Noah Webb was born 29 November, 1754 in Stamford township, Fairfield county, Connecticut to Richard and Abigail (HOYT) Webb. No further information is available on his early years. It is reasonable to assume that he was not well educated as he was apparently illiterate -- his claim to the Loyalist commission for compensation was signed with "His X Mark" and a deed from 1798 was signed in the same way.

Probably sometime in the late 1770's, he married a Phoebe MARTIEL. While it is possible that they had children before immigrating to Nova Scotia, I have been unable to locate any solid evidence of this. The following children have been positively identified: Ebenezer, Phoebe, Samuel, and Nathaniel.

Nevertheless, there is a persistent tradition that Noah had significantly more children. For example:

    They [Noah and Phoebe] had thirteen children. A number of the children
    married and settled in other parts of Cumberland Co., i.e., Westchester,
    Sutherland's Lake, Greenville, to name a few.

A through search of all available Cumberland county records has yet to reveal any children other than those listed above. Until about the 1880's, all Webb persons in the county can be identified as descendants of either Ebenezer or Samuel. Now, it is possible he had nine children all die in infancy but this is most unlikely. In a census of the Westchester Loyalists in October 1784 his household consisted of one man, one woman, and three children.

Noah was probably a tenant farmer while in New York; he later took up that occupation when he settled in Nova Scotia. This would also help explain his lack of education. No Webb's appear on the list of freeholders in Westchester county for 1763 -- which would indicate that there were none who actually owned their land nor is Noah numbered among those "freeholders and inhabitants of Westchester county [who] assembled at the White Plains [to] declare their support for the King and Constitution" in April, 1775.

It is not particularly clear exactly when the family moved to Westchester county. Noah's older brother Sylvanius (b. 5 October, 1745) was a "Revolutionary soldier, a non-commissioned officer, 1783, in Captain Lyon's Company, Second Regiment, Westchester County, New York, Militia". He later moved to Bristol Hill.

It is possible that Noah Webb settled in Rye township, in southern Westchester county, but I have not been able to find conclusive proof of this assertion. Noah's later memorial to the Loyalist claims commission stated that he was from New York and what appears to be "Braenorth Witnys". It should be noted that in about 1779, there was a Noah Webb in the Dutchess County Militia, Third Regiment. This may have been the same person, or simply a coincidence of names.

There is also a strong possibility that Noah first served in a Connecticut militia unit before becoming a Loyalist:

WEBB, NOAH A private in Captain David Hait's Company,
Colonel John Mead's Regiment to New York from 13 August
to 2 September 1776. Reenlisted on 15 November to 27
December 1776 under Captain Charles Smith in same
Regiment. Noah Webb was born 29 November 1754 to Richard
and Abagail Webb. December 1776 Noah sold property at
Stanwich (Greenwich) to John Ferris of North Castle,
Westchester County, N.Y. No further record appears of
Noah.

In June, 1781, Noah joined Captain Henry Purdy's "Corps of West Chester Refugees and Militia" and served until the evacuation of New York. He departed, with his family, on June 5, 1783. Noah arrived at Fort Cumberland, Nova Scotia on July 5, 1783. His whereabouts for the next two years are not clear.

Noah's initial grant of land was enacted on June 16, 1785. He received "100 acres on the River Remsheg" as part of a larger grant of 20 to 30 thousand acres at the "Harbour of Remsheg and Tatamagouche" made to 106 "West Chester Loyalists" led by Isaac Ackley, Jr. It appears that this grant was, in fact, settled by Noah for a time for a deed dated August 26, 1785 was executed by a Noah Webb "of Remsheg" to John Brisbane "of the same" in which he sold a 109 acre lot of land in return for L13 Halifax currency. On December 2, 1812 Noah, jointly with his son Samuel and several others, received another grant of land "near Pugwash". Noah received 300 acres and Samuel 250 acres. It is probable he did not settle on this land as it was sold to John Black, Esq. of River Philip for L20 in 1814.

On April 6, 1786, Noah presented his memorial and claim to the Loyalist Claims Commission. The memorial was dated at "Colchester". It was for the value of L30 for three horses "lost in service". The claim was consequently rejected on April 18, 1786, probably due to insufficient evidence. Unfortunately for historians, Noah gave no details of how he came to lose the horses.

Sometime before 1791, Noah appears to have moved to Londonderry township, Colchester county. The above-mentioned poll tax lists for that year place him there and a deed from March, 1798 refers to "Noah Webb of Londonderry". In this deed he sold 250 acres of "settled and improved" land in Westchester township to James Sutherland for L25 "current money of Nova Scotia".

By 1800, he had finally settled at Westchester where he apparently remained until his death on January 18, 1832. In 1809, Noah was appointed the pound keeper for Westchester. This meant he was responsible for caring for stray livestock wandering the community. In 1820, he contributed the substantial sum of 20 shillings for the improvements of the roads in and around Westchester. One source indicates he died at Wallace but I have been unable to find a cemetery record (e.g. a headstone) for him. It should be noted that in the fall of 1960, Mrs. Ted YANKEE (a descendent) was undertaking research into the family history and was unable to locate Noah's grave in the Westchester area. I have not been able to locate his will.

Noah had known issue as follows:

i. Ebenezer Webb b. 1783
ii. Phoebe Webb b. ca. 1784 = John RUSHTON Aug. 29 1812 at Westchester
iii. Samuel Webb b. ca. 1785
iv. Nathaniel Webb b. 1807, Westchster

Nathaniel died July 5, 1867 at Westchester of apoplexy. He was a farmer and in March, 1827, he signed a road petition at Westchester. At the time of the 1861 census, his household consisted of two adult males. Nathaniel died without issue.

Ebenezer was born ca. 1783; possibly in New York. On January 21, 1802, he married Mary Anne CRAWFORD. He died at Westchester about 1880.