June Scavenger Hunt: Find someone born in June.

  I present to y'all - my 5x Grandfather, Berryman Gibson.

Buried in the Gibson Cemetery in Corydon, he has an extensive list of descendants all over the United States today. From yours truly, the hometown genealogist, to an Emmy-winning journalist, to a Professor of Biophysics, to a renowned children's author, and a local barbecue restauranteur. That's barely scratching the surface at his descendants.

Berryman was born on June 13th, 1785, in Caswell County, North Carolina, to Gibson family patriarch Joel Gibson and his wife, Eleanor (her name is also given as Ellender at times.) Berryman *might* be a twin of his brother, Greenberry Gibson. They both go by the nickname "Berry" Gibson so... they've been confused with one another from time to time in a genealogy standpoint.

In roughly 1808, he married Susan A. Duncan in either Caswell Co, NC, or perhaps Pittsylvania Co, VA. It is known that around 1808, the family had left Caswell Co, NC and headed to Pittsylvania Co, VA. From there, by about 1814 or so (after the War of 1812), Berryman headed to the Henderson Co, KY area.

Berryman or his brother Greenberry fought in the War of 1812, in the 7th Regiment Virginia Militia. The registration name is just "Berry Gibson," so honestly it could have been Berryman OR Greenberry.. I'd love to know which one.

The family made their roots just outside of Corydon - in the area of current day "J. Gibson Rd" (named after Joel? Maybe John? Maybe James? Lots of J. Gibson's in the family!) which is beside both of the Gibson cemeteries in Corydon. It is said that the Gibson's had wondrous sized plantations. My Grandma Glynda talked about overhearing the older generation in her youth talking about the old "Gibson homestead," there near the cemetery. I believe it was gone/torn down by the time my Grandma was born in 1941, though.

Berryman and his wife Susan had at least eleven children that I'm aware of, possibly more that died in infancy/youth.

Susan preceded Berryman in death in 1865 - and the Good Lord called Berryman home in September of 1869. His tombstone erroneously gives his death date as September 1st, 1870. However - the 1870 federal mortality schedule which lists deaths PRIOR to June 1st, 1870 - says he died in September of 1869. His cause of death was consumption, which is the old term for tuberculosis.

I believe sometime in possibly the 1930's or 1940's (and possibly it was even later than that, as I wasn't born myself until 1993) - Berryman and Susan's tombstones were replaced. No original headstones for them have been found by myself or other Gibson descendants at the cemetery as of 2022. Whoever replaced the originals either destroyed them or kept them for themselves.

Their children:

1. James William Gibson, February 18 1810 / May 27 1885, married Mary Watson, then Mary E. Royster. Buried in the 2nd Gibson Cemetery in Corydon.

2. Elizabeth "Betsey" Gibson, born in about 1811. I believe she died prior to 1850. She was the wife of her first cousin, Solomon Stone (son of Josiah Stone & Vicey Gibson.)

3. Joel E. Gibson, 1813 / 1853. Married Margaret J. Martin. He could be buried in either cemetery.

4. Martha Gibson, born about 1815. As of the 1850 census, she was unwed and living with her parents. She disappears after that. She's likely buried in the main Gibson Cemetery.

5. John Gregory Gibson, December 18 1816 / November 6 1890. Married Mahala Caroline Busby, then Elizabeth (?). John & Mahala are my 4x Grandparents. They're buried in the main Gibson Cemetery.

6. Bailey Gibson, December 8 1818 / February 5 1859. Married Sirena Weldon. He's said to be buried in the main family cemetery. His death year has also been given in error as 1866. His will was written in 1857, and I believe he died 1859.

7. Mary Susan "Polly" Gibson, February 10 1823 / January 12 1864. Married William Tapp. They're buried in the main Gibson Cemetery.

8. Robert W. Gibson, November 16 1824 / January 6 1884. Married Catherine Pritchett, then Lucy Ann Floyd. He and his second wife, Lucy, are buried in the Tapp Cemetery southwest of Poole in Webster County.

9. William C. Gibson, October 16 1825 / January 2 1898. Married Mary Frances Floyd. He's buried in the main Gibson Cemetery.

