David S. Gibbs (abt. 1800 - aft. 1850)

Born about 1800 in Massachusetts, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Ophelia (Hinman) Buchanan — married 9 Oct 1828 (to 1850) in Ashtabula, Ohio, United States

Descendants

Died after Dec 1850 after about age 50 in New Mexico, United States [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Bonnie Follett [send private message]

Biography

David S. Gibbs was born about 1800 in Massachusetts. He was the son of Benjamin Gibbs and Charlotte Mather.

He married Ophelia Hinman on 9 Oct 1828 in Ashtabula, Ohio.^{[1] [2]}

David and Ophelia had about 7 children, including: Rufus, Winfield Scott, Charlotte, Maro/Marow, Laura, Ared Benjamin, and Oliver Gibbs.

He is seen in a census in Santa Fe, New Mexico in December 1850, listed with a group of men noted to be "Men in Quartermaster’s Dept." His occupation was listed as "Mason."

He passed away sometime after the Dec 26, 1850 census. He was apparently presumed dead. His wife remarried 15 years after his disappearance. ^[3]

The Centennial History of Oregon 1811 - 1912, Vol 3, at p. 98 states this about the parents of Winfield Scott Gibbs:

“His birth occurred in Medina county, Ohio, in 1833, his parents being David S. and Ophelia (Hinmann) Gibbs, who were natives of Massachusetts and New York respectively. They were married in the Empire state and shortly afterward removed to Ohio, there continuing to reside for eighteen years. On the expiration of that period they took up their abode in Muscatine county, Iowa, and subsequently went to Buchanan county, Missouri, where they made their home for a number of years. David S. Gibbs then went to New Mexico with our subject and is supposed to have died in that state, for father and son became separated and the former was never heard from afterward. (emphasis added) Mrs. Gibbs took up her abode near Kansas City, Kansas, and fifteen years later was married in the Sunflower state, where both she and her husband spent the remainder of their lives. By her first husband she had seven children, as follows: Rufus. whose demise occurred in Missouri; Winfield Scott, of this review; Charlotte, who gave her hand in marriage to Mr. Ogden and passed away in Kansas City. Missouri; Marow, who is a resident of Kansas; Laura, who died in the Sunflower state; Benjamin A., who died in the Soldiers' Home in California; and Oliver, whose demise occurred in Missouri.”

Research Notes:

Birth Place for David:

The birth place of David S. Gibbs has been seen in many family trees as Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut. None of the trees I've reviewed (on FamilySearch and Ancestry.com) have included any sources supporting this birth place. This Connecticut birth even found its way into an Ancestry database called "U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900" compiled from family trees. (The closest source I found for a Connecticut birth was an 1800 census in Litchfield, Connecticut for a David Gibbs, listing household members only by number. Since David was born about 1800, he would not be old enough to be a head of household at that time.)

Records found concerning his son Winfield always states his father's birth place as Massachusetts. I think this is more convincing than unsourced family trees. Siblings of David Gibbs had birth records found in Granville, Hampden, Massachusetts, naming Benjamin Gibbs and wife Charlotte as parents.

David is tied to his parents and Gibbs ancestors through references made in the probate proceedings relating to the Last Will of his sister Amelia L. Gibbs Bissell. He is identified as among the next of kin of Amelia. ("... and the heirs and next of kin of David Gibbs whose names and places of residence cannot be ascertained.") The family of her "sister Hannah" Gibbs Richardson are also mentioned in her will.

His father Benjamin Gibbs was from Windsor, Connecticut, and this information might have been copied into family trees under assumption it applied to David or other children of Benjamin as well.

David's Death:

There is also an assumption in all family trees reviewed that David died in New Mexico after being separated from his son Winfield who had gone there with him. David never contacted family past this point and he was presumed to be dead. His wife remarried 15 years later. So many family trees use "1850" as his death date even though he appeared in a December 1850 census in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

I suspected there might be more to the story when I found an 1880 census for David S. Gibbs in Texas, age 79, b. Mass., with a new wife Matilda several years younger. We cannot be certain this is the same David, but it sure looks possible that he may have survived past 1850, but for some unknown reason had chosen not to return home.

Sources

1. ↑ "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2016", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XD72-8LZ : 27 September 2021), David S. Gibbs and Ophelia M. Hinman, 9 Oct 1828.
2. ↑ "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2016", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q21Q-6MMG : 15 July 2022), David S Gibbs and Ophelia M Hinman, 9 Oct 1828.
3. ↑ Centennial History of Oregon 1811 - 1912, Vol 3  (S.J. Clarke Publ. Co. 1912) page 98-99 (entry for Winfield Scott Gibbs), available at: FamilySearch books. (Discusses family and presumed death in New Mexico after separated there from son)

• "United States National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1866-1938," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KSNT-JL9 : 13 March 2018), Winfield S Gibbs, 1914; citing p. 924, Roseburg, Oregon, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1749 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 226; FHL microfilm 1,578,117. (Father: David S. Gibbs, b. Mass.; Mother: Orphelia Hinman, b. New York)

• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFS4-L1V : 23 December 2020), D S Gibbs in household of A W Reynolds, Santa Fe, Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). (listed with Men in Quartermaster’s Dept. on following page name D S Gibbs at bottom of page)

• Found in potential census with a different wife (not sure if him, but possible): "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFJ2-X1J : 15 January 2022), David S. Gibbs, Justice Precinct 3, Wilson, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district ED 149, sheet , NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm . (age 79, est. b. 1801 in Mass., father b. Connecticut, mother b. England, wife: Matilda Gibbs, age 45, b. abt 1835 in Germany)

• David S. Gibbs, FamilySearch profile, person ID 9J37-DCR, at: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/9J37-DCR