Isaac Webb (shipbuilder)

Isaac Webb (8 September 1794 - 14 January 1840), was a 19th-century shipbuilder, owner and founder of the Isaac Webb & Co. shipyard.[1] He was one of the founders of shipbuilding in the United States.[2]:p47

Isaac Webb
BornSeptember 8, 1794
Stamford, Connecticut, US
DiedJanuary 14, 1840
New York City, US
Nationality American
OccupationShipbuilder
ChildrenWilliam Henry Webb, Eckford Webb

Early life

Isaac Webb was born in Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut, on September 8, 1794. He was the son of Wilsey Webb and Sarah Jessup.[3][2] Isaac and Sarah had children. Their son, Eckford Webb was named after the shipbuilder, Henry Eckford. Eckford Webb teamed up with George W. Bell, and created the Webb & Bell shipyard at Milton Street in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. On October 31, 1860, the 100-ton pilot-boat Isaac Webb No. 8, was built by Webb & Bell for the New York and Sandy Hook pilots.[4][5]

Isaac Webb shipyard

In September 1810, Henry Eckford took on 16-year-old Isaac Webb as an apprentice at his shipyard in New York. In the following years, Eckford would take on many other apprentices who would become important naval architects and shipbuilders, including Jacob Bell, William Bennett, David Brown, Andrew Craft, John Dimon, John Englis, Thomas Megson, Stephen Smith, and Sidney Wright.[6]

After completing his training Webb opened his own shipyard, Isaac Webb & Co., near Corlears Hook, New York City in about 1818, later relocating to Stanton Street.

Webb eventually took on a partner, John Allen, and the shipyard was renamed Webb & Allen in 1825.[7][8] Two other apprentices, Jacob Bell and David Brown founded the Brown & Bell shipyard in New York and built the famous sidewheel steamer USS Jacob Bell.

The packet ship Natchez, was built by Web in 1831 for Captain Waterman.[2] The pilot-boat John McKeon, was built in 1838 by Webb for the New Jersey pilots.[9]

Somewhere near Corlears Hook Isaac Webb founded shipyard Isaac Webb & Co. Map of New-York in 1831.

William Henry Webb

William Henry Webb, son of Isaac Webb, was born in New York on June 19, 1816.

William was educated privately and at Columbia College Grammar School, demonstrating a natural aptitude for mathematics. He built his first boat, a small skiff, at the age of twelve, and in spite of his parents' wishes to the contrary, secured an apprenticeship at his father's shipyard at the age of fifteen.[10][11] At twenty, he was awarded a subcontract for the New York-Liverpool packet ship Oxford, his first commercial contract.[11][12]

William Henry Webb was a "born mathematician" in an era when shipbuilding was considered as much an art as a science.[11] He brought new levels of professionalism to the craft by combining the art of design with the discipline of careful mathematical calculation. For this reason, William has been described as America's first true naval architect.[7]

After completing his six-year apprenticeship, William decided to further his education by traveling to Scotland in 1840 to visit the famous shipyards of the Clyde. However, during this journey his father Isaac Webb died suddenly at the age of 46 and 23-year-old William returned home to assume management of the shipyard.[7]

Upon examining the accounts, William discovered that his father's business was technically insolvent, and thus one of his first duties was to settle his father's debts. Having done so, he set about reinvigorating the business.[7]

In 1843, his son William Henry Webb bought out his father's old partner John Allen and subsequently renamed the business William H. Webb.[13]

For the first couple of years at the helm, the Webb & Allen shipyard, relocated between Fifth and Seventh Streets on the East River, built a variety of mostly small sailing ships, including ferries, sloops and schooners.

Death

On 14 January 1840, Webb died in New York City, at the age of 46, of inflammation of the lungs.[14]

References
  1. New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949
  2. Clark, Arthur H. (1911). The Clipper Ship Era. G. P. Putnam's Sons. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
  3. Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906"
  4. "Eckford Webb, later Webb & Bell, Greenpoint NY". Retrieved 2020-09-21.
  5. "Greenpoint Ship Yards". Brooklyn Evening Star. Brooklyn, New York. 1860-11-13. p. 3. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
  6. Selig, Steven M. (2008). Draughts: the Henry Eckford story. p. 36. ISBN 9781888106336. OCLC 301623213. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
  7. "Who Was William Webb? Speech given by Joseph J. Cuneo, webb Trustee, Class of 1957 Founder's Day". 2006-04-07. Archived from the original on 2014-10-31. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
  8. "Eckford Webb, later Webb & Bell, Greenpoint NY". Retrieved 2020-09-21.
  9. Cunliffe, Tom (2001). Pilots, The World Of Pilotage Under Sail and Oar. Brooklin, Maine: WoodenBoat. p. 73. ISBN 9780937822692.
  10. "Wiliam H. Webb Dead: The Well-Known Authority on Marine Architecture and Former Ship Builder Succumbs Suddenly" - New York Times, 31 October 1899.
  11. "William Henry Webb", New York Times, July 11, 1897.
  12. Dayton, Chapter 19.
  13. Dunbaugh, Edwin L. and Thomas, William duBarry (1989): William H. Webb, Shipbuilder, Webb Institute, as reproduced Archived 2009-05-26 at the Wayback Machine at shipbuildinghistory.com.
  14. "The death of Mr. Isaac Webb". Maumee City Express. Maumee City, Ohio. 25 Jan 1840. p. 2. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
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