Martin
Gibson - Name Confusion!
by Theresa Gibson Keisler
by Theresa Gibson Keisler
This paper documents the different Martin Gibsons who are
often confused in the North Carolina area in the early/mid 1800s. The locations are very confusing with
counties and districts sharing names, so a close eye to detail is required to
differentiate these men and the locations.
Haplogroup data from the Gibson
Surname Project is also provided for each of these lineages as it is
available to show they are different Gibson families and are not related along
the Gibson/paternal/y-dna line (source: ftdna Gibson Surname Project y-results page).
The following Martins will be detailed throughout the paper:
The following Martins will be detailed throughout the paper:
1. Martin Gibson of Stokes County, NC (1803-1880) m. Mary Ferguson
Haplogroup (I1) I-M253
2. Henry Martin Gibson of Stokes County, NC (1832-1910) m. Eliza Gentry
Haplogroup (I1) I-M253
3. Martin/Mastin Gibson of Rockingham, Richmond County, NC (b abt 1814) m. Susannah
Haplogroup (R1b) R-M269/L1448
4. Martin V Gibson of Rockingham County, NC (1848-1923) m. Nannie Knight
Haplogroup (R1b) R-M269/L21
5. Martin Gibson of Virginia or Orange Co, NC & Floyd/Perry Counties in KY (1776- 1840) m. Eleanor
Haplogroup (R1b) R-M269/L21
Notably, Haplogroup R is a very
large haplogroup & R1b is the most common haplogroup in western Europe. Martin #3 & Martin #4 appear to be from
different Gibson lines, falling in different lineages in the Gibson Surname Project. However, Martin #4 & #5 appear on the
same lineage and are likely linked the same patriarch several generations back.
Martin #1 & #2 are father & son
and obviously fall in a completely different haplogroup than all these other
Martins.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
1. Martin Gibson
1803-1880 of Stokes Co, NC
Haplogroup I-M253; ydna connects
this Martin to Thomas Gibson d1734 Hanover, VA & his son Valentine
Gibson. Source: Ftdna Gibson Project
y-results
This Martin is believed to be the son of William Gibson (abt1773-abt1850), son of Valentine Gibson, son of Thomas
Gibson d1734 Hanover County, VA.
He was born in Stokes Co, NC; he
lived & died in Stokes Co, NC. This
Martin Gibson m. Mary Ferguson/Forgerson in 1824 (she was the daughter of John
Ferguson & Hannah Petree). Martin
& Mary are buried together in the Union Hill Cemetery in Quaker Gap, Stokes
County, NC. I have visited this cemetery
in person – it is very small and many family members are buried here.
Stokes County is on the northern border of the state of North Carolina. Stokes County was formed in 1789 from Surry County, NC (which also borders the northern line with Virginia). See the map below for reference.
9 children from this union:
Chancy/Chaney (b. 5
Sep 1829 & d. 16 Jun 1863; m. Jeremiah Howell in 1856)
Temperance (b. 18
Apr 1826 & d. 6 Oct 1854; m Vincent Vaden in 1848)
John W (b. 9
Dec 1827 & d. 23 Mar 1857)
Parthenia (b. 14
Apr 1831)
Henry
Martin (b. 21 Nov 1832 & d. 25 Dec 1910; m. Eliza Gentry)
James
Andrew (b. 8 Apr 1835 & d. 17 May 1893; m. Catherine Stoddard
in 1871) – he left NC and fought for the Union in the Civil War
Elizabeth (b. 19
Feb 1836 & d. 15 May 1913; m. Vincent Vaden after her sister Temperance died
– moved to TN)
Hardy
Valentine (b. 1838 & died in the Battle of Gettysburg 3 Jul 1863
fighting for the Confederacy)
Minnie
Judith (b. 25 May 1840 & d. 10 Apr 1911; married her first
cousin – Hardy Royal Carroll, Jr in 1859).
Four of Martin's children are known
to have preceded him in death (Chaney, Temperance, John W, & Hardy
Valentine Gibson).
