Thomas John Webster was born in Pitt Street Sydney on the 18th March 1850, and died 21 Nov 1931 in the home of his son Alfred at Ardlethan NSW.
He married a Mrs. Louisa Bush at Iron Bark on 5th January 1874. Louisa was born on the 13th January 1854 in South America (daughter of Eleonora Spiniczhoffer from Hungry).Louisa died 20 Feb 1924 in Junee NSW. Following his marriage at Ironbark (now Stuartstown) Thomas John settled at North Berry Jerry near Coolamon. Nine children were born over the next 25 years.
In 1875 a son, Frederick was born and on the birth certificate TJ was classified as being a cordial manufacturer registered at Gundagi. That is the first clue to when the name was associated with the trade. In 1877 he purchased Cootamundra Aerated Waters from W.S. Eaton, his brother-in-law.
(Eaton had married Elizabeth, the step daughter of Thomas's father Charles Bryant Webster. Eaton at the time was a cordial manufacturer at Wagga Wagga NSW)
He was in that business for some 14 years. After selling the Cootamundra business to Messr's Pund & Rankin, it was next to the Temora goldfields where he had the Central Hotel and a cordial factory. He was an agent for Lincoln Alcoholic Beverages and the proprietor of the Coolamon Hotel for some time. After trying his hand at farming out from Coolamon, the next enterprise was building piesi (mud) buildings. After building about 100 buildings in the Coolamon, Ariah Park and Ardlethan areas, he returned to the Soft Drink (aerated waters) business in August 1911 at Ariah Park as TJ. Webster and Son. A couple of years later a depot was opened at Ardlethan. The machinery was set up in Ardlethan and this site became the main factory for approximately 40 years.
The business was handed down to his four sons who continued to build by taking over many other small town companies extending to Griffith and Wagga Wagga. Producing both soft drinks and fruit juices it was not until 1985 that the brothers decided to sell out to Coca-Coca Bottlers of Canberra.
Ferene Mihalovits had left his native Hungary with a U.S. passport in the name of Francis Bush - travelled to Californian goldfields in 1853 then on to Montevideo 1854 and then to Australia (Victoria) in 1860. His wife, Eleanora Spinizhoffer later became known as Caroline Bush. At her marriage when aged 16 years she was given a family heirloom - a massive golden necklace together with gold earrings which had been passed to the eldest daughter on marriage. This heirloom is still held by the Webster family .
T.J. Webster was elected 1st Lieutenant of the proposed new fire brigade - however the brigade was not formed for some years.
The Webster, Eaton and Lincoln families appeared to be very close, and have been traced following the gold rush to Victoria - Avoca, Bet Bet, Pheasant Creek, Inglewood, Lampeter and Barking. When the gold ran out in Victoria the families joined the rush to Forbes NSW.
Recent investigations reveal that T.J. Webster's business may also have operated under the name of 'Cootamundra Cordial Company'. Family folklore apparently states that a 'pointy ender' is known with 'CCC' scratched into it.
He also apparently ran an ad in the local paper for many years.
(see also Pund & Rankin)