Joel Webb in Illinois: Following a Father and Son Through Land Records

A father, a son, and a forty-acre trail west

Why this post? This post continues my ongoing use of land deeds as a primary tool for tracing family history, particularly during periods when other records are sparse or silent. By examining two related deeds from Adams County, Illinois, I seek to document the continued life of my ancestor Joel Webb into the 1840s and to better understand how land transactions reveal patterns of family migration, settlement, and generational transition as the Webb family moved westward.

One of the most reliable ways to trace families during periods of migration is through land records. Deeds often capture moments of transition, revealing not only where people lived, but how families moved together and supported one another. Two related land deeds recorded in Adams County, Illinois, provide an important snapshot of my ancestor Joel Webb and his son John Webb during the early 1840s and help clarify when Joel was still living and where the family was settling before their later move west.

These deeds do not stand alone. When read alongside independently established family relationships, they become key pieces of evidence for understanding the Webb family’s presence in Illinois and the timing of their migration.

A Land Transfer from Joel Webb to His Son

Interpretive view of Adams County, Illinois, near the Mississippi River, c. 1840s.

On 18 July 1840, Joel Webb and his wife Susan Webb executed a warranty deed conveying land in Adams County, Illinois, to John Webb. At the time of the transaction, Joel and Susan were residing in Jo Daviess County, Illinois, while John Webb was already living in Adams County. The land conveyed was the southwest quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 16, Township 3 South, Range 5 West.

The deed identifies Susan as Joel Webb’s wife and includes her separate acknowledgment, a standard legal safeguard confirming her voluntary participation in the conveyance. This transaction places Joel Webb alive and active in Illinois in mid-1840 and shows him transferring property to John Webb at a point when John was already established in Adams County.

The Same Land, Sold Three Years Later

Just over three years later, on 2 August 1843, John Webb and his wife Elizabeth Webb conveyed the same parcel of land to B. L. Frame, also of Adams County. Elizabeth Webb executed her own separate acknowledgment, confirming her role in the transaction and documenting her identity as John Webb’s wife.

The legal description in this deed is identical to the one used in the 1840 conveyance, establishing a clear and uninterrupted chain of title from Joel Webb to John Webb and then to a third party. Together, these deeds trace the full life cycle of this particular landholding within a short window of time.

Correlating the Deeds with Family Relationships

Independent evidence identifies John Webb as the son of Joel Webb and identifies Elizabeth Chappell as John Webb’s wife. When these known relationships are correlated with the Adams County deeds, the transactions align closely with a father-to-son transfer of land during a period of family migration and settlement.

The timing, marital pairings, stated residences, and sequential ownership all fit naturally within the known structure of the Webb family. Joel Webb appears in Illinois at a time consistent with later-life movement alongside adult children, while John Webb was already positioned in Adams County before selling the land and eventually moving on to Missouri.

What These Deeds Tell Us About the Webb Family

Together, these records confirm that Joel Webb was still living in the early 1840s and had migrated to Illinois in proximity to his son John Webb, and possibly other children. They also demonstrate how land transactions can serve as durable markers of family movement, settlement, and generational transition during a period when many Americans were moving westward.

For the Webb family, these two deeds anchor Joel Webb firmly in Illinois and provide a documentary bridge between earlier family history and the later move to Missouri.

Sources

Adams County, Illinois, Deed Records, Joel Webb and wife Susan Webb to John Webb, 18 July 1840; recorded 1 November 1847; images, FamilySearch, Image Group Number 008547722.

Adams County, Illinois, Deed Records, John Webb and wife Elizabeth Webb to B. L. Frame, 2 August 1843; images, FamilySearch, Image Group Number 008547722.