I've probably already said it at least once in the last couple of blogs I've posted but... it really paid off to work on the Gibson cemeteries out in Corydon for almost two months straight. It was just the 'refresher' I needed this year. Plus, the main Gibson Cemetery is what sparked my love of small family cemeteries all those years ago. It deserves the special attention.
One of quite a few mysteries I was able to solve was that of the wives of Nathan Alander (also spelled Alexander at times) Gibson Sr. So let me introduce you to my 4th Great-Granduncle, Nathan.
The son of Berryman Gibson and Susan Duncan, Nathan was born on January 5th, 1828, in Corydon, Henderson County, Kentucky, undoubtedly on what is known dubbed as the original Gibson homestead or the original Gibson Plantation.
Now, for a many of years, I believed the only wife Nathan had was Eliza - who is buried in the Gibson Cemetery with him, and they both have existing tombstones. In the 1860 census, there is a curiosity of an "M.E. Blackburne" living with them. For years, I just assumed this must be Eliza's child from a previous marriage.
All researchers had Eliza's maiden name as Robinson (which they took from son William's death certificate). So I believed she must have been Eliza (Robinson) Blackburn Gibson for all of these years. I was curious though, because in the 1860 census, Nathan's daughter, Susan lived with his parents - Berryman and Susan (who she was undoubtedly named after.) Why would Nathan take care of Eliza's daughter, M.E, and not his own daughter Susan? There's only a few years between M.E. and Susan's age so why wouldn't they both be with their parents? Why only the step daughter and not the full daughter?
Something wasn't adding up. I started looking into Susan more. I can't get a death certificate for her as she died in 1906 - but I found her birth record -- Susan E. Gibson, 23rd July, 1853. Parents are Nathan Gibson and Mary Webster.
Hold the phone. Who is Mary Webster? Is Eliza's name "Mary Eliza"... no, it can't be. "Eliza Jane" is on the tombstone. Did the birth record have the information wrong? Was she a Webster maidenly, married a Robinson, then a Blackburn, then a Gibson? It just wasn't computing.
All researchers had Eliza's maiden name as Robinson (which they took from son William's death certificate). So I believed she must have been Eliza (Robinson) Blackburn Gibson for all of these years. I was curious though, because in the 1860 census, Nathan's daughter, Susan lived with his parents - Berryman and Susan (who she was undoubtedly named after.) Why would Nathan take care of Eliza's daughter, M.E, and not his own daughter Susan? There's only a few years between M.E. and Susan's age so why wouldn't they both be with their parents? Why only the step daughter and not the full daughter?
Something wasn't adding up. I started looking into Susan more. I can't get a death certificate for her as she died in 1906 - but I found her birth record -- Susan E. Gibson, 23rd July, 1853. Parents are Nathan Gibson and Mary Webster.
Hold the phone. Who is Mary Webster? Is Eliza's name "Mary Eliza"... no, it can't be. "Eliza Jane" is on the tombstone. Did the birth record have the information wrong? Was she a Webster maidenly, married a Robinson, then a Blackburn, then a Gibson? It just wasn't computing.
I absolutely knew I had to find a marriage record for Nathan and Eliza, or Nathan and this Mary Webster person. To my surprise, I never found a marriage record for Nathan and Mary Webster -- but I did find a marriage record for Nathan and Eliza Webster. They married on November 7th, 1853, in good ol' Mississippi County, Missouri, where my paternal Grandmother's family hails from.
Okay, so Nathan had a child with a Mary Webster in July 1853, but by November he's marrying Eliza Webster. So were Mary and Eliza sisters? I found Eliza in the 1850 census, but no Mary living in the household.
No Mary in the 1850 census... so was she already married? How about looking for a Webster marriage to a Blackburn? Sure enough, I found that Marietta Webster married James Blackburn on 22nd April, 1849, in Mississippi County, Missouri.
