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Local figure

Thomas Webb

Thomas Webb of Hillsborough was chosen president of the North Carolina Railroad by its directors in February 1862, when Paul C. Cameron resigned the office; the Hillsborough Recorder called him prompt and energetic in business.

Source: DigitalNC: Hillsborough Recorder, February 12, 1862

1827–1894 · Dates from the Library of Congress · On the Friends’ Local Authors roster → · Library of Congress authority record ↗

1 work about Thomas Webb is indexed here, as is one work by Webb.

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Life and Orange County connections

Dated events connected with this person, in date order. See these 29 dated events in the chronology →

During their lifetime

  1. The court binds three children of Jinney Chaves, a free woman of color, to Stephen Moore The court bound Lucy, 9, Nancy, 6, and Ruffin, 3, children of Jinney Chaves, a free woman of color, to Stephen Moore until 21, with bonds as the act of assembly required and Josiah Turner as surety. In November 1853 the court bound a free girl of color named Lucy, 13, to John U. Kirkland, and a free boy of color named Ruffin Chavers, 7, to Thomas Webb to learn carpentry, with $37.50 in tools at 21. People: John U. Kirkland, Thomas Webb Place: Orange County · Also named: Jinney Chaves, Stephen Moore, Ruffin Chavers, Josiah TurnerSearch the index · Mark Chilton, Freedom Bound: Apprenticeship, Racism & Liberation in Orange County, North Carolina 1777 to 1868 (Wandering through the NC Piedmont)
  2. Alamance County court holds its first session and elects county officers At its first session, held at Providence meeting house as the law required, the court of the new county of Alamance elected the county officers: Peyton P. Moore clerk of the county court, Steuben White clerk of the superior court, Thomas Webb county solicitor, Joseph Holt sheriff and George J. Freeland register. People: Thomas Webb Place: Providence meeting house, Alamance County · Also named: Peyton P. Moore, Steuben White, Joseph Holt, George J. FreelandHillsborough Recorder, June 6, 1849, p. 3
  3. Robert Burwell pledges Mary Ann and her children against his building debts A deed of trust set out Burwell's debts of $2,500 to the builder John Berry and $800 to the Presbyterian trustees, and offered as security the enslaved seamstress Mary Ann, her four children and any children born to her, and a girl named Ann. People: Robert Armistead Burwell, John Berry, Thomas Webb Place: Hillsborough · Also named: Mary AnnElizabeth Keckly Center research database: Mary Ann
  4. Lawyer Priestley H. Mangum dies at Hillsborough Priestley H. Mangum, the oldest member of the Orange bar, county solicitor and a former member of the House of Commons for Orange, died at his home near Hillsborough after a brief illness. The Orange bar met at the court house during the November term to adopt resolutions in his memory. People: John Wall Norwood, Hugh Waddell, Thomas Webb Place: Mangum residence, near Hillsborough · Also named: Priestley H. MangumSearch the index · Hillsborough Recorder, September 18, 1850, p. 3
  5. The Hillsborough Fire Company reorganizes and elects Thomas Webb captain Meeting at the court house, the Hillsborough Fire Company reorganized, named a committee to draft its rules, and elected Thomas Webb captain, Stephen Nichols, W. Johnston Freeland and L. G. Lynch lieutenants, John A. Turrentine secretary and Thomas J. Strayhorn treasurer. People: Thomas Webb Place: Court house, Hillsborough · Also named: Stephen Nichols, W. Johnston Freeland, L. G. Lynch, John A. Turrentine, Thomas J. StrayhornSearch the index · Hillsborough Recorder, February 23, 1853, p. 3
  6. Hillsborough lays off its common in lots and names Hillsborough Avenue and Calvin Street The Hillsborough commissioners ordered the town common south of King Street laid off in lots, Margaret Lane extended to the western town line and a 99-foot street run from King Street to the railroad. They named the wide street Hillsborough Avenue and the street parallel with the depot Calvin Street, for Calvin Graves, whose casting vote as Speaker of the Senate had carried the North Carolina Railroad bill. People: Calvin Graves, Thomas Webb, William Nelson, George Laws, John J. Freeland Place: Town common, Hillsborough · Also mentions: North Carolina Railroad, Calvin Street, King Street, Margaret LaneSearch the index · Hillsborough Recorder, June 21, 1854, p. 3
