Biography

Albert Webb had a short-lived membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Only a couple of weeks after his baptism, he returned to his previous religion, the Disciples of Christ. Despite his brief affiliation with the LDS Church, Albert was quite committed to other institutions throughout his life. He remained dedicated to his marriage for over fifty years, maintained close relationships with his children, served as a reverend, operated a business, and established a fraternal lodge in his community. His later life was strikingly successful, though he probably spent the first thirty or so years in enslavement.

Albert Webb was born in Hickman County, Tennessee. Most sources list his year of birth as 1840, but his death certificate and obituary state that he was born January 15th, 1834.[1] Likely born into enslavement, it is possible that Albert did not know his exact date of birth. From his death certificate, we know that Albert’s mother’s name was Letha Gordon. His father, John Webb, may have also been his enslaver.[2] In the 1870 and 1880 censuses, Albert’s race is recorded as mulatto, suggesting he may have had a white father and an enslaved mother.[3]

A John Webb living in Perry County, which neighbors Hickman, appeared in the 1860 slave schedule with enslaved men aged twenty and twenty-four.[4] Depending on the accuracy of Albert’s recorded birth years and ages, one of these men may have been Albert. There are other Webb plantations in the region that include enslaved men in a similar age range as Albert. There is a Joseph Webb in Hickman County (with a twenty-four year old enslaved man) and GP Webb in Maury County (with a twenty-one year old enslaved man).[5] It may be that Albert’s parents were both enslaved, and he grew up on one of these plantations, though limited records make it difficult to determine the precise circumstances of Albert’s youth.

Albert met and married his wife, Melissa Church, while enslaved. Their marriage, which took place in 1860, may have never been legally recognized.[6] Marriages between enslaved people rarely held legal sanction and protection. Enslavers reserved the right to move, sell, or separate those they enslaved. Their financial gain took priority over the preservation of marital unions. Thus, most enslaved people did not enjoy the privileges and rights of legal marriage. Instead, they married “till death or distance do us part.”[7] Despite the risks of separation, enslaved African Americans chose to marry and create families. In many regards, this was a way to resist the restrictions of slavery. Albert and Melissa avoided the fate of separation and maintained their marriage until Albert’s death. Five years after their union, they were emancipated with the end of the Civil War, an event that surely altered the course of their lives.

Over their fifty-four years of marriage, the Webbs had thirteen children together. Only eight of these children lived to adulthood, and only six outlived their parents.[8] Albert and Melissa must have experienced grief at the loss of many young children. Their first known child was born in 1867. Given that they had been married seven years by then, it is likely that the Webbs had up to four children who died in childhood, whose names are unknown. Unfortunately, because record keeping for enslaved people was rare, it is impossible to find birth or death records of these children. In 1867, Curley Matstaw Webb was born to Melissa and Albert.[9] He lived to bear two children, Vestus and William Webb, but died sometime before 1900.[10] Their next son can only be found in one record, where his name is listed as JWT. He was two years old in the 1870 census, and probably died in childhood sometime before the 1880 census.[11] The Webbs then had three daughters, Ella D, Alice Quincy, and Victoria Queenie, who all outlived their parents.[12] Their next son, Moses, also lived to have a child, Arizona Webb, but died shortly thereafter.[13] Albert and Melissa had three more children, all of whom lived well into adulthood: Mary Ada, James Levi, and Percy.[14]

In 1872, Albert Webb decided to be baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Elder Thomas English Daniels baptized eight people that day, only two of whom were specified as “negroes” – Ephraim Bryant and Albert Webb. A newspaper published on April 26, 1872, records the event. The article jokes that it was hard to get the baptism “to stick” for Albert as he had to be baptized twice.[15] This was probably done to comply with LDS standards of baptism by immersion. If even a toe stuck out of the water, a rebaptism would have been required.[16]

Albert was baptized the same day as a few members of the Church family.[17] The Churches were a prominent white Latter-day Saint family in Tennessee. Their home was located in Shady Grove, a small community in the southeastern corner of Hickman County. It was the center of missionary teaching in Tennessee for many years, and nearly all of the Churches were baptized members.[18] Albert was probably baptized near the Church home in the Duck River. It is possible that Albert’s wife, Melissa, was related to the Churches. Her maiden name was recorded multiple times as Church, and her race is designated as mulatto. Melissa was likely the offspring of a white Church enslaver and a Black enslaved mother. In fact, two of the Church brothers, Thomas Holiday Church and Robert Robins Church, had children with enslaved women.[19] If not a child of a Church family member, she was almost certainly enslaved to one of them. If this is the case, Albert probably heard about the Latter-day Saints long before he was baptized. The decision to be baptized in 1872 may have come after many years of hearing LDS teachings.