10. Nathan Alander Gibson Sr, January 5 1828 / July 23 1899. Married Marietta "Mary" Webster, then Eliza Jane Webster, and lastly Susan B. Hancock. He's buried in the main Gibson Cemetery.

11. Susan Ann Gibson, May 24 1833 / March 18 1887. Married William Lafayette Welden. She's buried in the main Gibson Cemetery.

If you're a Berryman Gibson descendant - please let me know! I love meeting new Gibson cousins. If you've got a Gibson line and you aren't sure if you're a Berryman descendant, or a Joel Gibson descendant, feel free to message me!

52 Ancestors 2021: Week 11: Fortune

 I just wrote a blog the other day on "prosperity" and talked about my 2x Grandparents - John Rowan Thompson and Mary Janella (Nally) Thompson and how they acquired various bits of wealth throughout their life. 

This week... I want to talk about one of the highest real estate values I've ever seen an ancestor of mine to have in the census -- Berryman Gibson and his wife, Susan (Duncan) Gibson, my 5x Grandparents. 

Before I get to the actual numbers -- I'll tell you a bit about Berry and Susan; it seems only fitting. 

Berryman "Berry" Gibson was born June 13th, 1785, in Caswell County, North Carolina. He was the son of Joel Gibson and Eleanor Davis, who migrated here, with a lot of their children, in the early 1800's. Their arrival to Henderson County was about 1813. In the 1810 census, they were in Christian County, Kentucky. 

Joel and family settled in the area now known as "Dixie." It's kind of a little community on a road that goes from Corydon to Cairo. In census, it's either labelled on some as Corydon and in others as Cairo.. but the farm never moves. It's just the boundaries that do. 

In about 1809, Berryman married Miss Susan Duncan. I'll take a guess and say the marriage probably happened in or near Christian County, Kentucky. She was born on January 18th, 1791, in North Carolina; the daughter of Nathaniel Benjamin Duncan and Jane Rainey. 

Berryman and Susan were the parents of the following children: James William (1810) who married Mary Watson, Elizabeth "Betsey"(1811) who married Solomon Stone, Joel E. Gibson (1813) who married Margaret J. Martin, Martha (1815) who in the 1850 census, still lives with her parents and is unwed; John Gregory (1816) who married Mahala Caroline Busby (they're my 4x Grandparents); Bailey (1818) who married Sirena Weldon, Robert W (1822) who married Catherine Pritchett, then Lucy Ann Floyd, Mary Susan (1823) who married William Tapp (it is their descendants who I believe still take care of the Gibson Family Cemetery in Corydon to this day); William C (1825) who married Mary Frances Floyd, Nathan Alander (1828) who married Eliza Jane Robinson, Susan Ann (1833) who married William Lafayette Welden. 

The Gibson Plantation, first owned by Joel Gibson, and then owned by Berryman Gibson, was quite substantial. The acreage, as far as I know, historically, was everything that lies between Hughes-Sights Rd to the North, J. Gibson Rd to the South, Hwy 145 to the West and Rock Springs Dixie Rd to the East. The original "main" Gibson Family Cemetery rests on a hill on Hughes-Sights Rd. There is a second Gibson Cemetery, started by Berryman's son, James William Gibson, that is in a field off of Hwy 145 directly in front of where J. Gibson Rd begins. 

I believe the Gibson's monopolized, at one point or another, much of the land in Corydon/Cairo/Dixie areas that didn't already belong to other established families like the Agnew's, Poole's, Pritchett's, Powell's, and others. 

In the 1830 census, Berry Gibson owns zero slaves. In 1840, the number is still zero. By 1850, the Gibson Plantation had grown and so had Berry's wealth -- he owned seventeen slaves. In 1860, the census I really want to point out the numbers in... he owned twenty-four slaves. Those numbers are important, and I hate that he owned any slaves at all... but this is history and I have to report the good sides as well as the bad sides. In context, it was horrendous he owned slaves... but also in context, it spoke to his volume of money and how "well" he was doing for himself by that point. 

