Book - John Gibson of Cambridge Massachusetts |
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JOHN GIBSON Of and HIS DESCENDANTS 1634-1899 BY MEHITABLE CALEF
COPPENHAGEN 1900 Revised by Robert G. Nippert 2007-2013 INTRODUCTION It is not certain whether our Gibsons are of English or Scottish
origin; One of the New York Gibson branches maintains that our pioneer came
from London and shows are - azure, chevron argent between three
storks rising proper, and bearing as many crescents sable; -
crest, a squire's helmet above which out of a ducal coronet or a dexter
arm embowed in armor garnished or, holding a battle ax sable; and
in the happy interpretation of another, "its component parts seem to be
suggestive of our ancestors, the crescents indicating growth, the helmet safety,
while the storks are observant and watchful, and the battle ax comes in for
defensive force and the cutting away of opposition - and out race has fulfilled
its mission!" One of the Boston Gibson branches holds, and has held for
four generations, arms - quarterly 1st and 4th gules, a stork argent,
beaked and membered or, between three crescents of the 2d (argent);
2d and 3d argent, chevron sable between three mullets gules
pierced or, - crest, on a wreath of the colors (gules and argent),
the top of an embattled tower gules, thereon a stork argent beaked
and membered or and with its wings elevated; - motto, "Casis
tutissima virtus." If no conclusive that our John belonged to the
Gibsons of London, Cumberland, Essex, Northumberland or Lancaster, the last
migrating from Scotland to England during the reign of James I (1603 - 1649),
and all five of whose arms bear a close resemblance, or that he belonged to the
other Gibsons whose arms were confirmed in Stavely in lower division of the
Wapentake of Claro in West Riding of Yorkshire, or that he belonged elsewhere in
England, or that he was one of the usual traditional two, three or four brothers
coming from Scotland - it is sufficient to know that he was John Gibson and left
as legacy the escutcheon of an honest man. The following pages do not purport to be a full Gibson genealogy, more of a
record of a part of this numerous family; it has been impossible to reach all
its members, and of those reached several have preferred to withhold
information, some unable to furnish much or any, and again, others have given
hearty co-operation and valuable assistance; there are also Gibsons whose
ancestry is not sufficiently clear to determine if they belong to our Gibson
race or to one of the many others in this country, and they are therefore
necessarily omitted. Data have been gathered from town, church, court and war
records, family Bibles, local histories, printed and manuscript genealogical and
other papers, public documents, private letters and personal knowledge; and
however incomplete and open to a criticism and correction this Record may be, it
is written in the spirit of kinship, as such inscribed to every descendant of
John of Cambridge, and published In Memoriam George Stillman Gibson, Samuel Appleton Gibson, to whose suggestion the publication is due. M.C.C.W. Preface
to the Second Edition First –
I want to say that Mr. Wilson’s book is excellent and a great resource for the
Gibson line starting with John Gibson in Bob
Nippert JOHN
GIBSON AND HIS
DESCENDENTS. Who
am I? Who I
am, 1 I John Gibson of Cambridge, Mass. , "ye newtowne" of 1631, Newe Towne or Newtowne of 1632 and name changed to Cambridge May 2, 1638, b. (probably England) about 1601; d. Cambridge, 1694 aged 93 years; m. first, Rebecca - (bur. Dec. 1, 1661 in Roxbury burying ground, the burial recorded by Rev. John Eliot, pastor of Roxbury First church: "moneth 10 day 1 - 1661 - The wife of Goodman Gibson of Cambridge"); m. second, July 24, 1662, Joan, widow of Henry Prentice of Cambridge, "planter," on whose estate in 1663 "his ??? widow Joan, and John Gibson, her now husband, administrators." Mr. Gibson was in Cambridge in 1634 and made free of the
corporation (The Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England)
"17th of the 3d mo. @ 1637" by Julien calendar in use till 1752,
equivalent to May 17, 1637 by Gregorian or present calendar. Whether he settled
first in 2 he came neither with the Braintree company in Cambridge Aug. 14, 1632, nor
with Rev. Thomas Hooker who followed his people Sept. 4, 1633; he first appears
on Cambridge records of Aug. 4, 1634: "To John Gibson 6 Ackrs," in the
list of lots granted in Westend, that part of the town lying between Sparks,
Wyeth and Garden streets, Harvard and Brattle squares and Charles river. His
house which stood on the east of Mr. Gibson doubtless belonged to the church formed by Rev. Mr.
