James Webb, a free African-American farmer, built this hand-hewn log home in 1852. He lived here with his enslaved wife, Mary Ann, and their four children, Charles, Elizabeth, John and Ann, and Webb’s father, Henry. The Webbs were members of Mount Pleasant Church. This one-room log cabin, with its “potato hole,” open fireplace and loft accessed by a crude ladder, was made from materials found at hand or nearby. Built on ballast stones from ships, it stands near the Choptank River, Hog Creek and several roads including Harriet Tubman’s possible route from Poplar Neck. This cabin represents the kind of housing that sheltered many African-American and poor white families during the early and mid-19th century. Harriet Tubman’s father and mother, Ben and Rit Ross, probably lived in a very similar structure at nearby Poplar Neck.
His descendants have also migrated to New England, specifically Rhode Island. Those family members still are in connection with relatives in Maryland.
Webb family migrated to Chester, PA then Media, PA. The grandparents are buried at the cemetery on the grounds of Mt. Pleasant Methodist Church, Preston, MD
It always a pleasure and honor to see my family being mentioned. my Great-Great-Great Grandfather was a Webb. I’m so proud of my family’s heritage and legacy!!! It makes me unstoppable!! It really is a blessing to know your family’s genealogy. It allow’s one to know where they come from and where they’re going. #WebbFamily #FriendFamily #JohnsFamily #ChaseFamily. #CreamOfTheCrop!!
Caroline County had a unique situation in that there were many Quakers and Nickolites in the community. The Quakers abolished slavery and set all their slaves free which is why there were so many free blacks in the county. (about 70% were free, owning land, holding businesses, etc.) Unfortunately, if you (a man) fell in love w/a slave girl from a plantation, the popular option in Caroline County (again a very rare county) was to offer to buy her out of slavery from the owner.
Facts. Our family church and grave site was purchased from the Quakers in 1848. Marsh Creek Church which became Mt. Pleasant Church and is now Mount Calvary United Methodist Church is a part of the UGGR byway and is a pit-stop on the UGRR driving tour. The church was purchased from Quakers who were key figures and conductors on the UGRR. The Marsh Creek Quakers were having meeting at the Marsh Creek meetinghouse site prior to the American Revolutionary War. When the Quakers passed the deed on to the black Marsh Creek congregation of Methodist, my 4th Great-Grandfather, Rev. Gabriel Friend is listed as one of the trustees. Reverend Gabriel Friend was the 1st ordained black Methodist Minister in lower Caroline County, Maryland at a time when most blacks were enslaved.
We will be in the area doing Harriet Tubman byway tour.
Will be doing it 22-24 . Is the cabin open for visiting
This deserves to be better known
The last time that I was there to see it, the cabin was still in the process of being remediated. I was able to walk inside, and up the stairs into the upper level. It is a beautiful little cabin. I spent quite some time sitting at the park bench next to the cabin, and imagined their little children playing in the field and around those beautiful trees. The cabin is an amazing and important piece of history, and it’s absolutely wonderful that it has been restored to its former beauty.
James lived with Mary Ann his “enslaved” wife. Was she a slave on a local plantation??
There were terrific pressures to emancipate in this area and time and one form that evolved was called manumission; whereby a slave owner would legally free his slaves, with or without compensation. Often this became a form of indenture where the enslaved could work off their value or find some sponsor who would pay that off. It is likely this was the situation here where Webb would pay off that price to gain her freedom. This was extremely risky as the later Dredd Scott decision essentially provided the precedent that Black citizens could be legally enslaved or re-enslaved. Also, this area was the haunt of the notorious Cannon Gang of slavers, led by Patty Cannon, who made it her business to hunt escaped slaves and capture for sale hapless freemen who were unlucky enough to cross her path. Though she died by suicide in jail in 1829, she became the stuff of nightmarish folklore and the threat her ilk imposed was likely fresh in the family’s mind.