Albert’s membership in the LDS church did not last long. Just two weeks after the newspaper announced his baptism, another paper published on May 10, 1872, described his departure from the faith. The article pokes fun at polygamy and suggests that it was the reason for Albert’s change of mind. Albert, the newspaper wrote, “found that so many wives were harder to deal with than one, got mad and went back to the Christian Church.”[20] We unfortunately cannot know Albert’s own thought process for leaving the church that he had only recently joined. It is possible, as the article suggests, that the practice of polygamy was abhorrent to him, though this seems unlikely. Prejudice against Latter-day Saints was intense in the South, and most publications about Mormon activity would contain some quip against polygamy.

Missionaries serving in the Southern States Mission were explicitly instructed to teach only the core tenets of the gospel and to avoid teaching about polygamy. When people inevitably asked about polygamy, they were trained to explain that it was only practiced by a select few members of the church in Utah, and new converts would not be expected to have more than one wife.[21] The article insinuating that Albert did not want to handle multiple wives may be more indicative of the general perception against Mormonism in the South than Albert’s own opinions.

Albert may have had other issues with the LDS Church, like the priesthood and temple ban against Black members that was becoming increasingly restrictive. Albert likely would not have been able to serve in any leadership positions and would not have been able to receive temple rites had he maintained his Latter-day Saint membership.[22]The newspaper is not specific about which “Christian Church” Albert returned to, though the wording suggests that it may have been the Disciples of Christ, a denomination known as the Christian Church, which formed out of the Campbell-Stone movement. Albert may have returned to this religious practice because it was a place where he felt more comfortable and welcome to participate fully. In fact, later in life, Albert served in his church as a state reverend. He became a well-known and beloved leader. His obituary states that Albert “never had the heart to turn a stranger from his door before feeding him.”[23] Albert may have recognized that he would not have had similar leadership opportunities had he remained a Latter-day Saint.

The similarities between the Disciples of Christ and the Latter-day Saints may help us understand what drew Albert to the respective religions. Both churches are Restorationist rather than Reformist, with doctrine teaching the necessity of returning to Christ’s New Testament church. Both churches also teach baptism by immersion as an essential step for remission of sins and salvation. Importantly, both churches focus on the role of lay members in ministry. The Disciples of Christ emphasize a “priesthood of all believers” where all members can serve in church leadership.[24] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a lay priesthood with no formally trained clergy but it withheld priesthood ordination and full temple participation from members of the Church with Black African heritage from 1852 to 1978.[25] This may be the reason Albert decided to worship with the Disciples of Christ. He was able to take an active role as a member of the Christian Church, while there were limited opportunities and racial restrictions in the LDS Church.

In 1884, the Webbs left Hickman County and moved to central Missouri. Albert, Melissa, and their six surviving children lived in various small towns in Cole County until they ended up in Osage City, close to the Missouri capital of Jefferson City.[26] Albert, who had farmed in Tennessee, made his way in Missouri as a grocer. He is enumerated in the 1900 census as a “merchant grocer” rather than a grocery clerk, suggesting that Albert probably operated his own business.[27] Also, Albert is included in a merchant tax assessment in 1900. He owed $50, considerably less than other businesses in the area; a large majority of the other merchants in Cole County owed more than $100, with most owing at least $1000.[28] Albert’s business was small, yet it seems that Albert was a known figure in the county. He would sometimes travel to Jefferson City on business and was announced in the city newspaper as “the colored merchant.”[29]Considering his origins in enslavement, Albert’s ability to manage a business and provide for his family illustrates a considerable rise in prosperity. In fact, by the 1910 census, Albert owned his own home free of any mortgage.[30]

Albert also worked as a reverend, from as early as 1892, until the end of his life. His obituary says he was a “state evangelist for the Christian Church.”[31] Again, the wording suggests that Albert was part of the Disciples of Christ, otherwise known as the Christian Church. As a state evangelist, Albert would have travelled to nearby communities to hold church meetings and teach about the Disciples of Christ. He may have received a small stipend to cover the cost of his travel, though it would not have been much compared to his white evangelizing counterparts.[32] A Jefferson City paper published on June 22, 1892, remarks that Reverend Webb came to the city and expressed gratitude on behalf of the “colored people of Osage City” to General H. Clay Ewing, who had donated land in Osage City for a “colored school.”[33] Though relatively new to Cole County, Albert’s role as a representative for Osage City attests to his prominence amongst African Americans in the area.

