry confirms the information gleaned from the logbooks, describing Webster as born at Upton Hall, serving in the Royal Navy, and then taking Holy Orders. The New Zealand connection came from his appointment as vicar of Waiuku in 1899. He returned to the UK in 1909, leaving behind in New Zealand his 4 grown-up sons and a daughter. William Henry Webster died in May 1931 and the New Zealand Herald's obituary of him solves the mystery of the 1943 donor, naming his daughter as - "Mrs. J. J. Seymour of Auckland" .
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