This is enough for me to draw the conclusion that Marietta or rather "Mary" Webster first married James Blackburn and they had a daughter together - M.E., which I'd later realize stood for Mary Elizabeth... and then James Blackburn passed away. Not long afterwards, Mary meets Nathan Gibson. The Gibson's jump between Kentucky and Missouri quite a bit so I believe Nathan went to stay with family in Missouri and met the young widow Marietta. They likely wed sometime in 1852 and became the parents of Susan in July of 1853.
Then, it appears to me, that Marietta "Mary" Webster Blackburn Gibson passes away, probably very shortly after the birth of Susan. Perhaps even the same day. I haven't found out for sure, but, she's likely buried in Gibson Cemetery if she died here in Henderson and not back in Missouri (I'm about 99.9% sure she probably passed right after childbirth and is buried in Gibson Cemetery.)
It isn't that uncommon for a man to marry the younger sister of his deceased first wife. I'm guessing Nathan had made Eliza's acquaintance when he married her older sister. So Nathan and Eliza marry in Missouri, and move back to Kentucky and begin having children. That's why in the 1860 census, Eliza's niece, M.E. Blackburn is living with them and Nathan and Marietta's daughter, Susan, is living with her Grandparents.
I figured that Eliza was Nathan's last marriage, as she only died three years before him in 1896. Well, I was wrong. On 28th January, 1897, Nathan marries for the final time to Susan B. Denton. Now, I'm not unfamiliar with the Denton family. This late in life, Denton has to be her married name, not maiden. Through process of elimination, I figured out it was Susan B Hancock, widow of James Denton, who died in 1896 as well.
Finally, Nathan himself passes away on July 23rd, 1899.. his first child's 46th birthday. Nathan was 71 years old. In all, he had fathered four children: Susan, Nathan Jr, William, and Henry. (Henry is a bit of an enigma. He doesn't appear in the 1870 census, but suddenly he's with the family in the 1880 census. His birth year is given as abt. 1866. I ponder if he's actually an orphan that Nathan and Eliza took in. After the 1880 census, Henry Gibson disappears again. Curious.)
Okay, so Nathan had a child with a Mary Webster in July 1853, but by November he's marrying Eliza Webster. So were Mary and Eliza sisters? I found Eliza in the 1850 census, but no Mary living in the household.
No Mary in the 1850 census... so was she already married? How about looking for a Webster marriage to a Blackburn? Sure enough, I found that Marietta Webster married James Blackburn on 22nd April, 1849, in Mississippi County, Missouri.
This is enough for me to draw the conclusion that Marietta or rather "Mary" Webster first married James Blackburn and they had a daughter together - M.E., which I'd later realize stood for Mary Elizabeth... and then James Blackburn passed away. Not long afterwards, Mary meets Nathan Gibson. The Gibson's jump between Kentucky and Missouri quite a bit so I believe Nathan went to stay with family in Missouri and met the young widow Marietta. They likely wed sometime in 1852 and became the parents of Susan in July of 1853.
Then, it appears to me, that Marietta "Mary" Webster Blackburn Gibson passes away, probably very shortly after the birth of Susan. Perhaps even the same day. I haven't found out for sure, but, she's likely buried in Gibson Cemetery if she died here in Henderson and not back in Missouri (I'm about 99.9% sure she probably passed right after childbirth and is buried in Gibson Cemetery.)
It isn't that uncommon for a man to marry the younger sister of his deceased first wife. I'm guessing Nathan had made Eliza's acquaintance when he married her older sister. So Nathan and Eliza marry in Missouri, and move back to Kentucky and begin having children. That's why in the 1860 census, Eliza's niece, M.E. Blackburn is living with them and Nathan and Marietta's daughter, Susan, is living with her Grandparents.
I figured that Eliza was Nathan's last marriage, as she only died three years before him in 1896. Well, I was wrong. On 28th January, 1897, Nathan marries for the final time to Susan B. Denton. Now, I'm not unfamiliar with the Denton family. This late in life, Denton has to be her married name, not maiden. Through process of elimination, I figured out it was Susan B Hancock, widow of James Denton, who died in 1896 as well.