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Henry
Martin Gibson
21
Nov 1832 – 25 Dec 1910 of Stokes County, NC
Haplogroup
I-M253; ydna connects this Henry Martin Gibson to Thomas Gibson d1734
Hanover,
VA & his son Valentine Gibson (Haplogroup I-M253).
Source: Ftdna Gibson Project y-results
Son
of Martin Gibson (1803-1880) & Mary Ferguson (ABOVE)
He
was born and died in Stokes County, NC
Married Eliza Gentry 25 Dec 1858
5 children from this union:
Mary
Frances/Maggie (b1862; m. William Yancy Gordon)
Minnie
F. “Fannie” (b1865; m. Elijah Wade Rutledge)
Adam D. (b1869;
died at age 20 in 1889)
Hattie J (b1872 m.
Alexander Tate Ferguson)
Anna E. (b1875 m.
Levi W Ferguson)
^ one of these two
Martins (father or son) appears to have had a relationship with Roxanne (Roxey/Roxie)
Darnell Boles in the 1860s during the Civil War era and had issue: Thomas
Madison Gibson b1865 d1885 (Thomas Madison Gibson is buried in the family
cemetery & his death certificate lists his father as Martin Gibson). Roxanne Boles Darnell (1827-1885) was the
widow of Morgan Darnell who died about 1861.
Because he died in 1861 shortly after enlisting in the military, it
seems logical to assume Morgan died in service.
The Boles & Boyles families were very close with this Martin
Gibson’s family. William Boles is listed
as a bondsman on the marriage bond above of Martin and Mary Ferguson in 1824.
___________________________________________________________________________)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
3. Martin
(or Mastin) Gibson
b abt 1814 Richmond County, NC
son of Nathan W Gibson & Mary (Chambers?)
Nathan W
Gibson b1782 is the father of this Martin.
His mother is listed as Mary in many documents including both census
reports and his father’s will. Her
maiden name is suspected to be Chambers, but I have not found hard proof of this
to date.
Y-DNA from this Martin’s line (son of Nathan Gibson, son of Nelson Gibson) places this Gibson family on Haplogroup R1b/R-M269 or R-L1448.
Source: Gibson Surname Project y-results
This
Martin or Mastin Gibson married Susannah (likely Susannah Taylor, but her
surname is not confirmed).
Census
data that places Nathan W. Gibson and his ancestors in Richmond County, NC
(southern border of NC). I have provided detailed information below about
county formation of Anson & Richmond counties - it appears as if these
families did not move from one county to another, but that they lived in the
part of Anson County that became Richmond County (described & illustrated
below). Here is what we know about Nathan Gibson (father of many
children, including a Martin or Mastin Gibson).
1782
– born in Anson County, NC, USA
1790 – here is Nathan living as a child with his
father Nelson Gibson Sr in Richmond Co,
NC
1810 –
Richmond County, North Carolina (southern part of NC next to Anson – see map
below). Here is Nathan living near his
father Nelson Sr & brother Nelson Jr.
1820 –
In 1820 we once again find Nathan in Richmond Co, NC just one page over from
his father Nelson. Images from those two
pages are below:
1823 –
The will of Nelson Gibson, Sr of Richmond County, NC, USA, naming Nathan as his
son is pictured below. This will names
the living children of Nelson Gibson, Sr:
William, Nelson (Jr), Nathan, Luke, Samuel, Sally (Sarah), Nancy, & Agnes.
1830 –
Richmond County, NC. In this census, you
can see Nathan living near several brothers:
Luke, William, & Nelson Jr.
