Asa Webb & Mary Black

Generation No. 3

1. ASA³ WEBB (JAMES², JOHN¹) was born May 31, 1769¹ in Berks Co., Pennsylvania, and died 1835 in Gallatin Co., Illinois.  He married (1) MARY SHANKLIN May 16, 17931,² in Rockingham Co., Virginia, daughter of EDWARD SHANKLIN.  She was born Abt. 1771, and died Sep 23, 1793¹ probably in Rockingham Co., VA and was buried Sep 26, 1793¹.  He married (2) MARY BLACK Bef. 1796.  She was born Bet. 1765 - 1784 probably in Virginia, and died Bef. 1830 probably in Gallatin Co., Illinois.

The James Webb Bible contains a separate page with the following inscriptions regarding the family of Asa Webb:

Mary Shanlin [remainder of info washed out]
Mary Webb Departed this life the 23 day of Sept 1793
        Buryed the 2th of Septr

The Births and Ages of Asa and Mary
Webbs Children __________
Jane Webb was Born in January 14 day ??? 1796
James Webb was Born the 11 day of April 1797

From the Bible we know that Asa's second wife was also named Mary and the mother of Jane and James since Mary Shanklin Webb died in 1793.  Mary Black's maiden name is known from the service record of their son Asa B. Webb.  However, there is no marriage record for Asa in Rockingham Co., Virginia and the marriage probably occurred in Kentucky as we find Asa Webb and his brother-in-law, Connel O’Donnel, are mentioned in an April 6, 1795 notice in the Kentucky Gazette³ a newspaper of Fayette County.  We know that several of Asa's brothers are in Fayette County by 1791 when his brother Adin first appears on the tax rolls.  Asa, however, does not appear on the Fayette County tax rolls⁴ or on any tax list in the surrounding counties and no marriage is recorded in Fayette County or vicinity.

From 1799-1813 Asa appears on the Tax Lists of Henderson Co., Kentucky⁵ living on Highland Lick and is the only Webb listed.  Asa may have moved to Henderson County is association with his wife's family as we find him on the tax rolls and the 1810 census in close proximity to the families of Andrew, William, and Robert Black.  In 1801 Asa Webb witnesses the sale⁶ of household goods from Andrew Black to Robert Black.  The records of Lincoln County from which Henderson was erected in 1798 have been lost and with them perhaps the marriage record of Asa and Mary Black.  Another deed dated 1 Mar 1813 reveals that in fact Asa lived next to Robert Black:

Robert Black of the County of Henderson and State of Kentucky to Nancy Huston of said county and state aforesaid. For $600 paid by Nancy Huston. A parcel of land. One line between Robert Black and Asa Webb. Signed Robert Black senior [Henderson Co., KY DB C-61⁷]

We know that Asa Webb probably came to Gallatin County, IL between 1815-1816 as his daughter Prudence married in Kentucky in July 1815 and by Nov 1816⁸ Moses Blazer appears as a Juror in Gallatin County.  In March of 1817 his daughter Jane marries Samuel Dagley in Illinois. We also know from Asa Webb, Jr.'s service record and census records that he was born in 1817 in Illinois.  The following quote from the Carmi Times shows this to be true but the 1812 date applies to the earliest journal entry and not to the below quote as it had to have taken place after the 1817 marriage of daughter Jane:

1812 Excerpts from The Carmi (IL) Times⁹
“Asa WEBB appeared in one of his frequent trips from his home clearing just two miles from Shawneetown. He traded often in New Haven because his daughter, Jane, lived there, the wife of Capt. Samuel DAGLEY. WEBB was hungry for meat, and he bought 77 l/4 pounds of bacon. His name went in the book again, charged with $7.72 1/2 for bacon and 37 cents for two ounces of tea."

The reason Asa Webb moved to Gallatin County is probably related to the fact that Jonathan Boone, who died 1808 in New Haven, Illinois was the first cousin of Asa's father James Webb.  Squire Boone, father of Jonathan Boone^10,11, was an uncle of James Webb¹⁰ whose mother was Mary Boone^10,11.  Jonathan Boone's son Joseph we know sold his land in Barren Co., Kentucky in 1811¹² and was in was living in White Co., Illinois the same year. Its reasonable to assume that Asa Webb was acquainted with not only Jonathan and Joseph Boone but also with the Dagley family as we know that Asa Webb's brother Amasa¹ was in Green Co., Kentucky by 1807¹³ or earlier and Joseph Boone had married 1798¹⁴ in Warren Co., Kentucky Sarah Dagley the sister of Samuel Dagley.

1810 US Census, Henderson Co, KY, p. 340: Asa Webb 11010-42010
James over 10; Robert under 10; Jane & Prudence over 10; Mary, Minerva, Elizabeth & Amelia under 10

1818 Illinois State Census, Gallatin Co, IL¹⁵: family 253: Esa Webb 2 white males 21+; 9 other inhabitants

Neither Asa or Moses Blazier have been found in the 1820 census but there is a portion of the census which is unreadable but we know that Asa's daughter Mary married in White County in 1820 and several others siblings between 1820-1830.  In the 1830 census we find most of his children enumerated with Asa or nearby.