In the 1860 census, and these are the highest numbers I've seen thus far, for any of my ancestors in the 1860 census... his real estate value was $29,000. That is $847,840.34 in today's value. His personal estate value was $25,000. That is $730,896.84 in today's value. I am absolutely GOBSMACKED. I don't think it ever TRULY dawned on me just how huge the Gibson Plantation was, at its peak. 

Speaking back at the discussion of slavery and the number of slaves Berry owned -- it's actually been said, but not 100% proven, that Joel Gibson, the patriarch of the Gibson family was partially colored himself. It's said he was the son of a white (possibly of Scottish descent) slave owner and either a fully colored or mulatto woman. So Joel himself would either be 50% to 25% African. Supposedly, it was in a history book (which I haven't been able to find) that Joel Gibson and Eleanor Davis were listed as an "interracial marriage." It's hard to believe that any marriage was interracial (unless it was incredibly hush hush) in the 1700's. 

What we do know, if there was any African DNA in the Gibson's -- it "bred out" eventually. My Mom met her Great-Grandmother (my 2x Grandmother) Mary Janella (Nally) Thompson.. she would have been the Great-Granddaughter of Berry Gibson, and the 2x Granddaughter of Joel Gibson... and Mom said Janella had perhaps "one or two" features that could make a person speculate if she was fully Caucasian or not. My Great-Grandmother, whom I met, Anna Elizabeth (Thompson) Sandefur, too, in my opinion had a feature or two that might make a person question her entire ethnicity. 

As it happens, though, I got 1% African in my DNA on Ancestry and my Mom got 0%. According to MyHeritage, though, my Mom is 6.7% African -- I feel that absolutely comes from her Gibson or her Moss line. My 1% African, I do believe, is coming from my Dad's side of the family as he got the same 1% and his Aunt got the same 1%... it's always the same area of African -- Congo, Cameroon, and Southern/Western Bantu peoples. We believe it comes through our Bowers line which "supposedly" was Native American but actually wasn't -- I believe it was actually African. They were from Sullivan Co, TN, which was home to a lot of Melungeon's. 

Back onto the topic of Berry and Susan -- Susan passed away on February 2nd, 1865 and is buried in the Gibson Cemetery. Sadly, she didn't see the end of the Civil War. I'm not sure that any of the sons of Susan or Berryman ended up serving in the Civil War -- most of them I believe were a bit too old even for the draft. But they probably had a grandchild or two who served. At the start of the war, Henderson County (like a lot of Kentucky) was Union, (although Kentucky was very much a swing state.) But by the end of the war, Confederates had indeed captured Henderson. 

Henderson notably had several family member vs family member when it came to the War. I have ancestors from Henderson that fought for the Union side, and fought for the Confederate side. In fact, there are cases in Henderson where it was brother vs. brother and father vs. son. 

Berryman passed away in September of 1869, in Henderson County, Kentucky, and he too, is buried in the Gibson Family Cemetery. His tombstone says September 1st, 1870, but his mortality schedule actually says September 1869, and since I can't find him in the 1870 census... this probably is correct. I do believe it is a newer tombstone, honestly, and that's probably why the date upon it is wrong. The original tombstone probably had the correct date, but the original tombstone may have been damaged beyond recognition or beyond legibility. In the 1850 and 1860 censuses, he gives his birth year as 1787 so honestly his birth could have been anywhere in the ball park of 1785-1787. His will wasn't probated until September 5th, 1870, which adds just a slight bit of credence to the 1870 death year, but I still believe 1869 is correct. 

I believe the original tombstones were either removed or destroyed/lost completely as I've been to the Gibson Cemetery numerous times and have never found them. Why do I believe that this tombstone has to be newer? Well, take a look for yourself. 

This doesn't look like a tombstone for people buried in 1865 and 1870. As a matter of fact, their son, John Gregory Gibson's tombstone, from 1890, looks worse than this one.. and looks more appropriate to the era. So I do believe this is a newer tombstone from probably the 1930's or 1940's perhaps even later. With time, their son John, and his wife Mahala, should probably get a new tombstone as well.. Maybe I could raise the funds to do so, eventually. 

Thanks for reading my rambles this evening on my 5x Grandparents, Berryman Gibson and Susan Duncan.