As per the above will & record, Nelson Gibson, Sr. died in 1823
In 1855 a
petition to sell the real estate of Nathan W Gibson was posted as his heirs had
apparently moved away from Richmond County, NC. We know many of them had
settled by this point in nearby Chesterfield County, South Carolina where his
wife Mary is believed to have died. The petition lists his living
children at that time, including a "Mastin Gibson" (possibly a Martin
Gibson, but is seen here in type with an 's', so is possibly correct):
So, we
know Martin Gibson of Stokes (#1 ABOVE; 1803-1880) is found in Stokes marrying his
bride, Mary Ferguson, in 1824. Where is
this other Martin Gibson, son of Nathan W Gibson, after his father passes
away? Here are the two Martins very
clearly in the 1850 census – one in Richmond District, Stokes County, NC (this is Martin Gibson 1803-1880 m. Mary
Ferguson) & the other in Chesterfield, SC living next to his brothers-
the county just south of Richmond Co, NC (this
is the one who is son of Nathan Gibson & brother of Aaron and Nelson
Gibson.) These are clearly two
different Martins - - -
Anson
County was formed in 1750 along the southern boundary of North Carolina. This area was reportedly first settled in the
1730s according to several web sources including:
The same
source tells us that Richmond County was formed in 1779, so when looking at records,
this family was in the area of Anson County that became part of Richmond County
when it was formed:
“Present-day Richmond County was first settled by Native Americans
living along the Pee Dee River. Richmond was part of Anson County, which was formed in 1750 from Bladen County. The General Assembly
formed Richmond County from Anson in October 1779. The citizens cited the
hardship in crossing the Pee Dee River to go to the courthouse in Anson County,
as their reason for wanting a separate county with the dividing line of the Pee
Dee River.”
There is a town in Richmond County called Rockingham, which is
often confused with the county of Rockingham in the north AND there is a district
within Stokes County on later censuses called Richmond District, Stokes County,
NC (I made this same mistake when I started my research - it is pretty
confusing until you look at a map and learn how closely you have to look at
these census reports), but the family of Nathan is never found in the northern
part of the state of North Carolina. As far back as the early 1700s,
the family of Nathan Gibson was in the area that became Anson County and later
Rockingham, Richmond County, North Carolina, USA. This is not the
same area as Stokes or Rockingham County in the northern part of the state (map
below). There is nothing I have ever found that puts Nathan anywhere
near Stokes County, NC. If you look at the below map, you will see
that in the times of the 1700s/1800s these two areas are quite far
apart. For some perspective, I currently live in Union County, which
is the area where southern Mecklenburg & Anson County are on this map from
1790 (below). I live further west and north than this family did, so
a bit closer than this family would have lived It would take
me a minimum of two hours by modern car on a major highway to arrive at the very
edge of Stokes County.
& William T:
Deborah – born about 1842 in South
Carolina
Mary – born about 1844 in South
Carolina
James – born about 1846 in South
Carolina
William T. – born about 1858 in
Tennessee
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________+
4. Martin
V. Gibson
Jun
1848 Rockingham Co, NC - 28 Apr 1923
His
parents: Andrew & Ruth (some records
say Anderson & Ruth); this is believed to be the line of Champ Gibson
(1746-1820) through his son Stephen (Stephen b1790 m. Elizabeth Moore being
Martin V’s paternal grandfather).
Champ’s y-dna lineage falls on Haplogroup R1b/R-L21.
Source: Gibson
Surname Project y-results on Ftdna.
This
family is often described as “Mulatto” in the census data, but sometimes as
“White.”
As a young boy, his family is often
found living next to Rickmans (believed to be Ruth’s
maiden
name), Goins/Goings, Harris, Roberts, Kellum, Lathan, Burton, and Tilley.
This
Martin was born in Rockingham Co, NC in June of 1848, some records say 1847.
He
is found on 1870 Census for the first time alone in Rockingham Co, living next
door
to his mother (now presumably a widow) & siblings.
Martin V. Gibson married Nannie
Knight on 8 Mar 1869; this marriage is recorded in the Stokes Co marriages
(Rockingham and Stokes marriages are both included in this book). Nannie was born about 1849 in North Carolina
and died in 1932. Both Martin V. and
Nannie are buried in the John Foy Family Cemetery (also sometimes called the
Gibson-Foy Cemetery) in Rockingham Co, NC.
More research needed, but here
are 12 children I believe are from this union:
Andy H. – born
11 Dec 1869 in Rockingham County, NC; died 16 Jan 1962 Reidsville,
Rockingham County, NC. Andy married a woman named Susie (unknown
surname) & they had 10 children
Henry A – born
about 1870 in Rockingham County, NC
Mary E – born
about 1872 in Rockingham County, NC
Robert P
–
born 26 Jul 1875 and died 22 Jul 1876; buried in Rockingham County, NC
Emma H – born
about 1875 (twins?)
