Sarah D. Gibson's Book

Gibsons in PA

I obtained a microfiche copy of Sarah D. Gibson's book, and a short time ago, I also came across a reader. I had a problem with the microfiche copy that I ordered to have on file at a local LDS Family Center. Many of the pages were unreadable. The copy was given to me by James E. Gibson of Sacramento, CA, is a good copy. All the pages are readable.

So, I am doing what I've told many people. I will retype Sarah's book completely, and let it's information be known. I feel that a lot of people took bits and pieces of her book, without knowing all the real facts. Hopfully, they will realize any mistakes that they've made.

Here is chapter 1 to chapter 8, pages 1 to 26.

Here is Chapter 9 to Chapter 12, pages 27 to 37.

Here is Chapter 13 to Chapter 20, pages 38 to

MY INTRO

Sarah D. Gibson was born in 1844, but it wasn't untill her retirement, that she did her family genealogy. She knew many of her family members, and the stories and tales they all had. She collected data from her grandfather's, Thomas Gibson's (1774-1860) large family, and also visited Robert Gibson in Burnettsville and Cyrus Gibson in Idaville. She also did some researching thru the PA archives, as she mentions it several times in her book. Her great-grandfather, John Gibson (1754-1828), purchased a Bible in 1804; it was passed on to his oldest son, John; John gave it to his oldest son, Cyrus; and by 1985 it was in the possession of Myrtle Gibson of Monticello, IN. ( This was from Licia Gibson, who first told me about Sarah's book.) The Bible surely contains the family genealogy written in by each generation.

It may be hard for many of us to realize what life would be like without our modern transportation, and our computers. I believe that trying to find old records back then, was a lot more harder than today.

From what I have learned from investigation this line of Gibson's, is that many people have incorporated some of these Gibsons in their family tree, while ingnoring others because they didn't fit in. Some have even given these hearty Scotch-Irish an English ancestry. What an insult to them, a slap in their faces, for say they they belong to the country that was oppressing them.

Some final thoughts to keep in mind that are very important. Especially to the family of William Gibson, who died in Cumberland Co., PA in 1771. Sarah D. Gibson lacked having the actual birthdates of many of the people in her book. For that, she assigned birthdates "hardly two years out of the way". She wanted to give the reader some idea of when people were born, not wanting to confuse anyone, and in her Preface, she admits to the incorrect dates. But some people were not aware of that!

Also, Sarah did not have Willian Gibson's Will, that he wrote in Dec. 1770.What a great text it is, for if you really dissect it, a lot of information can be found. Sarah assigned birthdates to William Gibson's children starting in 1741, and continued every two years to the 11th child. So, she gave that unborn child a birthdate of 1761. According to William's Will, his wife was prenant with that child in December of 1770!

Included here is a copy of William Gibson's Will, and you can read and determine for yourself what it says. You can also ask yourself at what age a boy would have to be "to be put to trades". (Here is William Gibson's Will explained.)

I don't want to take anything away from Sarah's Book. I just want to tell that her book has been missused.