  7. North Carolina Railroad stockholders meet at Hillsborough and vote to raise a million dollars The stockholders of the North Carolina Railroad, with more than 8,000 shares represented, met at Hillsborough with Calvin Graves in the chair. They accepted the amendments to the company's charter by a stock vote, elected directors including John M. Morehead and Francis Fries, and authorized the president and directors to raise $1,000,000 to complete and equip the road. People: Calvin Graves, Thomas Webb, John Motley Morehead Place: Hillsborough · Also named: Francis Fries · Also mentions: North Carolina RailroadSearch the index · Hillsborough Recorder, July 19, 1854, p. 2
  8. Thomas Webb serves as Orange County's clerk and master in equity Thomas Webb signed notices as clerk and master of the Court of Equity for Orange County, at his office in Hillsborough, from at least 1855 into 1862. Place: HillsboroughSearch the index · Hillsborough Recorder, September 26, 1855
  9. The court binds Mary Mitchell, a free girl of color, to Thomas Webb The court bound Mary, a free girl of color aged nine and daughter of Adeline Mitchell, to Thomas Webb, who was to give her money and a fine suit of clothes at 21. A note beside the order says the binding was rescinded at the May term of 1861. People: Thomas Webb Place: Orange County · Also named: Mary Mitchell, Adeline MitchellSearch the index · Mark Chilton, Freedom Bound: Apprenticeship, Racism & Liberation in Orange County, North Carolina 1777 to 1868 (Wandering through the NC Piedmont)
  10. Orange County citizens meet at Hillsborough to raise aid for Norfolk and Portsmouth yellow fever sufferers A meeting of Orange citizens chaired by William A. Graham, with Paul C. Cameron as secretary, adopted Josiah Turner Jr.'s resolutions for a collection and named a committee of sixteen to solicit money and provisions for yellow fever sufferers in Norfolk and Portsmouth. The Episcopal and Presbyterian churches in Hillsborough had already taken up collections of $159 and $46 on Sunday, September 9, and sent them on. People: William A. Graham, Paul C. Cameron, Josiah Turner Jr., Thomas Webb, John Wall Norwood Place: HillsboroughSearch the index · Hillsborough Recorder, September 19, 1855, p. 2
  11. Fire destroys the railroad bridge over Cates Creek below Hillsborough The North Carolina Railroad's bridge over Cates's Creek, just below Hillsborough, burned on the morning of Wednesday, March 12, soon after the down train had passed. Thomas Webb walked about a mile down the track with a red blanket and stopped the up train before it reached the gap, and a new bridge was ready for the cars by Saturday night, March 15. People: Thomas Webb Place: North Carolina Railroad bridge over Cates's Creek, below HillsboroughSearch the index · Hillsborough Recorder, March 19, 1856, p. 2
  12. Orange County Agricultural Society holds its third fair near Hillsborough At the society's third annual fair, on its grounds near Hillsborough, members elected Paul C. Cameron president and Thomas Webb secretary. Cameron, away in Alabama, had given the society a flag that flew from a pole more than eighty feet high. People: Paul C. Cameron, William A. Graham, John Wall Norwood, Josiah Turner Sr., Thomas Blount Hill Place: Orange County Agricultural Society grounds, near HillsboroughSearch the index · Hillsborough Recorder, November 5, 1856
Show all 28 dated events
  1. The Orange County Agricultural Society holds its fourth fair near Hillsborough The society held its fourth annual fair on its grounds near Hillsborough on October 29 and 30, re-elected Paul C. Cameron president, and heard him speak when no orator could be had. Premiums went to Jones & Hooker of Hillsborough for implements, furniture and iron castings, to A. C. Murdock for buggies and to John Laws for tinware, and the paper reported yields of 55 bushels of corn on an acre, 20 bushels of wheat on half an acre and 1,100 pounds of tobacco on an acre. People: Paul C. Cameron, Thomas Webb, A. C. Murdock, Josiah Turner Sr. Place: Agricultural Society grounds, near Hillsborough · Also named: John LawsSearch the index · Hillsborough Recorder, November 4, 1857, p. 2
  2. North Carolina Railroad stockholders hold their ninth annual meeting in the Masonic Hall at Hillsborough The stockholders of the North Carolina Railroad Company met in the Masonic Hall at Hillsborough on July 8, 1858, with Thomas Webb of Hillsborough among the secretaries and Thomas Ruffin voting the state's stock as proxy. Before adjourning the next day they re-elected Charles F. Fisher president, chose the private directors and passed resolutions on the company's finances. People: Thomas Webb, Thomas Ruffin, William A. Graham Place: Masonic Hall, Hillsborough · Also named: Charles F. FisherSearch the index · Hillsborough Recorder, July 14, 1858, p. 2
