Nathan Webb (April 7, 1767 – February 25, 1853) was a teacher, firefighter, and public official in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He arrived in Boston from

Windham, Connecticut Windham ( ) is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. It contains the former city of Willimantic, Connecticut, Willimantic as well as the communities of Windham Center, Connecticut, Windham Center, North Windham, and South Windha ...

around 1783, when he was 16 years old. In 1783, he began work as a teaching assistant (or "Usher") at the North Writing School, a public school under the direction of schoolmaster John Tileston, on Love Lane (later Tileston Street) in the North End. Webb continued teaching through 1789. According to his diary (1788-1791), in his young adult years he was active in the Independent Musical Club, a private music club with both male and female members founded in 1789. When

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

visited Boston in 1789, Webb attended the parade that took place by the triumphal arch on Washington Street. He belonged to the New North congregation when it was overseen by John Eliot. Around 1792 he was founding member of the Massachusetts Charitable Fire Society and remained active for some years. He served as a Fireward in 1810. He was secretary of the Boston Library Society 1794–1826.The Massachusetts manual, or, Political and historical register ... from June, 1814 to June, 1815. Charles Callender, 1814 He served in the

Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into ...

, 1810–1812. He was also a Selectman of Boston (1809-1814), as well as an Assessor (1822-1826). In his role as a city official, for instance, he was appointed an agent for Boston in the matter of the estate of Thomas Boylston; others on the committee were James T. Austin, Samuel Swett, Stephen Codman, and Arnold Welles. In 1814, he was a manager of the Boston Asylum for Indigent Boys. He was also a member of the Humane Society of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Webb married Sally Leach on July 16, 1794; they had 6 children: Nathan Webb (1796-1797); Sally Webb (b.1798; married Hawkes Lincoln); Lydia Webb (1801-1827; married Charles Forster); Mary Hewit Webb (b. 1802); Louisa Webb (b. 1804; married Jacob Forster); Caroline Matilda Webb (b. 1812; married Edwin Forster Adams). He moved to Charlestown,

, in 1827, into the former house of Francis Hyde. He lived there until his death on February 25, 1853. A miniature ivory portrait of Webb is in the collection of the

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston The Museum of Fine Arts (often abbreviated as MFA Boston or MFA) is an art museum in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the list of largest art museums, 20th-largest art museum in the world, measured by public gallery area. It contains 8,161 painting ...

.MFA Boston
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Webb, Nathan Members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Politicians from Boston 1767 births 1853 deaths People from Windham, Connecticut Boston Board of Selectmen members