British uniform, 18th century
Capt. Thomas Webb
By Paul Goldfinger (Editor @Blogfinger)
A number of streets in Ocean Grove are named for 18th century preachers who brought Methodism to America from England. The founders of Ocean Grove wanted to honor some of these individuals including Phillip Embury, Francis Asbury and Barbara Heck.
But the most controversial has got to be the “soldier-preacher” Captain Thomas Webb, quartermaster of the 48th British Regiment of Foot which arrived in North America in 1758 to help fight the French in the Seven Years War.
Capt. Webb (1725-1796) lost an eye at the 1759 battle of Montmorency in Quebec. That year he wrote a book on warfare strategies in the “New World.” George Washington owned that book 15 years later and used the lessons against the British in the Revolutionary War.
In 1764, at the age of 40, Captain Webb returned to England where he joined the Methodist movement. He returned to New York City in 1766 where he was one of the earliest Methodist lay preachers involved in establishing the church in America. He was known for preaching in his red regimental uniform and his green eye patch.
On one occasion, shortly after his arrival in New York, he went to a Methodist meeting , in uniform, where he caused a stir. Evidently some British soldiers in England had busted up some Methodist rallies back there. But Webb gained the locals’ confidence and, soon after that, he laid his sword on a bible and proclaimed himself a “soldier of the cross.” He preached throughout the northeast, including New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. Some say that he was the father of Methodism in New Jersey, because he travelled all over the state, establishing prayer groups.
In 1773, acting on intelligence from an American agent, Thomas Webb was arrested as a British spy. He was sent to a prisoner of war camp in Bethlehem, Pa. Later he was returned to England as part of a prisoner of war exchange arranged by George Washington, after pleading by Webb’s wife. In England he continued his work for the church until he died.
ELVIS COSTELLO (So why did Rev. Webb misbehave? A woman perhaps)
And so it goes: Ocean Grove with no street named for Stokes. But there is a nice statue and even better gardens surrounding it all now.
Editor’s note: What is also surprising is that there is no street or statue in honor of W.B. Osborn, the founder of OG.
See our post today about the founding of Ocean Grove.