  3. Corporators organize the Hillsborough Savings Institution The corporators of the Hillsborough Savings Institution, among them Thomas Webb, William A. Graham, James F. Cain and Pride Jones, met in the county court clerk's office on April 1, 1859, adopted the charter and appointed Webb and others to open subscription books. By December 1860 Webb was its cashier. People: William A. Graham, Pride Jones, Thomas Blount Hill Place: Hillsborough · Also named: James F. CainSearch the index · Hillsborough Recorder, April 20, 1859
  4. The Hillsborough Savings Institution elects its directors and opens for deposits The Hillsborough Savings Institution completed its organization by electing seven directors, who chose Thomas B. Hill president and Thomas Webb cashier. The bank set Friday as its discount day and opened daily from three to four o'clock in Webb's office. People: Thomas Webb, George Laws, James C. Turrentine, Josiah Turner Sr., Thomas Blount Hill Place: Thomas Webb's office, HillsboroughSearch the index · Hillsborough Recorder, May 4, 1859, p. 2
  5. The Hillsborough Savings Institution declares its first dividend At the first general meeting of stockholders on January 2 in the court house, the Hillsborough Savings Institution adopted a committee report on its affairs, opened its stock to new subscribers at fifty dollars a share and elected seven directors. The next day the directors declared Dividend No. 1, five per cent on the profits of the first six months. People: Edmund Strudwick, Thomas Webb, Henry Kollock Nash Place: Court house, HillsboroughSearch the index · Hillsborough Recorder, January 4, 1860, p. 3
  6. Former Senator Willie P. Mangum dies at his home near Red Mountain Willie P. Mangum, who had represented Orange in the legislature, sat as a superior court judge and served North Carolina in both houses of Congress, including as president of the Senate, died at his home near Red Mountain on September 7 after several years of illness. Members of the bar attending the fall term of Orange Superior Court met with J. W. Norwood presiding and adopted resolutions in his memory. People: Willie P. Mangum, John Wall Norwood, Thomas Webb Place: His home near Red Mountain, Orange County (now Durham County) · Also mentions: Red MountainSearch the index · Hillsborough Recorder, September 11, 1861, p. 3
  7. North Carolina Railroad stockholders hold their annual meeting at Hillsborough The North Carolina Railroad's stockholders met at Hillsborough, heard the president's report of the year's earnings, a large share of them from Confederate government traffic, and elected directors including Thomas Webb and Giles Mebane. The directors added an installment to the sinking fund for the company's bonds, declared an eight percent dividend, and the next week reappointed Webb president. People: Thomas Webb, Giles Mebane Place: HillsboroughSearch the index · Hillsborough Recorder, July 16, 1862, p. 3
  8. Hillsborough meeting resolves to erect a monument to Col. Charles C. Tew A Hillsborough meeting chaired by M. E. Manly resolved to raise a monument to Col. Tew, killed at Sharpsburg, at or near the front of his Military Academy, and named Dr. Edmund Strudwick, Dr. Pride Jones and Thomas Webb to collect funds and build it. People: Charles Courtenay Tew, Edmund Strudwick, Pride Jones, Thomas Blount Hill Place: Hillsborough Military Academy, Hillsborough · Also named: M. E. ManlySearch the index · Hillsborough Recorder, December 17, 1862
  9. Thomas Webb of Hillsborough becomes president of the North Carolina Railroad The North Carolina Railroad's stockholders held their seventeenth annual meeting at Hillsborough on Thursday, July 12, 1866, and the directors elected Thomas Webb president in place of Nathaniel Boyden, with P. B. Ruffin as treasurer, F. A. Stagg as secretary and Edward Wilkes as superintendent. The state's directors for the year included John Berry and Josiah Turner Jr. of Orange. People: John Berry, Josiah Turner Jr. Place: Hillsborough · Also named: P. B. Ruffin, F. A. Stagg, Edward WilkesSearch the index · Hillsborough Recorder, July 18, 1866, p. 2
