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I found an extensive list of records for a John Powes (1724-c.1800) written into a 17th century family bible. I have not been able to match these records despite making some searches, and unfortunately there is no comment as to where these people lived. However the Bible is English (a fairly typical pre-Civil War lumpy volume with prayer book, concordances and metrical psalms all bound in, parts published c. 1615-1630). The name 'Powes' is probably west-country or west Midland (?Shropshire) as a variant of 'Powys' though there could be other explanations. The book was found in a secondhand shop in central London in about 1977.

Anyway the records should be placed on record online in case somebody is in need of them, so here's the transcript, in the order they appear in the book. All the records are written out in full with the same formula, but I have put '(ditto)' to save space:

John the son of John Powes and Ann his wife was born October 26 1752.

Jane the daughter (ditto) was born December 26th 1754.

ffrancis the son (ditto) was born July 25th 1757.

Ann the daughter of John Powes and Ann his second wife was born July 23rd 1760.

Robert the son (ditto) was born December 24th 1761.

Richard the son (ditto) was born October 27th 1763.

William the son (ditto) was born September 21 1765.

Eleanor the daughter (ditto) was born June 30th 1767. Died 14 August 1797.

Betty the daughter (ditto) was born August 21st 1769.

Charles the son (ditto) was born July 13th 1771.

James the son (ditto) was born October 19th 1772.

Thomas the son (ditto) was born October 23rd 1773.

"John Powes was born the 26th January 1724 old style that is the 6th ffebruary 1725 New Style. Ann his wife was born 16th january 1732 old style that is the 27th January New Style. They were married November the 24th 1750 and the said Ann dyed July 16th 1759.
The aforesaid John Powes was born on the day mentioned and Ann his second wife was born the 5th day of March 1737 old style that is the 16th day of March 1738 New Style. They were marryed November the 8th 1759."

Judith the daughter of John Powes and Ann his second wife was born March 3rd 1775.

Patience the daughter (ditto) was born June 13th 1776.

Margarett the daughter (ditto) was born November 14th 1777.

Mary the daughter (ditto) was born December 2nd 1778.

Edward the son (ditto) was born October 9th 1780.

"Ann dyed 17th October 1780 leaving 12 children living."

John Powes and Susanna his third wife were marryed March 13th 1781.

Mary Ann the daughter of John Powes and Susanna his third wife was born June 5th 1782.

Susanna the daughter (ditto) was born ffebruary 11th 1784.

Harriott the daughter (ditto) was born April 8th 1786.

"Susanna dyed 24th ffebry 1797 leaving three children. they were marryed 13th March 1781."

John Powes and Ann his fourth wife were marryed April 17th 1798.


I hope this may be of use to someone else. If anyone can tell me who they were or where they lived I should be delighted to find out! Poor Ann the second wife, she deserved a medal.

Earlier names in the same book include a Thomas Smith in the 1670s:
"Thomas Smith his hand and pen
God save the King and all his men
And if my pen it had ben better
It should have made a mery letter"

and Thomas Smith also writes "Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth whilst the evill dayes Cum not nor the year draw ny where in thou shalt say I have no pleasuer in them" (from proverbs).

Also the name "Fra: Tompkins, his booke Annoque Domini 1733."


happy hunting,

Mercian



 

Hi Robert,

Your branch is really much more elusive than the one we have been talking about.

In the first place (as I expect you realize) there are two Henry Gibbinses both born about 1800-02 both with wives named Ann.

One of them, Henry Gibbins (bap. 21.xii.1800), a Grazier of sheep, married his own cousin Ann Jane Johnson (bap. 27.vi.1802) on 12.ix.1822 at Horninghold: her mother Mary Gibbins married (2nd) Thomas Johnson (26.xi.1798) - and Mary's brother Thomas (30.xii.1756-24.iii.1827) was the father of the Henry Gibbins whom Ann Jane married. These, as you rightly say, are NOT your Henry and Ann, and in the 1841 and 1851 censuses (both) they are living in Church Street, Hallaton.