Hooker on his arrival in 1633; on the removal in 1635 and 1636 of the pastor and
most of the families to Hartford (Conn.) he became one of the succeeding society
or First church organized Feb. 1, 1636 by Rev. Thomas Shepard and his band of
new-comers, and on the earliest list of members (1637) are "John Gibson -
Mrs. Rebecca Gibson;" also a church entry of "11th mo. 1658"
[Jan. 1659] reads: "John Gibson and Rebecca his wife, both members in f.c.
Their children: Rebecca now joyned in full communion with the church at 3 -Samuel-baptized in this church.” He continued this membership until his death and during these nearly sixty years worshipped till 1650 in the original building, corner Dunster and Mt. Auburn streets, and afterwards in its successor, southwest corner of the college yard (Harvard); and not only with change of sittings shown by town record of Jan. 19, 1662, “the committee for seating the people in the meetinghouse appoint Jno. Gibson to sit where Mr. Day was wont to sit,” but also under change of pastors, Thomas Shepard 1636-1649, Jonathan Mitchell 1650-1668, Urian Oakes 1671-1681, Nathaniel Gookin 1682-1692. In addition to his “nyne acr” house-lot in the West-end Mr. Gibson had
other real estate in 4 … 19 8 Johni II John Gibson, jr.,
of 23 9 III
Timothy Gibson (Dea.) of Sudbury and Stow, Mass., fourth child of
John 8
and Rebecca (Errington) Gibson, jr, b. Cambridge, Mass., about 1679;
d. Stow, July 14, 1757, his gravestone in the Lower village cemetery, easterly
part of Stow, inscribed: “Here lies Buried – The Body of Dea Timothy –
Gibson Who Died – July 14 – A.D. 1757. In y79 year of – His Age;” m.
first, at … IV
1 Abraham Gibson
10
IV 2 Timothy Gibson (Capt.) 50 IV
3 Rebecca Gibson b. IV
4 John Gibson (Capt.)
83 IV
5 Sarah Gibson b. CHILDREN: V V V
V
V
V
V
V
IV
6 Samuel Gibson b. IV
7 Stephen Gibson b. IV
8 Arrington Gibson
93 IV
9 Stephen Gibson (Dea.)
111 IV
10 Isaac Gibson
160 IV
11 Mary Gibson
b. IV
12 Reuben Gibson (Capt.)
192 233 111 Dea. Timothyiii,
John jr.ii,
Johni IV
Stephen Gibson (Dea.) of
234 Philip Goss
of Lancaster, “Merchant of Boston” as entered on town records, d. Lancaster,
prior to May 26, 1698 the date of administration of his estate; bur. in the
“old Burial Field” laid out in 1658 on “Burying Place Hill;” m. first,
Hannah Hopkins; m. second, at Concord, Mass., Mar. 29, 1690, Mary Prescott (b.
Lancaster, Feb. 20, 1669, m. second, Nov. 20, 1698, John Houghton of Lancaster),
dau. Of John and Sarah ( Philip of 235 Dea. Gibson remained in 236 a third, Jan. 5, 1771, for £88,
from Brown and Blaney of Salem, 110 acres; - a fourth, for £10, from his
son-in-law Stephen Barker of Ashby, 1 ½ acres; doubtless these purchases were
in lands occupied by the three of his sons, Rev. Stephen, John and Abraham who
lived on adjacent farms in the new town; in addition to his Ashby acquisitions
he owned 100 or more acres in what was the north of Fitchburg till 1829 when
ceded to Ashby. He left no will, and as his sons, Rev. Stephen, Arrington and
Abraham, declined administration, Dea, Gibson was a man of sound judgment and executive ability, often chosen appraiser and in 1746 selected guardian of Sarah and Ephraim Gibson, children of his deceased brother Abraham; a faithful attendant, communicant and deacon of First church, and on the rebuilding of the edifice, purchasing Jan. 17, 1755 “next to minister’s pew, west of the pulpit;” a loyal and patriotic citizen of his town and country; a dutiful son, his parents voluntarily sharing their home with him and his widowed step-mother Mrs. Submit Gibson returning his respectful attentions by little legacies to his children – “ a gold ring” to Sarah and to Rebecca, Arrington and Timothy each, “ a pewter plate;” a loving husband “living respectably in conjugal happiness with his first and only wife more than 60 years.” He was a revolutionary solider – private, Capt. William Whitcomb’s cp., Col. James Prescott’s reg. of militia (Middlesex county), marched from Stow Ap. 19, 1775 on Lexington alarm, served 3 days; also his name appears on , the alarm list (Dec. 1776) of Capt. Benjamin Munroe’s co. (6th), Col. Ezekiel Howe’s reg. (4th 237 Middlesex county), reported “between 60 and 65 years of