  10. A Hillsborough meeting backs the National Union Convention and names district delegates A public meeting at Hillsborough, with James P. Clark in the chair and Dr. Charles J. Freeland as secretary, endorsed the call for a National Union Convention at Philadelphia on August 14, 1866, in support of President Johnson's restoration policy. On resolutions offered by Josiah Turner Jr. it named thirteen men, among them Henry K. Nash, Thomas Webb, John W. Graham, Samuel F. Phillips and Paul C. Cameron, to a district convention at Raleigh, and recommended William A. Graham as a delegate for the state at large. People: Josiah Turner Jr., William A. Graham, Paul C. Cameron, Thomas Webb, John W. Graham, Henry Kollock Nash Place: Hillsborough · Also named: James P. Clark, Charles J. Freeland, Samuel F. PhillipsSearch the index · Hillsborough Recorder, July 25, 1866, p. 2
  11. Railroad stockholders meeting at Hillsborough vote to ask the legislature for banking powers Thomas Webb moved that the company's officers ask the General Assembly to amend the charter so the North Carolina Railroad could do banking business, with the private stockholders electing the bank's officers. Motions to table it (from Paul C. Cameron) and to send it to a committee both failed, and it carried by 5,006 shares to 2,271 with the state's proxy declining to vote. People: Thomas Webb, Paul C. Cameron Place: Orange County Courthouse, Hillsborough · Also mentions: North Carolina RailroadSearch the index · North Carolina Rail Road Company, Proceedings and By-Laws of the Stockholders of the North Carolina Rail Road Company at Their Twenty-First Annual Meeting, Held at Hillsboro', July 14th, 1870 (1870), scan p. 8
  12. Senator Graham of Orange introduces a charter for the Bank of Hillsboro Senator Graham of Orange introduced a charter making Thomas B. Hill, C. M. Latimer, Thomas Webb, George Laws, D. C. Parks, J. Y. Whitted, P. C. Cameron, James Webb Jr. and others the Bank of Hillsboro, with capital up to $200,000. People: Thomas Webb, George Laws, David C. Parks, Paul C. Cameron, James Webb Jr., Thomas Blount Hill Place: Senate, Raleigh · Also named: C. M. Latimer, J. Y. WhittedSearch the index · Hillsborough Recorder, December 13, 1871, p. 3
  13. North Carolina Railroad stockholders meet at Hillsborough and accept the charter amendment At their annual meeting at Hillsborough the North Carolina Railroad stockholders tabled W. R. Myers's motion to make Raleigh the permanent meeting place, then on the State's vote accepted the 1874 act amending the company charter so that it could issue bonds secured by a mortgage. Private stockholders including P. C. Cameron, Thomas Webb and William A. Graham opposed and entered a protest, and the new board elected W. A. Smith president. People: Paul C. Cameron, Thomas Webb, William A. Graham Place: Hillsborough · Also named: W. R. Myers, W. A. Smith · Also mentions: North Carolina RailroadSearch the index · Hillsborough Recorder, July 15, 1874, p. 3
  14. Mayor Andrew C. Murdock of Hillsborough dies Andrew C. Murdock, a Hillsborough magistrate and the town's mayor at his death, died of asthma on May 27 in his sixty-fourth year and was buried with Masonic honors. The probate judge appointed Lemuel Lynch magistrate in his place, and the town commissioners named Thomas Webb mayor. People: A. C. Murdock, Lemuel Lynch, Thomas Webb Place: HillsboroughSearch the index · Hillsborough Recorder, May 31, 1876, p. 3
  15. Thomas Webb, former president of the North Carolina Railroad, dies at Hillsborough Thomas Webb, a Hillsborough lawyer who had been president of the North Carolina Railroad Company and had been helpless from paralysis for years, died at his home in his 67th year. Eagle Lodge buried him with Masonic honors after a service at the Presbyterian church, and the town's stores closed during the funeral. Place: His home, Hillsborough · Also mentions: Eagle LodgeSearch the index · Orange County Observer (Hillsborough), June 2, 1894, p. 3
  16. The Orange County bar meets to honor the late Thomas Webb During a recess of superior court, lawyers and citizens met under C. E. Parish and adopted resolutions on Thomas Webb, who had died since the spring term after years of paralysis. They recalled his service as clerk and master in equity, as cashier of the savings institution, and as president of the North Carolina Railroad Company during part of the Civil War and for a year after it. People: Calvin E. Parish, John W. Graham, John Manning, James B. Mason, Augustus Washington Graham Place: Court house, HillsboroughSearch the index · Orange County Observer (Hillsborough), August 18, 1894, p. 2

