Ella Webb (far right) in 1928
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Mary Webb & Colin Benham
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Dr Ella Webb of The Children's Sunshine Home
Charles Thomas Ovenden married Isabella Mary Robinson
born 11 Sep 1846 7 Feb 1871 born circa 1850
Enniskillen, Fermanagh St George’s, Dublin Dublin
died 8 Jul 1924 died 7 Aug 1924
Howth Howth
Charles Thomas Ovenden born circa 1847 eldest son of W Chamber Ovenden, MD and
Isabella Parkinson. He was educated at the Portora Royal School, the Lyceum, Mannheim,
Germany and Trinity College, Dublin. He was ordained in 1870, curate of St Anne’s Belfast from
1870 and rector of Dunluce from 1872 to 1879 when he was appointed warden of the
Cathedral Grammar School. He married Isabella Mary Robinson on 7 Feb 1871 at St George’s
Church, Dublin. Mary was the elder daughter of John Robinson, JP, of Wilton Place, Dublin and
Uplands, Co Wicklow. They were living at Chanterhill in 1901 and 1911. He was the Dean of
Clogher from 1903 and appointed Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin in 1911. He was a
gifted musician and painter and some of his paintings were exhibited at the Royal Hibernian
Academy. A writer and preacher, he published a number of books including ‘Popular Science
for Parochial Evenings’ and ‘The face of Nature’. He was living at The Deanery, St Patrick's Close
in 1923. Having lived at Barnacullia near Greystones, he purchased Earlscliffe, Baily, Howth and
died there on the 9 Jul 1924. His funeral service was held at St Patricks and he is buried in the
attached burial ground. Isabella died just a month later on 7 Aug 1924.
1 Isabella Gertrude Amy Ovenden born on 16 Oct 1877 at 3 Wilton Place. She was
educated at Alexandra College and in Queen's College, London. She attained the highest
marks in the final medical examinations of the Catholic University School of Medicine in
1904. She was awarded the Travelling Medical Scholarship in 1905 and graduated MD in
January 1907. She married George Randolph Webb on 17 Dec 1907 at Enniskillen, Co
Fermanagh. George born in Gibraltar was a Fellow of Trinity College Dublin and the son
of Randolph Webb, Deputy Surgeon General. She was the first women doctor to be
employed by the Adelaide Hospital and later worked at St Ultan’s with Dorothy Stopford
and also worked at several City Babies clubs and lectured at Alexandra College as well as
having her own private practice. She took part in the Woman’s Suffrage conference in 1913.
She was Lady District Superintendent of St John Ambulance and opened the headquarters
in Merrion Square as a temporary hospital during the Easter Rising. Her husband George
travelled by train Barnacullia to let the family know they were safe. Her diary noting the
Easter events was published later that year. She was passionate about reducing infant
mortality and childhood diseases and produced an exhaustive report with recommendations
in 1917. She was an advocate of reducing the school day and children to get more fresh air
and light. Ella was an expert doctor with incredible nursing and organisational skills. She was
awarded an MBE and Lady of Grace of the Order of St John of Jerusalem in 1918.
In 1923 she was a founder member of the Sunshine Home for Convalescents in Stillorgan with
funding of 5k gifted anonymously but latterly discover to have been donated by Letitia
Overend. The home was specifically to treat children with rickets. She was a speaker at the
Magdalen Asylum in 1924. She wanted an end to children being put out to nurse, instead for
them to remain with their mother for a year; 'I quite agree that it would be a great deal kinder
to strangle these children at birth than to put them out to nurse.' George died at Earlscliff,
Bailey on 16 Aug 1929 aged 52 and is buried at Dt Fintan’s, Sutton. Ella died on 24 Aug 1946 at
the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear late of 39 St Kevin’s Park, Dartry and is buried with her husband.
1 David Allardice Webb born 12 Aug 1912 at 20 Lower Hatch Street. He was a botanist and
chair of botany at Trinity College, Dublin from 1949 to 1966.
2 Mary Ovenden Webb born 24 Aug 1910 at 30 Lower Hatch Street staying with her
Ovenden grandparents in Fermanagh the night of the census of 1911. She was resident
at 39 St Kevin’s Park, Dartry and married Colin Stanley Knowles Benham on 28 Aug 1937 at
St Patrick’s Cathedral. Colin was an engineer living at Croydon, Surrey and the son of
Stanley Benham, an engineer. Mary died in 1966 at Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
2 Florence Irene Harriet Ovenden younger daughter born 13 July 1886 in Killiney. She was a VAD
with the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service during WW1 and married Horas
Tristram Kennedy on 29 Nov 1916 at St Patrick’s Cathedral. Horas was a lieutenant in the Royal
Scots Fusiliers late of the Geological Survey of Ireland. He was the son of the late Charles
Napier Kennedy, an artist of Truro, Cornwall and Lucy Susanna Marwood. Horas was died killed
in action on 6 Jun 1917 aged 28 and is remembered on Ireland’s National Roll of Honour. He is
buried at Pont-De-Nieppe Communal Cemetery in France. Florence, a writer and the owner of
Earlscliffe, Howth was a widow with no children living with her sister Ella in 1926 along with her
soon to be husband.
She secondly married Captain Arthur Wynne-Finch, son of Edward Heneage Wynne-Finch and
Emily Caroline Marwood, on 3 Jun 1926 in Chelsea. Arthur died in 1936. She was a widow living
at Carlton in 1939 and died on 11 Dec 1978 at Beech House, Carlton, Yorkshire.