William
R “Billie” – born May 1877; married to Carrie & had at least three
children:
Cassie,
William, & Annie
Walter L – born
Jun 1880 in Rockingham County, NC
Hester S – born
Jun 1882 in Rockingham County, NC
Lindsay
G –
born about 1887 in Rockingham County, NC; died 28 Aug 1983. He is buried
in
Madison, Rockingham County, NC
Wilson E – born
Feb 1889 in Rockingham County, NC
Cattie – born
Aug 1891 in Rockingham County, NC
Kate – born
about 1893; I do wonder if there really is a Cattie & a Kate, but it is
possible! However, more research is
needed to determine if these last two daughters are in fact the same person. There is a paper trail showing Kate Gibson
marrying Henry Clattie Walker on 24 Nov 1920 in Rockingham County, North
Carolina. Kate died 1 Nov 1925 in Rockingham County, NC.
Rockingham Co, NC was formed in
1785 and is directly east of Stokes Co, NC and borders Virginia on the north –
this is where these two Martin’s get easily confused as these areas were in
close proximity. Martin V. Gibson is
also confused with the Martin in Rockingham (the city) in Anson/Richmond
Counties in the south of the stated because of the shared name “Rockingham” –
always be sure to look carefully at the documents – are we talking about
Rockingham the county or Rockingham the city??
For this Martin V Gibson, we are talking about Rockingham the COUNTY.
Also note, this Martin #4
(b1848) is significantly younger than all the other Martins…..for
reference: Martin#1 (b1803), Martin #2
(1832), Martin #3 (abt 1814), & Martin#5 (b1776).
1910
Census (Rockingham County, Madison Twnshp) – he is age 63 living with his wife
Nannie
(64) & the following children:
Lindsay (son – 23) & Kate (dau - 17); two
granddaughters:
also living there: Ada Duggins (9) &
Nellie Williams (8)
Families
nearby on 1910 census report: Wall, Tuttle, as well as Martin’s children
& nephews:
**Billie
Gibson (32) with wife Carrie (25) & three children: Cassie (7), William (6), &
Annie
(2). This is Martin V Gibson’s son
William R Gibson “Billie”
**Ben
Gibson (34) & wife Lillie (30) & children Cabell (11), Clemmie (9)
Beulah (6),
Benjamin
E (2); not certain how he fits in, possibly a nephew or son?
**Andy
Gibson (40) with wife Susie (38) and many children: Lena A (19), Arthur
(17),
Fletcher (16), Edgar (15), Miller (13), Mamie (11), Essie (9), Cora (7), Evelyn
(4),
Adelle (2).
This Andy Gibson b 1869 is Martin V Gibson’s son.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Martin
Gibson
1776 – bef 1840
This Martin is a bit mysterious, but he falls in
the same y-lineage as Champ Gibson (b1746), Archibald Gibson (b1760), and
Joseph Fisher Gibson (b1790) in the Gibson Surname Project on FTDNA. Y-DNA tests for this Martin’s descendants
specifically fall in Haplogroup R1b - M269/L21.
Although I am not sure how these men connect up, I know there are
several
excellent researchers out there working diligently on these lines. This is the Melungeon Gibson line.
excellent researchers out there working diligently on these lines. This is the Melungeon Gibson line.
Census data from this Martin lists him as a “free
person of color” in both 1820 & 1830. Admittedly, this Martin has not been my primary research focus, so I
have only researched him enough to separate him from the Martin that is my
third great-grandfather. Most people
have
that this Martin was born in Orange County, NC (some people have him born in Virginia), but I can find a firm source for neither at this point. There are land grants with likely
relatives/caretakers of his that strongly suggest Orange County, NC. What I know about this Martin is below. I would love more well-sourced details to add from a true descendant of this Martin if anyone is willing to share.
that this Martin was born in Orange County, NC (some people have him born in Virginia), but I can find a firm source for neither at this point. There are land grants with likely
relatives/caretakers of his that strongly suggest Orange County, NC. What I know about this Martin is below. I would love more well-sourced details to add from a true descendant of this Martin if anyone is willing to share.