1830 US Census, Cane Creek Twp, Gallatin, Co, IL, pg 286a:
James Weeb       01101101-- 200210--- (Asa Sr, James, Robert, Asa Jr., Coleman)
Paris Golston    020001---  11001--- (m. Mary Webb)
Benjamin Golston 100001---  131001---
Samuel Boyd      100001---  11001--
Moses Blazeur    0210001-   301001-- (m. Prudence Webb)

The children of Asa Webb and Mary Black are identified by Bible, land, and court records, and also by process of elimination.  Jane and James are identified in the Bible and Jane's birth date agrees with other published data.  Prudence is proved by court records (see below).  Elizabeth Webb's father Asa is named in the Hughes family records.  Asa B. Webb's parents are documented and he moved back by his brother Robert after his divorce. On Feb 24, 1835¹⁶ administration of Asa Webb's estate was granted to James Webb and signed by James Webb, Robert Webb, and Paris Gholson.  From this I conclude that indeed James, Robert, and Mary, wife of Paris Gholson, are the children of Asa Webb.  We know from the 1810 Henderson Co., Kentucky census noted above that Asa had other daughters and of the correct age who all married in the same area of Gallatin/White County and all lived in very close proximity to each other.

Asa's daughter Prudence and Moses Blazier marry in Kentucky and move with the family of Asa Webb to Illinois and are probably enumerated with Asa in the 1818 Illinois census shown above.  Moses is again in 1830 enumerated living with the Webb family before later buying land adjoining Robert Webb in 1836. Furthermore, on June 24, 1856 nephew James Blazier and son-in-law Alexander H. Glasscock are appointed administrators of Louisa Webb's estate, widow of James Webb.  When James Blazier, son of Moses, dies in late 1856 Moses Blazier is appointed one of the administrators of Louisa estate and in 1859 Prudence's brother Asa Webb is appointed guardian of James Blazier's son Samuel.

Robert Webb apparently ends up with the original Webb land but this issue is not totally understood yet.  We also find in the 1870 census Ramoth Blazier, the 8 year old daughter of Asa Blazier, son of Robert's sister Prudence, is living with Robert Webb.  In 1875 Moses Blazier is granted guardianship of Ramoth.  And in 1880 an 18 year old Ivy Blazier is enumerated with Robert Webb.

That Paris Gholson appears as a bondsman in the estate of Asa Webb does not by itself constitute proof.  Mary Webb and Paris Gholson are married by Alex Trousdale who bought property in 1815 about 5 miles west of the Webb family and John Trousdale lived less than 2 miles away.  Alexander Harris married in Nancy Harris, daughter of Robert Harris and Lucy Stubblefield, and was living with her brother Richard Harris and their mother, probably less than two miles from Samuel Dagley and the Webb family.  So we know at least that Mary Webb lived in the same area.  In March 1831 Mary Webb's husband Paris Gholson, James Webb, and Robert Webb engage in what is obviously a co-ordinated pair of land transactions¹⁷ which has every appearance of being family related.  As part of this transaction James Webb deeds to Robert Webb, at no cost, land that was originally bought by Samuel Dagley in 1818¹⁸.  How James came to own the property is not yet understood but the White Co., IL records have not yet been examined.  While none of these transactions constitute proof of any family relationship they certainly do add to the body of circumstantial evidence.

That leaves Minerva and Amelia.  Minerva married 1826 Richard Harris who we have already established lived within 2 miles of the Webbs.  And Amelia married Lewis S. Bayley who is also living in the same vicinity.  

From the records there were apparently no other Webb families in this same area except for George Webb of Carmi, a William Webb who appears only in the 1830 Gallatin County census, and Wiley Webb who appears in the the 1830 White County Census.  Research on George Webb, who descends from James Webb and Mary Edmonson of Essex Co., Virginia, and moved from Clark Co., Kentucky to White Co., Illinois in 1820-21 is well documented and identifies his family and eliminates any possibility that Mary, Minerva, or Amelia are related to that family.  Wiley is believed to be the son of George as we know, from court records, George had a son named Willoughby W. Webb.  But Wiley had no daughters and is not old enough to be the father of Minerva or Amelia.  William Webb of Shawnee Township in 1830 is listed with only 1 female of age to possibly be Minerva or Amelia.  As yet this author has been unable to identify or find any record of William in Gallatin County or when he arrived or departed.  All we can say is that William was not living in the general vicinity of Minerva and Amelia.

Interestingly, if we look at where all these families' farms were actually situated it is quite revealing.  The area in which they live actually straddles the Gallatin and White County line with half of Township¹⁹ 7 South Range 9 East in each county and, over the years, the area is called by various township names in both counties.  By plotting out the land purchases of all the related families, with the exception of Elizabeth who moved to Morgan Co., Illinois, we find that from 1818 to 1850 they all live in a fairly tight cluster of farms in an area with a radius of less than 3 miles.  A fairly small circle even by rural farm standards.   See also Asa Webb and Related Land Transactions.

The research on the Dagley, Lewis, Bayley, and Boyd families has not been exhaustive on the part of this researcher and hopefully the land, court, or family history of one or more of these families may still provide additional information.

Endnotes