After their death in 1894

Later events: estates and burials, and the buildings, honors and histories that remember them.

  1. The Eno Cotton Mill reopens with James H. Webb as manager The Eno Cotton Mill, shut down for a month or two, resumed work with James H. Webb of Hillsborough, son of the late Thomas Webb, as superintendent and general manager. People: Thomas Webb Place: Eno Cotton Mill, West Hillsborough · Also named: James H. WebbOrange County Observer (Hillsborough), September 15, 1904, p. 3

People named in the same events

People named in the same dated entries as Thomas Webb, those sharing the most entries first. Each line links one of the shared entries in the chronology, where its source is cited. A shared entry shows these people in the same event, not how well they knew each other.

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Indexed works

Works about or by Thomas Webb. Each links to the institution that holds or provides it. Background reading appears below.

By Thomas Webb

Thomas Webb papers, 1770-1898.

Webb, Thomas, 1827-1894 · 1770

Family and personal papers of Thomas Webb (1827-1894) of Hillsborough, spanning 1770 to 1898, about 300 items in half a linear foot, Southern Historical Collection 761. Topics include politics and government in Hillsborough and Fayetteville, the Soldiers Aid Association of Orange County and Civil War relief work, nineteenth century American poetry and English hymns, family social customs, and the health resort at Kittrell's Springs.

UNC

Places in this person’s story

Buildings, schools, churches and other sites named in the dated events on this page, the most often named first. The map shows the 2 with a known location.

Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Site locations from the N.C. State Historic Preservation Office survey, Open Orange, Orange County GIS, OpenStreetMap and a few other published sources named on each site’s page; town and community pins show approximate locations.

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Records of enslaved people

2 records, 1856 to 1863, name Thomas Webb as a party to the sale, gift, trust or other transfer of enslaved people. Each record lists the people named in it, with their ages and family ties.

Search all records of enslaved people in Orange County →

Deeds

44 deeds, 1850 to 1872, in the county’s deed books name Thomas Webb as a party, from Mark Chilton’s published abstracts. Each links to the deed-book page at the Register of Deeds.

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Research sources

Sources and research tools for this person. For ready-made searches of other catalogs, see Search further. Research guide: Trace a family through historical records.

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Collections and databases

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Books about Thomas Webb

Books by Thomas Webb

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