He was elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons but, on a matter of principle, refused to sign the acceptance declaration.
He was said to be always a ‘man with a grievance’, and in later life ended up in debtors' prison for failing to pay the damages from a libel case that he had lost.
Webber sold the farm in 1857, and about this period he made many attempts to get his design of anti-ligature forceps introduced into the London Hospitals.
[6] Webber was undoubtedly a fine surgeon and a public spirited man, the recipient of several civic awards for his contributions to society.
In a libel case (brought by Spencer Wells in 1862), Webber harangued a judge, saying that his counsel had not followed his instructions to call him to the witness stand.
After listening to this diatribe, the judge said that his council had been wise not to allow him in the box, as his conduct would only have gone to swell and aggravate the damages awarded against him.
[9] A daughter Eliza Jane Webber (1835–1902) was the wife of William Garden Cowie, Primate of New Zealand.