George Gibbs b. Hungerford lived in Marlborough - Genealogists' Forum

southukgibbs · #1 05-10-20, 13:38

Hello everyone,
I have been researching the Gibbs line for a number of years, however I have been stuck for a while.

My 4x Great grandfather was George Gibbs b. Hungerford in 1809.

I have found his details on the 1841,1851,1861,1871,1881 census'. He lived with his family at 42 High street Marlborough(I have visited the property as it is still there). He is listed on the census' and his children’s wedding certificates as being a Tailor.

Unfortunately I have been unable to find any birth record for George, or any means of finding out what his parents names are which is stopping me from furthering my research.

I have contacted the various Tailor guilds but they were unable to find any record of him.

I have found a George Gibbs born in Lambourne which is very close to Hungerford, however this George was born in 1816. A friend who is a researcher suggested maybe it could be this George and he lied about his age (6 years different) otherwise Mary wouldn't have been interested in him and married him. It seems probable, however there is no concrete evidence and its just a speculation that doesn't sit 100% with me.

I was wondering if anyone has any ideas?

I understand other peoples brick walls are not always very interesting! however I'd appreciate any ideas!

Thanks

ElizabethHerts · #2 05-10-20, 13:51

How old was he on the censuses?

My Alexander line were from Wiltshire and my 3x-great-grandfather was born in Lambourn, Berkshire. The family came from Avebury and his family was prison governor at Marlborough.

I have had great difficulty finding Berkshire records. My 3x-great-grandmother Martha Franklin was born near Newbury c. 1793 but I haven't been able to find her parents.
I'm sure they aren't all transcribed.

kiterunner · #3 05-10-20, 13:53

Other people's brick walls are what keep us going on here!

George Gibbs married Mary Harris 13 Dec 1832 at Hungerford. Have you seen the parish register entry for this marriage, and if so, does it say anything about him being a minor, and are the witnesses' names any help? If you haven't seen the PR entry then it might be a help to get a copy.

Sometimes when a couple had an age gap, especially if the man was younger, they would "adjust" their ages to be closer to each other, even if they put the true ages on the marriage certificate, so it wouldn't necessarily be that he lied to his wife about his age even if he was the one born 1816. Also, does the 1816 baptism show date of birth, or could it be that the Lambourne George was born a few years earlier and not baptised as a baby?

Phoenix · #4 05-10-20, 13:54

Might this be the younger George:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageview...rce&pId=985844

He's a carter, born Lambourn, living in Dulwich in 1851 with his family.

kiterunner · #5 05-10-20, 14:07

Here is a site which has a transcription of the marriage record:
https://www.hungerfordvirtualmuseum....0Groom.xls.pdf

Witnesses' names William Batt, Ann Smith, Susan Harris.

kiterunner · #6 05-10-20, 14:22

Looking at FamilySearch, there were a few Gibbs couples having children baptised at Hungerford around the right time: John and Ann, William and Mary, Thomas and Mary. Though of course no George baptism on there.

kiterunner · #7 05-10-20, 15:03

Yes, it looks as though you might need to visit Berkshire Archives or Wiltshire Archives as there isn't much online for Hungerford. Probably not the best time for a visit right now, though. Or there are various CD-ROMs etc available to buy.

Phoenix · #8 05-10-20, 15:40

Worth looking here: https://berksfhs.org/

I know Berkshire has a very energetic family history society.

Merry · #9 05-10-20, 16:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by kiterunner

Looking at FamilySearch, there were a few Gibbs couples having children baptised at Hungerford around the right time: John and Ann, William and Mary, Thomas and Mary. Though of course no George baptism on there.

John and Ann had a son named William, bap in 1807. He remained in Hungerford (on the census through to 1881 and died in 1885) and his occ was also tailor.

Name: William Gibbs
Gender: Male
Baptism Date: 24 May 1807
Baptism Place: Hungerford,Berkshire,England
Death Date: 28 Feb 1808 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<EDIT you will see I didn't notice this burial detail, but Phoenix pointed it out in a later post!
Father: John Gibbs
Mother: Ann

Wlliam married in 1832 in Hungerford, a few weeks before George married Mary Harris. Here's the transcript of the marriage entry from the same site kiterunner mentioned in post #5:

22-Oct-1832 William Gibbs Hungerford m Mary Smith Hungerford Banns Witnesses, John Bird, Mary Harris and Jane Smith

So, is Mary Harris, the witness, the same Mary who would mary George Gibbs in a few weeks?!! Might George and William be brothers? (Jane Smith is probably a sister of the bride as there is a Jane Smith living with William and Mary Gibbs on one of the census returns and she is described as sister-in-law to William.)

Also there's an Ann Smith as a witness to the marriage of Mary Harris and George Gibbs (post #5 above) who could be something to do with Mary Smith's family.

Phoenix · #10 05-10-20, 16:39

Er, you show that William as dying in 1808?