age.” CHILDREN : V
1 Stephen Gibson (Rev.)
112 V
2 Sarah Gibson.
125 V
3 Mary Gibson.
128 V
4 Samuel Gibson (Dea.)
134 V
5 John Gibson of Ashby b. Stow, Dec. 22, 1751; d after Ap. 10,
1811; m. Jan 14, 1773 (pub.
Mr. Gibson, one of the three brothers who resided on adjacent farms in
Ashby, settled there shortly after his marriage on the property deed him as late
as Mar. 16, 1779, by “Stephen Gibson of Stow, yeoman, and wife Sarah, to John
Gibson of Ashby, husbandman, for 5s. and love and affection for my third son, 80
acres in Ashby, bounded west on line between Ashby and Ashburnham to line of
Stephen Gibson Jr., including house, &c.” On
He was a revolutionary solider – private, Capt. John Jones’ co., Col.
James Prescott’s reg., marched from Ashby Ap.20, 1775 on CHILDREN: VI
1 Sarah Gibson b. Ashby, VI
2 Mary Gibson b. Ashby, 238 VI
3 Timothy Gibson b. Ashby, VI
4 Catherine Gibson b. Ashby, AP. 8, 1781; d. 1783. VI
5 Catherine Gibson b. Ashby, VI
6 Eunice Gibson b. Ashby, VI
7 John Gibson b. Ashby, VI
8 Abigail Gibson b. Ashby, V
6 Rebecca Gibson b. V
7 Arrington Gibson.
141 V
8 Timothy Gibson b. V
9 Elizabeth Gibson.
149 V
10 Abraham Gibson.
152 283 134 Dea.
Stepheniv, Dea. Timothyiii, John
jr.ii, Johni V
Samuel Gibson (Dea.) of Her one-hundredth birthday
anniversary was celebrated by a family gathering, each guest receiving some
little gift accompanied by a card written by the donor similar to this : “Miss
Caroline F. Gibson – please accept this from your aged aunt Dolly Gibson &
this day am 100 years old, Ashby Oct. 16, 1844.” Dea. Gibson lived in the northwest of Fitchburg which was ceded to Ashby five years after his death; his farm was bounded west by Ashburnham line and north by Flint’s lad separating him from the home of his brother Rev. Stephen Gibson, one of the three brothers residing on adjacent farms in Ashby. In addition to this homestead of more than 100 acres, partly if not wholly the gift of his father, he owned real estate in Ashby, purchasing 8 acres in 1782 and on June 27, 1783, the property know as “the Woodbury farm;” he also bought in Action, Jan 17, 1786 for ₤200, some “158 acres, house, barn, &c.” and Mar. 26, 1790, a 54 acre tract.
In 1775 he was one of the five Gibsons among the forty-four Fitchburg
minute-men; at the date he was a member of the First church (Congregational) but
changed his religious views probably about 1776 when his brother and sister,
Rev. Stephen Gibson and Mrs. Sarah Puffer, changed theirs, and in 1783 his name
appeared among the thirteen “profest Baptists asking rebate of ministers’
rates;” this small community later held religious services in the “Lord’s
barn” which stood on Dean hill from 1784 to 1826 and was occupied by the
Baptists, Methodists and Universalists until the town rebuilt First church in
1796. Dea. Gibson must have again changed his views to those of the
Freewill-Baptists as he became a deacon in his brother’s church. VI
1 Barker Gibson.
135 VI
2 Samuel Gibson
137 VI
3 Dorothy (Dolly) Gibson b. Fitchburg, Mar. 22, 1777; d.
Ashburnham, Mass., May 20, 1835; m. by Rev. John Cushing, pastor Ashburnham
First Church, Dec. 1, 1796 (pub. CHILDREN : VII 1_______ VII 2 John Adams b. Ashburnham, VII 3 Cinderella VII 4 Harriet Adams b. Ashburnham, VII 5 Dolly VII 6 Jane M. Adams b. Ashburham, VI
5 Stephen Gibson of Ashby b. Fitchburg, Aug. 21, 1781; d.
Ashby, Nov. 18, 1853; m. May 30, 1810 (pub.