1 Anne Wynne-Finch born 4 Sep 1927.
© June Bow & Karen Poff - April 2026
Return to Sunshine Home page
Charles Thomas Ovenden married Isabella Mary Robinson
born 11 Sep 1846 7 Feb 1871 born circa 1850
Enniskillen, Fermanagh St George’s, Dublin Dublin
died 8 Jul 1924 died 7 Aug 1924
Howth Howth
Charles Thomas Ovenden born circa 1847 eldest son of W Chamber Ovenden, MD and
Isabella Parkinson. He was educated at the Portora Royal School, the Lyceum, Mannheim,
Germany and Trinity College, Dublin. He was ordained in 1870, curate of St Anne’s Belfast from
1870 and rector of Dunluce from 1872 to 1879 when he was appointed warden of the
Cathedral Grammar School. He married Isabella Mary Robinson on 7 Feb 1871 at St George’s
Church, Dublin. Mary was the elder daughter of John Robinson, JP, of Wilton Place, Dublin and
Uplands, Co Wicklow. They were living at Chanterhill in 1901 and 1911. He was the Dean of
Clogher from 1903 and appointed Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin in 1911. He was a
gifted musician and painter and some of his paintings were exhibited at the Royal Hibernian
Academy. A writer and preacher, he published a number of books including ‘Popular Science
for Parochial Evenings’ and ‘The face of Nature’. He was living at The Deanery, St Patrick's Close
in 1923. Having lived at Barnacullia near Greystones, he purchased Earlscliffe, Baily, Howth and
died there on the 9 Jul 1924. His funeral service was held at St Patricks and he is buried in the
attached burial ground. Isabella died just a month later on 7 Aug 1924.
1 Isabella Gertrude Amy Ovenden born on 16 Oct 1877 at 3 Wilton Place. She was
educated at Alexandra College and in Queen's College, London. She attained the highest
marks in the final medical examinations of the Catholic University School of Medicine in
1904. She was awarded the Travelling Medical Scholarship in 1905 and graduated MD in
January 1907. She married George Randolph Webb on 17 Dec 1907 at Enniskillen, Co
Fermanagh. George born in Gibraltar was a Fellow of Trinity College Dublin and the son
of Randolph Webb, Deputy Surgeon General. She was the first women doctor to be
employed by the Adelaide Hospital and later worked at St Ultan’s with Dorothy Stopford
and also worked at several City Babies clubs and lectured at Alexandra College as well as
having her own private practice. She took part in the Woman’s Suffrage conference in 1913.
She was Lady District Superintendent of St John Ambulance and opened the headquarters
in Merrion Square as a temporary hospital during the Easter Rising. Her husband George
travelled by train Barnacullia to let the family know they were safe. Her diary noting the
Easter events was published later that year. She was passionate about reducing infant
mortality and childhood diseases and produced an exhaustive report with recommendations
in 1917. She was an advocate of reducing the school day and children to get more fresh air
and light. Ella was an expert doctor with incredible nursing and organisational skills. She was
awarded an MBE and Lady of Grace of the Order of St John of Jerusalem in 1918.
In 1923 she was a founder member of the Sunshine Home for Convalescents in Stillorgan with
funding of 5k gifted anonymously but latterly discover to have been donated by Letitia
Overend. The home was specifically to treat children with rickets. She was a speaker at the
Magdalen Asylum in 1924. She wanted an end to children being put out to nurse, instead for
them to remain with their mother for a year; 'I quite agree that it would be a great deal kinder
to strangle these children at birth than to put them out to nurse.' George died at Earlscliff,
Bailey on 16 Aug 1929 aged 52 and is buried at Dt Fintan’s, Sutton. Ella died on 24 Aug 1946 at
the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear late of 39 St Kevin’s Park, Dartry and is buried with her husband.
1 David Allardice Webb born 12 Aug 1912 at 20 Lower Hatch Street. He was a botanist and
chair of botany at Trinity College, Dublin from 1949 to 1966.
2 Mary Ovenden Webb born 24 Aug 1910 at 30 Lower Hatch Street staying with her
Ovenden grandparents in Fermanagh the night of the census of 1911. She was resident
at 39 St Kevin’s Park, Dartry and married Colin Stanley Knowles Benham on 28 Aug 1937 at
St Patrick’s Cathedral. Colin was an engineer living at Croydon, Surrey and the son of
Stanley Benham, an engineer. Mary died in 1966 at Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
2 Florence Irene Harriet Ovenden younger daughter born 13 July 1886 in Killiney. She was a VAD
with the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service during WW1 and married Horas
Tristram Kennedy on 29 Nov 1916 at St Patrick’s Cathedral. Horas was a lieutenant in the Royal
Scots Fusiliers late of the Geological Survey of Ireland. He was the son of the late Charles
Napier Kennedy, an artist of Truro, Cornwall and Lucy Susanna Marwood. Horas was died killed
in action on 6 Jun 1917 aged 28 and is remembered on Ireland’s National Roll of Honour. He is
buried at Pont-De-Nieppe Communal Cemetery in France. Florence, a writer and the owner of
Earlscliffe, Howth was a widow with no children living with her sister Ella in 1926 along with her
soon to be husband.
She secondly married Captain Arthur Wynne-Finch, son of Edward Heneage Wynne-Finch and
Emily Caroline Marwood, on 3 Jun 1926 in Chelsea. Arthur died in 1936. She was a widow living
at Carlton in 1939 and died on 11 Dec 1978 at Beech House, Carlton, Yorkshire.
1 Anne Wynne-Finch born 4 Sep 1927.
© June Bow & Karen Poff - April 2026
Return to Sunshine Home page