Albert was also a member of a fraternal organization and helped establish the Golden Eagle Lodge in Missouri on October 27, 1899. Records say that the lodge was of the “U.B.F. Order,” most likely indicating the United Brothers of Friendship. The U.B.F. was an all-Black benevolent fraternity started in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1861.[34] An advertisement for the organization in 1912 states that they were “organized by Negroes for Negroes” and their motto was to “do right and fear not.”[35] Across the United States in the late 19th century, fraternal associations served as organizational units for both white and Black communities. As Jim Crow laws dismantled the gains of the Reconstruction Era, African American fraternal orders became even more essential to their communities than parallel white organizations. They served to support those whose rights were being eroded. Organizations like the United Brothers of Friendship helped to shape Black identity, protect members from poverty, and support social change.[36] For Albert, this would have been a place where he could enjoy friendship with fellow African Americans and participate in service opportunities. Albert acted as the Lodge’s treasurer from its beginning until his death. In his obituary, the lodge members said Albert “not only made an efficient and honest treasurer, but proved to be one of the main pillars of the lodge.”[37]Albert thus helped to found an organization that played another meaningful role in his life.

In 1912, Albert dictated his will. He was in his late seventies and knew that he would not live for many more years. He left all his belongings to his wife Melissa, and then to his children and grandchildren upon her death. He signed the will with his mark, indicating that he was illiterate. One of the witnesses of his will, J.G. Wainwright, was also the informant on his death certificate.[38] He was probably a friend and neighbor of the Webbs.

On his eightieth birthday, Albert’s family celebrated him with a surprise party. His wife, all six of his living children, forty-three grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren all joined together for the occasion.[39] This may have been the last time the whole family gathered together before Albert’s death. Over the next few months, Albert’s health grew progressively worse.[40] On April 13, 1914, Albert passed away. His death certificate marks “cardiac dilations” as his cause of death, known modernly as an enlarged heart or congestive heart failure. Asthma was noted as a contributing cause of death, which he suffered from for fifteen years.[41]

Albert’s obituary mentions his kindness and service, calling him “a consistent Christian” who had preached as a reverend “until infirmities of old age made him too weak.”[42] He was widely regarded for his generosity as he “never had the heart to turn a stranger from his door before feeding him.”[43] Albert was survived by his wife, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and a sister, Quincy Joyce of Mt. Aetna, Tennessee.[44]

The communities he was a part of mourned his death. The United Brothers of Friendship oversaw the funeral services and burial.[45] Some of Albert’s lodge mates may have come in their fraternal regalia in support of their brother.[46] Albert’s funeral was “attended by people from afar and near,” and the church was filled “to its utmost capacity,” to the point that many had to stand during the service.[47] Clearly, Albert had a wide circle of influence. Albert was buried in Forest Hill Cemetery in Osage City, Missouri.[48]

Having been born into slavery, Albert’s upward social and economic mobility were remarkable. He managed to move away from his original home where he had experienced  enslavement. Albert flourished in his chosen home of Missouri where he owned a business, served as a reverend, helped establish a fraternal lodge, and was surrounded by his large family. It appears that Albert’s brief membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was a part of his journey to understanding what aspects of religious worship were important to him. Albert’s continued participation in community building illustrated how much he valued those kinds of bonds. Being allowed full membership and having a community of people like him probably factored into his decision to leave the LDS Church and join the Disciples of Christ. As a Christian, he worshiped and served wholeheartedly.

By Abby Hilbig

[1] United States, 1900 Census, Missouri, Cole County, Liberty Township; Missouri, State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Certificates of Death, File No. 12034, Registered No. 4, Albert Webb, Missouri State Archives, Liberty Township, Cole County, Missouri; “Osage City,” Weekly Herald (Jefferson City, Missouri), 17 April 1914, 1.

[2] Missouri, State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Certificates of Death, File No. 12034, Registered No. 4, Albert Webb, Missouri State Archives, Liberty Township, Cole County, Missouri.

[3] United States, 1870 Census, Tennessee, Hickman County, 3rd Civil District; United States, 1880 Census, Tennessee, Hickman County, 13th Civil District.

[4] United States, 1860 Slave Schedule, John L. Webb, Tennessee, Perry County.

[5] United States, 1860 Slave Schedule, Joseph Webb, Tennessee, Hickman County, 7th Civil District; United States, 1860 Slave Schedule, GP Webb, Tennessee, Maury County, 9th Civil District.

[6] “Osage City,” Weekly Herald (Jefferson City, Missouri), 17 April 1914, 1.

[7] Tera W. Hunter, Bound in Wedlock: Slave and Free Black Marriage in the Nineteenth Century (Cambridge: Belknap Press, 2017).

[8] United States, 1900 Census, Missouri, Cole County, Liberty Township; Missouri, Cole County, Wills and Probate Records, 1766-1988, Albert Webb, 28 July 1914.

[9] United States, 1880 Census, Tennessee, Hickman County, 13th Civil District.

[10] Missouri, Cole County, Wills and Probate Records, 1766-1988, Albert Webb, 28 July 1914; United States, 1900 Census, Missouri, Cole County, Liberty Township.

[11] United States, 1870 Census, Tennessee, Hickman County, 3rd Civil District.