Finally, Nathan himself passes away on July 23rd, 1899.. his first child's 46th birthday. Nathan was 71 years old. In all, he had fathered four children: Susan, Nathan Jr, William, and Henry. (Henry is a bit of an enigma. He doesn't appear in the 1870 census, but suddenly he's with the family in the 1880 census. His birth year is given as abt. 1866. I ponder if he's actually an orphan that Nathan and Eliza took in. After the 1880 census, Henry Gibson disappears again. Curious.)
Peculiarly, their son Nathan Jr, is buried in Gibson Cemetery #2. Not sure why. There's a lot of questions surrounding that second Gibson Cemetery and why it was even started in the first place. Rift in the family? Who knows. I wish I could go back in time and have a chat with my Gibson ancestors.
Something else interesting to note about half-sisters Mary Elizabeth Blackburn and Susan E. Gibson -- they married brothers.
Mary Elizabeth married Franklin Pierce Sutton on February 12th, 1875 in Henderson County, Kentucky. (February 12th, 1875 being her aunt Eliza's 37th birthday.) They even named their first child Eliza Jane, after her Aunt. They name their next daughter "Mary Etta" after her mother, Marietta.
Susan E. married John O. Sutton -- no exact date has been found but I assume it was about 1872. In the 1880 census, they have a six year old daughter, Ida. In the 1900 census, there is now a "Rubie" living with them that's listed as a niece. Many people are saying Ida and Rubie are the same person but I'm not convinced. I think Rubie is actually Ruby Alma - daughter of Thomas J. Sutton, another brother of John and Franklin's. Susan and John later adopt a son, James Tillman (Pitcock) Sutton.
Another good example showing that Ida and Rubie are separate people -- Ida was born Feb 1873, whereas Rubie in Dec 1873 (or 1874 as census suggests). They also appear separately in the 1900 census. Ida is married to a Burkhardt and lives with him. Whereas Rubie is single, listed as 'niece' and lives with Susan and John.
Something else interesting to note about half-sisters Mary Elizabeth Blackburn and Susan E. Gibson -- they married brothers.
Mary Elizabeth married Franklin Pierce Sutton on February 12th, 1875 in Henderson County, Kentucky. (February 12th, 1875 being her aunt Eliza's 37th birthday.) They even named their first child Eliza Jane, after her Aunt. They name their next daughter "Mary Etta" after her mother, Marietta.
Susan E. married John O. Sutton -- no exact date has been found but I assume it was about 1872. In the 1880 census, they have a six year old daughter, Ida. In the 1900 census, there is now a "Rubie" living with them that's listed as a niece. Many people are saying Ida and Rubie are the same person but I'm not convinced. I think Rubie is actually Ruby Alma - daughter of Thomas J. Sutton, another brother of John and Franklin's. Susan and John later adopt a son, James Tillman (Pitcock) Sutton.
Another good example showing that Ida and Rubie are separate people -- Ida was born Feb 1873, whereas Rubie in Dec 1873 (or 1874 as census suggests). They also appear separately in the 1900 census. Ida is married to a Burkhardt and lives with him. Whereas Rubie is single, listed as 'niece' and lives with Susan and John.
Anyway - that's enough to make y'all's head spin for now, so I'll wrap up by saying, the next time you're out at the main Gibson Cemetery, say hello to Nathan and Eliza.
Nathan's epitaph is a bit difficult to read, but I believe I've finally made it out.
Closed are thy sweet eyes
From this world of pain
But we trust in God
To meet thee again
Closed are thy sweet eyes
From this world of pain
But we trust in God
To meet thee again
It's also interesting to note that I share a birthday with Eliza -- February 12th. We also share that special day with the likes of President Abraham Lincoln, Charles Darwin, actress Christina Ricci, and author Judy Blume!
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