Your Henry and Ann are the ones that are in Tugby in both 1841 and 1851. In 1841 they are living next door to Henry's brother Robert Gibbins and his family as follows:

'No. 2'
Henry Gibbins  35  Ag lab    y
Ann Gibbins  35     y
Elizabeth Gibbins  8      y
William Gibbins  4     y
Francis Gibbins  1     y
/
Robert Gibbins  30  Ag lab    y
Sarah Gibbins  25      y
Mary Gibbins  4     y
Sarah Gibbins   2     y

and the 1851 census has Henry and Ann with children William (14), Francis (10), Mary (8 ), Edward (7), Jane (4) and Ann (1), also at Tugby. BUT I think it might be Henry and Robert's parents, William Gibbins and Elizabeth Brewster, who are in Hallaton in the 1841 census:

1841: Hallaton, Gibbins's Lodge
William Gibbins  70  Ag lab     y
Elizabeth Gibbins  65       n
// Mary Cursley  14       n

These two married at Medbourne in 1799. As their eldest son Thomas died an infant (10.xi.1800-28.xii.1800), Henry (3.xi.1801) was presumably the eldest son, and heir.

The top of the tree you have described stands with Thomas Gibbins and Jane Freestone, marrying at Tugby in 1766. I have been through many of the Gibbins wills for Medbourne and Hallaton, and the only Thomas Gibbins I can see among them that might fit into this time-frame is Thomas baptized Medbourne 19.iv.1744, who would therefore be about right to marry Jane, at Tugby, in 12.xi.1766. Perhaps Tugby was her parish, and perhaps the houses occupied by Robert and Henry in 1851 and 1841 were ultimately Freestone rather than Gibbins hereditaments.

IF he is the right one (and I'm not saying he is!!!!) then he would be the son of Thomas Gibbins bap. Medbourne 19.vi.1713, and his wife Jane Bond of Glooston (bap. 9.vii.1721).

To take Jane Bond (perhaps the mother of your Thomas) first, she is the elder of two daughters of the second marriage of John Bond of Glooston (bap. 5.iv.1675, d.1746), and John is the son of Edward Bond (b.c.1640, died Glooston 15.vi.1706 - tombstone) and his wife Ann, who died in 1719. There are wills for John and his mother Ann. John married first Abigail, who died 5.viii.1707, having two children Ann (1707) and Elizabeth. John's daughter Ann married William Tebbatt of Glooston and had about 10 children by him - see Tebbatt gravestones at Glooston. After Abigail died, John Bond married Marcy Sharman (born 4.i.1697, bap. 8.i.1697 at Weston-by-Welland, one of at least four children born 1692-1697 to John Sharman (c. 1670, died Cranoe 1733). Sarah Sharman must have died at or soon after the birth of Marcy, because John Sharman then married Catherine, and had 13 more children by her (births 1698-1720) before drying up. Marcy married John Bond at Glooston on 21.iv.1720, and the two daughters Jane and Mary came in 1721 and 1725 (21.xi) respectively. Mary married James Tebbatt at Glooston on 17.xii.1744, and James was the brother of the William Tebbatt who had married her half-sister Ann Bond back in 1725. But it was Jane Bond who on 14.iii.1736 at Glooston married Thomas Gibbins, who was born at Medbourne 19.vi.1713 and died there 1757. And it's because he is of Medbourne, and not of Hallaton, that I think its quite likely that he IS the father of your Thomas who, as you say, married Jane Freestone at Tugby in 1766, but afterwards lived at Medbourne.

Thomas Gibbins 1713 of Medbourne is the son of Henry Gibbins of Medbourne, who left a Leicestershire will dated 1735. He was married to an Elizabeth, and his children were Sarah (5 or 8.vi.1707), William (6.ix.1708-d.1736 & a will), Ann (17.ii.1711, married John Wade junr 15.x.1734, Medbourne); Henry (24 or 29.iii.1709, d. 1747 (will)), married Mary; Elizabeth (29.i.1714); Thomas (19.vi.1713, Medbourne) and apparently lastly John, who married Amy Barker of Great Illsborough at Stoke Albany in 1742.

And if that is right, it means that the siblings of Thomas who married Jane Freestone were, John Gibbins (26.vii.1738); Elizabeth (11.vi,.1740); Henry (10.vi.1742, d.1779 (will)), who married Elizabeth Lummis of Broughton, Northants, at Cransley 17.iii.1769; William (4.ix.1749); Jane (24.xii.1752); and John (25.vi.1755). Among these, Henry Gibbins and Elizabeth Lummis are my 5xgreat-grandparents.

Henry who died in 1735 was the eldest named son of Henry Gibbins who died in 1692 (will), and he was the son of Henry Gibbins (d. Hallaton 1679 (will)) who was married to Alis. Before that the evidence is a bit more patchy, but the Hallaton ancestry goes back to the 16th century at least. (see my previous post). These wills are in the Leicester Register Office in Wigston.