Mr. Gibson after his marriage resided in CHILDREN : VII
1 Eber Gibson of Ashburnham b. Dublin, N.H., Nov. 14, 1810; d.
Jan 3, 1891; m. Dec. 1, 1836 (pub. VII
2 Sally L. Gibson b. Dublin, June 3, 1812; d Jan. 1880; m. May 17,
1839, Joseph Davis of Hinsdale, NH.; two children. VII
3 Dorothy (Dolly) Gibson b. Ashby, VII
4 Nehemiah Gibson of Boston, merchant, b. Ashby, Apr. 16, 1816; d.
East Boston, MA., April 25, 1882; m. Boston, MA., March 9, 1843, Lucy Hubbard
Payne of Centre Harbor, NH (b. Oct. 4, 1813, d. Apr. 21, 1878). He resided in Ashby for several
years learning the carpenter's trade. From there he moved to While in East Boston Nehemiah was
heavily involved in the wood and coal business through his business the N.
Gibson & Company which was located on
CHILDREN : VIII 1 Charles
Nehemiah Gibson b. VIII 2 Susan
Haynes Gibson b. Boston, MA, Jan. 23, 1846; d. Feb. 10, 1885; m. Elliot Ritchie
(b. Boston, MA., Dec. 1841; d. Boston, MA., Dec, 27, 1914); no children. VIII 3 Charles
Earl Gibson b. Cambridge, MA., about 1852; d. Apr. 15, 1913; m. Jun. 9, 1874,
Loretta “Carrie” Varney of Tamworth NH;
CHILDREN: IX 1 Nehemiah Charles Gibson b. Cambridge, MA; Jan 19, 1878; d. Nov. 1940; m. about 1913, Claudia Elizabeth Zoe Ouellette. VII
5 Stephen Gibson b. Ashby, VII
6 Stephen Gibson of Ashby b. Ashby, Feb. 24, 1819; m. Nov 2,
1843, Jane Bruce of Ashby; one child. VII
7 Eliza Gibson of VII
8 Almira Gibson b. Ashby, July 30, 1823; d. Nov. 1888; m. Sept
8, 1848, Issac T. Bruce of Ashby; no gr. children. VII
9 Elvira Gibson b. Ashby, Feb. 11, 1825; m. May 30, 1853,
William Evans of Brattleboro, Vt.; one child: 1 Etta Evans b.
Hinsdale; m. second, June 28, 1897, George Goodrich of Miller’s Falls, Mass. VII
10 Eben Gibson b. Ashby, VII
11 Joseph Barker Gibson of Ashby, resident on the home farm,
b. Ashby, July 11, 1830; d. 1883; m. April 15, 1858, Nancy E. Bush of Fitchburg;
one child: 1 Ora Gibson b. Ashby, June 1859; m. William H. Skinner of
Ashby; no children. Mrs. Skinner was the last Gibson owner of the homestead of
her gr, father Stephen Gibson; on her removal to Healdsburg Cal. in 1896 this
old farm of 80 acres, which had been in the home of two branches of the Gibson
family since 1773, was sold to strangers. VII
12 Alma Gibson Hinsdale b. Ashby, Sept. 1833; d. 1906; unm. In
1850 135 Dea.Samuelv,
Dea. Stepheniv, Dea.
Timothyiii, John
jr.ii, Johni VI
Barker Gibson of Mr. Gibson lived in the
southwest of the town on “the 85 acres more or less” which Jan. 1801 he
bought from Josiah Bright – the old home until 1799 of his uncle John Gibson,
one of the three brothers who resided on adjacent farms in Ashby; the property
is still in the family, now owned and occupied by two gr. Daughters. He died
intestate and his estate of some $2,300 was settled by his father who was
appointed administrator References [134-1]
“In Memoriam. Nehemiah Gibson”, [134-2] Ibid,. page 1. [134-3]
1850 [134-4]
1860 [134-5]
1900 Index John Gibson - 1 John Gibson – 9 Timothy Gibson – 111 Samuel Gibson – 134 Barker Gibson – 135
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