There is much speculation regarding who this
Martin’s parents are, but I haven’t found anything that makes me confident
enough to put it in print at this point.
It does appear as if he was orphaned along with his two full sisters
Susannah & Dicey Gibson. Susannah
apparently chose James Carrington to be their caregiver in 1784. Several researchers of this family have shared that this suggests Susannah must have been of age to have chosen to be
bonded to Mr. Carrington. Some also
speculate that Mr. Carrington was a family member, perhaps married to a Gibson
that was possibly even their aunt or other close relative. James Carrington has land grant activity with
a Thomas Gibson, who was likely related to the three children in some way. Dicey Gibson is believed to have married
Valentine Collins.
Martin married Eleanor (b 1782 Kentucky). Her maiden name has not been confirmed by research, but many suspect it is Davis…some have it as King. There is no evidence that this Martin was ever in Stokes County, NC…but the Stokes County Martin Gibson can be easily tracked once he is of age & begins showing up on census reports after his marriage. Both Martins can be seen on the 1830 census in different locations confirming for skeptics that they are in fact different men. Further, Martin of Stokes is more than 20 years younger than Martin of Orange County or Virginia – a quick look at the details will show that the Stokes County records belong to Martin #1 and should NOT be attached to Martin of Orange County, NC.
This Martin Gibson of VA or Orange Co, NC & Eleanor had many children (most people have them with a very large family, but the sourcing is limited). I will offer what I know and leave it to the researchers and descendants of this Martin who have dedicated years of their time to researching him to outline his many children more definitively for you….
Some of the children of Martin Gibson & Eleanor:
Nancy Ann – b1820 Perry County, KY and died 21 Aug 1884 in Charleston, Kanawha County, WV. She married a Conley and is buried in Kincheloe, Harrison County, WV
Eleanor Sarah “Nellie” – She married Richard Deal
Martin, Jr – many have this Martin marrying Matilda Davis, but I have not found definitive proof of that yet. This Martin was more the age of the Martin of Stokes, but dates cannot be confirmed at this time. He is found on an 1830 census in Tazewell County, VA living near several brothers including George, William, & Joel, as well as a Joshua Deal (his sister Nellie married a Richard Deal). Eleanor is living nearby in this census, presumable a widow
William – b1822 possibly married Martha Bartley
Joel – no further information
George – m. Mary Polly Daniels
Timeline:
1810 Census – I cannot find this Martin on an 1810 census. The Martin of Floyd & Perry Counties cannot be the same Martin as the one in Somerset, Pulaski County, KY as the two are found in nearby counties on 1820 census reports supporting that they are two separate men (see below). Many researchers say that this Martin went west from Orange Co, NC to Wilkes Co, NC before moving to Kentucky. By this point, he is certainly of age and should be showing up on a census somewhere.
Here is the Somerset, Pulaski Martin Gibson in 1810
1820 Census – There are two Martin Gibsons in the southeastern Kentucky region that seem to fit the right statistics; however, closer examination reveals that the Martin in Somerset, Pulaski County, KY is not the one we are interested in here - - - this Martin stays in Pulaski Co (see 1820 census below showing he stayed in Pulaski County) and can be seen on future census reports in this same county at the same time that the other Martin appears to the east. These census reports are shown together below. The Somerset, Pulaski Martin is the wrong Martin and records from Somerset, Pulaski County, Kentucky should not be attached to the Martin Gibson of Orange County, NC. The correct Martin shows up in Floyd/Perry counties just to the east - that is actually the Martin we are concerned with here (1776-d before 1840). He is found in Floyd County, KY in this 1820 census and the entire family is listed as “free colored persons” – the census shows two adults (Martin & Eleanor) along with 11 children (9 boys & 2 girls). Two of the boys and one of the girls are in the 15-26 age group and are thus unlikely to be included in the next census. At the time of this census, Martin would be approximately 44 or 45 years old. Eleanor seems to be just a few years younger, as she falls in the next age group down on census reports. On this 1820 census, you can see a few doors over is Valentine Collins who is believed to have married Dicey Gibson (Martin’s sister).