[12] “Osage City,” Weekly Herald (Jefferson City, Missouri), 17 April 1914, 1.

[13] Missouri, Cole County, Wills and Probate Records, 1766-1988, Albert Webb, 28 July 1914.

[14] “Osage City,” Weekly Herald (Jefferson City, Missouri), 17 April 1914, 1.

[15] “Mormonism in Hickman County,” The Herald and Mail (Columbia, Tennessee), 26 April 1872, 3.

[16] Carl S. Hawkins, "Baptism," in Encyclopedia of Mormonism, edited by Daniel H. Ludlow, 93-94 (New York: Macmillan, 1992), Digitized by Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University.

[17] “Mormonism in Hickman County,” The Herald and Mail (Columbia, Tennessee), 26 April 1872, 3.

[18] B. Allen, “A Place for the Un-Gathered: The Home of Abraham and Mary Church of Hickman County Tennessee,” Amateur Mormon Historian (blog), 5 June 2017, accessed 1 August 2025.

[19] Tonya S. Reiter, “Harriet Elnora Burchard Church,” Century of Black Mormons.

[20] “Colored Doings,” The Herald and Mail (Columbia, Tennessee), 10 May 1872, 3.

[21] Patrick Q. Mason, “This Congregation of Sensualists: Polygamy in the Southern Mind” in The Mormon Menace: Violence and Anti-Mormonism in the Postbellum South (New York: Oxford University Press, 2010), 57.

[22] W. Paul Reeve, Let’s Talk About Race and Priesthood (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2023).

[23] “Osage City,” Weekly Herald (Jefferson City, Missouri), 22 April 1914, 1.

[24] Theological Foundations and Policies and Criteria for the Ordering of Ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), (Indianapolis: Disciples Home Mission, 2011).

[25] W. Paul Reeve, Let’s Talk About Race and Priesthood (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2023).

[26] “Osage City,” Weekly Herald (Jefferson City, Missouri), 17 April 1914, 1.

[27] United States, 1900 Census, Missouri, Cole County, Liberty Township.

[28] “Assessment of Cole County,” Jefferson City Daily Press (Jefferson City, Missouri), 21 August 1900, 6.

[29] “Local Epitome,” Jefferson City Tribune (Jefferson City, Missouri), 21 February 1906, 4.

[30] United States, 1910 Census, Missouri, Cole County, Liberty Township.

[31] “Osage City,” Weekly Herald (Jefferson City, Missouri), 22 April 1914, 1.

[32] George L. Peters, The Disciples of Christ in Missouri: Celebrating One Hundred Years of Co-operative Work (Missouri: The Centennial Commission, 1937).

[33] “Notes,” Jefferson City Tribune (Jefferson City, Missouri), 22 June 1892, 4.

[34] W.H. Gibson, History of the United Brothers of Friendship and Sisters of The Mysterious Ten, A Negro Order (Louisville: Bradley and Gilber Company, 1897).

[35] Theda Skocpol, "Pushing Against Jim Crow: The Amazing Worlds of African American Fraternal Orders," Online Presentation at Humphrey School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, 26 April 2023.

[36] Joe W. Trotter “African American Fraternal Associations in American History: An Introduction.” Social Science History 28, no. 3 (2004): 355–66. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40267850.

[37] “Osage City,” Weekly Herald (Jefferson City, Missouri), 22 April 1914, 1.

[38] Missouri, Cole County, Wills and Probate Records, 1766-1988, Albert Webb, 28 July 1914; Missouri, State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Certificates of Death, File No. 12034, Registered No. 4, Albert Webb, Missouri State Archives, Liberty Township, Cole County, Missouri.

[39] “Osage City,” Weekly Herald (Jefferson City, Missouri), 28 January 1914, 4.

[40] “Osage City,” Weekly Herald (Jefferson City, Missouri), 8 April 1914, 1.

[41] Missouri, State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Certificates of Death, File No. 12034, Registered No. 4, Albert Webb, Missouri State Archives, Liberty Township, Cole County, Missouri.

[42] “Osage City,” Weekly Herald (Jefferson City, Missouri), 17 April 1914, 1.

[43] “Osage City,” Weekly Herald (Jefferson City, Missouri), 22 April 1914, 1.

[44] “Osage City,” Weekly Herald (Jefferson City, Missouri), 6 May 1914, 4.

[45] “Osage City,” Weekly Herald (Jefferson City, Missouri), 22 April 1914, 1.

[46] Theda Skocpol, "Pushing Against Jim Crow: The Amazing Worlds of African American Fraternal Orders," Online Presentation at Humphrey School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, 26 April 2023.

[47] “Osage City,” Weekly Herald (Jefferson City, Missouri), 22 April 1914, 1.

[48] Albert Webb, Findagrave.com.

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