John Hiram Webb was the first
child born to Ben and Lucy Ann. They had been married in 1870, and
John Hiram was born on March 19, 1871. He grew up moving around a bit,
but most of his life he spent in Amory. His father was a merchant and
the family had a good home in Amory. He married a girl from Monroe
County when he was 28 years old. On May 13, 1899, in Monroe County,
he married Matilda Bell "Mattie" Stockton. She was born on April 4,
1875, to William Lockridge and Mary Melissa Tubb Stockton.
He was probably helping his father at their store when the 1900 census came through:
1900 Monroe County, Mississippi Census
Amory; Page 1B
Webb, John H. Head March 1871 Md. 1 year MS MS MS General Merchant
Webb, Mattie Bell Wife Dec. 1871 Md. 1 year 2/0 children still living MS MS MS
The census makes it look like she had lost two children by this point
in time, but I do not understand how that could be. They had only married
one year earlier, and maybe she had lost one child, but how could it be two
by then? I do not think she had been married before, but it is possible.
In September of 1902, they had their first child, Lucille, probably named after John Hiram's mother. John soon took a job at a bank in Amory and became their head bookkeeper. Things were going very well for the family and Mattie became pregnant with their second child. But in
early 1903, when she went into labor, she lost the child, a boy, and on April
13, 1903, Mattie died from complications of the birth. John was devastated.
It just about killed him. He was now widowed with an infant daughter.
His parents were still living in Amory and since their youngest child
was only 9 years old, they took little Lucille in. Lucy Ann raised Lucille for most of her younger years.
John never went back to being a bookkeeper. Instead he started laying
brick. In 1920, he was living with another family when the census came
through and it appears as though he had married again, though no one remembers
it:
1920 Monroe County, Mississippi Census
District No. 1; Amory City; ED#58; Sheet 7A
Household #146/Family #167
Smith, Emily Head (1) Owns F W 77 Widowed Can R&W MS NC SC
Household #146/Family #168
Webb, John Hiram Head (2) Rents M W 47 Md. Can R&W MS MS MS Brick Mason
Webb, Gena Laurlese(?) Wife F W 24 Md. Can R&W MS MS TN
In 1930, he was living back at home with his mother, at the age of 57:
1930 Monroe County, Mississippi Census
Page 4B
Webb, Lucy A. Head Owns 77 Md. at age 19 MS GA SC Can read and write
Webb, Mittie Dau. 53 Single MS AL MS
Webb, John Son 57(?) Md. at age 26 MS AL MS
Webb, Lucille Grandaughter 26 Single MS MS MS
John had a lot of trouble in his life, and had quite a lot of trouble
with alcohol, but he became one of the best brick layers in Monroe County.
He laid much of the brick in the big Park Hotel in Amory that still
stands on the city square. He also won a big contest to see who was
the bricklayer who could lay the most brick in the shortest time. Lucille
always tried to keep in him straight and in line, but did not have much success.
John Hiram lived quite a long life to have been through all he experienced.
But he passed away at the age of 91, on June 19, 1962.
Lucille Webb (md. Earl Herrington)
Lucille was born on September 11, 1902. She married
Earl who was from Philadelphia, Mississippi, and who was a Frisco Railroad
Conductor. She worked at the Webb Store with her uncle and was a good
musician on the piano. She had no children and passed away at the age
of 83 in May of 1986.
Unnamed Webb (died at birth)
The baby boy that died at birth in 1903 was the cause of Mattie's untimely death.