But - you can't just take my word for it!

best wishes!

Mercian

Hi dgibbins02 I think I can help you with that a bit.

The date 17.v.1772 for the Hallaton baptism of Robert Gibbins falls in a series which I read as follows: children of Thomas Gibbins (1723-1796) and Elizabeth Ward, married St Michael Blaston 24.iii.1753, seem to be: (1) Elizabeth (bap 13.ii.1755, d. 30.iii.1817), married Francis Osburn of Collyweston at Hallaton, 16.i.1792, and she has an MI at Hallaton. (2) Thomas (bap. 30.xii.1756, d. 24.iii.1827), who mar Elizabeth (?Dixon, 31.xii.1781): she died 12.i.1842 aged 82 (MI at Hallaton). (3) William bap 5.i.1759 (no more info). (4) Jane (bap 26.ii.1761, d. before 1792), mar. William Greenwood (& 4 children at Stanford and Ketton by Tixover, 1781-87); (5) Mary (bap. 15.iv.1763, who made two marriages, first John Ward 1783, second Thomas Johnson 1798, as described in earlier message above): (6) HENRY (28.iii.1765-29.vii.1838), who lived at Hallaton with Sarah his sister and left an important WILL; (7) John (12.vii.1767); (8 ) Sarah (22.ii.1770-16.v.1854 aged 84, natural mother of Richard Gibbins) and lastly, (9) Robert baptized 17.v.1772. Now he might have died and there could be another Robert a year or two later, but either this 1772 Robert or a clone of him must be the one you have down for 1775.

Because, in the will of this HENRY (written 1835, proved 1839), which you need to get hold of, (it's the P.C.C. will of Henry Gibbins the elder of Hallaton, so you should be able to see it for free in Ancestry or pay a small sum from T.N.A.) he lists all sorts of interesting relationships and especially of interest to you, he leaves 'the sum of fifty pounds to my nephew William Pancras Gibbins son of my late brother Robert Gibbins' so that leaves no doubt at all who Robert is.

It means that Robert is the son of Thomas and Elizabeth, as above: this Thomas has the PCC will dated 1796, Thomas Gibbins of Halloughton Grazier ('my sons Henry Gibbins John Gibbins Robert Gibbins and William Gibbins the sum of sixty pounds apiece' etc.... 'Bryan Ward son of my said son-in-law John Ward by Mary his wife...' etc etc).  As I figure it, this Thomas is the son of Thomas Gibbins (who died in 1743 and left a will) and his wife Jane Pateman: and that Thomas who died in 1743 was apparently the son of Henry Gibbins who died in 1692 (leaving a will) and his (?second) wife Sarah, who left a will dated 1734/5. Henry (first marriage) is my 8 x great grandfather and therefore his father also Henry (married to Alis), who died at Hallaton in 1679 and left a will, is my 9 x g -gf. From that early will you can trace the division of the land and Closes which the Gibbinses acquired in the 17th century being passed down through various brothers and uncles.

I hope this is all interesting to you (dear long-lost coz.), and not too repetitous... I hadn't really looked at this posting for ages, but it's exciting to make the link!

It would be really helpful to me if - if you have them handy - you could post the children of Robert with their dates and places, somewhere in this forum. It's very nice to be able to add something about him.

Thanks and best wishes

Mercian

Thanks Arjem, Yes that will of Leonard Stevenson's 1830 contains the clear statement that Christopher is his son: and Esther (Day) is Leonard's wife: and this is the same Christopher Stevenson.

The question then is:
Is this Leonard Stevenson the son of Thomas Stevenson and Mary Kilburn, born 19 May 1757 - as most people with Ancestry trees seem to assume:
OR is he Leonard Stevenson, son of Leonard (Innholder) and Jane of Hallaton, as named 'my only son and heir' in their Leics Archdeaconry wills of 1764 (Leonard bap 26 Dec 1749, brother of Allen, bap 11 Feb 1755 who presumably decd. as not named). 

Probably Thomas and Mary, but is there any confirmation of that?    

Christopher Stevenson of Hallaton, youngest son of Leonard Stevenson and Esther Day, married Lucy Waddington at Medbourne 1815. Lucy Waddington was daughter of John Waddington, cooper, and his wife Lydia Gibbins of Medbourne, who m there 9 Oct 1792.

Thanks Trish

I wish there was an easier way of searching the census by address rather than by person - might then discover some of those gaping holes which seem to occur where whole communities fizzle off the map for a decade or two and just as mysteriously reappear later on - !