BAPTISED:

16th December 1781 at St. Elphin, Warrington

MARRIED:

6th June 1802 at St. Elphin, Warrington, to Elizabeth Evans (c1785-1864) of Warrington.

KNOWN CHILDREN:

Mary (1804) - married John Robinson, a glassmaker of Ancoats.

Grace (1806) - married Thomas Southall, a Newcastle glass manufacturer.

David (1809) - worked as a glass blower in Ancoats and Bolton.

Jesse (1811) - started a coppersmith business in Ancoats which lasted until World War 1.

Ruth (1813)

Maria (1815)

Priscilla (1817)

Esther (1820)

Thomas (1822)

Elizabeth (1824)

DIED:

5th October 1851 at 1 Kirby Street, Ancoats, Manchester.

Profession on death certificate - "Glass blower"

Buried 8th October 1851 in Manchester General Cemetery

Biography

Jesse Webb was born into a family of glassmakers who were based around Warrington Bank Quay. He was the first born and only his siblings Thomas and Maria survived childhood. Thomas went on to be a co-founder of Molineaux & Webb. Maria married Thomas Percival, a family line that leads to the Ancoats glass company of Percival & Vickers.

A baptism record from 1818 shows that Jesse Webb was a glass maker living in Sankey Green, which was a few hundred yards to the west of the Perrin & Geddes factory at Warrington Bank Quay. He almost certainly worked there with his brother Thomas, and brother-in-law Thomas Percival.

Various members of the Webb family moved to Ancoats during the 1820s. Jesse, Thomas, Maria, their father Thomas and their cousin William all left Warrington. It is uncertain who moved when. From baptism records, Jesse Webb was definitely living in Manchester by 1831, and it is highly likely that he was in the town when the glass works opened in 1827.

Once in Manchester, Jesse Webb lived at addresses surrounding the Molineaux & Webb works. Commercial directory entries show him at Bradford Street in 1835, Canal Street at times from 1836 to 1846, New Islington in 1841, and his death entry puts him at Kirby Street in 1851, opposite the glass works.

Ancoats Regeneration Zone 2007

Road to the right of the pub was Canal Street, later renamed Winder Drive

Road running off to the left behind the building was Kirby Street, the location of the Molineaux & Webb factory

The pub in the photo was destroyed in an arson attack in 2008

It stood approximately on the site of 1 Kirby Street where Jesse Webb died in 1851

Jesse Webb had several roles. He was listed as a shop owner at various times on Manchester commercial directories. He worked as a glass blower at Molineaux & Webb. In an article by C.P. Hampson in 1932, the Webbs were described as "businessmen and practical glass blowers" - it is likely that Jesse Webb and his son David were the glass blowers behind that description.

Jesse must have played some managerial role at the company judging by a letter found in the Manchester Archives. In 1832 there was a large procession held in Manchester and Salford to celebrate the first MP to be elected to the town. Various firms took part and they were asked to tell the organisers what they were doing for the procession. The letter sent by Molineaux, Webb, Ellis & Co. survives. Although it is not signed it has been filed by the archives under the name “Jesse Webb” - thanks to his unusual first name it can only have been written by our Jesse Webb.

New Islington, Ancoats 2007

Address of Jesse Webb in 1841

View Google Map of this location

Jesse Webb died just one week before the family firm won a bronze medal at the Great Exhibition of 1851. His death notice in the paper called him "glassmaker of this town." He left no will but there was an administration of his estate, valued at £300, which took more than two years to sort out. His wife and eldest son David only saw £100 of this as the rest went to the church, who still administered estates at this time. His wife Elizabeth outlived him by some years and died in 1864 in nearby Gray Street, where she had been living with her daughter Maria Webb. Maria died a few years later in 1867 and left around £190 to her brother David.

Grave of Jesse Webb at Manchester General Cemetery

The children of Jesse Webb

David Webb was the first son of Jesse Webb and was the only one to go into the glass industry. He worked as a glass blower in Ancoats until the mid 19th century. He later moved to Bolton and worked at the Albion Flint Glass Works. He was still active as a glass blower at the age of 72 on the 1881 census.

David Webb Signature (from family document)

Second son Jesse Webb started a long running coppersmith business in the 1840s. After a few changes of partnership, he set up a works building on Store Street, off Great Ancoats Street, in the 1860s. At its height it employed over a dozen people. He died in 1872, leaving over £3,000. His sons continued the business under the name of "J&T Webb", leaving a further £8,000 on their deaths circa 1900. The business eventually folded due to deaths in the First World War and possibly a fire at the site.

Jesse Webb Signature (from family document)

Grace Webb married Thomas Southall from Newcastle in 1831, who described himself as a glass manufacturer. Following the census forward, whatever importance Thomas had (if any) seems to fade away and by 1861 he was listed as a glass blower, living at 150 Mill Street, Ancoats.

Mary Webb married Ancoats glassmaker John Robinson. It is not known if he had any connection to the Robinson glass manufacturers of Warrington.

Although Jesse was of less importance than his brother in the story of Molineaux & Webb, he inspired a number of children to be named after him which has unwittingly continued till the present day.

William Webb baptised a child as "Jesse Webb."

Thomas Percival and Maria Webb baptised a child as "Jesse Percival."

Thomas Southall and Grace Webb baptised a child as "Jesse Webb Southall."

Ancoats glassman John Robinson and Mary Webb baptised a child as "Jesse Robinson."

Jesse Webb was the direct ancestor of one of the compilers of this website. The name Jess(e) has been used for 7 out of the last 8 generations of the family line. The widow of his great-great-grandson was still living at Mill Street, Ancoats at the time this page was written.

1841 CENSUS:

Job Title: Glass blower

Address: New Islington, Ancoats, Manchester

Others: Living with wife and nine children

1851 CENSUS:

Job Title: Glass maker

Address: 1 Kirby Street, Ancoats, Manchester

Others: Living with wife, and one daughter.