Here is the Somerset, Pulaski, KY Martin Gibson in 1820 as
promised:
And here is Martin Gibson of
Orange County in 1820:
Geographical notes relevant to the timeline:
In 1821, Perry County formed from Floyd & Clay
Counties. Perry is south and west of
Floyd County
In 1822, Pike County formed from Floyd County. Pike is south and east of Floyd County
In 1822, Pike County formed from Floyd County. Pike is south and east of Floyd County
Pike & Perry counties meet south of Floyd County, as they
wrap around the southern border of Floyd
1830 Census –
Perry County was formed from Floyd County in 1821. In this census, Martin is again found with a
large family. He is the only one in the
family listing who is reported as a “free colored person” on this census (male
aged 55-99; Martin would be about 54 or 55).
Below you see this census pictured with Martin & Eleanor along with
11 children: 5 boys & 6 girls. We know that three of the children from the
previous census have aged out, as all of these children are ≤ 19 years
old. So, we can guess from this census
that Martin & Eleanor likely had around 14 children total.
One thing is clear, the Martin in the 1820 & 1830
censuses from Floyd & Perry counties are the same Martin. Most believe this is the Martin Gibson b1776
who was orphaned with his sisters Susannah & Dicey.
**In 1830, we are able to clearly separate out the
two older Martins using census records - we have the following:
Martin #5 is in Perry County, Kentucky in federal
census
Martin #1 is in Stokes County, North Carolina in
federal census
Martins #2, #4 were not born yet
Martin #3 was too young to be listed on the
census independently as he was still living with his parents.**
1840 Census –
There is an 1840 census report from Tazewell
County, Virginia that lists a younger Martin Gibson (believed to be Martin Jr
aged 30-40 with a wife and two young boys under 10). On the same page is an older Eleanor Gibson
(aged 40-50; living with 3 females 15-20 & 2 females 10-15), suggesting she
is possibly a widow at this point?
However, is this the same Eleanor?
Our Eleanor we presumed from the Floyd & Perry County census reports
was just a hair younger than Martin, so maybe born around 1780…this would make
her around 60 at the time of the 1840 census.
It could be an entry error – we know that had to happen quite a bit,
but this census does confuse a bit. Most
people have Martin’s death in 1840 in Pike County, KY, which is probably
derived from him being absent on this census report with Eleanor Gibson being
named Head of Household. The other
reason that makes it likely, however, this is the family in question are the
other names on this census page:
*Joshua R Deal (aged 20-30) with wife (aged
15-20) and one young daughter (aged <5 font="">
*Joel Gibson (aged 20-30; son of Martin & Eleanor?): living with two females aged 20-30 – (one of them presumably his wife, the other possibly a sister?) & the following children:
*Joel Gibson (aged 20-30; son of Martin & Eleanor?): living with two females aged 20-30 – (one of them presumably his wife, the other possibly a sister?) & the following children:
3
boys (aged <5 5="" o:p="">
1
girl (aged <5 5="" o:p="">
2
girls (aged 5-10)
*George Gibson (aged 20-30) living with a wife of
same age group & the following children:
1
boy (aged 5-10)
2
girls (aged <5 5="" o:p="">
*William Gibson (aged 20-30) living with a wife
of the same age group & the following children:
1
boy (aged <5 5="" o:p="">
*Henry Gibson (aged 20-30) living with a wife
(aged 15-20) & one daughter (aged <5 o:p="">
*Alexander Gibson (aged 20-30) living with a wife
(aged 20-30) & the following children:
1
boy (aged 5-10)
1
girl (aged <5 5="" o:p="">
*James Conley (aged 20-30) living with a wife
(aged 20-30) & 1 son (aged <5 5="" o:p="">
*Willis Deal (aged 50-60) with two women aged
40-50 – one assumed to be his wife, and other possibly a sister or other family
member; clearly a mix of two families here, the children in the home were as
follows:
2
boys (aged <5 5="" o:p="">
3
boys (aged 10-15)
2
girls (aged 5-10)
2
girls (aged 10-15)
1 girl (aged 15-20)
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